Chapter 42: Beast Will-(IV)

THIRD PERSON'S POV:

As Arthur hurled himself into the area where Alea was clashing with the horned creature Jagrette, his actions were a whirlwind of swiftness and strength. He triggered [Thunderclap Impulse], a burst of electrical power launching him forward in the manner of a lightning bolt. Dawns Ballad, his reliable sword, burst into a dazzling blue flame, crackling with unrefined energy as it sliced through the air.

With precision and force, Arthur slashed at the creature. But as the tip of Dawn's Ballad made contact with Jagrette's skin, a sizzling sound filled the air. The creature's flesh oozed a dark, viscous poison that reacted violently with the blade, causing the blue fire to flicker and sputter.

Arthur's instincts screamed at him to retreat, and he heeded them without hesitation. In a split second, he used [Blink Step], getting away from the creature, narrowly avoiding the poisonous vines that lashed out at the spot where he had just stood. The vines, oozing with the same dark, viscous poison as Jagrette's skin, struck the ground with a sickening thud, releasing a wave of sickly green mana that spread through the air like a toxic cloud.

"Hoho~ You are pretty fast, boy~ How about being this beautiful lady's slave? I will treat you nicely~" 

Arthur's eyes narrowed as Jagrette's mocking voice slithered through the battlefield, each word dripping with twisted amusement. To her, this was just a cruel game—a chance to toy with her prey. But Arthur wasn't fazed.

"Sorry," he replied, his voice cold and unwavering, "I'm not interested." Despite the odd sensation that flickered through him, he couldn't deny the connection he felt with Dawn's Ballad. This sword had been his trusted companion, the best he'd ever wielded across both his lives. Yet now, it had been damaged beyond repair with just one touch from her poison-laced skin—a testament to the monstrous power she wielded.

As Arthur steeled himself for Jagrette's next move, Alea, who had been momentarily stunned by Arthur's transformation and the skill he displayed, snapped out of her trance. She couldn't deny the awe that had washed over her—the raw power and precision with which Arthur wielded his blade were unlike anything she had ever witnessed for his age. But admiration quickly turned into concern as she noticed the damage to his sword.

"Arthur!" Alea called out, her voice tinged with urgency. "Be careful! Her poison isn't just toxic—it's corrosive. Even your blade couldn't withstand it. Also, she can heal herself by absorbing the life essence of plant mana."

Arthur glanced at Dawn's Ballad, the blade's once flawless edge now marred and brittle. He gritted his teeth, anger simmering beneath the surface. This creature was more dangerous than he had anticipated, but he wasn't about to let that stop him.

"What's the matter, boy? Realizing you're out of your depth? It's not too late to reconsider my offer~" Jagrette's voice dripped with condescension, her face obscured by a doll-like mask that only added to her eerie presence. Despite the mask, Arthur could feel the malicious smile behind it, the wicked amusement in her words grating on his nerves.

Arthur clicked his tongue in frustration, his mind racing to formulate a plan. Turning to Alea, he spoke with urgency, "Alea, you need to cut her connection to the surrounding plants. I'll keep her distracted."

Alea nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Jagrette was powerful, undeniably so, but Alea knew that under different circumstances, she could have defeated her. The real issue was that Jagrette's mana arts directly counter Alea's plant magic, turning what should have been a straightforward battle into a deadly struggle. The poison Jagrette manipulated not only corroded weapons but also sapped the life force of the plants, using them to heal and strengthen herself. It was because of this that Alea hadn't been able to fight at her full potential.

As Alea moved to sever Jagrette's connection to the plants, Arthur squared off against the horned creature once more. He needed to buy Alea enough time to execute the plan. Despite the damage to Dawn's Ballad, Arthur's determination hadn't wavered. He knew that if they could neutralize Jagrette's advantage, they stood a real chance of defeating her.

Jagrette, noticing the shift in their strategy, grinned wickedly. "Oh, how delightful! You think you can outsmart me? Come on, then, show me what you've got!"

As Arthur launched himself at her once again, Alea began her work, channeling her mana to disrupt the flow of life essence from the plants surrounding them.

Dozens of vine-like appendages erupted from the ground, lashing out in all directions. The earth cracked beneath Arthur's feet as he dashed toward the slender witch, ignoring her spell.

"Absolute Zero," Arthur whispered, focusing the spell entirely around his body. The murky green vines froze inches before they could touch him, their deadly momentum halted by the chilling aura.

His first instinct, honed over two lifetimes, was to swing Dawn's Ballad, but the damage to his sword made him hesitate. Instead, he took one final step, bringing himself within striking distance, and willed the ice mana to form a claw-like gauntlet around his left hand.

As Arthur's spell collided with Jagrette's toxic aura, a cloud of steam hissed out, obscuring his vision. Realizing immediately that the steam was toxic, Arthur quickly created a bubble of air around his face, blocking the poisonous fumes from entering his lungs. However, the corrosive nature of the gas still burned his skin, leaving searing marks on his arms and neck.

The toxic vapor also began to eat away at his clothes, melting the fabric and exposing the golden runes that lined his arms—Sylvia's will made manifest. The ancient markings glowed faintly, their power reacting to the threat around him.

Jagrette's eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of the runes, her wicked smile faltering for just a moment. "Interesting… What exactly are you, boy?" she sneered, a hint of interest in her voice.

Deciding that getting any closer would only be more harmful, Arthur used [Blink Step] to retreat. "Oho~ Running away, are we?" Jagrette taunted, disappearing from sight and reappearing within a cluster of vines behind him. Arthur blinked away once more, but she continued her teasing, "Not much of a talker, are you? I wonder how you're moving so fast~" She vanished again, only to reappear directly behind him.

Realizing that overusing [Blink Step] would only exhaust him, Arthur activated [Static Void], pulling himself out of the flow of time. The world around him froze in an eerie monochrome stillness. As he turned, he saw Jagrette suspended in mid-motion, her hand mere inches from his neck.

Drawing Dawn's Ballad, Arthur focused, channeling [Black Lightning] around the blade. He used [Downforce] to dramatically increase its weight, preparing for a decisive blow. As the edge of his sword neared Jagrette's face, he released the [Static Void], allowing time to resume.

The toxic cloud that had been swirling around her split in two as Arthur's heavy strike nearly connected. Instinctively, she leaned back, narrowly dodging the fatal blow by a hair's breadth. However, the edge of Arthur's sword grazed her, drawing a slight trickle of blood.

Her mask, which had been tightly affixed to her face, cracked and split from the impact, falling to the ground in pieces. As the shattered mask crumpled further upon hitting the ground, Jagrette's true face was revealed. It wasn't just her gnarled skin, aged like the bark of the ancient trees around them, or the two narrow slits where her sunken cheeks should have been. It wasn't even her thin, leathery lips—darker than her hair—or her jagged, yellow-stained teeth.

It was her eyes. Or rather, the dark, hollow pits that served as her eyes, gouged out and shoved back deep inside her skull. They radiated a malevolent energy that filled Arthur with a sense of dread unlike anything he had ever faced, even in his previous life. Her stare was something out of a nightmare—a demon's gaze, spawned from the depths of hell.

"Where's my mask?" she demanded frantically, her hands fumbling over her face, searching for the shattered pieces

"My mask. I need my mask," she kept repeating as she realized her face was now bare. The witch tore away at her unruly black mane, clawing at her ponytails and using her undone hair as a curtain to cover her face. She kneeled on the ground, gathering the small shards of her shattered mask as she continued muttering, 'My mask'.

Arthur let out ragged breaths as he slowly inched away in fear of what she might do. He had used [Static Void] with the second phase activated, and now his blade's tip was brittle even further. 

"My mask!" She screeched once more, gripping the shards of her masks until her hands bled. 

ALEA TRISCAN' POV:

As I retreated from the chaotic battle, I knew what needed to be done. Jagrette was powerful, but her strength was amplified by the life force of the plants around us. If I could sever that connection, we might have a chance. Even though leaving the battle with the Witch-like creature entirely to Arthur didn't sit right with me and left a bitter taste in my mouth, it was the only way to get the upper hand against her. 

My hands trembled slightly as I began to chant the incantation for [Verdant Requiem]. It's one of the most potent spells I have, designed to drain the life force from everything around me. But the cost… I knew it would take nearly one-sixth of my mana pool, and the mental strain would be immense. Still, there was no other choice.

I focused on my core, drawing mana from it at immense speed, seconds turned into minutes as the feeling of a familiar hum of mana began to surge through me. The surrounding plants of the meadow, once so full of life, started to wither. I could see their vibrant green leaves turning brown, crumbling into dust as I pulled their life force into the spell. It was like a slow, steady tug at my very soul, and the pain and exhaustion began creeping in almost immediately.

The ground beneath my feet cracked, dry, and lifeless, as the once-thriving vegetation around me turned to brittle husks. I could feel my mana being drained, bit by bit, like water slipping through my fingers. My vision blurred, and my head pounded from the effort, but I couldn't stop. Not now. If I did, everything would be for nothing.

Finally, I felt the spell reach its peak. The energy swirling around me was intense, the life force of the plants now fully absorbed into the spell's matrix. I staggered, barely able to keep myself upright. My breath came in ragged gasps, my entire body trembling from the strain. My mana pool was only one-third filled and I could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me.

My vision darkened at the edges, but I forced myself to stay conscious. The [Verdant Requiem] had worked, I could sense it. I glanced back towards Arthur and Jagrette, hoping that the disruption of the life force around us would give Arthur the advantage we needed.

"My mask," a sudden screech tore through the air, jolting me from my thoughts. The sound was a chilling mix of desperation and fury, and the aura that followed made me tremble in my exhausted state. 

The raw, unfiltered malice radiating from Jagrette was suffocating, pressing down on me like a heavy-weight. I could barely stand as I watched her, wild and frantic, clawing at her own face, her voice a mixture of rage and despair.

I'd never seen anything like this. The once composed and cruel witch was unraveling before my eyes, reduced to a manic creature driven by some deep, twisted fear. Her aura, dark and oppressive, seemed to pulse with every breath she took, making the air around her heavy with malevolence.

Jagrette's eyes suddenly locked onto Arthur, a menacing gleam in her gaze that made her face even more terrifying without the mask. She spoke, her voice dripping with venom, "Now that you've seen me like this, I'm afraid I can't keep you as my pet."

With that, she stood up, her aura flaring, more terrifying than before. Realizing that standing idle would only seal our fate, I forced mana into my weary limbs and dashed toward Arthur. I could feel Jagrette's gaze burning into me, and when I glanced at Arthur, I saw concern in his eyes as well.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked as I neared him. Up close, I noticed the searing burn marks on his hands and neck, likely caused by the toxic fumes that had emanated from Jagrette. Instead of answering, I asked if he was alright. He nodded, but his voice held a note of urgency as he added, "I can't keep this form for more than a few more minutes. We need to end this quickly."

I nodded, a surge of concern and determination coursing through me. I realized I needed to change my approach. I hadn't been able to use water magic before due to the toxic nature of Jagrette's mana arts, and ice was out of the question—elves couldn't wield ice magic. But after witnessing Arthur's [Absolute Zero], I knew that water magic could become our most powerful weapon against her.

Summoning the last reserves of my strength, I channeled my mana, envisioning the spell that might turn the tide in our favor—[Abyssal Maelstrom]. The air around me rippled as I called forth the water element, conjuring a massive, swirling vortex that surged toward Jagrette. The maelstrom roared to life, a churning mass of water that rapidly engulfed her, trapping her within its relentless currents.

Inside the vortex, I conjured countless water lances, each spinning with deadly precision and striking from every direction. Jagrette struggled to move, her body thrashing against the vortex as she tried to escape. She attempted to summon vines to disrupt the spell, but the swirling water tore through them with ease, rendering her efforts futile.

Arthur, momentarily bewildered, watched as the water began to sizzle on contact with Jagrette's toxic aura. Despite the heat and poison emanating from her, I could see her power had waned considerably—no doubt a result of the absence of plants to draw strength from.

Knowing we had a chance, I looked toward Arthur. "Use [Absolute Zero]!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the roar of the vortex.

His eyes widened for a moment, realization dawning on him. With a determined nod, Arthur closed his eyes, centering himself as he focused on the swirling water around Jagrette. He whispered the words, "[Absolute Zero]," and I felt the atmosphere shift as a surge of ice mana began to intertwine with my water mana.

I released my hold on the spell, trusting Arthur to take over. The water within the maelstrom began to freeze, the temperature plummeting as ice spread rapidly, encasing the vortex in a deadly chill. The air around us became frigid, the cold biting into my skin as the maelstrom turned into a spinning pillar of ice, trapping Jagrette within its frozen grasp.

I had witnessed this spell before, used by Lance Zero—Varay herself—yet seeing it now, up close, still managed to awe me. The sheer power and precision with which Arthur wielded [Absolute Zero] left me breathless, and I could only hope that this would be enough to end the nightmare we faced.

As the last remnants of the maelstrom froze solid, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence, the only sound being the crackling of ice as it settled. I stood there, my body trembling from exhaustion and the cold, but my eyes were fixed on the frozen vortex, waiting for any sign of movement.

~~

A/N: Well, long time no see, right? Although I can't guarantee when I will be fully back as I am still adjusting to the unfamiliar surroundings, I do hope that I will be back soon. Now, tell me how was the chapter, did you like it? I tried using different approaches and perspectives to make it a bit more interesting. I took some inspiration from canon along with the few pieces of advice given to me in previous chapters. So do comment your thoughts.

Note: I have made another ff, TBATE: ONE-SHOTS & What-Ifs, so comment your ideas and concept you want to see, Once I am fully back I will try to give those ideas a try.