Ch 37: Final Battle

Serena's POV

I looked towards them, I saw that they were thanking me and I mustered up a smile. When they faced their backs on me, I finally collapsed.

Although, I have a lot of mana, it doesn't make it infinite. I used up all my mana by healing, setting up a barrier and giving buff and debuffing. 'This is as far as I can go, I'll leave it to you girls'. I thought, as I glanced one more time at the two.

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The battlefield was shrouded in an eerie, oppressive darkness, broken only by the occasional flicker of firelight or the shimmering glint of water. A hideous demon, towering over the trees and covered in thick, blackened scales, rumbled with fury as it advanced. Its claws scraped against the earth, leaving deep gouges, and its eyes burned with malice. The stench of sulfur and decay filled the air.

Valerie and Cecilia stood side by side, the ground trembling beneath them. Their weapons, forged from the very elements they controlled, gleamed in the dim light.

Valerie gripped her blade tightly. Her magnetic silver eyes glinted with determination as she called upon the flames within her. "Let's turn this demon to ash!" she shouted, her voice a roar of confidence.

Cecilia pulled back her bowstring, water swirling around her with every movement. Her gaze was calm, her expression focused. "We need to stay coordinated," she said, eyes narrowing as she studied their enemy. "One misstep, and we'll be fighting for our lives."

The demon snarled and swung its massive tail, sending a shockwave of debris hurtling toward them. Valerie dashed forward, her blade erupting in flames as she met the attack head-on, slicing through the debris and slashing across the demon's tail with a fiery arc. The demon shrieked in pain, but it quickly retaliated, sending a bolt of dark energy straight at Valerie.

With a swift motion, Cecilia loosed an arrow made entirely of water. It sailed through the air, striking the bolt of energy before it could reach Valerie. The arrow exploded into a mist of steam, the water absorbing the dark energy and dissipating it. "Watch your back, Valerie!"

Valerie grinned, her fiery blade blazing brighter. "I was counting on you!"

The demon growled, shaking its head in rage, and lunged forward, its clawed hands swiping at them both. Valerie leapt into the air, spinning her sword in a fiery whirlwind, cutting a path through the demon's arm. Below her, Cecilia nocked another arrow, this one infused with water from a nearby fountain, and aimed for the demon's eyes.

"Water's wrath," Cecilia muttered, releasing the arrow. It shot forward, forming a huge vortex of water that wrapped around the demon's head. The vortex expanded, suffocating the creature with pressure and soaking its skin, which sizzled under the intense heat from Valerie's fire.

The demon roared in frustration, its skin boiling under the dual onslaught of water and fire. But it wasn't defeated yet. It began to thrash, sending waves of dark energy surging through the air, each one more powerful than the last. Valerie and Cecilia barely dodged them, the shockwaves throwing them off balance.

"We need to finish this," Valerie said through gritted teeth. She sheathed her blade for a moment, concentrating as her body absorbed the ambient heat around her. A wave of fiery energy radiated from her, and she focused it into her sword once more. "This one's for you, Serena!"

Cecilia smirked, readying her bow. "I'll provide the cover."

With one last push, Valerie dashed forward, her body surrounded by a halo of blazing fire. She slashed with her sword, creating an enormous firestorm that engulfed the demon's chest. At the same time, Cecilia unleashed a barrage of water arrows, each one imbued with crushing pressure, aimed at the demon's throat.

The two forces collided in a massive explosion of steam, smoke, and flame. The demon howled in agony as its body disintegrated under the combined assault. Finally, with one last piercing shriek, the demon crumbled to the ground, its massive form disintegrating into ash and water vapor.

Valerie stood, panting, her sword still glowing with the intensity of the flames. "That… was intense," she said with a grin.

Cecilia lowered her bow, her expression unreadable but her body relaxed. "We make a good team," she said softly.

Together, they turned and walked away from the ruins of the battle, knowing that they had once again faced the darkness and emerged victorious.