Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 345: Then We Kill It Again

Raegar stood in front of Galahad, daggers ignited, Fire and Lightning Aether sparked across the edge, he tried to summon his Fusion Knights to join the fight, but some unknown force blocked them from appearing in the arena, ready for the fight as his excitement skyrocketed at the upcoming battle.

Seconds later, the enemy vanished, reappearing too close, taking him by surprise. 'Oh, shit!' he thought.

Short blades were aimed at his ribs, forcing him to quickly twist out of the way to dodge. The sword in the enemy's left hand suddeny turned, slashing at his midsection, but he blocked it, causing sparks to fly everywhere as their blades collided. They continued fighting, and when one of his blades touched the enemy, Aether detonated on contact.

Red lightning spider-webbed across the green armor, causing the enemy to stagger, head tilting back. Just then, he came to a stop when feeling some kind of corruption crawling up his blades. He snarled and pushed back, refusing to be infected by such a thing, channeling raw Aether through the daggers.

It was destroyed in seconds thanks to the overwhelming force. After this, the enemy roared and struck his cheek backhanded when he moved quicker then Raegar expect, catching him off guard. He flew backward, crashing into the ground. Sand exploded everywhere, rolling to his knees with blood in his mouth.

The force of the collision, snapped the chain on the central post. Behind the second gate, something colossal slammed against it; wood splintered, iron groaned. Drusilla's panicked voice cut through the chaos. ''Rae, above!''

Galahad was already there, blades descending toward his chest, a green glow radiating from the two sword. Raegar crossed his daggers, causing a loud clang to ring out across the arena. The impact drove him to one knee, arms trembling. While doing this, the enemy leaned in, taunting. ''The Fusion King dies.''

He grinned through blood, ignoring the pain. ''Not today.''

Raegar activated Fusion Overdrive, boosting his power. A shockwave of fire erupted between them, hurling Galahad back. He surged forward, daggers spinning, and vanished, it was his turn to move faster, magic burning through his veins. Moments later, he reappeared behind the enemy, slashing the back of the knights legs.

They sliced through the armor but suddenly got stuck, shocking him as he couldn't pull back thanks to them being stuck. Green corrosion rushed up the blades, eating the Aether that was trying to fight back. Galahad spun, faster than someone his size should, and one short sword punched through his defences, stabbing him just under the ribs.

Pain flared across his body like a searing burn, but he ignored the injury and twisted, using it to pull himself closer. His forehead smashed into the knight's helmet in a vicious headbutt, catching the enemy off guard. He then jammed both daggers into the visor, crossed them, and ripped.

Green light screamed out, but something was off. Galahad convulsed, blades falling to its side. Raegar yanked his daggers free in a spray of black blood. He jumped backward as the knight staggered, armor cracking like old ice. After that, the second gate opened as a roar shook the arena, catching their attention.

Something titanic, half shadow, half whale, slithered through, chains dragging behind it like anchors. Drusilla's black hair whipped as she unleashed a lance of dark fire; Nivara's daggers raked the air, carving runes that shot toward the newcomer. Moments later, he landed beside them, blood drenching his side, yet the daggers still pulsed.

Galahad rose once again, helmet pulling itself back together as a low, mocking laugh rumbled from the enemy, annoying him even more. Raegar spat a mouthful of blood and ignored the searing pain rushing through his body. He pointed one of his daggers at the foe. "Round two.''

The knight charged, ready to fight once again as the beast from the gate rushed toward the women. Sand turned to glass under the heat of clashing magics. The arena sang with steel and thunder. Raegar moved while Galahad met him mid-stride, short swords and daggers clashing in a frenzy as both warriors matched each other.

Every block sent shocks up his arms, the corruption gnawing at his Aether, which scared him, but he pushed through the chaos in his mind, his blades dimmed, flickered, then reignited as he poured more power into them, causing the weapons to destroy the strange energy trying to turn him.

''Buy me some time!'' he shouted.

Drusilla's red eyes blazed as she thrust both palms forward, unleashing a wave of black flames lashed the titanic whale like living whips, trying to slow it down. The creature bellowed, its rotting hide bubbling where the fire bit, but it surged anyway, tentacles slamming down, cratering the sand.

Nivara darted beneath it; daggers blazing with Dark Aether, as she leaped onto a thrashing limb, she went crazy and started slashing. ''This thing's skin is armor! We're going to need more!'' she snarled, dodging a mouth of jagged teeth that snapped shut inches away.

The Green Knight pressed Raegar even more. A feint left, he parried, then the right sword folded through the air, emerging from his shadow to slice his thigh. Blood sprayed. He staggered, pain fueling his rage. ''Enough!''

He channeled deep: Aether coalesced in his core, twisting into a Stormfire Vortex. He spun, daggers outward, unleashing the new spell. A howling storm of red lightning and flame engulfed Galahad, sand fusing to glass beneath it. The Green Knight's armor shattered in places, and green fog bled out.

But the helm's mouth laughed. ''Pain feeds.''

Moments later, Raegar watched as the corruption healed Galahad with a fresh, pulsing light. The shadow-whale took advantage of the situation. A tentacle coiled around Drusilla's waist, yanking her skyward. She screamed, black hair thrashing as dark energy surged through her veins too fast.

Her skin cracked, Aether burning her from inside. ''Raegar! Help!''

Nivara vaulted onto the beast's back, daggers sinking into blubber, but it bucked, hurling her into the arena wall. Stone crumbled; she slid down in a heap, eyes dimming. Raegar's world narrowed. His energy surged, powering him to new heights as he vanished in front of Galahad.

He reappeared in front of the Green Knight, daggers raining strikes so fast no one could follow. One pierced a shoulder joint; Aether exploded inward, blowing the arm clean off in a gout of fog. The enemy wheeled, one sword lashing wild, he ducked, felt the wind rush past his hair, and countered with an upward slash.

Without waiting, Raegar vanished and appeared in front of the whale and cast Titanfall right on top of it. The metal rod slammed into the monster, impaling its head, pinning it to the arena floor. He caught the Dark Fairy, who was injured, forcing him to land beside Nivara, who took the now blonde young woman.

Moments later, a green light erupted from nearby. The knight dropped to a knee, strange mist spilled from his body. But the chain post glowed, and from the third gate, a low rumble, then cracks spiderwebbing the ground. Something older stirred. Drusilla was now resting between them as her Aether repaired most of the injuries.

He watched the Green Knight's remaining hand clenched. ''All break.''

The arena trembled as the third gate began to open. From the black poured a leviathan of bone, no knight, no man, just death. Ribs the size of trees which shocked and amazed him. A skull the size of a wagon grinned with a thousand teeth, eyes burning green and full of rage and magic he couldn't make up.

Following that, Raegar watched as the chain from the central post snapped to the monster's spine, dragging it forward with wet, grinding hunger. The Green Knight laughed one last time, then the fragments dissolved into the leviathan's mouth. The armor grafted onto the beast's ribs like barnacles, pulsing sickly light.

The shadow-whale's corpse slithered into the leviathan's belly, flesh knitting, bones lengthening. Drusilla's knees buckled. ''That's everything we killed. It's eating them.''

Nivara spun her daggers. ''Then we kill it again.''

Raegar's blood boiled; he Aether in his veins answered, not violet, not white, but crimson-gold, the color of sunrise through the slaughter. His daggers blazing, each blade longer than his arm. The arena beneath his boots shook as the leviathan lunged. Chains whipped, each link a screaming soul.

Raegar used Flash Step to appearing atop the beast's skull. He drove both weapons down.

Bone split. Green fire vented. The leviathan roared, head snapping up; he rode the motion, boots skidding along the spine as he carved a molten trench. Drusilla rose, her body flared with Dark Aether, black hair whipping into a storm, red eyes bleeding light.

She clapped her hands, and the air ripped thanks to the energy welling up just in front of her before shooting upward. A black sun formed above the arena, drinking every shadow, every torch-flame. When it was shaking and ready to explode, she threw it toward the monster. The spell struck the leviathan's chest.