Mira's audacity sent ripples of shock throughout the gathered crowd.
As soon as she spoke, the Spire turned into a battlefield. The initial shock wore off, and everyone began unleashing their respective skills. The skies above the Spire were painted with beams of radiant lights and raging elements as techniques and spells were cast.
For some, alliances had been made in anticipation of this moment. Groups of cultivators combined their strength to form protective barriers, shielding themselves from rogue attacks while launching coordinated assaults on others.
Mira, not one to wait for enemies to strike, darted through the scene like a wraith.
Mira moved with a lethal grace that was almost mesmerizing. The glint of her scythe shimmered in the ethereal light, becoming an extension of her will.
As she navigated the battlefield, her target was clear: the weaker combatants.
By eliminating them first, she could reduce the chaos and make the field more manageable for her strategic moves later.
She could also prevent as many women from her Sect from dying so uselessly.
A younger disciple from the Battle Maiden Sect, her stance revealing her uncertainty, made a tentative strike at Mira with a short sword.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but Mira didn't allow her to.
Without even looking, Mira pivoted, her tail lashing out and sending the disciple sprawling off the Spire.
With another fluid motion, her scythe came down on a nearby beast, and a life was extinguished.
Nearby, a beast cultivator, a young Lynx barely out of its adolescent phase, pounced. But Mira was ready. A swift uppercut from her fist met its jaw, and the Lynx crumpled mid-air, tumbling back to the ground, dazed and defeated.
Another beast attempted a sneak attack from behind, lunging with extended claws. Mira's senses, sharpened to an incredible degree, alerted her. Without breaking stride, her golden tail, imbued with Primal Energy, whipped around and crashed into its head, exploding it.
Some, seeing her prowess, attempted to join forces against her.
A cluster of Battle Maiden Sect disciples, united by their collective desire to become the Sect's Prime Disciple, launched an all-out attack. Blazing arrows, chains of energy, and spears of ice hurtled toward Mira. But she was always a step ahead.
Mira erected a wall of ice, blocking the attacks.
Immediately after, she was flanked by a group of beasts, determined to kill her and consume her blood.
With a flick of her wrist, she sent a flurry of ice spikes at them. They didn't even get a chance to attack before they were skewered to death.
The Battle Maiden disciples were left dumbfounded, but their hesitation cost them dearly. Mira retaliated with a devastating shockwave, hurling them off the Spire's peak. Their screams echoed as they plummeted.
In the midst of this chaotic melee, the Griffin observed with a mixture of amusement and admiration. Mira was definitely a worthy candidate, but she wasn't the only person with considerable strength and talent on the Spire.
A deafening roar split the air, causing several fighters to stumble. Emerging from the shadows was a gargantuan beast, a creature of lore, said to have been extinct for millennia: the Thunderdrake. Its scales sparkled like storm clouds, and its eyes crackled with electricity.
"Enough! The Spire's treasure is mine! The rest of you weaklings should just leave and stop wasting my time!" the Thunderdrake declared, its voice shaking the very foundations of the Spire.
But Mira, emboldened by her earlier victories and the power she'd accumulated, stepped forth.
She didn't even bother speaking with this dumbass. However, the same couldn't be said about the others.
"If you have the ability, take it for yourself!"
"That's right! Quit your yappin' and fight!"
"Wasting your time?! Fuck you! You're wasting our time with all your screaming!"
Almost all the focus shifted from Mira to the Thunderdrake, leaving only a few of the silent, more powerful enemies to keep their eyes on her.
"You-!" The Thunderdrake glared at everyone cursing it. "You bugs dare to curse me?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"
The Thunderdrake's rage was palpable, and with another earth-shattering roar, it unleashed torrents of electrical energy towards the combatants. The Spire lit up with bright arcs of electricity, turning the battlefield into a frenzied storm of chaotic energy.
Many of the lesser-skilled fighters were instantly paralyzed, their bodies convulsing as the electrical currents coursed through them. The more adept fighters managed to dodge or deflect the bolts, but the sheer force of the Thunderdrake's attack was still enough to throw them off balance.
But not Mira.
She used the momentary distraction to her advantage. With an agility that belied her stature, Mira deftly wove through the electric onslaught, her scythe leaving a trail of frozen mist in its wake. Her path was clear: straight towards the Thunderdrake.
As the beast continued its rampage, Mira moved closer, using her ice abilities to create platforms and shields, giving her a direct line to its massive form. With each step, she took out any minor enemy that dared approach her.
A few of the more powerful enemies, sensing the imminent confrontation, began to create barriers and prepare their most potent techniques, aiming to either capitalize on the ensuing battle or protect themselves from its fallout.
Close enough now to see the anger in the Thunderdrake's crackling eyes, Mira leaped. Using her tails, she vaulted herself high into the air, meeting the beast's gaze with a challenging glare.
As she descended, her scythe coated in a layer of cold so intense that it seemed to suck the heat from the surrounding air; she aimed for the beast's eye. But the Thunderdrake was no easy target. With a swift motion, it whipped its tail, creating a barrier of electricity.
Mira was undeterred. Channeling her Primal Energy into her fists, she punched through the electric wall, her body bathed in blue flames that neutralized the electric charges. As she emerged, her scythe swung, leaving a deep gash on the Thunderdrake's cheek.
Enraged, the beast retaliated. Its maw opened wide, releasing a concentrated beam of lightning straight at Mira. Yet, in the blink of an eye, she summoned a massive ice barrier, absorbing and refracting the blast. Parts of the Spire shattered from the collision, raining debris everywhere.
Using the momentary blindness caused by the explosion, Mira lunged, her tails wrapping around the Thunderdrake's neck. With one swift motion, she used the beast's momentum against it, slamming its head into the Spire's surface.
Stunned, the Thunderdrake flailed, trying to dislodge Mira. But she held on, channeling her icy energy into the beast, slowly freezing it from the inside out.
"You fox bitch! Let me go!" It roared, releasing surges of lightning in all directions, hoping to reduce Mira to ash.
But, despite having torrents of lightning surrounding her body, Mira remained still. In fact, she had even tightened her grip, channeling her icy energy into the beast, slowly freezing it from the inside out.
One would assume that her internal organs would've been cooked by now from all the lightning, but the ones with keener eyes noticed something weird.
Mira's sapphire tail had lit up, and the woman was surrounded by a thin yet seemingly indestructible blue shield.
The fight seemed to draw on, but in reality, only moments had passed. The onlookers, both in awe and terror, could only watch as the legendary Thunderdrake's movements became slower, its once fierce eyes now filled with desperation.
With a final surge of strength, Mira delivered the finishing blow, driving her scythe through the creature's neck. The once-mighty Thunderdrake let out a mournful cry before its head fell to the ground, and it turned into a statue of ice, forever frozen in its final moments of defiance.
The Spire went eerily silent, the only sound being the wind whistling through the broken stones. All eyes were once again on Mira, standing tall and unscathed atop the frozen remains of the Thunderdrake.
"Fuck this. I'm out!" One person said before they hopped off the Spire, causing a chain reaction.
"Me too!"
"Yeah. If I had known I would've had to face this monster, I would've chosen a different island."
More and more people jumped off the Spire, not wanting anything to do with Mira.
Although it was a shame to lose whatever was behind the Griffin, they'd rather keep their lives.
If they had to fight a battle to the death against Mira, they would surely lose. Not to mention, even if they didn't die, they'd still lose their Spatial Rings!
It was better to keep their lives and belongings than to lose everything in one go.
A few scoffed at their cowardice, but it's not like they didn't understand. Mira was definitely a strong fighter.
However, the allure of the treasure was too much, especially for those who were reaching the limit of their talent.
Mira spared a glance around, meeting the gazes of those who had stayed.
With the battlefield now dominated by her presence, Mira knew that the true battle for the Spire's treasure was about to begin.
The strongest of the strong remained, and they resolved themselves not to be taken down as easily as the Thunderdrake.
