With Elenei's confirmation, the dynamic of the fight shifted. Mira's eyes glinted with a new sense of urgency. "Time to wrap this up," she declared, her voice resonating with authority.
Rhydian intensified her attacks on the crew. Fire and Wind shot out of her wings. She shot at each person, piercing through their chests with her body, leaving behind a burning body.
"Damn you, you fucking wolf!" One of the crew members cried out. He dropped his sword to the ground and charged at Rhydian, channeling his Qi to implode.
However, Rhydian just sneered. Flying up to the top of the cave, she flapped her wings, sending a barrage of flaming feathers down below. The man who was suicidally ascending to her was turned into Swiss cheese before he exploded mid-air, shaking the cavern.
Rhydian appeared out of the smoke, unharmed, and licked her lips, staring at the rest of her prey.
"W-What kind of monster is that?! How'd it kill Jole so fast?!"
"Just run! Just fucking run!"
"Stupid ass Varik, can't even take care of a few enemies! I swear, when I see you in hell, I'll be the one to torment you for eternity!"
Supercharging their Qi, they raced toward the exit, only for a wall of flaming ice to block them in. Their faces paled, but they immediately pivoted. Launching themselves up, they aimed to create their own exit.
Shing!
A thin black line of destruction bisected them at the waist before sucking their corpses dry of vitality and Qi. They didn't even get a chance to understand how they died before they were reduced to dust.
Now, there weren't very many of them left. They looked at each other with bloodshot eyes, silently communicating.
"You ready? Just remember, there's no coming back from this." One of them asked as the six others nodded.
"We're already dead, anyway! We might as well go all out!"
The remaining crew members, their eyes filled with despair and determination, formed a circle. They clasped hands, their Qi pulsing and intertwining. A ritualistic chant began, their voices low and steady, resonating with a power that was both ancient and forbidden.
"By the blood we share, by the life we forsake, we invoke the Pact of the Fire God!" they intoned in unison. Their bodies began to glow with a fiery aura that originated from their very souls.
Mira, Elenei, and Rhydian watched, curious. They had never seen such a technique and wanted to know more. The crew's bodies started to transform, their muscles bulging, their skin turning a charred black with streaks of fiery red coursing through them. Their eyes became glowing embers, and their voices merged into a single, powerful amalgamation.
"This is... incredible," Elenei whispered. "They're burning their life force, and even their souls, to gain temporary immense power."
Rhydian growled, her wings flaring. "So, they're going to die even if we do nothing?" Elenei nodded at her question.
Mira tightened her grip on her scythe. "No matter. We end this now."
The transformed crew, now beings of pure destructive energy, roared and charged at the trio. They moved with astonishing speed, at least several times faster than before.
Mira met the first attacker head-on. Her scythe clashed against his supercharged fists, sparks flying. She could feel the intense heat and energy radiating from him.
Dodging a fiery punch, she countered with a swift, precise slash, cutting through his defenses. The man screamed as he was cleaved in two, his body disintegrating into ashes.
However, that only seemed to fuel their frenzy as their bodies absorbed the fire and grew even stronger.
Rhydian soared into the air, dodging a barrage of energy blasts. She retaliated with a storm of earth and water, doing her best just to keep them at bay. Killing was Elenei and Mira's specialty.
The battle raged on, destroying the entire cavern, save for the ship. The crew, despite their enhanced abilities, were gradually being worn down. Their bodies were unable to sustain the immense power they had unleashed and began to show signs of strain. Cracks appeared on their charred skin, revealing the glowing energy within.
"One last push," Mira shouted, sensing their weakening state. "Don't let up!"
Elenei transformed into her full Dracophoenix form, her size filling a large part of the cavern. She let out a mighty roar, unleashing a torrent of flames that engulfed the remaining crew members.
Rhydian dived into the heart of the firestorm. Her claws and teeth tore through the crew, ripping them apart
Mira moved like a specter among the flames. Each swing of her weapon sent someone to the afterlife, cutting down the crew one by one.
The last of the crew, his body crumbling and energy fading, looked up at Mira with a mix of hatred and gratitude. But she wasn't intent on listening to his final words and cut him in half.
On the side, Varik could only watch as his crew was eradicated before his very eyes. He unleashed a barrage of dark energy blasts towards Mira. But she was like a ghost, dodging each attack with minimal effort.
Mira smirked at the man, twirling her scythe. "You're next." She closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye, already mid-swing when she reached him.
Varik parried desperately, but it was pushed back a few feet. Mira's strikes were relentless, each one more powerful than the last. However, he wasn't some chump. Fighting someone like Mira on equal ground was the least of what people expected from him.
Elenei swooped down from above, shooting a beam of fire out of her mouth that turned everything it touched to ash. Varik raised his arm and shielded himself with Qi, but the flames tore through his defenses and licked at his skin, leaving searing burns that made their way to his internal organs.
Rhydian pounced from the shadows. Her claws raked across Varik's back, tearing through his armor and leaving deep gashes. He cried out in pain, his aura flickering, but as he swung his sword in an attempt to counter, the wolf was already gone.
Varik, now surrounded and battered, looked at his foes with a mix of fear and rage. He knew he was outmatched, but his pride wouldn't let him surrender.
The captain, now fighting on three fronts, was struggling. Mira, Rhydian, and Elenei's coordinated attacks were overwhelming. He swung his sword in a wide arc, unleashing a wave of dark energy, but Elenei countered it with a burst of her fiery breath.
Seeing an opening, Mira lunged forward, her scythe aiming for a decisive blow. Varik barely managed to dodge, but not without sustaining a deep cut along his arm.
"Enough!" Varik roared, his aura erupting with dark power. The cavern shook with large chunks of rocks and debris falling from the ceiling. "I refuse to die to the likes of you!"
Mira's 'smile' merely deepened as she responded coolly, "You were dead the moment you caught my eye."
Varik turned into an enraged monster and charged at Mira again. But this time, Rhydian intercepted him, tackling him with the full force of her wolf form. They crashed to the ground, Varik struggling under Rhydian's immense strength.
Mira approached, her scythe ready for the final strike. "Thanks for the ship and crystal."
The captain's eyes widened, not expecting her to still have the crystal in her possession. But immediately after, a crazy smile appeared on his face as he started cackling.
Rhydian smashed his face into the ground, breaking his nose, cheeks and even cracking his skull, but he kept his smile.
"You... you may have won... but others will come... you have no idea who you just offended…"
Mira nodded with a slight grin. "I'm counting on it." With a swing of her scythe, she removed his head from his body.
The cavern fell silent. Mira, Elenei, and Rhydian stood amidst the destruction, their bodies barely injured through it all.
But before Mira anyone could speak, a sudden rumbling noise filled the cavern. The ship was now completely free and began to move, drifting away from its anchorage.
Elenei immediately dashed towards the ship. "We should probably leave now. "
Mira nodded, turning to Rhydian. "Let's go."
They left behind Varik's shriveled body and hurried towards the ship. As they boarded, the ship picked up speed, sailing away into the unknown waters. However, Mira didn't forget to grab the device that looked like a portal or a communication device and stashed it at the bottom of the ship.
Aboard the boat, Elenei controlled it out of the cavern, only hitting the walls a few times on their way up. The sun was setting when they exited, and they could sense Coralia's aura nearby.
Mira took a deep breath, feeling a sense of pride and pleasure wash over her. 'Haaa… It really does feel good to kill an annoying bastard like that. How dare he try to steal what's mine, wasting so much of my time?'
