The battlefield had become a chaotic mess as the Solaians, as well as the army of the two Kingdoms, waged an all out war against the Death Tyrants who were putting up a good fight.
Diablo, who grew stronger as he was surrounded by the dead, was the greatest damage dealer in the group, followed closely by Orion, Lux, and Einar.
Vall no longer attacked the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant because he was conserving his stamina. He just focused on evading the ray attacks that were being fired in his direction, while marveling at the outstanding coordination between Lux and his summoned Creatures.
Einar was also paying close attention to the Half-Elf's Named Creatures, who were standing beside him. He felt a little bitter because when Lux had fought with him, he didn't summon his Undead Legion, unlike his fight against Cai in the Finals.
'I need to get stronger,' Einar thought. 'That way, I can challenge Lux to a rematch. When that time comes, I will make him use everything in his arsenal. But first, we will need to beat this monster before us.'
Einar had a very competitive spirit, which allowed him to surpass his limits. As long as he could set a goal for himself, he would be able to keep on going, despite how hurt, or injured he became from the rigorous training that he did for himself.
"Guillotine Throw!"
Making a full swing, and letting go of his War Axe, Einar's weapon smashed against the side of the Death Tyrant's head, pushing it a meter away from where it hovered,
The Axe then returned to Einar's hand like a boomerang. As he once again eyed the Monster, whose eyes were shooting in every direction.
Now that it had been surrounded by the Solaians, it could no longer focus on a single target and was firing colorful rays nonstop.
Some of the rays managed to hit their targets, slowing them down or turning them into stone.
Others became paralyzed, and some were imbued with fear so strong, their friends had no choice but to knock them out in fear that they would run straight towards the zombie horde and get mobbed completely.
The Death Tyrant was strong, but it wasn't as strong when fighting a large number of enemies. This was why it would summon several zombies to fight for it, in order to herd its enemies into a place where it could unleash its Negative Energy Cone and deal great damage to them in a single blow.
Anyone below the Apostle Grade would be insta-killed by this attack. Those who survived this skill would be unable to use healing spells, abilities, as well as health potions to recover their health, making a fight against a Death Tyrant a battle of attrition.
Its giant mouth would immediately bite at anything within its range, so most people kept a safe distance from it.
However, the moment they distanced themselves, they would have to deal with its Ray Attacks, which made them feel helpless.
The battle had been going on for nearly half an hour and the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant's Health had been decreased to around 70%.
Most of the damage it received came from Diablo, Orion, Lux, Einar, Cai, and Keane.
Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus, played a supporting role for the teenagers that were fighting against the Death Tyrant, often using their abilities to cancel the Death Rays, or hit the floating red eyes that were targeting those who were vulnerable to their attacks.
Vall gave a screech as it dodged a Death Ray that was fired in its direction by a hair's breadth.
"This thing's reaction time is getting faster," Lux said. As he, and his clones, bombarded the Death Tyrant with their ranged skills, Void Arrow, and Spinning Blades.
"Indeed," Einar commented as his War Axe flew back to his hand. "Either it is getting accustomed to our attack patterns, or Vall is moving slower."
Vall uttered a shriek filled with bitterness. Truthfully, he wasn't used to being used as a mount, and he was finding it hard to adjust to their current situation.
He had to constantly reapply silken threads to Lux's and Einar's feet, in order to keep them mounted on its back, while dodging the Death Tyrant who was treating them as an eyesore.
Also, his stamina was also running out. He had estimated that he would be able to keep his transformation for at least an hour, but due to how intense the battle was, he was burning more stamina than he originally intended.
Although Lux and Einar didn't say anything, they knew of the great burden that Vall was carrying on his shoulders, so they just focused on dishing out as much damage as they could.
Lux wasn't able to use his other skill, Draco Meteor, because this was an AOE attack that didn't discriminate between allies from foes.
The members of the Rowan Tribe, the Barbarians, as well as Vall's Guild, were already gritting their teeth as they hurled spells at their enemies, while evading the attacks that were aimed at them.
Since they weren't as fast as Vall, most of them had been hit by the Ray Attacks, making them suffer some status conditions.
Those who had been petrified simply remained where they were. Fortunately, there were a handful of Individuals in their combined party that could cast restoration. Although they couldn't heal their allies, they were able to remove the debuffs that they were afflicted with.
Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus, paid close attention to these individuals, prioritizing on saving their lives whenever one, or two, of the Death Tyrant's many eyes, targeted them.
"Hero's Charge!"
Diablo once again unleashed a devastating attack, making the Beholder scream another otherworldly pain. All of its eyes, including the giant eye at the center of its head, focused their attention on Diablo with the intention of ending the annoying Skeleton once and for all.
All of its eyes glowed with power as they were about to unleash their full-powered attack to finally put an end to their hated enemy.
However, as if waiting for that cue, Orion had used its Duel [EX], canceling the Death Tyrant's attack, and shifting its attention to the Rock Golem, whose rocky fist was only a few meters away from its central eye.
"Rampage!"
Orion unleashed a barrage of punches, and kicks at his opponent, tanking the Ray Attacks that were hitting its body-nonstop.
The Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant's gaping jaw, bit on the Rock Golem's body, crushing it with all the strength it could muster.
Half of the Rock Golem's body was inside the Death Tyrant's mouth, but Orion wasn't fazed and continued to hammer the monster's face, using his free arm.
A minute later, the Rock Golem's body crumbled into a pile of stones, as it once again died under the Death Tyrant's deadly combination.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Primal Slash!"
"Giga Slam!"
*Clink*
Lux, Einar, Cai, as well as Keane, unleashed their short-ranged attacks, while the Death Tyrant's attention was focused on Orion.
Since the start of the battle against the Boss Monster, Orion had already died twice. Lux would have to wait for five minutes in order to summon him again.
After Orion had been upgraded, the time needed to summon him had also become longer. Lux believed that the same would happen to Diablo, and his other Named Creatures as their ranks increased.
However, for him, this was a good thing because it meant that his subordinates were getting stronger.
"Cai, Orion is now dead," Lux shouted. "It's your turn to tank the boss!"
The Boar pretended not to hear Lux's words as it ran in zigzags to evade the Death Ray that was targeted in its direction.
Tank that thing? Are you nuts?
Sorry. I don't have any intention of dying!
Although Cai knew that it was tough, it also understood that if the Death Tyrant was able to bite its body, holding it in place then it would be over for it.
Just like what happened to Orion, all of its eyes would focus its attention on the trapped prey in the Death Tyrant's mouth, and bombard it with Death Rays, until nothing was left.
Cai didn't want to die, so it vehemently ignored Lux's orders and only used hit and run tactics against the Death Tyrant that had permanently designated one of its floating red eyes to the Boar who was shamelessly attacking it at every opportunity it got.
Seeing that Cai didn't want to take the risk, Lux decided to change his tactics in order to beat their opponent as soon as possible.
Vall's movement was starting to get slower, and he could tell that he was preserving his strength to keep his transformation longer. The Half-Elf knew that once the Giant Spider they were riding lost its transformation, they would be hard pressed to evade the attacks that would be aimed in their direction.
"Cai! I know you have a Third Gear," Lux shouted. "This is not the time to hold back! We need to kill this monster before it is too late!"
Cai glanced at the Half-Elf for a brief moment before shifting its attention at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant who had killed almost half of their forces.
Despite the efforts of everyone, dealing with a Boss Monster, who had no blindspots, and could attack in all directions, was truly a nightmare.
The teenagers were already exhausted, so they had become easy pickings for the red-glowing eyes that hovered around the Death Tyrant, shooting beams left and right at their targets.
Although only three of its Ray Attacks dealt damage, the rest of its attacks were as deadly.
Getting petrified, slowed, charmed, put to sleep, and being inflicted by fear, made things a lot harder for them.
The rays that dealt damage were the Disintegration Ray, Enervation Ray, and finally the Death Ray.
It also had one very annoying ability called the Telekinetic Ray, which gave Cai a fright when it was first hit by it.
This ray attack would instantly teleport any targeted creature right in front of the Death Tyrant's gaping mouth.
Fortunately, Pazuzu, and Orion were there to prevent the Boar from being bitten to death by the Boss Monster, allowing it to keep its life by a hair's breadth.
"Fine," Cai shouted. "Give me a minute. I need time to prepare!"
The Boar then undid its Hildivisni form and became a meter-tall boar, whose body started to glow white.
Lux, Einar, and Keane, attacked the Death Tyrant's central eye repeatedly, in order to catch its attention.
However, the Death Tyrant's floating, red eye, that had been designated to focus its attention on Cai, wasn't fazed, and glowed brightly.
It then fired a disintegration ray at the boar who had been immobilized by its transformation.
At that exact moment, a Blue Tower Shield rose up in front of Cai, as Pazuzu descended from the sky, standing between the Death Tyrant's floating eyeball, and Cai.
The disintegration beam collided with the Tower Shield, making several cracks appear on its surface.
The floating red eye continued its relentless attacks at its target, firing Death Rays, Enervation Ray, and Disintegration Ray, consecutively.
Just as Pazuzu's Shield Wall broke, a great presence erupted in the battlefield, as Cai's triumphant roar spread in the surroundings.
"Third Gear," Cai roared. "Ysgithyrwyn!"
Everyone glanced in the direction of where the Boar was, and marveled at its new, and more powerful form.
"Initiate Rank," Einar muttered as he glanced at the three-meter white boar, with massive, and deadly tusks. "So that is Cai's trump card."
Everyone in the Apostle Grade longed for the Initiate Rank.
This rank was considered to be the gateway they needed to pass through before they became true Rankers.
Of course, Cai wasn't really an Initiate. Her transformation only allowed her to step into this realm for a period of time, allowing it to become the strongest existence among those that had challenged the Sacred Dungeon.
"I'm Charging!" Cai roared as its right hoof stomped on the ground, creating a small crater, allowing it to propel itself forward for its devastating attack. Its tusk glowed faintly with magical powers, deflecting the ray attacks that were headed in its direction.
It was just like an unstoppable Juggernaut whose goal was to ram itself at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, whose central eye had shifted in its direction.
As all of its eyes unleashed a barrage of colorful rays at the approaching boar, Cai's entire body shone pure white, as its attack, defense, as well as its resistances to all status ailments rose dramatically.
The attack that it was going to unleash was its most powerful move, and it placed a lot of strain in its body.
The good part about this move was it almost made Cai Invulnerable to any form of attack, and crippling effects, for a few seconds, allowing it to unleash its powerful attack without slowing down.
"Demolition Crash!"
The moment Cai's deadly tusk pierced through the Death Tyrant's skull, a powerful shockwave erupted, pushing those who were fighting a hundred meters away from the point of impact backwards for several meters.
What followed next was an explosion like no other, making the ground under their feet tremble, as dust, and rubble, rose towards the sky, accompanied by an ear-piercing shriek that almost ruptured Lux's ear-drums with how intense it was.
Clearly, Cai's attack dealt devastating damage towards their enemy, which was currently within the dust cloud, and writhing in pain from the deadly tusks that were firmly embedded in its Central Eye, destroying it completely.
