Isola felt the weight of the situation press down on her as she faced Agonon. The enveloping rain, once her ally, was now her best hope of wounding him.
Breathing deeply, she realized her usual mental attacks, targeting an opponent's consciousness, were ineffectual; Agonon's self-imposed barrier, which buffered her voice, rendered them useless, or lessened their effectiveness to the point it was not worth it.
But the rain...it gave her another avenue of attack. Humming a specific, resonant frequency, she tapped into her Aqua Resonance.
Each drop of rain around them began vibrating with immense energy, as if they had lives of their own. These vibrations expanded, converging into powerful shockwaves that targeted Agonon.
But Agonon was no stranger to battle. Recognizing the threat, he activated his own defense.
His figure was enshrouded in a swirling dark fire that seemed to feed off the raindrops, turning them into shadowy embers that burst forth toward Isola.
Instinctively, Isola tried to use Aqua Resonance defensively, turning the surrounding rain into barriers of water.
*Chisss!*
*Boom!*
The shadow embers collided with her barriers, producing a hissing sound.
While she blocked most of the embers, the sheer force behind the impact sent her sliding back several meters on the wet ground.
Quickly recovering, she was acutely aware of her disadvantage. Not only was he stronger, but Agonon's natural prowess in physical offense and defense far outstripped her own.
In a face-to-face battle, she was at a great disadvantage.
Her gaze drifted to the side, where Callisa, was fiercely resisting the onslaught of the four attackers. The majestic beast was being bombarded, and the sight pained Isola.
Agonon's deep voice snapped her back to reality, "Don't worry about the Kraken," he said, his tone filled with malignance, "Once all of this is over, I plan to claim it for myself. As long as it is young, there is a chance of taming it."
Her eyes, cold as the depths of the ocean, locked onto Agonon's, "Callisa is not yours to take," she replied with an icy resolve.
The world around Isola seemed to slow as she murmured an incantation, calling upon her Mist Veil ability.
Like a wisp of smoke from a snuffed candle, the air thickened around her, forming a dense fog that threatened to obscure everything in its path.
To any onlooker, she would have vanished into this hazy cover.
Agonon, however, seemed unaffected. With a knowing gaze, he began, "It's of no use. The darkest abyss was my cradle. I spent the first twenty years of my existence clawing my way out, fighting blind against threats I couldn't even see. Those experiences are what helped me reach where I am. And for sure, you are not the first one to try this on me. "
No sooner had the words left his lips than his hand, fast as a striking serpent, shot into the mist.
When it emerged, it held Isola by her delicate neck, yanking her out of her own misty haven. The shock registered on Isola's face as if she wasn't expecting him to sense her this fast.
Agonon drew her closer, his voice a chilling whisper against her ear, "If you don't join us willingly, then I shall give you a choice. Join us or watch your precious Kraken die. Considering our circumstances, a creature with a dead Master may not be worth the trouble. Alive, however, you might be able to make it bend to our will."
Isola's gaze was defiant, even as his grip tightened, making it harder for her to breathe, "You may have been raised in the darkest abyss," she began, her voice unwavering, "but you forget, Prince Agonon. I, too, have spent almost my entire life in the shadows, hunted by monsters far more terrifying than you."
Agonon's eyes narrowed while Isola's lips curled into a icy smile, "For you to think you're better at survival than me is simply the ignorance of an arrogant fool."
In a flash, Isola reached into her pocket, producing an Echo Crystal, which she aimed to embed into his shoulder.
But Agonon, with the reflexes of a seasoned predator, caught her wrist.
His grip was vice-like, yet a haunting melody began to emanate from the crystal, echoing around them. The sound waves washed over Agonon, disorienting him. His grip loosened just enough, his eyes momentarily losing their focus.
Seizing the opportunity, Isola, with her free hand, drew upon the water particles that had slipped behind his armor.
Molding and pressurizing it with expert precision, she fashioned a miniature elemental blade – gleaming and razor-sharp.
Without hesitation, she thrust it into a vulnerable point on his side, aiming right for his heart!
"Arghhh!!"
Agonon howled in pain, the sound deafening amidst the storm. The elemental blade, having done its damage, dissolved into a misty vapor.
He staggered back, clutching the spot where she had stabbed him. But as the pain subsided, a cold fury replaced it. His eyes, once shaking and disoriented, were now filled with pure, unadulterated rage.
"You will be burned by regret's fire!" He lunged at Isola, delivering a devastating, blazing blow to her solar plexus. The force of the strike coupled with the black flames sent her airborne, blood spewing from her mouth as she sailed through the rain-soaked air.
The sound that followed was a gruesome combination of the crack of bones and a gurgling as blood flooded from her mouth, some of her skin scalded.
As she landed heavily on the muddy ground, Agonon clutched his side as his figure suddenly appeared beside her, his breathing slowly steadying, "You are going to die for nothing," He said as his wound was healing already. However, the very fact that he almost got killed by her due to an oversight stung his nerves.
He realized she purposefully let herself get caught to activate the Echo Crystal near his ears.
He never expected her voice to be this powerful, nor her prowess in manipulating the water element.
If he hadn't quickly recovered and used his mana to vaporize her blade, he may not be standing now.
She was a level weaker than him, but he realized she was too dangerous to be kept alive.
Isola, coughing out blood and vision blurring, watched as Agonon, like a predator stalking its prey, raised one of his massive feet.
His massive foot began its descent, aiming for her vulnerable neck. The killing blow would be quick, almost merciful. But just as the foot was about to crush her, an unexpected blast of dark energy, powerful and blinding, slammed into Agonon.
The impact was so fierce that his massive figure was thrown back several hundred meters, creating a path of destruction before finally crashing into the ground.
Isola's eyes fluttered with relief as Asher's silhouette emerged out of thin air, his cloak billowing like a shadowy wraith.
She wasn't surprised since she knew from the beginning that Asher had disappeared to use the Unholy Cannon, a powerful treasure that could even injure a Soul Devourer.
Other than saving it for a desperate situation, the cost of using such a treasure required either the mana of a Soul Devourer or deviar shards and a lot of time to charge it.
And with her preoccupied with Agonon, only Asher could use it with the help of the extra deviar shards.
"Isola…" Asher whispered out, his voice edged with pain as he swiftly descended beside her. He swiftly uncorked a vial, a shimmering liquid inside catching the gloomy light, "Here, drink this, quick!"
Asher felt his nerves shaking from the anger and helplessness of not being able to make them all pay for what they did.
All he could do was hide and do a sneak attack. It was in times like these that he was frustrated about losing all the strength he had painstakingly built in his previous life.
Isola coughed weakly but managed to nod, taking the healing potion and gulping it down.
As the soothing warmth of the potion began to take effect, she could feel the pain subsiding, if only just a bit.
Asher scanned their surroundings, his expression darkening, "It was foolish of me to think we could get the Deviar this easily. We need to retreat. We're outnumbered, and the odds are not in our favor," He said with clenched teeth.
The weight of his words pressed down on Isola. She could feel the sting of their failure, thinking of the numerous sacrifices and hardships they had faced to get to this point, "Asher... I'm sorry."
He looked down, his jaw tensed, as he shook his head, "This isn't your fault. It's just... we came so close," His gaze drifted to the distance, where Callisa was bound in blazing chains, writhing in agony, "We need to get Callisa and leave to fight another day."
Isola nodded as she stood, albeit shakily, the rain mingling with the blood and sweat on her skin.
Right when he was about to pick her up into his arms, Isola refused with a gentle push of her hand, "The rain will help me heal," she interrupted, her voice soft yet resolute.
She couldn't risk making him more vulnerable by having to carry her.
As they moved, every step of Isola felt like a weight, but Asher's support kept her upright.
She hummed softly, the rain pouring down on them, each droplet refreshing her, aiding in the healing process. The distant noises of battle grew fainter as they moved away from the main confrontation.
"I will go and free Callisa while you lay low," Asher said, his voice filled with urgency but his touch gentle, supporting her.
Isola's gaze shifted to Callisa, chained and restricted, and the worry in her eyes intensified, "What about Agonon's people? They will try to stop you."
Asher looked into the distance, where the hum of the Forging Matrix resonated, "They're too busy following his orders, forging the Deviar. Time is against them. They won't risk a confrontation, not now."
Isola took solace in Asher's words, hoping for a swift exit. But that hope was short-lived.
A dark, swirling vortex of flames suddenly appeared in front of them, churning and tearing through the very fabric of space.
From its depths, Agonon emerged, his armor battered and broken from their previous confrontation, but he himself remained defiant, poised with menacing confidence.
Asher's grip on Isola tightened, and he placed himself between her and the advancing Agonon, despite Isola's feeble attempts to pull him back.
The two saw how, despite taking on such a devastating blow, Agonon was already on his feet with only bruises riddling his body. The rumors of his healing prowess were not really far from the truth.
Agonon's expression twisted into cold condescension, "Did you truly think I'd let you escape so easily?" The rumble of his voice seemed to synchronize with the thunder above, adding an eerie emphasis to his words, "No one escapes their death sentence."
