Realising his glyphs were ineffective, Ronan made a split-second decision to flee. However, as he attempted to escape, a towering wall of molten lava, fifteen meters high, erupted from the ground, enclosing the entire compound of the mansion.
"You cannot escape, so don't waste your time," Seth said as he continued advancing toward Ronan.
Leona and the other gods' chosen had already accepted that Ronan stood no chance in this battle, even with his Gearweaver. With this in mind, they no longer dwelled on his fate and hurried to check on the fallen Leif's condition.
Ronan clenched his teeth and swiftly flicked his right arm again, causing one of the glyphs to materialise into a broad, inky black bird large enough to carry him and Lirien. Without hesitation, Ronan commanded the bird to take flight, urging it to soar over the towering fifteen-meter wall of molten lava.
Seth scoffed at Ronan's attempt and paused his advance. Instantly, the fifteen-meter wall of molten lava began to rise even higher, reaching seventeen meters, then nineteen, twenty, twenty-four, and finally, twenty-eight meters, until it towered above the Second Border City walls, alerting everyone about the commotion within the Four-eared elves' residence.
The Four-eared elves who had settled nearby were startled by the sight and sounds of battle, shuttered their windows and drew their curtains shut in fear.
.....…
Orion's mansion
Orion lay silently with Ursa, Sura, and Crystalia on the soft carpet in the master children's room, surrounded by all the newborns in their personal cradles. It was his turn to look after the children with Ursa and the others while the rest of his women rested.
Suddenly, Crystalia's eyes snapped open as she sensed something amiss. She raised her head to look at the window, calmly rubbing her eyes before sitting upright. The curtains on the windows suddenly fluttered, catching her attention.
Crystalia's eyes widened abruptly as she gazed at the bright wall of molten lava stretching high into the sky, seemingly originating from the other side of the city.
Immediately, she turned her gaze towards Orion.
"Orion, wake up," Crystalia whispered urgently, shaking Orion from his sleep.
Orion's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he yawned as he looked at Crystalia, who stared back at him with anxiety in her eyes.
Orion raised his brows and asked, "What is it? Did Remy wake up again?" as he pushed himself up to sit upright.
"You need to see this; I think something's happening in the City," Crystalia said urgently, pointing towards the window.
Upon hearing Crystalia's words, Orion expression lit up with curiosity. He rose to his feet and made his way to the window to see what Crystalia was referring to. Pulling back the curtain, Orion's eyes widened in astonishment as he beheld a towering wall of molten lava stretching high into the sky with its bright red-and-orange hue illuminating the surroundings.
The sleepiness in Orion's eyes vanished instantly as he stared at the mesmerising yet alarming sight before him.
His expression turned solemn as he realised that not only was the towering wall of molten lava situated in the direction of the area where the Four-eared elves resided, but also that there was only one person capable of wielding such power and possessing enough capability to execute such a feat.
Seth!
However hard he tried, Orion couldn't come up with a plausible explanation for why Seth would be unleashing his gift to such an extent in the vicinity of the Four-eared elves' residence.
Orion turned his head back to Crystalia. "I need to head out for a while. Call Saria or Gina to cover for me and take care of the children," he instructed seriously.
"Do you need any help?" Crystalia asked, her voice filled with concern. She had sensed the seriousness of the situation and wanted to offer her aid if possible.
Orion shook his head. "No, don't worry. While your strength may be enough to take care of two-star warriors, I doubt it would be enough against a four-star warrior," he replied wearily.
Though he hoped his intuition was wrong, Orion didn't want to involve Crystalia in a situation he wasn't yet sure how to handle.
Crystalia bit her lip before nodding, a defeated sigh escaping her lips. "Okay, take care and don't do anything that will put you in harm's way. The children still need their father, and I haven't given birth to mine yet," she said, fixing him with a warning gaze.
Orion nodded. "Don't worry, I will," he assured her. Turning around, he opened the window and activated his gift.
CRACKLLLEEE!! CRACCKLLEEE!!!
As a wave of bluish-vibrant lightning around his legs, Orion leapt out of the room, landing safely despite the incredible height. Taking off into the sky again, his gift propelling him higher, his body surged toward the direction of the Four-eared elves' new residence.
….....
Within the towering wall of molten lava
BANGG!!
"Arggh!" Ronan groaned in agony as another ball of molten lava surged from the towering wall of molten lava and slammed into his back. His body was sent hurtling off the bird, crashing heavily onto the ground and carving out a wide crater.
Despite patches of his leaf-crafted attire being scorched or burnt away, revealing his body adorned with detailed glyph-like tattoos, some appearing lighter than before, Ronan's right arm remained tightly wrapped around Lirien's cold body. Her attire showed only minor scorch marks.
Gritting his teeth, Ronan struggled to rise to his feet, but as soon as he managed to stand, he collapsed back onto the ground with a pained groan.
"Are you done embarrassing yourself?" Seth's voice cut through the air as he approached Ronan, halting beside him. His eyes bore into the man below him, tinged with pity.
"If you hadn't been so desperate to cling to life, she and your child would still be alive," he added, casting a solemn glance towards the bloodied figure of Lirien, now long dead.
Returning his focus to Ronan's guilt-ridden gaze, Seth continued, "But what's done is done. The consequences of your actions have played out. However, I can offer you a painless death," he said.
