Shin! Shin!Shin!Shin

Metal feathers rained from above, slicing through trees.

Maldaga was forced to dodge as she counter-attacked with her fire spells, lighting up the sky with explosions while making sure to keep her detection spells on.

\'Tch\'

 Taking on one of them would be easy. But with Roxanne taking care of frontal assault while Velora attacked stealthily-her attention was divided and her attack power was affected that much.

Moreover…

\'What is this poison?!\'

Velora\'s first attack saw her dagger plunged into Maldaga\'s skin, poisoning her as a result.

With the blood of demons within, most poisons were nullified. 

Yet…

From the stab point, it spread to her left hand, and they turned almost completely black.

And it\'d been less than three minutes!

Moreover, as it spread, she lost feeling of her hand, leaving her at a serious disadvantage.

\'Should I use it?\'

_________

Kliiiing!

Theron retracted the chain holding the spiked head.

Jagamar stared. His rock armour now both scorched and broken as he took heavy breathes, sweating all over.

"I know I\'m stronger than you. Where did you learn to fight?" Jagamar questioned.

"From him" Theron pointed to the side.

Jagamar looked to the side.

Krrriiiing!

Turning his head, he finds the spiked head of Theron\'s halberd near him.

"To actually look away from your opponent-you\'re even dumber than I thought"

__________

"Damn this guy!" exclaimed Johan.

"Focus" Ashton said.

Right now, both boys were entangled in a bitter battle against the numerous vines attacking them.

As a grey wolf, Ashton tore through them, but they could tear through his skin just as much. Therefore, Johan\'s provided the perfect cover with his metal scorpion skin, covering Ashton as they advanced amidst the orchid of vines.

Moreover, the vines were poisonous.

Alas, Naberus\' mana pool seemed endless, with each vine cut down, more and more sprouted.

Hence, Johan\'s frustration.

_______

"Not happening"

The moment moved to step away, Ezra\'s eyes shone, his body exploded with black lightning, taking his speed to max and then…

Freeze!

A wave of ice spread from his feet, and with Ziltris aiming to avoid the approaching swords-he was unable to react on time!

That said, such ice would hold him for less than four seconds.

But the momentary lapse was enough for Ezra.

SHA!

"Ha…" Ziltris, who leaned to run, fell on his back.

His legs were severed!

His greatest asset-his mobility-was capped.

"Got you"

Sha!Sha!

In that same motion, Ezra cut off both hands.

And then…

"Die!"

He cut off the neck.

Clack!

No, he tried to.

But…

It was held in place.

"Unbelievable" Ziltris spat. 

\'HMM?\' Ezra was alarmed. 

\'I\'m sure I cut off his arms just now. What is-\'

"Kra!"

An arm, good as new, tore through his left stump.

\'Sh*t!\' Ezra realized what was happening and plunged the second sword towards his head.

But…

"Too late!"

The second sword was caught as well.

And despite pushing with all his strength, it didn\'t budge.

Right after, Ziltris sprouted new legs.

\'DAMMIT!\' 

Ezra pushed even harder but against Ziltris\' grip, it was…

"Futile" said Ziltris, tightening his grip on the sword and then.

Crack!

The upper half of the sword broke into pieces.

Ezra hastily stepped back, eyes wide.

\'I\'m too late!\'

Beads of sweat rolled down Ezra\'s face, his brain literally screaming.

\'WHY?!\'

\'Why does he have that ability?!\'

He knew it too well, it was an ability all too common after the apocalypse arrived.

\'But now?!\'

Ezra unintentionally froze. His chances of winning, no, just surviving had dimmed greatly.

Such thoughts were processed in seconds.

Boom!

A wave of crimson aura burst from Ziltris, growing large enough to cover a small patch of the forest.

The subordinates noticed it immediately, each with varying reactions.

Ziltris got on his feet.

"To have stood against me so much that I\'d have to use this against you…Be proud, boy. Rejoice! No death is better than this"

"Tch" Ezra clicked his tongue. Hiding his apprehension. "To say that after been beaten half to death-I never knew demons were famous for such thick skins"

That said, Ezra\'s mind was whirring.

Ziltris looked nothing like before. His skin had completely reddened, two short black horns stood attached to his forehead.

With the last attack, Ziltris\' shirt was in tatters, so he ripped them off, revealing fit muscles along with the black marks all over.

Ziltris\' thoughts were opposite to his speech. \'I underestimated him and I almost died; I can see how he grows to destroy us-He must die!\' 

Looking at his flaring aura, he\'s reminded of something else. \'They\'ll definitely notice now. I need to finish this quickly\'

Ezra looked at the broken sword. It was of Epic gold rank.

He tossed it away without thinking too much.

Facing Ziltris, he aimed to take out the second Epic gold sword.

\'We\'ve definitely been seen. I just need to hold-\'

Ziltris\' left arm morphed, his wrist melded as his arm elongated.

Replacing it was the arm of a praying mantis, glimmering in crimson colour.

Ezra\'s mind froze again. \'He\'s a shifter?\'

Then another detail hit him. \'From Ruwain?\'

Before he could process it any further-Ziltris was in front of him!

"Where are you looking?"

Ezra hastily raised Darkane.

Clang!

It clashed with Ziltris\' transformed hand.

On cue, a punch was administered into Ezra\'s gut, and then…Boom!

He broke through a line of trees before halting.

Ezra vomited blood. \'Oh man\' he touched his chest, sure enough, a rib was fractured.

Ezra got on his feet, but before he could do anything, Ziltris appeared again.

"I showed you the path to everlasting life-you could\'ve lived forever. Yet, you chose otherwise"

Ezra\'s attack is easily avoided and Darkane is flung away.

\'He\'s gotten faster!\'

BAM!

Ezra tears through another line of trees after guarding against Ziltris\' kick.

\'And also stronger!\'

Again, Ziltris appears.

"I\'m going to enjoy killing you!"

Ezra dodges a blow to the head, only to be swept off the ground.

Lightning shot out of his body as he tried to spin.

But…

"Not this time"

Ziltris gripped his leg while in mid air and swung him through another path of trees.

Landing, Ezra crawled to the nearest tree and placed his back against it.

"Ugh!" 

Now three of his ribs had fractured, his head was bleeding and his armour was dented and bloodied.

Ziltris appeared.

Both men locked eyes.

Ezra felt himself edging towards death as lay there, defenceless.

Ziltris calmed, walking to Ezra with slow steps.

"Regretful. Look where your choices have gotten you? Beaten, battered and bruised. You could\'ve joined us and we would\'ve made history together as we eradicate the human to usher in a new dawn-but no, such things are meaningless to you"

Ziltris sighed. "But not only did you doom yourself with your ingratitude, but also the children that came with you. Rest assured, their endings won\'t be painless"

"Now, then" Ziltris brought up his jade mantis arm. "Let me send you off!"

"WAIT!" Ezra pleaded. Standing begrudgingly.

\'I can\'t have them die because of my stupidity again\'

"Oh? Have you finally come to your senses?"

"Will you spare my subordinates if I join you?"

"Hahaha, our likeness has brought the inevitable conclusion. Of course I will spare them, I am magnimonous enough to grant such deeds"

 "Then, then-

Ezra placed his right arm against his mouth to prevent vomit.

\'If I do this, my chances of survival are very slim. I don\'t do this…I will most certainly die…."

Still faking vomiting, Ezra plopped three mana stones into his mouth-

\'I guess I have my answer\'

-and broke them with his teeth.

Instantly, energy refilled his body.

Ziltris noticed the change immediately.

Boom!

Ice, lightning and fire burst forth and the nearby trees were cleared out, they were frozen, burnt and scorched in but an instant.

Ezra let everything out.

In the face of such, even Ziltris could only step back.

Silver aura rose to the occasion, engulfing Ezra\'s figure, clashing with the crimson energy.

\'What is this now?\'

The silver energy parted to reveal Ezra\'s figure.

Ezra stared at his arm.

\'I was naive to think I wouldn\'t need aura to stall him\'

More than that.

\'I feel…like I can do anything\'

Mana filled his body to the brim.

The healing factor of blood affinity shone!

Sucking blood potency, most injuries could be healed.

Right now, excess energy was taken as a replacement.

So Ziltris watched with a dark expression as Ezra\'s wounds patched up.

Ezra stared at Ziltris. No words were spoken-not that it was needed.

\'My second mistake\'

Ezra pulled out a pin sized object from his space ring.

Infusing it with mana, it enlarged, and a silver scythe was revealed.

He could feel the weapon\'s annoyance through their connection.

\'I didn\'t think he\'d be able to bypass Epic gold weapons\'

But since Ziltris could, and Darkane-a platinum rank weapon-was lost. The only remaining option…was a bonafide Diamond rank item!

"Sorry, I kept you waiting so long, Skyfall"

The scythe shimmered in Ezra\'s silver light.

"Let\'s kill him"

Through the connection, the scythe\'s ego gave confirmation.

It was Do or Die Time.