"Arsenal Veil: Warhammer!" Lyra called out into the air as she leaped high, her voice carrying through the battlefield.

In a flash, her sword twisted and reshaped itself, transforming into a massive warhammer that towered at a full length of ten metres with a head so heavy it radiated destructive intent.

"Slam!" She roared, swinging down with ferocious strength.

The hammer smashed into the ground with thunderous force, sending tremors across the forest. The earth caved in beneath her strike, and jagged spikes of stone erupted violently, surging towards the beast like a deadly wave.

But in a blink, the beast reacted. Its serpentine limbs slammed into the ground, and then like a spring snapping free, its entire body launched upward. It shot into the air with terrifying speed, resembling a javelin hurled by the gods themselves.

In a split second, its clawed feet were inches away from Lyra's chest, her body still clad in her shimmering war dress.

But Lyra had already prepared. The moment she sensed its movement, her outfit shifted instantly into full armor, sleek and unyielding, covering her neck to her waist, complete with reinforced guards protecting both her arms.

The beast's feet slammed into her chestplate with a force so violent it rang out like metal clashing with stone. It could not pierce through her armor, but the raw impact still did damage.

She coughed out a mouthful of blood, her body hurled backwards as her heels carved trenches into the dirt. Despite the pain, she gritted her teeth, grinding herself to a halt just as the beast landed again with a ground-shaking thud.

"Water Veil: Flowing Tide!" Jace shouted. Water spiraled around his body like a serpent, glimmering and alive, before he launched forward. He soared into the air, his veil thrumming with power, preparing to clash against the beast's whip-like limbs.

But before he could strike, the ground beneath him rumbled ominously.

"Blondie! Move!" Blake's voice rang out like a whip-crack.

Jace reacted instantly, twisting away midair. A split second later, another pair of limbs burst violently out of the ground, aiming straight for his torso. If not for Blake's sharp hearing and warning, Jace would have been skewered then and there.

Landing with a roll, Jace exhaled sharply. "Close one."

"I guess its limit is just another pair of limbs, huh?" Tom muttered, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the battlefield. He clenched his fists, fire already flickering at his feet. "Blake! Can you keep up at high speed?"

"I could try," Blake admitted, his gaze locked firmly on the beast's movements. "But I need a longsword for that."

"Hey, Warmongress! Can you spare a longsword? This is important!" Tom bellowed, never once taking his eyes off the fight.

"Jace! Take over for a moment!" Lyra shouted, ducking low and sliding beneath the beast's body as one of its limbs slammed down where her head had been a second ago.

"Roger that!" Jace called back, charging to the side and narrowly dodging another elongated vine that tried to impale his skull.

"Here! Catch!" Lyra conjured a longsword in her hand and hurled it toward Blake. He snatched it midair with ease and quickly tested its weight, his grip firm and confident.

"Warning!" Lyra called out, her voice sharp. "It can only stay manifested for five minutes without me holding it before it disappears."

"Will do," Blake replied with a smirk, twirling the blade as if testing the balance. Around him, faint vibrations of sound began to ripple, his veil humming with anticipation.

On the other side, Tom bounced on his feet like a seasoned boxer, fists raised, flames swirling tighter around his body. His expression was steady, but the fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever.

"Take two limbs, I'll take the other two. Lyra, Jace, find a way to sever its head or cripple it!" Tom barked, his tone sharp and commanding. Without waiting for a response, he exploded forward, fire blasting beneath his feet like jets.

"Here we go!" Blake howled. With sound waves swirling around his legs, he blasted off the ground at incredible speed, matching Tom stride for stride. Both locked onto the beast, which had already fixed its glowing eyes back on them.

Without hesitation, the beast lunged. Two of its elongated limbs shot towards Tom like spears, while the other two sprouted forth, aiming at Blake with monstrous precision.

"Ready?" Tom yelled, his fiery aura blazing as the vines neared.

"Always ready," Blake answered, his sword gleaming as he locked onto his pair.

"Then let's go!" Tom roared. Both surged forward, their veils erupting in sync, fire and sound crashing together against the beast's relentless assault.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The duo clashed against the beast's vines, their movements a blur too fast for the untrained eye. Sparks flew with every impact, steel against hardened flesh.

Tom leaped back, narrowly avoiding a vine aimed straight at his face, then swiftly brought his sword down to block another. His feet skidded an inch across the cracked ground, but he steadied himself and didn't falter.

The beast pressed on, thrusting its limbs at him from unpredictable angles, the speed almost unnatural. Each strike forced Tom closer to his limits.

Flames surged through his arms and legs, fueling his strikes as he swung with relentless ferocity. His sword clashed against the limbs, one at a time, his body moving like molten fire itself.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The air erupted with each clash as Tom smashed his sword into the twin vines, slamming them into the earth with explosive force. Dirt and debris flew skyward as the impact produced a resounding shockwave.

Not giving the beast a chance to recover, Tom unleashed a blazing counterattack. His sword carved the air, releasing a tunnel of flames that roared forward like a beast of its own. The inferno tore through the battlefield and smashed into the beast's shoulder, scorching the spot where the limbs were rooted.

"Come on! Regenerate!" Tom snarled, his grin fierce as he bolted forward, his sword trailing firelight.

He spared a glance at Blake, expecting to see him faltering, but to his surprise, the sound wielder was holding his ground.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The air trembled with every strike. Blake, his body wreathed in vibrating sound waves, moved like a phantom.

He deflected each swing of the beast's limbs with precise counters, his sword ringing with sonic power. His eyes narrowed in focus, a frown tugging at his lips as he blocked one limb, pivoted swiftly to the side to evade another, and then sprang forward.

With a roar, he thrust his sword upward, unleashing a thunderous sonic blast.

BOOOOM!

The wave split the air with deafening force, surging toward the beast. But the creature leaned back at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Blake landed, breathing heavy, but he didn't relent. His movements grew sharper, faster, each swing carving crescents of vibrating force that tore the battlefield apart.

The duo fought in unison, their speed escalating. Every exchange shattered more of the surrounding woods. Fissures spread like veins through the earth, trees toppled like fragile twigs, branches snapped like dry bones, and the air itself rattled from the sheer ferocity of their clash.

"AHHHHHH!" Blake roared, his voice amplified by his veil. His sword swung in a vicious vertical arc, releasing a razor-sharp sound slash. It tore through the beast's limbs in a blink, severing them completely.

The creature screeched as its mutilated limbs dropped heavily to the ground.

'One second. That's all I have before it regenerates,' Blake thought, his eyes burning. Without hesitation, he leaped forward, charging alongside Tom.

But then, something went terribly wrong.

The wounds where the limbs had been hacked off rippled grotesquely. Wet, sinewy strands writhed outward, weaving flesh and bone together like macabre threads.

SNAP! SNAP!

In seconds, four fresh limbs sprouted violently, each cracking into place with a sickening sound like breaking branches.

The ground shook violently beneath them. Then it split apart.

From the depths of the earth, eight more limbs burst forth, glistening with black ichor, each one tipped with barbed spines that twitched as if they were alive. The smell of decay mixed with sharp ozone filled the battlefield.

And they did not merely rise — they lunged. All twelve limbs whipped toward Tom and Blake at once, faster and deadlier than before, striking from every angle like vipers unleashed.

"Crap! Look out!" Lyra shouted, dashing forward, her hammer dragging sparks against the ground. But she was too slow.

SWOOSH!

BANG!

BOOOOOOM!

A massive explosion erupted as the limbs collided with their surroundings, unleashing a shockwave that swallowed everything nearby.

The blast flung Lyra and the others backward, their bodies hurled through the air. Trees bent and splintered under the force, the ground shattered violently, and when the dust settled, a massive crater stretched before them — at least twelve metres wide, a gaping scar carved into the battlefield.

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