"Sonic boom!" Blake roared as he leaped high and slammed his hands together in a thunderous clap. A massive shockwave burst outward, ripping through the clearing.

Xar stood unmoved, eyes locked on Blake and the sound of the clap. He then glanced at the beast, which instantaneously leaped up and flared all its limbs into a circular shield that took the shockwave head on.

The beast's feet rooted into the ground like the trunk of an ancient tree, anchoring it so that it would not budge an inch as the wave slammed into its armored form. Xar, meanwhile, remained untouched and calm.

'He can control the beast, huh?' Zen thought, frowning and staying where he was. 'No point charging in recklessly. I need to observe. Figure out what this thing can do.'

'The beast refused to die no matter how hard we pummeled it. Our best attacks were barely a dent. How can we possibly put it down?' Jace stared at Blake and the controller with a furrowed brow, trying to make sense of the fight.

"Fire Slash!" Tom thundered. He dashed forward and swung his greatsword in a wide arc. A roaring wall of flames erupted and slammed into the beast's thrashing limbs, burning through them and turning vines to ash almost instantly.

Tom landed beside Blake, breathing hard, eyes narrowed as he glared at both the beast and the figure controlling it.

"According to my dear friend here," Xar began, pointing at Tom, Blake, and the others, "you all took part in hurting him."

"Where did you come from? Who are you really? And why did you come here with your be… friend?!" Lyra demanded, stepping forward, blood streaking her lips as she brandished her swords.

"Hmm." Xar tilted his head, studying her. "Beautiful," he said, amusement in his voice.

"Huh?" Tom muttered, confused and uneasy.

"I want to give you one chance. Take your friend and leave, or face the wrath of the SilverFall Clan," Lyra warned, thrusting a sword toward Xar.

"Hmm. And what makes you think I'm not the one giving you all a chance?" Xar replied with a wide grin. "A chance to breathe before I send you to hell."

"Lyra." Blake called, holding out his hand toward her. "Sword."

Lyra snapped her fingers and a longsword materialised in Blake's grip. He tested the weight, then let his Veil flow through it until the blade shimmered and the edge looked razor sharp.

"You could have killed any of those bastards behind and beside me," Blake snarled, voice low and cold. "I wouldn't have said a word. But your greatest mistake was killing one of my men. I brought together a group of like-minded people, gave them purpose, and you dare slaughter one of them like trash?"

"I promised them protection, great things, and a life of wealth. But you cut one of their lives short?! How dare you?!" Blake roared, his voice so loud that the very air shuddered under the weight of it.

Xar didn't answer immediately. Instead, he casually raised a finger and cleaned out his ear as if Blake's fury was little more than background noise.

"You didn't have to shout," Xar said, smirking faintly. "I can hear perfectly."

"ARGH!" Blake thundered, his fury boiling over. With a burst of Veil, he exploded forward at full speed, his body blurring like a streak of lightning.

But almost at the same instant, the beast reacted. Its limbs shot forward in a blur, but Lyra and Tom were already on the move. They intercepted the monstrous appendages from both sides, blades crackling and flames roaring as they hacked and slashed.

"Jace! Back Blake up!" Lyra commanded, her voice sharp as she twisted mid-air, barely avoiding a spiked limb aimed straight for her abdomen.

Tom roared as he leapt high, his greatsword raised above his head, flames wrapping around it in a furious blaze. He came crashing down toward the beast's head, aiming to cleave it apart in one clean strike.

But the beast wasn't slow. From its shoulders, four new limbs sprouted and shot toward him with blinding speed. Tom gritted his teeth, spinning midair, his sword flaring as he unleashed a blazing arc.

BANG!

The flaming slash ripped through the limbs, scattering charred chunks before they could pierce his flesh.

Another strike came crashing in, but it wasn't from Tom. It was Lyra. She stood with her sword raised, palm extended. A massive slash of energy burst from her blade, colliding with the beast and sending its enormous body skidding inches backward, tearing deep furrows into the ground beneath it.

"Inferno!" Tom bellowed, slamming his sword into the air with everything he had.

BOOOM!

A tunnel of searing flames erupted outward, scorching the forest floor as it tore through the air. The beast curled all of its remaining limbs together in a shield, but the fiery tunnel smashed into it with thunderous force, burning through the barricade and disintegrating the limbs into ash.

Tom didn't stop. Flames erupted beneath his feet, boosting his speed to the extreme. His body blurred as he launched forward again, leaving a fiery afterimage in his wake.

In a blink, he appeared directly in front of the beast, swinging his sword upward in a devastating arc, flames bursting outward like a tidal wave of fire.

But before the strike could land, the ground rumbled violently.

CRACK!

From beneath the soil, several spiked limbs exploded upward, aiming to skewer Tom from below. His eyes widened—he couldn't block in time.

With flames blazing at his feet, Tom kicked off the ground in desperation, blasting into the air with a thunderous crack. The limbs missed him by inches, but he was still exposed midair, unable to regain balance.

That was when Lyra moved. Her weapons shifted once more. A pair of crackling boots appeared on her feet, glowing with arcs of lightning. Her hand now held a towering shield that shimmered with radiant energy.

Like a blur, she shot into the air. In one swift motion, she smashed her boot against Tom's body, hurling him away to safety. At the same time, she swung her shield into position just as the spiked limbs crashed toward her.

BAM!

The collision was deafening. The impact rattled her arms violently, numbing her grip, and the sheer force hurled her backward. Her body plummeted, but before she could slam into the earth, she twisted her body, driving her shield into the ground.

The shield struck with a resounding clang, and the rebound allowed her to flip upright and land on her feet. She panted heavily, sweat dripping, her eyes blazing with defiance as she glared up at the beast.

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