The Leviathan's coils shuddered, then sank deeper into the pond. A pale glow pulsed through the waters, and the beast swelled, its scales glistening as it drew in more aether. The mist thickened, sharper and heavier, pressing on their lungs.

"Not good," Nyra hissed, frost forming on her fingers as she steadied herself.

Their attacks were starting to scatter. Each movement that had flowed moments ago now felt strained, as if the beast itself was tearing apart their rhythm.

From the banks came a sneer. "See? It was luck before. Now watch them crumble."

"Pathetic," another voice scoffed. "They'll be the pond's next feed."

The jeers stung, but inside the fog, Arden didn't even glance that way. His eyes stayed on his team, reading their stumbles, their shallow breaths, their hesitation.

"Arden," Rael muttered, panting as sparks flickered across his gauntlet, "we're losing ground. If you keep pushing like this, you'll burn out before any of us."

Arden gave him a grin, even as sweat slid down his temple. "Relax. We'll squash this thing easy. Stick to the plan, cut it off from the pond, and it's nothing more than a fat fish flopping on dry land."

Nyra shook her head. "You're insane. You're at your limit."

"Yeah," Arden admitted with a chuckle, tightening his grip on his blade, "but when have I ever been sane?"

For a moment, the tension cracked. Rael huffed a laugh, Nyra exhaled sharply, and even Zephyra gave a guttural rumble that almost sounded approving.

Then it came.

A shimmer of light tore through Arden's vision as a system prompt forced itself before his eyes:

[Trust level reached.

Corebind Resonance Link >>> Evolving...]

[New Resonance Formed: Triune Core Nexus

Description: A tri-fold life energy circuit formed through unbreakable trust between Arden, Rael, and Nyra. Their cores harmonize, amplifying one another in both battle and growth.

Effects:

Shared Stability: Cores resist disruption, drain, or corruption. Stability rises with proximity.

Pulse Overflow: Surplus energy from one member flows to another, empowering their techniques.

Unity Surge: When acting in unison, creating fused resonance effects that greatly enhance attack potency, defense, and adaptability

Distance Modifier: Effect is strongest when within close range, but the link now stretches farther, bond also ensures a faint awareness of each other's conditions even across battlefields]

Arden blinked, stunned. "Well, that's new."

Rael noticed his grin widen. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing," Arden said, blade still poised. "Guess the world's finally recognizing we're better together."

Neither Rael nor Nyra questioned further. They simply felt it, their cores thrummed differently, stronger, steadier. Their strikes no longer clashed but flowed.

"Alright," Arden called, raising his blade high, "enough playing around. Let's show this oversized lizard what a real team looks like."

He slashed downward, mist bursting around him. His radiant pulse flared through it, exploding into a glare that swallowed the Leviathan's head. The beast screeched, its connection to the pond flickering as the lotus beneath dimmed.

"Now!"

Nyra swept her arms wide, freezing the pond's edges in jagged arcs. The beast's coils strained, cracks splitting through the ice as it tried to draw more energy, only to find its source blocked.

Rael slammed his gauntlet down. Lightning fused with frost, a surge racing across the frozen pond. It hit the Leviathan's scales with a snap that made the air quake, backlash searing into its body.

Zephyra snarled, flames roaring from her maw. Blue drafts flooded the mist, burning it away and leaving scorching walls that penned the beast in.

The Leviathan thrashed, its roars less certain now, its movements slowing as if finally feeling the weight of their combined assault.

On the banks, the same onlookers who mocked them now stared wide-eyed.

"They… they're pushing it back?"

"No… they're overwhelming it."

Inside the fog, Arden raised his blade, his tone cocky but his eyes sharp. "See? I told you. Fat fish on dry land. Now let's finish this."

Their renewed coordination hit harder than before, each strike feeding the next, their resonance humming with power. The battle was turning.

But the Leviathan wasn't done. The pond's glow flickered once more, and a deep rumble rose from its depths, promising that the fight was still not near it's end.

The Leviathan's roar tore through the mist as its jaws widened, black aether spiraling into a crushing spiral.

"Veil Maw incoming!" Arden barked, body tensing.

The serpent lunged straight for him, but he was already moving.

Chains Skyfang Pulse Mirage!

He blinked from sight, leaving streaks of crackling afterimages that detonated behind him, lighting the pond like thunder trapped in fog. The Leviathan's fangs snapped on nothing but smoke, its momentum stalling.

"Not done yet." Arden shot upward, his feet finding invisible footholds as he burst into the air. Aetherstride Ascension flared beneath him, carrying him higher. From above, he struck again and again, blades flashing at the serpent's eyes and exposed ridges.

Nyra raised her arms. Ice swirled, bending under her wind. She shaped it into a curved lens, magnifying Arden's next burst. His radiant strike flared through it, exploding brighter, a glare that seared the beast's vision.

The Leviathan screamed, thrashing wildly.

"Openings!" Arden shouted.

Rael was already moving. Sparks and frost tangled around his gauntlets, a wild storm caged inside his fists. He slammed into the coils, each punch carrying the crackle of lightning and the sting of frozen steel.

Zephyra descended in a furious sweep, stirring violent gusts. She exhaled, and a cerulean inferno tore from her jaws, whipping into the mist and setting it ablaze. The firestorm raged, hemming the serpent in, its body trapped inside the roaring cage.

"Hold it—just a bit longer!" Arden's voice cut through the chaos.

The Leviathan coiled to lash, its massive body surging toward him. Arden's eyes narrowed.

Gleamcoil Reversal!

His blade pulsed with blinding light, twisting the serpent's momentum against itself. The beast froze mid-lash, its scales flaring with shock.

"Now!" Arden roared.

Rael lunged first, his gauntlet smashing into the creature's chest. Bone and scale cracked with a thunderous snap. Nyra followed with a storm of frozen shards, each one driving deeper into the gaps torn open by Rael's strike. Zephyra shrieked, her blue fire pouring into the wounds, burning from the inside out.

The Lotus beneath the pond dimmed, its crimson glow fading as its link snapped.

The Leviathan convulsed once, twice, then collapsed. Its body struck the water with a deafening crash, mist exploding outward before silence took hold.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Rael let out a breathless laugh, punching the air. "We… actually did it."

Nyra crouched, her lips curling into the smallest smile. "It's over."

A/N:

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