Chapter 4211: Numerical Advantage (Part 2)

’Even if the Divine Beasts use mind links to communicate, they only have a vague idea of their own current position.’ Loma cast spells nonstop, enduring the onslaught of Spirit Flames until the bitter end.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, Loma." Solus conjured the tier five array, Firestorm, with the help of the Sage Staff.

The seven gemstones surrounded the spore cloud, forming a six-pointed star that called upon the air and fire elements. Fireballs the size of a house exploded within the magic circle, each explosion releasing a lightning bolt and several air blades.

The array didn’t discriminate between friend or foe, burning the Horde as much as the Isharas. The flashes that accompanied the lightning bolts kept the Divine Beasts blinded even though the Horde’s spores dropped like flies, while the thunder deafened them.

The world turned into a white flash for the Isharas, making it impossible for them to Blink to safety, just like the heat of the air and the ozone released by the electricity stopped them from recovering with Invigoration.

"You are welcome." The Horde replied as he consumed water from the river and the surrounding vegetation to produce new spores. "It hurt a lot, but it was worth it."

Loma had left a small part of his body with Kalla to ensure the Horde’s survival and restore their lost mass as the Divine Beasts tore them apart.

"It won’t be enough, though." Nyka shapeshifted into her chiropteran form, growing to 3,5 meters of height and developing membranous wings between her small fingers and hips. "The bastards are choke-full with Life Maelstrom."

"I know, but I’m not done yet." A flick of the Sage Staff turned Firestorm into the Void Magic array, Permafrost.

The dust carried by the wind and that produced by the destruction of the Horde’s spores assembled into a colossal rock that ice turned into a glistening prison. The frozen water filled every gap and crevice, keeping the air out and gluing the rock fragments together.

The Divine Beasts used their raw strength to smash through Permafrost, but Solus altered the spell’s shape and density to trap them again.

"That thing can’t hold so many Divine Beasts for long! They are this close to breaking free!" Solus said in excitement.

"Then why do you say it like it’s a good thing?" The orange Horde kept regrowing their body and using Invigoration to fill their newborn spores with mana.

"Because I’ve been dying to try this." Solus replied as five of the seven magical gemstones returned to the top of the Sage Staff.

The water crystal formed runes that Solus didn’t dare trace herself while the fire crystals floated at a safe distance, ready to intervene.

"Jerak Skan Ghirash!" Solus spoke the final runes of the tier three Zero Spell, Frozen Horizon.

The water crystal released a blue pillar that struck Permafrost, sucking the fire element in the water and the heat from the bodies of Isharas trapped by the array.

The magical formation became visible to the naked eye, and without the elemental energy keeping it aloft, Permafrost turned into an iceberg that fell to the ground like a meteor.

’Now! Hit them while they are still stunned. We need to kill at least one each before they have the time to recover, or we are doomed.’ Solus could tell via mana sense that all seven Divine Beasts were still alive.

Once the Isharas had realized they had fallen for the orange Horde’s trap, they had activated their Spirit Barriers and infused them with Life Maelstrom. The Divine Beasts had suffered major wounds, but the enchanted protection had taken the brunt of the damage.

’Do not underestimate them. We are still three against seven, and with Life Maelstrom on their side, everything we’ve done might not even be enough to even the field.’

***

Verendi continent, Zamana region, city of Phiresia, Roaring Lion tavern, at the same time.

Xenagrosh followed Akthon’s smell inside a bustling city without bothering with guards or permits. She shapeshifted into her human form in the sky and landed in the middle of the crowd sitting outside the Roaring Lion with the grace of a sparrow.

Her pale skin and brown hair, typical of the Gorgon Empire, made the passerby freeze on the spot, so no one noticed when Theseus joined her a heartbeat later.

The Bastet had the alabaster skin and features one could expect from a local, making him just a face amid hundreds.

"Way to go unnoticed." He said as the people around them pointed fingers at Xenagrosh and called the guards, afraid of having a foreign spy in their midst.

"What’s the point of wasting a good spell if we’re here to draw a lot of attention anyway?" She walked inside the tavern with quick strides while sniffing the air.

Upyrs had almost no peculiar smell while in their natural form, but from so up close, Xenagrosh recognized the tang of Orpal’s corrupted blood.

"We meet again, scum." She walked in front of the group of Upyrs, projecting a faint light above their heads for a split second to mark them for Theseus.

"Look, lady, I have no idea-" Xenagrosh released her cloaking item to let her smell reach Akhton’s nose and cut him short. "The accursed Eldritch! What are you doing here?"

He jumped off his seat with a growl, gesturing to the other Upyrs to prepare for battle.

"I could ask you the same question." She tapped her lips with her forefinger. "But I have no time to play games. Theseus?"

"Hello, brother." The Bastet-Meneos stepped forward after deactivating his cloaking item as well. "Tell me, have you really stooped so low that you became a servant of the Dead King?"

"Brother?" Akhton’s frown only deepened when he recognized the creature in front of him as another Bastet. "Who are you, and why have we never met before? I’m one of Mother’s firstborns, and I’m sure she introduced me to everyone in the family."

"You heard my companion, brother. My name is Theseus, and I’m a Bastet, just like you." The Eldritch hybrid used every mystical and physical sense at his disposal to examine his long-lost brethren, finding no trace of Orpal’s corruption.

’Xenagrosh is clearly wrong.’ He sighed in relief when he found nothing wrong, even in the sparks of Akhton’s aura that Theseus was covertly tasting. ’She must be wrong. Mother is a wise teacher and a kind parent. I am disgrace enough for our entire race.

"I’m also one of Mother’s firstborns, but I’m much older than you. All our siblings who knew me have already died of old age, but you should have heard about my other name.

"I’m infamous as the Bastets’ Shame, or Paquut the Red Carnival." Theseus clenched his fist but never lowered his gaze to observe Akhton’s reaction to the revelation.

’Come on, do the right thing.’ He expected fury and outrage, quickly followed by a call for help to the rest of the family to put the traitor down for good. ’I trust Xenagrosh.

’Once she realizes she was wrong about you, she’ll keep her word and retreat without hurting anyone. Even if she doesn’t, she’ll have to fight my siblings and me.

’I’ll probably die, but for a few seconds I’ll be part of the family again. It’s not a bad way to go.’

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