Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 336: Vloz’s Full Strength

As the battle became all the more turbulent in the center field with Marsel and Nixt joining Eefran on a rampage, both Vloz and his peak-perennial foe felt the battle nearing its close. It was now or never.

“What have you done to Bicard, I wonder?” asked the perennial in heavy armor, now damaged beyond the point of repair. “How much longer can you stall him? Don’t tell me that dumb ape is the one–”

“That dumb ape is the one who planned everything,” quipped Vloz, letting his voice echo from within the surrounding mist. It was as if six Vloz’s had spoken in tandem from all around the peak-perennial.

“HA! Don’t be–”

“Why so worried? I thought you had confidence in your general?” the many Vlozes questioned, making sure the man amid the darkness wasn’t sure of anything. “If you’re worried, why not strike me down and end the battle? Can’t you do that much?”

“If you’re too scared to fight, then why not flee and survive?”

“Either way, it seems you don’t have any more time to waste. So, what will you do? Attempt to escape this mist or try to kill me?”

.....

Squinting, the man smirked angrily. “Why not both?”

While the man maintained a spiritual aura around himself, the heat surrounding him intensified drastically. He let loose a resounding grunt as a pulse of flames rushed into the mist.

But Vloz wasn’t so easily thrown off guard. Though the fire did impede Vloz and lessen his chances at another encircling attack, it didn’t completely overrule it.

As the flames entered the mist and brightened up the area, five Blood-spotted Leopards leaped over the wave of fire and charged the man in the middle. All that remained was a lingering mist overhead. But Vloz no longer cared as the ethereal energy around his paws sharpened to a point, extending the reach of his claws. It blended with the murky blackness that covered the many Vlozes, making them look like spiritual beasts flickering in and out of the physical realm.

“Only five?” The man snickered, catching on quickly. Another pulse of flames was sent out immediately while he also hurled flames into the mist above. “There’s the other kitty!”

With all six leopards in sight thanks to his attack finding Vloz’s hidden copy, the man arrogantly grinned. He cockily cackled through his teeth as he waited for Vloz’s response and counterattack.

KRSH!

“Huh...” Spotting the tip of Vloz’s claws suddenly jutting through his torso, the man glanced behind him. He never stopped smiling. Instead, he tried to offer a final insult, “Those burns...”

As the protective flames dwindled away, the man’s body collapsed the second Vloz retracted his claws. The leopard didn’t care to watch his fake copies vanish among the foe’s flames. Vloz took in a long breath, ignoring the searing pain he felt across most of his body, especially from the paw that had run through the man. Everything still felt like it was ablaze without any hints of the pain receding.

But the battle wasn’t over, and Vloz didn’t yet have the time to lick his wounds clean.

The leopard sped away to the west. He had stored the corpse without wasting a second thought and was gone before the flames and mist had fully dispersed.

“That all you got?!” Ania roared, wielding her hammer with rage and fury. “Try harder! Weakling!”

Despite her opponent being a full realm higher, Ania stood strong and held her own. The match was quite even. But that was mostly due to Ania’s natural defenses being so high and the low-perennial being unable to deal significant damage. Paired with her natural strength, along with her hammer’s extended reach and great force, it left the water-wielding perennial struggling to dominate the fight.

Those two dueled at the rear of the western clearing, being the nearest ones to the fort’s rear. At the same time, the Vanishing-night Foxes held off that portion of the invading army with all their might. And the fox chief was still among the trees, fending off the second perennial hidden among the troops.

“Just die already!”

Puula sidestepped as she hurriedly dodged the incoming bolt of lightning. But more and more bolts flew her way, forcing Puula into a fully defensive and evasive position.

“Come on, flee or die! Stop wasting my time!” shouted the man, making sure the nearby army could hear his confident cries.

Breathing heavily, Puula kept her wits about her. She said nothing in response and kept her eyes peeled. If there was anything she didn’t want to do, it was to offer the foe an opening. So, instead, she vanished in a cloak of darkness.

“If you don’t come to me, I’ll go to them!”

Yet as the man threw more lightning in a charge toward his allies, a curtain of darkness would envelop him. And though he could break through it, he would always find himself turned around in the opposite direction.

“Stop with the tricks! Just die already!” Further losing his patience, the man sent out stream after stream of lightning. The bolts mimicked a spider’s web as they lashed out all around him. Finally, he looked again as a part of the lightning web warped around a lingering shadow. “Found you!”

As Puula’s silhouette was forcibly revealed, she watched closely as the man sped to her. She was fast, but not as fast as a mid-perennial with lightning essence.

“It’s about time! Just–”

“DIE!”

SHHR. Thud, thud...

Struggling to maintain her steady breathing with electricity lingering in her body, Puula finally heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Vloz...”

“Don’t mention it.”

Ignoring the disembodied head on the ground, Vloz sped into the nearby army with his blend of ethereal and dark energy still at full power. It was as if the reaper himself had appeared to claim victory. Within the span of a single breath, almost two dozen heads flew away from their bodies. And those with their necks still intact only had one more breath to enjoy before their lives were taken.