Alvarach's figure flickered from side to side, attacking them all at once.
With time against them, the grandmasters faced their biggest barrage yet.
"Ack!" Raven was bearing the most brunt, as Alvarach had identified him to be the weak link.
Truly, without a staff and a second arm, that he was.
"Raven"
He turned his head to see Ezra holding a shining yellow spear, far lower in grade than his original spear of course, but anything was better than nothing.
"Catch" Tossing it, Ezra kicked the spear towards him.
Alvarach wasn't about to let that happen.
Shredding another piece of metal, he flickers away, reaching Raven who had his back turned to grab the spear.
Ezra followed with his eyes, shooting rays of eyes that reduced his attack range and disrupted his movements.
Moreover, Ezra was able to shoot more than three ice rays at a time, a time being less than ten seconds.
That, combined with Fredrick's reinforcement foiled Alvarach's ploy.
Waving it, Raven nodded in appreciation, now he could do more than just dodge.
Alvarach took a back seat for a few seconds, raising the level of the grandmasters a bit more.
The curse inflicted on him was the only reason these cockroaches could even dare face him and it was beginning to really irritate him.
His eyes landed on Ezra. The last time he left the boy alone, a scythe cut him in half.
Now, he had a plan up his sleeve once more.
Alvarach himself couldn't decipher what exactly the boy planned to do, considering that their space mage was dead, but he'd be damned before leaving things be.
This whole affair only took this long because he'd been trying to capture the boy alive, so the question then popped up…
'Should I just kill him?'
After a short pause, 'No' Alvarach decided against it.
The boy's body might just hold the key to achieving a greater form of power, Alvarach wasn't about that chance slip his fingers.
Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't take everyone here.
It hurt his pride, but he sure wasn't going to allow them any more time.
Then…
"CRA!"
Alvarach let out a scream-like screech, and his presence grew heavier, demonic energy began filling the surroundings.
His moderate body gained muscle and his head grew bigger, as did his horn grow in length and got darker while his nails didn't change.
Finally, a thin line of fire coated his skin.
The atmosphere was unbelievably oppressive to the grandmasters as the pressure weighed on them.
As Alvarach surveyed his magnificent figure, his expression shook as his head twisted in a weird angle.
"Ahh!"
Letting out a booming screech of pain, his figure twisted in obscene ways and the oppressive atmosphere started deflating.
Twisting and turning, he fell to the ground like a crashing mosquito, creating a large crater.
Soon after, he reverted to his previous figure, and spurted a large deal of blood.
"This is our chance!" Fredrick's cry brough the other two grandmasters out of their reverie.
His massive hammer reached Alvarach right after.
*Bam!*
Fredrick smashed him into the ground without remorse-the experience was exhilarating even.
He didn't know what just transpired, what he did know was that they'd been given an opportunity to turn the tables, and he wasn't missing it.
Without a break, he smashed Alvarach once again.
Of which Raven and Deneris joined in, the former launched a beam of yellow light while the latter sent down a shower of metal weapons while Fredrick landed his third strike.
On his fourth strike…
*Kang!*
The hammer was repelled with so much more force, Fredrick moved back more a few steps.
The grandmasters stepped back on instinct, looking at Alvarach while awaiting the inevitable attack.
He vanished from his position, but…didn't attack them?
Fredrick looked behind him haste, and surely.
Alvarach went for Ezra.
'Damn it!'
The boy in question had been paying attention to the battle as well.
So, he saw Alvarach flicker.
As a grandmaster himself, Ezra was not weak, and he did not panic when Alvarach reached him.
*Zom*
Dude flashed away just as fast as Alvarach arrived, leaving a trail of black lightning.
Stopping beside the Emperor's limp self, he wiped away the blood on his cheek.
Alvarach was still able to cut him even with that speed.
Ezra smiled.
*slash*
Alvarach's arm was cut through.
Confidence levels arose. Ezra wasn't stupid enough to think he could beat Alavarch over such a small win, with the cut arm having immediately healed, but…
'Not dying shouldn't be problem'
Relieved to hear the Emperor's beating heart.
Without straying eye contact on Alvarach, he empties a healing potion on the Emperor's figure.
Alvarach was stunned, confused whether it was the boy who got faster or he got slower.
His previous transformation had been thwarted by the world itself.
As a being from another planet, he was intruding, his transformation thereby spreading his presence gave the world an opportunity to suppress him.
Regardless, the boy caught him lacking.
Turning around, he flickers away, dodging Fredrick's hammer, reaching Ezra.
The boy's instincts rang out as he placed his scythe at an accurate distance to stop Alvarach's nails.
The force pushed Ezra back as the sparks flew.
'He's faster than before'
Gritting his teeth, he thwarted off two more attacks, each one shook his body, making his organs feel like jelly.
He could take only a few more of such attacks before he fell.
Deneris and Fredrick's provided timely assistance, swerving Ezra's aim, allowing him distance and breathing space.
The scythe was currently holding the ice element, but Alvarach's nail turned into vapour just as soon as it came on.
With Ezra holding the lifeline to their escape, the grandmasters didn't hesitate to bring the heat to Alvarach.
A brawl ensured, with all three covering one another while Raven threw shots from above.
Each blow resounded and the grandmasters were being pushed back each time, barely resisting.
Moreover, after the attack from the world, Alvarach stopped pulling his punches.
His nails were laced with fire again, and his attacks grew stronger and came faster each time.
"Ezra, if you truly have a way out of this-please hurry!" said Fredrick.
With everyone at their limit, Ezra couldn't help but cry out to Zydrax.
'Zydrax, do it now!'
[I need more time-
'We don't have more time, do it now!'
Zydrax was thoroughly annoyed by the way the situation played out.
If only Ezra listened right at the start…whatever.
He threw such thoughts away, complaining was not going to solve the problem.
'The accumulated essence is going to be wasted!'
Still, he was reluctant to take-as he saw it-such a disastrous decision.
But if he failed to act this time, his biggest fear might be realized, and that forced his hand.
In the space ring lay Elisa's unconscious self, Crea's attack burned the left part of her face and hair as well.
Severus lay beside her.
Following Zydrax's will, a ray of bright yellow dust streamed into Elisa's body.
Its rate of movement increased.
Her chest rose and quickly healed the burnt part of her hair, face and body began healing.
Her skin glowed bright yellow, and then her eyes snapped open, with irises shining bright yellow.
Severus distanced himself, slithering backwards while curiously watching the unexplained phenomenon.
Her eyes lay wide open, yet this woman was not awake.
Suddenly, the glow of her skin brightened, akin to a colony of fireflies, and she raised her arm, her palm openly facing the sky.
On the outside, a green dot appeared, suspended in the air right atop Raven.
Alvarach and Ezra noticed it.
Raven had joined the brawl on the ground, standing behind the rest and launching beams of light at Alvarach while the rest weathered his attack.
Dodging attacks, Alvarach took note but didn't bother.
Big mistake, the dot enlarged into a portal right after. It was twice the size needed and formed ten times as fast.
Alvarach's eyes widened as others immediately noticed it.
"You will not be leaving!" Alvarach proclaimed, from his palm a crimson magic circle unfolded.
"Go!" Ezra shouted. A blue magic circle unfolded from his palm as he thrust forth and engaged Alvarach.
With haste, Raven fell right in, Deneris followed.
While they couldn't ascertain the portal's destination, it gave higher chances of survival.
The two magic circles clashed.
*Boom!*
A massive explosion as ice and fire cancelled each other out, from which a wall of smoke formed.
"My liege, let's go!" Fredrick intoned.
Ezra hopped backwards with haste.
Right then…
"Wait!"
Ezra's head swerved in the direction of the voice.
It was Mervida.
On cue, Alvarach arrived at his side, and swung his nails.
Sharp senses let him place Skyfall in place to parry the attack, but the rebound sent him flying to the side.
Swerved off course, Alvarach chuckled.
"I told you. You will not be leaving"
"My liege!"
Fredrick was at the rescue, his hammer brought down on Alvarach's figure.
Unfortunately…
*Bam!*
Alvarach knocked it aside with an overhand backhand punch, and without stopping, placed a kick right on the chest and sent him flying like a piece of stone.
Flying right into the portal.
With that, he'd been gotten rid of.
Facing Alvarach's, Ezra tightened his grip and grit his teeth.
*Boom!*
With a quick look he saw Mervida jumping out the crater with a bloody mouth before Crea attacked.
"Give up" Alvarach offered. Taking back Ezras attention.
"You barely stopped me when they were four of you, you can't get past me on your own"
A voice boomed. "Who said he was alone?!"
*Bam*
Something crashed into Alvarach right after.
Even with his skin now purple and clean hair filthy, the Emperor gait lost none of his valour, his eyes stood bright still.
"You're alive?"
It was a stupendous situation for Alvarach, holding back shredder with his nails.
But then, he looked at the Emperor. "Well, not for long"
"Shut it" said the Emperor. "You will not touch my son!"
The Emperor engaged him, erupting with lightning like never before.
*Bam*Bam*Bam*Bam*
Moving at a speed Ezra could barely follow, they struck each other more times than he could count.
Watching for a chance…
"Ezra, go" the Emperor commanded.
"But I can-
"Go!"
Alvarach was genuinely shocked, the one he'd left to die was back on his feet, moreover, he was matching his attacks.
Reluctantly, Ezra ran to the portal.
*Slap*Slap*Slap*Slap*
Crea delivered sonic slaps to Mervida, who was barely standing.
The poison from Mervida's last fight constantly weakened her body.
This and her loss of sight clinched her loss while battling Crea.
Blood splattered out of her mouth as she struggled to stay standing but as her pride as a queen kept her going.
She would never lose her dignity.
"Futile efforts" Crea said. "Bow before me and I might just let you live"
Mervida spat in her face, smiling. "Over my dead body"
Crea's eyes narrowed, "As you wish"
Right then, her eyes widened, and immediately, she bent ninety degrees backwards, avoiding decapitation from Ezra's scythe.
That didn't stop her from getting kicked away like a doll though.
Ezra swatted Crea away with a kick and pulled Mervida by hand, tossing her into the portal, as he ran to it too.
[Hurry, I can't keep the portal open for much longer]
Seeing his prey about to get away, Alvarach parried another one of the Emperor's attacks and flickered in Ezra's direction.
"No, you don't" the Emperor wasn't about to let that happen.
His instincts rang out and Ezra stepped back as a line of fire slid right past him.
Alvarach reached right after, but the Emperor reached Alvarach just as fast.
And then…
*Sha!*
Having turned around with precision, the Emperor fell right into his nails.
"Gah!" the Emperor puked blood at the abrupt stop.
"No!"
Alvarach's nails were sticking out his chest, he looked like chicken on a stick.
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