With Var’Lathen unaffected by Deveralna’s destructive magic, the mood switched entirely.

  The air still smelled of ozone, crackling with residual lightning magic. Yet the colossal being gliding overhead looked unfazed, as if nothing could ever hurt it.

  Deveralna flew high in the sky—level with Var’Lathen’s eyes, a tiny speck in its peripheral vision.

  The Devourer was massive. Even its head dwarfed any creature that had lived on Triazils; Velridar was nothing in comparison.

  Yet the Remnant of Power refused to bend the knee, even after being sent crashing by the powerful tail of the beast.

  "I’ll make you suffer, you have my word," she said, defiance in her voice. "A pathetic lizard would never win against me."

  With a smirk, she pointed her finger at it.

  "Do not bait me into losing my temper. This approach couldn’t be more obvious, wench."

  Deveralna’s smile vanished instantly.

  "Wench, huh?" Irritation flared, but she realized almost immediately that her tactic had backfired. "That is a word I would not expect from the mouth of such a 'great' being."

  "I sure was calling names first, but that is unexpected." Shrugging it off, she refocused.

  Below, May and Stella kept moving—one absorbing attacks, the other pressuring the dragon with her power.

  Yet Var’Lathen’s full attention remained on Deveralna. She was its target, the body it desired most.

  Suddenly, the Devourer moved, coiling its massive body like a striking snake, its arms aiming at a point unseen.

  The air turned bitterly cold as it began to pull everything toward it.

  Deveralna remained still, immune to the suction. A dark veil shadowed her face as she saw the assault on May lessen.

  Something big is coming. We don’t know what it’s truly capable of, but I won’t wager its power is worth a damn. On the contrary.

  A violent, stormy sphere of untamable air began glowing at the center, accumulating obscene energy.

  Beads of sweat poured from Deveralna’s temple as reality settled in.

  We might have truly underestimated this one… Her gaze dropped. As expected, May looked worried, already standing in front of Stella to defend her.

  Lightning bolts joined the sphere, drawn from Var’Lathen’s arms, amplifying Deveralna’s unease.

  This attack… it’s going to be difficult to survive. Her eyes darted back to the sphere. Then the Devourer spoke.

  "I’ll give you the same amount of disrespect you gave me." The sphere trembled, but kept growing.

  Finally, the Devourer released it.

  "Shit!" Cold sweat poured down the Remnant’s spine as a terrifying spark burst through the sphere. Rays of light ruptured its shell, destabilizing it critically.

  Deveralna, using all her power, warped in a strike of plasma toward her companions.

  Light engulfed everything. She moved faster than the propagating blast, stopping just above May and Stella to shield them.

  Lifting both arms, a thick, intense plasma field enveloped them, layers upon layers of magic, holding just long enough.

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  "Deveralna! Thank you," May said, worry in her tone.

  She nodded simply. She was already protecting Stella, yet the waves of scorching heat on her back reminded her it might not be enough.

  But the shield began to weaken.

  Kh! This is no joke! Don’t show it on your face. I can’t make them worry. As the Remnant of Power, I can’t falter! I won’t face Velridar like this.

  The thought of facing the progenitor of dragons and lamias after failing left a bitter taste.

  Grimacing, she diverted her thoughts, forcing herself to focus.

  Through cracks in her shield, lightning branched toward the ground. Deveralna worked tirelessly to plug every opening.

  Orion’s supply of magic isn’t enough! I won’t hold on if I keep going like this!

  Her energy drained rapidly, anxiety creeping in. Fear of failing her friends—and most of all, her husband—weighed heavily.

  Luckily, she held long enough for the attack to subside.

  The light vanished, revealing Var’Lathen once more.

  "Surprising. You do possess an interesting power within you. I want you even more."

  Dropping her arms, she breathed roughly.

  "Shut it." A hot trickle touched her upper lip. She raised two fingers—blood. "Damn…"

  May and Stella noticed but stayed silent. They knew what it had cost her.

  Deveralna was pushing beyond her limits, and being Var’Lathen’s focus didn’t help.

  "You are weakening. It won’t be long until you relinquish your soul to me," the Devourer said, pleased.

  "Weakening? As if I am." She groaned. "If this is weakening, then you are blind. Have your eyes checked, lizard."

  Her taunt worked. Var’Lathen grew irritated, closing its massive eyes in annoyance.

  Deveralna turned her gaze to the two behind her.

  NOW! Blood trickled down her nose.

  The two reacted in confusion for less than a second. May gripped her fiery sword; Stella crouched, ready.

  It’s time to counterattack! They thought simultaneously, their eyes on the Devourer, which had its eyes closed.

  They knew it could sense air, skin changes, scents—but the opportunity was too valuable.

  Stella faced Deveralna, a spark in her eyes, silently pleading.

  They avoided words, communicating with signs.

  Stella pointed at her feet, then the sky.

  She’s asking me to… launch her into the sky? Deveralna analyzed, then nodded.

  A pulsing circle formed at her feet, full of lightning magic capable of defying gravity.

  Crouching, Stella prepared for the mightiest jump she had ever taken.

  Catharsis’ blade low behind her, she inhaled deeply, then leaped.

  In a burst of power, she shot toward Var’Lathen, leaving a shockwave behind her.

  May, still grounded, grabbed her burning sword with both hands, condensing its dark glow.

  Moving her blade, she gathered every ounce of magic possible.

  The next instant, a crescent-shaped shockwave followed Stella’s path.

  Deveralna, fighting fatigue, crossed the air like an inverted arc of lightning. Silent wings pushed her above the Devourer’s massive head.

  Opening its eyes in surprise, Var’Lathen prepared for the incoming attacks.

  "What are you trying to accomplish?" It recoiled slightly, raising its head.

  "Don’t worry your pretty mind about it!" Gravity embraced Deveralna as she pushed with her wings, crossing the distance with breathtaking speed.

  Retracting her wings, she spun, gathering tail strength.

  BOOM

  Her tail struck the center of Var’Lathen’s forehead, a shockwave powerful enough to destroy an entire city.

  Blood exploded from both combatants.

  "Ack!" The Devourer straightened, wrath in its eyes.

  Deveralna couldn’t recover and plummeted, energy depleted.

  Her attack, while insufficient to finish the beast, disguised the next wave.

  Stella, leaping high, dropped with Catharsis in hand.

  The Devourer turned to her. A frown briefly appeared, then relaxed.

  She struck its tail with full might.

  TING

  Purging energy erupted, swallowing the laws of the world. Light bent, colors inverted, time seemed to freeze as sparks and scales flew.

  "K-KH!" Stella held on, digging into the Devourer’s skin.

  Shocked by the wound, Var’Lathen whipped its tail with lightning speed.

  "!"

  Suddenly, Stella floated, blade in air. Shock confirmed her plan hadn’t accounted for this.

  As fast as it vanished, the tail returned. She braced with Catharsis.

  "Ack-!"

  Thrown downward, she lost consciousness briefly. Opening her eyes, she winced.

  I can’t feel my arms! Are they broken? They weren’t—but the blood trail spoke of her injuries.

  May’s attack had begun heating her back from a distance.

  Var’Lathen noticed it, making it non-lethal. If it had been faster, it might have surprised it—but it didn’t, and May knew that.

  Stella wasn’t finished.

  She spun, facing the blazing crescent, aiming one hand forward.

  Her body absorbed the attack’s energy, channeling it into Catharsis.

  Grey energy fused with fire, merging perfectly.

  "Eat this, damn lizard!" Lifting the fauchard, she struck as if cutting close by.

  Var’Lathen squinted, then recoiled.

  A gigantic cross of magic traced back to the wound Stella opened, ravaging the tail.

  "What is this?!" Greyish energy devoured its flesh, burning it entirely.

  Stella’s remote attack sectioned the tail. The Devourer could do nothing but watch as a kilometer of its body vanished in seconds, mind sinking into madness and wrath.

  "My… body. My skin… My flesh?" Its eyes turned bright red.

  "Now you’ve done it!" It screamed wildly, blasting clouds into shreds, rage seeping from every part of its massive body.