NOVEL NEXT Chapter 206: Episode 206
But just as the demon stumbled, it reared back, its wings unfurling in a menacing sweep. The ground beneath Adam and Elesch began to crack, molten fissures opening as the demon prepared to unleash its full fury, a strike that could obliterate both of them in one blow.
Elesch's void energy swirled violently, preparing a massive counter, while Adam's Chimera Shell glimmered, hybrid adaptations forming for one final stand.
They looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them: they either survived this strike together or nothing would survive.
The demon's roar split the air, wings thrashing violently, and the ground trembled beneath them, sending up waves of molten debris.
Elesch's void sphere expanded, and Adam coiled like a spring, ready to strike. And then, just as the demon brought its claws down, the world seemed to pause, the two warriors poised at the edge of survival and victory.
And that's when it happened: the demon's eyes glowed brighter, its roar growing louder, and from its chest, a pulsing wave of energy erupted, spreading across the battlefield.
Adam and Elesch braced themselves, knowing that whatever came next would either break them or forge them into something unstoppable.
The pulsing wave of energy from the demon's chest radiated outward like a black sun, scorching the ruined battlefield and sending molten shards of rock and metal into the air.
Adam and Elesch felt the heat and force press against them, a tangible weight that threatened to crush them before the demon even struck.
Adam gritted his teeth and tapped deeper into Chimera Shell, layering three adaptations at once: stone armor plating over his torso, rapid muscular fibers in his legs for explosive reaction, and claws laced with hardened obsidian to tear through molten stone.
His tail whipped, kicking up a protective wall of debris as the wave of energy approached. Sparks danced across his adaptive hide as the pulse struck, forcing him backward, but he refused to fall.
Elesch's void sphere had grown into a swirling orb of anti-energy, its edges rippling outward to absorb and negate portions of the demon's assault.
She extended both hands, fingers splayed, and the sphere pulsed violently, creating a vacuum that swallowed chunks of molten debris and redirected part of the demon's energy back toward it.
A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield as the demon staggered under the unexpected counter, claws scraping the fractured earth.
Adam seized the moment. Leaping onto a floating chunk of broken building, he propelled himself into the air, claws aimed at the demon's exposed flank.
"Elesch! Now!" he shouted, voice cutting over the chaos.
Elesch's eyes glowed a deep void-black. With a fluid motion, she created a string of miniature void implosions along the demon's path, each one detonating as Adam landed on its back.
The first implosion ripped through the hardened outer layer of its skin, the second destabilizing its molten wings, and the third striking near the base of its neck, forcing the creature to twist violently in midair.
Adam adapted instantly, feeling the heat surge through him as he dug his claws into the fissured surface of the demon's hide.
His hybrid armor shuddered but held, spikes bristling along his arms and shoulders to absorb the backlash from Elesch's void blasts. With a roar, he sank his talons deep into the beast's chest, grinding against molten layers of muscle as it tried to buck him off.
Elesch didn't pause. Her void energy split into multiple threads, wrapping around the demon's legs and wings, sucking away momentum and forcing it into a precarious balance.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, a massive void pocket formed beneath its chest, imploding and pulling the demon downward into itself, compressing molten rock and energy alike. The demon bellowed, a sound like the cracking of the world itself, its wings flailing uncontrollably as it tried to resist the vacuum.
Adam's claws dug deeper. He could feel the energy of the demon pushing back, searing through his adaptations, but he held on, using the Chimera Shell to reinforce key points of his body: spiked shoulders to lock himself in place, hybrid wings for stability, and stone-hardened legs for extra leverage. Every strike from the demon met resistance, every thrash met with Adam's brutal precision.
Elesch leapt, rapier flashing as she moved to the demon's head, slicing through hardened ridges and paralyzing clusters of nerve-like tissue with focused void blasts.
Her energy swirled around Adam, shielding him from the worst of the pulsing waves while amplifying the impact of his strikes.
The demon roared again, swinging wildly, trying to shake Adam off, but the synergy between brute force and void manipulation became unstoppable.
Adam's talons carved molten channels through the demon's chest while Elesch's void pockets collapsed the weakened outer layers from within. Sparks, smoke, and chunks of molten rock erupted in all directions, the battlefield reduced to an apocalyptic storm.
Then, with a final coordinated push, Elesch formed a massive void pocket directly beneath the demon while Adam anchored himself with his wings and tail, driving his claws upward in a precise strike aimed at the demon's core.
The implosion sucked the molten creature inward, compressing its massive frame while Adam's talons tore through the last defenses.
The demon let out a guttural roar, a sound that shook the very ground and scattered the remaining lesser demons in all directions.
Then, with a final flash of blinding heat and a vacuumed collapse of energy, it was gone, erased from the battlefield in a single, horrifyingly beautiful instant.
Adam slumped against the rubble, panting, claws steaming, hybrid adaptations slowly retracting as his body returned to normal.
Elesch stood beside him, rapier in hand, void energy still flickering faintly around her fingers. The battlefield was silent except for the occasional crackle of molten rock cooling into blackened stone.
They looked at each other, chests heaving, and for a moment, there was no bet, no rivalry, just mutual recognition of what they had just survived.
Adam laughed, dark and hoarse. "Well, I guess we're even."
Elesch smirked, lowering her rapier. "Even? Don't think this means I'll be your servant next week. But that was fun."