RISE OF EROS

The skies over Galicia roared violently, responding to the chaos unfolding on the ground. The sharp wind whipped through the rocky mountains, and the earth itself seemed to tremble at the intensity of the battle. In the center of the conflict, five titans defied the laws of nature, their bodies and powers entwined in a fight showing no signs of abating.

The Abysmal, deformed, and dark, with eyes blazing with primal fury, stood among the debris. His monstrous wings beat with a rhythm that shook the air around him, and his breath was infused with corrosive energy capable of destroying everything in its path.

Though his body was not fully restored, it was clear he had reached a power level threatening enough to face the four liquid spirits and Emaliene without giving ground. The Abysmal roared, unleashing a blast of dark energy toward the demigods.

The four liquid spirits moved as one, their shimmering bodies forming water barriers that absorbed the impact of the corrupt energy. Shockwaves from each collision shattered the landscape, transforming the cliff into a field of utter destruction.

Despite being at a disadvantage, the Abysmal fought with an unnatural ferocity, forcing the demigods to retreat, searching for a strategy to stop him.

"We cannot allow him to recover anymore," shouted one of the liquid spirits, a tall and slender figure manipulating the water with fierce grace, launching sharp streams of aquatic energy at the Abysmal. The attacks struck with precision, but the Abysmal barely flinched.

"This monster is stronger than we thought!" another spirit responded, his voice vibrating with urgency. His attacks were swift as well, but the enemy seemed to adapt, dodging more effectively each time.

Emaliene, watching the situation with sharp eyes, raised her hand. A wave of pure energy emanated from her, brighter and more radiant than anything else on that battlefield. It was the kind of power only beings at the legendary level could wield, and as she unleashed it, the sky momentarily brightened, clearing the dark clouds swirling above them.

Her attack sliced through the air, aiming to strike the Abysmal's core, but the creature, fast as lightning, dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. The Abyssal was no ordinary enemy.

Each time he appeared weakened, his body regenerated, absorbing the dark energy surrounding him. What was more concerning, however, was not just his regeneration but how his power grew with each passing second.

If they didn't stop him soon, he could reach his former level of glory, and by then, even the five of them together wouldn't be enough to defeat him. "We can't keep this up," Emaliene growled, panting slightly. Despite her immense power, the Abysmal continued to resist their onslaught, and although she was sure they could hold out a little longer, time was not on their side.

One of the liquid spirits, a warrior with bright eyes and silver hair, stepped forward. He clenched his jaw and muttered a series of ancient words. Immediately, his body began to glow with an intensity that rivaled daylight. An unusual energy enveloped him, an energy that made the Abysmal turn his attention toward him.

"Arieth! What are you doing?" shouted one of the other spirits. "We don't have time for complicated strategies. This monster is gaining power faster than we can contain it. I must use the Sacrifice Technique," Arieth responded with resolve, his eyes fixed on the Abysmal.

The Sacrifice Technique was an ancient art, forgotten even among demigods, that allowed a warrior to transform all of their life energy into a devastating attack, powerful enough to annihilate even the darkest beings. However, doing so meant the warrior himself would be consumed in the process.

Emaliene took a step forward, her face hardened, and said, "You don't have to do this. Together, we can defeat him." Arieth shook his head and replied, "You know as well as I do that we don't have enough time. Every second that passes, that creature grows stronger. If we don't act now, all will be lost." Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

The other liquid spirits also tried to stop him, but they knew Arieth was right. The Abysmal was regenerating faster and faster, and although they continued to strike with all their might, it wasn't enough. The gap between them and the power of that creature was widening.

Emaliene, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded. Though she hated the idea of losing one of her strongest allies, she knew Arieth was right. There was no other choice. "Very well," she said, her voice barely audible, and added, "But know that your sacrifice will not be in vain."

Arieth didn't respond. He simply closed his eyes for a moment, letting the light around him grow in intensity. Then, without warning, he charged forward, straight toward the Abysmal.

The Abysmal, sensing the danger, tried to retreat, but Arieth was too fast. With a deafening roar, the liquid spirit unleashed all his energy in a single, devastating attack. The impact was so great that the ground itself shattered into a thousand pieces, and the Abysmal was enveloped in a blinding explosion of light.

The echo of the explosion resonated throughout Galicia, and for a moment, everything was silent. When the light finally faded, all that remained was a giant, smoking crater, in the center of which lay the Abysmal's lifeless body. His eyes, which once glowed with endless malice, were now empty.

However, where Arieth had once stood, there was nothing left. The three remaining liquid spirits and Emaliene watched in silence, their bodies heavy with exhaustion and grief. Though they had won the battle, the cost had been too high.

"Rest in peace, Arieth," one of the spirits murmured, his voice choked with sorrow. Emaliene closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Though they knew his sacrifice was necessary, it did not make the loss any easier to bear.

"Let's go back," Emaliene finally said, breaking the silence, and added, "There's much we need to report. And we cannot allow another event like this to happen again." The demigods nodded, and together they began the long journey back, leaving behind the shattered battlefield, knowing that, though they had won, the true war was far from over.

If an organization like the Black Wings had life candles, it was obvious that the liquid spirits also had similar and even more advanced and powerful methods. Elidyr, who had been watching the small transparent spheres that resembled crystalline drops of water, immediately sensed when the one representing Arieth's life shattered.

Elidyr instantly grew alarmed because although Arieth and the other three who accompanied him were not the strongest among the legend-level demigods, they were still legend-level demigods.

He quickly approached the water drop that had just exploded and gathered the remaining fragments. This system was different from the candles used by the Black Wings organization—it was more advanced.

With the shards that looked like the remains of a glass bulb, Elidyr uttered a few words, and then the fragments turned into liquid, starting to swirl in front of him, forming a circular water mirror the size of a basketball.

In this mirror, Arieth's last moments began to replay. Unlike the candles of the Black Wings organization, which only extinguished when the user died, these water drops could show the last moments of the person they were linked to.

There, Elidyr could see how Emaliene, Arieth, and the other three liquid spirits fought against the abysmal and how difficult the battle was becoming before Arieth made the decision to sacrifice himself.

Upon seeing this, Elidyr had to admit it was their only option, yet he was still saddened by the death of his comrade, friend, and even brother, for among liquid spirits, all the survivors of the war were family.

They weren't related by blood, but having gone through the tribulations of war together, they had bonded so closely that only a familial bond was appropriate to describe their relationship.

Even the liquid spirit, who was over a thousand years old, with immeasurable strength and vast experience, who had lived and experienced almost everything, couldn't hold back tears at the loss of someone so close.

"It seems we must not only worry about that organization and the fallen god. There may still be other abysmals sealed in different parts," Elidyr said softly and sadly to himself.

The records left by the ancestors of the current continent's inhabitants had always warned that abysmals were an evil not to be neglected, which is why, when the abysmals from the lost continent appeared, everyone united to stop them.

What they didn't know was that the abysmals their ancestors were so concerned about were not these small fry they had defeated, but beings like the ones Emaliene and the liquid spirits had faced.

Powerful beings like Zaros and Elidyr, who stood at the peak of a demigod's legend level, could defeat these abysmals and even face two at once, but they were exceptional cases.

The level of strength these two possessed was beyond limits, and the proof was before them. Emaliene and the four liquid spirits were also legend-level demigods, yet Arieth still had to sacrifice himself to eliminate the abysmal.