725 The Third Avatar

'This is not good That last attack left something in me I can't recover even with Sacred Blessing' Vale thought as he regretted that he didn't have enough healing Arcane Arts!

He was too focused on developing his defensive skills, but once it was breached, he had no way of recovering quickly!

'You'll join me in hell!' The Demon Saint shouted as he knew that he had truly surprised the Shadow Immortal and dealt a powerful blow against him.

The battle continued as Vale desperately fought against the Demon Saint, who seemed to be filled with Corruption! He couldn't catch a break at all!

With each passing moment, Vale's Avatar found himself outmatched, his spells dissipating against the Demon Saint's might.

However, he could truly tell that the Demon Saint's life force was slowly fading away!

He knew that this Demon Saint had probably used a Forbidden Technique to become this strong in exchange for his life! This doesn't just require skills but also the resolve to die with someone you've just met!

The battle raged as a maelstrom of shadow and corruption continued destroying the surroundings!

Vale's Avatar, even in his desperation, was a sight to beholda testament to the Shadow Immortal's power. But as the fight drew on, it became clear that Var'gakan was stronger than him, his every move calculated to draw out the pain and fear!

"Hahaha! I can sense it! You're weakening Immortal! The corruption you have in your body would even weaken the Demon Lord! It would take him years to remove it from his body! Hahaha! How do you like it?!" The Demon Saint laughed while Vale just looked at him.

The battle then continued for more than thirty more minutes before Vale truly felt helpless in his situation.

'This will not happen if I have the Creation Ring, the White Mask, or the Temporal Timepiece with me.' Vale thought as he realized that the Divinity that he had with this body was almost gone.

In the end, it was a silent acknowledgment between thema grin from Var'gakan, a resigned sigh from Vale's Avatar.

They both knew that this battle would end in mutual destruction.

With a final surge of power, Vale's Avatar unleashed all his remaining energy in a cataclysmic explosion of shadow and flame!

He wanted to ensure that this Demon Saint would no longer spread his Corruption or Curse to the other Survivors!

Var'gakan, caught in the blast, laugheda sound that echoed through the ruins as his form began to disintegrate. "Well played, shadow well played"

As the dust settled, the battlefield was silent. Vale's Avatar was already in pieces. However, these pieces didn't seem to be made of flesh and blood; they were more like pure energy!

Soon, Vale's essence started dissipating in the air.

On the other hand, Var'gakan didn't witness this as he, too, was no more. His laughter was only a lingering echo in the wind

The battle was over, and though Vale's Avatar had fallen, he had taken the seventh-ranked Demon Saint with hima final act of defiance against the encroaching darkness.

***

In the secluded chamber, veiled by the enigmatic Formation Arts that protected the Dragon's sanctuary, the atmosphere was heavy with the presence of ancient and dragon magic

The two dragons, Orden and Ryzoir, lay in their chains, their scales shimmering with a subdued lustera stark contrast to the dimly lit stone that surrounded them.

The chamber, or perhaps their prison, was vast and echoing

Vale, seated at the center, clutched his chest as a spasm of pain wracked through him.

Ooofff

A cough escaped his lips, a stark sound in the silence of the chamber. The dragons, despite their own bindings, turned their great heads towards him, eyes filled with a concern that transcended their captivity.

"It seems the Seventh Rank Demon Saint possessed a resolve far greater than I anticipated" Vale rasped, his voice a mere whisper yet carrying the weight of his understanding.

"His power it was formidable." He muttered as he explained what had happened in the battle.

Orden, the purple Dragon, shifted, the chains clinking softly. "To kill one of your Avatars indeed, he was no ordinary foe. I confess, even in my might, I am unsure of my standing against such an extension of your soul"

Ryzoir, his scales a deep emerald that seemed to absorb the light, nodded in agreement.

"Hmm The artifact he wielded, one that manipulates time itself, poses a grave threat. Against a Demon Saint that's also Time Manipulator of his caliber, even you, Vale, could meet your end"

"That's true Well, two, perhaps three weeks of rest and gathering divinity should suffice to heal these wounds" He mused, his voice now steady with resolve. "And then, we shall see how the Abyss responds to the loss of their seventh-

ranked Demonic Saint."

Vale smiled as he recalled that he still killed one of the single digits of the Demon Saints!

Since there weren't too many of them in the first place, he knew that he still had a huge victory by killing ten Zyrans with the Seventh Rank Demon Saint and one Avatar!

Anyway, after he felt better, his attention was then turned to the other Avatar.

***

Vale closed his eyes as he connected his mind to the Avatar.

In a distant land, amidst the ruins of a once-proud city, the Avatar stood surrounded by a group of Elementalists. They were locked in combat with a horde of Demon Creatures, their magic casting a kaleidoscope of light against the encroaching darkness.

It would have been such a beautiful sight if not for the Demon Creatures that were being targeted by the beautiful elemental spells.

This Avatar, unlike the others, bore the stance and aura of a Combat Arts Practitioner.

He was a part of a group that protected the Elementalist against the Demon Creatures that had gotten closer to them!

The Sword Aura he wielded was a visible force, a manifestation of his will that cut through the demons like a scythe through wheat.

Nonetheless, no one knew that this Combat Art Specialist was an Avatar of the Shadow Immortal!

***

In the heart of Thatcher City of Quijor Kingdom, where the walls stood as the last bastion against the encroaching darkness, Myla, a Fire Elementalist of notable prowess, led her squad with a small hope of surviving this tragedy

"We will live today Do not give up!" She shouted.

Her auburn hair, like the flames she commands, cascades down her back in a torrent of curls. Her eyes, a piercing green, reflect the intensity of her magic and the resolve of her will. Clad in the traditional robes of her order, they are marked with the sigils of fireshowing her disposition in this war.

Their small kingdom in the south of the Continent was still too young. It had only been 30 years since it was established, and it certainly had a bright future. However, the arrival of the Demon Creatures completely destroyed the ruler's plans, making this place a wasteland instead!

Her team was composed of four Second-Class Elementalists and two First-Class Elementalists, including herself, and a Combat Art Specialist assigned to protect them in case close combat against the Demon happened. It was a small but formidable force.

The Elementalists were the unsung heroes as they fought alongside the Holy Arts Experts in a war that spared no one.

The city, once a beacon of prosperity, now echoed with the sounds of battle.

The Demon Creatures, the vile spawn of the Abyss, had already breached the walls!

Many teams of Elementalists had already been destroyed, and perhaps, not even a thousand of them remained in the outer wall of the Thatcher City

Nonetheless, none of them decided to just give up They were still hoping that the reinforcements that the king had promised would arrive!

All the Elementalists on Myla's side weren't giving up just yet! Their flames were like a dance of defiance as they stood ready to meet the onslaught.

Myla's squad unleashed their elemental fury.

Fireballs arced through the air, explosions of heat and light that seared the flesh of the Demon Creatures.

But the enemy was relentless, and the Elementalists found themselves being pushed back, their magic waning under the sheer number of foes.

"This is too much! We're going to die here!"

"Myla! Please survive for us! You have to at least let our family know!"

"Leader! Get away now! They're coming! We'll cover you!"

Myla's teammates said, hoping she would at least survive!

However, Myla couldn't just abandon her team! Even if she also wanted to leave! She knew that she had nowhere to run! It was better to die with her friends than alone in a place where the Demon Creatures would also reach soon enough!

"I will stay here with you! Stop spouting some nonsense!" She cried out as the Demon Creatures closed in!

As they were expecting to be trampled by numerous Demon Creatures, however, something unexpected happened.

It was at this time that Vale, the Combat Arts Specialist assigned to protect them, stepped forward.