THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Noelle surged forward, her silhouette blazing against the smoky haze, her greatsword now engulfed in roaring flames that twisted and danced along its length. The air around her shimmered with heat, casting flickering shadows across the muddy, torn ground. Her crimson eyes locked onto the towering monster before her, its monstrous form a blur of dark wood and gnashing jaws beneath its shadowy hood.

The creature screeched, its cry of malice cutting through the battlefield like a jagged blade. Its jagged, wooden tentacle lashed out, ripping through the earth as it lunged toward Noelle. Its jaws snapped viciously, eager to sink into her flesh.

But Noelle was not so easily undone.

With a deft twist of her wrist, she raised her flaming greatsword and charged. The heat radiating from the sword left glowing embers in its wake, the fire searing the air with each step. She swung her blade in a wide, powerful arc, and a burst of fiery energy shot forth like a comet, crashing into the monster's chest with explosive force. The impact sent the creature reeling backward, howling in agony as the flames boiled the bark-like flesh that covered its monstrous body.

Noelle didn't let up. She spun on her heel, her sword a whirlwind of orange and red as she slashed into the beast's side, leaving a deep, smoldering gash. Black ichor oozed from the wound, and the creature's many eyes burned with primal hatred. Its movements became more erratic, the rage only fueling its strength.

But Noelle was relentless. Her final strike came with a powerful leap, her blazing sword cutting through the air with a sharp crack. She aimed for its neck, determined to end the creature's rampage. Just as her flaming blade descended, the monster moved with terrifying speed, catching her by surprise. [Dissonance]—an eerie power rooted her ally, Ashley, in place, trapping her where she stood. Noelle's blow, though fierce, was deflected with monstrous strength. The beast's massive tentacle whipped her aside, sending her flying through the air.

Gritting her teeth, Noelle twisted her body mid-flight, using the momentum to hurl her flaming sword directly at the creature. The sword streaked through the air, a blazing arc of fire. But the monster was quick. It dodged at the last second, and for a brief, horrifying moment, it prepared to strike her down before she even hit the ground.

Yet something shifted.

The beast froze, its body trembling as if caught by an unseen force. Its vision tilted unnaturally, and with a sickening realization, it saw its own head separating from its body. The flaming greatsword, thought to have missed, returned in a deadly loop, cleaving through its neck with precision.

From the shadows atop the hill, David stood with his sleeve raised, his eyes gleaming with calculated control. His Voidshaper Sleeve had been guiding the battle all along, subtly altering the flow of the fight. He had redirected Ashley's fire arrow and manipulated Noelle's movements, ensuring she avoided lethal blows. And when the monster dropped its guard after dodging her throw, David had used telekinesis to adjust the trajectory of the sword, bringing it back for the final, fatal strike.

"Bull's eye, ugly,"

he muttered as the monster crumbled before him.

David's senses were razor-sharp, his instincts screaming that the battle was far from over. His eyes, still locked on the monstrous figure before him, narrowed as the beast's chest began to split apart, revealing a pulsating azure orb—its core, the source of its corrupted mana.

"Take Ashley and get the hell out of here!" David shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. His mind raced as he realized the gravity of what was unfolding. While he had successfully stalled the creature with his clever manipulations, the true fight was just beginning. The real danger had only now shown itself.

From his vantage point atop the hill, David had been using [Celestial Wheel], a powerful technique that allowed him to observe the flow of mana. Through it, he had discerned the creature's weakness hidden within its chest. The core was the key, the source of its immense strength and corruption. Luck seemed to be on their side as the creature exposed its vulnerability.

But there was a cost.

As the orb glowed brighter, the monster let out a deafening roar, one that shook the very air around them. The ground beneath David trembled, and the once-deadly, calculated movements of the creature became wild and erratic. Its corruption surged, its power growing tenfold. The air crackled with the intensity of dark mana, making it clear that revealing its core had only made the monster more dangerous, more furious.

Noelle, still reeling from her earlier injuries, forced herself to her feet, her body aching but her resolve unbroken. She knew David was buying them precious moments, but those moments were fleeting. Her eyes darted to Ashley, collapsed nearby, her body limp from the exhaustion of mana depletion and the creature's oppressive skill. Gritting her teeth, Noelle sprinted toward her fallen comrade.

Every step was agony, her muscles screaming in protest, but she couldn't afford to stop. She reached Ashley and scooped her up, her arms shaking as she carried the unconscious mage. The weight was heavy, but the urgency of the situation gave her the strength to push forward.

Behind her, the creature's roar grew louder, more desperate, as it began its final transformation. The air became thick with dread, corrupt mana swirling in dense waves. David's voice echoed once more, a harsh reminder of the impending doom if they didn't escape.

Noelle's heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline and fear propelling her forward as she crashed through the thick foliage. She glanced over her shoulder just once, catching a glimpse of David standing his ground uphill, the glowing core of the monster illuminating the battlefield in an eerie blue light below.

She ran, faster and faster, pushing her body to its limits. The trees closed in around her, the darkness of the forest swallowing her whole as she vanished from sight. But the danger wasn't over—not yet. David still had to face the monster's final, terrifying form.

The monster's chest glowed brighter, its azure core pulsating violently as it staggered back to its feet. Its rage intensified, and with a guttural roar, it exploded forward with terrifying speed. The ground shook as it slammed into the walls of the hill, leaving deep cracks in the rock. It scaled the hill with unnatural agility, its sharp, skeletal limbs digging into the stone like a demonic predator, hell-bent on devouring the very person who had been thwarting its hunt.

David stood atop the hill, his gaze shifting to the blood-red moon that hung ominously in the sky. The eerie light bathed the battlefield in crimson, casting long shadows that danced like ghosts around him. His heart pounded in his chest, uncertainty flickering in his mind. He didn't know if his plan would work, but there was no turning back now.

"Luna," he called softly into the shadows, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the monster's frenzied climb. A faint rustle answered him, and from the darkness, Luna emerged, her form blending seamlessly with the shadows. Her golden eyes locked onto his, and without a word, she understood.

"Lend me your strength," David whispered, his voice tinged with both desperation and determination.

Luna nodded, her ethereal form melding with the shadows around them. A cold, otherworldly energy flowed into David, empowering him, sharpening his senses, and steadying his resolve. He took a deep breath and stepped backward, his foot teetering on the edge of the cliff. The monster's claws scraped against the rock, inches away from reaching the top. With a wicked grin, David allowed himself to fall.

As he plummeted down the other side of the hill, the beast finally reached the summit, screeching in frustration as it refused to let him escape. It hurled itself over the edge, diving after him with terrifying speed, its limbs stretching out, ready to tear him apart mid-fall.

But David was ready.

His lips curled into a sinister smile and his middle finger raised as he murmured, "

lets end this ugly."

His eyes flashed with a dark intensity as his skills activated—

[SHADOW WRATH] x [SHADOW REVOLVER].

The air around him distorted, and the shadows that had been lurking beneath the crimson moon began to surge, gathering above him like a living storm.

A massive shadow twisted and contorted, growing larger with each passing second. It elongated into a sharp, pointed tip, a swirling vortex of darkness that seemed to tear through the very fabric of reality. The spinning mass of shadows was like a colossal drill, its edges honed to a razor-sharp point, screeching as it spun through the air with an eerie, high-pitched whine.

The monster lunged toward David, its jaws wide open, but it was too late. The swirling shadow drill descended from above, piercing through the air like a force of nature.

With a final, feral roar, the shadow drill collided with the monster. The impact was deafening, the force of the attack tearing through the creature's core, slicing through its corrupted body as if it were paper. The azure orb at its center shattered, sending shockwaves of corrupted mana spiraling into the sky.

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A/N: didn't I tell you guys I had something cooking... shower me with gifts mwahahaha!

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