Watcher of Fate

Elara raised her sword in defiance, her gaze locked on the charging figure of Malphas. The world around her still moved in that strange, slowed motion, a byproduct of her will and the sharpened perception granted by [Cognizance]. Every detail of Malphas's advance was etched in perfect clarity: the tightening of his muscles, the calculated gleam in his eyes, and the faint shimmer of power that surrounded him like a cloak of inevitability.

She knew what was coming. Not just from the glimpse of the future provided by [Moment in Time] but also from the shadows that danced around Malphas, figures of potential paths, and ghostly echoes of what could be. She saw the bone-crushing kick he would unleash, the way his body would twist with deadly precision and the sheer force behind the strike that could shatter her bones if it connected. But she was ready.

With a fluid motion, Elara danced backward, her body moving in perfect harmony with the knowledge [Cognizance] had given her. The kick tore through the air where she had been just moments before, the power of the strike sending a shockwave through the arena sands. But she was already out of its path, slipping around Malphas like water flowing around a stone.

Her mind raced, not just to keep up with Malphas’s superior speed but to stay one step ahead. Every move she made, every turn and pivot, was guided by the shadows of [Cognizance], those future echoes that showed her where Malphas would strike next. But it wasn’t enough to simply dodge. She needed to find a way to weaken him, to strip away the layers of power that surrounded his core, and she knew just how to do it.

With a surge of determination, Elara flexed her will, drawing on the strength of [Unified Presence]. The skill filled her with a sense of control, a power that bent reality to her desires. But it was a struggle to stay out of Malphas's reach, his movements too fast, too precise. His astral arms extended his reach far beyond what should have been possible, and even with her heightened dexterity and the guidance of her skills, she felt the strain of keeping up with him.

But she had a plan. As she danced around Malphas, her movements precise and calculated, she reached out with her will, grabbing hold of one of the captured spirits wrapped around his core. The spirit resisted, clinging to Malphas's essence, but Elara pulled with all her might. It was a battle of wills, a tug-of-war between her and the malevolent force that bound the spirit.

With a final, desperate pull, Elara felt the spirit tear free from Malphas's grasp. The sensation was electric, like a taut rope suddenly snapping. The liberated spirit was instantly siphoned into her [Spirit Domain], vanishing into the ethereal realm where it would be protected and shepherded by the ancient [Spirit Tree]. The moment the spirit entered her domain, Elara felt a minor trickle of experience flow into her, a subtle but satisfying reward for her effort. It was a small victory, but it gave her the confidence to continue.

She could do this. She could weaken him, strip away the layers of power he had stolen, one spirit at a time.

Elara’s eyes narrowed with renewed focus as she reached out for another spirit, feeling the strain of the battle begin to take its toll. Malphas was relentless, his astral arms lashing out with deadly precision, forcing her to dodge and parry with her sword. The world around her seemed to blur as she moved, her heightened senses and skills allowing her to narrowly evade each strike. But she couldn’t afford to lose focus, not now.

Elara felt a subtle shift in the battle with each spirit she pulled free. Malphas’s movements became slightly less fluid, and his attacks were just a fraction slower. She was weakening him, bit by bit, unraveling the power he had amassed. The experience continued to trickle in, each liberated spirit adding to her strength, reinforcing her resolve.

But Malphas was no fool. He could sense what she was doing, and his attacks grew more ferocious, his astral arms sweeping through the air with renewed vigor. Elara barely had time to react, parrying one of the ethereal limbs with her sword, the impact jarring her arm as she was forced to sidestep another blow.

Despite the danger, Elara pressed on, reaching for more of the spirits entangled in Malphas’s core. She felt their resistance, the way they clung to the darkness, but she pulled with everything she had. She ripped them free one by one, sending them into her [Spirit Domain], where they could be nurtured and protected.

The more spirits she freed, the more she felt the balance of power begin to shift. Malphas, once an unstoppable force, was starting to falter. His attacks, though still deadly, lacked the same overwhelming strength. Elara could feel the tide turning, and she could sense that victory was within her grasp if she could just hold on a little longer.

But the battle was far from over, and Malphas was still a formidable opponent. As she pulled yet another spirit from his grasp, Elara knew that the final confrontation was drawing near. She would need every ounce of strength, every skill she had honed, to bring him down once and for all.

Elara steadied her breath, her focus narrowing as she locked eyes with Malphas. The once-imposing presence of the Astral Tyrant had diminished, but he remained a dangerous foe. The spirits that had once bolstered his strength were now nearly gone, stripped away by her relentless will. The air around them crackled with tension as the last vestiges of Malphas's borrowed power flickered like dying embers. The information box that appeared before her confirmed what she had already deduced.

[Lvl 37 Astral Demon (Rare: 759)]

Though still intimidating, Malphas was no longer the unstoppable force he had once been. The spirits that had bolstered his power were nearly gone, but his skills and higher level remained. Elara adjusted her grip on her sword, the weight of the blade familiar and reassuring in her hand. The time for hesitation had passed. She took a step forward, and Malphas mirrored her, his eyes narrowing as he braced for the attack. His confidence, once unshakable, was now tinged with a hint of desperation.

With a sudden burst of speed, Elara launched herself at Malphas. Her movements were a blur of fluid precision as she unleashed [Technique: Moonlit Inscription Piercing Thrust]. The blade gleamed in the dim light of the arena, cutting through the air with a sharp hiss. As it thrust forward, it left behind an intricate calligraphic character in its wake, the glowing symbol hanging in the air for a brief moment before fading.

The thrust was aimed directly at one of the exposed gaps in Malphas's astral armor, a precise strike intended to pierce through his defenses. Malphas's reaction was swift, but not swift enough. His astral arm moved to block the attack, but Elara’s blade was already there, slipping past the shimmering barrier and driving forward with unrelenting force.

The impact was like striking a wall of starlight. The astral energy around Malphas rippled, absorbing the blow with a resilience that caught Elara off guard. The force of her thrust, which should have driven deep into his flesh, was partially deflected, the power of the attack diffused by the strange, otherworldly armor.

Malphas barely flinched, his feet skidding back slightly, but his expression remained calm, almost unbothered by the strike. Elara’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized just how formidable his defenses were.

"That armor," Quill’s voice echoed in her mind, a note of urgency in his tone. "It’s not just a basic defense skill. It must be a combination of his common defense skill and that rare astral ability. Together, they’re acting like a much rarer skill, something far beyond what we expected."

Elara felt a chill run down her spine. The realization hit her hard, Malphas's armor was far more powerful than she had anticipated. It wasn’t just a simple barrier; it was a complex weave of defenses that made him nearly impervious to her attacks. The common defense skill alone might not have been enough to withstand her strikes, but with the astral ability enhancing it, his armor acted as though it were of a much higher rarity, a near-perfect shield against her onslaught.

But Elara didn’t have time to dwell on the implications. She flowed seamlessly into her next move, refusing to let the unexpected resilience of Malphas’s armor deter her. Her sword arced through the air in a wide, sweeping motion as she executed [Technique: Starlit Inscription Slashing Arc]. The blade carved through the space between them, inscribing another glowing character in the air as it targeted multiple points on Malphas’s body.

The slashing arc struck with precision, but once again, the astral armor absorbed much of the impact. The edge of Elara’s blade connected, biting into his flesh, but not with the devastating effect she had hoped for. The astral barrier dulled the force of the attack, reducing what should have been a crippling blow to a mere glancing strike. Malphas grunted, more out of frustration than pain, as he staggered back slightly, his stance momentarily faltering.

Elara pressed her advantage, determined to find a way through his defenses. Each thrust, each slash was executed with deadly intent, designed to push Malphas further back, to whittle away at his remaining strength. Her blade was a whirlwind of steel and magic, cutting through the air with a sharp, almost musical rhythm. The astral arms that had once protected him so effectively now struggled to keep up, their movements sluggish and uncoordinated, but still formidable.

Malphas lashed out in desperation, his astral arms swinging with renewed vigor, but Elara was quicker, her reflexes honed by years of battle and her understanding of his weaknesses sharpened by her heightened senses. She dodged and parried with a dancer’s grace, her sword weaving through the gaps in his defenses like a needle through fabric.

But each time her blade connected, Malphas’s astral armor absorbed the brunt of the impact, leaving him with only superficial wounds. The ground beneath them was stained with his blood, but it was not nearly enough. Elara needed to do more, to break through that armor if she was to win.

Elara’s mind raced, searching for a new approach. The usual tactics weren’t enough—she needed something different, something that would bypass the defenses Malphas had so expertly crafted. “Quill,” she murmured through gritted teeth, the strain of the battle clear in her voice, “I have an idea.”

“What are you thinking?” Quill’s voice was sharp, concerned, but there was a glimmer of hope in his tone, as if he sensed that Elara had found something worth trying.

Elara didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she focused inward, letting her [Cognizance] sharpen her vision until she could see the intricate web of magic and will that powered Malphas’s astral abilities. It was like a pulsating cord of energy, thrumming with the force that had so far repelled her every attack. But as she peered deeper, she saw something more, a vulnerability, a thin thread within the cord where his will and magic intertwined.

Drawing on [Unified Presence], Elara extended her will like iron tendrils, wrapping them around the cord of energy that sustained Malphas’s defenses. The moment her will touched it, she felt the resistance, a powerful, surging force that fought against her, pushing back with an intensity that almost made her reel. It was like trying to choke off a roaring river with her bare hands, the energy straining against her hold, seeking to overpower her.

She gritted her teeth, every muscle in her body tensing as she poured all her focus into that single task. She clamped down with her will, forcing it upon that spiritual element, trying to manifest a reality where the skill was starved of energy, where it simply ceased to function.

It was a brutal struggle. The energy within Malphas surged violently, pushing against her with a force that nearly knocked the breath from her lungs. Her vision blurred, her head pounded as if it might split open from the pressure. Every fiber of her being screamed in protest, her mind straining against the overwhelming power she was trying to suppress.

For a moment, it felt as though she might fail, that the force was too great, too vast for her to overcome. Malphas’s presence loomed large in her mind, his will a titanic force that sought to crush hers. But Elara refused to let go. She could feel the desperation in him, the way his defenses clung to the last vestiges of strength. She couldn’t afford to give in—not now, not when she was so close.

“It’s working!” Quill’s voice cut through the chaos, urgent and filled with a mixture of astonishment and hope. “You’re weakening him! Keep going, Elara!”

Her grip tightened, her will becoming an unbreakable vice around the cord of energy. Slowly, agonizingly, she felt the resistance begin to waver. The cord of power pulsed weaker now, the light dimming as her will overpowered his. It was like trying to hold back a storm, but she was winning. Inch by inch, the astral presence within Malphas began to falter.

But Malphas wasn’t about to give up easily. Sensing his power slipping away, he roared with defiance, his voice a thunderous echo that shook the arena. He pushed back with everything he had, pouring the last of his strength into his defenses. The astral arms lashed out wildly, trying to swat away the invisible force that was draining him, while his real hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles turned white.

The cord of energy flared violently, its light surging as Malphas fought to regain control. Elara felt the pushback like a physical blow, nearly driving her to her knees. The force of his will was staggering, a tidal wave of raw power that threatened to sweep her away. She could feel his desperation, his refusal to be beaten by a mortal, and it took every ounce of her strength to hold her ground.

For a moment, it seemed as though he might succeed. The cord of energy began to stabilize, the astral armor flickering back to life around him. Malphas’s eyes burned with a fierce, savage determination, his smirk returning as he felt the power return to him. He pushed harder, trying to force Elara out, to crush her will beneath his own.

But Elara wasn’t done yet. She dug deeper, reaching into the very core of her being, drawing on every reserve she had left. Her grip on the cord tightened, her will unyielding. She could feel the exhaustion creeping in, the strain of the battle taking its toll, but she refused to let go. Not now. Not when she was so close.

With one final, desperate effort, Elara poured everything she had into [Unified Presence]. The cord of energy buckled, the light within it flickering wildly as her will clamped down like a vise. The astral armor around Malphas flickered, then dimmed, the light fading as she overpowered him.

Malphas’s eyes widened in shock as he felt the energy drain away, his strength slipping through his fingers like sand. The astral arms that had once been so formidable now hung limply at his sides, their power gone. His defenses crumbled, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

But even as he felt the last of his power drain away, Malphas refused to yield. He lashed out wildly, his astral arms swinging with desperate, erratic force, but it was no use. Elara was faster, her movements a blur as she dodged and parried, her sword slicing through the air with deadly precision.

Malphas tried to summon more power, to call upon the reserves he had left, but it was too late. His strength was gone, drained by the relentless force of Elara’s will. He could feel the end approaching, the inevitable defeat looming closer with each passing moment.

Desperation gave way to fear and, finally, to resignation. Malphas’s shoulders sagged, the fire in his eyes dimming as he realized there was no way out. He had lost.

"Stop!" Malphas’s voice rang out, filled with fear and resignation. "I yield!"

Elara halted in her tracks, her sword poised mid-strike, her breath coming in heavy gasps. The arena fell into stunned silence, the roaring crowd suddenly quiet as they processed what had just happened. Malphas, the Astral Tyrant, had yielded to a mortal.

For a moment, the silence was deafening. Then, slowly, the announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, dripping with disdain. "And so... the mortal... Elara... is declared the new Arena Champion of Dis."

The words hung in the air, heavy with disbelief and contempt. The crowd, shocked and unsure, erupted in a mixture of boos and grudging applause. Elara barely heard it. Her focus was on the sound that suddenly chimed in her head, signaling a quest completion.

One task down, two to go before she and Quill could be free from Malakar.