The battle raged. It was not a clean fight. Spark's team was higher in number and quite powerful. But they were generally lower-tiered than their opponents.
Spark was locked in a melee combat against the Werebear Warrior. Lilith harassed the heavily injured Soulcraft Sorcerer. Ivy hindered the Armored Mechanic with her large variety of alchemical grenades.
Scarlett stood protectively near Melody and Serenade. But her eldritch handgun was not silent. She contributed to Ivy's barrage. Sending precise bullets that sought out the weak points in the Mechanic's frost armor. Aiming for joints and exposed wiring.
Her gu-insects, meanwhile, buzzed around the Mechanic. Distracting him. Attempting to burrow into his armor. Their tiny forms were a persistent nuisance.
Melody and Serenade, as usual, were working in perfect harmony. They began to play the background music. Activating their crestmagic spells along with their wishart songs.
The melodic strains from their magical lutes filled the chamber. Melody's song was bright and uplifting. Infused Spark and his team with renewed vigor, drew greater speed for their reflexes, and enhanced their power.
Serenade's voice and music joined hers in great harmony. However they were deep and resonant. A counterpoint. A dirge for their enemies. It wove through the air. Weakening the Sorcerer's already failing magic. Dulling the Warrior's instinct. And making the Mechanic's movements sluggish.
However, the opponents were not helpless amateurs. They were strong and experienced.
The Sorcerer, despite his grievous injuries, still managed to unleash bolts of fire magic. One that forced Lilith to blink away. Or Spark to absorb the brunt.
The were-bear, even against Spark's lightning-infused blows, was a brute of immense durability. It took multitudes of Spark's attacks as if they were nothing.
The Mechanic's frost armor made him a tough nut to crack. Ivy's alchemical grenades jammed the armor's weaponry. Thus it could not make an effective ranged attacks. But none of Ivy's grenades or Scarlett's bullets managed to penetrate its defense.
The battle was not an easy one.
But Spark's team was disciplined. Coordinated. And utterly ruthless. They exploited every weakness. Every opening.
Spark was a whirlwind of muscle and lightning. He relentlessly hammered the were-bear. Driving it back. Systematically breaking its defenses.
Lilith was a disruptive phantom. She kept the Sorcerer reeling. Never allowing him a moment to recover or cast any spell of formidable power.
Ivy and Scarlett were a deadly duo. They slowly but surely eroded the Mechanic's icy shell. His movements became more desperate as time went on. His melee attacks were much slower and less precise.
The synergistic magic of Melody and Serenade was the true game-changer. Especially for long terms. It was constantly tipping the scales in their favor.
The enemies felt their vigor draining. Their spells resisting. Their strikes weakening. While Spark and his team fought with undiminished ferocity.
And the two supports were not stupid. They didn't stay in one place. Becoming and inviting target. They moved. Controlling their distance to be safe. Yet effective.
Finally, with a thunderous roar, Spark charged. He grabbed the were-bear's head and slammed it down to the stone floor. Again and again. At least seven times. With stronger and stronger force.
Until... the werebear's skull cracked with a sickening crunch. The half-beast man gargled. And then slumped. Its transformation was faltering as it reverted to a broken human form.
Almost simultaneously, Lilith delivered a final, precise thrust. With her cursed dagger. Plunging it deep into the Sorcerer's nape. Stealthily from behind.
He gasped. A final fiery spark flickering in his dying eyes. Before collapsing in a heap.
As for the final opponent, Ivy launched one potent alchemy grenade. It exploded directly on the Mechanic's helmet. Cracking the frost helmet. Scarlett followed up with a burst from her handgun. But it only added more cracks.
Spark, after dealing with the Werebear Warrior, re-summoned his power rifle. He dashed from the side and made two consecutive point-blank shots to the Mechanic's head.
One broke the frost helmet. The second pierced the opponent's head. Finishing his life immediately.
The Labyrinth corridor fell silent. Save for the heavy breathing of Spark's team and the faint hum of their lingering magic. They had won. The three town-wreckers lay dead. The hunt was over... or not.
From the chest of the Sorcerer's body, a flicker of light glowed. A parchment scroll, ancient and brittle, materialized.
It levitated. It unfurled in the air. A faint, arcane glow pulsed from its aged surface. Then, without warning, it burst. Into a scorching inferno.
Flames erupted. Not as a destructive blaze. But as a coalescing force. They swirled, condensed, and twisted. Growing in intensity and size.
From the heart of the conflagration, a form began to emerge. A low bellow vibrated through the stone. Making the very air tremble.
It solidified into something monstrous. A truly massive bull. Its hide was not flesh. But hardened copper. Cracked and glowing with an internal, hellish fire.
Its eyes were molten gold. Twin horns, sharp as spears, arced from its skull. Wreathed in flickering heat. Smoke billowed from its nostrils and mouth.
This was no ordinary beast. It was a peak Tier-5 Fire Elemental Demonbull. A creature of pure, destructive flame. Summoned from the very depths of a potent ritual. Its presence alone superheated the air. Making sweat bead on their skin instantly.
Spark internally swore. The terrorists didn't die just like that. They had to bring more ma
The beast turned its burning gaze on Spark's team. Hostility flared from it like a physical aura. Their victory against the terrorists felt insignificant now.
This was a true threat. Unlike anything they had faced in the labyrinth's depths. The previous enemies were cunning. But ultimately mortal.
This was a force of nature. Bound by dark magic. Its power felt immense. Crushing.
"Get ready!" Spark shouted. His body tensed. His muscles were coiling. He had faced formidable opponents. But the presence of this Demonbull was on a different scale entirely.
Spark didn't hesitate though. He charged. His massive frame became a blur. Propelled by sheer brute force. He aimed for its flank. A direct, powerful punch. His fist was now glowing with a thin coating of water elemental energy – a minor counter to the inferno beast.
The blow landed with a concussive thud and a sizzling sound. Echoing through the corridor. The Demonbull barely flinched. Its hide was tougher than any armor.
Spark water coating dissipated instantly. Sizzling to steam. The beast responded with a swift, brutal headbutt. Spark, despite his speed, was slightly slower.
The horns grazed his side. Leaving a burning trail on his vest. But Spark managed to twist his body. Avoiding a lethal impalement. But, he was pushed back though skidding across the stone.
This monster was stronger. Faster, even, in its movements. Spark felt the raw power. He wasn't completely helpless. But this wasn't a fight he could simply overpower with brute strength alone.
This was a dance with death. A test of adaptability.
"It's tougher than it looks." Spark grumbled. Already moving to attack.
The Demonbull snorted. A plume of acrid smoke erupting from its nostrils as it pawed at the ground. Its molten hooves scorching the stone.
The second round ensued. Spark's team against the Blazing Demonbull.
Spark continued his melee assault. His fists was now fully coated in shimmering water energy. They struck with more deliberation.
He focused on repeated blows to the same points. Looking for a weakness in the elemental hide. Each punch was a calculated risk. Done while dodging the fiery hooves and sweeping horns.
He moved with a heavy grace. A powerful bull-like power himself. Battling against a creature of pure elemental rage.
He weaved in, struck, and pulled back. The water coating on his limbs was constantly renewed. His internal Framepath energies flowing to reinforce his strength and speed.
He landed a solid uppercut against its jaw. The water exploded into steam. And for a fleeting moment, the Demonbull's head snapped back. It recovered instantly. But it was a sign. It could be affected.
Lilith moved like a mirage. Her movements were a blur. A series of [Spatial Blinks] and bursts of [Lightning Speed].
She appeared behind the Demonbull. Her arcane handgun was spitting crackling energy bullets that seared trails on its back. The bullets were weak against its elemental form. But they distracted it.
She darted away before it could retaliate. Only to reappear at its side. Her cursed dagger flashing. She plunged it into a seam in its thick hide. The dagger bit deep. And a shriek of elemental pain erupted from the beast.
But the Demonbull's hide was tough and seemed self-repairing. The fissure was quickly closing around the embedded blade. Lilith wrenched it free. A quick blur of motion. Before vanishing again. Hit and run. A thousand cuts.
Ivy, meanwhile, had run out of alchemical grenades. Her face showed a flicker of frustration at the lack of her primary weapon. But her mind was quick, observant. She recognized the elemental nature of the beast.
"Healing Rain!" she shouted. Activating her crestmagic spell. Her hands glowed with a faint, verdant light.
She released a drizzle of water-infused magic into the whole room. The rain was a restorative force. But it now became a corrosive torrent against the monster with fire and demon attributes.
Where the healing water touched the beast's molten hide, it sizzled and smoked. It wasn't massive damage. But it was constant and irritating.
It forced the Demonbull to react. Shaking its head as if trying to dislodge the irritating shower.
However, more importantly, it washed over Spark and his allies. It subtly mended some of the minor burns and strains. There was a hope...