Vincent's expression faltered for a moment as he witnessed the sudden turn of events.
"Is she really going to die?" he wondered.
Soon, a pillar of flame energy burst forth, clearing the smoke and revealing Maggie's furious expression. Although she appeared unscathed, her entire arm was numb and trembling.
Her appearance lifted the worry in Orian's heart and eased the others' fears. However, they couldn't completely hide the concern in their eyes. They believed their Vice Leader was a powerful individual, but they couldn't deny the strength of the Howling Spire Lord.
"Pah!"
Maggie spat out the dirt that had gotten into her mouth, her face full of annoyance and disgust.
The Howling Spire Lord, hovering above, looked down with amusement.
"Hoh, you took that really well…"
"Hmph!"
She snorted, ignoring its mocking tone.
A grin flashed across her lips as she reached out her hand. A swirling mass of fiery energy appeared before her, taking shape into a two-meter-long silver lance.
It was her weapon armament, a Tier 2 rare-grade armament. Its shaft was wrapped in crimson veins, and the blade's tip emitted fiery energy.
Gripping the lance tightly, Maggie stabbed it into the ground, embedding it in the pavement as fiery wings burst from her back, scattering debris all around.
Without saying a word, a fiery, oppressive aura exploded from her body as she rose into the air, her lance firmly in hand.
The Howling Spire Lord didn't immediately react. It simply kept its amused expression fixed on her.
"You're not bad. I'll give you a chance—serve me, and I will spare your people."
As it spoke, its gaze shifted to Orian and the others, who were behind the wall of flames, struggling to block the incoming spires.
Maggie scoffed.
"I also have an offer for you. Become my primal pet, and I'll spare all of your lives."
"Heh, what a shame…"
Its tone sounded both disappointed and amused, before abruptly deepening into a sinister growl.
"Indeed. What a shame…" Maggie said, shaking her head before her expression hardened. In a flash, her figure vanished, reappearing above the Howling Spire Lord.
The moment it registered her reappearance, she thrust her silver lance, burning with fiery energy, toward its massive head.
This time, the Howling Spire Lord didn't dare underestimate her attack. It wasn't like the 'homing fireball' it had easily dodged before. The strange elements emanating from her weapon signaled danger. If it allowed her strike to land, it couldn't be certain its special physique would endure.
Without hesitation, it hurled its massive fist forward, swirling with storm energy, to intercept her strike.
Bang!
Their attacks collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
This time, neither gained the upper hand. They held their ground as they began trading blows.
Boom!
Boom!
Their speed was too fast for the spectators to follow. All they could see were flashes of light and hear deafening sounds as the two clashed, creating chaos in the sky.
The only person who could track their movements was Vincent, who kept his full attention on the battle.
"So this is how a Tier 3 Origin Warrior and a Primal fight…" he muttered softly to himself.
He wondered how Maggie could sustain such an intense display of skills. Did she possess an unlimited pool of origin energy? Or was it something unique to her race?
His gaze lingered on Maggie's fiery wings. Were they a learned skill from a skill book, or another racial talent? As a man, he naturally dreamed of flying. Surely, everyone from modern Earth wished they could soar like the heroes in movies.
His thoughts were interrupted as a group of spires approached the building he stood on, causing it to tremble. Irritated, he summoned two groups of five Tier 2 Umbral Rats.
Mochi, perched on his shoulder, stared in shock.
"H-How can you summon creatures a tier higher than your level?" her voice echoed in his mind, filled with disbelief.
Vincent tilted his head slightly, looking at Mochi.
"Isn't that normal?"
"Normal? Normal your face! That's anything but normal!"
"Are you sure?"
"I may not remember everything, but I can confidently say you're far from normal!"
As their conversation continued, a stronger shockwave swept through the town, demolishing several buildings and scattering debris.
A loud grunt filled the air.
"Ha! Die!"
The Howling Spire Lord summoned multiple windstorms and launched them at Maggie, who dodged them with ease. With a powerful kick, she propelled herself forward, arriving face-to-face with the massive, 12-meter-tall primal.
Without hesitation, she hurled her lance, now swirling with fiery energy, while muttering a low grunt.
"Die, windbag!"
Boom!
A wave of fiery energy erupted from her armament, striking the Howling Spire Lord at point-blank range. An explosion followed, and the primal's agonized screech filled the air.
The Howling Spire Lord retreated. When the smoke cleared, its left eye, once transparent and mist-like, burned brightly with Maggie's fiery energy. Experience more content on empire
It frantically attempted to extinguish the flames, but its efforts were futile. The fire burned on, undeterred.
Maggie watched with satisfaction and smirked.
"Try all you want—you'll never extinguish my fire."
"W-What is this fire?!"
"You don't need to know. You're going to die anyway."
"Fucking bitch!" The Howling Spire Lord roared in rage. It had been centuries since it last felt pain, and it had forgotten how agonizing it could be.
It screeched furiously, summoning several tornadoes around itself. Fierce winds roared as it hurled the tornadoes forward.
"Die! Die! All of you! Die!"
Raising its right hand, it beckoned the remaining spires. They burst into smoke, the vivid emerald energy coalescing into a massive wind spear in its hand.
In its left hand, dark misty energy formed into another weapon.
Maggie's sharp eyes darkened. The savage primal had lost its reason and gone all out.
She clenched her teeth, her expression grave. If she avoided the strikes, the town—and everyone in it—would surely be destroyed.
Making her decision, she gritted her teeth as fiery waves of energy erupted from her body.
Unlike before, her energy was no longer hollow and transparent. It blazed fiercely, as though it would consume her.
Crimson veins bulged along her neck, crawling up to her face.
"Haaa!" she grunted, as dark, ominous energy emerged from her body, merging with her flames. Her sclera turned jet black, and her energy surged with a terrifying, crimson-dark intensity.
The moment the dark energy appeared, Vincent's heart skipped a beat. A strange sense of connection tugged at him.
"That's…" he muttered, his expression hardening as realization dawned.
Nearby, Orian froze. Recognition turned her worry into abject fear.
"N-No, Sister Maggie! Don't do it! Stop!" she screamed, but her voice failed to reach Maggie's ears.