Ayumi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling gracefully. Without hesitation, she spun her body fluidly, her movements seemingly in sync with the current of lightning that surrounded her. As her palms faced the griffin, a tremendous flash erupted from her hands—lightning that wasn't just a glowing spark, but a living entity.
"Thunder Dragon!" Her voice echoed, loud and full of power.
The lightning exploded from her hands, forming a giant dragon clad in shimmering scales of electricity. Its sharp claws radiated blinding light, and its massive form shot forward with speed that tore through the air. The thunderous roar of the lightning dragon mixed with the crackling sky, charging toward the griffin as if it were ripping the heavens apart with its sheer force.
The griffin's sharp gaze focused on the lightning dragon speeding toward it. The dragon's body was covered in crackling lightning that struck erratically, emitting destructive energy that made the surrounding air tremble. The griffin's eyes narrowed, full of caution. Its jaw slowly opened, revealing rows of sharp teeth like the fangs of a bloodthirsty wolf, exuding an aura of majesty and menace.
From the griffin's mouth, a stream of golden energy slowly manifested. Strands of golden light gathered from all directions, as if responding to an invisible call, being drawn into its mouth. In mere seconds, a basketball-sized orb of golden energy formed and began to expand, creating a vortex that shook the atmosphere around it.
In the distance, Elen stood on her Vortex Plate, her hair billowing in the fierce wind created by the thunder dragon's power. Her face was calm but serious, her eyes focused on the spell she was casting. In front of her, a white magic staff rotated slowly in the air, emitting a soft glow.
Unlike ordinary magic, the aura of this staff felt silent, still, as if time itself stopped just by looking at it. At the tip of the staff was a transparent orb containing a circular clock that spun endlessly, its numbers floating like dancers within, radiating a mysterious aura.
"I have to succeed... I have to slow down this creature's time," Elen muttered quietly, her voice nearly drowned by the distant rumble of thunder. Her usually innocent face, with a small furrow on her brow, showed a rare expression of determination.
Taking a deep breath, Elen opened a magic panel in front of her, quickly reviewing the description of her staff.
- Attributes: INT +1570, AGI +1200
- Enhancement: +15% bonus attributes, +15% attack power
- Skill: (Time Circle) Reduces enemy's time usage by 30% for 10 seconds within a 50-meter radius. Cooldown: 20 minutes.
Elen's eyes carefully examined the panel, ensuring everything was ready. Without hesitation, she cast her spell.
From the staff, a glowing white circle shot into the air, slicing through the space between them and the griffin. The magic circle moved quickly, heading towards the griffin, which was still focused on gathering its golden energy. Moments later, the circle hovered above the griffin's head, slowly expanding, creating a magical field that enveloped the massive creature within a 50-meter radius.
Time energy began to spread, wrapping the griffin in invisible threads of magic. Its movements slowed, its eyes dragging as they shifted towards Elen, the realization of the trap dawning on its face. The casting of its golden energy orb also slowed, as if time itself was restraining all its efforts.
"Not this again..." the griffin thought, its expression growing tense. It recognized this magic—the time magic circle that had been a thorn in its side in the past. The two women had prepared everything perfectly. Frustrated, it halted its casting of the golden energy orb. Now, it stood still, unable to fight back. Its eyes remained fixed on the lightning dragon approaching ever closer.
From afar, Ayumi watched the griffin's strange behavior with suspicion. "Why is it standing still like that? Not taking any action?" she thought, her sharp gaze tracking every subtle movement the griffin made. Her instincts told her that something was wrong. Slowly, Ayumi strengthened her defenses, preparing herself for the worst.
The lightning dragon drew closer, its purple bolts crackling wildly. Thunder roared deafeningly, growing louder as the massive creature hurtled toward the griffin. With the griffin offering no resistance, the lightning dragon reached its target, and in an instant…
A massive explosion rocked the air. Purple lightning erupted, slamming into the area around the griffin, striking both earth and sky as if trying to tear them apart. The lightning bolts hit everything, leveling anything within its radius. Some buildings outside the barrier wall caught fire, collapsing into ruins under the uncontrollable power.
"Incredible! The President is truly powerful," one soldier said from behind the wall, his awe clearly evident.
"Yeah, that griffin must be dead this time," another soldier replied, raising his fist in triumph, certain of the outcome.
In the same place, Captain Kaito clenched his fist. His eyes gleamed with hope, eager to see the end of this battle. The griffin had killed many of his team members, and he longed for Ayumi and Elen to finally avenge them.
Thick smoke rolled over the area where the griffin had fallen, obscuring the view and preventing Elen and Ayumi from seeing what was happening inside. Ayumi, her brow furrowed, quickly flew towards Elen, keeping them close together.
"Elen, do you sense anything?" Ayumi asked, her voice trembling slightly, though she tried to remain calm.
"No, Princess. But it's not dead yet." Elen spoke with calm certainty, though her eyes couldn't pierce through the thick fog. The griffin's breath was still palpable in the air. That was enough for her.
Suddenly, without warning, a figure shot out of the fog. Quick, silent, it lunged towards Ayumi. A gleaming sword with sharp golden feathers cut through the air, aimed straight at her chest.
Ayumi froze, her entire body tensing. Everything moved too fast. Even her crackling purple lightning couldn't respond in time.