A creature with a large build and height, the Flame Man, was a 3rd tier Royal Beast and one of the few Fire-type beasts that were hard to control.
They were known as the Monks of the battle, remaining passive until the very end yet controlling the battle flow of their fellow kind.
It was as large as a cyclops, even larger, tall and slender with rock-like bodies and a floating ball of fire in its eyes.
It sat on the ground, crossed-legged, ignorant of the scene before him until a few moments ago.
Its eyes quivered as it shifted to the sides, glancing at tall pillars of ice that ran through the battlefield.
Two Oni Rhinos were caught in the depths of the cold, its piercing glow spreading deep within their bodies as they muffled in pain.
It remained passive, shifting its gaze away. It was not time to act yet.
While Javier and Raph handled most of the Oni Rhinos, the Greater Drakes were handled by the others.
Darrell and Sophie to be specific.
Darrell had shifted between long-range and short-range tactics. Sending projectiles against their bodies, whipping them with as much firepower as possible.
Its sword formed traceable arcs, silver lights following his movement like a field as he slammed his sword against their hardened skin.
He was having a lot more ease fighting them, though Sophie seemed even more relaxed.
With one gone, there were six left.
One had already fallen by the hands of Sophie and she was currently taking care of the others.
With a whiff of the air, Sophie jumped over the charging Drake, spinning around as she descended into the beast's back with incoming power.
She slammed into it like a missile, an explosion of wind occurring as its body smashed into the ground, forming a crater.
It squealed in pain, its maws opened as the second Drake flew downwards, blasting its fire at the unsuspecting Sophie.
Like a third sense, her eyes whipped towards the direction of the Drake and her body rushed away in a heartbeat, dodging the incoming blast of flames.
Drakes and Dragons were impervious to the flames of their own kind, making it easy for the first to charge out of the crater.
Sophie though, wasn't about to let her prey escape her grasp or change the momentum of their scuffle.
She charged forward, jumping into the air as the Drake traced her movement, its flames causing dreadful effects on the ground.
It melted the earth's surface, brimstone and Sulphur permeating the air, yet Sophie had dodged the effect of the flames entirely.
She charged upwards, slamming herself against the underbelly of the Drake, causing it to reel in pain.
She threw the spiked mace of her weapon upwards, tugging the chain tightly as the mace spun around the dragon, over and over again until it was tied loosely onto it.
The brunt of the weapon slammed against the Drake's face, a pained scream escaping its maw in the process.
The first charged after her, a hollow scream reverberating with the wind as its wings flapped ferociously towards her.
Its maw widened, a blast of flames shooting out in the next second, but it had caught Sophie's attention the moment it was out of the crater.
She grabbed onto her chain, tugging it and pulling herself upwards and over the Drake, landing on its spiked back as the blast of flames struck the second.
They may have been impervious to the burn, but the force of the blast was strong enough to push them away.
The flames struck the Drake, a pained scream escaping its maw as its body was pushed to the sides from the force.
Sophie had remained fixed to its back, her arm twirling the chain attached to her scythe as a smirk formed on her face.
"The nerve of these mutts!" She muttered as she stabbed it into its back, running across its back towards its head and jumping off as the first flew past it, and blasted another round of flames at the spot she once was.
The second screeched, the force pushing it downwards as Sophie landed, her chains held firmly in her grasp.
These were enchanted chains, strong enough to hold with an infinite amount of length.
She pulled on it tightly, a slight grunt escaping her lips as it pulled the Drake further.
It resisted, flapping its wings with all of its strength.
"You think you're strong enough to resist me?"
She muttered as she slammed her legs into the ground, a blast of dark violet mana surging out of her body.
Her smirk widened, a mad glint flickering in her eyes as she felt a surge of strength through her veins.
With a stump, she pulled the chain down and forced the Drake to the embrace of the earth in a split second.
An explosion of sound and wind occurred as it slammed into the ground, bits of rocks surging out as a deep crater formed.
She spun around, twirling and walking away as the first suddenly slammed into the spot she once was.
'They seem perfectly made for one another.'
She thought, admiring their persistent synchrony in trying to catch her off guard.
She tugged her chain upwards, causing the scythe to lodge out of its back and into the air, pulling a spike from the Drake's back in the process.
She spun to the sides, dodging the Drake as it charged towards her and kicked its underbelly with brute force.
A surge of wind occurred as her legs, enveloped in dark mana, sent the Drake upwards, though only by an inch.
It screamed, whipping its gaze towards her as a blast of flames shot out of its mouth.
She jumped upwards, dodging its effect but not fully as one of her legs was brushed by the flames.
A stifled pained groan escaped her lips as she fell to the ground, rolling on the dirt and pushing herself back upwards.
By then her scythe was back in her grasp, together with the spike from the second.
The second had begun to ascend from the crater, its hollow screams reaching the skies as it regained focus in the battle.
Grabbing the spike, she lowered her body downwards and stabbed it into her left palm, her expression twisting ever so slightly from the pain.
'5th Arcanus Spell, Thread of Life and Death.'
An ominous, dark violet mana surged out of her palm into the spike, causing dark energy to envelop it and gradually turn it into dust.
The second Drake suddenly froze mid-step, its maw widened open, a sound triggering to escape but seemingly failed to.
Its body suddenly convulsed, lava surging out of its mouth, as its body tripped forward and slammed into the ground with a loud thud.
The first cried out in fury, its rage palpable as it surged forward, slamming against Sophie in the blink of an eye.
It pushed forward, dragging her along with it as it raised its head into the air and slammed it into the ground. Debris and softened earth formed a cloud of dust that raised in the air, subsiding as its movements stopped.
Slow growls escaped its maw, its crimson pupils brimming with life as it glared at the girl who refused to give in.
She had grabbed onto its horns, the handle of her scythe held firmly in her mouth.
Blood dripped down her face, and a grin was plastered on her face.
The spike from before had lodged out at some point and her left palm dripped down with blood.
"Yes, this is how it should be."
A blast of dark mana surged out of her body as she jumped slightly into the air, pulling her head backwards and then slamming her forehead against the Drake's head as she landed.
A sonic boom occurred, and the Drake's body was pushed into the ground, a crater forming as pieces of rocks and debris ascended from the ground.
The shock and pain were impossible to process, and the Drake felt a surge of pain through its head and body. Cracks formed on its head, spreading gradually and spontaneously.
Sophie smirked a bloodied smile on her face, eyes brimming with power and madness as she slammed her forehead against the Drake once again.
A pulse wave occurred, spreading through the battlefield as they descended further onto the crater.
Bits of rocks and debris flew in their presence, sharp shards of boulders striking against their skin.
The Drake was stunned, its vision blurred from blood and pain.
It was inconceivable, perhaps difficult to understand why it felt so much pain from a mere human. The strength to fight back, to simply blast a truckload of flames at her was gone, masked by the pain and will to give in.
Sophie perceived it. She had somehow perceived the whirlwind of pain the beast was going through and a frown formed on her face.
'Weren't they meant to be copied? Why does it….feel so real.'
Bothered by the uncertainty, yet willing to go on with her brutal assault, she raised her scythe in the air.
And stabbed it into the cracked pieces on its head, power brimming in her attack.
It pierced through like sandpaper, the Drake releasing a final cry before it crashed into the ground, permanently unmoving.
Sophie glanced at it, a subtle frown on her face as she looked around, observing the scene before her.
'Something's not right…'