Elvira's fingers flicked through the air, casting small, rapid glyphs. "Hallowed Step."
A surge of mana burst beneath her feet, launching her sideways just as the Alpha lunged again. Its claws carved through the air where she'd been just a moment ago. She appeared behind it.
A blade of pure light formed in her palm. She thrust it forward, not at the Alpha's core—but at its knee joint, slicing across the back of its leg.
The Alpha stumbled, balance thrown. It spun to retaliate, but Elvira was already gone—dashing to its side, her spells flowing in a tight, deliberate rhythm.
Ice burst outward from her body in a tight radius, freezing the Alpha's feet in place for just a second—but that second was all she needed.
A concentrated bolt of lightning pierced into the Alpha's arm before it could lift its claw, the impact causing it to convulse and falter.
It roared, swinging wildly with its other arm. Elvira ducked low, barely missing the claws, and rolled to its blind spot, mana spiraling at her fingertips again.
She wasn't just hitting it.
She was cutting away its options—limb by limb, motion by motion.
The Alpha tried to leap backward, but a light glyph detonated beneath it, disrupting its escape.
Elvira's voice rang out across the chaos. "You don't get to run. Not this time."
She formed a final set of spell circles—layered, complex, radiant.
Chains of light erupted from the ground, snapping around the Alpha's limbs. It screamed, shadows writhing as it struggled, but the restraints held.
Elvira rose into the air, her light aura flaring behind her like wings. She raised her hands.
"Fusion Magic - Hallowed Cataclysm Requiem."
Above her, a sphere began to form—fire, ice, and lightning spiraling together in chaotic harmony. Then, with a whisper of will, Elvira imbued it with light—holy energy surging into the core, stabilizing it just enough to hold shape.
Below, the Alpha stared up at her, its six glowing eyes locked on the attacks. Its hand slowly lifted.
The shadows beneath it quivered, then surged upward, twisting into a single, massive spear of darknesss. The Alpha hurled it upward, straight toward her spell.
The two forces collided mid-air, the impact exploding in a storm of color and chaos, flames and frost crackling through the sky like a twisted aurora.
The shockwave rippled across the battlefield.
But Elvira doesn't care to win the clash. Her eyes narrowed. Her breath steadied. She was watching the Alpha.
Every time it used shadow at this scale there was a moment. The alpha will stay still to focus controlling the shadow.
That was her opening. "Hallowed Step."
She blinked forward—vanishing in a flash of light. Then again. And again. A blur of golden afterimages danced across the battlefield as she shifted positions with blinding speed, keeping the Alpha guessing.
As she moved, her mana condensed into her palm. "Hallowed Dagger."
A blade of light formed in her hand—slender, sharp, thrumming with holy power. She reappeared behind the Alpha and struck.
The dagger slashed across its back, light searing into shadowed flesh. The Alpha roared and turned to retaliate, but she was already gone—blinking behind it once more, carving another cut into its side.
Spell circles flared beneath the Alpha, and golden chains burst from the ground, wrapping around its legs, then its arms.
The Alpha snarled, summoning tendrils of shadow to intercept—sharp whips and blades lashing out to sever the bindings. But its control was weaker now. Its focus divided, its form trembling from the earlier clash.
The chains tightened, glowing brighter as they absorbed and resisted the shadow. It wasn't enough to fully restrain it—but it slowed it down. Its movements grew heavier, its reactions dulled.
Elvira landed in front of it, the dagger in her grip pulsing with power. The Alpha attacked, its claw aiming for her throat.
Elvira caught the claw strike with her forearm, her barrier flaring bright, the impact rattling her bones but holding firm.
Before she could even breathe, the Alpha lashed out again—its other claw sweeping low.
She leapt, flipping over it mid-air, but a shadow tendril snapped upward, nearly impaling her mid-spin.
She landed in a crouch and instantly attacked forward, dagger flashing.
The blade clashed with the Alpha's chitinous forearm, sparks and radiant light exploding from the point of contact. She twisted her wrist, dragging the edge upward, carving a glowing line across its flesh.
The Alpha shrieked in rage, slamming its head forward.
Skull met her temple—Elvira stumbled, stars flashing in her vision. But she didn't fall. She ducked beneath another swipe, and stabbed her dagger into its side, mana flaring on impact.
The explosion of light blasted the Alpha back a step—and that's all she needed. "Chains—bind!"
Her glowing restraints surged tighter, crawling up its limbs, slowing it further.
But the Alpha roared and countered—shadows spiked upward, nearly skewering her feet.
Elvira vaulted back, but not fast enough—one shadow grazed her thigh, drawing blood. She hissed through her teeth and forced herself forward again.
The Alpha raised its claw—she ducked, its nails shredding strands of her hair as they passed just inches from her scalp.
Another claw came low. She blocked it with her arm—crack! Her barrier flickered, cracking at the edge, but it still held. She countered fast—drove her knee into the Alpha's chest.
The impact forced it back into its own chains, locking it in place. But it wasn't over. The Alpha opened its mouth—a stream of shadows spewed forth, shaped like a spear.
Elvira dropped low, the spear of darkness scraping over her back, tearing open her cloak. She rolled, came up again, and with a snarl, drove her Hallowed Dagger into the Alpha's hip.
The beast roared in pain, its legs buckling. More chains surged upward—snapping around its torso, dragging it to one knee. Its claws still lashed wildly, one nearly catching her throat—but she leaned back just in time, the tip scraping her collarbone.
Breathing hard, eyes blazing, Elvira pressed in. 'Dammit! Even after chaining it down, it still can move .'