Xyder Zephyr - POV;
"Urg. I haven't felt this nervous in... well ever," Jacqueline groaned.
"Come on, we've been through so much already. You can't chicken out now," Sorine remarked.
"I would agree... but I'm with Jacqy on this one. I feel so out of it," Evie sighed.
"Still having those headaches?" I pressed.
"They never left," she whimpered, "Not only that, I've been having these crazy dreams lately. I honestly feel a bit exhausted."
"Dreams?" Satella spoke up.
"Yeah. Some really insane stuff. I had one just last night where I was skewered like a shish kebab. Right in from the chest I tell ya! That one had me sweating. I remember feeling fear and the man stabbing me was... silver! Maybe? His hair looked kind of like that at least," she pondered. Satella and Jaqueline stared at her in horror as she recalled the experience.
"Holy Terra, Evelynn. Can you not speak like that before heading into a battle?!" Dagan exclaimed.
All of us had gathered in the backstage of the Coliseum as we prepared to enter the arena for the final battle. The Ailani's had gone ahead to save seats in the gallery for Dagan and the rest.
"Seriously. You all should try not being such downers," Fira remarked.
"This is it you know?! The final battle! At least try to be lively!" Winter insisted.
A loud horn blared abruptly, indicating to us that it was time to head to the grounds.
"Yep Winter... this is it," I muttered.
"Xyder, Satella, good luck. Be safe put there," Storm told us.
"May you be victorious, our King!" Dagan saluted proudly.
"We will be!" I proclaimed as my team and I hurried onto the field.
The audience erupted into a chorus of cheers as we appeared and came face to face with Team Fenix. A thick tension filled the air amidst the rowdy, rambunctious screams of the onlookers. A host of powerful figures had gathered from around the world to view this event themselves. The VI Kings, the Reguluses of the Elemental clans with the exception of my Grandfather and Duran, as well as a whole host of royalty, ministers and leaders were all packed into this spectacular venue as they awaited the battle that would shortly come.
"I'm surprised you didn't run away in fear, Xyder," Zacharias snickered.
"I'm surprised that your friends were able to stop YOU from running away, Zacharias," I shot back.
He let out a low growl as he glared at me through half closed eyes.
"Xy," Evie whispered to me as she held my hand, "Don't let him intimidate you."
"Of course. Did you think I forgot everything we discussed already?" I grinned.
"I can never be too sure. You're crazy like that sometimes. I should know because you're my precious baby brother and you learnt it from me!" she giggled.
"Xyder, we're about to begin any second now. Are you all ready?" Sorine pressed.
"Yes!" Satella and Jaqueline declared in unison.
"He didn't intend it but the information Nero once fed us has proved useful yet again. Knowing what we do, we have a sure chance at victory. He may be strong but Zacharias isn't the problem. Our true threat stands to his right," I murmered.
"Ignatius Fenix," Evie stated his name.
"If he is as strong as we heard, then the only ones who can defeat him are you two; Evie, Sorine. You'll need your new tricks to stand against him. Satella, Jacqueline... the three of us are facing the other four. I'll try to distract as many of them as I can, but it may come down to a scenario where I have to focus everything against the Fenix leader. Even if that happens, I have faith that the two of you can handle the last three. We've grown tremendously since our battle with Blaze. Let's show these fools everything that we have worked towards.
****
Ignatius Fenix - POV;
"That asshole," Zacharias growled.
"Calm down Zacharias. He is trying to provoke you. Keep a clear mind," I instructed.
"Yeah, yeah. Just remember, Xyder is mine!" he snapped.
"Your wish is clear my Lord," I answered.
"Good!" he snickered, "About time you recognised who's in charge."
'If only you knew,' I thought to myself, 'Forgive me Zacharias but because of your foolish and immature ways I had to mislead you. I always intended for you to fight Xyder but I knew I had to use your arrogance against you to ensure you focused on that fight alone. If I told you the truth, you would surely ruin everything... and that truth is that Xyder isn't the one I am truly wary of. He certainly is unpredictable and a power to be reckoned with but there is one who seems far more dangerous: Evelynn Zephyr. I don't know what this uneasy feeling I have could be, but that girl may be more than even she realises. What is this terrifying aura which follows her? I've never felt something so sinister and oppressive. I will face that girl alone... I trust that you can succeed against the Zephyr Heir.'
****
Xyder Zephyr - POV;
"Match Start!" the announcer declared as the Grand Finale of the lengthy Inter-Clan Tournament kicked off.
Without warning, the area around Zacharias was shrouded by dust and debris as an explosion decimated the ground beneath his feet, sending clumps of dirt and grass in every direction. Almost simultaneously, he was propelled across the field at break-neck speeds... headed directly at me!
Thinking quickly, I erected a barrier of earth and stone around us, a second before he entered striking range. I expected him to immediately attempt to use brute force to shatter our defences head on but instead, all grew quiet outside. We waited for a few moments; our bodies tensed as we stood wary of Fenix's next move.
"What are they doing?" Satella whispered.
"I don't know... but I don't like it," I grunted.
Suddenly, Evie's eyes lit up as she glanced over her shoulder and shouted, "Look out!"
****
Ignatius Fenix - POV;
"That fool's actually using his head," Etna remarked as we dashed across the arena to position ourselves. After his sudden actions at the start of the match, Zacharias threw himself at Zephyr's entire team alone. In response, they had erected an earthen shield around themselves and Zach, in a surprising turn of events, flipped into the air and dragged his palm across the surface of the rock barrier as opposed to trying to burst straight through. He circled the dirt sphere, touching every nook and cranny. Instantly realising his intentions, I directed the rest of our team to spread out. Upon completing his task, Zach rapidly cartwheeled, putting some distance between himself and Zephyr before clenching his fists tightly.
"BOOOOOOOM!"
A tremendous blast rocked the entire Coliseum as the region at which Zephyr once stood was consumed by an eruption of flames. Zacharias had triggered his unique ability; one he had unlocked upon achieving the state of Deity Vessel. With his Explosions, everything he touched could become his weapon and like a bomb, he could detonate it at a moment's notice should he will it.
"Good job, Zacharias! I knew you had it in you!" I encouraged.
A chorus of cheers interspersed with cries of horror rose up from the conflicted audiences as they watched the scene unfold. Many were ready to call it victory but I knew better. Ghere was no chance that the famed Zephyr Clan would give this easily. It was only then that everyone's attention was drawn to one particularly large, flaming ball that launched into the skies following Zacharias' discharge. As the fires dissipated, it revealed a dark blue, crystalline ball inside of which Zephyr's entire team was safely housed. The giant sapphire plummeted into the floor, shattering into a million shards that instantly fired off in every direction.
All five of us on Team Fenix took action instantly, using our element and our wits to avoid the dangerous onslaught by dodging, blocking or otherwise. Though Zacharias and myself easily came out unharmed, the other three weren't so lucky, sustaining grazes and minor pierces from the few shards that managed to reach them.
Taking advantage of the choas, Satella Zephyr emerged seemingly from thin air and assaulted Etna, employing her stealthy fighting style. Jacqueline Zephyr followed suit, rushing Shula in an attempt to catch her by surprise. Adara, immediately responded by rushing to the aid of Etna and Shula in order to counteract their surprise advantage with pure numbers.
The dust cleared at the Sapphire's point of impact to reveal a bulky, male figure with a glowing golden eye. We glared at each other as his crystalline body reverted to his typical fleshy form.
"That sapphire manipulation... it belongs to Dagan Zephyr. I figured that you could copy others' abilities but to even be capable of copying the unique Deity Vessel abilities of another? I'm impressed Xyder Zephyr," I remarked, "I would honestly like to see what else you can do."
"That's too bad," a female voice said abruptly from behind me. I turned instantly to find myself face-to-face with none other than Evelynn Zephyr along with Sorine Zephyr. "You won't be facing Xyder today. Your ememy is me!" Evelynn declared.
****
Xyder Zephyr - POV;
"Pathetic! You'll resort to using cheap tricks and stealing other people's powers? But, of course you would... after all you're nothing on your own!" Zacharias jested.
I laughed aloud as I made eye contact with the male, "There was a time I would let such shallow words get to me... but not anymore. Copying people's strengths then making it even better is part of what I do. I really don't want to waste too much time on somebody like you when there are so many others worth facing, so let's get this over with."
The Fenix Heir bared his teeth on hearing my words and rushed towards me in a rage. He held his outstretched arms to his sides, grazing the grass with his fingertips as he ran. I, on the other hand, merely grinned as by body sparked and was coated by my lightning. In a moment, I zipped past him, covering some fifty feet. Now a safe distance behind him, I clenched my fist causing the ground I'd covered to glow before spontaneously combusting with a bang. The explosions I created, by copying Zacharias' earlier move, easily engulfed the male who stood mere inches from them.
He disappeared amidst the destruction but, unsurprisingly, he emerged a minute later completely unharmed. His body was now constituted entirely of flames as he had entered his Elemental Form, being a Deity Vessel.
"Did you really think you could harm me with my own explosions? What a fool," he snickered.
"Honestly, no. I just needed you to focus on me," I remarked.
"Focus on you?" he repeated in confusion.
"Hyaaaaah!"
Zacharias spun around just in time to parry the sneak attack that Satella had launched on him and knock her away.
"How?! You were just over by Etna and Adara!" he boomed, but I didn't give him enough time to think further as I used a combination of lightning and light to zip beside him.
Drawing my ice and water encased arm back, I directed a devastating punch to his midsection. With water being the opposing element to his flames, Zacharias knew that he had to do something or he would receive at least some damage if my strike hit, even in his elemental form, and his time in this state would be severely diminished. Thus, he threw up his flames and arms infront of him as some sort of shield against my blow, however my raw physical strength proved too much. My fist crashed into him almost as if unhindered, leaving the boy reeling.
Satella reached beside me and looked to me inquisitively.
"Your clones sure are amazing. Together with Jacqueline, you have the other three thrown off completely and on top of that you gave me an opening too. How do I say this? That's awesome!" I grinned.
"BASTARDS!" Zacharias roared as a funnel of fires blasted upwards from him.
"Imbeciles!" Etna screamed, appearing above us and bringing her sword down on us. Satella and I pushed away from each other, rolling to a safe distance.
"Go, Ella!" I intructed. With a nod, Satella took off with Etna on her heels, leaving me alone with my opponent once more.
****
Evelynn Zephyr - POV;
"Oof!" I huffed as I crashed down onto my knee. Some fifty feet away, Ignatius Fenix rose to his feet from a kneeling position; his focused eyes locked onto me.
"He's tough," Sorine panted not far from me. I glanced around for a moment to analyse the disruption left in the wake of our ongoing battle against Ignatius. We'd completely altered the terrain to the point that it had become unrecognizable with its deep crevices and burnt stretches of thorns.
"You're holding back Evelynn Zephyr. You're hiding your true power. I've seen you do more than this shallow display. The flora you're throwing out against me can't stand a second against my Fire... but you know this. That's why you didn't employ them against Blaze. So tell me, why are you using your Nature Element?" Ignatius shouted to me.
"Simple," I laughed as I rose myself, "I don't need tricks to take you down."
"In that case, since you won't be showing me your true power anyway, I might as well end this immediately before it gets boring," he yawned as an aura of flames enveloped him. Slowly, the red tips shifted hue, glowing an eerie, faint, green color instead. Ignatius flung himself at me but before I could react, Sorine appeared between us using her combined lightning and light abilities. She prepared to lash out with the sword he held tightly, however our enemy hadn't so much as flinched despite all this. On the contrary, he sped up as if determined to drive his flaming fingers through her. A terrible feeling churned my stomach and I instinctively fired some of my vines to yank Sorine and myself out of his trajectory.
Like a blade with a vengeance, his fire slashed through the air where we just stood, decimating the land and spewing debris in every direction. We had escaped in the nick of time; so close in fact that my vines were grazed by his attack. Almost instantly they began to lose strength and before long they withered, leaving both of us girls rolling across the grass.
"Ouch, damn it! Have you ever heard of a gentle landing Evie?!" Sorine yelled.
"Sorry," I shouted back, as I caught myself, "It wasn't my intention. It's his flames... they're different. It's almost like they poisoned my flora."
"Poison?" Sorine raised an eyebrow.
"It seems that even your sources of information didn't account for this," Ignatius cackled.
"Shit! Sorine, whatever you do, don't let his fire touch you!" I warned
****
Xyder Zephyr - POV;
"I have to say Zacharias, I am underwhelmed. You aren't living up to the tremendous hype that has been passed around. From what I've seen, I find it very hard to believe that you stood toe to toe against Indira... much less beat her," I taunted.
"Don't get cocky yet. I've barely gotten started," he laughed as he held firmly onto his wrist. His body was enveloped in an explosion of his element, so much so that the radiating heat became somewhat unbearable. An unnerving pressure exuded from his core which pushed aside dust and pebbles while causing his hair and leather jacket to flutter.
This all ended abruptly when he rocketed towards me at speeds perhaps even exceeding that of Indira. Caught offguard, I was helpless to defend myself as he unleashed the full brunt of his attack into my midsection, firing my body in a ragdoll state. He zipped above me just as quickly, bringing flashbacks of my training against Lord Grisha. Fighting against Regulus Astra's speed had forged my reaction time and ability, preparing me for moments like these. I raised both my arms infront of me like a shield against his blow, knowing fully well that my strength could more than buffer his blows... or so I thought.
When Zacharias' fist connected, I felt the bones in my arm crack and splinter. I was propelled into the Earth, torso-first and at point blank range. The impact when my body collided created a deep impression as I sunk through like hit metal on butter.
That single blow had seemed to almost radiate through my entire being and though the damage was not fatal, it was certainly quite extensive. My limbs felt irresponsive, almost like jello, and my head spun, leaving me completely disoriented.
"What the... the hell... was that?" I gasped to myself as I blinked rapidly in an attempt to correct my blurry eyesight.
At that moment, I was plucked from my resting place by an enlarged arm boasting long, talon-like nails. I could hardly make out any distinctive features of the individual before their second arm was jabbed directly into my side and I was blasted away, only coming to a stop when I slammed violently into the solid concrete walls surrounding the arena grounds.
As if the damage wasn't already bad enough, this follow-up attack served to further exacerbate my injuries. The only thing positive to come out of it was the fact that the blow to my head seemed to knock some of my coordination back into it. My vision promptly focused on my approaching attacker who boasted untidy, scarlet hair which stretched to the ankles of his feet and from which two blackened, demonic horns emerged. His fit, slender frame contrasted greatly to his grossly enlarged right arm whose exposed muscle fibres bulged to some five times the size of his almost normal left appendage. His deadly eyes glared as sharply as the nails on his fingers and toes but even these didn't hold a candle to the foot-long claws on his right hand. As if it wasn't already clear, the demonic glyphs scribbled across his body confirmed that I had indeed been staring into the face of a demon.
"I've been saving this for you ever since the tournament started, Xyder Zephyr. Don't disappoint me now!" the demon chuckled in a familiar tone. It hardly took me a second to recognise it as the voice of Zacharias Fenix.
"What the hell... you're a demon?!" I managed to blurt out.
"That's rich coming from you," he hissed.
*"What are you waiting for Xyder? We can do this. You need me," my own demonic counterpart hummed in my head.*
*"He's right. Your injuries are too severe to continue as is. Plus, as strong as you are for a human, a demon's physical power is on another level," my angelic half chimed in.*
"Oh Deities... now I have two of you coaching me up there..." I sighed, "I didn't want to do this. It limits the number of elements I can use... but it seems I really have no choice."
My hair gradually began to shift to a jet-black and my muscles bulged as my wounds began to ooze a black smoke while they rapidly healed. The veins in my neck and forearms popped out viciously as my boiling blood pumped vigorously around my hulking figure.
"So you're going all out too?" Zacharias grinned.
"Why bother slowly ramping things up when we can end this now?!" I cackled.
"Crack!"
The blinding flash of lightning accompanied by the deafening chorus of thunder pulled our attention away from each other momentarily and towards a much more frightening clash of true titans amongst Elemental Vessels.
****
Evelynn Zephyr - POV;
"How can you ever hope to touch me like this?!" Ignatius shouted, hot on the heels of Sorine who had been pushing the limits of her speed.
"He shouldn't be able to keep up! The propulsion from his flames is insane!" Sorine yelled at me, who clung tightly to her as she carried me piggyback style. I desperately erected thick barriers of vines and trees between us and our pursuer in an attempt to slow him down. However, it's success was limited as he blasted through effortlessly. The gargantuan flames which pushed him forward simply eviscerated the arena without hesitation.
"Your flora can't hurt me! I have perfected the Deity Vessel! I can hold my Fire Elemental Form nigh indefinitely and as long as I do, none of your attacks can touch me physically!" Ignatius taunted.
"I can't go much longer! My body, element and magic is all giving out! What's with him?! He barely seems drained and we've both been laying it on him for so long!" Sorine wheezed.
"Push Sor! I just need a little more time!Just a little longer!" I encouraged, pulling myself up her back slightly and leaning forward.
"Damn it, at least get your giant friggin bazoongers out of my face!" she snapped.
"I can't help it if I'm gifted! Now go!"
With a scowl, Sorine poured all of her remaining energy into a single burst, putting distance between us and Ignatius for the first time. However, our victory would be short-lived. Exhausted, Sorine's knee buckled causing us both to tip over and lurch forward dangerously. Without missing a beat, Ignatius loomed over, bringing a roundhouse kick down on us.
"Perish!"
"Not before you!" I quipped, facing him and bringing both arms infront of my chest, erecting an aqueous shield infront of me which clashed head on against his slash.
The firm oak pillars I sprouted beneath my feet flung me out from beneath him and permitted me the opening to bombard him with watery projectiles. As agile as always, I found my balance and circled him as I maintained the pressure I put on him from my assault.
Once the loud sizzling of liquid quenching flame ceased, I let up my offense and allowed the smoke to clear so I could see the damage that had been done. Ignatius, in a humanoid form once more, slowly rose to his feet. Water dripped from his soaking red locks and down his chiseled face onto his lean, muscular torso, now exposed due to his shirt having been burnt to smithereens.
"Of course. Water, my natural enemy. Even I would be forced out of my elemental form with this. But you know that, and I should have expected it. You used water in your battle against Aquarius Neptulus after all," he murmured.
"You sure know alot about me," I responded, hiding my shock that he seemed mostly unfazed and unharmed.
"I've been watching you Evelynn Zephyr and I've been doing so for quite some time. From the moment I first laid my eyes on you, it was as if I'd been drawn in. Your beauty and power intrigues me," Ignatius stated sincerely.
"Oh ho ho. A confession of love amidst the cries of war?" I chuckled.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. It may be but I've never felt this way before so I can't tell you for certain. What I do know however is that I can't get you out of my mind, especially those beatiful eyes," he continued.
"Ooooookay... this is going from sweet to mildly creepy. Though you're hot, so I guess I don't mind," I pondered aloud.
"You're not like Xyder. You don't have free reign over multiple elements. Your ability to wield elements that aren't your own is somehow related to your eye. It shimmers a brilliant gold whenever you do such feats," he concluded. I was a bit taken aback by the accuracy of his theory. He was a dangerous foe indeed.
"You carry it... you and Xyder both: the mark of the Devil," he smiled.
"The... what?"
"And that's why I must end you here!" he roared as he came after me like a bloodthirsty hound. Already alert, I was quick to retaliate, surrouding myself in water and flying towards him for a head-to-head battle.
****
Satella Zephyr - POV;
"Urk!" Etna grunted as she was pushed back by a solid attack.
"Look out!" Shula warned, just in time for Adara to perform a series of flips to dodge the flurry of blade swings coming her way.
The three girls from Team Fenix found themselves cornered; their backs gently brushing against each other's as my never-ending army of clones spawned around them.
"Grrr, you think you can beat us you shits! Try me!" Etna bellowed. She tensed her body, preparing to release all of her power in a single, compressed attack. Adara and Shula instantly emulated and it seemed they were set to deliver some sort of kamikaze blast.
"DIE!" Etna screeched.
"Not so fast!"
As if by clockwork, a number of my clones shot up from the earth beneath their feet in synchrony and grabbed onto the girls, anchoring them to the spot. Jacqueline leapt into the air and with a sassy twirl, she rocketed her blade into the small space between the Fenix girls.
"I call this one Hellfire Judgement! All rights reserved. Copyright owned by Disas and me. Now be cleansed!" Jacqueline declared. As she finished her words, her blade lit up, much to the horror of Shula, Etna and Adara. With fear-filled eyes, the girls were consumed by the spontaneous eruption of Jacqueline's blue flames which stretched like a pillar to the very ceiling of the magical barrier erected around the Coliseum field.
"Haha! Suckers!" Jacqueline teased before going limp and spiralling helplessly downwards. Using my training from my days under Master Incendio, I caught her mid-air and brought us both to the ground safely.
"Did we do it?" Dagan's sister asked weakly.
I turned to look at the incapacitated girls before answering, "We sure did, Jacqy. But you really put in the damage, not me."
"Hell yeah! And what do you mean? You got them together and gave me time to prepare. If you weren't there that would've been impossible! Anyway.... getting.... sleepy...." she trailed off, finally passing out from the exhaustion of unleashing so much power at once. Also drained from my prolonged exertion, I dropped to a sitting position, laying Jacqueline's head on my thigh as I looked at the other ongoing fights.
Xyder and Zacharias had resorted to a brutal test of strength, as they zipped around on leathery, demonic wings and slammed relentless fists into each other's resilient bodies. In stark contrast to this was the awe-inspiring display of red and blue as Evelynn and Ignatius engaged in a calculated exchange of elemental bursts. They maintained a mid to far range as they travelled freely in the available space with the aid of their water and fire respectively. Both expertly avoided the other's projectiles seamlessly as if they'd practiced this dance a dozen times over. Suddenly, Erie pulled away in what seemed to be an unexpected retreat. Ignatius gave chase, seemingly uncertain of her intentions as well.
As she passed over Sorine however, things quickly became clear. Evie signalled to her and Sorine nodded in response. The Epitome of Lightning created a blinding magic cirlce in her palm, from which she drew her magical Light Blade which she tossed over her head. Evelynn perfectly spun to face Ignatius once more, taking up a battle stance as the handle of the Light Blade slipped perfectly into her hand.With determined eyes, she boomed, "Pressure Release!".
To the untrained eye, Evie's body seemed to disappear entirely, leaving little more than a blur and the streak of light from the borrowed sword as she shot around Ignatius, erratically slashing through his body with the weapon. She must have deliver over fifty blows in those few seconds before finally smashing into the ground on both feet.
Ignatius coughed up blood as the fresh, slices across his body sprayed forth a copious amount of bodily fluids. Earlier that day I had heard something unusual, but now I could put the pieces together. So this was what Evelynn meant when she asked Aurora to lend her power. Evelynn had copied and seemingly mastered Aurora's Water Manipulation as well as her unique ability of Pressure Release.
Ignatius' body collapsed in utter defeat and Evelynn stood tall, having overcome the tremendous threat between Zephyr and our victory in the tournament.
"Evelynn! You did it!" Sorine exclaimed jogging towards Evie and extending her hand for a fist bump.
"Was there ever any doubt?" Evie grinned, but this swiftly changed into a wide-eyed grimace. Her knees buckled causing her to fall forward.
"Evelynn?!" Sorine exclaimed, catching her. The Epitome of Nature's breathing had become raspy and her strength seemed to be seeping out of her with each fleeting moment.
"Did you think I'd give you all that for free?" Ignatius cackled, standing as proud as always, "It was but an exchange. I took your blade without complaint, but in return I injected my venom."
It was true. We hadn't noticed it before but Evie's body had certainly been covered by a number of thin markings akin to that of cauterised wounds. It seemed that during her attack, Ignatius had also tagged Evie a number of times and resealed the open cuts to prevent his poison from escaping.
"He's tough! We have to be careful!" Evie gasped.
"You're telling me?! You're rushing in far more recklessly than I am!" Sorine objected.
"Don't worry about me. I can handle some poison. I've been doing a bunch of research into it after Blaze almost killed me with it while we were separated; during our trip to Fenix City. With the right herbs, I should be fine just doing this," Evie murmered as she closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. Her slender hands grew softer as what appeared to be grassy gloves enveloped both her arms up to he elbows. Her clothing appeared to melt away, being replaced instead by a mass of intricately intertwined leaves, vines, and twigs to create something like a floral dresswhich covered most of her body, leaving only the skin of her face, neck, collarbone, shoulders and upper arms visible. A collection of breathtaking roses grew along her now completed outfit.
"Woah, what's with the new clothes?!" Sorine enquired
"Clothes?" Evie smiled mischievously placing Sorine's palm on her chest, "You're touching my naked boobies right now, girlfriend!"
"Eh?!" Sorine yelled, pulling away slightly, "Wait, are you saying this is your skin.... don't tell me-"
"Yep," Evelynn interrupted her, standing upright as her strength returned, "This is my Nature Elemental Form... let's just say it's a bit different to most people's. Even I'm not sure why."
"So, you ARE a Deity Vessel after all," Ignatius remarked.
"Sure am," Evie confirmed.
"Since when?!" Sorine blurted out.
"I'm not sure myself. I only remembered I even got to this point not long ago," Evie answered.
"And how are you suddenly fine?!" Sorine pressed.
"By changing her body into herbs that naturally combat and neutralize the poison, she is able to function almost as if she wasn't exposed in the fist place," Ignatius explained, "I guess that means you recognized the contaminant, haven't you?"
"You're smart... that's what I did and yes, I know the poison. It's extremely concentrated and much more potent, however it bears striking resemblence to a scorpion's venom," Evelynn shot back.
"Correct. There's no point in dragging this on. You've reached heights I didn't think you already had. We should bring this battle to a close," Ignatius smirked, "Mythical Vessel: Scorpius!"
A/N - Things are getting heated. You won't want to miss the next chapter. Chapter 160 drops this Saturday!