Chapter 26
Despite the earth trembling under the monster's sheer weight, despite the crackling frost that crawled up his boots, Ash found himself smiling, an involuntary grin spreading across his face as excitement blossomed inside him. His mana surged and refused to let fear take root, replacing it with a deep hunger for battle.
"I'll take care of it. You make sure they stop appearing," the Ancient One said without hesitation, her voice like iron. Ash simply nodded, and with a graceful wave of her hand, she opened a mirror-like fracture in the air, shoving Ash into a shimmering reflection of reality where the ground twisted and the sky shifted like an oil painting, trapping him safely away. Left alone, the Ancient One faced the beast, her stance steady as the world around them groaned under the crushing pressure of the creature's presence.
The beast struck first, its massive trunk lurching forward, releasing a blast of chilling snow that raced toward the Ancient One, instantly freezing the grass and earth in its path. The Ancient One responded by spinning her hands in intricate circles, golden Eldritch shields forming in a heartbeat, each one layering over the next like flower petals.
The frozen breath smashed against the barriers, fracturing them with loud, crystalline cracks, but she held firm, skidding a mere inch back on the ice-coated ground. With a flick of her wrist, she retaliated, conjuring fiery mandalas in the air and launching a volley of blazing energy disks that cut through the mist, striking the beast's armored hide with explosive force. Smoke and sparks flew, but the creature barely flinched, the brown plates absorbing the majority of the impact, leaving only faint scorch marks.
The world continued to crack and moan under the monster's charge, each thunderous step causing fissures to split open in the frozen ground. It lowered its head, tusks gleaming, and charged like a living avalanche, intending to crush her outright. The Ancient One stood still until the very last moment, then twisted reality itself; the ground beneath her curved and tilted, causing the beast to stumble slightly as she floated upward effortlessly.
She drew circles in the air, lines of golden light stitching together complex patterns, and from above, summoned down massive chains made of Eldritch fire, latching onto the creature's legs and shoulders. The beast roared, the sound shaking the trees in the distance and sending flocks of frozen birds fleeing into the sky.
It thrashed violently, pulling against the chains, and the Ancient One strained slightly, her hands trembling with effort as she fed more magic into the bindings. The ground beneath her cracked further, forming a spiderweb of shattered ice and rock. The beast managed to rip one of its legs free with sheer brute force, the broken chain whipping through the air and narrowly missing her head.
It spun, its massive trunk whipping out like a mace, smashing into a hastily summoned shield that cracked like glass under the sheer power. The Ancient One was pushed back, her feet skimming across the frozen field, but she never fell; her balance was flawless, honed over centuries of battle.
She countered with a devastating spell, plunging her hands into the ground and causing the very earth to ripple like water. A great wave of sharpened ice and stone surged upward from beneath the creature, slamming into its underside and forcing it onto its hind legs with a bellow of rage.
The creature inhaled sharply, and with a furious trumpet, unleashed a whirling vortex of snow from its trunk, trying to pull her in. The Ancient One skated along the swirling ground with practiced ease, carving portals mid-air to teleport short distances and dodge the pull, her golden afterimages flickering like embers.
The environment grew more hostile, with blizzards forming unnaturally fast and frostbite-inducing winds cutting through the broken battlefield. Yet despite the harshness, despite the monster's overwhelming size and strength, the Ancient One showed no fear, no hesitation. She had seen worse. She had fought worse. And she knew: this was not where her story ended.
The massive beast shifted, the ground groaning under its immense weight as it took a step forward. Ash's heartbeat quickened. The air grew heavier, thick with the scent of earth and frost as the creature's eyes glinted with an unnerving malevolence.
The Ancient One's calm demeanor remained unshaken, her gaze steady as she observed the creature, her hands raised in a defensive stance as arcane symbols swirled around her. Ash, on the other hand, remained still, watching the scene unfold with a mix of excitement and dread, the mana around him crackling like static.
With a deafening bellow, the creature lunged, its colossal trunk slamming down toward the ground. Snow erupted from its nose, shooting forward in an icy blast meant to freeze anything in its path. The Ancient One reacted instantly, her fingers tracing an intricate symbol in the air. A burst of fiery Eldritch magic materialized before her,
a shield of fiery energy that absorbed the snowstorm, dissipating it with a violent hiss. The ground beneath her cracked, but she stood firm, undeterred by the force. The creature's tusks arced toward her, aiming to impale.
In a flash of movement, the Ancient One stepped to the side, her form a blur as she dodged the attack with practiced precision. Her hands weaved through the air, summoning another surge of energy that manifested into a swirling vortex of flame and energy.
The creature recoiled, its thick hide resisting the full force of the magic, but the shockwave from the blast pushed it back. Ash's eyes widened, the display of power both mesmerizing and terrifying.
The creature, enraged by the failed attack, stomped its massive feet, sending shockwaves through the ground. Its trunk whipped through the air, a blur of icy fury. The Ancient One, knowing the magnitude of the threat before her, summoned more Eldritch magic, this time crafting a series of fiery fans that she swung with deadly precision.
Each strike of the fans sent waves of flame toward the creature, but the beast's thick fur and armor-like plating absorbed much of the impact. Its eyes glinted with malice as it surged forward once again, a monstrous roar tearing through the air. Ash could feel the pressure mounting, the fight pushing the limits of both his power and the Ancient One's strength.
The Ancient One wasn't phased. She used the creature's momentum against it, stepping into its path and thrusting her hands forward, creating a burst of energy that sent the beast flying back. Its massive frame crashed into the ground with a ground-shaking thud.
But it quickly rose, unfazed, its body brimming with raw power. Ash took a step back, realizing that this battle wasn't about strength alone—it was a test of endurance, speed, and the ability to outmaneuver the impossible. The Ancient One wasn't backing down. Neither was the creature. The battle had only just begun.