42 Chapter 40: Anger, a Bigger Threat

It was an annoying issue to face: indestructible seeming bones clad in fire coming at her nearly instantaneously.

Naya had to adjust to give herself more room to dodge, which made her feel like she was on the losing end.

It was comedic.

She felt stronger than ever before, yet she was facing the strongest opponent of her life. It didn't help that she had a bubbling rage held within her.

[And she has two other doors.]

--Focus!--

Naya evaded to the left at that moment, narrowly dodging another burning strike.

All the time spent dodging allowed plenty of time to form a plan, if she could call it that.

She was frustratingly dodging every attack and trying to contain the burning rage. Her active thoughts were a good distraction from it. She wanted to rush over and rip Verala apart; even now, the Witch stared at her fight with nothing but a slight grin.

Thoughts on what sort of abominable magic was used on the Elven corpse made it challenging to keep her calm.

Amid yet another right-sode dodge, she realized something that showcased the necromancers' limited power.

The undead appeared to be very narrow-minded.

She wasn't using any other part of her body, nor was she doing anything other than throwing punches. Of course, those punches were plenty of a problem. However, the fight would have gone much differently if she had thrown in some other fancy movements, such as footwork or an instant spell.

Naya also realized she didn't have a good scale of Elven strength. On one hand, she can't imagine how powerful this Elf must have been alive. On the other, all Elves were insanely powerful.

A dodge to the left, another heat wave brushing against her cheek. 

[How did someone kill her? ]It only made her angrier; to see an Elven body being used at such a low state. 

--Focus, damn it! --Lia sounded exasperated.

A dodge to the right, like clockwork.

[I don't see any signs of injury in her body. I must not allow her to be destroyed.]

It wasn't lost on her that her mentality made the fight exceptionally more difficult.

Naya wanted to exploit the undead's lack of total body control. But the magic bone-guard seemed to happen automatically. Her shin already ached with every dodge, and the last thing she would do was break herself, trying to break the undead.

However, she wasn't completely passive either.

While dodging, Naya made sure to take light steps backward.

All she had to do was lead the undead to Sophia and have her capture the Elf in her portal.

Her steps back were inching because she didn't want to create any openings. Her dodges had to be precise to easily avoid the next blow: left, right, back, sometimes down. It was entirely random.

She also listened intently to the sounds behind her.

Rula's Morp was still happily swinging its massive hammer and caused a small explosion of stone whenever it landed on the ground. The actual impact noises seemed to be decreasing. That fight sounded like it was almost over.

As for Sophia, hers was already nearly done since there was no interruption to the long stream of undead running to their deaths.

She called it a plan, but it was such an embarrassment that she could feel her face might turn red any moment.

Naya didn't want to rely on anybody, but with the undead defense, she wasn't sure she could attack without utterly destroying the body. 

Sophia represented the perfect solution.

But of course, Naya wasn't able to complete her plan easily.

She heard the clattering of footsteps behind her.

--Verala is moving them to stop you!--

That was a problem.

She felt like she needed to return to the academy, forgetting basic principles in combat. Of course, the enemy wouldn't wait for her to make a move. It wasn't a problem; it was just another layer added to her mounting anger.

A dodged blow to the right side of her head; this time, Naya jumped back and fell. She came up with this idea because of what happened in Carla's tower. Her failed shield had exploded and launched her away. 

A blast of purple Arcana exploded from the ground beneath her. Stone shattered, and it sent her propelling into the air. The same type of usage Lia had done to save her from her own folly.

As expected, the undead Elf followed right after. 

Her physical strength was ridiculous, but Naya was almost at the ceiling of the chambers with how much force she mustered.

--That was stupidly dangerous!--

[Stop your annoying commentary, and be helpful.] 

If Naya couldn't detect the concern in Lia's voice, she'd have lashed out at her way more violently.

The undead Elf wasn't able to launch as high as Naya did, but it didn't stop her from attacking.

She pointed her arms at Naya as she fell, and balls of condensed flames formed in her palms.

Naya raised her hand, angled it, and launched another purple explosion.

It launched her diagonally so she easily dodged the flames, but the force was difficult to control, and she felt herself plummeting to the floor.

An instant decision, she pointed both her hands down.

Lia picked up her thoughts, and Naya felt herself lose control of her left arm.

A foreign tug on her Arcana.

Naya used her side to summon a ball of condensed Wild Arcana before creating a soft shell to contain it.

She launched it, and immediately after, her right hand blasted Arcana to counteract the downward plummet. The force was so precise Naya couldn't help but be impressed. Lia's control was better than hers, even though it hurt her pride to admit.

An explosion shook the chambers, stone and dust flew into the air, and a purple shockwave rippled through the area.

It may have been a bit much for the few soldiers coming after her; no trace remained aside from the few bone shards that flew upward.

With a soft tap, Naya landed gracefully moments later. She was inside another crater caused by her own handiwork.

It all happened in a mere few seconds.

She smirked at her own power.

However, her face became grave a moment later. A purple flower rested in the middle of the crater, and two more from where she had launched.

[I don't like what this means.]

--We will have plenty of time to explore it later; eyes up.--

An indiscriminate barrage of fireballs aimed around her location.

Explosions rang in the chambers, one after the other; flames rose into the air and sent hot shockwaves around her.

Naya easily dodged all of them with an explosive side-step. 

The undead Elf landed and immediately launched into a flurry of blows aimed at Naya's head.

Another series of dodging from left to right, but Naya wasn't worried anymore.

Soft footsteps from behind her, but this time something different. The graceful, unhurried steps of boots against stone. Sophia was finished.

"You guys are going so fast, I can't even see much outside of blurs of orange and purple." Sophia mused and lightly chuckled. "It's beautiful, but I get your intent."

A moment later, everything stopped.

It was so sudden it stunned Naya.

A dodge to the right again, a minor heatwave against her cheek.

Then there was nothing; she nearly snapped her head to the left on reflex alone to dodge what she expected to come.

But there was nothing.

A black oval shape nearly touched her nose, one the undead Elf tried to punch through as if it were a wall.

It closed a second later.

She disappeared so quickly and without any fanfare; it was almost unreal.

--Such a ridiculous power... So unfair.--

"Don't be too surprised." Sophia put her hand on Naya's shoulder, though her eyes were concerned with Naya's wounded leg. "It seems cool, but it only works because undead don't have an aura or will of their own."

As she spoke, she squatted down and lifted the leg of Naya's pants.

Naya felt a furious blush rise to her cheeks, and her ears nearly went crazy.

However, it vanished a moment later when her reflexive snap away led to a hissing pain.

Sophia opened her mouth but closed it right away. She likely knew not to take too much advantage of the moment.

Her face was still one of concern despite Naya being more embarrassed than she ever had been before.

That only made her heart speed up a little more for some reason.

"I saw your leg a little wobbly. Are you alright?"

"You- your concern is unnecessary." Naya took a calming breath.

She pulled her pant leg back down.

She felt stupid getting embarrassed over it, but she hadn't ever shown her bare skin to anyone before.

Sophia stood up and dusted off her pants. Her smile returned. "I'm happy to hear you say that, but tell me. Why didn't you just destroy the Elven corpse?"

That wiped any embarrassment from her face and perked her ears back up. The fight was over now, and her rage came bursting back.

"She desecrated an Elven body; she will suffer." Her voice was low, and her face twisted into a scowl.

"She desecrated all kinds of bodies, Naya." 

Naya shook her head. "It's not the same."

"Why not?"

"Silence, human!" Naya glared at Sophia and then snapped toward the altar. "I don't need to argue with you here!"

--She's---

[Shut up! I am not stupid.]

She began walking forward again, slowly. A repeat of the earlier events; she wanted nothing more than to tear Verala apart.

Verala was swinging her legs like a child, still with a seemingly never-fading smile on her beautiful face.

"That's so unfair, but thanks for telling me how that ability works." Verala's voice carried a slight mocking edge.

"And you think you can do something about it?" Sophia had followed along with Naya, standing at her side.

Naya was conflicted. Sophia's lack of anger toward her only made her feel like a child throwing a tantrum. 

"It's not good to broadcast how your ability works." She took on a lecturing tone as if she were their masters. 

"I'm a little arrogant sometimes; I don't think you can stop us, Witch." 

Metal slammed into the stone to Naya's left, and she turned to see Rula gallantly riding on the shoulders of Morp.

"Very easy!" Rula shouted arrogantly, pointedly looking down on Verala.

Verala sighed and shook her head in self-pity. "I should get the corpse of a giant next time."

"Where did you get the Elven corpse?" Naya asked her tone ice cold.

"A girl has to keep- GAH."

Naya's hand was suddenly gripped tightly around Verala's throat.

That attitude made the whole encounter much more annoying. The desecration of an Elven body was treated as if it were a children's game. It only sparked a greater wildfire in Naya's heart.

"Human, I will squeeze the air from your fragile lungs if you don't answer my question!"

--Stop it, you stupid Elf, you'll snap her neck! Her body is far more fragile than you realize!--

Naya loosened only slightly but lifted Verala's body effortlessly into the air.

Yet even despite the gagged struggle for air, the at-peace expression didn't seem to want to go away.

Naya almost snapped her neck right then, and the control to not was astounding.

"Let her down, Naya!" Sophia shouted.

Verala's legs kicked, her other hand frantically slamming against Naya's arms.

Naya smirked and let go. "Fragile, weak. Without the Devil's power, you are nothing, human."

A slap rang out, and a stinging pain on the back of Naya's head forced her to snap backward.

The coughs and deep gasps for air beneath her suddenly seemed distant.

Naya stared at Sophia with eyes as widened as saucers.

"You-" Naya brought her hand to the back of her head in disbelief. "You struck me."

However, her anger vanished into the winds when she caught Sophia's glare. Those golden eyes showed no hatred or horror, just pure disappointment.

It was a look she had only seen once before.

That was the same look her Mother had when she got into a scuffle with Soralan. Years ago, Soralan had crossed the line by insulting her Mother, and Naya had nearly killed her. The rage blinded her control over her strength.

A whirlwind of thoughts flooded her mind. 

Did she actually kill Soralan? Did she get into a fit of rage and forget to stop? She didn't usually get that mad. But after everything she was learning, she felt like the world was messing with her. To see one of her own race being puppeted by a human, she just felt it erupt all at once. 

But it was the attitude. Verala behaved almost mirrored of Soralan as if nothing they did was that big of a deal, and Naya was overreacting. It infuriated her to be egged on only for the aggrevator to act as they did. The coy tone before Naya choked her made her snap.

It wasn't like her anger was uncontrollable. She handled it pretty well throughout her fight and even had some fun in it. But once it calmed down, the rage surged like a dam had shattered and let in the raging water.

Naya shook her head, and her ears drooped.

"Are-are you okay?" Rula asked from her perch.

"I'm sorry, Naya." Sophia's glare vanished entirely, replaced by an almost motherly smile. "But I can't see you live up to the legends."

The legends that Elves were murderous monsters.

Naya felt her ears droop more. Wasn't it just a couple days ago she agreed to present a better image to the world? Yet, just seeing an Elven body enraged her. 

"I apol- I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Sophia reached her hand out and rubbed Naya's head gently.

That nearly brought a tear to her eyes.

It was almost the exact same sequence of events from when she was a child. Her Mother had done the same thing after Naya apologized.

--She's moving. --Lia's tone was low and had a hint of jealousy.

Verala was now sitting on the steps again, though slightly further up from Naya.

"You should really learn how to treat a lady."

Naya took a deep breath; the anger threatened to return. It was the tone that was what seemed to set her off.

"Tell me where you got the Elf," Naya asked again.

Verala stared blankly at Naya for a moment, and the marks on her neck made Naya's heart fill with shame.

She wasn't like that; she didn't torture her enemies physically. Maybe psychologically, but never in pain.

Naya pushed those thoughts down and kept her slight glare.

"Okay." Verala nodded, then her smirk returned.

"That's it?" Sophia asked in shock.

"I'm ready for anything!" Rula pumped her fist. It was cute how she tried to keep her trepidation from showing in her voice.

Morp slammed the bottom of its hammer into the ground.

"Of course not." Verala giggled and stood, rubbing her neck. She didn't move up, though, likely because she knew Naya would instantly lash out.

Naya pulled on her Arcana, keeping it a moment away from firing.

"You misunderstand the purpose of this energy..." Verala gestured to the ceiling, though only Sophia could see it. "In fact, even the Devil didn't want it. No, it has a much greater purpose."

Sophia's face fell.

--That can only mean she is using it for another being. What in the hell could she possibly have---

"I think this should kill at least one of you." Verala clapped once. 

Naya was about to instantly go and kill her, but she froze.

The center door, which was the longest one, snapped open, and they exploded with such force that they snapped off their hinges and flung all the way to the start of the chambers. A loud bang as they collided with the walls and fell to the stone floor.

Time seemed to pause. 

Sophia had her eyes shut tightly as if looking caused them pain.

Naya couldn't see it, couldn't hear, and couldn't smell it.

But she could sense it.

The air quivered with unimaginable force, an indomitable presence transcending mortal comprehension.

It was as if the fabric of reality itself strained under the weight of whatever was behind those doors. A colossus of power and malevolence that shattered the boundaries of mortal understanding. Every instinct Naya had screamed.

Not because it seemed too powerful but because that's what the presence demanded: total compliance. A presence of not a mere king but of a god in their church.

It was like a darkness that eclipsed all hope and reason, an entity that seemed to defy the very laws of existence. 

Her purple lines roared to life, making her shine like a purple torch. Her eyes glowed so brightly they seemed to further light the area.

"This is why I can't leave Rozen."