Chapter 299: The end?

The force of my attack carried us both backward, crashing against the towering water wall that stood behind us. The impact sent a cascade of liquid fury crashing down upon us, engulfing us in a swirling torrent. Undeterred by the chaotic surroundings, I maintained my grip, my teeth sinking deeper into the creature's flesh.

"You're mine now," I growled inwardly, relishing the taste of victory that lingered on the horizon. My powerful muscles flexed, striving to maintain control over the beast, refusing to relent until he was utterly vanquished.

The Shade thrashed and writhed in a frenzy of desperate attacks, his claws and teeth seeking to find purchase on my eyes and face. Some of his relentless strikes managed to penetrate my defenses, causing a few scales to shatter and blood to flow. Yet, I remained resolute, my resolve unyielding in the face of pain and adversity.

My gaze turned cold, devoid of mercy or compassion, as I summoned my elemental mastery over water. With a commanding gesture, I commanded the colossal wave to surge forward, crashing upon the Shade's massive form. The water, once serene and tranquil, was now twisted and contorted, its gentle essence transformed into a torrent of razor-edged blades.

As the watery blades sliced and hacked at the Shade's body, I maintained my unrelenting grip, refusing to release my hold. My formidable claws dug deep into his limbs, locking them in place, as I exerted every ounce of my colossal strength. With a determined effort, I sought to tear the creature asunder, to rend his body in twain.

The clash between our forces intensified, a battle of wills and power. The Shade's desperate struggles were met with my unwavering resolve. Though the pain coursed through my veins and my blood spilled freely, I remained undeterred. I would not be swayed.

I would not relinquish my grasp until this monstrous foe lay defeated before me, broken and vanquished.

The bastard displayed an unnerving resilience to the onslaught of water blades. Despite the relentless slashing and hacking, his body remained surprisingly intact, as if he were impervious to the wounds inflicted upon him. A flicker of concern crossed my mind as I realized the extent of his formidable defense. My frown deepened, a testament to my growing frustration, for I had failed to rend his body asunder as intended.

A low, guttural growl rumbled deep within my throat, a primal sound of displeasure and determination. Adjusting the angle of my wings, I shifted my trajectory, descending swiftly towards the boundless expanse of the ocean, my domain, my source of strength.

With unyielding resolve, I dragged the beast along, unwilling to relinquish my grip. The ocean's vastness stretched out before us, its foaming waves crashing against the cliffs, awaiting our arrival. I was keenly aware that within the realm of the water, I held the advantage. The briny depths would be my ally, an ally the bastard would soon come to dread.

As we neared the surface of the ocean, my grip tightened further, my claws digging into the Shade's writhing form. With a sudden, powerful thrust of my wings, I plunged us beneath the tumultuous waves, the salty spray enveloping us in its embrace. In this aquatic realm, where my power was at its zenith, I intended to break the beast's defenses and claim ultimate victory.

The water, once again answered my call, surged and churned around us. It transformed into a tempestuous vortex, a maelstrom of elemental might.

The currents twisted and spiraled, their force growing in intensity. I aimed to unleash the full fury of the ocean upon the bastard, to overwhelm him with the sheer might of its relentless power.

The Shade's frantic struggles intensified, a last-ditch effort to escape his impending demise. Yet, his futile resistance merely accentuated the inevitable. With a swift and decisive motion, I tore through his torso, the sound of cracking bones resonating in the air. A surge of satisfaction welled within me, momentarily eclipsing the chaos of battle.

But my triumph was short-lived, for an unforeseen twist awaited me. The severed upper portion of the Shade's body, still clamped within my formidable jaws, contorted and writhed in a grotesque display. A surge of instinctual warning shot through my senses, jolting me with the realization that danger loomed near. Without a moment's hesitation, I expelled the repulsive mass from my mouth, the dark, amorphous blob of shadowy tentacles slithering away from my grasp.

A shudder coursed through my massive frame as I beheld the nightmarish sight before me. The Shade's upper body had undergone a grotesque transformation, morphing into a shapeless entity of writhing appendages, oozing darkness and malice. Its form lacked definition or coherence, an abomination that defied comprehension. The repulsion that emanated from it was palpable, causing a visceral reaction within me.

As the abomination writhed and pulsated, a twisted mockery of life, I braced myself for the impending clash, prepared to face the onslaught that I believed would inevitably come. Yet, to my astonishment, the clash never materialized. Instead, the abomination's upper body, now swollen and distended, exhibited signs of an impending cataclysm.

A chill coursed through my veins as the realization dawned upon me. The bastard was preparing to unleash a devastating explosion, a desperate ploy to buy himself precious moments to escape. My gaze, however, remained fixated on the lower portion of his body, which had undergone another transformation. It had assumed a humanoid shape akin to its previous form, albeit smaller in stature.

The Shade, in a cunning attempt to exploit the chaos, sought to exploit the imminent explosion to facilitate his retreat.

Time seemed to slow as I assessed the situation, calculating the risks and devising a plan. The imminent detonation threatened not only me but the surrounding area as well. I couldn't allow such devastation to be unleashed here. Not in the ocean, and not with all the water elements.

With a surge of determination, I channeled the depths of my soul space, harnessing the cosmic energy that coursed within. Reluctant as I was to unleash such immense power, the dire circumstances left me with no choice but to wield the might of the cosmos. Yet, an unsettling feeling of uncertainty lingered.

As I focused my concentration, an ethereal aura enveloped me, crackling with raw cosmic energy. The very fabric of reality seemed to respond to my call, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. With a silent prayer to the King, I hoped that the impending outcome would not mirror the cataclysmic consequences of my previous encounters.

Sensing my intent, the elemental forces aligned themselves with my purpose. Water, as if recognizing the imminent threat, surged and swirled around the grotesque amalgamation of dark flesh and writhing tentacles. A colossal vortex materialized, its aqueous embrace encircling the abomination.

In that precise moment, the vast expanse of the ocean itself seemed to yield to the manifestation of my cosmic powers. From the heavens above, a thread of ethereal cosmic mana descended, a celestial lifeline connecting this realm to the realm of the stars. It bore the weight of my intentions, surging with immeasurable potency as it locked onto its target—the Shade.

The convergence of water and cosmic energy wrought a transformation, shrouding the abomination in a blinding radiance. Yet, as swiftly as it had appeared, the malevolent presence simply vanished. In a blink of an eye, the entity dissolved into nothingness, leaving naught but an eerie silence in its wake...