Rite of Passage III

A black monstrous insect rested leisurely on top of a bed of pure white bones of all types, shapes and sizes. Extending from the monster's head were two thin yet long antennae, a pair of razor sharp scimitar like forelegs together with two pairs of supporting legs as on its back it boasted a pair of delicate white wings.

Its green eyes massive as they were the same size as a football, this monster being one of this dungeons boss monsters the Dark Mantis Queen.

Coming within its sight simultaneously from its left and right were two humans, a male and female. A puzzled expression appeared on its horrendous face.

How did these two ants appear here.

Isn't the aura radiating from it a powerful warning.

Or are they scared as hell that they went crazy!?

Yes! That must be it.

The Dark Mantis Queen's lips twisted forming into a half smile shaking its head ignoring the two 'ants' as today it was in a good mood. She had found an extremely powerful crystal black dagger that she was currently studying in attempts to make it its own.

It couldn't be bothered with the two ants in its lair.

They were as good as dead as far as it was concerned.

Vlad entering from the right side of the monster's den saw the cynical expression of the monster and felt a bit weird. This feeling mutual to the person entering at the same time as him from the left side of the den.

She had an exquisitely supple curvaceous body that fully filled her tight black plants. Short brown hair sat on top of her oval shaped face delicately detailed with fine eyelashes, a dainty nose and her sensuous lips. Her beauty radiating an ice chilling cold that seemed to permeate from her bones.

She was what people would call an ice beauty.

Whilst Vlad scrutinized her she was doing the same to him.

From head to toe came to her view his waist length dazzling silver hair freely dangling from his head matching with his flawlessly pale complexion, a pair of piercing blood red eyes and unique elf like ears. Coupled with the gentleman suite he wore he looked devilishly handsome.

Despite appreciating each other's good looks they both found out one thing about each other.

'She is powerful.'

'He is powerful.'

Thus bringing about a sense of tension in the air between the two of them, with each party becoming extremely cautious of the other. With the boss monster in front of them they knew that whoever made the first move against it would end up losing since they would expend a large amount of energy to defeat it leaving them vulnerable and unable to endure another fight.

They would have won the battle but lost the war.

Frowningly Vlad spoke," It is quite evident that we are both wary of each other therefore I present to you two possible solutions."

"One. Either one of us abandons this boss monster and goes for the second one. Two. We work together to kill this monster, obtain that dagger and rush towards the second location together as according to my calculations we would probably meet that person there."

"Since we are both here the second option is quite suitable for the both of us. Would you like to join forces?" questioned Vlad.

She silently observed Vlad for a full minute before she bobbing her head in agreement.

"My name is Vlad glad to make your acquaintance."

"Echo."

Gazing towards each other a silent agreement was reached as Vlad and Echo released their powerful aura's and their killing intents greatly disturbing the Dark Mantis Queen. Sensing the threat to its life from the two ants it had disregarded earlier anger bubbled inside it.

SHRIEK!

Rising from the bed of bones its green eyes cold and filled with wrath, a horrendous aura surging from it. Its pair of wings fluttering as it started hovering slightly above the ground.

"Don't let it fly" shouted Vlad.

His whole figure being enveloped in maddening waves of blood essence energy darting straight towards the monster. 

Seeing the two ants fearlessly charging towards it the Dark Mantis Queen swept to the ground its legs furiously stomping onto the ground.

[Shadow Piercing]

A vibration passed through the earth as immediately the forest tree shadows coalesced and grew into threateningly sharp pointed thorns shooting straight towards Vlad and Echo.

Echo sprung to the air elegantly avoiding the one directional attack continuing unfazed by the monster's attack.

From his hand Vlad formed a powerful scythe swinging it towards the monster's attack.

SHRIEK!

Mana relentlessly surged into the Dark Mantis Queens scimitar shaped forelegs as they begun to shine a lustrous red its forelegs became coated black. 

[Mountain Cleaving Strikes]

Its upper body like a bow string stretched backwards to its limit.

PANG!

The Dark Mantis Queen's body forcefully jerked forward its forelegs unleashing C-shaped eighteen swift and powerful attacks towards Echo's flying figure. The attacks came from all side boxing her in not even leaving room for her to escape.

Its eyes mockingly looking at Echo only to be irritated by her nonchalant expression.

[Spatial Queen: Void Teleport]

Echo activated her talent as she vanished from place as the attacks that were supposed to shred her into pieces hit nothing destroying the forest trees behind.

The Dark Mantis Queen's eyes squished together in confusion, its eyes glancing around searching for her yet she was nowhere to be found. Its danger senses rang madly waning of impending doom, as it hastily flapped its wings to escape.

But it was too late.

Echo appeared from the void on top of the Dark Mantis Queen landing accurately at its wings. Her hands swinging two blue daggers flashing brilliant with extremely sharp energy.

[Spatial Queen: Void Strike]

She mercilessly thrusted downward.

SQUELCH!

A resounding sound of skin being pierced rang out, Echo effortlessly twisting the daggers inside the monster's body before ripping out the monster's wings from its body. Its weight pulling it downwards as it ruthlessly crashed onto the ground.

SCREEIH!

The Dark Mantis Queen howled out in pain rigorously squirming and writhing in pain shaking off Echo from its back. The hairs on its neck lifting, its body freezing while looking at the massive scythe slicing towards its neck.

A calculating light gleam flashed in Vlad's eyes watching closely as Echo utilised her talent escaping the life threatening bind she was in and countering powerfully against the boss monster.

'A chance! If I can successfully deliver a killer blow with the next move atleast I would retain some of my hidden cards.'

Grasping the opportunity Vlad poured out all of his blood essence energy into the scythe in his hand. The scythe growing much more powerful and huge the more energy was channelled into it.

Reaching his limit Vlad swung the huge scythe with all his might slicing towards the Dark Mantis Queens neck.

Vlad cleaved downward.

The Dark Mantis Queen's eyes squinted as the humungous scythe drew closer and closer to it yet its body couldn't move. Its blood pressure rising with each passing moment, the pounding of its heart growing louder by the second.

Fear gripped at its heart.

Anger raged within it.

It was reluctant.

Using all its raging emotions as fuel it pushed itself to its utmost limit as it channelled all its strength to atleast move. 

RIP!

Vlad's attack connected with the monster's yet instead of its head being cut off from its body the Dark Mantis Queen body managed to sway to the side resulting in its foreleg being torn off instead.

Its green blood plastering and splashing onto the ground below.

[Shadow Walk]

The Dark Mantis Queen's body perked up as immediately it shot straight towards the shadows with its whole body vanishing into them.

[Spatial Queen: Void Shrou--]

Vlad and Echo both adopted stern expressions as they probingly searched for its whereabouts. Seconds passed with them unable to find the monster, Echo intuitively attempted to hide in the void but a powerful explosive force sent her flying. 

[Explosive Dark Bombs]!

Appearing out of the shadow of a tree the Dark Mantis Queen released condensed explosive balls of energy from its mouth shooting it at Echo. Unable to escape the explosive force, she was sent her flying with her back nearly burnt to a crisp.

Tumbling and rolling from the ground Echo used the resultant force from the blast to escape into the void with blood dripping from his mouth.

[Spatial Queen: Void Shroud]

The explosive force from the dark bombs destroyed ten meters of land Echo was located at before the Dark Mantis Queen shifted into another shadow as continuous barrages of potent bombs hurling from its mouth as its body shifted from shadow to shadow.

The monster was completely enraged as it wanted nothing more than to burn the two humans before it alive.

Vlad suffered too under the continuous bombardments as on his skin boils and blistered formed. His whole suit burnt and tattered.

His face contorted in anger as there was one thing that Vlad hated the most in his life and that was dirt. Disgusted by his embarrassing visage he no longer held back.

[Monarchial Blood Manipulation: Blood World]

With Vlad at the center an explosive storm of blood stormed out covering an area of a hundred meters. This area of surging blood waves becoming his domain where he was King!

[Blood Domain: Blood Bind], [Blood Domain: Purging Rain of Blood]

Dual casting his powerful abilities Vlad enveloped the whole area around him becoming his to command. The Dark Mantis Queen being expelled from the fading shadows.

Before she could escape thousands of chains extended from the ground locking her in place.

Waving his hand at the despairing Dark Mantis Queen Vlad's hand dropped signalling the fall of a dangerous blood rain. 

SCHREEIK!

But to the monster this wasn't no rain.

It was purgatory.

The rain of blood violently thrashed into the Dark Mantis Queen's body and at the speed that these projectiles of blood fell at it became riddled with holes before falling down listlessly the shine on its eyes extinguished.

The Dark Mantis Queen dead!