Fenrir

After minutes of Melee skirmish, The fallen angel's shield managed to block every sword swipe and punches from the behemoth of a werewolf. Yet every time she would feel Vicious' blow to be stronger than her last.

Yulia thrust her sword, ascending into the werewolf's heart, only for Vicious to dauntlessly catch the blade with her bare hand.

Yulia heated up her blade, forcing Vicious to let go. Once free, the fiery wings on Yulia's back grew in intensity before she took the sky.

From high up in the air, Yulia's sword aimed to obliterate, a beam of hellfire scorched Vicious. Surely Vicious can't survive that, right?

The rest of the party stood in shock as Vicious' regeneration kicked in while she was being scorched alive.

Yulia ceased her stream of flames, her mana already at half. The tiefling clicked her tongue in annoyance. Vicious was not of Yulia's kind, what was causing her to regenerate? Although Vicious' released streaks of smoke, her healing factor made it seem like not a single fur on her body was harmed by what Yulia considered to be one of her deadliest attacks. Should she use her Aeon? No, the risk of harming her friends was too great to ignore.

Yulia came back to where her party was huddled, the fallen angel landed extinguishing her flames as she landed. The tiefling asked what they had observed about the werewolf who was haughtily standing in the distance. Vicious was so confident that nothing but death awaits them, she let them do their little huddle.

"Yulia, your strength increases as you transform into a fallen angel, right?" Shatter sound questioned, deeply invested in uncovering the knowledge that will allow them to end her clan's murderer.

"Yes, basically."

"Then who would be stronger in terms of power between you and Ellamir?"

"Ellamir, no questions asked."

Yulia wholeheartedly admitted that she was bested in terms of might alone, the tiefling went toe-to-toe with queen Zorla and she turned out to be as powerful as she is wicked, each of her punches carried enough force to make Yulia feel like her shield would collapse. And the apple doesn't fall that far from the tree based on what she had observed when Ellamir fought her mother.

"How was it when you engaged her in close combat?"

"She was strong, but she didn't display the same kind of strength as Queen Zorla."

Ellamir knit her brow. She was pissed off, and not simply because her mother was mentioned.

"That's impossible! That damned mutt overpowered me!" Ellamir raised her tone.

"Are you sure? Because you and your mother should be a hell of a lot stronger than that werewolf, speaking from experience here."

Suddenly, they saw Vicious pointing her index finger at Ellamir, grinning as if she was a hyena. Vicious' thumb then swept horizontally across her neck, followed by a thumbs down.

It was the highest form of disrespect that one without the ability of speech could muster. A universal, 'Come here, engage me and I'll gladly put you six-feet under.' gesture.

Ellamir was close to popping a vein. She might have been overpowered earlier but that doesn't mean Ellamir would cower before the mutt. It was time for round two.

In the blink of an eye, Ellamir donned her colossal drider form once more.

"Hey…"

As Ellamir was about to meet the werewolf head on, Ellamir heard Antani call out. Ellamir turned around.

"...Kick her ass, for me, won't you?"

"With pleasure." Ellamir grinned.

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The two titans' hands crashed and locked, aiming to settle once and for all who was stronger.

One thing is for sure, since Antani was watching, there is no way in hell that Ellamir would allow herself to lose.

They started dead even, which was already merit enough for Vicious since she was facing off with a might bestowed by a Goddess.

Underneath her helm, Ellamir's face contorted in stupefaction. Ellamir's hold inched backwards. Vicious was starting to overpower her yet again! Impossible!

"GYAAAAAAAH!"

Summoning every ounce of strength at her disposal, Ellamir shouted as she pushed back. Ellamir would not be shamed as her other half was observing their bout. Now it was Vicious' turn to be taken aback.

Vicious' usual stoic demeanor was in complete opposition as she battled, her snout had taken a rascal's grin. The earnest creed of being the strongest inside her soul set every fiber of muscles alight. In response to Ellamir's monstrous strength, Vicious' Aeon called forth a might akin to the legendary wolf, Fenrir.

Meanwhile, those watching couldn't believe what they were seeing, Ellamir was actually being driven back.

Worry stirred within Antani, she squinted. Antani knows how much of a massive blow to her lover's pride this will be. Antani wanted to charge forth, yet she would not taint Ellamir's pride furthermore. She would wait for their duel to reach its end, Ellamir would finish it like the warrior that she is. And even if Ellamir was defeated, Antani would not think any less of her.

After observing their battle, Yulia suddenly lit up, "I get it now. If I'm correct, that's one pretty nasty Aeon she has."

"What is it?" Antani asked.

"My theory is that Vicious' Aeon raises her strength to exceed her enemy's. The trigger is the red moon above."

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All eight of Ellamir's legs were forced to bend before Vicious' might. Vicious lorded over Ellamir as she emerged the victor.

Vicious taut her right knee back, she then released it, hitting Ellamir's mug with tremendous force that broke her impenetrable helm. As her darkness shattered, the concussion she suffered dissipated her drider armor.

"ELLAAAMIIIIR!"

With a shout brimming with concern, Antani dashed while augmenting her whole body with mana, but this time she burned all of her reserve at once. It was a technique she had been saving up for her upcoming battle against her sister, but she'll be damned if she would Vicious touch even a single strand of Ellamir's hair.

Like an azure comet, Antani dashed with mana leaking from her skin, she blazed across the battlefield clad in a blue aura.

Vicious met Antani's charge head on, she had predicted Antani's course and welcomed the Amazon with a claw straight into her face.

Antani eveaded by jumping, and using Vicous' outstretched hand as a springboard, Antani launched herself and beheaded Vicious with a quick mana infused slash.

Vicious' headless body stumbled backwards, trying to evade Antani's ferocious assault.

Canine skull sprouted from the stump of Vicious' neck, next came the muscle tissues, and finally, her skin grew alongside her fur.

Vicious' recovery from her unlife was once again threatened by Antani's ferocious swordplay about to have at her neck once more. And although she's just going to regenerate, being beheaded was once of the most dreadful experiences she's ever had. It felt like the word itself was a void, nothing but unending darkness swallowed her senses.

"GROAAAAAAAH!"

Releasing an ear shattering roar befitting an overlord of beasts, Vicious' primal shout manifested as a shockwave of air that blew Antani away.

Stefano's hand held Ellamir's unconscious head as she laid on the floor, enveloped by an orange healing light, Ellamir opened her eyes to the sight of Antani's worried face.

"Ellamir, are you alright!?"

"You're the first one I saw after waking up, I'm doing great."

"You dumbass." Antani softly smiled. If her lover could joke around like that, she's fine.

"If you two start flirting right now I swear I'm gonna bash you both with my shield." Yulia reprimanded.

Antani held out her hand for Ellamir to grab, the dark elf took the side of her comrades who were staring at the werewolf from afar who's also trying to catch a moment of respite.

As Antani drank a mana potion that Stefano handed out, Yulia explained the nature of Vicious' Aeon.

The werewolf was technically the worst opponent Ellamir could possibly face.

Meanwhile, Vicious mentally noted how many times she had died so far. 43. Now, she only had 77 souls left inside her philosopher's tone embedded on the side of her heart. That Amazon alongside the tiefling would spell the end of her if their fight raged on. It didn't help that the mermaid's rune cannons can easily snuff out a soul from her with a single hit.

Nonetheless, Vicious must press on, for Melsa, for her dream.

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Team Valhalla glanced at Vicious, their hearts and eyes burned with resolve. Now that secret to the werewolf's Aeon is laid bare, they can now bring their all against her. There's still the matter of her otherworldly regeneration, but that too, must draw from a source. It is now a battle of attrition, will their combined might give in first or whatever it is that is enabling her regeneration?

Vicious had given them quite the challenge, but now it was they would to only turn the table, but also smash it on her head.

"Why don't we wrap this up, are you all ready?" Yulia poised as she was about to lead their all out charge.

"Let's do this." Antani tossed the empty potion bottle aside.

"About fucking time we end that overgrown bitch." Ellamir donned her drider armor once more.

Shatter sound howled in accordance.

"Ready now!" Gloria's rune cannons are ready to provide support from afar. The devastating kind.

"If anyone needs healing, just uh, just rush back here." Stefano contributed.

Meeting their resolve head on, Vicious howled at the red moonlight above.

Ellamir engaged Vicious in melee once more, one might attribute this act to her hardheadedness but if there's one thing she liked about having friends, it's the fact they're there for you to rely upon.

Antani and Yulia flanked Vicious to the side. Delivering a slash to the back of each of her knees, but Vicious' tenacity won't allow her to fall just because of that, before her healing factor could kick in, Yulia smashed her shield into the wound while did the same with her sword.

With the colossal werewolf down on her knees, Ellamir spared Vicious a pitiful downward glance. Ellamir knew that she had to withdraw, that her own strength might be used to lay waste to her comrades. But not before leaving Vicious with a parting gift.

Ellamir's soul trembled. Her hands faced each other while in front of her chest. Her drider armor left her skin, forming into a regal sword made from darkness, made from Ellamir's love.

A dark light shot forth, Ellamir's aeon impaled the head of Vicious, making her stand and thrash from the agony.

Ellamir saw Shatter sound mid charge, as she was about to grab her Aeon.

"Shatter sound, no! Don't grab that sword!"

Not heeding Ellamir's warning, Shatter sound used her powerful legs to grab it and sliced Vicious' skull wide open.

As soon her feet landed, Shatter sound's hand was racked with pain as countless shadow spikes protruded from the sword's hilt.

The sword fell to the ground. Powerful but obstinate, it would reject anyone who isn't its master…

Antani picked it up without hesitation. The Amazon's heart danced with elation, her grip tightened. She could finally go all out with Ellamir's Aeon.

…Antani, of course, is the only exception. After all, the sword was conjured with her in mind.

While Ellamir stood next to Stefano, the cleric tried to engage in small talk. He was happy for once that he's not the only one on the sidelines this time.

"So, uh, that's a very sharp sword you got. You could say that…it's a cut above the rest!"

Ellamir watched with pride from afar as her lover's relentless swordplay pushed Vicious back. With her Aeon in her lover's hand, Antani's movement turned her into a whirlwind of blades that rained cuts after cuts on the poor werewolf.

Naturally, her focus being broken by Stefano was not something she appreciated.

"Stefano…"

"Yes!?"

"...Shut up."

Ellamir felt no remorse, Stefano deserved it for that horrible pun alone.

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