Overwhelming Defeat

The group charged into the onslaught of this weird-looking thorn vine, killing the soldiers that had been drained of energy and any form of defense.

A couple of arrows covered in green glowing energy shot out of Ariande's bow, exploding on impact once they touched the thorn vine, giving those targeted by the vine time to escape.

But unfortunately for her, despite her skill and swift moves, once she successfully took out one vine, two more sprouted up, taking its place and catching anyone off guard by its sudden emergence.

She was frustrated fighting this kind of battle, as she had to be conscious of her environment not to get trapped by the ever-moving vines as if they had a mind of their own.

Kicking off a vine wanting to entangle her while firing on a few others that shot at her from behind, she distanced herself from the encirclement the vine had pushed her into.

Now that she got a few seconds to catch a breather, she found the others were still suffering the same fate as her, struggling with the vines.

Hanyoko and Jhaelwyn had both taken to the air, fighting an aerial battle with the vines that kept coming at them non-stop.

A heavy tremor revealed Urog in his giant form, smashing and tearing off the vines that had crawled all over his body, attempting to strangle him.

His battle was like King Kong fighting over living, man-eating vines. Vyraghast, on his end, was raining fire breath on every vine that came close, as he had taken a partial dragon form with dragon wings sprouting out of his back, which he used to take flight, evading close call attacks while his sword kept hacking on the vines non-stop.

"We can't continue like this; it's hopeless," Osadra shouted from his end, slicing off many vines with a whirl of wind blade.

The others did a tactic retreat and regroup, watching helplessly as what remained of the soldiers were picked off like chicks before a furious hawk.

Jhaelwyn's eyes were spitting flame when she saw her people killed like ants before her. The look of help that shot her pinged her heart, but she too was caught up in her battle as it seemed the vines focused on them more than the others around.

"We have to take out that bastard; he is the one controlling the vines. Fighting the vine is just wasting our energy," Kalen spoke with a serious tone as he used his huge mace to divide a vine that shot at him.

The others needed no more explanation to get the drill; kill the alpha, and the pack scatters. With that thought, they all charged toward Umbra at once.

Umbra, on the other hand, had a raised brow when he saw they had decided to change tactics. "Was wondering when you would grow up," he said playfully as a bright smile arched on his face, at the same time the gravity around him underwent a drastic change.

The gravitational force around him increased, placing a huge weight on the shoulders of the charging leaders. They gritted their teeth, feeling the change but held on and in no time arrived before Umbra, unleashing a torrent of attacks on him, which he easily evaded all the while still rooted at the same spot.

The battle raged on as the nine leaders fought valiantly against the powerful Umbra.

Ariande loosed arrow after arrow, her keen aim striking true against Umbra's shield of darkness.

Kalen swung his massive mace, the sound of impact echoing across the battlefield as he tried to break through Umbra's defenses.

Vyraghast unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, his fiery breath adding to the intensity of the battle.

Jhaelwyn danced gracefully, her long spear piercing through the shadows that Umbra seemed to effortlessly conjure.

Urog swung his club with brute force, cracking the ground beneath them as he tried to overpower Umbra.

Hanyoko called forth beasts from the tattoos on his body as they light up and the said beasts materialize before him. With his fusion ability, he merged with the beast, becoming a powerful hybrid.

Thassalya wielded her Trident with precision, each strike sending ripples through the dark energy that surrounded Umbra.

Osadra manipulated the elements around them, creating whirlwinds and torrents of water to disrupt the Umbra's grip on gravity.

Morphis channeled his solar power, his sword glowing with radiant energy as he clashed against Umbra.

But Umbra was unfazed, his energy absorption abilities allowing him to effortlessly deflect their attacks. His gravity manipulation wreaked havoc on the battlefield, causing the leaders to struggle against the invisible forces that weighed them down.

With a malicious grin, Umbra unleashed a powerful surge of darkness, knocking the leaders back and leaving them vulnerable.

As the leaders regrouped, battered but not defeated, they knew that they had to come up with a plan to finally bring down Umbra.

They knew that they had to work together, combining their unique abilities and fighting as one if they were to have any chance of defeating the powerful Umbra. And so, with renewed determination and a solid plan in mind, the nine leaders rallied for what would be their final stand against Umbra.

As the battle continued to rage on, the leaders found themselves locked in a desperate struggle against Umbra and his relentless onslaught of dark energy.

Despite their best efforts and strategic maneuvers, the Umbra seemed to anticipate their every move, countering their attacks with ease and conjuring vines that constricted their movements.

Ariande gritted her teeth as she saw her arrows deflected by the swirling darkness that shielded Umbra. "He's too powerful," she thought as she felt the tendrils of the vines creeping closer, threatening to ensnare her.

Ariande knew that the odds were stacked against them, but she refused to give up, her determination blazing in her emerald eyes.

Kalen roared in frustration as his mighty Mace was halted mid-swing by a wall of shadowy vines. "No matter how hard we hit him, he just keeps coming back," he growled, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Kalen knew that failure was not an option. With a thunderous battle cry, he renewed his attack, his muscles bulging as he strained against the relentless force of Umbra's powers.

Vyraghast bared his teeth in a primal snarl as he clashed against Umbra, the heat of their battle radiating off them in waves. "We have to keep pushing forward," he urged the others, the fire in his eyes mirroring the intensity of the fight. Despite the searing pain that coursed through his body, Vyraghast refused to falter, his determination unwavering as he fought tooth and claw against the Umbra.

Jhaelwyn spun gracefully, her movements a blur as she dodged the vines that sought to entangle her. "We can't let him win," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the chaos of battle. Jhaelwyn's heart pounded in her chest as she leaped and spun, her spear flashing in the dim light as she fended off Umbra's relentless attacks.

Urog's expression was one of grim determination as he swung his club with brute force, the impact echoing through the battlefield. "We must find a way," he rumbled, his voice filled with a steely resolve. Urog knew that their chances were slim, but he refused to give up, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.

Hanyoko's eyes narrowed in concentration as he summoned creatures after creatures, pushing his ability to the limit in a bid to aid in the fight. His fusion abilities help him create powerful hybrids that he merges with in battle with a ferocious intensity. "I have to use everything I got, this foe is just too powerful to keep anything hidden at the moment," he thought, his connection to nature guiding his every move as he fought alongside his allies.

Thassalya's face was a mask of concentration as she wielded her Trident with precision, each strike sending ripples through the dark energy that surrounded Umbra. Thassalya knew that the battle was far from over, and she was prepared to fight until her last breath.

Osadra's brow furrowed in deep concentration as he manipulated the elements around them, trying to disrupt Umbra's control over the battlefield. "Doesn't this guy have any weakness?" he muttered, the strain of his powers evident in the beads of sweat that dotted his brow.

Morphis's heart raced as he channeled the power of the sun, his sword glowing with radiant energy as he clashed against Umbra.

While everyone was fighting with the thought of the fate of the world rest in this battle, he was only thinking of how to come out on top and gain even more power. He hadn't noticed, but he had gradually become crazy with his quest for power, every attack fueled with energy he was drawing from the ring and was powering the sword with.

Of all the attacks coming towards Umbra, Morphis's attacks were the one he is very conscious of, evading it with utmost precision not to show his weariness of that weapon.

Other attacks sometimes land on him, but it left not even a scratch on him, which further sent the leaders into despair.

As the leaders fought on, their bond growing stronger with each passing moment, they knew that they were facing an enemy unlike any they had encountered before.

But as the darkness closed in around them, threatening to snuff out their light, they held fast to their courage and resolve, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in their quest to defeat Umbra and save the world from his malevolent grasp.

The battle raged on as the leaders unleashed their ultimate skills, each one more powerful than the last.

First, Osadra called upon the forces of nature, summoning a raging tornado that tore through the Umbra thorns that were increasing the difficulty of the battle.

Next, Vyraghast raised his sword high, channeling all the fiery energy he could muster. The ground trembled as he unleashed a devastating earthshattering slash that left a trail of burnt air and earth behind, but the strain of the skill left him gasping for air, unable to defend himself anymore.

Jhaelwyn darted through the chaos, her shadowy form slipping through the thorns with deadly precision. She unleashed a flurry of blows, each one more deadly than the last. But all of it was met with a dark gravitation force shield that her attacks kept landing on, leaving her spent.

She stumbled backward after a while, her energy spent and her defenses weakened.

The others weren't sitting idle either but the result was still the same, none of them could break through Umbra's defense.

The battle continued in a furious frenzy, each fighting with all their might. But despite their efforts, Umbra was too strong, too relentless.

In the end, the leaders lay defeated, unable to lift a finger as the Umbra loomed over them, triumphant in his victory.

It was a pitiful sight, they were broken and bruised, their spirits shattered. Only Morphis had a crazy look in his eyes, his grip on the sword tightening as if he was preparing a last attack.

But then, Umbra spoke up, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "That's enough."

And just like that, the vines stopped their rampage, slithering back into the ground like snakes, leaving the leaders that were about to be crushed helpless on the ground unable to muster strength to get back on their feet.

Umbra approached them, his eyes glowing with power. "I've grown bored of this game."