Amidst the tumult of his revelation, Alan found himself swept up in a whirlwind of suppressed and newfound emotions. Words spilled from his lips, revelations he hadn't even realized he held within. Though embarrassed by his own vulnerability, Alan knew the truth of his words and steeled himself for the task ahead. Turning to Father Zeneth, he spoke in a calm voice, seeking guidance in the chaos of the moment.
"Zeneth, do you think you can distract Relecta long enough for me to dissect this fish into a million pieces?"
Even after knowing Alan for only a few hours, Zeneth was taken aback by the sudden shift in his demeanor. Unable to form a coherent response to the unexpected request, Zeneth simply nodded in confirmation as Alan turned his gaze back towards the monstrous entity, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes in preparation.
Alan stood with his eyes closed, a calm resolve emanating from his being. With deliberate care, he removed his upper armor, followed by his shin guards and utility belt, until he stood clad only in tights, his hair framing his face. Extending his hands toward the monstrous entity, Alan focused his energy, creating a marker in its direction. As he opened his eyes, looking at the monster through the marker, a mist began to seep from the corners of his lips. With serene determination, he uttered the incantation:
"Reserare Scaena II…Ruptor Sonus."
In a blur faster than thought itself, Alan found himself suspended in mid-air, mere inches away from the monstrous creature's eyes.
Every detail around him slowed to a crawl, as if time itself were bending to accommodate his lightning speed. The creature beheld Alan's hands, gripping his blades with lethal intent, moving forward with deliberate precision. In that frozen moment, it glimpsed death incarnate reflected in Alan's unwavering gaze.
With a blink, Alan surged forward, a force of nature unleashed. His blades tore through the creature's head with surgical precision, a torrent of water and viscous blue fluid erupting in a violent explosion.
The impact sent Alan hurtling backward, crashing into the wall with bone-jarring force. The walls were painted with the remnants of the creature's demise, a grotesque tableau of destruction and triumph etched into the chamber. Even the crater left by Alan's impact threatened to breach the other side.
Father Zeneth stood in awe, witnessing Alan's display of speed that seemed akin to the flash of divine light itself. Yet, his admiration swiftly transformed into urgency as he beheld Relecta hurtling towards Alan, trapped within the wall. Instantly deducing the situation, Father Zeneth understood the purpose behind Alan's request to distract Relecta.
With swift determination, Father Zeneth raised his wand towards the wall, his voice echoing with power as he chanted, "Lux Obex!" In an instant, a barrier of shimmering light materialized, intercepting Relecta's deadly charge towards Alan.
The mindless minion of the monster, Relecta, attempted to break through the barrier but found itself thwarted at every turn. With a roar of frustration, the monster began regenerating its head, its gaze fixated on Alan with seething anger.
However, before it could launch another attack, a brilliant light suddenly emerged, ensnaring both the monster and Relecta in its radiant grasp. Caught within the cage of light, the monster snarled in defiance as Father Zeneth's chant reverberated through the chamber: "Cavae Luxa!"
With a smirk of confidence, Father Zeneth turned his attention towards the trapped adversaries, his voice carrying reassurance to Alan, "Don't worry, Warrior! Take your time. I will handle this heathen."
As Father Zeneth redirected the monster's fury towards himself, it thrashed against the confines of the light cage, its watery fists futilely attempting to break free but only serving to further stoke its rage.
With a smirk of satisfaction at the monster's futile struggle, Father Zeneth proclaimed proudly, "Try as you might, Heathen! The light of divinity repels all malevolent forces, for it is the Paxillos Luminis!"
As he uttered another incantation, hundreds of gleaming pins materialized within the confines of the light cage, each one radiating with divine energy. With a deft wave of his wand, Father Zeneth directed the pins to launch towards the monster and Relecta with lethal precision.
Unaware of the danger posed to Relecta, Father Zeneth pressed on with his attack. But just as the pins threatened to strike her, Alan leaped out of the wall in a blur of motion. With a swift strike, he shattered the light cage and plunged his blades into the monster's body once more. Scooping up Relecta in his arms, he shielded her from harm, landing before Zeneth with a chilling glare.
"Never harm her," Alan's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion, as he fixed Zeneth with a piercing stare.
Terrified, Zeneth nodded hastily. "Yes... forgive my ignorance."
Alan swiftly set Relecta down, his eyes fixed on the roaring, regenerating monster. With a calculated move, he extended his hand towards the creature, his voice cold and low as he uttered the incantation:
"Reserare Scaena III, Palma Gigantis…"
In a flash, Alan leaped towards the monster with unmatched agility. Before it could fully regenerate, he thrust his palm into its body, triggering another explosion of water and slimy blue blood. The monster's form burst apart, but its malevolent spirit persisted in its regeneration.
With steely determination, Alan glanced back at Relecta, ensuring her safety. Matching the monster's persistence, he continued his assault. Again and again, he thrust his palm into its body, preventing it from fully reforming. Each time the monster attempted to regenerate, Alan was there to disrupt the process with relentless determination.
The chamber echoed with the sounds of their struggle, Alan's breath growing heavier with each exertion. Yet, he persisted, refusing to let Relecta come to harm again. His endurance matched the monster's, blow for blow, until finally, signs of exhaustion began to show in Alan's weary form. Still, he fought on, unwavering in his resolve.
The monster, sensing its diminishing size with each regeneration, formulated a sinister plan. With a thunderous roar, it bellowed, "You fool! That's enough from you!"
In a swift motion, tendrils shot forth from beneath the floor, aiming directly at Relecta, who was under the protection of Father Zeneth.
Acting quickly, Father Zeneth attempted to intercept the monster's assault, but before he could, Alan dispersed the creature once more with a forceful palm strike. This time, there was no regeneration or defiant roar, only the eerie silence that enveloped the chamber.
Breathless and weary, Alan scanned the surroundings for any sign of the monster, but found none. As he began to cautiously step backward, preparing to turn, a sudden cry pierced the air— "Ahhhhhh!!!!!!" —followed by the deafening crash of Father Zeneth colliding with the wall.
Alan spun around, his gaze falling upon the sight of the monster, now controlling Relecta without its imposing form. With a vicious strike, it had hurled Father Zeneth into the wall, the impact echoing through the chamber.
Alan's fury surged anew as the monster, speaking through Relecta's voice now tinged with a menacing growl, taunted him, "Come now! Hit me if you dare, but be careful not to harm this precious vessel of mine..." With these words, the monster compelled Relecta to lick her own hand like a cat, an eerie gesture that sent shivers down Alan's spine.
Conflicted between his rage against the monster and his desire to protect Relecta, Alan hesitated, unsure of how to unleash his fury without causing harm. In a sudden blur of motion, Relecta charged at him with a powerful punch. Alan instinctively sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow, and moved to counter with a punch of his own. However, in that fleeting moment, a memory of Relecta's genuine smile flashed through Alan's mind, giving him pause.
Seizing the opportunity, the monster within Relecta exploited Alan's hesitation and launched a devastating kick at his face, sending him hurtling backward through the air.
As Relecta approached Alan's fallen form, he reacted instinctively, springing up to deliver a slap kick aimed at her face. However, at the last moment, Alan hesitated, halting his attack mid-air with a jolt that sent him crashing back to the ground with a heavy thud. The monster within Relecta grinned maliciously as it witnessed Alan's struggle, relishing in his torment.
Seizing the opportunity, Relecta mercilessly stomped on Alan's chest, driving him deep into the ground with each brutal blow. With a fierce grip on his hair, she hurled him into the wall with a forceful spin, sending him crashing against it. Meanwhile, Father Zeneth, witnessing Alan's plight, emerged from the wall, his resolve unwavering.
Summoning his inner strength, Father Zeneth raised his wand and invoked a powerful incantation, "Lucis Offa!" In an instant, a radiant projectile of light materialized out of thin air, hurtling towards Relecta with unstoppable force.
As the impending attack loomed, Relecta swiftly pivoted, her keen senses detecting the imminent danger. With a malevolent grin spreading across her face, she extended her arms defiantly, bracing herself to bear the full force of the oncoming assault.
Just as the projectile reached to Relecta, Alan leaped forward in a desperate attempt to shield her from harm. However, Relecta's grin widened, betraying the sinister intent lurking within her. With a swift motion, she spun around, using Alan as a human shield to absorb the full force of the incoming attack.
The impact struck Alan with brutal force, eliciting a pained groan as he bore the brunt of the projectile's power. A bloody wound marred his back, the fabric of his attire singed and torn from the fiery impact. Meanwhile, Father Zeneth watched in horror as Relecta, wielding Alan as a makeshift weapon, charged towards him with menacing determination.
Before Father Zeneth could react, Relecta slammed Alan into him with tremendous force, sending them both hurtling backwards into the unforgiving embrace of the chamber wall.
Relecta's onslaught didn't cease there. The monster controlling her summoned water gauntlets onto her hands, empowering her strikes as she mercilessly pummeled Alan's face, each blow reverberating through his body and transmitting the force to Zeneth as well. With each punch, the crater in the wall expanded, testament to the ferocity of the assault.
After subjecting Alan to a barrage of blows, leaving his face bloodied and his once-blue eyes swollen, the monster commanded Relecta to cease her attack.
With a cruel grin plastered on Relecta's face, the monster used her to pull Alan out of the giant crater in the wall by his hair. Through a blend of grumbling and Relecta's voice, the monster taunted Alan, sneering, "Come on! Come at me now, you fool! Hurt me... Come on!"
Mocking Alan's helplessness, Relecta forcibly guided his lifeless arms, compelling him to strike herself. Despite the pain and the struggle to speak through his bloodied jaw, Alan managed to utter, "I... I won't... beca..."
Still mocking Alan, Relecta leaned in close to hear any pleading, but Alan's defiance halted her, further enraging the monster inside her. In a fit of rage, it commanded Relecta to slam Alan's face into the ground with such force that the impact cracked the earth beneath him, blood splattering from his wounds.
"I'm bored. Let's finish you off," the monster declared through Relecta, conjuring a giant gauntlet made of water around her hand. Gripping Alan by his hair, it glared into his swollen eyes, grinning malevolently just inches from his face. With a roar, the monster commanded Relecta to bring her fist down upon Alan's face with lethal force.
"Now, die, you fool!"
"'Cause I love you, Relecta," Alan confessed, his voice filled with sincerity and longing.
The controlled fist of Relecta suddenly halted in mid-strike, frozen by Alan's words. As the monster inside her struggled to regain control, Relecta's eyes sparkled with life, her brown pupils shining with newfound hope. A smile of joy and blush adorned her cheeks as she whispered, "You said it..."