The battlefield shifted, the demonic horde parting as a dark figure stepped forward.
The air seemed to thicken with malevolence. Gabriella's sharp eyes honed in on the looming presence that eclipsed the lesser demons.
All of these demons and humans had their own levels, like Gabriella, but none of them had particularly stood out up until now.
Level 100
MP: 750/750
[Ah... There you are.]
The orchestrator of the nightmarish invasion had finally shown itself.
As the demonic lord emerged, the moonlight revealed its monstrous form.
Standing tall and imposing, it exuded an aura of ancient evil. Its eyes, pools of swirling darkness, held a twisted intelligence that sent a shiver down Gabriella's spine. Massive horns adorned its head, and its demonic visage bore the scars of countless battles.
Gabriella could feel the weight of the demon lord's presence, a dark energy that seemed to challenge the very essence of the night.
It was a creature born of the abyss, a force of chaos and destruction that sought to devour everything in its path.
But with a defiant stride, Gabriella walked forward, her eyes locked on the enemy, a grin stretching on her face.
[I haven't had a proper fight in ages!]
Despite the dark aura that surrounded it, she stood resolute, her visage that of pure confidence. The clashing energies of the sorceress and the demon lord created an invisible, intangible boundary, almost separating them from the rest of the field. A palpable tension hung in the air.
Gabriella planted her staff against the ground with a reverberating thud, her golden eyes burned with a fierce resolve, challenging the ancient malevolence that stood before her.
The demon lord, sensing Gabriella's audacity, let out a guttural growl that was heard all across the battlefield. Its eyes narrowed, recognizing her as an actual threat. Gabriella did the same.
She was confident, but she was not arrogant.
[This thing has made this much process, so it surely has some tricks up its sleeve. Come, let's settle this.]
Simultaneously, they attacked.
Using her mastery over time as a force, Gabriella tried to slow down the demon lord down.
Skill:
Time Manipulation - Level 10
{Can slow or speed up one's self, or others.}
However, her enemy was unaffected.
[Very well, then.]
So, she sped herself up instead.
Blasts of pure mana, generic {Magic Missles}, launched out from Gabriella's staff. This was far from the strongest magic she had to offer, but she just wanted to see what its defenses looked like, given that it had been unaffected by her skill.
As the demonic lord pushed through each of Gabriella's elemental attacks, running straight at her like flooding shadows, she delved into her repertoire of spells, seeking a strategy to break through its defenses, beginning to use some small amount of elemental magic, sending flames and streams of water its way.
Of course, the demon lord had offense to offer as well.
Flame collected in front of its head, gathering into a sphere.
[Crap.]
Stone Sanctuary - 70 MP
{Summons earthen constructs to shield Gabriella from attacks or create barriers.}
Gabriella commanded the earth, focusing her magic to summon towering earthen constructs around her.
The stone barriers shielded her from the demon lord's assault, but the explosion that resulted shook the bones in her body. Thankfully, Gabriella's quick mana regeneration had topped her off before this moment, but she had a feeling she'd be spending a lot more in the moments to come.
MP: 930/1000
Undeterred by its failure just now, the demon lord responded by creating a barrage of shadowy tendrils, aiming to ensnare Gabriella.
Quick on her feet, she activated "Gale Force".
Gale Force - 60 MP
{Summons powerful winds to repel enemies or enhance movement speed.}
MP: 870/1000
She summoned powerful winds that repelled the encroaching darkness. The gusts of wind cleared the immediate area, providing a brief respite.
[I can't be on the backfoot like this. I should press the attack!]
In a blink, Gabriella disappeared.
In a daring move, Gabriella then seized the opportunity to close the distance between herself and the demon lord, using her time manipulation to speed her own body up.
The demon lord seemed to flinch, not expecting the frontal assault.
With a flick of her staff, she cast "Infernal Surge," unleashing a torrent of intense flames directly at the demonic adversary at point-blank range.
Infernal Surge - 100 MP
{Unleashes a torrent of intense flames, scorching enemies in the vicinity.}
MP: 770/1000
The fire launched forward, scorching the demon lord and forcing it to react defensively. It backed off but the marks on its torso let Gabriella know she'd hurt it.
[YES! A direct hit!]
However, the demon lord conjured a countermeasure. One that defied Gabriella's expectations.
Her eyes widened when she saw its response.
[It can use human magic?]
The demonic lord created streams of water in the air, sending them hurling down at Gabriella. The water froze mid-flight, turning into javelins of ice aimed at her.
She'd been caught off guard.
Most of them missed but one of the spears of ice stabbed through her abdomen.
"AGH!"
Gabriella hit the ground. Fear and anger, in equal measure, suddenly wormed their way into her heart.
Soon, however, the sorceress pulled it out and healed herself.
Healing Wave - 80 MP
{Radiates a healing, aquatic energy in an area, restoring vitality to allies and mending wounds.}
MP: 690/1000
The demonic lord did the same, cementing Gabriella's realization.
[I... I didn't think it would be able to do that.]
More ice-based attacks followed. Gabriella gritted her teeth.
She invoked "Stone Sanctuary," forming a protective barrier of earth that absorbed and deflected the incoming barrage. The field shimmered with magical energies as the clash intensified.
MP: 620/1000
Amidst the chaos, Gabriella sensed an opportunity. With a decisive motion, she cast "Healing Wave" again, this time spreading it out so that it reached most of her nearby warriors, mending wounds and revitalizing their strength.
MP: 540/1000
The soldiers on the sidelines who weren't in immediate danger watched in awe as Gabriella, shaken but resilient, prepared to continue the duel.
From there, the battlefield echoed with the clash of spells and the titanic struggle between the sorceress and the demon lord.
Each round of magic that was unleashed sent shockwaves through the desolate expanse, a chorus of elemental chaos.
Gabriella and the demon lord continued their relentless assault, weaving spells and counters in a dance of destruction.
Gabriella's mana was getting lower and lower, but she couldn't let up.
MP: 250/1000
Flames and shadows collided, creating explosions of magical energy that painted the night with bursts of otherworldly light.
"Infernal Surge!" Gabriella called, conjuring a torrent of intense flames that engulfed the demon lord.
The demonic adversary roared in defiance, retaliating with a surge of dark tendrils that lashed out like vengeful serpents.
Gabriella evaded the shadows with acrobatic grace. Those she couldn't avoid she blocked with {Stone Sanctuary}. The earthen constructs absorbed the impact, cracking under the strain but buying Gabriella a moment to recover.
Not to be outdone, the demon lord called forth boulders the size of houses. His earthly projectiles clashed with Gabriella's defenses while she waited for her mana to recover. If her mana regeneration had been any slower, she would have already lost this fight and she knew that.
But, even her incredible mana regeneration had limits. And, wanting to end this before the demonic lord realized she was stalling, Gabriella made a decision.
MP: 200/1000
[This should be enough.]
Gabriella summoned powerful winds that repelled the oncoming onslaught and created a clear path for her next move. The demon lord, recognizing the shift in momentum, conjured a dark shield to absorb her next move.
The two adversaries, evenly matched in power and determination, exchanged blows that gradually wore down their defenses. Each spell cast left its mark, both on the desolate landscape and on the combatants themselves that they'd then heal away.
But, neither of them could heal away exhaustion.
"Infernal Surge!" Gabriella persisted, unleashing waves of fire that danced in defiance against the encroaching shadows.
The demon lord, sensing an opportunity, retaliated with a surge of malevolent energy that countered the flames. The clash of opposing forces created an explosion that sent shockwaves through the battlefield, leaving both combatants momentarily disoriented.
As the echoes of the magical explosion subsided, Gabriella and the demon lord locked eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the intensity of their struggle.
The battlefield lay in ruins, scarred by the clash of elemental forces and the relentless struggle between Gabriella and the demon lord.
As the dust settled, both combatants stood battered and bruised, their magical energies drained and physical forms pushed to the brink.
Gabriella breathed heavily, staring down her monstrous enemy.
[... Simple spells aren't going to cut it. No,] Gabriella told herself. [It's time. Dig as far into your bag of tricks as you can and pull something out that's going to shock this thing.]
"Hehehe," Gabriella laughed, her voice echoing through the desolation as she rose to her feet. Despite the toll of the battle, a spark of determination still burned in her golden eyes. "This was fun. But... I've seen enough. You're level 100 too, but a lot of that strength is in your physical attributes. You can't stop what's coming next."
The demon lord, though wounded, responded with a guttural growl, its eyes flickering with hatred. Recognizing the impending threat, Gabriella could sense that it was gathering the last vestiges of its demonic power for a final, desperate attack.
[Oh? What a coincidence, I'd been thinking the same thing.]
Gabriella, undeterred, raised her staff with a resolute expression, though her chest rose and fell dramatically with each heavy breath she took.
She tapped into the depths of her magical reservoir, summoning the elemental mastery that had defined her throughout her life.
Skill:
Elemental Mastery - Level 10
{Masterful control over fire, water, earth, and air elements. Can unleash devastating magical effects through the use of these elements individually or the combination of them to create new effects and abilities.}
That last part of the description was something Gabriella had been saving for just the right occasion.
[If now's not the time, then when?]
If one element couldn't get the job done, all she could hope was that the combination of all of them at once would.
The air crackled with anticipation as she prepared herself.
A cataclysmic force began to gather over her staff, preparing itself to be unleashed at her adversary.
The ground beneath her feet trembled as the elements responded to her command. A swirling vortex of fire, water, earth, and air materialized around Gabriella, siphoning up into a sphere, and forming a force that defied the laws of nature. The very air pulsed with mana, and both the soldiers and demons on the sidelines watched in awe and trepidation.
Dark energy coalesced around the demonic adversary, creating an ethereal aura of malevolence that mirrored Gabriella's own elemental maelstrom.
As the two forces prepared for their climactic clash, the battlefield became a battleground of cosmic proportions. Gabriella's eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity as she unleashed the combined might of the elements, a force that transcended the boundaries of mortal comprehension.
[What are the chances I make it out of this alive?] She wondered. [Not too high, I imagine.]
She grinned.
[I apologize, Clara. But, this is what I've been waiting for!]
And, on that final note, Gabriella aimed her staff at her enemy.
Flames erupted with unparalleled ferocity. Liquid streams spiraled along with them, inviting the earth itself to join in. The attack, coated in destructive winds, was propelled forward.
The demon lord sent its own magic forward, a simple collection of concentrated darkness that sucked the life out of everything around it.
As she made her attack, Gabriella used what little mana she had left to simultaneously shield herself, casting {Stone Sanctuary}.
Finally, it happened.
The elements collided with the shadows in a spectacular clash of opposing forces, creating an explosion of magical energy that engulfed both combatants.
The battlefield was illuminated with an ethereal glow as the forces entwined in a final, devastating crescendo. It was so bright that one would be forgiven for thinking the moon had been upstaged and the sun had made an early return.
The shockwave radiated outward, bringing every force that had been brought to the field down to the ground.
The battlefield lay in ruins, the aftermath of the cataclysmic clash between Gabriella and the demon lord. A swirling vortex of elemental energy dissipated into the night, leaving behind an eerie calm.
...
A moment of tense silence came.
Amidst the devastation, Gabriella and the demon lord still stood before each other.
As the echoes of magical energies faded, the demon lord, its malevolent form gradually dissipating, began to fade away like a shadow retreating from the light.
Gabriella, her golden eyes reflecting a mixture of exhaustion and triumph, chuckled.
"Hehe... I..."
She fell on her face.
Her victory came at a price.
As the demonic entity faded, Gabriella felt a sudden, searing pain coursing through her body. She writhed on the ground, the ethereal glow in her eyes flickering as she felt darkness spread throughout her.
The demon's attack had pierced her defenses.
The soldiers on the sidelines, witnessing the surreal scene, held their breath as Gabriella, the sorceress who had defied the demonic onslaught, began to crumble. The air hung heavy with an ominous silence.
In her final moments, as Gabriella felt her strength waning and the cold grip of mortality closing in, her thoughts turned to Clara. A bittersweet smile graced her lips as she whispered her final sentiments into the void.
"I hope Clara buys herself something nice. Heh... Save some for the funeral, though."
With those words, Gabriella's body succumbed to the relentless shadowy attack.
And, she began fading away, just as the demonic lord had.
The soldiers, now witnessing the defeat of their indomitable leader, stood in solemn silence.
The battlefield, once a stage for cosmic conflict, now bore witness to the fragility of life. The night remained shrouded in an uneasy stillness as the legacy of Gabriella Deathwind faded into the annals of Gelmora's history.
But, Gabriella's story did not end there.
---
Gabriella's eyes opened.
She looked down at her hands, unsure of what was happening.
"Huh?"
She looked around.
Gone were the soldiers, sand, and rocks that had witnessed her demise. And, all around her were...
People.
She was in some sort of an alley now.
One that smelled as foul as death itself.
"What on earth is-"
"SHUT UP!" A man yelled to her left. "I'm trying to sleep over here!"
Gabriella blinked.
[What's going on?]
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