The glaive struck the tree with a resounding blast, the essence coming from it causing the stem to rupture under the blow.
Naturally, this would have caused no effect onto the tree.
But the Divine Weapon could slash through souls.
[NOW!]
'One!'
The first second was a blur of motion. The glaive, shimmering with Vastarael's essence, slammed into the core of the Verdarite's tree-like form with an explosive shockwave.
The sound was like a crack of thunder, vibrating through the air. The impact itself didn't immediately cause the tree to splinter, but the glaive's essence seeped through, surging with raw energy.
The Verdarite screeched in agony, its face contorted into a grotesque snarl as its soul felt the unforgiving sting of Phase Slash. It was as though an unseen blade sliced through the very fabric of its being. It had never experienced pain after all.
'Two!'
It's at that exact moment that Phaenora made her move. She instantly summoned the Bioluminescent Manta Ray above them. Its extremely massive wings suddenly unfurled, glowing with a spectral light, lighting up the darkened, fog-filled air. Its sudden appearance disrupted the surrounding environment, sending a massive ripple through the mist that helped clear the way. The sheer size of the creature was enough to push back the fog, creating an opening in the otherwise impenetrable atmosphere.
She reached down and grabbed Shimmer, pulling the girl upward with raw strength, using her own limbs to propel them both toward the sky.
'Three!'
The manta ray's ethereal form lifted the two of them the moment they landed onto it, its wings cutting through the dense air, guiding them toward a safe distance away from the chaos below.
Simultaneously, in the explosion's aftermath, Narisva's sharp instincts kicked in. As soon as the blast erupted, she emerged, sliding free from the debris and dust, her hand instinctively reaching for Farrynelle and Xander.
They had barely a moment to react as she pulled them both with surprising force and urgency, dragging them away from the immediate danger. The explosive shockwave had thrown up dust and debris, but Narisva had been anticipating the chaos. Within the span of a second, she was guiding them towards safety.
'Four!'
By the fourth second, everything had shifted. The initial confusion and disorientation caused by the surprise blow was still taking hold of the Verdarite, but it had already begun to react, its senses slowly returning.
It roared in defiance, its body thrashing as it fought against the injury that had torn through its soul. But it was too late.
Within the four seconds after releasing his glaive, Vastarael was summoning essence on his hands.
'Five!'
He slammed his hands together with an explosive force, sending a shockwave that tore through the air like a thunderclap. The very atmosphere around them quivered as the air blast, infused with his immense power, ripped through the mist and the forest, sending debris scattering in all directions. The air wave was so powerful that the dense fog of spores and the red haze seemed to part before him like the curtains of a stage.
Narisva scanned the clearing. Her advanced vision allowed her to see what was blocked by the spore fog that Vastarael and the manta ray cleared. Her heart raced, but her expression remained stoic. There was no time for hesitation and she knew that the window of opportunity was closing fast.
With a quick motion, she pulled Farrynelle and Xander along with her, disappearing from the center of the tree's power. The three of them materialized on the outskirts of the clearing, their bodies still absorbing the disorienting effects of the teleportation.
By five seconds, they had all escaped. But Vastarael was not done. He was the only one remaining.
He expected the Verdarite to recover by the seventh second but it was recovering faster than expected.
'Six!'
Vastarael didn't waste any time. He summoned a Second Star Water circle. The flood of water surged from the circle, like a rushing tidal wave, pouring into the clearing.
The Verdarite's grin faltered as the sheer force of the water began to surge against it, but it was too slow to react. It hadn't anticipated this. Now his coordination would be affected further.
"Codex Enchantment, Water Flood!"
The command slipped from his lips like a curse.
The water surged faster, twisting and curling, its mass multiplying exponentially as it crashed down into the center of the clearing. The Verdarite staggered, its wooden legs sinking as the shockwave from the flood hit.
Vastarael could see the horror in its eyes as the water rushed in, consuming everything. The massive tree's roots groaned but even they were no match for the overwhelming force of the water that seeped into every crack, every corner, drowning the plant in an unstoppable surge.
The flood came with ferocity, sweeping away chunks of earth, roots, and peonies that had once been the lifeblood of the tree. The tree's massive limbs started to tremble as water flooded its base, rushing up towards the heart of its core.
'Seven!'
He wasn't done yet. In fact, he had barely begun. With the momentary distraction, the water flooded the roots and base of the tree, but more importantly...
It was time to escape.
With a flick of his wrist, Vastarael swam underwater in the flood. His body moved with unnatural fluidity, as though the water itself was part of him. His essence adapted to the flood's current and in an instant, he was swimming through it, his speed accelerating faster than the water itself.
The shockwave of the flood trailed behind him, but Vastarael was already several meters away, moving at lightning speed, swimming away from the chaos as if it were an afterthought. His movements were precise, swimming at shockwave speeds, cutting through the flood like it was nothing.
'Eight...'
The Verdarite, despite its resilience, was still struggling to adjust. Vastarael could sense the tree shaking as the floodwater climbed higher, threatening to consume everything in its path.
The tree was half submerged now, its peony blooms wilting under the onslaught. But Vastarael didn't pause. He knew that the next few seconds would decide the fate of this encounter.
'Nine.'
As the ninth second passed, Vastarael had swum far enough to escape the full brunt of the flood, but he was still within view of the Verdarite. It was clear the tree was weakening, struggling with its submerged form.
The waters were still, but the sound of the crashing tide echoed in Vastarael's mind. His body felt like it had been drained of all essence. His chest ached and his muscles burned from the desperate swim, but he had no time to dwell on the pain. His head swam with thoughts of the Verdarite and the terrible power of the tree.
He had to escape.
Then, with a sudden jolt, someone grabbed him.
His heart skipped a beat, instinctively bracing for impact, but no shockwave came. Instead, the rush of the water receded and his surroundings shifted in a blur. The oppressive weight of the ocean was replaced by the dry, warm sand beneath him.
Vastarael blinked, his vision swimming back into focus as he looked around. The shore, a beach he did not recognize, stretched out before him. He was on the opposite side of the island now, a good distance away from the chaos.
Gasping for air, he turned his head sharply, only to see Narisva Starisnova slumped next to him. She was panting heavily, sweat and water clinging to her skin as she lay on the ground, still catching her breath.
She wiped water off her face, exhausted but alive, her usual cocky demeanor dimmed by the sheer effort it had taken to pull him from the depths.
Narisva scowled, eyes narrowing at him.
"You must be the craziest motherfucker I've ever met. What the hell were you thinking? You gambled with our lives! And for what? A tree that could've killed us both? That was beyond reckless!"
Vastarael coughed weakly, trying to steady his breathing. His body refused to listen to his commands. His limbs felt like lead, but despite the strain, he managed to force a weak chuckle.
Using water flood consumed all his essence.
The laugh was almost a whisper against the sound of the ocean breeze.
"I was just doing what I had to," he rasped, forcing the words through the exhaustion. "Thank you... Narisva."
His gratitude wasn't just for the immediate safety. It was for her willingness to take that risk, to pull him from certain death when it was clear that he wasn't strong enough to save himself. For all her cocky attitude and bold words, she had saved him. There was no denying it.
He was sure that the tree would have caught him before he escaped. He prioritized the safety of his friends and not his own. Well, he did but it was enough so...
Narisva grunted, clearly still catching her breath, her eyes burning with something fierce.
"Tch, don't make me sound like a hero. You're lucky I was around. You would've been nothing more than a piece of floating meat for that damn tree."
She didn't wait for him to respond, instead falling back into the sand, eyes closing briefly as she took a moment to regain her strength.
Vastarael lay, staring up at the sky. The soft orange glow of the sunset bathed the world in a golden light. It was peaceful here. Too peaceful. They had survived for now but there was still so much left to do.
He turned his head to look at Narisva, his gratitude evident despite the exhaustion that weighed down his every movement.
They saw the Bioluminescent Manta Ray floating around them. Vastarael underestimated how fast it was. When Phaenora summoned it, it appeared instantaneously and when it flew, it was like it vanished from view.
That Divine Creature was too fast.
"Narisva, teleport us at its top before the vines come for us here."
"Good idea. I don't know how the hell you got a Divine Creature but it saved all of us."
With a touch, Narisva and Vastarael teleported right above the manta where the others were resting.
In less than a minute, all of them had escaped the Island of Peony and vowed never to visit it again.
Except for Vastarael.