Despite the initial surprise when confronting Drakas's minions, General Genevieve had managed to fend them off with her contracted beast, minimizing her energy expenditure. However, the prolonged battle had still significantly drained her mental energy. With her mental reserves depleted, she couldn't fully mobilize energy through her Thaumaturge Sigil to activate her most powerful techniques at their maximum potential.
Fortunately, Drakas had expended even more energy than she had when summoning and controlling his vast army of Dark Creatures. The sheer number of minions he commanded required constant mental focus and energy manipulation, leaving him more exhausted than his opponent. Otherwise, she would have suffered greatly during their confrontation, potentially losing the advantage she had maintained throughout their battle.
Additionally, employing her holy attribute spell put an even greater strain on her already taxed mental energy. The golden particles that infused her flames required precise control and tremendous concentration to maintain. That was why she only used the Holy Flame attacks sparingly on Drakas, carefully timing each usage to ensure maximum damage while conserving her remaining strength. Each strike had to count, as she couldn't afford to waste even a single opportunity.
Now, when facing the Evil Spirit Drakas, she continued employing the same calculated tactics. She waited patiently for openings in his defense, only unleashing her Holy Flame Sword when the perfect opportunity presented itself during their deadly exchanges. The golden fire would surge forth with devastating precision, aimed at vital points that would inflict the most damage to his ethereal form.
Despite successfully killing Evil Spirit Drakas multiple times, each death requiring a significant expenditure of her precious mental energy, he always regenerated with that insufferable smirk on his face. His rapid resurrection negated her efforts, causing her to gradually lose the initial advantage she had worked so hard to maintain. The battle was becoming a war of attrition, and she knew her reserves were running dangerously low.
Even so, General Genevieve refused to surrender to despair. Her mind raced as she formulated a desperate strategy. She had already thought about a solution during their exchange, analyzing his patterns and searching for any weakness she could exploit. Although the plan forming in her mind was incredibly risky, potentially leaving her vulnerable if it failed, she was willing to bet everything on it for the slim chance that it might work. The alternative was a prolonged battle as her energy reserves depleted, making her lose her advantage over time.
While Genevieve was locked in mortal combat with Drakas, their powers clashing in spectacular displays of light and darkness, her contracted beast suddenly rejoined the fray. The Blazing Phoenix, its feathers shimmering with intense heat, had successfully vanquished the countless spectral figures summoned by Drakas. The ethereal army that had threatened to overwhelm them lay scattered and dissipating into wisps of dark energy.
Meanwhile, Drakas's eyes narrowed with irritation as he observed the unscathed Blazing Phoenix that had survived his carefully prepared summons. The creature's resilience exceeded his calculations. With a casual yet forceful wave of his ethereal hands, he channeled dark energy into a massive blast that sent the Blazing Phoenix tumbling through the air, its wings struggling to maintain flight as it was hurled into the distance.
However, that momentary distraction was exactly what Genevieve had been waiting for.
Despite her concern for her contracted beast, General Genevieve suppressed her emotions and seized the golden opportunity before her. She was grateful that Drakas had become distracted, even if just for a fraction of a second. It was the only chance she needed to execute her desperate gambit with determination.
Seizing the opportunity created by her contracted beast's sacrifice, she channeled every ounce of her remaining power and turned into a blur, appearing behind Drakas like a golden phantom. Her Holy Flame-infused sword blazed with unprecedented intensity as she brought it down in a perfect arc, cleanly severing Drakas's head from his ethereal shoulders.
The cut was so precise that for a moment, Drakas's posture remained unchanged, still focused on where the Blazing Phoenix had been, his ethereal head turning into a wisp of darkness.
But she didn't stop there.
Combat experience had taught her that finishing moves were often the most crucial. She waited with bated breath, her sword poised for the follow-up strike.
The moment Drakas began to regenerate, dark energy swirling to reform his body, she unleashed the full might of her holy flame, radiating a sacred light that gave the impression that it could purify all evil. The radiant golden fire engulfed his form completely, not just burning his physical manifestation but also penetrating deep into his very essence, his corrupted soul.
The holy flames burned with relentless intensity, their golden light illuminating the battlefield like a miniature sun. She poured every remaining drop of her mental energy into maintaining the sacred inferno, knowing that this was her last chance.
"HYAHH—!!"
The excruciating pain of having one's soul set ablaze elicited constant inhuman shrieks from Evil Spirit Drakas. His agonized wails, carrying mind-corrupting effects, echoed across the devastated landscape. Even the hidden Elias couldn't help but frown when he felt the ripple in his consciousness from Drakas's soul-piercing cry.
The blazing holy flame continued its merciless assault for ten full minutes, each second feeling like an eternity to both combatants. Genevieve's legs trembled from exhaustion, her vision blurring at the edges, but she maintained her focus through sheer force of will. Finally, when she observed Evil Spirit Drakas's form gradually dissipating into nothingness, the dark energy that composed his being unraveling like smoke in the wind, she allowed herself a moment to breathe a deep sigh of relief.
—Her gamble had paid off!
Drakas's last shred of consciousness felt unwilling and indignant to die without inflicting any real damage to his opponent, but the die was cast, and his fate was sealed. No matter how indignant he felt, he couldn't change the outcome in this moment. Very soon, Drakas's form completely faded from existence, carried away by an imperceptible wind that vanished into the void.
Unbeknownst to General Genevieve, the timing of her attack had been more fortuitous than she realized. The invincible state that protected Evil Spirit Drakas had worn off at the last possible minute, its duration finally exhausted. Had her golden flames lasted even one minute less, had she faltered for even a moment, the outcome would have been far different. The narrow margin of her victory would have terrified her had she known the truth.
Nevertheless, she had achieved a hard-won victory against impossible odds. The silence that followed was almost deafening after the chaos of battle.
General Genevieve's chest rose and fell with exhaustion, her armor bearing claw marks and dents from the fierce exchange. However, she didn't allow herself to celebrate immediately.
Her past experiences in war had taught her that premature celebration often led to death. Her sharp gaze narrowed as she turned to look in a specific direction, her warrior instincts detecting a presence that had been observing their battle as a bystander. Without hesitation, she called out in a commanding voice that brooked no deception.
"Come out! I know you're still here! There's no point in hiding! Also, don't attempt any tricks or you'll end up like him!"
From behind a large piece of rubble that had once been part of Drakas's cabin, Elias slowly emerged. His movements were careful and deliberate, showing no sudden motions that might be interpreted as hostile. His face was pale and streaked with grime, but despite his dire state, his eyes were sharp and alert, betraying a mind that was mature beyond his years.
Elias had prepared his story well in advance, anticipating this moment. His tattered, oversized burlap robe and bloodied bandages should suffice as evidence of what he had been through, but he knew the suspicious gaze of General Genevieve would require more than appearances to satisfy her wariness.