The creature that rose from the depths of the blue lava was nothing like anything Vastarael had encountered before. At first, it appeared to be a massive, odd distortion in the shimmering heat but as it emerged fully, its monstrous form took shape.
It was a six-legged beast, easily the size of a small building. Its exoskeleton was an obsidian black. The surface of its armor seemed impervious to the heat. Its legs were long and spindly but deceptively powerful. The way it skittered over the uneven terrain reminded Vastarael of a grotesque woodlouse. Its numerous eyes were small and its mandibles were enormous.
"Chainless, stay close and follow my lead."
Without waiting for her response, he leaped from the boulder, landing lightly on another rock just a few feet away. The sharp edges of the terrain dug into his feet but he barely noticed the discomfort. The lava around them, however, was a different matter. The lava seemed to sap his energy, making his strikes feel sluggish.
'This lava sucks energy, huh?'
The creature screeched, launching itself forward with a series of explosive movements. Vastarael barely had time to react. He jumped high, barely managing to clear a thick spray of blue lava that erupted from the creature's legs. It didn't matter how high or fast he moved. The lava below them reduced his velocity. Every movement felt like it was being dragged through mud. The beast's first strike was aimed at Vastarael. He twisted in the air, barely avoiding the crushing bite, but the momentum of his dodge sent him hurtling sideways.
Chainless was already on the move, trying to latch onto the rocks around them for leverage. She too was slowed by the lava. Her chains coiled around the creature's legs in a sudden, powerful strike, wrapping around one of the spindly limbs. With a swift tug, she attempted to yank it off balance but the creature's exoskeleton seemed to resist. The chain slipped off like it was nothing more than a harmless thread.
"Keep pressing!"
The beast lunged again. Vastarael leapt once more, landing on another boulder just as the mandibles slammed shut with the force of a falling boulder. His every move felt weighed down by the oppressive lava. He could feel it trying to drag him down. Every time he pushed off the rocks, he had to compensate for the sluggishness.
"Come on, think..."
Vastarael didn't want to use his Codex because it would be a very serious gamble. Water Flood would do the trick but he would have to write runes on the walls and the creature would not allow him to do so. Summoning massive amounts of sapphire would be useless. Plus, his essence was being drained by the lava. Chainless was doing a perfect job using her chains to immobilize some of the creature's limbs but she was failing rapidly.
He dodged another lava spray and immediately jumped higher than before.
"Chainless! I need you to buy me some time!"
Chainless, without hesitation, immediately sprang into action. The creature roared in fury as Chainless moved like a shadow, always just out of reach of its snapping mandibles. She wrapped them around its legs and torso, attempting to constrict the creature's movements. The sheer size and strength of the beast was formidable but Chainless' precision with her chains made her an elusive target.
Her chains tore through the air, striking at the creature's exoskeleton with a force that sent sparks flying but. her attacks didn't have the power to pierce its tough, black armor. The monster struggled against the restraints but she held firm.
For all her agility and quickness, she couldn't break through its armor. The creature's retaliation came swiftly. It gave a massive swipe of its massive claws that forced Chainless back, making her stumble over the uneven lava-strewn ground. She was quick to recover though and immediately pressed forward again, wrapping a chain around its massive limbs, using her whole body to force it off balance.
The ground cracked beneath him as his energy grew larger and brighter by the second. He couldn't waste any more time. The lava monster was powerful but it was still bound by the same limitations all creatures faced.
A physical form.
Chainless, seeing the energy gathering around Vastarael, instinctively ducked back from the beast's reach. He summoned a massive First Star Plasma Circle that seemed to absorb the Essence from the lava and his body. The blue plasma was released in a violent beam that shattered the space around him.
The impact was devastating. The first orb of energy struck the creature's back, sending a shockwave through its body. The force of the strike caused the exoskeleton to groan and shudder under the pressure. The lava around it boiled and splashed wildly but the creature didn't fall. Instead, it roared in fury and spun around.
Vastarael wasn't finished, though. He called more energy to him. Another beam, larger this time, was hurled at the creature's head. The monster screamed in pain as the orb collided with its skull. Still, it wasn't enough.
The creature lunged forward again, using its claws to swipe at Vastarael. It was fast but his reflexes were faster. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws and once again unleashed his energy, this time, without hesitation.
He dispelled the Mystic Circle afterwards.
A sapphire glaive crashed down on the creature's exposed side with a deafening sound. The creature shrieked in agony as the glaive tore through its exoskeleton but even then, it didn't fall. It struggled, still trying to swipe at Vastarael with its remaining limbs.
Vastarael landed on a massive rock as he began to gather more energy. He could feel the burn of exhaustion but he was far from done. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, raising his glaive towards the creature once again.
"Turn to ash, you mutated lavalouse."
The sapphire energy surged towards the tip of the sapphire glaive before it unleashed another massive plasma beam towards the creature. The explosion of energy left nothing but a crater in the rocky surface. The blue lava splashed in all directions as the creature was obliterated in a single blast.
Vastarael stood still, breathing heavily. The crackling energy around him slowly died down as the remains of the creature smoldered in the heat of the blue lava.
It was over.