The percussion of struggle could be heard as Riveria and Ais battled stalwartly against the abomination before them. The continuous rhythmic clang of metal striking the creature's tough, glossy scales persisted without pause. But Tyratryx was gaining the upper hand.
Riveria could sense fatigue creeping in as she labored to match Tyratryx's non-stop assaults. Her Mind reserves were running low, and her actions were slowing to a crawl.
Swinging her Durandel sword in wide, elegant arcs, Ais was slicing through the pack of snakes that were slivering at her feet. The silvery rod of Riveria's crushed the skull of a Gorgoneion, and the blade of Harpe, held in her other hands, impaled the head of a Gorgon-Spawn through the mouth, exiting the back of its head.
"Keep pressing Tyratryx!" Riveria shouted at Ais as she practiced concurrent chanting. "Don't let up!"
Ais nodded and slashed, cutting down more of the spawn of Tyratryx as she leaped high into the air, raining down a flurry of strikes upon the colossal form of Tyratryx. But the monstrosity simply laughed the attacks off. Her scales were impregnable, perhaps even harder than orichalcum.
Tyratryx swung her sickle claw at Ais, narrowly missing the Sword Princess, and striking the ground. The impact created a devastating shockwave that Ais and Riveria barely managed to evade.
Riveria held firm, her staff in her right hand and Harpe in her left hand, and arcane magic surrounded her. "Return Bell, Loki, and Hestia to me, or face the consequences," she demanded, her voice resounding with command.
Tyratryx, her serpentine form coiling and uncoiling with sinister grace, laughed at Riveria's request.
"Face the consequences, you say? Very well."
Before long, an unconscious Bell was presented, suspended in midair by one of the snake appendages protruding from the stump where Tyratryx's head once was. His limp form dangled like a ragdoll, bereft of life and energy.
Riviera was aghast at the grisly spectacle, her heart strangling at the thought that in her long life, she had finally discovered love, on for it to robbed of her almost instantly. Tyratryx smiled with sadistic satisfaction and waved her sickle claw at Hestia and Loki, who were also unconscious. The two gods sagged in the air like flies caught in a spider's web.
"You'll never save them now," Tyratryx said mockingly.
"No!" Riveria's voice cracked, her pupils dilating with sheer horror.
Ais's grip tightened on her sword, her knuckles turning white. "Bell!" she cried out.
Ais looked at Bell's beaten form and saw that his face was battered and bloodied. She felt a surge of anger rise within her, but she quickly quelled it with resolve to save them from this misery.
Tyratryx laughed, a shrill, deafening, ear-splitting cackle that forced Ais and Riveria to cover their ears.
"And now, Ljos Alf, watch powerlessly as I make you a widow. Death do you part!"
With a snake-like appendage coiled around one leg, Bell's motionless form dangled closer to the gaping jaws at its end. The rigid, obsidian scales abrasioned his smooth, youthful skin.
"Stop!" Riveria's plea was desperate, her heart pounding in her chest. "Don't do this! Please! I'm begging you!"
But Tyratryx paid no mind to the elf's pleas. The serpent's mouth opened as far as it could, its mandible dislocating, baring razor-sharp fans that looked like daggers. Bell was swallowed whole in a sickening slurp. His body vanished into nothingness as a revolting bulge throbbed down its form.
Ais's mind went white as if her soul had turned to stone. "No, no, no!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face.
The area fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of Riveria and Ais sobbing in anguish.
Riveria wobbled, her knees buckling as she desperately clutched her staff for support. The sight of Bell being devoured was too much to bear. Her thoughts spun in a turbulent storm of sorrow, fury, and frustration. She felt her heart break into a million pieces as the harsh reality sunk in - there was absolutely nothing she could do to save him.
"Now, what were those consequences you mentioned?"
A fire blazed in Ais and Riveria's eyes, their grief fueling their decisiveness to put an end Tyratryx once and for all.
"You vile monster!" Riveria shouted at Tyratryx.
"I've ended your short-lived marriage with the boy. I have annihilated your realm. Your kind is on the verge of extinction. Everything you have fought for has all been for naught. You are alone, Ljos Alf. Utterly, utterly alone."
"She is not alone!" Finn's voice rang out from across the room.
"We are here!" Tione's voice followed.
"We are family!" Tiona said from beside Tione.
"Bell-sama!" Lili's tiny voice could be heard among the commotion. "I'm here for you! Where are you?"
"You've done enough, Bell. Leave the rest to us." Welf said.
A chorus of voices echoed through the chamber, all filled with the same determination to save Bell and their fellow comrades from the clutches of Tyratryx. They stood together as one against the fiendish tyrant who had wrought such suffering on so many innocent lives.
Tyratryx raised her eyeless gaze to observe the Hestia Familia and the members of Loki Familia that stood at the chamber's entrance. The adventurers looked tired and beaten but far from giving up.
"How adorable," Tyratryx mocked them, her voice dripping with contempt. "You can watch as your familia dies around you, Ljos Alf. I'll save you for last."
Riviera stepped forward, commanding the attention of everyone in the chamber. Her steady, determined voice silenced the cacophony of battle and chaos.
"I am Riveria of the House of Alf, the High Elf Princess. I am the heir to Celdia and the direct descendant of Rishena."
"Your bloodline means nothing."
"You're right. I never cared about my bloodline. In fact, I repudiate it. I always hated how the elves would worship the ground I walked on."
"You never earned anything in your life. Everything was handed to you on a plate."
"No, you are sorely mistaken. I earned the title of Vice Captain of Loki Familia, the most powerful familia in the world. I worked tirelessly to become the strongest mage in the city."
"Soon, there will be no Loki Familia, no Orario. Soon, nothing will be left in this world for you except death."
"You are utterly wrong. I am not like you, Medusa. I am in love with Bell Cranel and will give birth to his child."
The words echoed through the chamber, hanging in the air with a weight that seemed to defy Tyratryx's evil aura. Riveria stood tall, her gaze locked onto Tyratryx's eyeless one with unbridled defiance. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her voice shaking not with fear but with a potent mixture of rage and pain that had been building inside her for far too long.
"Do you still resent your bloodline after I destroyed your people?" Tyratryx replied in a patronizing tone, her serpentine form coiling with sinister grace as if she could crush Riveria with her words alone.
Riveria's expression hardened, her emerald eyes flashing with a steely resolve. "My bloodline doesn't matter because Bell Cranel matters to me more than anything," she stated, her voice growing even more resolute. "I won't let you take him from me. I truly love him with all my heart. Nobody messes with a High Elf queen in love."
The declaration was met with a shocked silence, the gravity of Riveria's words echoing through the room. Even Ais, who had known Riveria for years, felt a surge of admiration at the sheer force of her resolve. "Riveria..." she murmured quietly, her voice filled with respect and awe.
Tyratryx, however, merely scoffed, her tone dismissive. "Love? You? You're not capable of love, or being capable of being loved. You have a heart harder than stone."
Riveria's lips curled into a faint smile, but it was a smile devoid of warmth. It was the smile of someone who had faced down countless horrors and emerged stronger for it. "Even a heart made of stone can break," she said firmly. "Love is my strength. It gives me the power to fight, the power to protect those I care about. You, Tyratryx, are the one who does not understand true strength. You believe power lies in fear, in domination, in cruelty. But true power comes from love, the bonds we share, and the sacrifices we are willing to make for each other."
Her words seemed to hang in the air, directly challenging everything Tyratryx represented. The Serpent Empress's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something—perhaps doubt or annoyance—within the writhing mass of snakes that formed her head. Tyratryx's mouth twisted into a sneer. "Then let us see how far your love will take you, Riveria Ljos Alf."
The room seemed to darken as Tyratryx's malevolent energy pulsed, a suffocating pressure descending upon the adventurers. But where others might have faltered, Riveria stood firm, her presence a beacon of defiance in the face of overwhelming darkness.
Riveria's grip on her staff tightened, and the aura of her magic flared to life around her, a blazing shield of energy that radiated with the power of her conviction. "We will end this, Tyratryx," she declared. "You may have taken much from me, but you will not take Bell, and you will not take my familia."
Ais stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Riveria. "We fight together," she said, her voice filled with quiet determination. "For Bell. For everyone."
The adventurers began to rally around Riveria and Ais, their resolve bolstered by Riveria's defiance and Ais's unwavering support. The chamber that had moments before been filled with despair now brimmed with the renewed determination of those who refused to give up and were willing to fight with everything they had.
Tyratryx hissed, the sound echoing ominously through the chamber. "Then come, Ljos Alf. Show me the strength of your foolish love. Let us see how long it can keep you alive."
With those words, the battle resumed, fiercer and more intense than ever. Riveria led the charge, her magic blazing as she struck out against Tyratryx with the full force of her love, anger, and unbreakable will. Ais was at her side, her sword flashing with lethal precision as she cut through the waves of serpents and Gorgon-Spawn.
The adventurers fought with renewed vigor, their spirits lifted by Riveria's words and the knowledge that, no matter what, they would stand together against the darkness. Tyratryx might have underestimated the power of love and the unbreakable bonds of familia, but now she would face their full might.
The battle raged, with Riveria and Ais leading the charge against Tyratryx and her minions. The chamber echoed with the clash of weapons and magic roar as the adventurers fought with everything they had.
Riveria's magic blazed brightly, her staff a conduit for her power as she unleashed spell after spell against the Serpent Empress. But Tyratryx was quick, her serpentine form slithering and dodging unnaturally.
In a sudden, audacious move, Tyratryx lunged forward, her massive form closing the distance between her and Riveria in a heartbeat. Before Riveria could react, Tyratryx's tail whipped out, slamming into the elf's staff with tremendous force.
The staff, a symbol of Riveria's power and status, shattered under the impact. Shards of wood and crystal scattered across the floor, glittering in the chamber's dim light.
Riveria stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at the broken remains of her staff. Tyratryx loomed over her, a triumphant gleam in her eyeless gaze.
"Now, you are powerless," Tyratryx hissed, her voice dripping with malicious glee. "Without your staff, you are nothing. Your magic is gone, and your last hope of victory is with it."
Riveria's heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation. Her staff had been an integral part of her magic, a focus for her power. Without it, she felt vulnerable and exposed.
But even as despair threatened to overwhelm her, Riveria refused to give in. She straightened her shoulders, her emerald eyes blazing with defiance as she met Tyratryx's gaze.
"You underestimate me, Tyratryx," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "My power doesn't come from a staff. It comes from my heart, my love for Bell, and my familia. And that is something you can never take away from me."
Ais stepped forward, standing beside Riveria in a show of solidarity. "We stand together," she said, her sword ready. "With or without a staff, we will fight until our last breath."
The adventurers rallied around Riveria and Ais, their determination renewed by Riveria's words. They knew the battle ahead would be difficult, perhaps even impossible. But they also knew they would face it together, united by the bonds of love and familia.
Tyratryx hissed, her serpentine form coiling with anger at Riveria's defiance. "Foolish elf," she snarled. "You cling to hope when there is none. I will crush you and your precious familia, and then all of Orario will fall before me."
Riveria's eyes burned with fierce determination as she began to chant. Wynn Fimbulvetr's ancient words rolled off her tongue, seamlessly blending with Rea Laevateinn's invocation. Her voice echoed through the chamber, a resonant melody that vibrated with the very essence of her power.
Tyratryx's mocking laughter cut through the incantation. "You fool! Your staff is shattered. Your magic is useless without it!"
But Riveria continued. She continued her chant, her voice growing more robust, and more committed with each passing moment. The adventurers around her watched in awe, sensing the immense power that Riveria was channeling.
Ais glanced at Riveria, her eyes wide with realization. "She's not using her staff," she murmured, the truth dawning on her. "She's using Bell."
The realization spread through the group like wildfire. Riveria was channeling her magic through Bell, who was still inside Tyratryx. Their connection, forged through love and sacrifice, was the conduit for her spell.
Tyratryx's smug expression faltered as she sensed the growing power within her. "What is this?" she hissed, her voice tinged with confusion and fear.
Riveria's chant reached a crescendo, the air around her crackling with energy. And she added an extra clause to close the incantation:
"Ancient frost and flames of destruction, converge within the heart of my beloved! Wynn Fimbulvetr! Rea Laevateinn!"
The spell, cast with the full force of Riveria's love and determination, ignited within Tyratryx. The Serpent Empress's body convulsed, her scales cracking and splitting as the magic tore through her from the inside.
"No! This cannot be!" Tyratryx's scream echoed through the chamber, a sound of pure agony and disbelief.
The adventurers watched in astonishment as Tyratryx's form began to disintegrate, the combined power of Riveria's spells unraveling her essence. Bell's unconscious body was expelled from the Serpent Empress, landing gently on the ground, bathed in the protective light of Riveria's magic.
Riveria's chant continued, her voice unwavering. "By the power of our bond, be purified and destroyed!"
Tyratryx's form shattered, the fragments of her serpentine body dissolving into nothingness. The chamber fell silent, the oppressive presence of the Serpent Empress gone.
Riveria rushed to Bell's side, her hands trembling as she cradled his face. "Bell, please wake up," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.
Bell's eyes fluttered open, his gaze meeting Riveria's. "Riveria..." he murmured weakly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The adventurers gathered around them, their faces reflecting relief and awe. They had witnessed the true power of love and the unbreakable bond between Riveria and Bell.
The adventurers barely had time to catch their breath before a sinister laugh echoed through the chamber. Tyratryx's severed head, still very much alive, slithered away on a writhing mass of snakes.
"You will regret this," she hissed, her voice dripping with malice. "I will flatten your precious Orario."
Ais lunged forward, but the snakes carried Tyratryx's head out of reach, disappearing into the shadows before anyone could stop her. The chamber fell silent once more, but the threat of Tyratryx's vengeance lingered in the air.
Riveria helped Bell to his feet, her eyes scanning the chamber. "We need to move," she said, her voice steady despite the lingering tension. "We can't stay here."
Finn nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "She's right. We need to find a way out of here."
Lefiya looked around, her face pale with fear. "Out of here? But how? This place is enormous. We don't even know how many floors there are. What if we get lost? What if we get separated?"
"We don't have a choice," Finn replied, his voice firm. "We need to stay together and be prepared for anything."
Riveria placed a hand on Lefiya's shoulder, her gaze reassuring. "Calm yourself, Lefiya," she said firmly. "Remember all that I have taught you."
Tione patted her on the head reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out together. After all, we're Loki familia."
The adventurers gathered their belongings, and their movements were quick and efficient despite their exhaustion. Riveria cast Veil Breath, a protective spell around the group, her magic forming green particles that temporarily boosted their stats.
"Stay close," Riveria instructed, focusing on the path ahead. "We'll need to rely on each other to get through this."
"Riveria-sama..." Bell murmured dazedly.
"Rest easy, young hero," Riveria said softly, gently cupping Bell's chin. "We'll be home soon. And then we can stay in bed together all day."
As they left the chamber and walked down the endless labyrinth of winding hallways, Riveria wondered if they had seen the last of Tyratryx and her minions.
With that, the group began their descent, moving cautiously through the labyrinthine corridors of Cor Vilgium. The walls seemed to close in around them, the air thick with an oppressive sense of dread. Every step was a reminder of the peril that lay ahead, but they pressed on, driven by the knowledge that they had to survive—for each other and Orario.
**Story discontinued from here**