The battlefield roared with the cacophony of clashing weapons and guttural cries as the Dragon Legion, Ceti, and her soldiers used various arsenals in an intelligent and careful manner to engage it from a distance.
Their coordinated assault was designed to hold the massive beast's attention long enough for the royal consort to execute his daring plan.
All they had to do was buy a couple of seconds but keeping the Kraken busy for even a second was no small feat.
Even as the soldiers risked their lives, they understood the importance of their task and pressed on with grim determination.
Their numbers were dwindling with each second, and yet they steeled their hearts and didn't falter.
Eradicator, her focus as sharp as a blade, guided Grimeras through the air as it soared toward the Kraken at breakneck speed.
She could feel Asher's steady grip around her waist, a silent reassurance that he knew what he was doing. The wind whipped around them, their hair streaming out behind them like banners of defiance.
Asher, his eyes narrowed in concentration, scanned the battlefield below.
He could see Ceti leading her soldiers with an air of stoic confidence, her spiky knuckle gloves smashing through the Umbralfiends that dared to come too close.
He couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't using her werewolf form. He had noticed this earlier too when Iryna Drake and her people attacked the Demonstone Castle.
The Dragon Legion, their armor glistening in the fading light, moved as a single, unstoppable force. Their bravery and unwavering loyalty to their cause bolstered their collective morale.
"Are you ready, Your Highness?" Eradicator asked over the din of the battle below. Her voice was steady, but the tension in her body betrayed her concern for his safety.
"I am," Asher replied, his voice as cool and unshakable as ever, "All I need is to get inside its mouth."
As Grimeras closed the distance between them and the gargantuan Kraken, Eradicator was still wondering how he planned to survive once he got inside. But she knew better than to question him now.
She had no choice but to trust his words, and she was prepared to do everything in her power to ensure his safety and success.
The soldiers on the ground continued to engage the Kraken, their coordinated assault causing the beast to lash out in frustration.
Its massive pincers swiped through the air, trying in vain to grasp at the elusive figures darting in and out of its reach, though it did manage to kill a lot in the process.
For a brief moment, the Kraken's attention was drawn downward, allowing Asher and Eradicator their window of opportunity.
"Now!" Asher shouted, his voice taut with urgency.
Without hesitation, Eradicator urged Grimeras to dive toward the distracted Kraken. The wind howled around them as they plummeted toward the colossal beast, the sense of exhilaration and danger mingling together in a heart-pounding dance.
As Grimeras hurtled downward, Eradicator braced herself on its back, every muscle in her body tensed for the moment of action.
Her grip tightened around the hilt of her heavy sword, its weight reassuring in her grasp. Asher's eyes were locked on the Kraken, his gaze filled with uncertainty yet with determination as they rapidly approached the colossal monster.
The Kraken writhed below them, its pincers flailing in response to the relentless assault from the ground forces. Its massive carapace glistened with moisture and the sheen of battle.
With a determined cry, Eradicator lifted her sword above her head and hurled it with all her strength toward the behemoth. The weapon whistled through the air, a deadly projectile aimed at the flesh of the Kraken's carapace.
*KRASHHK!*
*KREEEEE!*
The impact was devastating. The sword sliced a bit deep into the creature's armored shell, the sound of rending chitin echoing across the battlefield.
The Kraken reared back in agony, its pincers snapping wildly in the air as an ear-splitting screech erupted from its maw.
This was the moment Eradicator had been waiting for. As the Kraken's massive mouth parts gaped open in pain, she seized her chance. With one arm wrapped tightly around Asher, she leaped from Grimeras's back, her veins flooded with adrenaline as they dove headlong into the cavernous maw of the monster.
Time seemed to slow as they plunged into the darkness, the air thick with the stench of the Kraken's breath and the reek of decaying flesh from its previous victims.
As they disappeared into the Kraken's maw, a hush fell over the battlefield, the soldiers and their adversaries momentarily awed and stunned by the audacity and horror of the royal consort's plan.
They still were wondering if the royal consort just committed suicide and if everything they did was for nothing. Not even a Soul Devourer would survive for long inside the Kraken.
Even the Kraken itself seemed disoriented by the unexpected intrusion.
However, the behemoth seemed to recognize the intrusion as a threat. Its mighty mandibles, the Bonecrusher Claws, snapped at them with ferocious power, attempting to crush them between its serrated edges.
Asher had his eyes widened, and he was ready to transform into Hellbringer, but not before reaching the creature's belly. He didn't want to transform unless things were really desperate.
But right at that time, Eradicator, her determination unwavering, used her inhumane agility to grab him and dodge the incoming blows.
She urged immediately, "Keep moving, Your Highness. I'll buy you time," Eradicator said, her voice filled with steely resolve.
"Fine. But make sure to get out in time!" Asher, knowing his own limitations, wasted no time delving deeper into the creature's maw.
As he moved further into the beast, he couldn't help but hope Eradicator would make it out unscathed; She was useful to him more than he realized.
The Kraken, growing increasingly desperate, unleashed the Shadowfang Slicers, its wicked maxillae, in a flurry of swift and agile strikes.
Eradicator deflected them with her own bare hands, her skillful movements countering the Kraken's attacks with practiced precision. Her body bore the brunt of the assault, causing cracks to spread across her armor.
Meanwhile, Ceti, her soldiers, and the Dragon Legion used the distraction to retreat from the fray, their minds reeling from the awe-inspiring display of a Bloodborn Guard's power. It was no wonder only five of them were needed to protect the queen.
Eradicator longed to follow the royal consort into the Kraken's belly and protect him from the dangers within.
Still, she knew that she couldn't do so without the Kraken ripping her up since fending off its attacks while protecting the royal consort was not possible. As a Soul Devourer, her presence would be considered a huge threat by the Kraken, making it unleash even more powerful attacks to get rid of her.
However, since the royal consort was too weak to be considered a threat, the Kraken wouldn't bother putting much effort into getting rid of him. She hoped this would at least increase his chances of survival.
Still, disappointment welled within her as she realized she might not be able to fulfill her duty to its fullest extent.
As Asher continued his descent into the depths of the Kraken's insides, Eradicator found herself ensnared by the Grimripper Graspers, the maxillipeds that grasped and tore at her with cold precision.
In the face of this seemingly insurmountable obstacle, her eyes glowed with an even fiercer determination.
Blood seeped out through her armor, and yet, the dark red slits of her helmet blazed with unwavering determination.
With her body pushed to its limits, Eradicator called upon her mastery of blood and dark arts, manifesting a blade made out of her own blood and infused with dark energy. With a powerful, sweeping motion, she sliced through the Grimripper Graspers, freeing herself from their grip.
She glanced in the royal consort's direction, seeing that he had ventured deep enough into the Kraken's body, though her gaze didn't relax in the slightest.
Summoning the last reserves of her strength, Eradicator unleashed a torrent of blood energy, as she fought her way through its counterparts to get to the opening of its maw.
Just as she did, she swiftly leapt out of the beast's mouth before landing atop Grimeras and taking off.
However, her gaze was still on the Kraken, trying to still think of a way to get inside and help the royal consort. She couldn't relax, knowing he was still inside.
A few miles away, Sabina who was seeing everything from afar let out a subtle, soft gasp, "I can't believe it...He wasn't joking. How could someone be so...Wait a second...Don't tell me, he knows?" Sabina mumbled as realization dawned on her.
She could only think of one reason why Asher would jump into the belly of the Kraken. The Life Pearl!
She was too shocked to even ponder about how Asher came to know about it.
However, she still shook her head, feeling that there was no chance of him surviving in the belly of the Kraken, let alone getting to the Life Pearl.
Still, she can't let him die that easily, can she? Hoping he had some artifact to keep him alive for a while, she decided to tell a certain someone who might feel concerned for his safety and the only one who could do something about it.
She had no direct means to contact that person, but it was very well worth the try, even if it might be too late.
On the other end of the battlefield, amidst the chaos and the clashing of armies, King Moraxor and his Umbralfiend generals were still engaged in a fierce battle against the Bloodburn Queen, Rowena.
The battlefield echoed with the sounds of clashing steel, crackling fire, and the cries of the wounded.
King Moraxor and his generals found themselves pushed to their limits as they attempted to hold off Rowena's relentless assault.
Moraxor didn't expect this young queen to be so powerful that she managed to kill three of his peak Soul Purger generals while fighting him as well. Now only two of his generals were left, and even he didn't know how long he could keep her busy.
The air grew thick with tension as the combatants clashed, their respective powers colliding in a maelstrom of destruction. Moraxor summoned torrential waves and tendrils of darkness, seeking to suppress and extinguish Rowena's searing flames.
Yet, her crimson flames only seemed to grow in power the more she fought while each attack from her whip left deep craters on the ground.
"Your Majesty, we cannot hold her off for much longer!" one of the Umbralfiend generals cried out, his voice filled with desperation.
"Stay focused, Lumban!" King Moraxor commanded, his voice determined but wavering with a complicated glint in his eyes, "We cannot afford to falter now! We have sacrificed too much to give up."
As the battle raged on, Rowena's strength seemed to multiply, the very air around her rippling with the heat of her power. The Umbralfiend generals exchanged uneasy glances, fear creeping into their eyes as they began to understand the terrifying might of their opponent.
They realized that the Bloodburn Queen was gaining the upper hand, and their attempts to subdue her were becoming increasingly futile.
But in the heat of the struggle, Rowena's eyes suddenly flickered, her expression changing as she received a message within her mind. Her eyes widened and trembled as she turned her gaze towards the Kraken in the distance.
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