"What's going on? Is it some kind of serpent magic? All that commotion and it still won't show its face," Leonard asked, puzzled. "Could it be that the Great Serpent realized we were lying in wait?"
"The Great Serpent is already here," Raven said suddenly.
"Where—"
Someone nearby let out a sharp, ragged breath. "Th-that... that is the Great Serpent!"
The solidified magma transformed into plates of massive, hardened scales. From the crevices between them, a thick, yellowish, foul gas billowed out, swirling upward toward the cavern dome.
The Great Serpent wasn't hiding beneath the magma. The wall of molten rock itself, tens of meters high, was merely a section of the beast's flank.
Some within the group began to tremble, their gazes fixed on the colossal scales, not daring to shift their eyes even an inch. This obsidian wall had completely occupied their field of vision; it was impossible to imagine what the entirety of the Great Serpent looked like at this moment. They didn't even want to try.
Through the perception of his Blind Spot technique, Raven felt the Serpent's presence like a burning star, significantly surpassing the Astel that had attacked Raya Lucaria.
Power of this magnitude completely exceeded Raven's expectations. Even igniting Ghostflame from within likely wouldn't be enough to kill it. Unless the strike was delivered when the beast was at its weakest, there was no guarantee of a lethal blow.
He glanced at Rykard. Under the piercing red glow of the magma, the Inquisitor's profile remained as cold and hard as forged steel.
A serpentine head of despair-inducing proportions rose, its cold, vertical pupils—each the size of two men—scanning the shore.
"It's found us," someone whispered in terror.
The Great Serpent flicked its tongue and took a deep breath, drawing the signal-fire scent of blood into its nostrils. Its crimson eyes narrowed as it slithered sluggishly toward the shore, crawling toward the high platform where the Man-Serpent hung.
"Steady," Rykard said. "Wait for my command."
As the Great Serpent reached the shore, the ground shook once more. Ignoring the group of warriors standing ready nearby, it rippled its massive body, crushing any protruding rocks in its path. With a slow, deliberate motion, it slithered onto the platform and swallowed the Man-Serpent in a single gulp.
Satisfied, it coiled itself in a comfortable circle and began to slither back toward the magma lake, seemingly intending to return to its slumber. The platform was a full kilometer from the shore; with the beast moving back and forth like this, its tail had already left the magma. Its entire body was exposed and defenseless.
"Spread out and attack! Hinder its movements!" Rykard barked, driving the Great Serpent-Hunter deep into the ground.
The crowd of masters fanned out sluggishly, dragging their feet toward the Serpent as if competing to see who could move the slowest. The dozen or so who had charged ahead quickly realized the others weren't following and slowed their pace as well.
Seeing Okina clutching the hilt of his tachi and jogging at the very front, Raven's lips couldn't help but twitch.
He planted his staff, and layers of glintstone sigils rippled out beneath his feet, unfolding into a Terra Magica. He then began to prepare a Comet spell. This was the highest tier of sorcery from the Academy's Karolos Conspectus; few even among the sorcerer professors had mastered it, but with the aid of the Terra Magica, Raven was just barely able to manifest it.
As he prepared the spell, Raven cast a distracted glance at Rykard, wondering what his plan was. To his surprise, the Inquisitor didn't even look at the slackers; he simply began to slowly pull the Great Serpent-Hunter from the earth.
The moment the spear left the ground, a muffled sound like rolling thunder reached Raven's ears, accompanied by a sharp crackling like breaking timber. The earth, the magma lake, and even the cavern dome shuddered.
It wasn't just the spear being pulled out. Something intangible and immense had been awakened along with it, drawn up from the very core of the earth by Rykard.
Though Rykard stood perfectly still, Raven had the strange illusion that his brother was moving further and further away. A moment later, Raven realized his own feet had left the ground, pushed back by an invisible force that nearly interrupted his half-finished Comet spell.
"The body is dead, laid to rest on the sunlit slope. How majestic the mountains, how vast the heavens. Trees grace the mountains, while martyrs fall for the state. Return, oh souls, to behold your home."
Rykard chanted in the ancient language of Gelmir, hoisting the Great Serpent-Hunter high.
Countless pale souls coiled around the shaft of the spear. Illusory blades, spears, swords, and halberds materialized in the air, clashing and intertwining until they extended into a massive, three-hundred-meter pale blade. It slammed down upon the Great Serpent with a thunderous roar.
Then came the Serpent's shrill cry of agony, echoing through the mountain's hollow.
Burning serpent blood sprayed out like a waterfall. The Great Serpent thrashed its body in a frenzy, the ground vibrating like a drum, causing massive chunks of rock to fall from the dome above.
Raven stood ready, prepared to cancel his Comet and relocate to avoid a counterattack. Rykard's strike, bolstered by the heroic spirits of Gelmir, was indeed terrifying, but it hadn't dealt a crippling blow. Raven didn't even feel the Serpent's aura waver.
To his surprise, after thrashing and hissing for a moment, the Serpent jerked its head up and began to slither desperately toward the magma lake without a second thought.
It's running? Raven was stunned.
If an Astel had taken a hit like that, it would have been driven into a mindless rage, launching a storm of counterattacks. The Great Serpent appeared far stronger than a Naturalborn of the Void, yet its first instinct was to flee?
"What are you standing around for?" Rykard shouted harshly. "Block its path! Do not let it escape back into the magma!"
In an instant, the warriors who had been strolling as if on a picnic were suddenly revitalized. They lunged toward the Serpent like arrows released from a bow.
One figure leaped high, wings of cold Ghostflame unfolding from his back as he glided over the Serpent's head and detonated a burst of fire. The Ghostflame spread wildly across the scales, coating everything it touched in a layer of rime ice.
The Great Serpent squeezed one eye shut, the lid beginning to freeze under the burn of the Ghostflame. The Bloodhound Knight Flo took the opportunity to leap onto the Serpent's head, slashing his blade right between its nostrils. As the beast opened its maw, Flo managed a few more cuts to its inner jaw before vanishing instantly before the jaws could snap shut.
In an flash, swords, spears, halberds, maces, flails, greataxes, and morning stars were all raining down upon the beast. One martial artist, his fists wrapped in deep red energy, even rode the Serpent's back, delivering a barrage of Lifesteal Punches.
A brilliant blue Comet struck the side of the Serpent's skull like a cruise missile, the explosion engulfing half its head. Raven lowered his staff, watching the Great Serpent's pathetic state with a look of pure bewilderment.
"The immortal Serpent God that ruled the Volcano for countless generations, keeping the people in darkness... is this it?"
Rykard laughed, swinging another hundred-meter blade of soul-light.
"It is nothing more than a gluttonous, lazy animal. It sleeps in the magma lake, waiting for its followers to deliver sacrifices directly to its mouth. That is all. I doubt this snake has ever even seen the outside world."
"And yet, the serpent worshippers conquer and ravage in its name, offering endless blood sacrifices," Raven said pointedly. "It doesn't look capable of communication; it devours the offerings and gives nothing in return. The people of the Volcano would be better off following the Golden Order than a cult like this."
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(161 Chapter - Ongoing)
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