Spirit Game

Steeling herself, Santi tightened her grip on her blade, her resolve hardening like steel. She couldn't afford to lose another spirit, not now, not when the battle was at its most desperate.

"By the spirits! Did he get stronger?" Helliana gasped, her eyes wide with shock.

Rain's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Gorm's dark aura intensify, wrapping around him like a living shadow. The Revenant was more dangerous than ever, his rage amplifying his strength to terrifying levels.

Gorm lunged at Thraigar again, but this time, the Goliath was ready. He sidestepped the attack with a quick roll, coming up on his feet with his axe raised, ready to strike.

Helliana was already moving to provide cover, her arrows flying with deadly accuracy, forcing Gorm to shift his attention momentarily.

Santi's spirit wolf swooped in, diving at Gorm's eyes with a piercing howl, while Rain circled around, his sword gleaming as he prepared to strike.

Gorm's spear flashed as he parried the spirit wolf's lunge, sending it crashing into the ground, but the momentary distraction allowed Rain to close the distance. He swung his sword with all his might, aiming for Gorm's exposed side, but the Revenant was faster, spinning around and deflecting the blow with a quick flick of his spear.

Rain staggered back, the force of the parry nearly knocking him off his feet. Gorm pressed the attack, his spear a blur as he struck at Rain with unrelenting speed.

But just as the killing blow was about to land, a surge of energy erupted from the ground beneath Rain's feet, propelling him backward and out of harm's way.

One of Santi's spirit beasts, a towering golem with the power to command the earth, emerged just in time. With a deep rumble, it raised its massive stone arms, bending the ground to its will.

The earth responded to its call, surging and shifting beneath the enemy's feet, creating an impenetrable barrier. Dust and rocks spiraled around the golem as it solidified the terrain, turning the battlefield into a fortress under Santi's control.

The Revenant's aura pulsed with dark energy as he prepared to end this fight once and for all. But just as he raised his spear for the final strike, the mark on Rain's neck flickered and vanished, its deadly glow fading into nothingness.

Rain's heart skipped a beat. The minute was up.

Sensing the shift, Gorm let out a roar of frustration. The curse had been his trump card, the edge that made him nearly invincible. Without it, he was still a formidable foe, but not unbeatable. The realization gave Rain and his companions a much-needed surge of hope.

"Let's end this!" Santi shouted.

Gorm, was enraged by the loss of his advantage, and attacked with renewed ferocity. He swung his spear in wide arcs, forcing them to scatter to avoid being skewered.

But this time, they were ready. With the curse no longer a threat, their fear began to ebb.

Helliana took advantage of Gorm's blind fury, darting in and out of his reach, her daggers flashing as she struck at his vulnerable spots.

Thraigar joined her, his axe swinging with brutal force as he aimed for Gorm's legs, hoping to cripple the Revenant.

Santi's spirit wolf lunged at Gorm's back, its fangs bared as it bit down on the Revenant's arm, while Rain attacked from the front, his sword a blur as he struck again and again.

Gorm was forced to divide his attention between them, his once unstoppable momentum faltering under the relentless assault. The dark creatures that had been his allies were now little more than background noise, their numbers dwindling as Chick and Chill and their troops pushed them back.

Rain could see the cracks forming in Gorm's defenses, the small openings that they could exploit. They had survived the curse, weathered the storm, and now they were on the offensive.

Gorm was powerful, but he was not invincible, and they were determined to prove it.

The tide of battle had shifted, and though the outcome was still uncertain, Rain could feel a glimmer of hope rising within him.

They had a chance, a slim one, but a chance nonetheless, to defeat Gorm and end this nightmare once and for all.

Just as hope began to rise, it was swiftly crushed when Gorm let out a chilling laugh.

"Did you really think that the Mark is all I have?" he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. His gaze darkened, a malevolent gleam in his eyes that promised even greater horrors to come.

Rain caught Gorm's gaze, but before he could say anything, Gorm's voice cut through the din, cold and commanding.

"One wrong move, and those elves dies," he sneered, tightening his grip on the magical chains that connected him to Santi's father and the others, somewhere far away.

A heavy silence fell over the battlefield, thick with tension.

Gorm's grin twisted into something sinister as he fixed his gaze on Santi. "You there, elf," he hissed, his voice low and menacing. "I can sense your bloodline connected to this one. If you don't strike them down, I will kill your elders now!"

Santi's face was a mask of anguish, but she had no choice. She didn't want her father to die no matter what.

She turned on Rain, her once bright eyes now clouded with desperation. "I'm sorry, Rain," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of battle. "I have to do this."

Rain's heart sank, but there was no time to process the sudden shift of the situation as Santi launched herself at him, her blade flashing in the dim light.

Their swords clashed, sparks flying as they exchanged blows. Rain fought with a heavy heart, knowing that Santi was being forced into this, but he couldn't afford to hold back.

"Santi! Don't believe him! He wouldn't kill the elders — he needs their mana for his rituals!"

Gorm's laughter echoed ominously. "I don't need all of them," he sneered. "I only need to kill the one who shares that elf's blood."

"You . . . !" Rain gritted his teeth, frustration boiling inside him, but he was powerless to act.

"Santi! Stop this! You can't defeat all of us!" Helliana cried out, rushing to intervene. But before she could reach her, the Spirit Wolf lunged at her with terrifying speed.

"My friends, stop fighting!" Thraigar bellowed, but the Spirit Golem stepped forward, blocking his path. He couldn't close the distance between himself and Rain.

They were all suddenly at a standstill, a tense deadlock.

Rain's mind raced, but for the first time, he found himself unsure of what to do.