Hahahaha, a menacing laugh echoed from Darwin.
"I see you've all improved yet again so fast," Darwin said, a hint of grudging admiration in his tone.
"Do you even realize how weak you are?" Oscar retorted, his black flames flickering.
"You're not gonna chicken out, are you?" Alexa taunted, her twin blades gleaming.
"Hell no, I'm just starting," Darwin replied, a defiant smirk on his face.
Darwin then transformed into his vampire form. Although sunlight typically weakened vampires, Darwin seemed unfazed, his enhanced stats more than compensating for the reduction. His transformation was swift and unsettling, fangs elongating, clothes shifting to a darker hue. Alexa didn't hesitate, launching an immediate attack, and the clash resumed.
Oscar and Alexa coordinated their assault, but Darwin met their attacks with relentless, boosted speed. The battle raged fiercely. Finally, Oscar landed a powerful blow that, while dodged, caused Darwin to lose his footing. Seizing the opportunity, Alexa plunged her dagger into his shoulder, pinning him to the ground.
"Surrender and come back where you belong," Oscar commanded.
"I must say, I am definitely impressed, but I think I'm already where I need to be," Darwin replied, his defiance unwavering.
"Then have it your own way," Oscar said, raising his black flame-covered sword to deliver the final blow.
Just as Oscar was about to strike, Hazel's voice echoed in his mind, "NO."
Oscar froze, the fiery blade inches from Darwin's chest, the force of the halted attack creating a shockwave that shattered the ground beneath them. He glanced at Alexa, and it was clear she had heard Hazel's mental command as well.
"He is with us. Let him go," Hazel's voice repeated in their minds.
Certain it was Hazel's will, they obeyed without question. Alexa yanked her dagger from Darwin's shoulder, and Oscar helped him to his feet.
"I thought you were actually going to end me there," Darwin said, a hint of relief in his voice.
"What's going on? You better start talking," Alexa demanded, her voice still laced with anger.
~Battle between Torn and Mia~
"Oh, you also have regenerating abilities," Torn observed Mia.
"Yeah, I must say, it really proves useful," Mia replied, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
"Fine then, I will just rip you to pieces over and over until you can't regenerate anymore," Torn threatened.
"We will see about that," Mia retorted, her grip tightening on her sword.
Mia charged again, this time with greater caution. Torn began to sprinkle her sweat around the battlefield, and upon her mental command, the droplets solidified into sharp iron thorns. Realizing the danger, Mia maintained her distance whenever Torn began to sweat.
Mia then devised a plan to secure her victory. She used her sword to destroy nearby objects, creating a cloud of dust. As Torn continued to sweat, the dust clung to her body, turning to abrasive sand.
Predictably, Torn leaped out of the dust cloud. Just as she did, Mia appeared behind her, sword raised for a decisive strike. But Torn whirled around, spitting a concentrated glob of saliva that instantly hardened into a sharp thorn. The projectile pierced Mia's chest, striking a vital part of her heart, causing significant damage.
Mia plummeted from the air, crashing into the ground with enough force to crack the earth. She struggled to rise, coughing up blood, her regeneration noticeably slowed by the heart wound. The system issued a warning of excessive bleeding and potential death. Despite her efforts, Mia collapsed back to the ground, losing consciousness.
"Hope not to meet me again in hell," Torn said, turning to leave.
Suddenly, a strange and oppressive aura filled the air. Torn felt a dark presence, her heart lurching with fear at the immense power. She looked back to see Mia standing, radiating a murderous aura far beyond human comprehension.
Mia stood and ripped the thorn from her chest. Instantly, her wound healed completely. She summoned her sword, and a black shadow erupted from her hand, engulfing the weapon entirely. Mia seemed no longer in control, the terrifying aura intensifying, affecting every living being within a considerable radius.
Torn, mistaking this display for a bluff, scoffed. "Oh, don't start with drama. I defeated you once; I can do it again."
Just as Torn finished speaking, Mia, who had been standing motionless before her, vanished. Torn felt a strange numbness spreading through her body. Her head detached and fell to the ground. Torn was dead.
Mia had moved with such speed and precision that she had shredded Torn's entire body, atomizing it completely, leaving no trace of her existence. Then, Mia stood unconscious, the menacing aura dissipating, the black shadow receding from her hand. She swayed and fell, but just before she hit the ground, Darwin appeared and caught her.