[B3]Chapter 195: A Love That Fought Destiny (3)

"Okay, but why are you handling this woman with such delicacy?" Vexalia's tone was filled with annoyance as she questioned him further.

"Because Cosmic Archon Ragnor wants the boy unharmed," Alaric countered.

"My brother desires only the child, not her," Vexalia stated coldly, the dark fire blade materializing in her hand.

As the situation grew more dire, Eva's heart raced. She knew the danger had exponentially increased with Vexalia's arrival. Theo, sensing his mother's tension, clung to her more tightly than ever.

"Baby, please forgive your momma," Eva whispered to him, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"Why... why would you say that, Mom?" Theo’s voice trembled, his wide eyes searching hers desperately, fear creeping into his expression as he tried to grasp what she meant.

But Eva couldn't afford the time for explanations. The urgency of the moment was overwhelming.

Vexalia advanced, her dark flame blade gleaming menacingly. "Enough playing around. Let's finish this quickly," she declared, leading her contingent of twenty warriors as they marched toward the protective dome.

Eva closed her eyes briefly, summoning the last reserves of her energy. When she reopened them, the barrier around them visibly thickened, its emerald leaves pulsating with radiant energy as it drew mana from the surrounding air.

Once more, colossal vines and branches erupted from the ground, sweeping across the battlefield. They smashed into the enemy warriors, their sheer power aimed at halting Vexalia’s relentless advance.

Vexalia's mocking laughter rang through the chaos as her blade effortlessly sliced through the attacking vines. "Impressive, but futile," she taunted.

Undeterred, Eva summoned yet another powerful spell. "Wrath of the Wildwood!" she called out.

Instantly, a vast, ever-expanding forest began to grow at an alarming rate. Trees and flowers sprang up, their roots and branches reaching out like living entities, ensnaring enemies and attempting to absorb them into the rapidly spreading woodland.

The battlefield turned into a scene of elemental fury and Sylvan wrath. Despite the overwhelming odds, Eva fought with the ferocity of a cornered lioness, determined to protect her cub.

Alaric and remaining warriors struggled to maintain their ground against the relentless onslaught of vines and expanding forest. They dodged and countered, but the sheer scale of Eva's powers made it a losing battle for many.

Vexalia, however, seemed almost untouchable, her dark flames carving a path through the magical forest.

As the battle continued, Eva felt her strength waning. Each spell she cast and the effort of sustaining the barrier drained her further. She knew she was reaching her limit.

Leaning closer to her son, she whispered, "Theo, when I give the signal, run. Don't look back."

"But Mom---" Theo began, his voice trembling with the urge to protest.

"No arguments, Theo. Just do as I say," Eva insisted firmly, her tone leaving no room for disobedience.

Gathering the remnants of her strength, Eva steeled herself for one final stand. "Now, Theo! Run!" she commanded.

Theo hesitated, torn between obedience and the instinct to stay by his mother's side. He watched his mother, her eyes ablaze with resolve as Eva faced down her foes one last time.

The ground around them shook violently as Eva summoned every ounce of her power. With a defiant roar, she released a massive surge of green energy. The forest exploded into life, vines and branches lashing out in a spectacular display of Sylvan wrath.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The blast resonated through the forest, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air, muffling the cries of the ensnared warriors.

As the dust settled and the light dimmed, Eva stood alone amidst the chaos, panting heavily. The protective dome was cracked and splintered, barely holding together.

The battlefield fell silent, the once formidable army now reduced to scattered, defeated figures. Vexalia, though injured, was far from beaten. She glared at Eva with unconcealed fury and contempt.

"This isn't over," Vexalia hissed.

Eva, exhausted, responded with equal intensity, "As long as I breathe, you will not touch my son."

"Then I will just have to kill you..." Vexalia's figure ignited, engulfed in a fierce ball of fire. The intensity of her heat turned the surrounding rain into steam within a two-meter radius, creating a blistering aura around her.

Turning to ensure Theo had escaped, Eva's heart sank. He hadn't fled; he stood there. Her face shadowed with fear and frustration, she yelled, "Why didn’t you run away?" It was the first time she had ever raised her voice at him in such a way.

Theo met her gaze. "I can’t leave you alone," he said quietly, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. "Not even if it means staying together... like this."

Eva's heart swelled with both pride and fear. Her son's bravery surpassed his age, but in that instant, all she wanted was for him to have heeded her final plea.

Tears streamed down her face, but Eva’s expression darkened as she sensed an overwhelming wave of fiery energy surging behind her.

Whirling around, she caught sight of Vexalia, her figure ablaze with a furious aura, like a comet tearing through a storm. The Cosmic Archon’s dark flames roared hungrily as she hurtled toward the protective dome of the majestic tree.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

A deafening sound, like the shattering of a colossal glass pane, echoed across the battlefield as Vexalia’s fiery assault collided with the dome.

Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the emerald barrier, glowing faintly before the entire structure exploded into a cascade of shimmering shards. The fragments of the dome scattered into the sky like embers extinguished by the wind.

Inside the collapsing dome, Eva swayed in midair, her energy drained to its limit. Her body faltered, and she began to fall.

"Mom!" Theo shouted in panic, leaping toward her with his arms outstretched.

Despite his smaller frame and lack of strength, he managed to catch her mid-fall. The force of her descent drove him to the ground, but he held on, his body cushioning her as they landed. Her head came to rest in his lap as he knelt on the dirt.

"Open your eyes... Mom..." Theo begged, his voice trembling as his fingers gently brushed away strands of hair clinging to her face.

"Mom, come on... wake up..." His words dissolved into quiet sobs, the desperation in his voice carving through the stillness. Tears streamed down his face, falling onto hers.

But Eva lay still, her usually affection-filled face now ashen. Her breathing was faint, barely perceptible, and the sight of her frailty tore at Theo’s heart.

The sound of slow footsteps drew nearer, accompanied by the crackling of flames.

"She fought well," Vexalia remarked. "But even the strongest can’t stand against me." She tilted her head slightly, a mocking smile playing on her lips as she observed him.

Theo didn’t respond. His sobs stopped abruptly, replaced by an ominous silence. His trembling ceased, and his tear-streaked face grew still.

Vexalia raised an eyebrow with a wide smirk. "What’s this? No retort? No rage? Are you so broken that you can’t even muster---"

All of a sudden, the air shifted.

A cold, biting aura began to seep out, creeping across the battlefield like frost spreading over a flame.

Vexalia froze mid-sentence, her smirk faltering. She stepped back instinctively, her eyes narrowing as the chilling wave expanded outward, engulfing the battleground.

Warriors on her side---those still alive---groaned in agony, clutching their frostbitten limbs. Even the dead seemed to shimmer under a thin layer of frost, their blood freezing where it had pooled.

"What... is this?" she muttered.

Her gaze darted to Eva, expecting her to be the source of this terrifying power. But Eva remained still, her faint breaths unaffected by the aura. Vexalia’s eyes widened in realization as they turned to Theo.

The boy’s small frame seemed to crackle with a crimson glow, his once-soft expression now hardened into a cold, unyielding glare. The frost that covered the ground seemed to radiate from him, an unnatural force spilling forth like a dam finally shattered.

"You..." Vexalia whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. "That power... it's coming from you?"

Theo didn’t respond. His icy gaze bore into her, and the air around him grew heavier, suffocating with each passing moment.

Behind him, something began to form---a crimson shadow that shimmered faintly, its presence almost too overwhelming to comprehend.

At first, it resembled Eva’s protective dome, but as it pulsed and grew denser, its shape changed. The shadow stretched upward, broadening until it took on the form of a towering warrior. Its outline radiated a crimson glow, casting long shadows across the battlefield as though night had fallen.

Vexalia’s eyes widened, her composure cracking. The boy who was supposed to be powerless, who had no mana or strength, was manifesting something far beyond her understanding.

The shadow grew taller, its form sharpening until it resembled a massive warrior draped in spectral armor. The crimson light intensified, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield.

At nearly a hundred meters tall, the figure exuded an aura of majesty and overwhelming domination, as if an ancient god had awakened from a long slumber to reclaim its domain.

The battlefield fell silent.

Wounded warriors froze where they lay, their eyes fixed on the looming figure. Some shivered uncontrollably, while others were completely paralyzed, unable to move under the crushing weight of its presence.

Even Vexalia faltered, her instincts screaming at her to retreat, to run, but her pride wouldn’t allow it.

"No..." she muttered, gripping the glowing sword in her hand tighter. Her eyes blazed with determination as her fiery aura surged brighter and hotter than before. "You think I'm afraid? I'll burn it to ashes!"

With a fierce battle cry, Vexalia shot into the air, her sword igniting with blinding intensity. The battlefield trembled as she charged toward the towering figure, her energy burning like a raging inferno. Her fiery form streaked through the sky, a comet of destruction aimed at the heart of the crimson warrior.

But before she could reach her target, the massive figure moved.

Silent until now, it raised its colossal hands and brought them together in a single, devastating motion.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The sound was deafening, shaking the earth with its force. The massive palms of the spectral warrior clapped together, trapping Vexalia mid-air like an insect caught between stones.

For a brief moment, her fiery aura flickered desperately, struggling to resist. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Squelch!

A grotesque sound followed as her body crumpled within the massive hands, reduced to a crimson smear that dripped from the spectral warrior’s fingers. The once-mighty Cosmic Archon was no more.

A stunned silence fell over the battlefield. No one dared to speak or even move. Those who were on Vexalia’s side---those who had once called her invincible---could only stare in horror as the towering figure shifted its attention to them.

The warrior’s massive foot lifted as it began advancing across the battlefield. With each step, the ground trembled beneath its weight. Its icy gaze fell on the remaining warriors---whether alive or dead, none would be spared.

One by one, it crushed them underfoot. The sickening crunch of bones and the splatter of flesh filled the air. Those who tried to crawl away were caught by its enormous hands, swiped off the ground like leaves in a storm, and crushed without mercy.

Alaric moved like a streak of lightning, his body a blur as he sprinted across the battlefield with speed no ordinary eye could follow. His every step seemed to defy gravity, desperation fueling his impossible escape.

But it was futile.

The shadow’s enormous hand descended like a mountain falling from the heavens, slamming into him with crushing force. In an instant, his lightning-quick form was obliterated, leaving no trace behind.

When the massacre finally ended, the battlefield was unrecognizable. Blood-soaked earth and shattered weapons lay scattered everywhere.

The towering figure, its task complete, stood motionless for a moment. Then, as though its purpose had been fulfilled, the crimson warrior began to dissolve. Its colossal form faded into wisps of crimson energy that dissipated into the boy.

Theo’s hardened expression softened as the shadow disappeared. The icy aura surrounding him ebbed away, leaving only the quiet sound of the breeze against the bloodied battlefield.

As exhaustion took hold, his body, once rigid with rage, began to tremble. Then, unable to hold himself up any longer, Theo collapsed forward. His head came to rest gently against Eva’s, his breaths shallow and uneven.

The battlefield blurred, the edges of his vision darkening. Yet even as unconsciousness claimed him, his grip on his mother never loosened.