Beast Evolution Forge

Chapter 97 Guardians 4

Naiara raised her hand, the water in the pond swirling faster, gathering into a vortex of immense power. The air crackled with energy, and the ground trembled beneath Yenna's feet. She knew this was it—Naiara's was done playing with her. A massive column of water, easily ten times Yenna's size, erupted from the pond, roaring like a monstrous beast as it surged towards her.

"This is the end," She declared, her voice cold and final. "The forest will claim you."

Yenna braced herself, her body trembling under the strain of maintaining the energy shield. She closed her eyes, a single tear tracing a path through the grime on her cheek. 'Vell, everyone... I'm sorry.'

But then, something shifted.

A strange warmth spread through her body, starting from her core and radiating outwards. It wasn't just the familiar surge of mana she had come to know—it was something more, something deeper. It felt like... like a connection, a lifeline to a power far greater than her own.

Her eyes snapped open. The faint glow from her gauntlets intensified, pulsing with a vibrant, crimson light that was not her own. The energy shield around her expanded, solidifying, becoming more resilient than she thought possible.

The colossal wave crashed into her, but this time, it didn't feel like an unstoppable force. It felt... manageable. The shield held, the energy pushing back against the raging water, creating a barrier that refused to yield.

Yenna gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. She could feel the power surging through her, a torrent of raw energy that wasn't hers, yet flowed through her as if it were. It was as if she had become a conduit for something far greater, a vessel for a power that dwarfed even Naiara's.

From a distance, hidden deep within the forest, Vell stood with his eyes closed, his hand outstretched. A faint smile played on his lips. He was concentrating, a network of glowing lines spreading across his skin—the visible manifestation of Resonance.

Resonance, a skill he rarely used, a powerful ability that allowed him to connect with his tamed beasts, sharing their senses and even their powers. But this time, it was different. He had pushed the skill beyond its normal limits, forging a connection not just with one, but with all his companions at once. Not only that, this time he reversed the skill, instead of their abilities coming to him, he made his power go to them.

He could feel their fear, their desperation, their determination. And he could feel Yenna, struggling against the overwhelming power of the Guardian. He poured his own energy into the connection, a torrent of mana flowing through the unseen link, bolstering their strength, amplifying their abilities.

Back in the clearing, Yenna felt the power surge within her. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, yet strangely familiar. She felt stronger, faster, more resilient. Her senses sharpened, her movements became more fluid, more precise. She could feel the mana around her, responding to her will in a way it never had before.

She pushed back against the wave. The water, which had seemed insurmountable moments ago, now receded under the force of her will. She could feel Naiara's surprise, her confusion.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. "How can a mere human possess such power?"

Yenna didn't answer. She didn't need to, her actions spoke for her.

She lowered her stance, her body coiled like a spring, and then, with a burst of speed that surprised even herself, she charged forward. She moved like a blur, a crimson streak cutting through the raging water, closing the distance between her and Naiara in an instant.

Naiara reacted swiftly, forming a barrier of water around her, but it was too late. Yenna's gauntlets, now imbued with Vell's power, smashed through the barrier as if it were made of glass. She struck Naiara with a force that sent the Guardian reeling, her body crashing into the ground with a resounding thud.

She groaned, her body sinking slightly into the ground before she forced herself up. She raised her hand again, and the water surrounding her coalesced into an intricate armor. The liquid solidified, glistening like polished sapphire, wrapping her body in a gleaming carapace that pulsed with energy. In her other hand, a whip materialized—a serpentine weapon formed from the very essence of the forest's magic, writhing like a living creature.

"You're impressive," she admitted, her voice calm but edged with a new intensity. "But if you think that alone is enough, you're sorely mistaken."

Without warning, she lashed out with her whip. The weapon extended with blinding speed, the crack echoing like thunder. Yenna twisted her body just in time, the tip of the whip grazing her side and leaving a deep, searing burn that flared with pain. But she didn't falter. Instead, she crouched low, her feline-like reflexes allowing her to evade the follow-up strikes, her movements sharp and fluid like a prowling predator.

She countered with a powerful uppercut, her gauntlet flaring with crimson energy. Naiara sidestepped, her water armor shifting dynamically to absorb the brunt of the impact. She retaliated with a sweeping kick, the water around her legs surging forward in a slicing arc. Yenna leapt high, flipping mid-air and delivering a spinning kick aimed at Naiara's head.

The Guardian ducked, the kick barely missing her. Using the momentum, she pivoted and brought her whip down in a vicious arc. Yenna raised her gauntlets to block, the whip wrapping around her forearms. The whip tightened, the pressure threatening to crush her bones. But Yenna gritted her teeth and pulled with all her might, yanking Naiara toward her.

Their collision was ferocious. Naiara slammed a knee into Yenna's ribs, the force enough to crack her armor and send her skidding backward, gasping for air. This should have kept her way for a bit but Yenna didn't stop. She lunged forward again, her strikes a blur of feline precision and boxer-like ferocity. Each punch and kick landed with the force of a hurricane, but Naiara's armor absorbed most of the impact, cracks forming but refusing to shatter.

The clearing was a symphony of chaos—the roar of the water, the crackle of crimson energy, the sharp sounds of strikes connecting, and the heavy breaths of two warriors locked in a life-or-death struggle.

"Enough!" Naiara bellowed, slamming her foot into the ground. The earth beneath them rumbled as geysers of water erupted in all directions. Yenna darted between them, her enhanced agility allowing her to navigate the deadly maze.

With a sudden burst of speed, she closed the distance, ducking under a horizontal lash of the whip and driving her fist into Naiara's chest. The force shattered the front of the armor, sending fragments flying. She staggered but countered immediately, slamming her open palm against Yenna's abdomen. A torrent of water erupted from her hand, sending Yenna hurtling backward and crashing into a tree.

Blood trickled from the corner of Yenna's mouth as she stood, her breaths ragged but her resolve unshaken. Her gauntlets pulsed again, the p0wer intensifying.

Naiara, too, was battered. Her armor was now riddled with fractures, her movements slower, her breath labored. But her eyes showed that she was still confident in her victory.

"Let's end this!" Naiara roared, her whip unraveling into countless tendrils that surged toward Yenna like a swarm of serpents.

Yenna crouched low, her body humming with energy. The mana enveloped her completely now, her figure a radiant beacon against the chaos. As the tendrils closed in, she moved— almost too fast to follow.

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She weaved through the onslaught, deflecting and dodging with a grace that seemed inhuman. With one final leap, she soared into the air, her gauntlets crackling with raw energy. She descended like a meteor, aiming directly for Naiara.

The impact was cataclysmic. The ground exploded in a shockwave of energy and water, the force sending trees toppling and creating a massive crater at the center of the clearing. When the dust settled, Yenna stood at the center, her gauntlets smoking, her body trembling with exhaustion.

Naiara lay sprawled at the edge of the crater, her armor shattered, her whip dissolved into mist. She tried to rise but collapsed, her strength spent.

Yenna staggered but remained standing, her aura flickering before fading entirely. She looked down at Naiara, her expression a mix of relief and exhaustion.

"It's over," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the still-settling water.