Tiamat opened her chest, her hands trembling slightly as she reached inside. Her fingers closed around a small vial, the liquid inside glowing faintly under the dim light.

Without hesitation, she uncorked it, lifted it to her lips, and drank the contents in one gulp.

The sound of liquid sliding down her throat was sharp, and then she threw the empty glass across the room.

It hit the floor with a deafening shatter, splinters of glass scattering like tiny stars. She didn't flinch, didn't look back.

Her body began to pulse, a dark rhythm that spread across her skin like fire crawling under ice.

It mirrored Lila's energy, but twisted, more sinister, darker. Her eyes shifted from their natural color to a deep, unsettling black, the irises burning red as if fire had been trapped inside them.

"Hahaha, you will all pay for this!" Her voice tore through the air, sharp and wild, a mixture of rage and madness.

At that exact moment, Lila's eyes snapped open. She sat upright immediately, her expression tense and worried.

"This is not good," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "She is using a forbidden technique!"

I crouched down slightly, keeping my distance yet fully focused on her. Tiamat seemed… different. Stronger.

Every muscle in her body radiated power, and it was obvious she had grown significantly in strength.

I could feel the air thickening around her, as if the room itself was bracing for impact.

Tiamat tensed her legs and sprang forward with a speed that made my heart rate spike. "Let's start with you, Ragnar!" she shouted, her voice dripping with menace.

Even with the sudden surge in power, I could still track her movements.

Her speed had increased, yes, but it was manageable. I shifted slightly, angling my body to prepare for the impact.

The moment she reached me, I twisted my arms back and swung a fist straight at her face.

The impact hit harder than I expected. Her skin felt denser, tougher than it had been before, resisting the force in a way that was unfamiliar.

Surprisingly, she didn't fly backward from the hit. Instead, she planted her feet and returned a punch with equal force.

We locked into a deadly exchange of blows. Each strike sent shockwaves of air roaring through the room, shaking the walls and rattling the floor beneath us.

Sound and power collided in a rhythm that was almost violent in its perfection. I held the upper hand in the fight, but it became clear quickly that the forbidden technique granted her endless stamina.

Every hit she took barely slowed her down, and she retaliated with a relentless energy that was frightening.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the tension in my muscles tighten. "Time to go more efficiently," I muttered under my breath.

The words felt like a trigger; my eyes sharpened, narrowing with focus. I moved faster, more precisely.

In a sudden motion, my hands shot forward and grabbed her face. With calculated force, I yanked her toward me and drove my knee into her nose.

The sound of cracking bone was loud enough to make heads turn, and the ground beneath us shivered under the impact.

Cracks spread across the floor like a web, fine lines that traced the immense force we unleashed.

Finally, she began bleeding, her movements faltering. Her eyes spun with disorientation, and she lost her balance, collapsing onto the cracked floor.

The room fell silent for a brief moment, everyone frozen in shock. It had been fast, brutal, and over far too quickly for their senses to catch up.

"That's it?" Aria finally spoke, her voice laced with disbelief. Her gaze swept over Tiamat's prone form, and a spark of thought crossed her face.

Suddenly, she lunged toward Tiamat's body, a wild grin spreading across her features.

It was the most chilling smile I had ever seen on her, one that sent a shiver down my spine.

Aria raised her foot and pressed it against Tiamat's face, leaning forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with a mix of triumph and mischief. "How about it now, bitch?" she said gleefully. "Bet you didn't think I was this threatening!"

Tiamat tried to respond, but her voice was weak, her power no longer enough to resist.

Aria laughed, a sharp, satisfying sound that filled the room. I turned and left her to her moment of revenge, walking back toward the group.

Bella was nearby, nursing minor wounds, her expression wary but relieved.

Elaris, however, looked completely stunned, his eyes wide, processing everything he had just witnessed.

It was clear that this was the first time he had ever seen a fight of this scale, and the reality of it had struck him hard.

Both Kiala and Sarah rushed forward as I approached, their movements urgent.

They scanned my body quickly, their hands running over my arms and legs. "Did you have any injuries?" Kiala asked, her voice filled with concern. "We need to check you more thoroughly."

I shook my head slowly, a tired but steady smile crossing my face. "I'm fine," I said, though my muscles still ached from the intensity of the battle. "Nothing serious."

Sarah frowned, not entirely convinced, and continued her inspection with careful precision. "You need to be absolutely sure," she said, her tone firm but caring.

Kiala nodded in agreement, her hands gentle but thorough as she checked for hidden bruises or unseen wounds.

I sighed softly, feeling the tension drain from my body gradually.

The fight had been overwhelming, a test of strength, endurance, and focus, and even though it was over, the energy lingered in the room like a charged storm.

Aria stayed behind, still standing over Tiamat with that unsettlingly satisfied smile.

Bella finally let out a relieved laugh, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Well… that was intense," she said, her voice still trembling slightly from adrenaline.

Elaris could barely speak, his mind replaying the rapid exchange of blows, the power they had witnessed firsthand.

"I… I've never seen anything like that," he managed to say, his voice quiet, almost in awe.

I leaned back slightly, feeling the weight of the battle in my bones. "We need to stay alert," I said, my voice calm but firm. "We also should check what's inside the castle, after all we need compensation isn't it?"

Kiala and Sarah nodded, finally stepping back but keeping their eyes on me, ready to follow me inside

The group began to gather closer together, and we entered, with Lila following us after moments.

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