POV: Elior
Lightning and Light exploded across the valley.
Laxus and I moved at the same time.
Deliora charged straight toward us, each step shaking the ground beneath our feet.
I transformed into Light.
Laxus transformed into Lightning.
For a fraction of a second, everything around me seemed to slow.
Then we accelerated.
Laxus reached Deliora first.
Lightning gathered around his fist.
"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"
His fist slammed into Deliora's stomach.
BOOM!
The monster's body bent slightly from the impact.
Before it could react, I appeared above its head.
"Light Sword!"
My blade came down.
SLASH!
The sword cut across Deliora's shoulder.
Holy Light erupted from the wound.
Deliora roared and swung upward.
I disappeared before the claws could reach me.
Laxus attacked again.
"Lightning Dragon's Claw!"
His lightning-covered foot slammed into Deliora's ribs.
The monster staggered sideways.
I appeared behind it.
Another slash.
Then another.
Deliora turned wildly, trying to keep track of us.
But we were too fast.
Light.
Lightning.
Light.
Lightning.
Our attacks came from different directions without giving Deliora enough time to respond.
"Annoying little brats!" Deliora roared.
It slammed both fists into the ground.
The entire valley shook.
A massive shockwave erupted from the impact.
Laxus transformed into Lightning.
I transformed into Light.
We both escaped the center of the explosion.
But Deliora didn't stop.
It ripped a massive chunk of rock from the ground and threw it at Laxus.
Laxus destroyed it with a lightning-covered punch.
The rock exploded into hundreds of pieces.
I appeared above Deliora.
"Behind you."
Deliora looked up.
Several Light Swords had already formed around me.
"Rain."
The swords shot downward.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Deliora raised its arms.
The first sword struck its forearm.
The second pierced its shoulder.
The third struck its thigh.
Several more slammed into its chest.
Holy Light exploded from every wound.
Deliora roared.
I could feel the dark magic around its body struggling against mine.
Its regeneration tried to close the wounds.
The Holy Light prevented it.
That was becoming our biggest advantage.
But Deliora wasn't stupid.
It understood what was happening.
It grabbed one of the Light Swords embedded in its shoulder and ripped it out.
The wound continued burning.
"You rely on that Light of yours."
I landed several meters away.
"Obviously."
Deliora crushed the sword in its hand.
"But what happens when I stop giving you opportunities to use it?"
Dark magic exploded around its body.
Its speed suddenly increased.
My eyes widened.
"Laxus!"
"I know!"
Deliora disappeared.
I barely sensed its movement.
It wasn't as fast as Light or Lightning, but its raw acceleration was terrifying.
It appeared beside Laxus.
Laxus raised his arms.
BOOM!
The punch hit him directly.
Laxus was launched across the valley.
"LAXUS!"
I immediately transformed into Light.
Deliora followed him.
I intercepted it.
My Light Sword clashed against its claws.
CLANG!
The impact sent sparks flying.
Deliora pushed harder.
Its strength was absurd.
I could feel the force travelling through my sword.
I transformed my body into Light and slipped through its claws.
I reappeared behind it.
"Too predictable."
I swung.
Deliora turned faster than expected.
Its elbow slammed into my stomach.
BOOM!
My body flew backward.
Pain shot through me.
I stabilized myself in the air.
'That hurt.'
I looked down.
My clothes were torn.
There was a bruise forming across my stomach.
I wasn't used to getting hit.
My Light body protected me from most ordinary physical attacks, but Deliora's dark magical power was strong enough to interact with my elemental form as darkness and light are natural counters to each other.
This wasn't something I could simply ignore.
Deliora grinned.
"Found you."
It charged again.
I raised my sword.
"No."
Lightning flashed past me.
Laxus appeared between us.
"Found me."
His fist slammed into Deliora's face.
BOOM!
Deliora's head snapped backward.
Laxus followed with a knee.
Then an elbow.
Then another punch.
Lightning exploded with every strike.
Deliora stumbled.
I immediately joined.
"Light Barrage!"
Several beams of Holy Light slammed into Deliora's body at point-blank range.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The monster was thrown backward.
It crashed into a mountain wall.
The entire cliff shook.
Laxus landed beside me.
He breathed heavily.
"You good?"
I nodded.
"You?"
"Fine."
Neither of us sounded convincing.
We were both breathing harder now.
Deliora slowly emerged from the rubble.
It was covered in wounds.
Some were deep.
Some were shallow.
All of the wounds caused by my Light remained open.
Blood ran down its body.
Yet it still stood.
Its eyes were filled with rage.
"You little monsters."
It spread its arms.
Dark magic began gathering around it.
The air became heavy.
I immediately felt the change.
"Laxus."
"Yeah."
"This is going to be big."
Deliora roared.
"DARK RAGE!"
A gigantic sphere of dark magic formed between its hands.
The sphere expanded rapidly.
Then it exploded outward.
"MOVE!"
Laxus transformed into Lightning.
I transformed into Light.
We raced away.
The explosion swallowed the battlefield behind us.
The forest disappeared.
Trees were vaporized.
The ground was ripped apart.
The shockwave reached us even after we had escaped the center.
I flew through the air.
Laxus crashed into the ground.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then Laxus groaned.
"Okay."
He pushed himself up.
"That was bigger than expected."
I landed beside him.
"Yeah."
I looked behind us.
The forest was gone.
A massive crater stretched across the valley.
Deliora stood at the center.
Its chest rose and fell heavily.
For the first time, I noticed something.
It was breathing harder too.
'So it does have limits.'
Deliora looked toward us.
"You're still alive."
Laxus cracked his neck.
"Disappointed?"
Deliora smiled.
"Not disappointed."
It clenched its fists.
"Excited."
It charged.
We met it head-on.
I raised my sword.
Laxus gathered lightning around his entire body.
Deliora swung.
I blocked the first attack.
Laxus intercepted the second.
I cut across its arm.
Laxus struck its ribs.
Deliora kicked me away.
I transformed into Light before the kick could send me too far.
Laxus attacked again.
Deliora caught his fist.
Then I appeared behind it.
"Now!"
Laxus grinned.
Lightning exploded from his body.
The blast forced Deliora to release him.
I drove my Light Sword through the opening.
SLASH!
The blade cut deeply across Deliora's chest.
Holy Light flooded into the wound.
Deliora screamed.
"AAARGH!"
I pulled the sword free.
Deliora staggered backward.
Laxus appeared beside me.
"That one hurt."
"Yeah."
Deliora looked down at its chest.
The wound wasn't closing.
Holy Light continued burning inside it.
But then something changed.
Deliora's dark magic began gathering around the injury.
The Holy Light resisted it.
The two forces collided.
The wound remained open.
But Deliora forced itself upright.
Its breathing was heavier.
Its movements were slightly slower.
And for the first time, I could clearly see the effects of our attacks.
We were hurting it.
But the opposite was also true.
Laxus wiped blood from his mouth.
"We can't keep trading hits like this."
"I know."
"Eventually one of us gets caught."
I looked at Deliora.
"Then we stop trading."
Laxus glanced at me.
"What are you thinking?"
I smiled.
"Something dangerous."
He grinned.
"Perfect."
I raised my Light Sword.
"Let's see how much punishment this thing can take."
Laxus's lightning intensified.
Deliora roared and charged once again.
The three of us collided in the center of the ruined valley.
Light exploded.
Lightning erupted.
Dark magic tore through the earth.
And the battle entered a completely different level.