"Haah...this is...hopeless." Maroppa stammered as her Spirit Weapon pierced a Parute Tree that popped up a few metres away from her.
She swerved her head and stared at the concerned figure of Vhalla, one seated in a meditative pose, "What are we supposed to do now?"
"Buy time," Vhalla's eyes shot open as she muttered with a resigned tone, "What else are we supposed to do?"
They were situated on an island that spanned a radius of twenty metres. Surrounding them was the Sandy-Grey Void that Maroppa had unleashed. Ever since she realised that her Sandy- Grey Void had stopped growing, she knew that some existence had taken action.
It definitely wasn't Mahira Tusk, since if she had taken action, then she would have created a means for Vhalla to survive. And seeing the Parute Trees pop up constantly in an effort to spy on her, Maroppa was almost sure that Sumatra's Transcendent Eater was the one acting against her.
That plunged her into despair, 'This is why I didn't want to use it unless necessary!'
"Buy time for what?" She asked Vhalla, frustrated after being trapped in this region for years.
"Just buying time, nothing else." Vhalla sighed as she explained her reasoning, "Can the two of us fight the Celestial Boar? No, right?"
"So," She nodded, "As long as we stay here, there's a solid chance Brangara is lingering in the vicinity in an effort to capture us. This means that he's diverting a good portion of his attention on us that he could have focused upon preparing to fight the Mystic Paths."
"Every prolonged day counts." She said, "And that's my goal. I was prepared to die the moment I realised that I couldn't outrun him. So, my current objective is to buy as much time as possible."
She then glanced at the ten-storey storage lantern hanging at Maroppa's hip, "That's why I've been using my resources to fill it with Elixirs for your survival."
"Nothing changes when I'm killed. Other than being Brangara's nutrition, I have no value to him." Vhalla said slowly as she observed Maroppa, "But it's different for you. If Yarsha Zahara gets her hand on your power, she'll definitely use it to destroy the Mystic Paths."
"Then, run with me!" Maroppa shouted as she patted her chest, "Carry me and run at your topmost speed. I'll created a Sandy-Grey Void to protect us!"
"The Transcendents have methods to stop the growth of the Sandy-Grey Void, but that's only when it's growing passively." She grunted, "But if I'm actively using my power, everything within my Spirit Weapon range turns into the Sandy-Grey Void."
"I can create an underground channel of the same!" She bellowed, "We can flee this place without alerting Brangara."
"Indeed, we might be able to escape his senses through that method. However, that won't work against Sumatra's Transcendent Eater." Vhalla sighed as she stared into the sky. A piece of bone jutted out of her finger and shot into the Parute Tree that sprouted suddenly, as if confirming her words, "See?"
"I'm not sure what Yamahara had done to bring Sumatra's Transcendent Eater on his side, but it is what it is." She sighed and stared at Maroppa, "So, our best bet is to buy time here. And when Brangara arrives here, I want you to unleash your power at its fullest."
"Destroy everything!" Vhalla said solemnly, "And then, run away while expanding this Sandy-Grey Void. I've placed enough Elixirs in my storage lantern to last you a decade."
"Once the Third Major Disaster starts, you'll get the opportunity to run away."
"How?" Maroppa expressed her confusion, "What's the guarantee that Brangara will stop targeting me once the Third Major Disaster starts."
"Because when it starts, he'll be at the Armoury." Vhalla said, smiling in response, 'Since he's aware of Sumatra Chronicles, he's under its influence. Whether he likes it or not, he'll be subconsciously influenced to head to the centre of every Major Disaster. He can resist it as he's at the Mystic Grade, but unless he's aware about it, he won't be able to resist it.'
'And he's not aware. That, I am confident.' Vhalla clenched her hand into a fist. Days continued to pass in such a fashion as Vhalla helped Maroppa in terms of food.
The vast resources in her biomes came in handy. Whenever necessary, she brought out food for Maroppa, not to mention constantly making her Mammoth Clansmen refine as much Elixir
as possible.
The storage lantern in Maroppa's possession wasn't one created through her Secondary Nature, for that could only be used by the respective Empyrean Tusk. It won't activate when anyone else's Prana was seeped in.
Hence, Vhalla had to resort to the traditional storage lanterns, those with a cubic metre in volume per floor, which were made using her tusks. Steadily over the years, she increased the number of 10-Storey Storage Lanterns in Maroppa's possession.
This way, Maroppa could flee within the Sandy-Grey Void that she had created. By using the Elixirs, she could sustain herself for as long as possible. The goal was to buy time until the Third Major Disaster started, following which she could run away successfully.
Time passed in such a manner. And now, it had been 32 years since the end of the Second Major Disaster. A few days later, Maroppa and Vhalla continued to huddle in their location when the Mystic Eater left in Maroppa's possession hissed.
It turned in the direction of the Sandy-Grey Void and remained on standby, mildly confused before displaying calmness. Seeing its reaction, hope budded within Maroppa's heart as she stared in the respective direction nervously.
A few minutes later, a beaten, battered figure of Orakha walked inside, his eyes darting to Maroppa warily before expressing relief, "Thank goodness."
He collapsed to the ground, letting out laboured pants as his Human Avatar sported cracks, on the verge of collapse. He deactivated his Human Avatar form and slowly raised his hand and flashed a thumbs up towards Orakha, "I...killed Yarsha Zahara."
"I thought you were dead!" Tears streamed out of her eyes as Maroppa recognised that the individual before her was indeed Orakha. All her Prana detection methods stated the same. And even the Mystic Eaters reacted as they would towards the real deal.
She rushed into his embrace and sobbed, "It has been...years! I lost hope multiple times."
"Silly," Orakha chuckled weakly, "Even if I am killed, Blola will revive me."
His fingers gently swept Maroppa's bangs to the side, "I am glad that you are safe."
"What's the situation out there, Orakha?" Vhalla approached him and asked in seriousness. "How many of my brethren are...alive?"
"No hope," Orakha sighed and shook his head, "Everyone was devoured within two days. Brangara spent the next month licking the place clean."
"He's still digesting their corpses and blazing through the Life Stage." Orakha expressed, despairing towards the end as he stated, "He's at the 3-Life Stage now. And I'm sure he has a body at the Varahan Empire. Altogether, he has four bodies."
"Where is he?" Vhalla asked, calm, as she had already accepted her death.
"Right outside," Orakha sighed and pointed towards the Sandy-Grey Void, "...crying."
"Crying?" Maroppa tilted her head as her eyes widened in realisation, "You mean...Yarsha Zahara is...dead, dead?"
"Only the Mystic Paths can die multiple times, thanks to Blola." Orakha exhaled softly as he stared at Vhalla, "I changed my human avatar to explode with a timer. She absorbed it and blew up in response."
He explained it in simple terms, but as Vhalla analysed his words, she understood why it worked, 'Yarsha Zahara is always proud. And she would have never expected her power to work against her, considering how much of a broken ability it is.'
"What's the plan now?" Vhalla asked, blinking in confusion to see Maroppa collapsing to the ground gently. Peaking out of her back was a Mystic Eater, carrying her Spirit Container in its
mouth.
Vhalla stared in a daze before realisation struck her, alarming her to the extreme as she bellowed in anger, "You...bastard!"
"You're not Orakha!" She was unable to speak anymore, noticing that her body had turned
still.
Tangible Nature Minor Treasure-Statue!
Tangible Natures-Petrified Geese x39!
It had all happened too fast. Orakha had arrived and conversed with such natural rhythm that Vhalla paid more heed to his words and their authenticity than his own.
She couldn't be blamed, for she could feel the presence of a Mammoth Clansman from him.
Moreover, when Orakha deactivated his Human Avatar, he was using Mystic Bone Art, the unique signature of which she picked up.
If Brangara or someone that wasn't a Mammoth Clansman uses Mystic Bone Art, an Empyrean
Tusk could pick up the difference, which was significantly more pronounced for Vhalla, considering her strength.
As her first body was unable to move, her second body appeared beside it and assumed Empyrean Tusk form, spontaneously activating her Secondary Nature of Kinesis Lantern Deity, intending to use the expansion of her size to push the enemy into the Sandy-Grey Void.
"He...hehe!" The Celestial Boar appeared and grabbed the stunned body of Vhalla alongside Maroppa, protecting the duo through Subtle Terrain Domination as Vhalla's expansion in size sent it flying away.
A few seconds later, the Celestial Boar rushed out of the Sandy-Grey Void, assumed human form, and landed on the mountain range. He stared at the three figures before him.
"You..." Maroppa stared at the figure of Orakha who was strikingly similar to her lover from
presence, manner of speech, and even the subtle change in facial expression. However, he was acting against her for some reason.
She stared as the Mystic Eater spat her Spirit Container into the vial that Orakha had taken out
for storage, shouting, "Who are you?"
"And what have you done to Orakha?"
"My dear, you're one unfortunate woman." Orakha chuckled as a group of Mystic Eaters
coiled around Maroppa and restrained her, with one of them heading into her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue to commit suicide.
"Your lover is now your enemy." Orakha let out a casual smile, one different from usual.
Upon staring at it, Maroppa's expression hardened in realisation as she chuckled, 'You're desperate, Yarsha! So you died to Orakha and now you're nothing but a mere Tangible Nature.'
As her mouth was gagged, she couldn't speak, but her expression was enough for Yarsha Zahara to realise what she intended to express.
"Is it funny?" Yarsha Zahara glared as she held Maroppa by the neck, exerting pressure, "When I'm done with you, I hope you still have the strength to laugh."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you won't have the mental strength left to smile." Her smile widened as
Yarsha Zahara stared into Maroppa's eyes, "I'll inhabit your body once I modify your Human
Avatar."
Mystic Eaters jutted out of her body and approached Maroppa as Yarsha Zahara took out a
piece of Sumatra Gold.
'What a horrible way to go out.' Seeing the figure of Orakha approach her, with the Mystic
Eaters closing in on her, Maroppa let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, 'To subject me into
hell through the body of my beloved...you'll suffer for everything, Yarsha!'
'You'll suffer!'