BXBX NOVEL Chapter 103: Clash of Titans
Malachi was the first to strike, materializing a giant sword that shimmered with a malevolent gleam. Ezra reacted instantly, tossing away the knife in his hand and manifesting his dark sword in response. The clash of their blades sent shockwaves through the room, the sheer force of their strikes obliterating the furniture and shattering the windows.
Malachi\'s attack was backed by his strength, his giant sword swinging with a ferocity that kept Ezra on the defensive. Ezra parried and countered, their movements a blur of speed and strength. The walls of the office buckled under the pressure, debris raining down around them as they fought.
With a roar, Malachi sprouted his tentacles from his back, each one writhing and poised to strike. The tentacles lashed out, attempting to ensnare Ezra. He dodged and weaved, using his sword to slice through the appendages that got too close. One tentacle sprayed black ink, the corrosive liquid hissing as it splattered on the floor and walls, eating through everything it touched.
Ezra summoned his darkness, shooting tendrils a of shadow at Malachi. The tentacles and shadows clashed, creating a deadly dance of darkness and fury. Malachi\'s tentacles were everywhere in the enclosed space, but Ezra fought back with a tenacity born of necessity.
With a swift move, Ezra transformed. Claws sprouted from his fingers, and his tail lashed out. Ezra leaped, his feet digging into the ceiling before he pushed off with his might. The floor cracked under the impact as Ezra\'s claws tore through Malachi\'s tentacles, his sword severing one of his hands.
Malachi howled in pain but retaliated immediately, his giant sword somehow moving through the small space and slashing across Ezra from shoulder to waist. The wound was deep, and blood flowed freely, but Ezra\'s regeneration kicked in, healing the injury as quickly as it had been inflicted.
Ezra leaped away, disengaging. Malachi gripped his severed hand from the floor and pressed it to his wound. It began to regenerate as well, the flesh knitting together in a grotesque display of vampiric resilience. He stood and took off his hat, revealing his dark hair. He pulled off his trench coat in a smooth motion, leaving him in his dark shirt and pants.
With a heave, he dashed at Ezra. They collided with a loud crash, the intensity of their strikes shaking the very foundation of the room. Finally, the floor gave way, and they plunged into a cavern below. Their black zones followed, the darkness swirling around them like a living entity, binding their fates together.
As they fell, their swords lashed out, colliding once, twice, before they pushed against each other, landing on their feet.
Taking advantage of the increased space, Malachi unleashed the full extent of his tentacles, their numbers seemingly endless. They writhed and lashed out, seeking to overwhelm Ezra. Ezra fought back with his shadows, the dark tendrils slicing through the air to meet Malachi\'s dark wave.
Ezra followed, charging at Malachi, his claws and sword striking in a whirlwind of destruction. Malachi met him blow for blow, their titanic struggle causing the cavern walls to tremble. Stalactites fell from the ceiling, crashing to the ground as the two vampires clashed with a fury that bordered on madness.
Malachi punched Ezra into a column shattering it and sending stone scattering through the room. Ezra felt his bones break and his vitality surged forward, repairing every broken bone and strengthening it.
Suddenly, Malachi\'s tentacles coiled around a massive boulder and hurled it at Ezra. Ezra sliced through the boulder with a single swing of his sword, the two halves crashing down on either side of him. He roared, his dragon\'s voice echoing through the cavern, and leapt at Malachi, his claws outstretched.
Malachi responded by summoning a swarm of dark, shadowy creatures that surged towards Ezra. These creatures, wraith-like and ethereal, clawed at Ezra with ghostly talons. Ezra\'s sword cut through them, but they reformed almost instantly, their bodies made of pure darkness.
He was forced to retreat, manifesting his wings and using it to carry himself above the fray as he tried to find a way to counter the spectral assault.
With a sudden burst of speed, Ezra dove through the swarm, his body surrounded by a vortex of shadows that shredded the wraiths as he passed, sucking the vitality that kept them alive. He emerged on the other side, slashing at Malachi with renewed vigor. Malachi blocked the attack, but Ezra\'s relentless onslaught began to wear him down.
Each strike came faster and harder, pushing Malachi back step by step.
Desperate, Malachi unleashed a torrent of black ink, the corrosive liquid roaring towards Ezra. Ezra conjured a shield of darkness, the liquid splashing against it and dissipating into nothingness. He advanced through the flood, his eyes blazing with determination.
Seeing his flames had no effect, Malachi shifted tactics. He used his tentacles to lift himself into the air, hovering above Ezra and launching waves of ink at him. Ezra dodged and weaved, his wings a blur as he avoided the deadly attacks. He retaliated with blasts of dark energy, the bolts striking Malachi and forcing him to the ground.
Malachi began flinging every stone his tentacles could wrap around. One of the stones tore a hole through Ezra\'s wing, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Die, Ezra Matten!" Malachi raised his hand, and an iron rain began to fall.