The viridian fury took a deep, steadying breath, her hands moving in deliberate, ritualistic gestures. Her voice resonated with power:

"Sylvara, Keeper of Verdant Souls, Let your breath restore this weary form. As sap flows through the ancient trees, Let life return to what was lost."

Flowers began blooming from the wounds of the fallen shadowfang, petals unfurling in vivid hues. Creeping tendrils wrapped around the broken body, seeping into her form as the ichor-streaked ground pulsed with an eerie green light. Slowly, the shadowfang's body twitched, then moved, limbs realigning unnaturally. When she rose, her eyes burned with an unnatural green glow, her stance lifeless yet ready.

The fury continued:

"By the roots that grip the eternal soil, By the boughs that pierce the heavens, Grant me the might of the ancient forest. Let my enemies tremble before nature's wrath."

Thorny vines erupted from the ground in a violent explosion, wrapping around her body. They pierced her armor, threading through her flesh as though they were an extension of her being. She grew larger, more imposing, unnatural. The vines coiled and lifted her, pulling her high above the battlefield until she towered over them, her green-glowing eyes burning with malevolence.

She spread her arms wide as her voice boomed in the final invocation:

"From seeds to mighty oaks, From still earth to storming sky, Hear me, Sylvara, and awaken your children. Rise, wild spirits, and answer your guardian's call!"

The ground trembled as vines erupted all around them, twisting and writhing. The fallen warriors littering the battlefield jerked upright, their bodies lifted by the invasive vines. Their empty eyes glowed faintly green as the viridian fury bent them to her will.

Namara's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene. "Won't Xeroth be jealous?"

"Shut up!" the fury snapped, her voice a roar that made the vines pulse in response. A thick, thorny vine shot toward Namara with terrifying speed.

Namara stood still, but Kale was already in motion. He darted forward, Aeloria's Promise flashing in his hand as he cut through the vine in one swift, precise stroke. The severed end convulsed, writhing like a wounded serpent before retreating into the earth.

"Focus!" Kale said.

Namara shrugged. "I am focused."

The viridian fury spread her arms, and a volley of thorns erupted from her body, tearing through the air like deadly missiles. They struck with such power that rocks splintered and the ground cracked, scattering the group as they fought to keep up.

Kale dove to the side, summoning a blade mid-dive to deflect an incoming thorn. It ricocheted with a metallic clang, embedding itself into a fallen warrior's corpse. He rolled to his feet just as another vine snapped toward him. Twisting, he severed it with a quick swing of his sword.

Liliana remained steady as the battlefield roared around her. Projectiles streaked toward her, but she didn't flinch. With a wave of her hand, crimson tendrils lashed out, striking each attack midair and dissolving them in sizzling bursts. She turned her focus to the rising corpses.

She lifted her hand, fingers curling into a fist. The blood inside the undead twisted to her will. Bones groaned under impossible pressure. A sickening series of cracks echoed through the battlefield as their bodies folded in on themselves.

"Focus on the living!" she yelled to Kale and Sadek. "I'll handle the puppets."

Sadek spun his spear, its crackling energy forming a bright arc as he struck down an advancing warrior. The electricity surged through the attacker's body, reducing it to a charred husk before another vine shot toward him. He dodged, pivoting to rip the weapon through the tangled plant life attempting to ensnare him. "These things just keep coming!" he growled.

Namara hovered above. A group of mages had turned their attention to her, sending streaks of hissing green energy blasting toward her. She darted to the side, the projectiles narrowly missing her as she laughed lightly.

She sent a cluster of souls diving toward them. The spirits screamed as they collided, siphoning the life from the mages. Their bodies slumped, energy drained, but even as they fell, vines twisted around their limbs, dragging them back upright.

The viridian fury moved deliberately, her towering form shrouded in writhing, pulsing vines. Once again, she extended both arms, and the ground shook beneath her command. Thorns, roots, and vines shot upward, crisscrossing the battlefield, forcing the group to dodge or be ensnared.

Kale vaulted over a vine, summoning a pair of blades midair to slice through the tangled growth trying to grab his feet. As he landed, he spun and drove a blade into the chest of a revived warrior, its green-glowing eyes flickering out as it fell.

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Behind him, Saryn let out a click, its powerful jaws snapping shut on an advancing soldier. The harrier tossed the limp body aside and turned its attention to another target, tearing through the enemy with brutal efficiency.

Liliana exhaled slowly, her magic pulling blood from the fallen, shaping it into something monstrous. The crimson mass thickened, twisting into a massive tentacle that coiled before lashing forward. It struck with devastating force, bodies shattering beneath the impact, crushed and smeared into the ground in a wash of gore.

A thick vine shot toward Namara, snapping with deadly intent. She was midair when it reached her, but once more Kale moved first, his blade slicing cleanly through the vine before it could reach her. The severed piece fell with a dull thud, curling in on itself as it withered.

Namara turned to Kale. "I had that, you know."

"You're welcome," Kale said, already turning to face the next threat.

The ground trembled violently as the fury raised her hand, vines weaving into larger forms around her. The battlefield became a living nightmare of shifting plants and attacking corpses, the air filled with the sounds of clashing weapons, crackling magic, and the relentless advance of her undead army.

A barrage of barbed thorns tore through the air, streaking toward Liliana and Rika. Liliana, locked in a brutal clash with two warriors, barely deflected a strike with a blood-forged spike. She turned, sensing the incoming threat, but the thorns were already upon them—too fast, too many. There was no time to stop them.

Kale's eyes widened, his focus snapping to the incoming threat. With a single movement, he summoned a wall of blades, intercepting the thorns before they could strike their targets. The projectiles shattered against the barrier, raining fragments of metal and plant debris across the battlefield.

A warrior seized the moment, lunging from the side with a blade poised for the kill. Kale turned too late. Steel bit into his armor, slicing deep into his side. A sharp, searing pain tore through him as blood spilled. The wound burned with every movement, every breath a reminder of his mistake.

The fury's lips curled into a cruel smile as she saw her chance. Kale staggered, blood seeping from his side, his focus fractured. "There it is," she said as she sent her forces towards Rika and Liliana. The shadowfang vanished into a blur of darkness, slipping between shadows in rapid bursts, each flicker bringing her closer. The risen dead and living warriors followed, closing in. She had seen his weakness—his need to protect—and now she would make him pay for it.

Kale grit his teeth, forcing himself upright. Pain screamed through his side, but he shoved it down, locking his stance. Every motion sent fresh agony lancing through him, his armor dragging against the wound like dead weight. None of it mattered. His eyes locked onto Rika and Liliana, the tide of death rushing toward them.

Not them. Not while I'm still breathing.

With a growl, he reached deep within, activating his Ascendant Bladeweaver form. A surge of energy ripped through his body as two extra arms erupted from his sides, each gripping newly summoned blades. His vision sharpened, his breath steadying as his body adjusted to the overwhelming flow of energy.

He shifted his stance and invoked Grim Sonata: Torrent of Blood. His movements blurred into an almost hypnotic rhythm—smooth, relentless, and inhumanly precise. With four blades in his hands, Kale became a tempest of steel, cutting through the oncoming horde like a force of nature.

His swords tore through armor, flesh, and bone as if they were one and the same, severing limbs and torsos in a symphony of destruction. Blood and ichor erupted in violent sprays, painting the ground red and green.

The air was filled with screams, the clash of steel, and the wet, sickening sounds of bodies being torn apart. Enemies fell in droves, shredded beyond recognition, consumed by the storm.

The shadowfang lunged, her claws reaching for Rika, but Kale was faster. His blades carved through her in a flash of steel, and the woman collapsed in pieces, glowing green eyes flickering out.

He pointed toward Rika.

"Liliana!"

She turned, instantly understanding, raising both hands.

"Thirst of the Damned!"

The battlefield answered with screams as she pulled life from dozens of warriors, blood bursting from their veins, streams of crimson energy ripping free and surging toward her. She wrenched the energy toward Rika, pouring it into her, willing the stolen life to mend what had been broken.

At the same time she pulled from Valtharion's Measure, the vial glowing with an ominous light. A massive form began to take shape in front of her—a bloodbound sentinel. The hulking figure, made entirely of blood, rose to stand between Rika and the oncoming horde. It let out a low, resonant growl before charging forward, crashing into the warriors with devastating force.

Blood and sweat dripped down Kale's face as he activated Swiftform, the world sharpening into slow-motion clarity. Every heartbeat stretched, every enemy movement telegraphed before it even began. He surged forward, his blades a blur, carving through warriors before they could even react.

Too easy.

A prickling sense of wrongness crawled up his spine.

The viridian fury had been waiting for this.

The trap snapped shut in an instant. A massive thorned vine lashed toward him, aiming to skewer him mid-stride. He summoned a blade beneath his feet, pushing himself upward just as the vine tore through the space where he had stood.

It snapped violently, cutting the air with a sharp crack. Kale, twisted mid-air, eyes locking onto the fury below. She wasn't done.

Another vine erupted from the ground, faster and more precise. Too fast.

Kale saw it a fraction too late.

It slammed into his wounded side like a battering ram, driving agony through his ribs. His breath ripped from his lungs as the impact hurled him through the air. The world spinned before his back smashed into the ground, hard enough to split the earth beneath him.

A sharp, choked gasp escaped his lips as fresh pain knifed through his already torn flesh. His body screamed in protest, but he forced himself to move, rolling onto his hands and knees, struggling for breath.

Above him, the viridian fury loomed, her lips curling into a knowing smile.

"Did you really think you had a chance?"

Get up, Kale. Get up.

The command echoed through his mind, but his body refused. His fingers dug into the shattered earth, but there was no strength left to push himself up. His vision blurred. He could taste blood in his mouth, thick and metallic.

Not like this. Not here.

The vines around the fury coiled and shifted, barbed edges glistening with fresh blood, writhing with the promise of another strike. Fight! His mind screamed, but his limbs would not listen, his muscles locking in defiance.

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