Chapter 2033: The Power Of Zodiac Spirits

The majestic figure of The Celestial Archer of Boundless Horizons, Sagittarius, fully manifested in all his glory. Known by his many titles, Wanderer of the Eternal Flame, Hunter of Truth and Freedom, and Thunderbolt of Divine Wisdom, the Zodiac Spirit took the form of a powerful centaur archer, his muscular equine body gleaming with stellar light as he drew back his enormous bow. His domains of exploration, philosophy, optimism, long-range dominance, fire, and unyielding freedom resonated powerfully through the battlefield.

With a single decisive command, Sagittarius unleashed his signature ability. Hundreds upon hundreds of radiant arrows materialized instantly, each one a blazing star infused with divine essence. Through the evolution of his Skill "Sagittarius Arrow" into a Wild Magic Spell, the celestial projectiles streaked across the void like a meteor shower of pure destruction.

"I-Impossible...! W-What are these beings?! Gods?! I’ve never heard of fucking Zodiacs before—"

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Jester had no time to finish his panicked outburst. The relentless barrage of stellar arrows pierced straight through his body from every angle, detonating violently upon impact. His form was shredded and blasted apart in a series of cataclysmic explosions, leaving nothing but scattered fragments as he died once again.

"G-Gaaaahhh...!"

Even in death, the pain was far worse than anything he had anticipated. His very soul ached intensely, far beyond normal limits. The Demonic Headset he relied on in the real world was desperately draining his mana just to maintain his presence inside Arcadia.

Yet Jester refused to stay down. As he revived himself once more, something sinister stirred within him. The gear attached to his real-life body began to crackle with unstable energy.

"Yeah... you’re right where I wanted you," Elayne’s calm, confident voice echoed through the chaos.

"Hm?!"

Jester’s eyes widened in shock. He was just about to summon his Hollow Army in a desperate bid to overwhelm her, but the situation had already spiraled completely out of his control.

Infernal Grounds erupted across the entire battlefield. What was once his proud Tower of Madness had been transformed into a blazing sea of hellish flames, a complete inferno that swallowed everything in its path. This was the powerful Terrain Magic Elayne could now summon and command at will, turning a technique once used against her into a devastating weapon of her own.

-----

[Infernal Grounds – Tier 3: Level 1/30]

Corrupts the surrounding terrain into a hellish inferno that continuously damages and weakens enemies over time while greatly empowering undead, plant, and demon allies with the destructive force of Demonic Fire. Instantly creates an Infernal Grounds domain spanning 100 tiles around the caster upon activation. Fallen foes have portions of their souls burned away, generating valuable Infernal Energy that can be harnessed for advanced Druidic Demon Magic.

-----

Hundreds of Demonic Tiles spread rapidly across the ground, skyrocketing Elayne’s demonic power to new heights. This corruption also allowed her to seize control of the countless Hollows she had previously defeated using her Crown of Madness.

-----

[Crown of Madness – Tier 3: Level 1/30]

Invoke a Crown born from pure Madness upon a foe or multiple targets, forcing them into a [Berserk] State. This dramatically enhances their physical strength while making them attack anything in sight, all while suffering constant [Hellish Burn] damage. The caster absorbs one-third of all damage dealt to crowned targets as Spirit Energy, Mana, and Infernal Energy. Upon a crowned target’s death, their soul becomes property of the caster to torment or use as desired.

-----

The Hollows roared with unnatural fury as the Crown of Madness took hold. Driven into a frenzied Berserk State, they swarmed Jester like a tide of madness, tearing into his flesh with claws and teeth.

"G-Get off me! What... What have you done to my beautiful Tower of Madness?!" Jester screamed in rage and disbelief, desperately firing thousands of chaotic energy beams in every direction. "YOU DAMN BITCH! FINE! FINE! I’LL GET SERIOUS! THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED, RIGHT?!"

In a fit of desperation, he plunged his own hand into his chest, flooding his undead body with raw Chaos Energy. A violent transformation began immediately.

BOOOMMM!!!

The entire Tower of Madness detonated in a spectacular explosion. From the roaring flames and debris, Jester emerged as a colossal, twisted giant, three times his previous size. His skin turned pitch black, a cracked mask covered half his face, long flowing purple hair whipped wildly in the inferno, and his once-elegant dress had morphed into flowing black void dotted with twinkling stars.

"I CAN ALSO PLAY ROUGH~!"

"Laughing Chaotic Heart Manifestation – Spirit of Entropy!"

He unleashed his darkest sorcery, tapping into the primal, unknown forces of Chaos itself. His body warped monstrously, becoming a true Giant of Chaos, a living Spirit of Entropy. With this overwhelming power, he condensed spacetime within his domain, warping reality itself to create an Event Horizon.

A Black Hole!

"Damn it! Are you kidding me?!" Mark shouted in alarm.

"This is getting completely ridiculous!" Blank added, voice strained.

"Elayne! Where is she?!" Granny Yaga demanded.

"Over there!" Sailor pointed urgently into the distance.

"W-What is she doing?!" Norman cried out in disbelief from within Sailor’s armor.

They watched in horror as Elayne floated fearlessly within the crushing pull of the event horizon. Her Starry Totem Form remained radiant and powerful, overflowing with stellar energy as she charged directly toward the monstrous Jester.

"E-Elayne! What are you doing?!" Mark panicked. "ELAYNEEEEEE!"

The group rushed forward desperately to save her, but Elayne pressed on without hesitation. The effect of Thousand Constellations activated summoning hundreds of brilliant starry arrows that bombarded Jester’s giant form relentlessly.

"Tsk!"

Groaning under the continuous barrage of damage, Jester clenched his teeth and condensed spacetime even further, strengthening his Black Hole.

"Cursed Chaos Magic – Chaotic Black Hole!"

The devouring singularity swallowed Elayne in an instant, compressing and crushing her entire being with overwhelming gravitational force.

It was over!

...Or so it seemed.

"Invoke Demon."

TRUUUM!

The entire Infernal Domain around her warped violently, transforming into an endless swirling vortex of flames that gathered and concentrated within her body. The deadly high-tier skill activated at full power.

-----

[Invoke Demon – Tier 3: Level 1/30]

Spend Souls, Soul Energy, and/or Infernal Energy to summon a demonic or hellish entity from the Circle of Hell. Control over the demon’s chaotic nature depends on the caster’s strength relative to the entity and the quality of "food" and energy offered. Demons are initially random, but repeated summons and offerings may cause certain entities to develop favor and appear more frequently.

-----

Through the power of her new Skill, Elayne summoned the malefic forces of Hell itself, in that moment a massive Circle of Hell materialized behind her, resisting the crushing spatial compression, and a burning portal to another dimension tore open with a deafening rumble.

RUMBLE!

Jester’s face distorted in horror as he began to realize he should have never messed with Elayne at all.

-----