As Ammy closed the distance, her demon eyes flaring, she spoke with a teasing edge. "I can see it now… your little desire to be free. Admit it, you want out of our reach, don't you?"

Zauric's hollow face twisted into a sneer, voice low and resonant, full of pride. "Do you think I am so easily read, demon? You presume to understand me?"

"Oh, I think I understand you perfectly," she said, smirking. "And I've got just the thing for that."

"Baiser Geôlier!" she spat the words like a challenge.

Zauric's eyes flared, but he didn't falter; only the slightest twitch betrayed him. His ankles and wrists began to itch, a fire crawling over his scales. With a grunt of restrained irritation, he sank to one knee, glaring up at her.

"What trickery is this?" His voice rolled like iron grinding over stone.

"Do you think such chains can bind me?"

Ammy stepped closer, swaggering, letting her lash coil like a living thing. "Oh sweetheart… It's not chains you see. It's a lust spell. Feeds on your little craving for freedom. The more you struggle, the tighter it gets, swarming around your wrists, your ankles, twisting your pride into helplessness."

Zauric's jaw clenched. He bared a sharp, jagged grin. "So… this is your little attempt at subjugation. Truly… amusing."

Ammy circled him, her whip snapping out and wrapping around his neck, thorns piercing, tightening. Her demon eyes glinted with mischief. "Cute, huh? Well, now… you're finally subdued."

Zauric hissed, but even as he struggled against the invisible bonds, the arrogance in his voice never faltered.

Renny shook his head, voice calm but resolute. "It's over."

Kev sat upright on the floor, muscles tense, disappointment heavy in his gaze. "Man… I wish I could've done more," he muttered, eyes locked on Zauric.

Old Man Baro scoffed, leaning on his staff. "Don't count him out yet. That beast… he doesn't look subdued."

Kev frowned. "What you mean?" He tried to get a better look, but Renny nudged him slightly, guiding his view.

"Guarda," Baro said, eyes narrowing. "He's struggling… but at the same time, he's regaining himself. And, look at his wrists and ankles… they're breaking."

Even as Ammy held the lash tight, Zauric's lips curled into a slow, unsettling smile. "You think this is enough to subdue me?" he rasped, voice low and arrogant.

Ammy's grin sharpened. "Don't mock me… you're done." She squeezed the lash deliberately. The shell around Zauric's neck shattered with a sharp crack, like porcelain breaking, revealing the real neck beneath. Instantly, the same thing happened to his wrists and ankles; each protective shell splintered and fell away.

Kev's eyes went wide, jaw tight. "How… how did he do that?"

Renny activated his demon eyes, scanning Zauric for any hidden trick or weakness. He found… nothing. A cold realization settled in his mind.

"It's not just his hands," he murmured. "Those shells… they're not limited to his limbs. They come from every part of his body. He can turn his entire body into a shell… a living armor."

All three of them froze, stunned. Even Ammy's confident smirk wavered. For the first time, her eyes widened at the sheer scale of Zauric's power.

***

Zauric lashed out with his hook, aiming straight for Ammy, but she darted aside just in time, her speed saving her from a fatal strike. He pressed the attack relentlessly, each swing of his jagged hook a threat, leaving her no room to breathe. Strike after strike rained down as he tried to pin her, forcing her to evade constantly.

Ammy lashed out with her whip, tangling his hook hand and gaining the opening she needed. With a powerful heave, she lifted him and slammed him into the ground. Again and again she repeated it, each slam accompanied by a shout of pure fury. Yet every time he hit the ground, Zauric's protective shells shattered under the impact, only for him to reform them immediately afterward. Broken shells littered the ground after several strikes.

Panting, she straightened, glaring at him. "Not even a dent," she spat. "Your defense is a tricky one."

Zauric's voice rumbled, low and mocking. "Are you done, demon?"

Ammy's eyes blazed. "Far from it."

Ol Man Baro raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… and now what is she planning?"

Kev and Renny watched intently, both pensive, reading her every movement and calculating her next strike.

Ammy's demon markings flared, spreading from her eyes along her limbs. Her physique shifted, muscles coiling and expanding with demonic power, her aura radiating with a force far greater than Kev's. The ground beneath her feet cracked under the sheer weight of her energy.

She surged forward at Zauric, and the fight resumed, but this time, she was in control. Each strike landed with precision, slamming him to the ground repeatedly before hoisting him up again, driving him down in a relentless rhythm. Her movements were fluid, brutal, and unyielding.

In a swift motion, she invoked Baiser Geôlier, forcing Zauric to his knees once more as swarms of parasitic pests wrapped his wrists and ankles. Before he could free himself, Ammy's lash lashed out, wrapping his body from head to toe. With her immense strength, she tightened the bindings, strangling him, her rage feeding the pressure. Zauric thrashed, clawing at the lash, straining against her grip.

Desperation flashed in his eyes. With a sudden, explosive effort, he shattered one of the shell layers encasing his body, creating space to lift himself upward, almost flying in the process. The move forced Ammy to loosen her grip as he fell back to the ground.

By the time Ammy regained her composure, Zauric was behind her. His hook thrust through her abdomen in a blur of motion, and he whispered with icy finality, "It's over."

Ammy's eyes flew wide. The demon markings that had flared across her body withdrew, crawling back toward her face until they blinked out. Blood pooled around the hook wound in her abdomen.

Kev tried to scream, but nothing came; his breath was a rasp, his strength gone. Baro let out a dry, satisfied chuckle. "Heh... That's what I've been sayin'."

Kev pressed his lips tight and whispered, voice raw, "Get her outta here. Take her off this mountain... now... before he kills her."

Renny nodded. "I got you."

Baro barked, incredulous. "What are you doing, boy? You gonna help them?"

Renny glanced at Kev. "He saved my life once. I owe him."

Baro shook his head, muttering something, but Renny was already moving. He sprinted down the slope toward Zauric, intent on ripping Ammy free.

Zauric slid aside with a single fluid motion, putting distance between them. His voice was cold. "You're too late. She's mine now," he said coldly. "Best you leave this mountain with the others, or stay and you'll all be dead. Have you not learned? I cannot be touched."

Renny slowed, taking it in. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"I know, physical attacks won't touch you." He exhaled slowly as an X-shaped scar bloomed across his left eye.

"But I have other methods."

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