Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

"You\'ll pay for this," Alex growled, his voice laced with fury. His fiery sword blazed with renewed intensity as he prepared to strike again.

Desmond smirked, his eyes gleaming with malicious glee. "You\'re too late, Alex. The ritual is complete."

With a flourish, the Count drew a complex vigil in the air. Dark energy crackled and surged, coalescing into a vortex of shadows at the centre of the square. The air grew thick with the scent of blood and decay, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Alex lunged forward, his sword aimed for Desmond\'s heart. But the Count was ready. He parried the blow with ease, the force of their clash sending shockwaves through the square once more. "You can\'t stop it now," Desmond sneered. "The Variant beast will awaken, and you will be powerless to stop it."

A deafening roar erupted from the vortex, shaking the very foundations of the town. Alex glanced towards the swirling mass of darkness, his eyes narrowing in determination. He had to finish this, now.

The pressure of a mighty C+ rank Variant beast oozed out from the vortex, sending biting chills down Alex\'s spine as he realised he was finished if this thing came over.

\'I\'ve never felt something so terrifying before… Even Professor Will\'s aura didn\'t feel so bone chilling!\'

Desmond pressed the attack, his strikes fuelled by dark energy. Alex met each blow with his own, his flames burning hotter with every clash. The two combatants moved in a deadly dance, neither willing to give an inch.

"You think you can defeat me?" Desmond taunted, his blade slicing through the air. "I\'ve come too far to be stopped by the likes of you."

Alex didn\'t respond. He focused on the rhythm of the fight, his movements precise and deadly. He could feel the strain of the battle, his muscles burning with effort, but he couldn\'t afford to slow down. Not now.

With a powerful thrust, Alex drove his sword towards Desmond\'s chest. The Count dodged, but not quickly enough. The blade sliced through his side, and Desmond hissed in pain, stumbling back. "Enough of this," Desmond snarled, his hand clutching his wound. "It\'s time for you to witness true power."

He raised his hands, chanting in a language Alex didn\'t recognize. The vortex of shadows intensified, and from its depths emerged a massive, grotesque creature. The Variant beast, a towering abomination of claws and fangs, let out a bone-chilling roar.

Desmond activated a suppressing formation, vigils glowing with dark energy around the beast. The creature\'s power was forcibly reduced, but even at E+ combat strength, it was a formidable threat.

"Destroy him," Desmond commanded the beast, his voice filled with triumph.

Alex turned his attention to the beast, his grip tightening on his sword. He had to survive this. He had to find a way to kill Desmond once and for all.

The beast lunged at Alex, its claws slashing through the air. Alex dodged, his sword blazing as he countered with a series of rapid strikes. The beast roared in fury, its movements slowed by the suppressing formation but still deadly.

Desmond watched with a twisted smile, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "You\'re finished, Alex. There\'s no escape."

But Alex refused to give up. He channelled more of his fire talent, the flames enveloping his body in a fiery aura. He struck the beast with all his might, each blow sending sparks flying. The beast howled in pain, its dark blood splattering the ground.

As the beast recoiled, Alex saw his opportunity. He turned his attention back to Desmond, his eyes burning with determination.

"This ends now," Alex growled, his voice cold and hard.

He charged at Desmond, his fiery sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. Desmond raised his blade to defend himself, but he was too slow. Alex\'s sword sliced through Desmond\'s arm, severing it at the shoulder. The Count screamed in agony, blood pouring from the wound.

"You think you can defeat me?" Desmond spat, his face contorted with pain and rage. "I am unstoppable!"

Alex didn\'t hesitate. With a swift, decisive move, he drove his sword through Desmond\'s heart. The flames consumed the Count from within, his screams echoing through the square. Within moments, Desmond\'s body was reduced to ash, carried away by the wind.

This time, Alex made sure that his death was real. He wouldn\'t let the Count pull any tricks on him again.

His neglect of checking last time had led to the deaths of over ten thousand innocent people.

Alex stood over the ashes of his fallen enemy, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The fight was over, but a hollow emptiness settled over him. The townspeople were dead, their lives sacrificed in a gruesome ritual. He had failed to save them.

But there was no time to dwell on his failure. The Variant beast still lurked in the town, a deadly threat that needed to be dealt with.

Alex turned his gaze towards the darkened streets, his sword still burning with fierce determination. He would hunt the beast down, kill it, and ensure that the sacrifices of the townspeople were not in vain. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He moved through the wreckage of Monty town, his senses on high alert. The beast was somewhere in the shadows, waiting. With every step, Alex felt the weight of his failure pressing down on him. But he couldn\'t afford to stop now. He had to survive, and had to become stronger. As he entered a narrow alley, the sound of claws scraping against stone reached his ears. The Variant beast was close. Alex tightened his grip on his sword, flames flickering along its edge.

He would face the beast head-on, and he would win. There was no other option.

The darkness of the alley swallowed him, and the hunt began.