Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

"ELBEDO!" Hermes screamed.

"N-no… NOOOO!" Cecilia cried.

"Now you cry, huh? But not when you were about to kill Mercedes?!" Mark roared, clashing against Hermes and kicking him away.

"Tch, shut up!" Hermes screamed. "Elbedo was our leader, without him, our purpose and- No, shit, shit!"

Before he could say another thing, a gigantic blazing fist reached his body, within a split second, he managed to conjure a gray-colored barrier of Time Essence, yet still, like a ballon, he was blown away, hitting the wall right behind him.

BAAAM!

"Did you heard me asking for your opinion?" Mark said, his wooden body turning pitch black. The wood of his body slowly gained a metallic sheen, as every single fiber that made him was strengthened and metalized.

Dozens of Beast Spirit Totems were infused into his body, as his body size kept increasing, but keeping itself moderately small, at only three meters of height so he could fight and faster than if he became gigantic.

His appearance now resembling a combination of a blazing golem and a mecha. His giant, blazing phoenix wings spreading out over his back, completely made of this black metallic wood and covered on crimson spirit flames.

A dragon head-shaped helmet decorated his head, resembling more like the skull of a dragon made of the same black metallic wood that made the rest of his body.

This was Mark\'s strongest ability, his Divine Skill created from the fusion of three different Skills.

"I am not going easy on you! Now, either give up, or get crushed to death." He pointed his giant fists at Hermes.

The Ancient Elf gritted his teeth, quickly conjuring more magic around his body, suddenly, as he took away his robes, his muscular upper body was revealed, completely covered on countless runic engravements.

Over his chest, there was a red colored jewel incrusted, which had many crimson veins spread out of it, and into the rest of his body.

"You\'ll die for underestimating me, walking piece of crap…" He muttered with all his rage.

"Finally showing your true self, bastard?" Mark asked, his blazing fists growing a second pair from above his shoulders. He also wielded the Berserk Blade with his first pair of arms, which thanks to Elayne, he had been able to upgrade to a much stronger, strengthened form.

"I\'m going to reduce you to smithereens!!!" Hermes leaped towards Mark fearlessly, his runes activating as he was suddenly covered by an insect-like armor of red and black color, his fists covered on spiraling spheres of Time Essence.

CRAAASH!

Mark\'s blade clashed against his fists, as he suddenly noticed something. His blazing eyes widened as Hermes was somehow able to block his attack with those skinny arms of his!

"Surprised?"

But that wasn\'t all.

The spheres of swirling Time Essence within Hermes fists started spreading Time Decay through Mark\'s sword, and then his hands.

In mere seconds, his metallic wood started rusting and falling apart into pieces!

"W-What?!"

Mark stepped back as his fists quickly stopped decaying, beginning to regrow anew. But in this time, Hermes stepped forward, his black exoskeleton, which seemed to be the ability the red jewel granted to him, shapeshifted, his hands suddenly growing a pair of long, black spears, still overflowing with Time Essence!

"DIE!"

"Ungh?!"

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

CRAAASH!

Hermes unleashed a barrage of attacks against Mark, each blow pierced through his Spiritual Barrier and hit his body. Most of the blows didn\'t even pierce his mighty skin, but left more and more areas corroded with Time Decay, making his entire body oxidize rapidly.

"Wood, Metal, even living beings. It doesn\'t matter." Hermes laughed. "You\'re nothing against the power of Time, you useless piece of shit! I\'ll avenge Elbedo and take his place in the cult!"

Hermes laughed and celebrated his victory as his spears regrew rapidly, about to unleash a last attack on Mark\'s body, as he had suddenly fallen to his knees while seeing his oxidized body fall apart.

BAAAM!

His body suddenly exploded into countless pieces, leaving behind a huge mass of flames which spread everywhere, although they were unable to burn Elayne\'s domain.

"Mark…?! Shit, he got killed!" Rita panicked, as she was clashing against a lunatic Cecilia that was constantly trying to stab her with Demon-Infused Daggers.

"He\'ll respawn later, right?!" Lily panicked. As she was generating walls to stop Cecilia\'s rapid advance while constantly helping the other half of the party on dealing with the Divine Beasts.

"Don\'t worry, he\'s fine!" Elayne said, rushing to their aid. "Mark got this."

Elayne\'s confidence didn\'t come from nothing.

"That was easy… Now you three are left." Hermes walked away, looking at Elayne. "That idiot of Elbedo didn\'t have the power of Time at his hands, this is but a gift only us Ancient Elves are gifted with. Divine Dragons are only the muscles of our society, but the truly strongest ones have always been US, the Ancient Elv-"

"Hey."

FRSSSH…

Suddenly, Hermes felt a horrid burning sensation coming from his shoulder, which quickly melted his exoskeleton and started burning his skin below, reaching his shoulder bones in a split second.

It was a gigantic hand made of pure, spiritual flames, it had feathers made of fire decorating the entire arm, and the hand itself had sharp claws, like those of a bird\'s talon.

"I am not dead yet."

"GYAAGH! Get away from me!"

Hermes screamed in utter agony as his shoulder burned horrible, he attempted to escape Mark\'s grasp, only for another of his arms to embrace him in a hug!

"W-What?! AAGH! H-How are you alive?! What are you?!"

Hermes hadn\'t realized before what was happening, but it only took him three seconds to quickly make sense of the situation.

Mark\'s entire body was now made of just Spiritual Flames, and countless of Beast Totem Spirits fused into him.

Mark\'s long feathered wings spread out from his back, as he revealed his true form, his head resembling a fiery, divine bird.

"I am a Phoenix."