Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons 197 CXCVII. The Human Potential

The old woman, while with one hand continued to push the blade, with the other grabbed Dag's arm, trying to remove it from her head, but could not even move it.

"How is it possible...? How can you counter my strength?! Your emotional bonds with these humans make you weak, you can't compete with the Xis!" yelled the old woman, moving her head, trying to free herself.

"You have done nothing but underestimate us, from the first moment. It is just living like my ancestors that I discovered what the true values are... the things worth living for" he said, as he clutched his enemy's head between his hands, looking again at Gridd, who looked up, stopping crying.

"Your power... goes beyond my expectations! I didn't think you could unleash so much strength! How did you do that?! Tell us how you did to boost your body and mind up to this point! We expect an answer!" she continued, as Dag's liquid curled around the wound on his chest, pulling out the blade, pushing it outwards.

Under the astonished gaze of the old woman, the dark blade was ejected from Dag's body and fell to the ground, while his wound was healed by the liquid. 

"I know nothing of my power. All I know is that every time my dearest affections are threatened, it grows exponentially, directly proportional to my anger" he continued, who continued to hold the woman still, dragging her down to the ground, preventing her from floating.

"The fate of the duel has reversed! It seems that the strength of that mysterious woman is nothing compared to Dag's!" said Karl, thinking out loud.

"Despite the evil aura enveloping the Captain, it seems that this time, unlike when we fought the bandits, he has not completely lost control" Reidar added, alongside Karl.

"Your... 'affections'? This doesn't make any sense. Your species can't develop biological mechanisms like this... aagh!" replied the woman, who was interrupted by Dag's dark liquid that wrapped her neck, preventing her from breathing.

"You have been fools. If you had never started spying on me and following me, I would never have started asking me questions about you and your true nature. So, thank you. If I am what I am today, I owe it above all to your stupid superiority" Dag continued, looking the woman in the eye, with a cruel look that his enemy would no forget so easily.

The liquid continued to tighten the throat of the old woman, who could not respond and whose grip on Dag's arms became weaker and weaker.

Within seconds, Dag's entire body returned to its normal color, releasing the huge amount of synthesized fluid, which after floating in the air, pounced on the woman, wrapping her face, shoulders, and the top of her torso.

She continued to squirm, while Dag, with an impassive gaze, commanded the movements of the liquid, which after entering the mouth, ears, and nose of the woman, began to devour her from the inside.

Her head continued to writhe more and more, in a scene so gruesome that Gridd looked away.

"It is our fear that gives you power! I'll find out what's behind all this, at the cost of losing my life!" yelled Dag, who suddenly unleashed a purple aura, which enveloped his whole body.

A moment later, the woman's neck broke, bending her head in an inhumane manner.

Her arms hung along her hips, though some life still seemed to flow through her body.

"Aaaagh!" screamed Dag, as the liquid ate the woman from the inside, making her crumpled on herself like a piece of paper.

Her head crushed between her shoulders, then her arms broke completely, discovering bones and tendons. 

"I know what he's doing! The Captain has already used this technique, but the last time I saw him, he had first channeled the black fluid into a sphere!" said Reidar, realizing what was about to happen.

"What are you talking about?!" asked Karl, agitated.

"When the Fangs Of Jormungandr reptilians attacked the Temple Of Orn, he used the same kind of attack against one of them and temporarily absorbed his energy, compressing his enemy's entire body into a small blackish sphere!" the archer continued, trying to remember every detail.

"Absorb his power?! But the strength of this evil witch is incredibly great! Dag's body won't be able to hold it all! What do we do?! He's going to die!" yelled Karl, approaching Dag cautiously.

Gridd listened to those words and stood up. 

She turned back and walked toward Reidar, blocking Karl's advance, who was surprised.

"Karl, my brother hasn't lost control. Before, when he looked at me, I saw it in his eyes. I saw that the gentle, protective Dag I know was still there, behind that purple pupil" Gridd said, in a confident tone. 

Karl paused, watching his Captain and best friend, while the fluid created by him devoured the strongest enemy they had ever met before.

He clenched his fists and stepped back, realizing he could not intervene in any way.

Meanwhile, the dark liquid had reduced the woman's upper body to shreds, stopping at the chest, which imposed resistance to the enormous force of intrinsic gravity. 

Dag, while his body was connected to that of the enemy through the liquid, punched the old woman's chest, piercing it. 

After opening a gap, he also slipped his other hand into the flesh hole and impressing great force, widened it, until he cracked the bones of the rib cage, which looked like they were made of metal.

At that exact moment, the liquid wrapped the woman's ribs and internal organs, managing to compress them.

When it reached his abdomen, Dag grabbed his own fluid, which as if it was a rubber band twisted around his arms beginning to scream, emitting purple sparks from all over his body.

The lightning bolts were channeled into the circular metal plates of the new armor and came into contact with the fluid, which immediately electrified itself, showing chemical properties that only an exceptional conductor could have.

Chapter end