71 Changing Scenery #71

Taking in the sight of Eclipso's gargantuan form and the crumbling palace, my gut reaction was to leg it and find a way out. But bailing now felt like chucking in the towel too soon. 

I mean, sure, surviving in space wasn't exactly on my to-do list, but I wasn't about to let things end like this. With a cool five mil still sitting' in my bank account, I figured I had room to maneuver and buy something from the system. 

Just as I was weighing my options, a dark energy blanket wrapped around me, Raven, and good ol' Bruce Gordon. It was like being snuggled up in a cozy, shadowy cocoon.

"Not sure what else you can do about this..." Raven's voice cut through the eerie quiet, her eyes locked on Eclipso's expanding form, pulsating with dark energy. "But if you're itching for a throwdown, this barrier should keep us breathing in the vacuum of space..."

I shot Raven a nod of thanks. "Just what the doctor ordered," I muttered, pulling out my trusty Giantslayer sword from the shadow storage. The moment it hit my grip, the blade started to grow, matching the chaos around us as the palace continued its nosedive.

Before we knew it, both Eclipso and I were towering at a solid 120 feet (that's about 36 meters for you metric folks). His mug twisted into a snarl as he came barreling toward me, fists like wrecking balls. Normally, I'd be lunchmeat, but with the Giantslayer beefing up my strength to match my size, I was ready to face him head-on.

As Eclipso's colossal fist came hurtling towards me, I didn't even break a sweat. With a casual flick of my wrist, I snagged his punch like it was nothing, then twisted my body, ramming into him with the force of a runaway train. We went tumbling backward, giving me just enough room to hoist my Giantslayer sword high.

With a deep breath, I poured every ounce of light magic I had into that blade, feeling it crackle with power as I brought it down on Eclipso. The dude seemed pretty confident in his little energy barrier, but that barrier was no match for my beefed-up strength. 

My blade sliced through it like it was butter, sinking deep into Eclipso's shoulder with a sickening crunch.

He howled in pain as the light magic started to seep into his dark form, but I wasn't about to let him off easy. Nope, I tightened my grip on his ugly mug, channeling even more light magic into my hand, causing him to thrash around like a fish out of water.

Just when I thought I had him on the ropes, Eclipso pulled a sneaky move, unleashing a shockwave that sent me flying back and reduced what was left of his crumbling palace to rubble. But I wasn't done yet. With a grunt, I wrenched my sword free from his shoulder, dealing him another blow.

Before he could catch his breath, I lunged at him again, but he wasn't having it. With a weird wave of his hand, I suddenly found myself smack dab in the mouth of an active volcano, Eclipso still standing before me but now scrambling to put some distance between us. 

As the searing heat of the volcano enveloped me, I didn't have time to dwell on the sudden change of scenery. Eclipso, ever the slippery one, took advantage of the chaos, leaping back to create some space between us.

But I wasn't about to let him off that easy. With the Giantslayer still clutched tightly in my hand, I surged forward, the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I closed the distance between us in a heartbeat.

Eclipso's eyes blazed with dark energy as he gestured again, the very fabric of reality warping around us. Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet morphed into a writhing mass of shadowy tendrils, threatening to swallow me whole.

But I wasn't going down without a fight. With a mighty roar, I summoned every ounce of strength I had, muscles bulging as I pushed against the oppressive force of Eclipso's magic. With sheer brute force and light magic, I tore through the shadowy tendrils, each one dissipating into nothingness as I carved my path forward.

Eclipso's face contorted with rage as he realized his spells were no match for my superhuman strength. With a snarl, he hurled a barrage of dark energy at me, each blast crackling with malevolent power.

But I was ready for him. With lightning-fast reflexes, I deflected each blast with my sword, the crackling energy fizzling out harmlessly against the blade's shimmering surface.

Closing in on Eclipso once more, I raised my sword high, ready to deliver the final blow. With a primal scream, I swung the blade at Eclipso's neck with all my might, the force of the impact sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

Again, it was not meant to be. 

As the ground beneath me trembled, I felt a sudden weightlessness wash over me. Before I could grasp what was happening, Eclipso's dark magic whisked us away, transporting us high into the air above a vast expanse of ocean. The wind whipped past us, carrying the salty scent of the sea as far as the eye could see.

Without missing a beat, Eclipso took to the air, his form silhouetted against the crimson sky. I followed suit, sprinting through the very sky. With each step, I conjured footholds made of shimmering light magic, creating a makeshift path through the empty air.

Eclipso glared back at me, his eyes burning with fury as he soared through the clouds. I pursued him relentlessly, closing the distance with each passing moment. But he was fast, his movements fluid and unpredictable as he darted through the sky like a bird of prey.

With a surge of determination, I pushed myself harder, channeling every ounce of strength and speed at my disposal. The ocean stretched out below us, a vast expanse of endless blue, its waves crashing against the distant shoreline.

But I couldn't afford to be distracted by the breathtaking scenery. Eclipso was still ahead of me, his dark form growing smaller and smaller against the horizon. With a fierce battle cry, I activated my Storm Walker Shoes, determined to catch him before he could slip away.

As we continued our airborne duel, I unleashed a barrage of light magic, each blast crackling with power as it streaked through the sky. Eclipso dodged and weaved, his movements graceful and fluid as he danced through the air.

But I refused to let him escape. With a mighty leap, I launched myself forward, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. Eclipso turned to face me, his eyes flashing with malice as he prepared to meet my attack head-on.

With a swift motion, I swung my Giantslayer sword, the blade gleaming with radiant light as it sliced through the air. Eclipso raised his hands to defend himself, but it was too late. My blade struck true, carving a deep gash across his chest and sending him reeling backward.

As I stabbed Eclipso in the chest, I wrapped my light magic around him, restraining his strength and preventing him from teleporting us to a different location. But even as I kept him pinned, the scenery shifted once more, and we both crashed into the vast expanse of the ocean below.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the water as we plummeted into the depths, our staggering sizes and weights dragging us down into the abyss. The pressure of the ocean closed in around us, the darkness swallowing us whole as we sank deeper and deeper into the murky depths.

Despite the chaos and confusion, I refused to let go of Eclipso, my grip on him tightening with each passing moment. With my light magic holding him in place, he struggled and thrashed against my restraint, but I held firm, refusing to yield an inch.

As we sank deeper into the ocean's depths, the pressure intensified, crashing down upon us like a vice. But I refused to falter, channeling every ounce of strength and determination I had to maintain my grip on Eclipso.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the ocean floor, the darkness pressing in around us like a suffocating blanket. With one final surge of effort, I managed to cleave Eclipso's gigantic body into two and dissipated his remains with light magic. 

With Eclipso defeated, or at least subdued for now, the urge to raise my head and let out a victory roar surged within me. But as I gasped for breath, I realized I didn't even have the energy for such a display. With our battle concluded and no enemy left to fight, my body began to shrink, the effects of my heightened state wearing off.

As the ocean's pressure bore down on me, my vision started to fade, and a profound weariness settled into my bones. With each passing moment, the strength drained from my body, leaving me feeling drained and exhausted.

I fought to stay conscious, clinging to the last shreds of my resolve, but the darkness closed in around me, enveloping me in its cold embrace. And then, with one final breath, I succumbed to the darkness, slipping into unconsciousness as the ocean's depths claimed me.