The dark green substance surged all the way out of the pool, coalescing into a shape thousands of times larger than before.
Apep's true form slowly rose from deep beneath the ground, making the whole earth tremble. Its dark green scales overlapped in layers, each one half the size of Lin En's body, with veins of Dendro energy flowing between them.
Its head hung down from the cavern ceiling, and two dark golden eyes looked down at the pair.
Dendro energy filled the air, so dense it was almost tangible. Every breath Lin En took felt like swallowing a mouthful of bitter herbal juice, and all his internal organs felt swollen.
"It's mobilized all the Dendro energy in the entire mountain."
Ronava's voice came from beside him, her tone a few degrees more tense than usual.
Although Apep was injured, there was no telling who would win if the two really fought.
She held her spear across her body, black energy flowing along its shaft. But Lin En could tell she was using a great deal of power to counter the surrounding Dendro energy's erosion.
Apep moved.
Its head plunged down, crashing toward them like a small mountain.
Ronava grabbed Lin En's arm, and the two shot away, landing on a rocky outcrop on the other side of the cavern.
Apep's head slammed into the place where they had just stood. The pool shattered completely, sending fragments of rock flying, and the runes around the nail flickered violently.
"We can't fight here."
Ronava set Lin En down and swept her gaze over the cavern roof.
"If we keep fighting, the cavern will collapse."
"Then what do we do?"
"Get out first."
She raised a hand and fired a stream of black energy at the roof, blasting a huge opening in it. Moonlight spilled through the gap, illuminating the flying rubble and dust.
Apep roared and pursued them, its enormous body smashing through the rock walls in its path as the entire cavern collapsed.
Ronava and Lin En leaped upward, stepping on falling rocks as black energy formed temporary footholds beneath them.
Moonlight shone on the dark yellow rock face of Mount Damavand. The mountain was trembling, and stones rolled down its slopes.
Before Lin En could catch his breath, the mountainside exploded open. Apep's true form burst out of the mountain, its vast body coiling around it as dark green light illuminated the entire desert.
"You can't escape."
Apep's voice came from every direction, and its anger was plain to hear.
"Get clear for now."
Ronava released Lin En's hand.
"But I..."
Ronava gently touched Lin En's cheek and spoke tenderly.
"You've already done very well. Leave the rest to me."
Lin En was unwilling to accept it. Why couldn't he be of more help? But with his current strength, he truly couldn't do any substantial damage to Apep, so he gritted his teeth and retreated to the side.
Spear in hand, Ronava flew high into the air, dark red wings appearing behind her. The sky seemed to be pulled open, revealing a blood-red eye, and the entire sky was divided between green and red.
Facing Apep, Ronava held her spear upright before her as black energy gathered around her body, forming a thin layer of armor.
A flicker of surprise passed through Apep's slit pupils, only to be replaced by fury as a dark green pillar of light burst from its mouth.
Ronava did not dodge. She thrust her spear straight forward, and black energy collided head-on with the dark green pillar of light. The shockwave whipped the desert into waves of sand several meters high.
The two clashed amid the sandstorm. Every collision cracked the sand beneath them, and chunks of rock peeled away from Mount Damavand's cliffs.
Lin En watched in alarm. He knew Ronava's power was being depleted, and Apep's Dendro energy was also being rapidly consumed. If this continued...
The green leaf Nahida had given Lin En glowed with a soft green light inside his pack, then flew out. It spun once in the air before abruptly bursting into a cloud of emerald light.
A phantom figure appeared at the center of the light, with white hair and emerald eyes. She was barefoot and wore a short white dress.
Nahida's phantom walked out of the light and floated in the sky, looking around.
Her gaze swept over the green-and-red night sky, the nearly collapsing Mount Damavand, and Ronava and Apep, before finally settling on Lin En.
"So it really did come to this."
Nahida sighed, a hint of helplessness in her voice.
Apep stopped moving, its slit pupils fixed on the small phantom.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, so you're working together?"
"We're not working together."
Nahida shook her head and moved between the woman and the dragon, looking up at Apep's enormous body.
"But we aren't enemies either. Apep, listen to me."
"Listen to what?"
Apep's body lowered slightly, Dendro energy surging around it.
"Do you want to seal me too?"
"Ronava isn't your enemy. Her authority was taken back by the Heavenly Principles, and she was also gravely injured."
Apep's slit pupils narrowed slightly.
"What did you say? Was she telling the truth?"
Ronava folded her arms and spoke to Apep in an arrogant tone.
"Believe it or not. If you don't, we can fight again."
Apep was silent for a long time, its body slowly coiling beneath the moonlight as its dark green Dendro energy flickered.
"Why should I believe you?"
"Consider it a favor I owe you."
Lin En stood on the dune, watching the small phantom confront the enormous dragon.
Apep's body slowly sank, its dark green light fading bit by bit.
"Let me think."
Its slit pupils turned toward Ronava and watched her for a long time.
"Lackey of the Heavenly Principles."
Its voice no longer held its earlier hatred, only a heavy weariness.
"That last attack of mine injured you. You don't have much power left, do you?"
Ronava did not answer.
"Forget it. That nail is in my way anyway. If it can... it would benefit me too."
Apep snorted and slowly sank into the sand.
The dark green light vanished completely, and the desert returned to its nighttime gray-blue. Only the collapsed Mount Damavand and the rubble scattered everywhere bore witness to the battle.
Nahida's phantom turned toward the two of them, her emerald eyes glowing gently in the moonlight.
"Go ahead."
Ronava looked at her in silence for two breaths.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Nahida tilted her head and smiled.
"You really have changed. Is it because of him?"
As she spoke, she looked at Lin En on the ground.
"I suppose so. I've learned quite a bit along the way."
"Mm, I'll be going, then."
The phantom dissipated, and the green light merged into the night breeze.
Lin En ran over from behind the dune and came to stand beside Ronava. Her face was very pale, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Lin En reached out and gently wiped it away for her. Ronava looked a little puzzled.
"I could have done that myself."
The corners of Lin En's mouth rose in the faintest of smiles as he joked,
"Now we're even for you touching my face just now."
Ronava smiled too, answering only, "Mm," before turning and walking toward Mount Damavand.
The collapsed mountainside blocked the original entrance, but Ronava used her spear to cut a path through it.
The two made their way through the rubble and returned to the half-destroyed cavern. The pool was shattered, the vines were gone, and the nail was still there. The runes on its surface were much dimmer than before, but still intact.
Ronava walked forward and pressed her hand against the nail's surface.
Dark golden light flowed into her palm, slow and steady.
She closed her eyes, her silver hair gleaming softly in the lingering green light. Lin En stood beside her, guarding the only passage into the cavern.
A few minutes later, Ronava opened her eyes.
"Finished?"
"Mm."
She withdrew her hand.
"I've recovered a little more power."
She turned to look at Lin En, her golden eyes exceptionally bright in the dim cavern.
"Let's go."
"Where's our next stop?"
Ronava thought for a moment, then said,
"Fontaine."
"Aren't there no nails there? What are we going there for?"
Lin En remembered that there were no nails in Fontaine in the game. Was Ronava going there to find that visitor?
Her answer was just two words, leaving Lin En somewhat unable to believe his ears.
"A vacation."