Chapter 101 - Ella's Victory

Ella's POV

A piercing howl split the chaos-filled air as Scarlet's body contorted, flesh rippling grotesquely. Her garnet eyes glowed fever-bright, muscles swelling and distorting into rippling bulks of misshapen tissue.

I staggered back in dismay as spiky protrusions burst from her arms, razor claws splitting through her fingers. Dear Goddess, what evil conjuring was this?

The veil of humanity fell away entirely from Scarlet's visage, leaving only insatiable bloodlust in those crazed orbs fixed unblinking upon me.

She had become a hunched monstrosity, twice my height and brimming with enough berserk strength to pulverise stone. I was outmatched now by an inhuman engine of destruction against which courage and skill meant nothing.

Fear's clammy fingers closed around my hammering heart. There could be no defeating such a freakish abomination in single combat. My knives would shatter uselessly against that mutant hide.

"Come on pup, defeat me now if you can." Scarlet monstrous voic