"You're very fast. I didn't think you'd detect my serpent; not even she managed to notice it in time with her perception. And by the way, where's that O'Broin brat?"
"What are you doing here?" Eleonor asked.
"I simply want you to hand over everything you found," Iara replied in a calm, almost mocking tone.
"Why are you doing this, Iara? You're supposed to be a Guardian. You bear the Serpent Mark," Sophie asked.
"I'm doing this because I discovered we were deceived, that our ancestors were nothing more than toys of the Supreme Beings. I refuse to become one of them."
"So you're the ones who sent us that information."
"No," she answered calmly. "But yes, we already knew about this place. Thanks to information that was believed to be insignificant, we were able to find it and discover that we've been living as part of a great lie. I must admit that, at first, I was deceived as well, until someone contacted me and revealed the truth."
"But enough talking. I want you to hand over everything you found right now. You wouldn't want to die a slow and painful death."
At that very moment, she summoned her mystical beasts: a massive serpent and a jaguar, each taking position at one of her sides.
"You're known for being incredibly powerful. Only my grandfather ever surpassed you, but you and I have never fought before," Eleonor replied as she summoned her mystical wolf. "Sophie, Irina, protect Elena and Kenji. I'll deal with this bitch."
"Attack!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Her wolf lunged at the jaguar. The serpent leaped toward Eleonor, but it was driven back by a massive spear of fire before being pinned to the ground by several ice spears. At the same time, Iara attacked with her weapon, a long, curved dagger-like blade. Eleonor blocked the strike with her shield and counterattacked with her fire spear. Iara leaped backward in a graceful flip, and before Eleonor could retaliate, she lunged forward again, unleashing a relentless barrage of thrusts at incredible speed. They came from every direction, targeting her abdomen and neck. No one other than a Guardian could have withstood such attacks.
The other four agents charged at Sophie and Irina, but they were brought down by Irina's flawless marksmanship. Her power allowed her to never miss a single shot. Suddenly, she sensed something approaching.
"This can't be happening. Watch your back!" she shouted.
Sophie immediately leaped to the side as a tentacle burst out of a portal, narrowly missing her.
"Damn it... just what we needed. Claimoor."
The jaguar and the wolf were locked in a fierce battle inside the laboratory chamber. The two enormous beasts tore through everything in their path. Their powers were nearly equal, but there was one thing no one else knew: Iara was drawing power from the relic, giving her a tremendous advantage. While Eleonor's magical power was steadily draining away, Iara's remained untouched thanks to the relic she had stolen from the mansion in Brazil some time ago.
"I have to admit, you're an exceptional fighter, and your magical power is impressive. But how much longer can you keep going? Especially with that wound on your shoulder."
Suddenly, the massive serpent bit down on Eleonor's shield and, moving so fast that she had no time to react, coiled itself around her legs, trapping her completely.
"I have to tell you something. You're a remarkable warrior. If this fight had been on equal footing, I'm not sure I could have won. But life isn't fair, and unfortunately for you... today is the day you lose."
At that very moment, four portals opened, allowing several Claimoor to enter. Sophie, Irina, Elena, and Kenji found themselves completely surrounded.
"You two, drop your weapons. The rest of you, come here immediately and tell me where that boy is. And don't lie to me—you'll gain nothing by doing so."
Eleonor struggled desperately to free herself from the serpent, but the harder she fought, the more her strength slipped away. The serpent was crushing her, and she had almost no magical power left.
Kenji wondered how it was possible that she couldn't see the black space where Noah had been taken. Could it be that, since she hadn't been present when it happened, she hadn't been affected?
"I'm losing my patience!" Iara shouted. "So come out, wherever you're hiding!"
Suddenly, an immense surge of energy erupted. The entire cavern trembled as though it were about to collapse.
A beam of golden energy suddenly enveloped Eleonor, and the serpent vanished. Two enormous mystical beasts appeared out of nowhere: a wolf and a bear. The temperature dropped so drastically that the entire chamber was on the verge of freezing.
Then, out of nowhere, Noah appeared. His eyes shone with an intense golden light.
"What do you think you're doing to Eleonor?" Noah said, his voice filled with fury. "You'd better be ready... because I'm never going to forgive you for this."