The wall of vines crashed down like a tsunami of corrupted flesh and wood. I channeled everything I had into Blaze, the sword's flames roaring in response to my will. As fire met corruption, steam hissed and wood crackled, filling the air with an acrid smell.

"Noir! Pattern Three!"

The shadow bird understood immediately. Its phantom flock divided into three groups - one diving at the Soldure's eyes, one harassing its flanks, and one staying high to maintain our complete view of the battlefield. The monster's vines twisted to swat at the shadowy ravens, creating small gaps in its defense.

That's what I'd been waiting for.

I dashed forward, Blaze leaving trails of fire in the air as I moved. The sword's flames weren't just burning anymore - they were seeking out corruption, drawn to it like moths to light. Each cut seemed to linger, the fire eating away at the monster's wooden flesh.

The Soldure let out a sound - not quite a roar, not quite a scream - that shook leaves from the surrounding trees. Its attack pattern changed, becoming more aggressive. The human torsos no longer just grabbed - now they clawed and bit, their frozen faces coming terrifyingly alive in their fury.

"That's right," I taunted, dodging between the attacks. "Feel the burn."

But my confidence was premature. One of the vines caught me with a glancing blow, sending me spinning through the air. I managed to turn the fall into a roll, coming up behind a massive tree trunk. Just in time - multiple vines smashed into the tree, their human hands splintering the ancient wood like it was kindling.

Through Noir's eyes, I saw the soldier treant's strategy. It wasn't just attacking randomly - it was systematically destroying my cover, limiting my movement options. Worse, I noticed more corrupted patches spreading across the ground. Soon, I'd have nowhere safe to stand.

Time to change tactics.

"Noir, bring them in close!"

The phantom ravens responded immediately, diving right at the monster's bark-covered heart. The Soldure's vines whipped up to protect its core, momentarily drawing them away from me.

I took my chance, channeling essence into both my demonic transformation and Blaze simultaneously. The sword's flames turned almost black, responding to the corruption in my own power. It was a risky move - combining demonic essence with Blaze's fire could be unpredictable. But I needed more power.

"Let's see how you handle this."

I leaped straight up, using the remaining trees as springboards. The soldier treant tracked my movement, its vines rising to meet me. But I had the advantage of height now, and gravity would add to my strike's power.

Blaze ignited with new intensity as I fell toward the monster's heart. The sword's ability [Will Fire] resonated with my determination, creating flames that burned hot enough to distort the air itself.

Several vines moved to intercept me. I twisted in the air, slashing through them with precision. Each cut from Blaze seemed to cauterize the corruption, preventing the vines from regenerating. The Soldure let out another earth-shaking cry, this one definitely of pain.

But I'd made a mistake. In focusing on the vines in front of me, I'd missed one coming from behind. It caught me squarely in the back, sending me crashing through several branches before I managed to catch myself.

The impact knocked the breath from my lungs and sent Blaze spinning from my grip. The sword embedded itself in a nearby tree, its flames dimming slightly without direct contact with my essence.

The Soldure pressed its advantage. Vines came from all directions, their human hands reaching for my throat. I managed to dodge the first few, but there were too many. One caught my leg, another my arm. More wrapped around my torso, the human faces leering at me with twisted glee.

Through our connection, I felt Noir's panic. The bird dove toward me, but more vines rose to intercept it. The phantom flock was scattered, their unified vision breaking apart.

As the vines began to squeeze, I felt the corruption trying to seep into my body. But my own demonic essence fought back, creating a strange resonance. The Soldure seemed to pause, its countless human faces all turning to look at me with sudden interest.

That's when I noticed something in the monster's grip - not Lyssandra's jacket this time, but something else. Something that glinted with a familiar light.

A core. But not just any core - it pulsed with an essence signature I recognized. Similar to the regular Treants, but far more refined. This wasn't just a monster's core - it was a seed. A source.

Understanding hit me like lightning. The Soldure wasn't just a stronger version of the Treants. It was their origin. Their parent. And those human torsos... they were failed attempts at something. Experiments.

"Now that's interesting," I managed to say despite the vines' crushing grip. "But you made one mistake."

The monster tilted what passed for its head, curiosity evident in its movement.

I grinned, feeling blood trickle from the corner of my mouth. "You got too close."

With that, I activated Lunacy.

The forest erupted into chaos as my mind fractured into its multiple aspects. The corruption trying to enter my body met something far more unstable than mere demonic essence. The vines holding me suddenly had too many targets to grip - I was simultaneously there and not there, my form flickering between states of reality.

The aura of Lunacy covered the soldier's treant and it immediately withered as if it was in pain and its grip loosed around me.

I slipped free, my movements now guided by fragments of consciousness that operated on different wavelengths of existence. Blaze flew back to my hand as if called, its flames surging back to full intensity as it reconnected with my essence.

"Let's finish this dance."

---***---

Hi everyone, I apologize for the long break. I got caught up in some personal matters that made it difficult for me to focus on writing. Rest assured, updates will continue!