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    Erika seemed to have a n, and I wanted to believe in her. As I assembled my Familiar troops around the vicinity, well, the surviving Familiars, ready to attack, she prepared while exining to me. Her body began to change, spreading her roots and branches everywhere across thend, piercing the floor.


    "Remember when I overran that abandoned city with the guy that had plotted my death? I don''t remember his name but that time I expanded my body all over the ce and caught him!" She said. "Since then, I''ve been practicing my Nature Spirit Abilities more and using them along magic and skills! I think I can expand myself all the way to their roots and attack them."


    "I see, so you intend to attack their roots so they can''t easily regenerate back. But what about the barrier?" I asked.


    "The barrier is part of them, actually!" Erika said. "Heheh, I am surprised you haven''t noticed. But my Spirit Eyes easily saw through their hidden area. Those tree''s roots are spread around a special circr formation. There are gigantic masses of Spirit Crystals being used as advanced runes for the creation of such barrier. Although it seemed of Spiritual Nature, it was fueled with Demonic Energy."


    "Such a thing…?" I asked in surprise. "I guess I can''t really see absolutely everything. There are certain things that other, different eyes can detect better. Very well, let''s go with that then. Elizabeth, can you imbue into Erika your Holy Light powers?"


    "Of course! Stand still Eri~!" Elizabeth nodded, enchanting Erika with a sh of holy light. "{Angelic Spirit''s Blessing Magic}: {Holy Light Spirit''s Veil}!"


    FLAAASH!


    A veil of light epassed and then fused into Erika''s body, making her glow brightly, her long pink hair had gained a golden hue, and her eyes were also unleashing bright, golden light.


    "Ooh, this is ideal! Nice!" She smiled confidently. "Alright, I''m going! Wish me luck!" She gave me a kiss and hugged Elizabeth before disappearing, digging the ground below.


    "Once we get Erika''s signal, we will attack from all sides to overwhelm the Ancient Treants!" Imanded my Vampire Spirits and the Familiar Generals, who all nodded. "Anna, An, remember to not step out of the safe barrier. My Spirits and Familiars will take care of you, just shoot things from afar. This is not a battle you''re ready for yet."


    "W-We understand, big brother!" An nodded.


    "Just watching is a lot of fun!" Anna said. "I knew big bro was strong, but you''re amazing! Such a huge army!"


    "Yeah, isn''t he cool?" An nodded. "Big brother is the strongest hero of the world!"


    "I will surpass him though! I will be the strongest pdin of gold!" Anna fantasized.


    I chuckled a bit over theirments, while I focused more on the iing battle. I expanded my Vampiric Senses below and sensed Erika''s life signals moving rapidly. She struck something, and then spread around even further, a chain reaction happened, as I sensed her energies shing against several sources of demonic energy.


    RUMBLE!


    It didn''t even take a minute before the Ancient Treant''s closed and old looking eyes opened widely, raging with crimson red demonic mes. Their faces distorted in pain as holy light, nature spirit energy, and draconic essence all started overflowing inside of them.


    The circuits making the barrier instantly copsed before the constant infusion of energies, gained countless cracks, and then broke into pieces, shattering and disappearing!


    "Now, crush them!"


    As I ordered, my army of two hundred Familiars marched forward. I chose this time to enchant half of them with the light element, mostly those that were already fire wielders. I also did the same with all the Vampire Spirits here, their appearances changing drastically as they absorbed the elemental bestowal ability.


    The armies charged, shing against the panicking and pained Elder Treants. But the gigantic trees didn''t stay passive anymore. While being attacked from their roots and with the barrier destroyed, they swiftly turned murderous. Their entire normal-looking tree bodies changed.


    With furious demonic roars, their bark turned deep ck, their green leaves crimson red, and they gained countless jaws with many sharp teeth, and crimson eyes spread across their bodies. Their branches now resembled tentacles.


    So they were deceptively making themselves look like just giant trees, but they were Demonic Trees this whole time! Powerful high-ranking demons,parable to Demon Lords in power, although without their intelligence.


    They shook the whole garden, their gigantic tentacles piercing through my Familiars from left and right. However, the Generals held off on their own with their augmented stats,manding the other Familiars to evade the iing blows.


    The Vampiric Spirits, led by Eleanora, unleashed a flurry of elemental attacks of all kinds. Explosions of light and draconic mes from Eleanora, Psionic Waves from Azahuk disrupted the Demonic Trees minds and made them even dumber, while he absorbed their mental energy, making them slower. Everyone else used this opportunity to quickly decimate several of them on the spot.


    Elizabeth flew down from the skies, having undergone Spirit Fusion with her Holy Dragon Spirit, and transforming into a half-holy dragon maiden, her hammer shining with the brightest brilliance of her powers.


    "RAAAH!"


    BAAAMMM!!!


    An explosion of light engulfed two Demonic Trees at once, their entire bodies incapable of taking all the holy light, exploding into pieces on the spot. She was attacked by a swarm of tentacles, which she fended off with a barrage of swords of light.


    At the same time, the Demonic Trees were panicking more and more, their bodies swarmed by all my familiars, several of them burning away through holy light, as I swiftly switched the elements of their bestowal to light once I realized they were Demonic Trees, mostly immune to most fire attribute magic.


    As this happened, I swiftly stepped into battle, three of these titanic behemoths greeted me, firingser beams from their countless eyes. I evaded their blows swiftly, transforming into my Vampire King form and changing my appearance drastically.


    Wielding Gluttony, I impaled their bodies a thousand times each in mere seconds, moving at such speeds not even I could believe thanks to the transformation''s effects.


    CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!


    "Who''s next?! Come at me!"


    I wasn''t going to let Erika''s efforts go in vain.


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