Reborn as an Extra Chapter 587: I Know What To Do... Part-1.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
The prison that had trapped Ellie for a thousand years cracked open and lay in ruins after Raika's devastating strike hurled Rio with such immense power that the very weave of space and time tore apart, flinging him straight out of the area.
That single blow carried such overwhelming might that Ellie shivered with dread from head to toe.
As soon as the enormous enclosure suffered harm, it inflicted backlash wounds on Ellie's form, forcing her to drop to her knees while she hacked up huge gushes of blood right there!
Her gaze turned crimson with strain, and dizziness overwhelmed her thoughts as if her very consciousness was fracturing; it proved an agonizing ordeal.
This vast barrier linked directly to the mighty seal guarding the colossal entrance to the Sea of Endless Miasma, and with Ellie having fused her essence into that seal to endure within the spirit world, any harm to it echoed straight back into her own being!
The destruction of the massive prison inflicted severe wounds on Ellie, causing her vital energy to plummet sharply as the great seal's strength waned!
Even prior to the prison's collapse, Ellie existed in an endless cycle of taint and cleansing; corruption and renewal battled within her without cease.
Because of this, though she ranked at the pinnacle of S-class among shadow dragons, her physical prowess remained feeble, her existence bound to the great seal, and she lacked any formidable offensive abilities besides.
There was good cause she earned the title of disgrace among all shadow dragons; unlike her father, she possessed no prodigious gifts, merely an average frail shadow dragon unable to wield even the magic of her draconic heritage.
Merely enduring until this point counted as a monumental achievement; confronting a formidable adversary like Raika lay far beyond her capabilities.
Rio had assured her he would occupy Raika's attention while she devised some strategy, yet the issue stood that Ellie commanded no powers capable of handling such a dominant force.
Raika proved a tough challenge even for Rio!
The very Rio, who clearly stood as the mightiest and most gifted member of their squad 'Astra,' struggled fiercely against Raika!
This fact underscored that Ellie alone stood no chance whatsoever against Raika!
'Come on, Ellie, figure it out! What should I do?' How can I rescue Liam? I need to act quickly!'
Brushing aside her inner wounds and the crimson trickle from her lips, Ellie rose with resolve etched across her features!
Though her frame quaked from depleted and battered life essence, she held herself upright through pure willpower and resolve!
'I won't allow Liam to perish or get captured... I have to take action; if not me, then who?...'
The image of that violet-haired youth, forever cheerful and protective toward her, surged through Ellie's mind as she balled her tiny hands until blood seeped from them!
Ellie glanced at her limbs, once smooth and unmarred moments before; now ominous black blotches marred their surface everywhere!
Not only her limbs, but eerie dark markings began emerging across her whole form, spreading with alarming speed!
Facing this crisis, Ellie understood the crisis at hand: the vast prison had splintered, dealing heavy blows to the great seal's integrity!
While total shattering of the seal proved impossible from this level of force alone, its external barriers could still suffer profound harm.
And those external barriers formed the parts Ellie had integrated into her own essence!
With the enormous prison's breach, miasma surged inward with heightened ferocity, gradually eroding the outer barriers of the great seal, and that same rot and pollution rebounded onto Ellie!
The great seal's cleansing spells shone brightest near its central core; the peripheral barriers held far less potency in warding off corruption!
'This spells trouble...'
Ellie eyed the fractured prison while clenching her jaw; through her command of shadow elements, she perceived that Rio and Raika remained locked in fierce combat.
Though Rio took some initial hits, he quickly adjusted and began clashing with Raika on even terms!
Right as Ellie puzzled over her next move, Rio's voice echoed in her mind via distant mental link.
In the midst of battling Raika, Rio realized that his foe was merely an avatar, rendering any attempt to slay or overcome him futile, since he could swiftly regenerate to peak condition without issue.
For now, Rio spotted no viable ways to eliminate Raika for good; therefore, he reached out to Ellie to share this revelation.
Upon hearing Rio's message, Ellie sank into deeper despair.
Ellie had joined Team Astra on countless quests, and she knew Rio as the sort who never conceded defeat or claimed helplessness unless the task truly exceeded his grasp.
Typically, his vast array of techniques handled every scenario, and even without them, he could improvise fresh ones to fit the circumstances.
Yet if he found a challenge insurmountable, it signaled the dilemma lay beyond the whole team's grasp.
Ellie ground her teeth as she paced before the immense portal atop the towering mound, untouched still by the ruinous clash between Rio and Raika!
The duel between Rio and Raika intensified with every moment, each collision unleashing tremendous blasts across the zone, birthing fresh rifts in space with every impact!
Given the battle's ferocious pace, Ellie recognized that Rio and Raika had fallen into a deadlock!
To rescue Liam, Ellie needed to discover a method to shatter this impasse and tip the scales toward victory for her allies.
'What now! What can I try!? Argh!'
Ellie ruffled her locks in frustration while scrambling for a plan to end the deadlock and free Liam, yet nothing came to mind.
'Reverse-summoning isn't an option anymore, since Liam and I share this realm at present! Plus, I've already performed it once!'
'Attempting it again would ravage his spirit!'
Reverse-summoning allows a mighty summoned creature to pull their summoner to safety beside them during peril, but it can occur only once across the summoner's entire existence.
Reverse-summoning draws the summoner's spirit into the spirit realm and imposes an enormous strain on it; repeating it risks, at minimum, enduring with lasting spiritual harm.
And at worst, complete obliteration of the spirit from failing to withstand the overload!