Chapter 43: Chalu’s Journey (19)  

The reinforcements had bought the group a few precious moments, but Athos's dark energy continued to press against their defenses. The combined efforts of Roki, Lory, Lucy, Brando, and Marlo were just enough to hold back the tide, but it was clear that they couldn't maintain this stalemate forever.

Athos, sensing the struggle of his opponents, chuckled with dark amusement. "You think you can hold me off with this pitiful display of magic? You are all fools."

Roki, sweat dripping down his face from the effort of maintaining his water barrier, shot a glance at Bax. "Bax, please. We need your earth magic. We can't hold this much longer."

Bax clenched his fists, the internal conflict evident on his face. His refusal to use his earth affinity was rooted in deep personal pain, a connection to his mother's tragic past that he couldn't easily overcome. But seeing his friends and comrades in such dire straits began to erode his resolve. 

Roki held the shield tightly and limped over to Bax. "Bax," he said through gritted teeth, "I know you don't want to do this, but we need you. Your mother... she wouldn't want you to die because of your pride."

Bax's eyes widened at Roki's words, the truth hitting him hard. He remembered his mother's words, her encouragement, and her belief in him. With a deep breath, he finally nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Drawing on his earth magic, Bax began to chant an incantation, the ground beneath him starting to tremble and shift. "Earth, hear my call. Lend me your strength."

With determination, Bax raised his hands and commanded, "Forest Shield!" The magic circle in front of him glowed brighter and transformed into a thick shield made of roots and tree trunks. This natural barrier stood strong, blocking Athos's dark magic.

The combination of water and earth created a formidable shield that pushed back against the encroaching darkness.

"A futile attempt," Athos scoffed, his voice tinged with frustration. "This barrier cannot hold you for long, You all will still meet your end."

As the battle raged on, it became clear that the tide was turning in their favor. But they knew they couldn't let their guard down. Athos was a cunning and powerful foe, and any lapse in their efforts could be disastrous.

.....

Meanwhile

[Outside the Universe]

As I watch the world of Eldan, I can't help but marvel at how Bax has mastered his affinity with the Earth. His newfound strength is impressive, but even with such power, they are destined to lose. Athos, with his terrifying abilities, surpasses them all. Despite being weaker than Aurathos, the first calamity, Athos is far more intelligent.

He devours the students and absorbs their memories, gaining an intimate knowledge of everything happening in the world. He understands the ongoing battle between the beastfolk and the Eldoans, and he knows the history of Eldan intimately. That monster's comprehension of our world is terrifying, born from consuming the memories of his victims.

The prospect of them facing Athos fills me with dread. He is not just a creature of immense power but a strategic mind, equipped with the wisdom and knowledge of countless lives. The thought of what might happen to them, confronting such a monster, is truly terrifying.

...

Gori side

Gori, despite his injuries, managed to push himself up. "I need to finish this," he muttered, gripping his sword and imbuing it with Aura.

Athos, observing their desperate attempts to shield themselves, raised an eyebrow. "How about this?" he said with a dark chuckle, summoning a swirling mass of dark energy in his hand.

"I call this Darkness Strike." He said then the air around Athos seemed to darken and thicken, and with a wave of his hand, the darkness surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing into the students' shield.

Bax, Roki, Lory, and Lucy, the student mages struggling to maintain the barrier, felt the immense pressure of the dark energy bearing down on them.

"We can't hold this much longer!" Bax shouted, his voice cracking with strain as sweat poured down his face.

"His power is too strong!" Roki echoed, his teeth clenched as he poured every ounce of his magic into the shield.

Lory, her face twisted in concentration, barked orders. "Use your full power, plebeians!" She glanced between Roki and Bax, her eyes wide with fear and anger.

"We did use our full power!" Roki snapped, his frustration evident.

"You dumbass woman," Bax muttered, barely audible over the roar of the dark energy.

"What did you say?!" Lory shot back, her fury momentarily distracting her from the task at hand.

"Stop arguing, Guys! We have to hold this shield together," Lucy said, her voice calm and steady in the chaos. Her eyes were closed, focusing hard, and her hands were steady despite the powerful force pushing against them.

Nearby, Rika, her breathing ragged and her face pale, turned to Marlo. "Support me."

Marlo, his face etched with worry, asked, "Are you sure you can fight in your state?"

Rika nodded, her eyes fierce. "I can. That's why you need to support me."

Marlo hesitated for a moment, then nodded resolutely. "If you say so."

Brando, who had seemed half-asleep moments ago, now stood with a serious expression, his eyes locked on Athos. The sight of the dark power had shaken him to his core, but it had also awakened a steely resolve within him. He turned to Gori. "You were right. This monster is stronger than I thought he would be."

"Are you scared, seeing his power?" Gori asked.

"Yes, I am," Brando admitted. "But I can't back down now. That's the duty of a knight, after all."

Gori gave him a sidelong glance. "You are still a student knight. You are not a full-fledged knight yet."

"I know, but I will become a full-fledged knight," Brando said with determination, gripping his sword tighter. "We will become full-fledged knights."

Gori allowed himself a small smile. "Dumbass."

As Bax and the other students struggled to maintain the shield against the overwhelming darkness, Rika suddenly broke free, lunging towards Athos with a battle cry. "Let's go!" she shouted, her voice filled with fierce determination as Marlo followed closely behind her.

Gori, watching the reckless charge, cursed under his breath. "This idiot!" He exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Brando. With a nod, he said, "Let's go!"

Bax, straining to hold the shield, yelled out, "Where are these fools going?!"

Roki, his face twisted in concentration, replied, "I don't know, but maybe they have an idea to take him down."

Lory, equally focused on maintaining the barrier, glanced worriedly at Brando. "Seriously, do you think those knights are strong enough?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Lucy, her hands steady despite the immense pressure, said calmly, "Lory, you might be right that mages are generally stronger than knights, but there are always exceptions. There might be those out there who surpass us."

"That Chalu they talk about?" Lory asked, her eyes briefly meeting Lucy's.

Lucy nodded. "Yes, and for now, we need to focus on defending ourselves until his power wanes."

Roki, overhearing the conversation, muttered the name to himself, "Chalu," recalling the rumors he had heard at school about a knight student who had proven his strength by defeating a mage student.

Suddenly, Bax exclaimed, "Has the darkness stopped?"

The mages looked towards where Rika and Marlo, followed by Gori and Brando, charged at Athos. Athos, noticing the shift, stopped attacking the shield and focused on the knights. "You fools!" he shouted, dark energy crackling around him as he prepared to fight back.

Rika and Marlo led the charge, their eyes fixed on Athos with determination. Gori and Brando followed closely, ready to support them in this desperate attack.

The battlefield buzzed with tension as the knights closed in on Athos. Rika charged forward, her sword ready to strike. But Athos, with a sneer of contempt, effortlessly swatted her attack away. Before he could catch his breath, Marlo lunged at him. However, Athos, with a casual flick, brushed Marlo's strike aside as if it were a pesky fly.

Despite their best efforts, it seemed like Athos was just too strong and skilled for them to land a hit. The knights exchanged worried glances, realizing that defeating Athos wouldn't be as simple as they had hoped.

The combined assault from the knights seemed like a mere nuisance to Athos. Marlo and Brando's strikes, while executed with precision and determination, barely seemed to faze the dark entity before them.

Athos, with a smirk, taunted them, "Is this the best you knights can muster? Pathetic."

But Gori's attack was different from the others. As he charged forward, his aura glowed brightly around him, crackling with energy. When he struck, it felt like a wave of power crashing against Athos.

 Athos, who had been so confident until then, was taken by surprise. He stumbled backward, his usual composure momentarily lost. It was as if Gori's attack had hit a weak spot, shaking Athos to his core.

The other knights stared in disbelief as Gori's attack actually worked against Athos. Gori had learned a special technique from Chalu and this is the only key they needed.

In a furious response, Athos summoned a storm of dark arrows aimed directly at Gori.

 "You pest!" he spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

Caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, Gori found himself unable to defend against the onslaught.

Gori cried out in pain as the dark arrows pierced through his defenses, leaving him vulnerable to the relentless assault. But before the arrows could strike him, Bax acted swiftly, conjuring an earth wall to shield Gori from the deadly attack.

Startled by Bax's unexpected assistance, Gori glanced at him with a mixture of surprise and gratitude, though Bax quickly dismissed any notions of goodwill.

"Don't misunderstand. I didn't help you because I wanted to. Your power is crucial to our plan," Bax stated bluntly, his tone devoid of warmth or camaraderie.

Meanwhile, Roki watched Gori's approach with a mix of curiosity and admiration

"How did you manage to cut through him? You're really something else," Roki remarked, acknowledging Gori's unexpected display of skill.

Gori glanced at Roki and shook his head. "No, I'm not special," he admitted quietly. His gaze then shifted to Athos, his mind racing with thoughts. "If Chalu were here, he could defeat this bastard,"

Lory, dismissed Gori's achievement as mere luck. "Hmph. It's just luck that he hit that monster," she remarked, her expression skeptical.

Lucy, however, defended Gori, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Lory, please. Let's focus on the task at hand," she sighed, recognizing the urgency of their situation.

Meanwhile, Athos, amused by the united front presented by the group, taunted them with a sinister laugh. "So, all of you are now together," he remarked, his voice dripping with malice.

Bax, undeterred by Athos's bravado, shouted back defiantly, "You're outnumbered, you bastard!"

But Athos remained unfazed by their threats. "Oh, am I?" he retorted, his tone mocking.

Before anyone could respond, Rika stepped forward, her voice filled with determination. "Enough! You have to pay for your sins for killing Alaric!" she declared, her eyes blazing with righteous anger.

With a collective roar, the group lunged forward, their weapons raised, determined to bring justice to their fallen comrade.

As the group charged forward, their battle cries echoing across the battlefield.

"FOR ALARIC!" Rika's voice rang out above the din, her sword gleaming as she led the charge, her eyes ablaze with righteous fury.

Gori, his aura blazing around him, followed close behind, his jaw set in grim determination. "This time I FINISH YOU OFF!" he growled, his voice laced with defiance.

Bax, Roki, Lory, Lucy, and Marlo, each wielding their weapons with steely determination, pressed forward, their eyes locked on Athos.

As they closed in on Athos, determination etched on their faces, Athos's eyes narrowed, sensing the imminent danger. 

 Athos chuckled darkly. "I need to use that, Power,"

Then Athos unleashed a powerful shockwave of darkness around the surroundings.

[Crash] [Explosion] [SHAKING]

To be continued