Ryuta And Zodiac Ruins (4)

The battlefield was eerily silent.

A light breeze passed through, stirring the dust and making the grass sway.

The Elite Elves stood in formation, each radiating a different type of power. Cubi's lightning flickered, Zircon's bow hummed, Sibiya's shadow magic curled like smoke, Phi's armor gleamed like solid rock, and Zen's dragon exhaled icy mist that froze the ground beneath it.

On the other side, Ryuta and the Zodiac Ruins stood ready, their bodies tensed, waiting for the inevitable explosion of combat.

No words were spoken.

Then—

A flash of lightning tore through the ground, shattering the silence.

Cubi had moved first.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared right in front of Ryuta, his lightning sword already slashing down.

Ryuta barely had time to react.

His Return to Life Sword shot up just in time, catching the blow, but the force sent shockwaves through his arms. Sparks of lightning surged between them, crackling and snapping in the air.

"Not bad," Cubi grinned, his golden eyes flickering with excitement. "But you're gonna have to do better than that."

Before Ryuta could counter, Cubi vanished again—

And Zircon attacked.

From the side, an arrow whizzed through the air, faster than any human eye could follow.

Ryuta dodged—barely. The arrow sliced through his cheek, a thin line of blood appearing.

"Damn," Ryuta muttered, wiping the blood with his sleeve.

Zircon was already nocking another arrow, his expression unreadable.

"First shot was a warning," the elf ranger said coolly. "The next one kills."

Before Ryuta could even think of a response, the battlefield erupted.

Leonis charged forward first, his fists coated in golden flames.

He went straight for Phi, the Elf Tank.

"You look sturdy," Leonis smirked. "Let's see how long you last."

He punched forward, a massive blast of fire shooting toward Phi. The ground cracked under the pressure—

But Phi simply raised his Earth Shield and took the attack head-on.

The fire smashed into the shield, causing a burst of heat to explode outward—

But when the smoke cleared, Phi stood firm, completely unharmed.

Leonis cursed. "Tch. Tough bastard."

Phi finally spoke, his voice deep and steady.

"Your flames will not break the earth."

Then, he stomped on the ground.

The earth split open, and massive stone spikes shot up toward Leonis.

Leonis barely managed to dodge, flipping backward just in time. "Alright. So you're annoying. Got it."

Kael was already on the move.

She went straight for Sibiya, the Dark Elf Necromancer.

"Let's see how dark your magic really is." Kael smirked, her hands glowing with venomous energy.

Sibiya's red eyes barely showed any emotion. She simply raised her staff—

And the shadows responded.

WHOOOOSH!

A wave of darkness erupted from her, wrapping around Kael like living tendrils.

Kael twisted her body, barely avoiding being consumed.

"Heh. Guess you're not bad." Kael licked her lips. "But I don't lose."

Her venom-coated daggers gleamed as she charged forward.

The battle had only just begun.

High above the battlefield, Zen sat on his ice dragon, watching everything unfold.

He finally let out a sigh. "Guess I should join in."

With a tap of his foot, his dragon roared—

And a massive blizzard exploded from its mouth, blanketing the battlefield in freezing cold.

Orion clicked his tongue. "Annoying."

He pulled back his bowstring, summoning golden energy.

Then, he released.

A blazing arrow shot toward Zen, cutting through the storm like a meteor.

Zen barely had time to react. "Tch."

He jerked his dragon to the side, but the arrow still grazed its wing, making the beast roar in pain.

Zen's calm expression flickered.

"You hurt my dragon."

He drew his own spear and jumped off his dragon, falling straight toward Orion.

The two warriors clashed in midair.

Ryuta was still locked in combat with Cubi. No matter what attack he threw, the Elf Knight dodged effortlessly.

He was too fast.

Then—

Cubi appeared behind Ryuta in a flash, his sword already swinging down.

"Too slow," Cubi whispered.

Ryuta felt pain explode through his back.

Blood splattered onto the ground.

For a brief moment, everything felt distant.

He was going to die.

Again.

But—

Something inside him refused.

His hand tightened on his sword.

He whispered, "Return to Life."

A surge of energy erupted from him, blindingly bright.

Cubi's eyes widened.

"What—?"

Suddenly, Ryuta's entire body glowed with Another white light, his strength surging.

His sword transformed.

The Return to Life Sword pulsed with enhanced power.

He had finally tapped into his true potential.

---

The battlefield froze.

Everyone—Zodiac Ruins, the Elite Elves—stopped and turned.

They all felt it.

Ryuta's power had changed.

Aelius whistled. "Well, damn."

Kael's eyes sparkled. "Now THIS is getting fun."

Leonis grinned. "About time you stopped holding back, Ryuta."

The Elite Elves weren't smiling.

For the first time, they looked uncertain.

Cubi took a cautious step back. "What the hell are you?"

Ryuta's glowing white eyes locked onto him.

He raised his sword.

"Let's find out."