Teacher vs Student (1)

The battle between Larot and Aragon, master versus disciple, erupted with a ferocity that shook the very air. Blows, charged with AURA, crossed the space like silent lightning, shattering the lifeless cages hanging in the area. The metallic echo of broken chains reverberated through the atmosphere, blending with the roar of their labored breathing. Neither gave ground; the force was overwhelming, tangible, like a contained storm on the verge of bursting. Aragon tried to bring his disciple to reason, but Larot attacked mercilessly, driven by an external control that turned him into a puppet of foreign will.

"Do you think he can win?" Leila asked Eduard, her heart beating as she watched the scene unfold. Her voice trembled, barely audible over the clamor of the battle. "He doesn't seem himself," Eduard replied, adjusting his defensive stance. "If he doesn't stop him, we'll be next." He paused, glancing toward Adia, who was fiercely battling Geros. "But first, let's help Adia. She can't hold him off alone."

Leila nodded, though her mind wandered to the images before her: two figures destroying everything in their path, leaving behind a trail of chaos and destruction. Ada's firm hand tugged at her, pulling her from her thoughts. "Hello, Earth calling Leila!" Ada exclaimed with a teasing tone but concern in her eyes. "Focus, girl," Rachel added from behind, her voice tense as she watched Adia struggle to keep the imposing Geros at bay.

At the center of the battle, Aragon repeatedly placed himself between Larot and the others, shielding them with his body. "Larot, wake up! You have to. What did they do to you? Return to being the boy I knew and trained," the brown knight pleaded, his voice heavy with pain and determination. But Larot saw only darkness. In his mind, a helpless child knelt before a giant, sinister figure, its features seemingly made of living shadows. "You must do everything I tell you, or you'll condemn everyone… even your mentor," the voice said, showing him false visions: corpses of friends, companions, and finally Aragon himself, bathed in blood. "No, it can't be… not that," Larot whimpered, falling to his knees and covering his face with his hands. "I'll do whatever it takes to save them," he murmured, his voice breaking with terror.

"Good, then do everything I command, boy," the voice continued, now even more unsettling. "Destroy those demons and this usurper who claims to be your mentor. If you defeat them all, you'll be free." The words pierced Larot's mind like daggers, fueling his confusion and despair. "I'll do it," he responded with forced resolve, slowly rising to his feet. "I'll use all my strength to end them."

Aragon, seeing the change in his disciple's eyes, felt a chill run down his spine. He knew something dark was manipulating Larot, something that had been there long before that day. "What did they do to you, boy? I'll find out," he vowed to himself, standing firm before Larot. "I won't give up on you. I never should've left you alone. It was my mistake, but now I'm here to fix it."

The brown knight prepared for the next attack, knowing he wasn't just facing his disciple but also the shadows consuming him from within.

Outside Larot's body, a dark and intense AURA halo began to form, emanating a crimson glow so deep it seemed to devour the light itself. It was darker than blood, denser than shadows. His hands became saturated with that dark energy as his voice resonated with inhuman coldness: "Second form of AURA: TIFIDEZ."

The second form of the aura was devastating. Everything it touched transformed into something as hard as diamond, capable of slicing through the strongest metal with the precision of an invisible blade. Without hesitation, Larot launched the attack against his mentor. Aragon, reacting swiftly, crossed his arms in front of his chest in an "X." The impact was brutal. Though he managed to protect himself, the walls and floor around him were hollowed out as if an invisible force had torn through space itself.

"What was that?" Leila murmured, feeling the tremor ripple through the surrounding air. Her body shook slightly, but her mind was clouded with confused thoughts. "I don't know," Maria replied, glancing toward Rachel and Ada, who had hastily erected a makeshift barrier with debris to shield them. "If they hadn't done that, we'd be dead."

"Let's go help Adia," both girls said in unison, trying to snap Leila out of her daze. But just then, the walls began to warp. From them emerged metallic tubes that quickly took the shape of humanoid robots, similar to those Podbe had faced at the academy. "What are these? They look like the ones from the academy," Drake noted, tightening the straps on his gear as he watched the new enemies begin to surround them. There were fifty, maybe more. Some positioned themselves in front of the group, forming an impenetrable barrier, while others strategically placed themselves to block any attempt to interfere in the battles between Aragon and Larot, as well as Adia and Geros, creating what felt like a wall of steel.

"What is this?" Eduard asked, his voice tense as he assessed the situation. "It looks like we're trapped. We can't move forward or back," Drake added, clenching his fists. Gat, who was already recovering from the blow Larot had dealt him, stepped in with determination: "Well, there's no other choice. I think we need to face them if we want to get through." Beside him, Benjamin, Riota, and Floud also prepared, adjusting their weapons and focusing on the task ahead.

In Podbe's system, a clear and precise alert rang out: "Attention. You have very strong enemies in front of you. Proceed with caution. If you defeat five, you will earn 2000 points." Reia read it aloud.

"Perfect timing to level up!" Podbe exclaimed, preparing for battle. "Alright, get ready to fight," he instructed through his link with Aiden.

"Yes, let's fight!" Ada and Rachel responded in unison, turning toward where Leila had been moments before. But when they looked, she was gone.

"Where's Leila?" both asked, scanning the area with their eyes. The holographic screens the robots had deployed obstructed visibility, creating a labyrinth of light and shadow that made it nearly impossible to track the girl. "I wonder where she went… She was here just a moment ago," Ada said, concern creeping into her voice.

"No time," Rachel replied as one of the robots launched a direct attack at them.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Larot continued his merciless assault, his voice distorted by the suit that shrouded him in a mantle of darkness. "I must protect Zeus and my companions," he muttered, though each word seemed torn from some deep, broken place within him. Aragon, bracing against another onslaught, shouted desperately: "It's me, Aragon! Wake up, boy! Trust me!" But Larot didn't hear. His eyes were glazed, lost in an abyss of manufactured confusion and hatred inside the helmet.

"You're not him… You're an impostor! I won't be deceived! I'll finish you, damn it!" Larot roared, and from his arms erupted black and crimson dragon flames that surged toward Aragon as if trying to consume him alive. The brown knight's body became enveloped in that dark energy, burning him from within, yet he held his ground, enduring the pain with ironclad determination.

"Enough of this, you wretched creature! You won't get away with it," Larot snarled, his voice warped by rage as the dark crimson flames continued to engulf Aragon. It seemed the brown knight was lost, consumed by the devastating power of the attack. However, just as the flames appeared to reach their peak, they began to shift in color, transforming into an intense, vibrant blue. The flames slowly evaporated, revealing Aragon clad in battered armor: broken shoulder plates, worn elbow guards, and a cracked chest piece, as though he had endured the assault of a thousand storms.

"Not bad, young pupil," Aragon said, his tone calm but authoritative as he extinguished the blue flame still dancing in his hands. "Well done using the third form of AURA: the Nubian Dragon, or better known as NUBIA DRAGON RAGE. It's a devastating technique; it would've finished me instantly if not for my experience." A faint smile crossed his face, though his gaze remained resolute. "But I'm no ordinary opponent. I'm the one who taught you these techniques, brat," he added with a slightly irritated tone, removing his helmet, which crumbled to dust the moment he touched it.

Larot frowned, visibly surprised by his mentor's resilience, whom he truly saw as a demon. "I guess I underestimated you a bit," Aragon murmured, his expression hardening as he assessed the situation. "Well then, it seems I'll have to knock some sense into you the hard way." His voice was now cold, almost cutting, as he concentrated his energy. From his hands emerged an attack similar to Larot's, but this time the flames were golden, enveloped by a radiant blue glow that burned with the intensity of celestial fire. The dragon formed by the energy let out a silent roar before lunging at Larot, shattering half of his armor in the blink of an eye. Larot's helmet fell to the ground, revealing one of his eyes glowing a deep crimson, radiating pure fury.

"Hmm, it seems simple attacks don't harm you," Aragon remarked, his tone sarcastic but calculated. "If this is how you want to play, damn enemy of my lord Zeus, then so be it." Larot's voice was completely distorted, as if something inside him were struggling to take control. "I'll get serious too and finish you once and for all."