Haruto opened and closed his fist, marveling at the newfound power coursing through his veins. His body had fully assimilated the stone, and he could feel the magic radiating within him. "So this is magic, huh?" he murmured, feeling the raw energy pulsating inside.
The trio of adversaries watched with a mix of fear and curiosity. Their skin crawled as they sensed the immense power emanating from Haruto.
"Hey Razor, what's going on with this kid? What type of stone was that?" Snake asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.
Razor's demeanor turned serious. From Haruto's reaction, he deduced that the awakening stone had to be at least Epic level. He couldn't fathom how a mere kid could get his hands on such a rare artifact. He recalled Snake's earlier comment about Haruto being a rich kid and realized they had stumbled upon a potential goldmine.
"It doesn't matter. If he's dead, the stone drops," Razor declared coldly.
With that, they all lunged at Haruto. Razor's movements became more precise and swift as he took the fight seriously, an uneasy feeling gnawing at him. Needle darted forward, weaving through the air.
"Reinforce…Huh? Why isn't it working?!?" Needle exclaimed in frustration. His attempt to repair his blades with magic failed because the damage was too fundamental.
"Fine. I was saving this for the initiation, but this brat has ticked me off. Sword Art Magic: Resonating Blades," Needle announced, summoning two blades made of pure aura.
'I can only control two for now, but that should be enough for this kid,' he thought.
The blades shot towards Haruto, accompanied by another venomous attack from Snake. Haruto saw both attacks coming and realized the pickaxe he held wouldn't suffice against such overwhelming force.
As the attacks closed in, Haruto braced for impact, his eyes wide with fear.
Boooommm!!!
A cloud of dust and smoke enveloped the area. Razor laughed, "Needle, you were hiding your moves, huh? So what the hell were you gonna do with the stone?"
"Sell it and make us all rich," Needle replied, laughing. Razor shook his head. "Well, let me go collect this stone. You guys sure didn't hold back. Once I do, we can get signed up for the initiation. We'll become Warlords for sure."
As the dust settled, Razor's expression shifted from joy to astonishment. "What the hell is going on?" he muttered, staring at the scene before him.
Haruto stood unharmed, holding both attacks at bay with an unseen force. No, it wasn't just force—it was wind magic.
"Impossible!! There's no wind magic capable of holding off attacks like that," Snake and Needle cried out in unison.
Haruto gripped the wind with both hands, slid his foot back, and swung forward with all his might. The wind surged forward, combining with the sword aura magic and venom magic, tripling the force. The ground peeled up and added to the destructive force barreling toward the trio at a frightening speed.
"Reinforce!" Needle and Snake shouted. Razor's eyes widened as he realized he had no protection. He put his axe in front to block, but the force blew past him as if he were nothing. It slammed into Needle and Snake, causing a massive explosion.
Haruto sat heavily, breathing hard. He felt himself swaying, almost ready to pass out. He replayed the last few moments in his mind, trying to comprehend what had happened.
[Seconds before the attack hit]
Haruto saw the attacks closing in and knew he had to act or die. Desperation filled him as he thought, 'I need to block it somehow.' He felt wind spiraling towards his hands and instinctively closed his fist around something tangible. 'Am I gripping the wind?' he wondered briefly but had no time to second-guess. He swung his arm up, feeling the immense impact nearly numb his arm. Sliding back, he used his other arm to reinforce his hold and swung out with all his might. 'I am not dying here,' he resolved.
As the smoke cleared, Haruto surveyed the aftermath. The three adversaries were strewn across the ground. Razor seemed the most battered, likely due to his proximity to the explosion. Needle and Snake, though severely wounded, appeared to have gotten off lighter but were still unconscious. Haruto remained standing, his newfound power surging through him, victorious yet weary.