The army of ants was still strong, but Don knew that everyone standing there could handle it. Ion was still crushing Ants, he had yet to even use his Seed Power. The only one that was being used was his healing, and even that wasn't being used as much as it normally would. Ion was a lot faster, stronger, and more aware of his surroundings. He was capable of evading attacks from the Ants, block them without taking damage, and counter swiftly. There were times he even bashed Ants together and used Ants like baseball bats.
Tim on the other hand never had such training. He was pretty much ordinary. The only thing he had was his Greatsword and knowledge of how to use it. He was the first one to start sweating and breathing heavily, but he maintained the frontline. Any Ants that got too close to him were dealt with by Rose and Rebecca. Tim was able to easily slice through the Ants due to Sussan's Evolved Seed Power, which allowed her to bestow flames in the form of magical property. Not just that, but his own Seed Power: Sharpen also allowed him to cut them down. With both the flame empowerment and his strength applied to his greatsword, it was like a knife cutting through butter.
Speaking of Rose and Rebecca, they were taking Ants out by the dozen. It was all thanks to Don's training. Just like Ion, they were faster, stronger, and more aware of their surroundings. Rebecca still had yet to give Don an answer to his invitation, and Don never pressed her for one. This wasn't something that could be made on the spot, it could change her own life. Still, she was starting to think that maybe she should undergo the training because both Rose and Ion were taking out more than she was.
Rose was using her katana. She would use a mixture of her Wind Seed Power and Space Seed Power to take out the ants. There were times she also used a new combo. From her Spatial Slash, an arc of wind would come out and then expunge in a flurry of lethal wind that tore everything that was within it apart. Then, there were times she tossed out an Arc of Wind from her katana and mixed her Seed Power into it. When the Arc of Wind hit an Ant, a small black hole formed from the cut, and the Ants within close proximity were pulled in and then the black hole imploded killing everything that it pulled in into a gory mess.
Sussan was set up little patches of flames on the ground that when touched would skyrocket into pillars of flames. It was like a trap, and she had learned it was one of the few things she could do with the base Seed Power. When an Ant got too close and it touched the patch of fire, the pillar would rise and roast them alive. Soon the smell of roasted meat filled the battlefield since more pillars of flames were rising around.
Jessica was also roasting Ants with a mixture of her Flame Lances and Fireballs. So this also helped produce the smell of roasted meat. As for Jake, he decided to test out a new type of beast. The Eater Undead. He wanted to see what it was like, and this was the perfect chance for him to do so. Besides, even if someone saw it, they knew it was under his control since it radiated with a vivid gray aura.
The Eater Undead was just like its name implied. It latched its long tongue around one of the Ants from a fair distance and then pulled it towards its large razor-sharp teeth. The mouth of the Eater Undead opened wide and expanded even further to fit the entire Ant.
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
The Eater Undead continued to eat the Ant until a loud GULP could be heard, then it opened its mouth and repeated the process. The other Undead he had on the field continued to their job as well, but he had released the Eyeball Undead since it had no attack power. It was only meant for scouting. The Eater Undead could be used for scouting as well since its tongue allowed it to detect everything around it. The vibrations in the air, the scents, and the temperature. That was how it was able to pinpoint its targets.
John was also providing support. Although, it was in a way unlike any other, and most people wouldn't realize he was doing it. John was making it so no one slipped or slide along the muddy ground. While at the same time, he was helping his team out by making it easier to hit their targets. He disrupted the Ants in a way that either kept them on the ground or adjusted their weight to make them lighter. Even the slightest disruption of flow could offset an attack.
So John had to make sure not to adjust the flow of gravity too much, be it heavier or lighter. Too much meant that his team would miss their strikes. John did not sweat when it came to this. He was a natural at taking in his surroundings, and he knew how to affect different patches of air at different times as if it was breathing. If he wanted to, he could even make it so all of the rain stopped coming down, and instead would start flying upward, but he knew Ryan was using it.
Speaking of Ryan. He was able to control the rain around them. It was an endless source of water, and since it was a direct source of water, it wouldn't consume energy. When there was no water around, it took a large amount of energy just to create water from seeming nothing, but with the constant source, he could use water without expending much energy.
Ryan started to converge the rain into the palms of his hand that he held at his side. He was steadily building up energy like a certain warrior from a certain series did. He was going to mimic him as well. "KAAAAA...MEEEEE" Ryan would blurt out, and Tim instantly looked towards him. "STOP STOP!" Tim exclaimed, hearing those words come from Ryan.
"You trying to us smited?! Only the choose hero can use that move and say those words!" Tim shouted as he cut down another Ant. Ryan stopped himself since he felt somewhat embarrassed. Instead of just saying the words, he just decided to mimic the motions, and when the ball of swirling water was large enough to be unleashed it came in the form of a hydro-blast.
The pressure of the hyrdo-blast tore through the Ants as if their exoskeleton was nothing. Tim released a heavy breath of relief. He had once did those motions before and said it as well. He was inspired by that man because of what he stood for. I mean, who never tried to do that move? It was pretty cool! The problem was, he had gotten sick the next day. Tim didn't know why or how he had gotten sick, so he figured he was being punished for copying the move.
If Ryan was about to do something similar to it, then Tim had to stop him in hopes of not bring forth the wrath of any gods. Thankfully, he managed to stop it, and when he looked around he saw the army of Ants was pretty much down to a few dozen here and there. The remaining clean-up was easy and once they were done, Jessica decided to just burn the Ant's bodies. Even with the storm, the flames didn't die out. It as if Jessica's flames were stronger than the storm itself. The same could be said for Sussan's flames.
It made sense though because these flames came from the Seed. A special power, that was still as mysterious as the boy himself. All everyone knew is that it allowed everyday people to use special powers. There were a few people who knew how special the Seed was, and only one of those people was with this group.
"They have improved by leaps and bounds," April commented and Don's lips curved into a smirk. "They have. All they needed was to see just how much they have improved. I am sure after this, they will realize just how much stronger they have become." Don said.
'The Seed truly is a wonderful thing. I wonder how that boy got it? Surely, he was the one who put it into us.' Don muttered to himself. Meanwhile; the Boy was watching this entire time. He was still in his pure white room on his couch watching the events before him on the large television.
"So, instead of becoming stronger yourself, he trained those around you.... This truly is a different approach from before." The boy spoke aloud, his eyes filled with fascination. He just couldn't stop watching Don and had even come to enjoy some of the other people. John, in particular, had caught his gaze. He wondered if John would try to kill Rose.
John surely looked like he would, but when he found that John wasn't going to, it baffled him. "Surely, you realize that more problems will show up in the future. I wonder why you would choose not to kill her..." The boy was truly curious, and as he went through his mind he landed on this one thing that he never understood.
"What is love?" The boy muttered to himself. "Is this something only humans can feel? Well, no... even the others said that other species out there all have this thing called love. I wonder..." The boy would flick the channel towards Don, where he saw April was still clinging onto him.
"She's been like that ever since Don woke up. Is that what love is?" The boy spoke his thoughts aloud and eventually, a woman who looked similar to the boy slightly older would appear behind him. She was leaning over the head of the couch looking at the screen when she heard her younger brother's remark.
"Nope." The woman stated which caused the boy to nearly jumping from the couch. He had been so focused on his own thoughts that he didn't realize his older sister just showed up. "NUA!" The boy exclaimed and his cheeks tinged pink from embarrassment meanwhile the older sister; Nua chuckled lightly. "Did I scare you?" She asked.
The boy sighed heavily. "No. Anyways, what do you know about this love thing?" The boy asked and Nua moved to sit beside her younger brother. Her eyes kept on the screen. "Not much. Just what I have seen from others. They embrace each other, care about one another, and do other things. Of course, these two do this, but right now it looks more like something else...." Nua was thinking about the word to use.
"She is scared." Another voice came up. Everyone looked in the direction it came from and they saw the youngest of the three siblings, Luna. "Scared?" The boy asked as Luna made her way over to them and sat beside her brother. "Yeah. She's afraid of losing him again. I've seen this with the other Contenders. When someone is about to die or has been close to dying and still lived, they tend to get like this. She doesn't want to lose him." Luna said.
"So, fear?" The boy asked as if trying to comprehend it. "I suppose so," Luna said with a shrug. "I don't know much about that either. Remember, all we are supposed to do is watch over the Contenders and grant their wishes once they reach the one-year mark and become an Authority Holder." Luna stated and the boy nodded.
"Right, but that is boring." The elder sister, Nua stated and the boy agreed. "Yeah, which is why I told Don about his mutated seed and whatnot." The boy stated and Luna sighed softly and shook her head. "And that is why mom and dad are mad at you. We aren't supposed to do things like that. We can get into big trouble. Don't you remember what happened with that man?" Luna stated, bringing up a certain eight-foot-tall man.
"That Rosario guy? Yeah, but mom and dad took care of him. Remember?" The boy replied and Luna shook her head. "No, brother. They merely made it impossible for him to return to his own homeworld without fighting for that chance." Luna corrected her brother.
"So what? Besides, he's too stupidly overpowered. I don't even know why Mother and Father brought him here in the first place." The boy stated with an exhausted sigh. He had watched that man do his work from day one, and he couldn't understand why that man was just too strong. He was as strong as his Mother and Father, and they were overpowered as is. They could create planets from nothing, and stars, as well as constellations. They were the ones who created the Seed, that is bestowed upon the Contenders.
"Well, at least he's hot." Nua stated which caused both the boy and Luna to give her a 'really bitch?' look. "Moving along, I have no interest in them. No matter what was thrown at them, they overcame all of it. Even that New World whatever is having trouble with them." The boy waved his hand dismissively to show he wasn't interested in the Rosario Group or the man.
"But isn't Don the same?" Nua asked since it seemed contradictory. Don had overcome a lot as well, especially in the nine years he was here. Even now, this was his tenth run, and the only thing that had happened was his death and the death of another in his group. They hadn't lost a single person since then.
"Don's a different story." The boy said. "He's strong, but that doesn't mean he won't lose people around him. Do you truly think can they deal with what is to come? This is only the beginning, remember?" The boy's lips curved into a twisted grin.
"Sometimes I wonder who really takes more after our parents...." Nua muttered and Luna nodded in agreement, especially when the boy began crackling evilly like some kind of evil genius. Moving from them a certain eight-foot-tall man had sneezed. He was sitting in an empty black room with his legs crossed and in a meditative state. "Someone must be talking about me." The deep voice from the man's lungs spoke up.
The last of the ant army was dispatched and the others were greeted with applause from behind. It was Don with April at his side. None of the rain had even touched them and looked as if it were just going through them which was odd to look at. "Good job everyone. You all have truly come far." Don said at them.
"Yeah, well... if you were watching you could have helped." Ion stated while cracking his neck. He looked as if he hadn't even broken a sweat. "True, it would've made things easier." Ryan pitched in. Don shook his head at them, "I could have, but then you wouldn't realize it." Don said which caused them to look confused.
"Can you truly not see it?" Don asked pointing to the field behind them. Even though the ants were no longer there, they could still picture the battle they just went through. There were only eight of them. Eight against an entire colony of ants. That was a lot of ants and no one seemed seriously injured or hurt. A few minor scratches and bruises, but nothing more.
"Wait... did we really do all of that?" Sussan asked and Don nodded. "You did. You eight were able to hold off an entire colony of ants without my help. You have all become stronger." Don stated. "You wanted us to realize this, didn't you?" Rebecca asked with a smirk across her face. "I did." Don nodded with a smirk of his own. "How do you all feel right now?" Don asked. "Like badasses!" Tim shouted aloud and everyone seemed to agree with him in one way or another.
"Good. Keep that feeling close and remember it." Don stated. Even though Tim never went through the hellish training the others did, he did feel like a badass. I mean who wouldn't? Taking on an entire colony of oversized Ants and coming out without a few minor bruises? "Well, we did most of the work." Ion stated with a smirk.
"Hey! I helped!" Tim exclaimed then looked to Sussan. "Right!?" Tim asked and Sussan would look away while whistling innocently. "Huh? Hey! You guys are doing this on purpose!" Tim exclaimed and everyone started laughing. Ryan came up and wrapped an arm around Tim. "Yeah, yeah. You did well. Let's all head inside. We need to dry off." Ryan stated with a smile and Tim nodded happily.
Everyone agreed it was time to head inside to take a nice hot shower and change into some less soaked clothing. They would all then head to the mess hall since Alice said it was time for lunch. She had used the intercom speaking to do so and now everyone was eating happily at one of the tables. They talked about what just went on and shared their tales and teased one another. Some more than others; however, what everyone could see and feel was just how happy and warm they were.
They were once again, at home.