Chapter 133: Battle
Scene: The group sails deeper into the Kurai Pirates' territory, fully aware that the next battle will be their toughest yet. High alert and ready to fight, they press on, the tension growing with every passing moment. The captive pirates aboard their ship smirk and laugh, fully aware of the storm about to come crashing down on the heroes.
Narrator: As the heroes of the South Nation sail toward Zisteria, danger lurks just ahead. With the Kurai Pirates' captives mocking them from behind, the group faces the reality that a deadly confrontation is just over the horizon. The real threat, however, is far greater than they expect.
As the ship moves forward, the group spots a shore filled with pirate ships, their cannons trained and ready to fire. The pirate captives begin laughing maniacally, their eyes gleaming with the knowledge of what's coming.
Pirate Captive 1: (mocking) You're toast! There's no getting out of this!
One of the captives, emboldened by the sight of his comrades, stands up and shouts toward the shore.
Pirate Captive 2: (yelling) Captain Muro! We're over here!
Before anyone can react, a powerful Mana Cannon fires from one of the pirate ships, hurtling straight toward the heroes' vessel. But Eren, quick on his feet, steps forward and deflects the blast with his hand, the energy dissipating harmlessly into the ocean.
Eren: (calmly) Nice try.
The group's ship presses forward, pulling up to the shore. The heroes disembark, their feet touching the sand as they prepare to face the awaiting threat. As they step forward, they're met by 20 powerful pirates standing at attention, their leader—Captain Muro—noticeably absent. However, two towering figures, clearly Muro's generals, stand at the front of the group, their expressions cold and unfeeling.
Kirito and Ryu, both visibly nervous, step back slightly, positioning themselves behind Commander Elara.
Kirito: (whispering to Ryu) This isn't good. Those generals... we barely survived last time.
Commander Elara stands tall, her eyes narrowing as she surveys the situation. The power radiating from the generals is unmistakable, but her confidence doesn't waver.
Commander Elara: (sharply) Where is Captain Muro? You let us through, or I'll kill your comrades right here and now.
One of the generals, a man with sharp, icy eyes, steps forward. His gaze is like ice as he looks down at the captives, but he doesn't flinch at Commander Elara's threat. Without a word, he raises his hand and fires a Water Spear, shaped from his Water Elemental Mana, straight at her. Commander Elara reacts quickly, summoning her flame aura to block the attack, but the sheer force of it pushes her back slightly.
General 1: (coldly) Threaten us again, and it won't be just a warning.
The other general, a woman with a fiery aura surrounding her, steps forward as well, her expression equally cold.
General 2: (flatly) We don't care about your threats. Hand over your ship and your belongings, or we'll take them by force.
The group steels themselves for battle, each member of the team ready to unleash their power. Commander Elara's eyes harden as she grips her weapon, giving the order to attack.
Commander Elara: (commanding) Take them down! We're not giving up anything!
Narrator: The battle begins in a flash of elemental fury. The group, powered by their newly unlocked Elemental Mana, charges forward, ready to face the threat head-on. But the two generals are no ordinary foes. Their power rivals that of the strongest heroes, and their intent is deadly.
Zarek, always quick to act, teleports directly in front of the male general and fires his newly enhanced Holy Bomb, now a fiery sphere of divine energy. But the general doesn't flinch—instead, he punches the attack away with a single, powerful strike, sending it crashing into the sea.
Zarek: (surprised) That's… new.
Asher and Aria, meanwhile, focus their efforts on the group of 20 pirates alongside Kirito and Ryu. Asher summons a powerful Water Burst, sweeping across several of the pirates and knocking them off their feet, while Aria uses her Wind Bomb to disorient the rest, keeping them off-balance as the heroes cut through their numbers.
Asher: (calling out) We need to thin their ranks—let's focus on the smaller fish!
The pirates begin to fall one by one, but they fight back with surprising tenacity, forcing the group to stay on high alert. As the fight rages on, Commander Elara rushes in to assist Asher and Aria, her Flame Mana burning brightly as she cuts down several more pirates. Within moments, the group reduces the pirates' numbers drastically, but the generals remain a much larger threat.
Narrator: While Commander Elara, Asher, and Aria deal with the pirate forces, the most dangerous battle is unfolding between Eren, Rylan, Zarek, and the two powerful generals. The intensity of their attacks shakes the very ground, as elemental forces collide in a display of raw power.
Eren and Rylan, now fully tapping into their Lightning Elemental Mana, burst forward with speed and precision, targeting the two generals. Eren releases a powerful Lightning Bolt, crackling with electric energy, and Rylan mimics the attack, adding his own unique spin. The bolts of lightning tear through the air, slamming into the generals, who stagger back from the force.
Eren: (seriously) We've got this. Let's hit them hard, Rylan.
But the generals are far from defeated. The male general, using his Water Elemental Mana, creates a swirling vortex of water around his body, shielding himself from further attacks. The female general, channeling Fire Elemental Mana, counters with a powerful Flame Wave, clashing with the lightning and creating an explosive shockwave that rocks the battlefield.
Eren grits his teeth as the fight continues, his and Rylan's attacks pushing the generals back, but not breaking their defenses.*
General 1: (calmly) You think a couple of lightning bolts can stop us?
General 2: (coldly) You'll need more than that.
The fight between the heroes and the generals intensifies, each side refusing to give ground. Zarek teleports behind the female general and attempts to land a devastating blow, but she turns and meets his attack head-on, their elemental mana colliding in a burst of flames and holy energy.*
Narrator: The battle shows no signs of slowing down as the heroes and generals clash with all their might. Commander Elara, having helped reduce the number of pirates, looks over to where Eren, Rylan, and Zarek are locked in combat with the two generals. She knows the fight is far from over, but her confidence remains unshaken.
With a final, determined push, Eren and Rylan channel their lightning mana into a more focused attack. The air around them crackles with energy as they prepare to unleash one last strike. Both of them call out together:
Eren & Rylan: Lightning Burst!
Their combined attack surges forward, smashing into the generals and sending them skidding back across the sand. For the first time, the generals show signs of wear, but they remain standing, their elemental power flaring even stronger in response.
Narrator: As the battle rages on, the true power of the Kurai Pirates begins to reveal itself. Eren, Rylan, and Zarek push back against the generals, but their opponents refuse to yield. And somewhere, out there, Captain Muro waits.
The chapter ends with the battlefield still engulfed in chaos, the heroes locked in an intense struggle against their powerful foes. The fight is far from over, and the true challenge of the Kurai Pirates has only just begun.