Liam charged forward with unwavering determination and with his eyes locked onto the figure as he prepared to face whatever was coming. The figure that fully enraged now intended to retaliated with a counterattack. Ice spikes materialized in the air around him, sharp and gleaming with a cold light. With his mind the figure sent the spikes hurtling toward Liam.
Liam saw the incoming spikes, but he didn't falter. His mind was set and his jaw clenched, his body moving like an unstoppable force.
The first spike grazed his arm slicing through his sleeve and drawing a thin line of blood. The second skimmed his side tearing his shirt but missing his vital organs. More spikes followed as Liam barreled forward. He gritted his teeth against the stinging pain. Fortunately, he activated his ability so the wounds wouldn't pierce too deep.
The figure's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and confusion. How could this mortal withstand such an assault? He had expected Liam to be skewered and dead in his tracks but instead, the kid kept charging as relentless as a tank.
The figure tried to summon more spikes, but it was too late—Liam had closed the distance with his surging speed.
With a growl the figure regained his composure, channeling his fury into a powerful punch aimed directly at Liam's chest. The punch connected with a thunderous impact, and for a moment it seemed as if Liam would be thrown backward.
But to the figure's astonishment, Liam stood firm, absorbing the blow with his willpower and the protection of Mia's Rune. Liam's mouth opened into a wild grin.
Before the figure could react further Erik appeared like a shadow behind Liam, moving with a speed that seemed almost unnatural. The shotgun Mia had thrown now aimed directly at the figure's head. Without a moment's hesitation, Erik pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The sound of the blast echoed through the chamber. The figure's head snapped back, the force of the shot ripping through his mask and sending shards of metal and ice scattering across the room. Blood sprayed from the wound, a dark red mist mingling with the frost in the air.
But despite the brutal shot the figure didn't fall. He just staggered, his body swaying as he fought to remain standing. The shotgun blast had left a gaping wound in his face but it wasn't enough to bring him down.
Erik gritted his teeth and shouted. "Liam, keep going! We can finish this!"
Liam nodded, the fire still burning in his eyes. Together they charged at the figure once more.
The figure watched them approach, his vision blurred by the blood streaming down his face. He tried to summon the strength to retaliate but his body betrayed him. The wound was too severe, the damage too great. As they closed the distance he couldn't help his thought to think about a mixture of regret and bitter shame.
"I didn't put up my magic shield... How could I be so careless?" The thought gnawed at him. "To think I'd be brought so low by mere mortal children!"
His mind raced, the realization sinking in that these were no ordinary humans. But the sting of defeat was too bitter to ignore. His thoughts were laced with anger.
Erik cocked the shotgun with a swift motion, the click of the mechanism echoing in the cold air. Without hesitation he fired again.
BANG!
The blast hitting the figure square in the chest. The force of the shot sent the figure stumbling backward, his boots skidding on the icy ground. He could feel the impact rattling through his body painfully.
Liam roared as he closed in with his fist clenched so tightly that make his knuckles turned white. With all the strength he could muster Liam swung his arm forward, the punch connected with the figure's torso.
The impact was like a thunderclap, reverberating through the air as the figure's body was launched backward with terrible force. He smashed into the stone wall behind him.
The force of Liam's punch was so immense that the wall gave way, cracking and splintering before collapsing entirely. The figure was hurled into the corridor beyond and slamming against the far wall and leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
Erik and Liam exchanged a quick glance, their breaths still ragged from the intensity of the battle. They knew better than to assume their enemy was dead. Without a word they sprinting down the corridor after the figure.
As they reached the rubble-strewn passageway, they saw him lying on the ground, his body twisted and bloodied yet still somehow holding onto life.
However, they can see that now his hand clutched something tightly, something small and black that pulsed with a strange energy. Erik and Liam slowed their pace as they approached, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.
But before they could close the distance the figure stirred. His grip tightened around the object and he looked up at them with eyes that gleamed with rage, despite the blood that blurred his vision.
"You... think you've won?" he rasped. "This is far from over."
Before they could react his body began to shimmer, his form dissolving into particles of dark blue light. The particles swirled around him, lifting him off the ground as they coalesced into a dense, glowing mass.
Erik and Liam just watched with relief as the figure's body disintegrated before their eyes, the light intensifying until it was almost blinding.
"We will meet again, mortals," the figure's voice echoed around them. "And next time, you won't be this lucky."
With that, the particles scattered into the air and vanishing into nothingness. The corridor fell silent, leaving Erik and Liam standing alone in the aftermath, the weight of the figure's words hanging heavily in the cold air.
Erik clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His eyes still fixed on the spot where the figure had vanished.
Liam exhaled slowly, his breath visible in the frigid air. "He's gone... for now."
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