Amon watched earnestly as Leon and Lydia fought against the Troll with everything they had. They were against the odds, two Apprentice Knights with little experience fighting Demonic Beasts. For them to face a Troll, which would even pose a challenge for a Grand Knight with Four Suns condensed… It was practically a suicide mission.
Yet, the pair persevered.
Leon and Lydia moved in synchrony, each showing expertise beyond their years. When they downed the Troll for the first time, Amon whistled in amazement. He was particularly amazed by Lydia's movement and skills, which far exceeded his expectations.
However, their ability was still far too lacking. The Troll managed to get the upper hand, leaving the pair with severe injuries that greatly diminished their fighting capabilities. At this time, it would be wise for Amon to jump in and save them, but he waited patiently.
And it was fortunate that he did since Leon used his hidden power to contend head-to-head with the monster. They danced to the death, and in the end, the young man did the impossible.
He killed a Troll.
A feat that was far beyond his skill level and would be widely celebrated by the Solaris House.
Alas, the Troll he killed wasn't the last alone. Two bigger and stronger monstrosities emerged from the cave and stared down the Knights that disrupted their slumber. However, even with his body breaking down and all the reasons in the world to give up, Leon stood. He faced the two Trolls with resilience, willing to sacrifice his life to let his cousin escape.
It was a trait that Amon had seen multiple times before… when reading [Bright].
Witnessing it with his own eyes sent the former Transcendent's heart pumping as he watched the birth of a hero—the spitting image of what he strove to become. And he wouldn't let the hero die in this nameless cave.
Leaping out of the shadows, Amon pushed Leon back into Lydia's bosom and assured the pair that everything would be alright. Drawing out his blade, he faced the two Trolls that threatened the young hero's life and let out a wry smile.
'It's unfortunate, but the Protagonist of [Bright] shouldn't fall to you two weaklings.'
In the original story, Leon was supposed to fall into a trap that led him straight into a goblin camp alone. He would kill his way through the camp and save the poor maidens that were kidnapped. Unfortunately, Amon had eradicated the camp without knowing, and Leon's trial amped up in difficulty.
So, it was only fitting that Amon right this wrong.
"Watch carefully… This is how you use the Solaris Mystic Arts."
Amon's mana rose rapidly, creating a dense golden Aura coat. Three Suns orbited around his stalwart figure, and an invisible pressure mounted upon the two Trolls that faced him with fury. Gravity was rewritten as the cavern rocks levitated from their resting positions while the stalactites trembled on the ceiling, ready to fall at any moment.
Unlike the Troll that Leon and Lydia killed, these two were far more experienced. They could tell when a foe was a menace or not. And the feeling that Amon was pushing onto them was sending their minds into a backward spiral. They knew that if they didn't kill Amon right then and there, their lives would be in mortal danger.
They raised their clubs in unison and linked them with bent knees and folded elbows. With all their physical strength, they swung the clubs with everything they had, ready to slam the frightening threat before he could do anything to them. Like catapulted boulders, the clubs flew at Amon with immense fury and force. Even with the superior body of the Solaris Bloodline, Amon would have been ripped in two if the blow connected with his body.
Alas, Amon wasn't going to the Trolls scratch him.
Pointing his blade forward with utmost arrogance, Amon channelled the mana of Three Suns into a single point and used the Mystic Arts that was practically the hallmark of the Solaris House.
A Sun appeared within the damp, dark cave, instantly vapourising the humidity. The heat was so intense that the limestone melted like ice on lava, and the flames it emitted scorched everything it touched.
As for the two clubs the Trolls held in their hands? They stood no chance.
The Sun practically evaporated the clubs and burnt off the Trolls' lower arms. They yelled out and leapt back, one in a frantic roll, the other with a whimpering hop. They attempted to regenerate their lost limbs, but the fire created by Amon's Sun was relentless. There was no chance for the signature ability of the Trolls to take effect when the flames proliferated wildly like a plague, engulfing the open ligaments of the beasts.
Leon and Lydia watched the whole scene with bated breaths.
They were aware of the ability that Amon had just used. In fact, they had practised it multiple times before. Yet, comparing their mastery of the skill was so ridiculous that it was almost laughable.
"Is that really Dawn?"
Leon couldn't help but remark.
If Leon's [Dawn] created a fireball that lit up the darkness, Amon's [Dawn] was the Sun that turned night into day. The golden Sun illuminated the barren cave and turned the environment against the Trolls. Melting from the high temperature, there was nothing the beasts could do but cover their eyes in horror as Amon unleashed the next move.
Moving his feet like a performance, Amon closed in the distance and aimed for the stronger of the two Demonic Beasts. The father Troll was still attempting to heal its severed limb, making it slow to react to the oncoming threat. Amon's sword swung with a clean move, and the mana followed suit.
The fire generated from Amon's three Suns swirled around him like a performative dance and manifested itself as a blooming lotus. Infernal tendrils erupted from the flower's blossoms, digging its vines deeper into the Troll's body.
There was no recourse for the father Troll.
The moment the lotus bloomed on its body, its fate was sealed.
An explosion, one that blew a hole in the cave's ceiling, revealed the outside world to the one-sided massacre. The lotus expanded a hundred times in size, scorching and hypnotic. Even though it was created with mana, Leon felt that the lotus Amon's Mystical Arts had breathed into existence was completely corporal.
Once again, he was made aware of the difference between Amon and himself.
"Solar Flare Lotus… I'm not even in the same dimension."
Amon's skills were more imaginative, destructive and efficient. Not a single drop of mana was wasted, yet the destructive power was on another plane of existence. Even the lotus that erupted had a variation Leon had never considered using, making the skill far more powerful than he'd learnt.
"Don't you think he's better than Lord Theffania?"
Leon thought out loud, which Lydia met with radio silence. However, from the way her eyes were shaking, it was clear that she thought the same.
After learning under the spartan instructor for three months, Leon witnessed the former Pillar Knight's mastery over the Solaris Mystic Arts multiple times. And while her skills were beyond anything Leon could reach, the young man firmly believed that Amon's mastery was much higher.
The mother Troll yelped in horror as her mate was incinerated before her very eyes. It was used to being the apex predator, the monster that stood above all in the forest. Yet, as she locked eyes with Amon's golden irises, a primal fear enveloped her rapidly beating heart.
Unable to withstand the pressure anymore, the female Troll turned her heels around in an attempt to bolt to safety, unaware that her fate had long been sealed.
Amon leapt into the air and levitated in the middle of the gaping hole he'd created in the ceiling. The three Suns he manifested congregated into one massive ball of energy. Amon's light was enough to completely light up the darkened cave, forcing every living creature inside to cover their eyes or risk permanent blindness.
The female Troll was spellbound by the incandescent light and rooted where it stood. It was unable to contemplate fleeing. The Demonic Beast felt the Heavens had locked onto her body at that moment. The pressure of the sky descended upon her, and all the Troll could do was watch as droll dripped down her gaping mouth.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion decimated the limestone cave's grounds, instantly melting and vapourising the environment. The cave dwelling was now blown wide open, with a massive hole unveiling the horrors that Amon had inflicted upon his enemies.
All that remained of the mother Troll was her waist and two legs. Everything above the waist had been blown away and incinerated into ashes. Even the remnants of the Troll were charred beyond recognition, and one could easily misidentify the remains as black coal.
Using three moves from the Solaris Mystic Arts, Amon had easily slain the two experienced Trolls. And that fact brought Leon and Lydia to a mental standstill.
"T-That… was that Heaven's Fall?"
Lydia muttered with disbelief.
Unlike the weak move that made her into a flying comet, Amon's Heaven's Fall emulated how the sky would break and plunge onto the ground. An ultimate move that would destroy any foe that was unlucky enough to face it.
"..."
Likewise, Leon didn't have any words. His eyes were fixated on the young Knight, who was only two years older than himself. His armour had broken from the pressure, and his sword was no longer usable due to the intense heat it was exposed to. However, Leon's eyes burned passionately as he watched Amon nonchalantly return from the flames and ashes.
Most people would feel fear or jealousy when seeing someone their age perform feats that could only be described as miracles. However, Leon felt awe and yearning… yearning to become as strong as the man before him.
'So this is what it means… to be a prodigy.'
Leon had heard multiple times that he was a genius. He had also heard of the prodigy Amon Solaris. But now that he'd seen Amon fight in person, he realised how foolish he had been. The legends were true, if not underestimated. Amon Solaris was, indeed, the most talented Knight of his generation.
Falling to his knees, the young hero lost consciousness as all of the piled-up fatigue, injuries, and mental stress overwhelmed him. Yet, as his mind wandered between reality and dreams, there was only one thing on Leon's mind.
'There's still so much I have to learn…'