The mysterious figure moved forward, his dark cloak billowing behind him as the ground trembled with each step. Lumumba's instincts screamed at him to act, but for the first time in the battle, he hesitated. There was something unnerving about this man—a presence that set his nerves on edge.
The nobles' soldiers, emboldened by the arrival of this sorcerer, pushed harder against the academy's defenses. But Lumumba's attention was fixed solely on the figure now standing at the edge of the battlefield, dark energy swirling around him.
"Koffi, who the hell is this guy?" Lumumba muttered under his breath.
Koffi, his usually calm demeanor faltering slightly, shook his head. "I don't know. But he's powerful. We need to stop him before he—"
Before Koffi could finish his sentence, the sorcerer raised both hands, and with a low, guttural incantation, the ground beneath Lumumba's feet cracked open. Jagged black tendrils of energy shot up from the earth, wrapping around several nearby students and dragging them down into the ground with terrifying speed.
"Get back!" Lumumba shouted, leaping into action. He swung his twin swords, slicing through the tendrils with precise, fluid movements. But for every tendril he cut down, more seemed to rise from the earth, fueled by the sorcerer's dark magic.
The battlefield descended into chaos. The academy's forces, already stretched thin from the nobles' relentless assault, now had to contend with the sorcerer's dark energy tearing through their ranks. The mages tried to counter with their own spells, but the sheer power of the dark magic overwhelmed them.
Lumumba's mind raced. This wasn't just an ordinary spellcaster. This was something darker, older—a force that threatened to consume everything they had fought for.
"Amara!" he shouted, spotting her through the chaos. She was battling several nobles at once, her movements quick and deadly, but even she seemed momentarily shaken by the sorcerer's appearance.
She dispatched the last of her enemies with a quick thrust of her sword and sprinted to Lumumba's side. "What the hell is that?" she demanded, her voice filled with urgency.
"Trouble," Lumumba replied, eyes locked on the sorcerer. "Big trouble. We need to take him down, or he'll destroy us all."
"You've got a plan?" Amara asked, wiping sweat from her brow.
Lumumba's mind raced, piecing together options as the chaos unfolded around them. The sorcerer was too powerful to engage directly with brute force. They needed to outmaneuver him, cut off his source of power before he could destroy the academy's defenses.
"We distract him," Lumumba said, his voice steady. "You keep him busy. I'll get behind him and find a way to cut off his magic. Whatever he's doing, it's coming from the ground—he's pulling energy from the earth. If I can disrupt that, we stand a chance."
Amara nodded, her jaw set. "Be careful. I don't like the look of this guy."
"Neither do I," Lumumba admitted. "But we've fought worse, right?"
With that, he turned and sprinted through the battlefield, weaving between students, soldiers, and the ever-growing tendrils of dark magic. Behind him, Amara launched herself at the sorcerer with a ferocity that caught even the dark figure off guard.
The Sorcerer's Power
Amara's blade struck with precision, aimed directly at the sorcerer's chest. But as it neared him, a shimmering barrier of dark energy materialized, blocking her attack with a crackling burst of magic.
The sorcerer barely acknowledged her, his cold, emotionless eyes staring through her as if she were little more than an insect in his path.
Amara gritted her teeth and attacked again, this time aiming for his legs, but the barrier held. Each strike was met with the same unyielding force, and it quickly became clear that she wasn't going to break through it with physical attacks alone.
"Is that all?" the sorcerer finally spoke, his voice a low, echoing whisper that sent chills down her spine. "You think you can stand against me? Against this power?"
He waved his hand lazily, and another tendril of dark energy shot up from the ground, aiming directly for Amara. She barely managed to dodge it, rolling to the side and coming up with her sword ready. But it was clear she was outmatched in raw power.
"Keep him busy, Amara," she muttered to herself, glancing around for any sign of Lumumba.
Lumumba's Gamble
While Amara kept the sorcerer's attention, Lumumba circled behind the figure, moving quickly and silently. He could feel the pulse of dark energy radiating from the ground—an unnatural force that seemed to twist the very earth beneath their feet.
He crouched low, watching as the sorcerer's feet remained planted firmly in the same spot. Dark veins of magic spread outward from the sorcerer's position, like roots digging into the earth. Lumumba's instincts told him that this was the key—if he could sever the connection between the sorcerer and the ground, he could cut off the flow of energy.
Taking a deep breath, Lumumba sprinted forward. His swords flashed in the fading light as he slashed at the dark veins spreading from the sorcerer's feet. The moment his blade made contact, a violent shockwave of energy knocked him back, sending him skidding across the ground.
The sorcerer turned, his cold eyes locking onto Lumumba. "Fool," he hissed. "You think you can disrupt the flow of power? You're nothing."
Lumumba groaned, forcing himself to his feet. His muscles ached from the impact, but he wasn't about to give up. "Guess I'll have to prove you wrong, then."
Before the sorcerer could react, Lumumba charged again, this time aiming for the veins of magic from a different angle. His blades struck true, cutting through the dark tendrils with a sharp crack of energy. The ground beneath the sorcerer trembled, and for the first time, Lumumba saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
"What have you done?" the sorcerer growled, his voice seething with rage.
Lumumba smirked, backing away slowly. "Just giving you a taste of your own medicine."
The sorcerer raised both hands, summoning a torrent of dark energy that swirled violently around him. Lumumba barely managed to dive out of the way as the blast ripped through the air, carving a deep trench in the earth where he had stood moments before.
But something had changed. The sorcerer's power was faltering. The connection to the ground had been weakened, and now the dark energy crackled and sputtered like a flame on the verge of going out.
Amara, sensing the shift, pressed her attack, launching herself at the sorcerer with renewed ferocity. This time, her blade sliced through the barrier with ease, striking the sorcerer's shoulder and drawing blood.
The sorcerer let out a furious snarl, but his movements were slower now, less controlled. Lumumba's gamble had worked.
The Tide Turns
With the sorcerer's magic weakened, the academy's forces rallied. The students, mages, and rebels redoubled their efforts, pushing back against the nobles' soldiers with a newfound sense of hope.
Koffi led the charge from the western flank, his calm but commanding voice cutting through the chaos as he directed the students into tighter formations. "Hold the line!" he shouted, his sword flashing as he cut down another enemy. "Don't let them through!"
Meanwhile, Mamadou, ever the opportunist, had taken advantage of the confusion caused by the sorcerer's faltering magic. He and his group of rebels launched a devastating surprise attack on the nobles' rear guard, cutting off their retreat and trapping them between the academy's forces.
The nobles, realizing they were being overwhelmed, began to falter. Their formations broke, and many of them turned to flee, leaving the battlefield littered with the wounded and the dead.
But Lumumba wasn't finished. The sorcerer was still standing, though barely, and Lumumba knew that as long as this dark mage remained, the battle was far from over.
With a final surge of energy, Lumumba sprinted forward, his twin swords gleaming as he charged the sorcerer head-on. Amara, sensing his intent, fell back, giving him the space he needed.
The sorcerer raised his hands one last time, but it was too late. Lumumba's blades struck true, cutting through the sorcerer's defenses and burying deep into his chest.
The sorcerer gasped, his eyes wide with shock as the dark energy surrounding him dissipated. For a moment, the battlefield was eerily silent.
Then, with a low, guttural whisper, the sorcerer spoke his final words. "You may have won today... but the Sovereign's plans are already in motion. You... cannot... stop... him..."
With that, the sorcerer collapsed, his body crumbling to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Aftermath
The battlefield was quiet now, save for the groans of the wounded and the distant cries of victory from the academy's forces. The nobles' army had been routed, their soldiers scattered and broken. But Lumumba knew this was just the beginning.
He stood over the sorcerer's body, his swords still dripping with blood. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mind raced with questions.
What was the Sovereign planning? And how could they stop him if his influence extended this far?
As he wiped his blades clean, Amara approached, her face lined with exhaustion. "We won," she said softly, though there was little joy in her voice. "But it's not over, is it?"
Lumumba shook his head, his eyes distant. "No. It's just beginning."