Elias signaled for the team to halt, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Wait, we need to split up. Allen, take a team and focus on clearing out the monsters. The rest of us will extract the civilians and get them to safety."
Zion felt a pang of disappointment. He had been looking forward to his first real battle, and now he was being tasked with rescuing civilians instead. But he knew better than to question Elias's orders.
Aria was also assigned to the rescue team. She nodded at Zion, trying to cheer him up, and together they followed Elias and the other juniors.
Their group quickly got to work, moving from building to building to gather the trapped civilians.
As they led the civilians to safety, Zion couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement. Though it was not what he had expected, they were making a difference, saving lives, and that was what mattered to him.
Meanwhile, the fight was intensifying. Allen's team had taken out a significant number of C-rank monsters, but suddenly, the tide turned. Higher-level monsters emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with an eerie light.
"Fall back!" Allen shouted, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "We need to regroup!"
"Damn it!" Nux grunted as he stared at the monsters.
The team retreated, desperately trying to hold off the new wave of monsters. Zion and Aria exchanged a worried glance, their hearts racing with concern.
"We have to get the civilians to safety," Elias reminded them, his voice firm. "We can't let them get caught in the crossfire."
Zion nodded, refocusing on the task at hand. They led the civilians further away from the battle, their senses on high alert for any signs of danger.
But as they reached the edge of the city, Zion couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. The new badge of monsters had seemed too organized, too coordinated.
And then, he heard the roar.
A massive monster emerged from the shadows, its eyes fixed on the retreating civilians. Zion's heart skipped a beat as he realized that their mission was far from over.
"What the hell is that!"
"It's too huge, we can't fight that, can we?"
"No matter what happens, we must try our best!"
The students were thrown into panic, they had never seen a monster so huge and scary like the one before them.
"Hurry up!" Elias yelled at them, drawing their attention back to their main goal. "I will deal with the monster, the rest of you should go on and make sure the people are taken to safety!"
The massive monster charged towards the civilians, its thunderous roar sending tremors through the ground. Zion's instincts kicked in, and he swiftly pushed the civilians back, trying to shield them from the impending attack.
Elias stepped forward, his eyes locked on the monster. "Water magic, second grade, aquasphere!" He raised his sword, and a swirling vortex of water erupted from the ground, encasing his sword in glittering aquamarine energy. The air around him rippled with anticipation as he summoned his magic.
"I'll handle this!" Elias declared once more, his voice firm and commanding. "Get them to safety, Zion, Aria, Jack, all of you!"
With a deep breath, Zion and Aria quickly ushered the civilians away, their hearts racing with fear. They retreated to a far distance, making sure that the people were now safe and won't get caught up in the fierce battle.
When they were done, they stood there, watching as the battle unfolded.
"Sir Elias is strong."
"Yes. Look at the way he is handling that huge monster. I wish I can become as strong as him."
"The only way to become strong is by training."
"Agreed. Still... He's cool! With him and the senors here, we won't have any trouble returning safe."
The juniors were all relieved to have Elias and the seniors taking care of everything. What they didn't know was that something unexpected was about to happen.
Meanwhile, the monster was enormous, its scales as black as coal, and its eyes glowed with an eerie red light. Elias stood tall, his water-infused magic coursing through his veins. He began to chant, his voice weaving a soothing melody that seemed to calm the air around him.
"Water magic, third grade, aquasphere!" Elias shouted, unleashing a burst of stronger water energy that engulfed the monster.
The beast stumbled back, its scales hissing as the water magic washed over it. Elias seized the opportunity, his hands dancing through intricate patterns as he summoned a torrent of water blades. The shimmering blades sliced through the air, striking the monster with precision and force.
The beast retaliated, its claws swiping wildly as it unleashed a wave of dark energy. Elias leapt back, avoiding the attack by mere inches. He landed hard on the ground, his eyes locked on the monster.
"Water magic. First grade, aquabarrier!" Elias shouted, summoning a shimmering wall of water to protect himself from the monster's follow-up attack.
The beast's claws struck the barrier, sending waves of water crashing against the whole place. Elias stumbled back, his breathing labored, but his determination unwavering.
"This monster... It's too strong!" He grunted.
Meany, Zion was watching in awe, his eyes fixed on the battle. He knew he had to help Elias, but he also knew that interfering could affect the battle.
"We have to help him!" Zion shouted to the other students, his eyes locked on the battle.
"No, we can't! Its too dangerous!"
"Yes, we can not join him or we will be putting ourselves in danger. Besides, who will look after the citizens after we are gone?"
Zion narrowed his eyes. They were right about worrying about the safety of the citizens but it was obvious that they were scared. He could not force them.
"Fine, do what you want. I'm going!" He said and was about to leave but Aria called him.
"Big brother, let me come with you," she said to him.
"Have you forgotten what I told you earlier? Stay back and protect the people, I will be fine," he said and left immediately.
As Zion made his way to the battle ground, his eyes were locked on Elias. The older warrior was beginning to tire, his movements slowing as the monster's attacks grew stronger.
The beast unleashed a devastating blast of energy, sending Elias flying across the street.
Zion knew that he had to act fast. He ran very swiftly and jumped into the air. He quickly caught Elias, stopping him from falling.
"Sir, are you okay?" He asked Elias as he helped him stand on his feet.
Elias shook his head while wiping the blood at the corner of his lips. "I'm fine."
"Let me help," Zion mumbled but Elias refused.
"You don't have magic to begin with, you should leave. I can still fight."
He struggled to stand on his own, gently pushing Zion backward. "Get out of here!" He said to him and focused on the monster once more.
"Water magic, fifth grade. Aquatide!" he shouted, summoning a massive wave of water to crash down on the beast.
The monster stumbled back, its scales hissing as the water magic swept over it.
When it seemed like the monster was weakening, it yelled and unleashed a devastating blast of energy, sending Elias flying once more.
"Argh!" Elias grunted and coughed out a mouthful of blood. He gazed at the monster who didn't look like it was going to die any moment soon. He had to defeat this monster or the consequences will be dire. He tried to get back to his feet, his head spinning.
"Help!" Someone yelled.
And as he looked up, he saw the monster looming over a young child from the citizens, its claws raised for the killing blow.
"How did he get there?" He mumbled but there wasn't enough time to think about that. Elias knew he had to act fast, or the boy will be dead.
With a deep breath, Elias summoned all his strength, his swords dancing and creating intricate patterns as he unleashed a final, desperate burst of water energy.
The beast let out a deafening roar, its body beginning to glow with an eerie red light. Elias gazed with wide eyes as fear entered him.
"What is happening?" He grunted .
Was the monster about to unleash a devastating counterattack, or was it something far more sinister?