3rd Person POV
Dennis Johnson wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. Across from him stood Sarah, his wife and fellow hero, her stance relaxed but her eyes sharp. She flicked a strand of her dark brown hair from her face and grinned.
"You're getting slow," she teased, lowering her sword.
"Or maybe you're getting too good." Dennis chuckled.
"Flattery won't save you." Sarah said and stepped forward for another bout.
The sparring match ended with her disarming him in one fluid move, her blade tip resting lightly against his chest. They both laughed, a sound that echoed warmly in the training room. Afterward, they cleaned up and settled into their shared routine: paperwork, studying political theory, and drafting policies for the betterment of the Southern Sun Theocracy. It was tedious but necessary, a far cry from their days battling demons, yet no less important. By evening, they set the work aside, savoring the meal Sarah had prepared.
Dinner was a quieter affair, at least until their guest arrived. Trevor Kenichi stepped into the room, his signature smirk firmly in place. He moved with the ease of someone who didn't belong but didn't care, taking a seat as if it were his throne. They talked about their old training days and the few days when they fought the demon lord together, eventually, the topic shifted to recent events, the death of their friend, Jacob Sanders.
It got quiet again, but Trevor brought up another interesting topic.
"So, did you hear? Carter's planning to fight Lucas." Trevor asked.
"What?" Dennis froze mid-bite and dropped his fork, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Who knows? Carter's got his reasons. But let's be real here, Lucas doesn't stand a chance." Trevor shrugged, to the shock of the couple.
Dennis shot up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor as he stormed across the table, grabbing Trevor by his collar.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You know Carter's dangerous, and you're just letting this happen?" he yelled.
Trevor didn't flinch, his smirk only widening.
"Well, well. Didn't think you two cared so much about little Lucas." he chuckled.
"Carter is going to get himself killed!" Dennis yelled as he shook Trevor.
"By who? Lucas?! HAAHAHAHAHA." Trevor laughed, "The guy who swore off fighting after the war?"
"Lucas' nickname before he joined us was the Silver Phantom, he only took on the role of a support mage because the team needed it. The one guy who had enough mana to supply and support 9 heroes at once! Are you insane?!"
"Trevor, did you arrange this?" Sarah asked.
"As problematic as I am, I am not very good at arranging such a fight." Trevor answered, "Besides, the Silver Phantom? That old rumor? It's just exaggerated stories."
"You're an idiot," Dennis muttered before turning to Sarah, "We need to get moving."
"Where are they meeting?" Sarah asked him.
"The purple forest." Trevor answered, "Carter should arrive there by tomorrow morning, if you leave right now, you should arrive at around the time they meet up."
*****
Carter walked into the Purple Forest, a place shrouded in an eerie yet captivating beauty. The trees towered above him, their purple leaves casting a surreal glow under the sunlight, it was a beautiful sight. Legend had it that a god had fallen here long ago, his blood seeping into the barren soil and transforming it into this vibrant woodland. The trees, nourished by divine essence, were among the toughest in the world.
As he ventured deeper, he noticed faint glimmers of light catching along thin, almost invisible lines crisscrossing the path. Wires. Dozens of them strung tightly between the trees. His eyes narrowed as he approached one, reaching out to brush his fingers against it.
The wire didn't even scratch his skin. His laughter echoed through the forest.
"Really, Lucas? You think these can stop me?!" He shouted.
But as he stepped forward, he noticed the wires weren't randomly placed. They were at precise heights and angles, designed to slice through anyone moving with speed or recklessness. Carter crouched, running his fingers along the taut line. With a flick, he tested its sharpness against one of the smaller branches nearby. The branch split cleanly in two.
He stood and strode forward, ignoring the traps as he carefully maneuvered through them. It was slow-going, but it didn't bother him. He wanted to savor this. Then, through the thick purple leaves ahead, he saw him. Lucas stood in a clearing, the sunlight casting sharp shadows across his figure. He was no longer in his usual relaxed attire. Instead, he wore light armor, a combination of plates and reinforced leather designed for agility.
"All this trouble for me? I'm touched." Carter commented.
"I swore off bloodshed, Carter, and I rather plan for it to be that way." Lucas replied, "You killing Jacob made it hard to ignore, but I was willing to let it go, but to want to go after my wife...that's a different matter. Last chance, back off."
"Is that a request or a demand?"
"Both."
"Then no, I liked her first, and I imagined how much lovemaking we'd be doing since, and I plan to make it happen."
"First, you talk like a low-level goon, and second, you've seriously made it hard for me to keep my oath." Lucas said, "Magnet magic: Heart manipulation."
A sudden, crushing pressure filled the air. Carter instinctively stepped back, his cocky demeanor replaced by a wary focus as his body tensed. It started as a faint tug within his chest, a disorienting pull that quickly grew into a relentless force. Carter staggered, his hand shooting to his chest as though he could physically stop whatever was happening. His blood roared in his ears, and his heart felt like it was being yanked by invisible chains.
"You..." Carter spat, his voice strained as he struggled to keep his footing, "You're manipulating my blood?"
Lucas' eyes narrowed, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.
"Blood contains iron. Iron is magnetic. And you're full of it." Lucas said nonchalantly.
Carter snarled, trying to charge forward, but his movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. Every beat of his heart betrayed him, answering Lucas' call instead of his own will. His muscles twitched erratically, his own blood working against him.
"Magnet Magic: Blood Puppet." Lucas cast.
Carter's body jerked unnaturally, his arms snapping to his sides and his legs stiffening as if they were no longer his to command. His breath hitched as he felt his own muscles betray him, controlled by an external force. His fists rose, tightening until his knuckles cracked, and he swung them toward his own face.
Carter's body surged with raw energy as he fought against the restraint Lucas had placed on him. His teeth ground together, his blood boiling as he summoned every ounce of mana he had left. With a roar, he tapped into his physical strength and enhanced his defense, his body glowing with a surge of power.
"You PUNK!" Carter shouted as his muscles bulged, his veins pulsing as he activated his magic, "Strength magic: Berserker. Defense magic: Adamantium Skin!"
His skin thickened and his aura shifted as his body grew into that of a goliath. The transformation was as much mental as it was physical, and Carter felt the rush of adrenaline as his power skyrocketed. The ground trembled under his feet, and the air seemed to crackle with the intense energy surrounding him.
Mana surged through his blood, expelling Lucas' mana control of his body, allowing him full control again. With a sudden burst of speed, Carter lunged forward, his immense fists crashing through the air with the force of a freight train. His target was Lucas' head, but before he could make contact, Lucas vanished, disappearing like smoke in the wind.
When Lucas appeared again, Carter's fists swiped through the air, smashing the ground where he thought Lucas would be, but each time his hands passed through empty space. The moment he turned his head, the sound of footsteps from behind him rang out, and without hesitation, he spun around, launching another swing. But again, his hand cut through nothing.
Then, all at once, he felt it, pressure from every direction. Dozens of clones, all identical to Lucas, appeared from the shadows of the trees. Each one closed in with remarkable speed, fists already raised. He swung wildly, his massive fists crashing into the first figure he saw, but as his hand met its chest, it went through it, as if Lucas was a ghost. The clone managed to deliver a powerful punch to Carter's ribs, but it barely hurt.
The next hit landed, not from one, but from 2 Lucas figures, each delivering a powerful punch to his ribs, at the same spot. Carter staggered back, it got stronger and stronger, causing his muscles to strain against the impact. The blows didn't feel like they came from one body but from everywhere. He couldn't catch his breath. He swung his arm in a desperate arc, trying to force his way through the barrage of blows, but each punch he made only passed through the illusion.
"Magnet magic: Vessel Rupture." Lucas cast.
Instantly, Carter's body froze, his senses overloaded with a sudden, sharp pain that erupted deep within his veins. The sensation was unlike any injury he had ever known. The magnetic force pulled at the iron in his bloodstream, dragging it toward the surface of his skin. Carter gasped, the searing agony flaring up as his veins throbbed painfully, his skin stretched as though it were about to tear apart. The pressure mounted, blood vessels straining with the unnatural force.
With each pulse of the spell, the force grew stronger, causing internal damage. His body trembled, unable to keep up with the manipulation of his own blood. His senses blurred, the world spinning as he tried to remain on his feet, but the pressure was unbearable.
He could feel his blood shifting, as if being pulled by an invisible hand, every movement sending a wave of sharp pain surging through him. His heart hammered in his chest, desperately trying to pump blood through his body as the magic twisted his insides. Carter's breathing grew shallow, his body growing heavier with each passing second.
"Your one weakness is your lack of healing magic," Lucas explained as he appeared before Carter, "That's why your original squad had 2 healers. The second issue is that while your magic is effective, it's quite basic, it only enhances your body as you can't apply it on everyone, and all your spells are close-range. Third, you're slow. And last but not least, I'm very good at fighting against close-ranged fighters."
"You...support mage!" Carter snarled.
"Well, I'll use an element you've seen before. Chain Magic: Chain of Endless Servitude."
A green spectral chain materialized in the air, shimmering with a powerful, ethereal glow. Lucas' hand extended forward and a green spectral chain shot out toward Carter and latched onto the middle of his chest. The moment the chain connected, Carter's body jerked violently. The spectral chain seemed to pulse with a sinister life of its own, digging deep into his heart and locking him in place. His blood continued to leak from the ruptured vessels as the spell tightened, forcing him into an agonizing state of helplessness.
"Let's get this over with, it seems like some friends of ours are heading this way." Lucas muttered.