The group tightened their grip on their weapons, their resolve solidifying. Gorrath's crimson eyes flared with intensity, his aura surging wildly as he readied himself for battle. A smirk tugged at his lips as he whispered to himself, "Let's see how tough you are without that azure protecting you."
Without hesitation, the group charged toward the monster, determined to bring it down. Gorrath's aura overflowed, spreading through his bo staff like a raging storm. With a single, fluid strike, he shattered the monster's left arm, sending it flying through the air yet, within seconds, it began to regenerate.
Jack wasted no time, swinging his warhammer with all his might, crushing the left arm once again.
"GRAPPLE IT, LLOYD!" George yelled.
Lloyd nodded, tossing his warhammer aside and lunging forward. He slammed the monster down, pinning its half-crushed body to the ground before swiftly shifting behind it. With a grin, he wrapped his arms around the creature's torso.
"Take this, you monster!" he roared.
His muscles tensed, bulging with raw power as he executed a brutal suplex, slamming the monster into the icy ground.
Seizing the opening, Rayden and Jack dashed forward, their weapons flashing in the cold air.
"Dual Sword Style: Flashy Point!"
"Eight Signature Dagger Strikes!"
[Personal Trait Activated: Flashy Step]
[Personal Trait Activated: Flashy Step]
The two moved at insane speed, becoming a blur of motion. Jack's warhammer cleaved the monster in half, sending its severed torso into the air. As the body spun midair, Rayden unleashed his eight consecutive dagger strikes, each one cutting with lethal precision.
For the finishing blow, George leaped high into the air, his right fist hardened with concentrated aura.
Gorrath's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar energy. "Shattering Straight!" George roared, his fist crashing into the monster's skull with earth-shattering force. The impact obliterated its head, sending shards of crystal scattering across the battlefield though the group failed to notice them.
"We did it!" Rayden cheered.
"Yeah! Nice work!" George added, stretching his right arm.
Gorrath remained silent, his gaze fixed on the battlefield.
"Hey, Jack! Help me get this damn white azure off my clothes," Lloyd called out.
Jack nodded, assisting him as he inspected the fallen monster. "Looks like it has a limit to its regeneration," he muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.
"It does," George agreed, flexing his fingers.
Meanwhile, Shin stood at a distance, watching everything unfold. His fists clenched at his sides, a feeling of helplessness clawing at his chest. "F-fuck... I finally have friends now... b-but why do I feel even more pathetic than before?" His breath hitched as anxiety took hold.
"Hey, Shin! You saw that, right? We were awesome!" George called out, beaming.
Shin snapped out of his daze. "Y-yeah... y-you guys were amazing!" he stuttered.
Jack smirked, pointing at himself. "Whose move did you like more? Mine, right?"
Shin hesitated before responding. "Y-yeah... but I liked Lloyd's suplex more! His muscles are huge!"
Lloyd grinned, flexing. "See? Told you! Big muscles matter!"
Jack frowned, crossing his arms. "No."
Lloyd chuckled. "Whatever. You'll never know the glory of muscle power."
Rayden sighed. "We should get going."
Gorrath, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "I agree. The people are watching."
With that, the group resumed their journey, disappearing into the snow-covered forest.
As they trudged through the snowy forest, searching for the right path forward, Shin lagged behind while the rest of the group chatted amongst themselves.
Inside Shin's head, the voices began arguing again.
"Hey, Shin, we should leave the group and do things ourselves. That way, we won't be useless, right?"
Another voice snapped back, "Are you crazy? We've only survived this far because of them!"
Shin clenched his fists as he spoke to himself in his mind. "He's right… We should be thankful. We've made it this far because of them. Besides, I don't think they see me as a useless bum."
The first voice sneered, "That's what you think. You can't read minds! You'll never grow. You'll be a hero… but a fucking pathetic one!"
Shin's breathing grew ragged. "S-Stop… g-get out!" he suddenly yelled, his voice shaking.
The group immediately turned toward him.
"Huh?" George raised a brow in confusion. "Come here, Shin. What's wrong?"
"O-Oh, nothing! Just… remembered something bad, haha," Shin stuttered, forcing a smile.
"You sure? You wanna talk about it?" George asked, his tone genuine.
"Ah, no need! It's okay! Just a bad memory," Shin said quickly.
George shrugged. "Alright then. Come walk with us. You'll be the first one to get hit if a monster jumps out again!" he said cheerfully.
As Shin glanced at the group, he saw their warm smiles. Even Gorrath, though nonchalant as ever, hadn't looked down on him.
Shin felt a small spark of reassurance. "That's right… They don't see me as useless."
"That's what you think, fucker!" the voice inside his head hissed.
"Shut up," his other mind retorted.
Shin shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away.
After a while of walking, they stumbled upon a student lying unconscious in the snow.
George immediately knelt down, checking his pulse. "This student… It's Lix Magster," he said.
"The Archmage discipline?" Jack asked, stepping closer.
"Yeah, I know this guy personally. I used to teach him, but his martial body was just too weak," George explained.
"He looks badly hurt. Come to think of it, shouldn't he at least know one element of magic?" Gorrath said, breaking his silence.
"Maybe he was ambushed like I was earlier during the first challenge," Rayden suggested.
"Uh, well, I can carry him," Lloyd offered, brushing the white azure off his clothes.
"Good thing he doesn't have any white azure on his bare skin," Shin noted.
"Yeah," Lloyd said, lifting Lix onto his shoulder.
The group continued walking until they spotted something ahead a group of students standing near a bridge.
But something was wrong.
Their skin was pale, their eyes vacant, and their movements unnaturally stiff.
"Hm?" George narrowed his eyes. "Undead?" he thought.
"Everyone, get ready," Gorrath commanded, his crimson eyes burning with intensity. "It's the students from earlier."
The group tightened their grips on their weapons, their muscles tensing.
Something unnatural was happening.