While fighting the man, Zeo managed to glance around. Despite the pressure, his three comrades were still holding on.
Kozmo appeared to be the most pressured, but with his high speed and agility, he was able to dodge the sharp attacks of the ice woman. Guillard, though unable to move much due to his broken leg, managed to withstand Brug's relentless onslaught. Brug's attacks were strong, but they were slowly weakening—just enough for Guillard to endure. Meanwhile, Miza, only able to use one hand, still managed to toy with Takk using her illusions, keeping her distance and disrupting his focus.
Fael and Alice were still unconscious. Ravyn was staggering—her body weak and breathing irregular—but her eyes shone with deep concern.
"Master… hang in there!" Ravyn shouted hoarsely from afar, her voice rough but firm.
Zeo's clash with the man grew more intense. Each collision of their powers echoed like miniature explosions. Zeo's advantage in technique and skill combinations allowed him to match the man's brute strength and solid defense.
But the man seemed to be enjoying the battle.
A firm smile spread across his face. Suddenly, a golden-white energy enveloped his body, radiating like a blinding sacred flame.
Skill: Drive Clutch
The light gathered in his hand. With a single swing, he grabbed Zeo's body in an instant. Zeo was caught, unable to move. With one burst of power, the man hurled Zeo violently, toppling trees and shaking the ground.
BOOOOM!!
Zeo crashed through several trunks before slamming into the earth. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
But it wasn't over yet.
The man shot forward, right hand pulled back—preparing a finishing blow.
"This is the end," he muttered coldly.
Suddenly—
Scratchhhh!!
A swift attack came from his left. The man dodged just in time, but the blow still tore through his left arm. The deep slash stopped him in his tracks. He grimaced in pain, blood pouring from the wound.
Ravyn stood not far behind him. Her body trembled violently, but her eyes still burned with fire.
"Master… you can finish this…" she whispered before collapsing again.
Zeo wiped the blood from his lips and gave a faint smile.
"Of course."
In a flash, Zeo appeared before the man. A vortex of energy swirled in his fist, scorching the air around it.
Skill: Fist of Overdrive
BRUUUGGHHH!!
His fist struck the man's face with full force. The blow echoed loudly—the man was sent flying, crashing into a massive rock that shattered into pieces.
"RAFA!!" the ice woman screamed in panic.
But her panic opened the exact gap Kozmo had been waiting for. From the beginning, Kozmo had only been stalling—gathering energy for a single counterattack.
Now was the time…
Skill: Medium Fireball
BWOOOSHHH!!
A dense, fast-moving fireball shot from Kozmo's hand. The flames roared, engulfing the woman in a wave of terrifying heat.
She raised an ice barrier as a shield, but it couldn't fully withstand the intensity. The flames pierced through the cracks, burning her shoulder and part of her hair. She staggered, then fell.
The tide was shifting.
Though nearly defeated, Zeo's team was rising again. Wounded, but not beaten. As long as they could stand—they would keep fighting. And for Zeo, as long as even one comrade believed in him—the battle wasn't over.
---
"FARAAAAA!!"
Rafa's scream tore through the air, sharp and full of emotion. His blood-covered body lunged forward, blocking Kozmo's follow-up strike that nearly engulfed Fara in flames.
The superheated fire was stopped by a sudden white aura bursting from Rafa. The collision sparked a shockwave, cracking the ground beneath them.
Rafa's face was full of fury. His breathing was ragged. Blood dripped from his temple and lips, but his eyes burned with pain—uncontainable rage.
"You… how dare you…!" he growled, voice shaking with fury.
Zeo walked forward, standing beside Kozmo. His gaze was sharp, his cold expression unwavering.
"What gives you the right to be angry?" Zeo said calmly, his tone like ice freezing the air. "You arrived without knowing anything. Accused us of being bandits, then attacked. You wanted to kill us… and now you think you have the right to be mad?"
His eyes shifted to Ravyn, who now sat limply. Her breath was heavy, body trembling—she looked utterly exhausted after forcing herself to launch an unstable attack. Zeo smiled.
But before he could move, another presence suddenly emerged.
Not ordinary energy—this was sacred energy, pressing down like a mountain on the chest.
Zeo stopped in his tracks.
From Rafa, golden aura spread. The air temperature changed instantly. The wind whispered like chanting prayers, and spiritual pressure pierced to the bone.
"What use is there in knowing who you are," Rafa said, his voice soft but piercing. "The fact that you side with dark beings is enough. That… is enough."
His hand reached behind his back.
A sword.
As he drew the blade, the world fell silent. Zeo—who had never felt fear—tensed up.
The sword glowed with golden-white light, emitting an aura so intense it hurt the eyes of those who looked directly at it. Its blade was long and slim, inscribed with ancient, moving runes—as if the symbols were alive. At its base was a sun-wing emblem, like a relic from ancient holy warriors.
…A Holy Sword? Zeo thought, jaw tightening.
"You don't deserve to live," Rafa declared.
He raised the sword high toward the night sky.
Light sliced through the clouds.
Dark clouds swirled, gathering overhead. The murmurs of a spell echoed faintly, but the divine energy reverberated in every direction. The earth trembled. Roots burst from the ground. Ravyn, Kozmo, Miza, and Guillard began to writhe in pain—the holy aura burning them from within.
"Watch out!" Zeo shouted. "Kozmo, protect the others!"
"Yes, Master!"
Zeo dashed forward like a shadow, trying to interrupt the attack's activation. But—
Too late.
Rafa swung the holy sword.
The sky cracked with light. A massive vertical slash descended like a divine scythe from the heavens. The earth split. The forest was torn apart. A colossal explosion followed, sending shockwaves across the land.
BOOOOMMMMM!!!
Smoke rose high. The earth was torn apart for hundreds of meters. From above, it looked like a giant burning scar carved into the ground.
Zeo was hurled several meters, crashing into a tree. Kozmo still stood tall, body trembling from resisting the divine blast—holding his ground to protect the three behind him.
Silence fell.
And in the middle of the massive crater… stood Rafa, sword still raised, his eyes glowing with divine fury.
---