The atmosphere was thick enough to choke on. Lenard, the Tier 5 Master, stood before the trapped heroes, a tide of Shadow Ledger forces sweeping in to surround them. Jai lay unconscious, the others exhausted. It seemed everything King Winston had sacrificed to achieve this retreat was about to be undone.
Just as Lenard prepared to issue his command, a disruption rippled through the enemy ranks. The townspeople of Linston, whom Winston had cured, emerged from the shadows. They formed a desperate, fragile human shield between the heroes and the enemy lines, their eyes now clear and defiant.
"Go! Now!" a civilian elder roared.
Minister Brokk, recognizing the opportunity and the temporary distraction, immediately grabbed the unconscious Jai and the exhausted James. He pulled out a small, Tier 7 Healing Artifact given to him by the King—a crystalline vial containing highly concentrated Aetheric Elixir. He quickly applied the elixir to both of them.
Lenard observed the spontaneous defiance of the townspeople, a slight, knowing smile playing on his lips. He understood the fickle nature of the populace and the power of Winston's influence.
At that moment, King Winston vanished in a flash of Tier 5 wind magic, reappearing instantly in front of the townspeople. His presence was a pillar of light and resolve.
With the aid of the Tier 7 Elixir, the wounds and fatigue of Jai and James were rapidly sealed and reversed. They rose, fully healed, and joined Winston.
Winston addressed the townsfolk, his voice amplified by magic. "The man who seeks to command you is corrupted! I ask you to hold the line and delay their foot soldiers! Your younsters will fight for your freedom!"
The townspeople shouted their agreement, ready to fight for their King.
Winston turned to the princes, concern tempering his command. "Arthur, Clement! You both must rest. Your cores are strained."
Jai (Arthur) and James (Clement) replied in unison, their eyes blazing with renewed spirit. "We wish to fight! To retreat now would be a disgrace to our family name"
The first wave of Shadow Ledger forces surged forward. The battle began. Jai, James, Zayn, and Minister Brokk charged directly into the fray.
Winston and Lenard, Tier Masters far above the surrounding skirmish, rose into the air, observing the battlefield from afar, assessing the flow of energy.
Below, the princes moved with synchronized precision. Jai, utilizing the Swift Artifact, became a lightning flash of movement, unpredictable to the slower Tier 9 and Tier 10 foot soldiers. James, using his Space and Air Magic, created localized vortexes, lifting enemies and flinging them away, clearing a path for Zayn and Minister Brokk through the enemy center.
Their advance was halted by two formidable opponents leading the enemy remnants:
Velorina: A fierce Tier 7 Dwarf woman, specializing in the Metal Element.
Maxiven: A middle-aged, stocky man—a Tier 7 Dwarf specializing in Earth and Storm Elements.
Jai, reckless in his new energy, rushed forward to confront them both. He unleashed a quick flurry of strikes, but they were futile. His blows failed to penetrate their Tier 7 elemental shields.
Velorina sneered. She activated her Metal Element: "Metal Hand!" Her hand transformed into hardened steel, shining with Tier 7 energy. She delivered a lightning-fast slap across Jai's cheek. The force was devastating; Jai was sent sprawling, blood flowing freely from a deep gash on his face.
The sight of their bleeding friend ignited a primal rage in James and Zayn. They lunged, but Jai stopped them, wiping the blood from his lips.
"Stop! They are too strong to fight head-on. We must fight with strategy. We will take the fat man first. Brokk, you can hold Velorina".
Minister Brokk nodded. As a Tier 6 Master, he was a perfect match for the Tier 7 Velorina, if only to delay her.
Brokk quickly dispatched the surrounding foot soldiers and attacked Velorina. Jai gave Brokk his final instruction: "Minister, buy us time to defeat Maxiven!"
Brokk instantly invoked his defensive Void Magic: "The Black Space!" He created a Tier 6 black barrier around himself and Velorina. This specialized boundary trapped both combatants; if the user (Brokk) died, the opponent (Velorina) could not leave. Brokk was ready for a final sacrifice.
Inside the barrier, Brokk channeled his rare Crystal Magic. A crystalline sword, glowing with cold blue light, materialized. It was a weapon of pure focus, capable of piercing any defense under Tier 6—the perfect counter to Velorina's durable, passive defense.
Velorina countered by turning her entire body into shining, solid metal, believing her Tier 7 Metal Defense was impenetrable. She maintained her arrogance, even as the blue crystal sword approached.
In a lightning-fast thrust, Brokk drove the crystal sword through her metal body and into her heart. Velorina died in shock, unable to comprehend how a Tier 6 attack could pierce her Tier 7 defense. Brokk smiled grimly.
He quickly retrieved the Tier 8 Fire Artifact (Flying Volcano—a fire bird) from her corpse. Recognizing its powerful elemental nature, he decided to save it, intending to gift it to Jai upon their return. He then stepped out of the dissipating black barrier, focusing on eliminating all low-level guards to ensure no one interfered with the youngster's fight.
On the left side of the palace, Jai and James stood ready to face Maxiven. The Tier 7 dwarf immediately activated his heavy Earth Defense Artifact for protection.
"Arthur, he's stronger than a regular Tier 8!" James exclaimed, using his formal name.
Jai, analyzing the opponent's elemental nature, smiled despite his wounds. "The weakness of Earth is Storm and Water!"
Jai focused his mind. He had refined the Tier 8 Water Artifact (Sliding Dragon) immediately upon waking, knowing they needed the elemental edge. It had been an agonizing process, but his determination had forced the affinity.
Jai told his comrades: "I will use the Sliding Dragon to break his defense. Zayn, use your Ice to root him to the ground."
Zayn instantly encased Maxiven's legs in thick, heavy ice. Jai focused the new artifact's power. It was difficult to control, but his Tier 9 Sword Law essence channeled the raw Water energy flawlessly. Maxiven attacked while he still his legs sticking in ground but james used defensive artifact to cover both of the,. After fifty-six seconds of sustained elemental assault, the Tier 7 Earth Defense Artifact cracked and shattered.
James immediately used his Space Magic to levitate the now-defenseless Maxiven into the air. Zayn launched his counter-attack: a spinning Revolving Drill—a concentrated blend of Ice, Earth, and Storm magic. The drill hit Maxiven with crushing force.
The princes relaxed, thinking the fight was over.
But Maxiven rose, channeling his final element—Storm Magic. A monstrous, raging tornado erupted from his body, tearing through the square. The high winds caught friend and foe alike, scattering the remaining Shadow Ledger comrades and the civilian fighters.
"Clement!" Jai roared, wiping blood from his mouth. "You must control the air around us, limit the tornado's growth! Zayn, a solid ice barrier! We are going in!".
James, understanding the command, used his Air Magic to stabilize the atmosphere around the periphery, preventing the tornado from expanding further. Zayn created a localized, heavily fortified Ice Barrier around himself and Jai.
They plunged into the heart of the storm. Inside, Zayn used his Ice Magic to anchor them both firmly to the ground, preventing the colossal winds from tearing them away. Jai drew his Divine Golden Sword, ready to dispatch any enemy caught inside. They fought through the scattered, surviving enemies Maxiven had pulled into the vortex.
For twenty agonizing minutes, Zayn channeled his full Tier 8 Ice power, slowly freezing the massive column of air from the inside out.
Maxiven, seeing his vortex solidify, charged. He used his last reserve of Earth power: "Earth's Fist!" His hand transformed into a gigantic, rock-hard fist, aiming for Zayn, the one freezing his power.
Jai, seeing the attack, threw himself in front of Zayn. The colossal fist crushed into Jai's chest. His bones shattered; his body crumpled, blood exploding outward as he was rendered unconscious again. It looked as though his chest was caved in entirely.
But the protection held. As Jai fell, Zayn completed his task. The tornado, now a solid, massive column of ice, ceased its spin.
James, seeing the motion stop, used his Space and Air Magic to violently suffocate the fat man, constricting the air around him. Zayn, fueled by the rage of seeing his brother fall, converted his body into a swirling, fierce Storm Vortex, trapping Maxiven. He then drove a final, intense bolt of lightning into the dwarf's body, instantly encasing him in solid ice.
Maxiven shattered the ice, emerging injured but defiant.
Then, from the center of the Storm Vortex, Jai's Golden Sword, glowing like a localized sun, erupted. Jai, channeling his Sword Law even while unconscious, executed a final, devastating slash. The pure energy of the blade split Maxiven's body cleanly in two, horizontally. The Tier 7 commander was dead.
Zayn watched as the exhausted James caught Jai's falling, blood-soaked body. Zayn smiled, remembering his brother's determination: Jai never turns back if people ask for help.
As the battle subsided and the victors began checking on the wounded civilians, King Winston and Lenard stood watching from a distance. The Tier 5 King and the Tier 5 dark Master eyed each other, readying their final spells.
Lenard, recognizing the Youngsters successful escape and the destruction of his command structure, spoke, his voice surprisingly calm. "This is a waste of time, Winston. Our fight will destroy what little is left of Linston. Let us find a clean place to fight."
Winston nodded, accepting the challenge. His contaminated shoulder ached, but his resolve was firm. He vanished, teleporting to a vast, untouched plain high in the mountains. Lenard followed instantly.
The stage was set. The fight between the two Tier 5 Masters was starting—a showdown whose impact would seal the fate of the Dwarf Kingdom and linston town.