## CHAPTER 41: Boost of Victory II
"You're about to give up," Kelvin rasped, the strange, cold chuckle rattling in his blood-stained chest. "That's not the Kerra I know."
Kerra's face went sour, her features twisting with guilt. "But you're hurt, Kelvin... and it's all my fault."
"We can't lose this opportunity," Kelvin countered, his eyes burning with an intensity that seemed to ignore his broken ribs and the vines crushing his waist. He looked at her with a clarity that silenced her protests. "You've got your bow and arrow, right?"
Kerra nodded slowly, her fingers tightening around the grip of her weapon.
"I'll cause a distraction," Kelvin whispered, his voice weakening as more blood bubbled at the corner of his mouth. "You use your magic... create a spell powerful enough to beat this thing once and for all."
"But what if you get hurt again?" Kerra's voice trembled. "What if I mess up?"
Kelvin let out a sharp, painful cough. "You just have to try."
Summoning the absolute dregs of his mana, Kelvin forced his hand upward. His palm began to emit a sudden, blinding blue radiance—not a destructive bolt, but a pure, concentrated beacon. The Plant Monster, was instantly mesmerized. Its massive red eye swiveled away from Kerra, locking onto the shimmering beauty of the light. It growled, but its grip slackened instinctively as it became entranced by the glow.
Kerra felt the pressure on her wrists fade. She wrenched her hands free and notched an arrow.
"What are you going to do?" the black-haired girl hissed, her eyes wide with terror as she hung beside them.
"Shhh!" Kerra snapped, her face set in a mask of desperate focus. "Level 3 Sorcery Spell."
She knew she didn't have the reserves for another Level 6 catastrophe, but she had a tactical spell—one designed for area suppression and escape. The arrow began to pulse with a dim, rhythmic blue light. She aimed high, pointing the shaft toward the small patch of sky visible through the canopy.
"Kerra, what are you doing? Shoot the eye!" the girl yelled, her nerves frayed to the breaking point.
"Shut up!" Kerra barked.
Beside her, Kelvin was fading fast. The light in his palm flickered, dimming as his life force drained away. Finally, his hand fell limp, the glow vanishing into the shadows. The monster blinked, the trance broken, and began to turn its murderous gaze back toward Kerra.
She shook with fear, her hands wobbling as the beast loomed closer.
"**Stormy Weather!**" she cried out, releasing the string.
The arrow hissed into the sky, a streak of blue light that disappeared into the clouds. Kerra waited, her heart hammering. Seconds ticked by. The forest remained silent. Nothing happened.
"What was that?" the girl screamed, her face contorting in rage. "Nothing happened! You're the reason we're even stuck here!"
Kerra's bow dropped to her side. She looked at her hands, then at her brother, who had fallen into a deep, unconscious stupor. The reality of her failure crashed down on her. The prideful noble girl, who had never apologized to anyone but her parents, felt the hot sting of tears once more.
"I'm... I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her voice breaking. "The attack... it was supposed to cause arrows to rain down. It was supposed to give us time to escape."
The black-haired girl ignored her, struggling vainly against the vines, but it was useless. They were at the monster's mercy.
---
Hidden behind a thicket of ancient ferns, Louisa had watched everything. She heard Kerra's tearful apology and the name of the failed spell.
"Rain of arrows," Louisa thought, her eyes narrowing. "Spectre."
She reached into her quiver, but as she drew her own arrow, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her mana was dangerously low after the previous 'High Quick' shots. She tried to manifest a yellow glow at the tip of her arrow, but the light flickered and died.
"I don't have enough power," she whispered to the shadows. She paused, then closed her eyes, reaching out through the telepathic link she shared with their secret anchor. "SILAS."
Miles away, **Silas** was walking casually with his own team, the segmented scorpion tail draped over his shoulders like a trophy. He stopped mid-stride.
*"What is it?"* his voice echoed in Louisa's mind, dull and bored.
*"I just need a little more power,"* Louisa's voice pleaded.
*"Why are you asking me? Release your seal and do what you need to do,"* Silas replied.
*"It draws too much attention. You know that. We're staying on a low profile."*
Silas sighed. "Fine." He opened his palm slightly, shielding it from his teammates' view. A tiny, sapphire-colored Bose Eye appeared in the center of his hand, marked with the sigil of lightning.
"Boost."
The eye shot from his hand, moving so fast it was a mere distortion in the air, hurtling through the forest toward Louisa's coordinate.
---
Louisa felt the impact as the Bose Eye attached itself to her back, expanding into a glowing harness of energy that stopped just above her waist. A surge of raw, yellow power flooded her system.
"You can only use it once," Silas's voice warned before the transmission cut off.
"Thank you. I won't miss," Louisa whispered.
She stood, her body wreathed in a faint yellow aura. She aimed her bow at the darkening sky, the tip of her arrow now burning with the intensity of a miniature sun.
"By the Laws Of Balance, let ruins fall where Malice stands and let grace rise where blood binds"
"Level 7 Sorcery Spell: JUDGEMENT BLOOM!"
The arrow screamed into the atmosphere, piercing the clouds. Unlike Kerra's failed attempt, the sky above the clearing began to churn with unnatural speed. Dark, heavy clouds swirled into a vortex.
Louisa collapsed to her knees as the boost faded, her duty done. She slumped back into the brlush, watching as the first "raindrops" fell.
They weren't water. They were thousands of translucent, golden arrows.
"Are those..." the black-haired girl gasped, staring upward.
"Arrows!" Kerra yelled, her face beaming with sudden joy. "It worked! My spell worked!"
"Yes but were exactly in its Path"
The golden rain descended with divine fury. The arrows struck the Monster, each impact releasing a burst of holy energy that made the monster shriek in agony. The creature's grip shattered, dropping the captives into the mud.
One of the golden arrows struck Kelvin directly in the back. Instead of piercing him, it dissolved into his skin like a bolt of electricity. His eyes snapped open. The internal bleeding stopped, his broken ribs knitted together, and his exhaustion vanished in a surge of magically restored vigor.
Kelvin vaulted to his feet, feeling stronger than he had in years. He grabbed Kerra and the other girl, hauling them toward the shelter of a large tree as the clearing was pulverized by the golden barrage. From the safety of the shade, they watched as the Monster was systematically shredded until it lay motionless, a heap of smoking, green-stained pulp.
Kelvin walked out into the clearing and plucked the orange Ruby from the monster's remains.
"Way to go, Kerra!" Kelvin cheered, holding the stone high.
"Yeah! You saved us!" the girl added, throwing her arms around Kerra in a jubilant hug.
Kelvin looked at his sister with genuine awe. "Seriously, I never knew you could create arrows with healing effects on allies and damage on enemies. That's war-level sorcery, Kerra. It's incredibly complex."
"What can I say?" Kerra said, her chest swelling as her pride returned in full force. "I'm really good. Just wait until Dad hears about this!"
---
A few minutes later, Louisa emerged from the trees. She looked a mess—red "blood" was smeared across her face and her waist, and her activity wear was torn.
"I told you we didn't need her," Kerra said bluntly as Louisa approached.
"And she's back," Louisa thought, maintaining her facade of a battered Ordinary.
"Are you okay?" Kelvin asked, concern etched on his face as he ran toward her.
"I think so," Louisa whispered.
"Good. Pack my bags, we leave right away," Kerra ordered, already walking toward the trail.
"Kerra!" Kelvin's voice was sharp. He stopped his sister in her tracks. He moved to Louisa and, to everyone's shock, knelt down and pulled her onto his back in a piggyback ride. "Just this once, take responsibility. Carry her bags. She's hurt."
Kerra stared in disbelief. Kelvin had never given anyone but her a piggyback ride. Reluctantly, she picked up Louisa's heavy rucksack along with her own.
"You okay?" Kelvin asked softly as they began to move.
"Yeah... just a scratch," Louisa said.
She felt a twinge of guilt. The "blood" was just juice from crushed red berries she'd found in the brush, and the "scratches" were superficial marks she'd made with thorns to look the part of a victim. As she watched Kerra struggle under the weight of three massive bags, Louisa held onto Kelvin's shoulders, resting her head.
"Must be really heavy," Louisa thought, closing her eyes. "But at least they're safe."