As Sylvie snapped out of her shock, the Pond Dwellers were already upon her. Their slick, venom-coated claws cut through the air, inches from her face. Time seemed to slow. She could see every detail—the way their muscles coiled, the glint in their eyes, the certainty of the killing blow.
She braced for the impact. 'So this is it...' A sharp crack instantly split the air, even causing some of the other initates to look.
A bolt of arc energy ripped downward, wild yet precise. It pierced clean through the skull of the nearest Pond Dweller, the energy snapping outward in branching lines. The current chained instantly, leaping to two others mid-lunge. Their water-rich bodies amplified the conduction, turning the attack into something far deadlier than intended.
The creatures convulsed violently before collapsing mid-air, their momentum carrying them past Sylvie as lifeless shells.
From above, Danity exhaled slowly, tension easing from her shoulders. "…Good timing," she muttered, recognizing exactly who that was.
Below, Haru staggered slightly as he landed, arc still flickering faintly along his arms. He inhaled sharply, catching his breath before letting out a small, crooked grin. Breathing heavily, Haru managed a grin, "I made it."
Sylvie blinked at him, still processing what had just happened. "…You—yeah. You did."
Bane arrived a heartbeat later, sliding into position beside them. His eyes moved quickly between the two, assessing, his concern evident. "Are you both alright? It would be quite inconvenient to find a new team amidst this madness," he joked, easily easing the tension.
Sylvie rolled her eyes, though her relief was obvious. "Glad to know that's your priority."
"It's a valid concern," Bane replied calmly with a smirk.
Haru straightened, though his breathing was still heavy. The arc within him felt thinner and massively drained.
"We need to end this," he said, glancing across the battlefield. "I can feel it. My mana is running low, and I doubt we're the only ones." Haru didn't realize how much of a toll forcing his body would take on him. If they didn't finish this soon, almost everyone there would run out of mana, and they'd really be in trouble.
Looking around, Haru could see there were only a few beasts left. It was then that he had an idea. "Sylvie, can you set up that Enigma spell just for channeling this time?" Sylvie's eyes widened, understanding the plan.
"…Yeah," she said. "But it'll take a second to stabilize."
"That's all we need."
Haru turned to Bane. "Your blades can guide energy right? Not just take it, but redirect it?"
Bane's grip tightened slightly around the hilts, a confident grin forming."Of course," Bane replied proudly, "These blades were forged from the body of a mythical creature and are treasured by my kingdom."
"Perfect," Haru said. "Then we're doing this."
Without another word, he moved.
Haru burst into motion, weaving through the battlefield with renewed urgency. He didn't charge straight lines; he curved, shifted, ducked through openings, using fallen debris, broken structures, and even other fighters as cover. Every step was intentional. He had to build as much momentum as possible.
Arc energy began to gather again steadily. He let it flow through his body, down his legs, into his stride. Each step amplified the next. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly as he pushed harder. He constantly swung his hands out, grabbing, pulling himself along, connecting to every line in front of him that he could get a hold of and see.
While Haru raced across the battlefield, weaving through combat and chaos, Sylvie began her incantations.
"Hex Magic…"
The air responded. A faint purple glow formed overhead, expanding outward into a massive circular construct. Runes lit one by one, rotating slowly as the structure stabilized.
"Enigma Creation!"
The circle pulsed, drawing attention from across the battlefield, drawing curious and concerned looks from the Vanguard members.
Motar leaned forward slightly, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh? Those brats are trying something clever again," he chuckled. "Let's see it."
Even Serena's gaze sharpened slightly, interest flickering in her eyes.
Below, Haru reached the far edge of his path.
'I think I have enough, now!' He pivoted sharply, planting his foot and releasing everything he had built.
Arc energy surged upward. A concentrated stream of energy shot into the sky, twisting slightly as it rose, shaped by Haru's intent.
"NOW!!!" he shouted. Sylvie's eyes flashed as the Enigma circle activated fully. The arc struck the construct and didn't explode. It was absorbed! It began to forcefully compress and become refined due to the colliding magic.
The massive circle hummed as it redirected the energy downward in a controlled torrent, focusing it into a singular stream aimed directly at Bane.
"Bring it," Bane muttered.
He raised both blades.The moment the energy made contact, the reaction was immediate. The crowd watched in awe as Bane channeled the incoming magical torrent.
A deep, resonating roar echoed outward, not from Bane, but from the blades themselves. They glowed a deep crimson, the energy weaving through them, merging with whatever ancient essence they held.
From the stands, King Drago's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint pulse of recognition flickering beneath the surface. 'Oh? A Hydra…he thought. 'I feel you stirring Dogma, this must be a minor rival.'
Like a conductor, Bane stepped forward and swung. The first strike released a wave of guided destruction. The arc didn't scatter thankfully, it moved with purpose, jumping from target to target, chaining through beasts with terrifying efficiency.
Bane directed the combined magics into devastating attacks that leapt from beast to beast across the battlefield, decimating them with both lethal efficiency and stunning spectacle. One, three, five, ten...
"Keep it flowing!" Bane called.
"I'm trying!" Sylvie shouted back, maintaining the Enigma's stability as it continued feeding energy downward.
Haru clenched his fists, forcing what little arc he had left into the stream. His body trembled harshly. 'I doubt I'd be able to hold on if it hadn't been for Dimitri. I'm sure his modification to my body is the only reason I'm still standing.'
Their coordinated strike eliminated 17 beasts, including the remaining Ifrits, significantly reducing the threat level.
Not to be outdone, a nearby group rallied, seizing the opportunity. Their leader stepped forward, raising his staff, "Archaic Magic: Infinite Darkness." A tower sprang from the ground, opening to reveal a void that drew in the creatures.
"Now!" he shouted.
His teammates supported with a barrage of magically infused arrows and energy blasts, corralling any stragglers into the abyss. One by one, the beasts were dragged in.
As the last of the beasts fell, the mage rotated staff three times and slammed it down. "Archaic Magic: Slumber Coffin". Multiple swords materialized, each stabbing into the coffin as the structure sank back into the earth, leaving no trace of the fallen.
Nearby, Gram callously finished off a wounded beast, as if he played a part in defeating the beasts. As he stood, the trees and ruins began to dissipate around them.
Haru exhaled deeply, finally letting the tension leave his body. His legs gave out, as he swayed when Bane caught him, holding him up, beads of sweat covering his head, exhaustion finally showing on his brown skin. "We're pretty good at this." He said while smirking faintly
Sylvie leaned forward, hands on her knees. "That… was insane."
Bane let out a deep breath, his blades losing their glow as he sheathed them slowly. "Effective, though."
But as the last remnants faded, the crowd outside began to react. Silence swept throughout the crowd along with gasps.
Many of the initiates began to collapse on the ground, mentally and physically exhausted, allowing themselves to finally relax. Cries of pain and joy started to sweep through the remaining initiates like wildfire. They knew that through teamwork and sheer will, they had endured and survived one of the most brutal initiations in the history of the kingdom.