Chapter 48: Battle of the Black Forest - Part 6

Chapter 48: Battle of the Black Forest - Part 6

Lina's entire body trembled as she hesitated, tears streaming down her face. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she stared at the man she was about to betray. The cult leader's voice, cold and insistent, echoed in her mind: "Attack the Administrator, or your father dies." 

Lina's hand shook as she summoned her powers, the familiar warmth now tinged with a cold dread. The air around her crackled with energy, the vibrant tendrils of her Sarkic powers twisting in her grasp like snakes ready to strike. She looked at Léonard, who stood across from her, his stance steady, his eyes hidden behind the mask that betrayed nothing.

The first blast of energy surged from her, a desperate, unwilling attack. Léonard moved with fluid precision, evading the strike with a grace that seemed effortless, yet he made no move to counter. He simply observed, waiting, his silence a heavy weight on her heart. 

Lina pressed forward, her attacks growing in intensity. She hurled bolt after bolt of energy, each strike more powerful than the last, driven by the cult leader's threat. Yet, each time, Léonard deftly dodged, deflected, or absorbed the blow. He remained calm, almost detached, his movements a testament to his experience and control.

But Lina knew he wasn't fighting at full strength. He was holding back. Why? she thought, the question tearing at her. Was he hoping she would stop? Did he think she could still turn back? The thought made her heart clench with guilt.

With a cry of anguish, she unleashed a barrage of attacks, her powers spiraling out of control. The ground beneath her cracked, the air humming with raw, uncontained energy. Léonard's eyes narrowed behind his mask as he finally responded, raising a hand to conjure a shield that absorbed the onslaught. The force of their clash sent shockwaves through the battlefield, shaking the trees and scattering debris.

Lina's vision blurred with tears, but she could still see Léonard, standing tall, his calm demeanor unshaken. He didn't counterattack; instead, he continued to block and evade, his posture more defensive than aggressive. This only fueled her despair.

"Why won't you fight back?!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she poured every ounce of her power into a single, devastating strike. The energy tore through the air, a bright, searing beam aimed directly at Léonard. 

He moved swiftly, his trench coat billowing as he sidestepped the attack, the beam carving a deep scar into the earth behind him. But as he turned back to face her, Lina was already upon him, her eyes wide with pain and fear, her hands aglow with crackling power.

The clash was intense, their energies colliding in a blinding flash of light. Léonard's movements were a masterclass of precision and control, parrying each of Lina's strikes with minimal effort, yet never once did he return the attack. He seemed to dance around her, a shadow she could never quite catch, his silence more haunting than any words could be.

The longer they fought, the more Lina's heart shattered. Each failed attempt to land a blow, each dodged strike, was another nail in the coffin of her resolve. She could feel the eyes of everyone on the battlefield watching her—Omega-7, Alpha-6, even the cultists—witnessing her betrayal, her shame.

Finally, with a scream of frustration, Lina lashed out with all her might. Her tentacles, pulsating with dark energy, whipped through the air towards Léonard. For a brief moment, it seemed she might actually connect, but then, with a swift, fluid motion, he caught one of the tentacles in his hand, stopping her attack cold.

The shock of the contact reverberated through her, freezing her in place. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Léonard didn't speak, didn't move to attack. He simply held her gaze, his expression unreadable beneath his mask.

The silence between them was deafening, broken only by Lina's ragged breaths and the distant sounds of battle. She felt her strength ebbing away, her power faltering as the emotional toll of the fight overwhelmed her. She couldn't do this—she couldn't kill him. But she had no choice.

"Attack him, or your father dies," the cult leader's voice reminded her, his words a cruel reminder of the impossible situation she was in. But even as she tried to muster the strength for one final strike, her body refused to obey.

Léonard released her tentacle, stepping back and giving her space. His silence was unbearable, the weight of his unspoken words crushing her. He was letting her make the choice—he was leaving it up to her. But how could she choose? How could she decide between the man who had been her protector and the man who had given her life?

In that moment of hesitation, the cult leader's voice rang out again, cold and mocking. "Do it, girl. Prove your loyalty. Or do you want to watch your father die in front of you?"

Lina's breath caught in her throat, her entire body shaking with the weight of her decision. She could barely see through her tears, her vision swimming as she raised her hand once more. The energy crackled in her palm, unstable, as she pointed it towards Léonard. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with all the sorrow and despair she felt.

Léonard didn't flinch, didn't move. He simply stood there, waiting, his calm demeanor unwavering.

With a final, choked sob, Lina unleashed her power, her heart shattering with the knowledge of what she was about to do. 

The attack rushed forward, a torrent of energy filled with all the pain and anguish she had held inside. But even as it moved towards Léonard, a part of her hoped—prayed—that somehow, this would all end without anyone having to die. 

But deep down, she knew… there were no happy endings here.

Lina's attack surged forward, but as it neared the Administrator moved with a swiftness that defied human limits. He sidestepped the blast, the energy skimming past him and scorching the ground where he once stood. His gaze never left Lina, but in that moment, something seemed to change in his demeanor. His eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto hers, and without a word, he reached for his radio.

Static crackled as Léonard brought the radio to his lips. His voice, calm and authoritative, echoed across the battlefield. "All units, fall back immediately. I repeat, fall back within a six-kilometer radius."

The command was clear, but there was a tension in his tone that sent a chill down Lina's spine. The soldiers and operatives, hearing the order, began to retreat, their movements swift and efficient. The battlefield started to empty, the forces of the Foundation pulling back as ordered, but the tension in the air only grew thicker.

Lina watched, her heart pounding, as Léonard whispered something else into the radio—something so quiet that even she, with her heightened senses, could not make out the words. The cult leader, still hovering above in his grotesque, towering form, didn't seem to notice or care. His focus was entirely on Lina, a wicked grin stretching across his misshapen face.

"Is that all you've got, little girl?" the cult leader taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "You can't even touch him. How pathetic."

Lina's hands shook, her mind a whirl of confusion and dread. She didn't know what Léonard had planned, but she felt the gravity of the situation intensifying. Whatever he was doing, it was significant—dangerous, even. Yet, despite everything, Léonard remained unnervingly calm, as if he were playing a game where he already knew the outcome.

Léonard's silence was more unsettling than any words could have been. He stood there, unmoved by the cult leader's taunts, his attention now divided between Lina and whatever plan was unfolding in his mind. His presence seemed to fill the space, overwhelming Lina with a sense of impending doom.

Lina, her emotions a tangled mess, could barely hold back the tears that threatened to fall again. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the words wouldn't come. All she could do was prepare for what was next, knowing that the battle was far from over and that the worst was yet to come.

The cult leader, growing impatient with the lull in action, snarled and raised one of his many grotesque arms, channeling dark energy through it. "Enough of this! You're both wasting my time!" he roared, sending a massive wave of destructive energy toward Léonard.

Léonard responded with a mere flick of his wrist, a shield of dark energy materializing in front of him, absorbing the attack effortlessly. The clash of powers sent shockwaves through the ground, but the Administrator didn't even flinch. His eyes remained locked on the cult leader, a storm brewing behind them.

He lowered his radio, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Lina barely caught it, but the sight made her blood run cold. This wasn't just a battle—Léonard had something far more dangerous in mind.

The cult leader sensed it too, his expression darkening as he realized that Léonard was not reacting as expected. "What are you planning, Administrator?" he hissed, his many eyes narrowing as he tried to gauge Léonard's next move.

But Léonard offered no reply, simply standing there, his calmness unnerving everyone around him. Lina's heart raced as she braced herself, knowing that whatever came next would decide not just her fate, but the fate of everyone involved in this conflict.

The cult leader's frustration boiled over, his voice thunderous and filled with venomous rage. "What are you planning, Administrator?" His demand echoed across the battlefield, his composure unraveling as he watched the conflict unfold.

Lina fought fiercely against Léonard, her eyes brimming with tears, the weight of her father's life pressing down on her shoulders. But Léonard's focus never wavered, his every movement calculated and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. He seemed to glide effortlessly through the air, avoiding Lina's strikes with an ease that was almost dismissive.

The leader's anger swelled as he saw his best efforts to break the Administrator unraveling before him. Léonard's silence was infuriating, his apparent confidence infuriating. Every strike, every move was a challenge, daring the leader to act. 

Finally, with a quick motion, Léonard grabbed his radio, his voice cutting through the chaos, "Now." The command echoed ominously in the air. Almost instantly, the battlefield shimmered with the sudden appearance of glowing magic circles beneath the feet of every hostage. The leader's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening.

"No!" The leader's voice was desperate now, but it was too late. The magic circles pulsed once, twice, and then the hostages were gone, vanished in a brilliant flash of light. Lina's father, along with hundreds of others, disappeared from the battlefield, slipping from the cult's grasp just as victory had seemed within reach.

The leader's rage was palpable, the ground beneath him trembling as his frustration and disbelief reached a fever pitch. But Léonard remained unfazed. He brought the radio to his mouth again, turning up the volume so the entire battlefield could hear. The crackling voice of the Alpha-6 commander confirmed what the cult leader already knew deep down: "The apportation spell was a success. All hostages are secured, Administrator."

Léonard's gaze remained locked on the cult leader, his expression a mask of calm resolve, tainted with a hint of satisfaction. The leader was furious, his plans falling apart around him. All the power he had amassed, all the forces he had commanded, and now, in mere moments, Léonard had taken away his greatest leverage.

Lina, still reeling from the emotional conflict tearing her apart, glanced at the spot where her father had been just moments ago. The shock of seeing him alive, and then losing him again so suddenly, left her breathless. Her eyes darted back to the battle raging between the Administrator and the cult leader, feeling torn between her duty and her desire to see her father safe.

But she had no time to process any of it. The air was thick with tension as the cult leader snarled, his control slipping. "What is this? How did you—"

Léonard cut him off with a cold, piercing stare. "You underestimated the Foundation. And me." He spoke with a finality that sent a shiver down the leader's spine. The ground beneath them rumbled as the forces on both sides prepared for what would come next, knowing that the battle was far from over.

In the distance, Lina could hear the renewed vigor in the voices of her comrades, the knowledge that the hostages were safe reigniting their determination to end this fight. But as she looked back at the Administrator, she could see that this was far from over. The cult leader, humiliated and enraged, would not go down without a fight, and Lina knew that the true battle was only just beginning.