Chapter 22 - Elion's Prowess

Dr. Camille had been scanning the enemies' elemental levels. Only Kasum was a Level 20 Elemental Soldier; the rest were between Level 15 and Level 19.

Knowing Elion and Laxus were only Level 11, she refrained from intervening immediately, because she was curious about Elion's strength as he seemed confident facing all of them. Her priority for now was protecting the others and being prepared to interfere at any moment.

"Another one with a death wish?" taunted Kasum, drawing his sword.

Moments later, Kasum realized the anomaly of Elion's aura. Golden aura? What's this? His henchmen were equally puzzled by the unfamiliar color.

"Probably some fancy tech these kids have," one of them suggested, though uncertainty lingered.

"Are you trying to scare me with toys?" Kasum thrust his sword toward Elion's throat, but Elion caught the blade effortlessly with two fingers.

Kasum was strong, his attack forceful. Yet Elion didn't flinch.

Why won't this sword move? Kasum panicked, realizing he couldn't retract it.

"Surprised?" Elion smiled, effortlessly disarming Kasum with a punch to the jaw.

Kasum stumbled back from the force of the blow, struggling to get back on his feet before collapsing again. He was disoriented from the punch that had thrown off his balance.

"Basta—" Kasum coughed up blood, and his curse at Elion was left unfinished.

Dr. Camille and the others were stunned by Elion's strength, which had caught them off guard. Dr. Camille and Laxus knew Kasum was a Level 20 Elemental Soldier, while Elion was only a Level 11 Elemental Soldier.

"Master Kasum!" They wanted to help Kasum but Kasum yelled, "Get him!"

Kasum's henchmen quickly surrounded Elion, a group of seven. Some of them had Elemental Circles on their palms and some had their weapons drawn, but they held back on their elemental attacks, afraid of harming their teammates.

Elion was pleased with their chosen formation, finding it self-consuming. One of the henchmen lunged at Elion with a sword, but he deftly parried it and unleashed a powerful punch, fueled by his golden fire, to the attacker's abdomen.

The henchman gasped and doubled over, giving Elion an opening. He followed up with a swift kick to the attacker's cheek, sending him hurtling into three others.

Just as he finished, two more enemies advanced, one with a dagger and the other with a knuckle. The daggerman was a Wind Elementalist renowned for agility. In contrast, the knuckle user, a Metal Elementalist, looked confident in close combat.

The tension was palpable as Elion found himself in a precarious situation, requiring all his caution. The Wind Elementalist was relentless, thrusting his dagger with lethal intent.

Relying on the Basic Ancient Combat Arts that Solandar had imparted to him in the Spirit World, Elion executed his dodges with remarkable precision. His movements were not just about evasion; they were calculated to conserve his energy, a testament to his training and skill.

"I did—"

His words were cut short by a jarring interruption. A heavy punch slammed into his abdomen, robbing him of his triumph.

The impact was debilitating; his focus momentarily shattered, creating an opening for a dagger to pierce his shoulder. Blood erupted from the wound, a stark testimony to the gravity of his situation.

"Elion!" The fear in Wendy's voice was unmistakable, her concern for him evident in her tremble. "Laxus! Help Elion!" she implored, her plea filled with desperation.

"It's impossible." Laxus's response came, laden with hesitation. "I'd only make things worse for Elion. They're all Level 15 Elementalists and above. And their leader... he's at Level 20..." There was a tremor in his voice, betraying his concern and helplessness.

Kasum, who had been observing the scene unfold, was full of fury and shame. Being bested by someone nine levels below him and younger was a bitter pill to swallow. "You'll pay for this!" he vowed, his voice growling with menace. "Earth Smash!"

With those words, Kasum launched Elion towards their burning house with a punch that seemed to carry the weight of the earth itself. His fist, encased in an earth glove, significantly amplified the force behind his blow, showcasing the raw power at his disposal.

"Brother!"

"Elion!"

The cries of concern for Elion were palpable. Still, as Laxus clenched his fists, ready to leap into action, Dr. Camille's voice cut through the chaos.

"Don't, Laxus!" Her warning was clear, adding another layer of tension to the already fraught situation. "Fighting now would be suicide," she warned, her gaze shifting to the burning house. 

"Elion can handle this," she ended with a confident smile.

As the flames flickered, a figure emerged from the rubble, unscathed. Elion pulled out the dagger from his shoulder, realizing his error. He found that facing multiple enemies was too much for him as it was something he had never experienced before.

The training he had received from Solandar had yet to prepare him for this kind of situation.

"I still have a lot to learn," he whispered, watching his wound miraculously heal before his eyes.

Was this the power of the Phoenix? He wondered. Seems like there is more to learn. I need to hurry up to complete Solandar's missions so that I can unleash the full extent of my powers.

A smile played on Elion's lips as he stepped forward with newfound determination. He knew the battle for survival was unlike any training session he had ever been in.

"Shall we continue?" he asked calmly.

"Arrogant fool! What can you do against us?" taunted Kasum.

"I will kill all of you," Elion replied simply.

Enraged, Kasum ordered his henchmen to attack. The Wind Elementalist charged at Elion with astonishing speed, his elemental power evident beneath him.

Each stride he took was similar to five steps from another Elementalist. In a blink, he stood face-to-face with Elion, a triumphant grin on his lips. His hand darted forward, launching a rapid onslaught aimed at Elion.

But to his bewilderment, his strikes found only the empty air, swallowed by Elion's elusive shadow.

"Missed?" taunted Elion from behind, the source of the Wind Elementalist's frustration.

"Oops, seems like you dropped this. Let me return it to you," Elion remarked casually as he returned the dagger the Wind Elementalist had used to pierce him before, driving the Wind Elementalist's dagger deep into his back.

Caught off guard and unable to react in time, the Wind Elementalist watched in fear as Elion, a mere Level 11 Fire Elementalist, outmaneuvered him with unmatched speed.

Despite being a formidable Level 15 Wind Elementalist, he stood no chance. As the dagger found its mark, piercing the Wind Elementalist's heart, he fell lifelessly to the ground.

"One down...How many left?" Elion declared calmly, his eyes scanning the remnants of the Black Bandits.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

Elion's count was steady, his presence exuding a composed confidence that puzzled Laxus and the others.

"Seven left? Not even enough for me to get warmed up," Elion commented, his words fanning the flames of anger among the remaining Black Bandits. 

Their rage was palpable, evidenced by the tense veins throbbing on their necks and foreheads. A Metal Elementalist and a Fire Elementalist, driven by their fury, sprang into action. One unleashed a barrage of metal bullets while the other attempted a flanking maneuver.

Yet, Elion stood his ground, unfazed. Beneath him, a golden Elemental Circle sparked to life, signaling the imminent release of a firestorm that blazed around him.

Not a single bullet found its mark as the firestorm enveloped Elion, leaving the flanking Fire Elementalist at a loss.

Amidst the chaos, Elion seized the moment, hurling golden fireballs with precision. The fiery projectiles struck their targets with swift efficiency, catching the Black Bandits off guard.

Kasum, taken aback by Elion's counterattack, quickly conjured an earthen barrier for protection. In the aftermath, several enemies lay fallen, including the two Elementalists who had dared to challenge Elion earlier.

"Weaklings. Just one hit, and six of you crumble?" Elion taunted, intentionally riling them, especially Kasum, up. He knew their anger would cloud their judgment—a perfect opportunity for him to strike.

This time, Kasum didn't reply right away. He sensed there was more to this teenager than met the eye. That golden aura... there's something behind it, Kasum thought, pondering silently.

Anxiously, he glanced around, fearing that higher-ranked Elementalists might appear due to their skirmish.

The Black Bandit group was a prime target for authorities, with a hefty bounty of a hundred thousand gold coins on his head alone.

"Kid, I'll let you off today if you return what you stole from our warehouse," Kasum proposed, hoping to end the confrontation. Their losses were already significant, with half his group fallen.

Elion shook his head, before bursting out with laughter. "Hahahaha!"

"Scared?" Elion mocked. He had no intention of letting them off so easily, especially after what they did to Kael. Revenge was inevitable.

"Remember what you did to my friend? Did you even listen to his pleas?" Elion challenged.

"So, you want me to agree with you?" Elion's words were accompanied by a surge of intense aura, unlike any other Level 11 Elemental Soldier. He was different. He was as strong or even stronger than Kasum at this moment.

Kasum gritted his teeth as he knew negotiation was off the table now. The teenager before him had crossed the line. Kasum charged at Elion, an earth Elemental Circle forming around him, summoning a suit of war armor as he passed through.

"Your armor's a far cry from Solandar's or Tigas's," remarked Elion slowly, his eyes carefully appraising Kasum's gear.