Chapter 19

*Tendrils of sharpened rock shot at him. Ethan parried and blocked, his teeth gritted as he approached the peak of his endurance. More tendrils joined the assault. Ethan moved faster and faster, the force of the collisions driving him back to the cave wall. There was nowhere to go. His muscles burned and screamed at him as he tried to match the speed of the attacks. He managed to deliver precise counterattacks, knowing that a single slip-up would mean instant death. His back pressed hard against the wall as he blocked and parried the relentless onslaught. Ethan roared through gritted teeth, his body moving so fast he couldn't even see his own blade, just flashes of silver and bright orange sparks as the sword collided with the attacks. He kept going, faster and faster, the floor beneath him cracking under the pressure.

And then, suddenly…

*Slash.

Ethan had cut through every single tendril attacking him in a single, sweeping 180-degree strike. He panted heavily, his face streaked with sweat. He watched, eyes wide with disbelief, as the severed tendrils twitched and writhed on the ground before crumbling into pieces of rock. The monster screamed and writhed in pain. Ethan looked at his sword. It was red hot, the hilt smoking.*

He could feel it now—the Hikari Energy flowing through him. He finally understood what Kael meant. He tightened his grip on the sword and surged forward. The tables had turned. The monster threw a boulder at Ethan. He grinned, launching himself high into the air and…

*Slice.

He split the boulder in two effortlessly. A massive tendril shot at him. Ethan twisted his body mid-air, landing on it with perfect balance. He bullet-ran across the tendril, both hands clutching the katana at his side, aiming for the massive creature at the center. More tendrils branched out and snaked through the air toward him—a mix of shadow and rock. Ethan sliced through them all, suddenly enjoying himself. He jumped and slid under tendrils, cutting through them with ease, closing the distance between himself and the monster with every second that passed. The creature whipped the tendril Ethan was running on, but he timed it perfectly, jumping high into the air.

A large tendril pierced through the air, racing toward him. He twisted around wildly, cutting it straight through the middle. The monster screeched loudly. Screaming through gritted teeth, Ethan wound his sword back, preparing to strike. A tendril came for him mid-air. He landed on it, sliding effortlessly toward the monster. At the last second, he jumped, channeling a huge amount of Hikari Energy into his katana, which glowed faintly.

*Slice.

Ethan cut through the monster with no resistance. He landed on the other side of the pit, dropping to one knee, his katana outstretched as he panted heavily. The creature let out a deafening roar, its body convulsing.

Just when he thought it was over, the cave began to rumble. The monster didn't crumble or disappear. Something was happening. Ethan could feel a surge of energy in the air. He watched in horror as the creature's rocky exterior turned red hot. Then, it started to melt, the pit below filling with molten lava. The transformation was horrifying—what had been a rock monster was now a seething lava beast.

"Oh no," Ethan whispered, his heart sinking.

The creature roared again, this time unleashing a series of fireballs at Ethan. He was caught in a dilemma. "What do I do? If I cut through them, the fire will spread and burn me alive."

He bolted, dodging the fireballs as best as he could. Amidst the chaos, he heard a loud cry. The lead warden had freed himself from the boulder.

"Hey! Over here!" the warden called, drawing the creature's attention and buying Ethan precious time. But Ethan realized with a sinking feeling that it wasn't just a distraction—it was a sacrifice.

"No…!" Ethan yelled.

The warden turned to him and smiled. "You go save the world, kid."

The next second—

*Splat.*

A massive fireball engulfed the warden, his body disappearing in the inferno. Tears welled up in Ethan's eyes. The Night Warden had sacrificed himself for him. Ethan turned around to see the creature staring at him with murderous intent. He bolted, barely evading the attacks. One fireball struck dangerously close, and—

*BOOM!*

The ground behind him exploded. As if in slow motion, Ethan was flung into the air, a fiery chaos erupting behind him. He hit the ground with a thud and a sickening crack, pain radiating through his ribs—likely broken. The creature grinned, sensing victory. Ethan saw movement on the ground—one of the Night Wardens was still alive but had a broken leg. Ethan stood in front of him, shielding him. He pointed his katana at the monster without a clear plan in mind.

"Who am I kidding? I'm going to die!"

The monster launched another series of fireballs at him. With nowhere to go, Ethan accepted his fate, gritting his teeth and bracing for impact.

Suddenly, a Night Warden swooped in, deflecting the attacks with a Bo staff. His moves flowed like water, spinning the staff in perfect circles. Ethan watched in awe.

"Whoa! He's amazing!" he thought.

The newcomer's face was obscured by a hood, but Ethan recognized the style. Only one person he knew wielded a Bo staff like that—Logan. But that was impossible. Logan had disappeared during their mission. Ethan had assumed he had been attacked too, but here he was.