Chapter 46: The Battle at Sea

The skies darkened even further as the Abyss forces closed in on the Alcor. Their ship rocked with the growing waves, and the air crackled with tension. Aether stood at the helm, his sword drawn, as the unmistakable shapes of Abyss Mages and Abyss Lectors emerged from the mist.

"Here they come!" Amber shouted, her bow drawn and ready. "We can't let them get to the fragment!"

Beidou grinned from her position at the wheel, her grip steady on the ship's course. "Just another day on the sea! Don't hold back, Traveler—show them what you've got!"

Rosaria was already at Aether's side, her polearm gleaming in the dim light. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the approaching enemies. "Let's finish this quickly. The longer we wait, the more of them will swarm."

Aether nodded, his focus sharp. This time, though, something was different. The weight of the Geo energy inside him pulsed, urging him to act, to unleash its full potential. But he hesitated—still uncertain of how much control he had over this new power.

"Use what you've got, Aether," Lisa's voice broke through his thoughts. She stepped up beside him, her catalyst crackling with Electro energy. "No time for hesitation. The enemy won't wait for you to decide."

Aether glanced at Lisa, her words pushing him to make a decision. He tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the familiar rush of Anemo energy flow through him. But this time, he let the Geo power mix with it, summoning both elements as the Abyss forces reached the ship.

With a roar, Aether slammed his sword into the deck, and Geo pillars erupted from the wood, creating a barrier that blocked the first wave of Abyss Mages. Amber's arrows shot through the gaps, striking the enemies from behind the protective stone.

"Well, look at you!" Beidou shouted from the wheel. "I knew you had something more up your sleeve!"

Aether grinned, the rush of power giving him new confidence. He charged forward, breaking through the Geo barrier, his sword cutting through the air as he met the next wave of enemies head-on. Rosaria followed close behind, her polearm spinning in deadly arcs as she cut down the Abyss soldiers.

Lisa, standing further back, unleashed a barrage of Electro energy, her attacks striking multiple enemies at once. The battlefield on the deck was chaotic, but Aether and his companions moved like a well-oiled machine, their attacks coordinated and precise.

As Aether cut through another Abyss Mage, he felt the familiar pull of Geo energy once more. This time, he didn't resist. He raised his hand, and the ground beneath the enemies trembled, stone spikes shooting up and knocking them off balance. Rosaria was quick to take advantage of the opening, her polearm slicing through the stunned enemies with brutal efficiency.

"Nice work, Traveler," she muttered, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

Aether felt the connection between them in that moment—something deeper than just battlefield camaraderie. He had fought alongside many allies before, but with Rosaria, it was different. There was a raw intensity in the way they moved together, a silent understanding that went beyond words.

But before he could dwell on it, a new threat emerged. An Abyss Lector, shrouded in dark energy, appeared on the far side of the deck. Its eyes gleamed with malice as it raised its staff, dark tendrils of energy curling toward the crew.

"Stay back!" Amber yelled, firing an arrow directly at the Lector. But the arrow disintegrated in mid-air, swallowed by the dark magic surrounding it.

Aether narrowed his eyes. "We'll need more than brute force to take that thing down."

Lisa's voice cut through the chaos. "Leave the shields to me. Focus on breaking through its defenses."

With a nod, Aether dashed toward the Lector, his sword glowing with a mixture of Anemo and Geo energy. Lisa stood her ground, her hands glowing as she summoned an Electro shield around Aether, protecting him from the Lector's dark magic.

Rosaria flanked the creature, her polearm striking with precision as she targeted its weak points. But the Lector was strong, its dark energy swirling around it, making it nearly impossible to land a clean hit.

"Now, Aether!" Lisa called out, her voice strained as she maintained the shield.

Without hesitation, Aether raised his hand, summoning all the Geo power he could muster. The ground beneath the Lector shook, and massive stone pillars shot up, surrounding it and trapping it in place. With a swift motion, Aether slashed his sword through the air, sending a wave of Anemo energy crashing into the Lector's weakened form.

The dark energy surrounding the Lector shattered, and Rosaria seized the moment, her polearm delivering the final blow. The Lector collapsed, its form dissolving into nothingness.

The deck fell silent, the last of the Abyss forces defeated. Aether stood, his chest heaving as the rush of battle faded. But even as the fight ended, the tension between him and his companions lingered.

Rosaria walked up beside him, wiping the blood from her polearm. "That was impressive, Traveler. You're getting stronger every day."

Aether met her gaze, the intensity between them unmistakable. "Couldn't have done it without you."

Rosaria's lips curved into a small smile, but there was something more in her eyes. "Don't get too soft on me. We've still got a long way to go."

Lisa approached them, her smile warm and knowing. "You two work well together. It's a rare thing, finding someone who matches you so perfectly on the battlefield."

Her words hung in the air, and Aether could feel the weight of them—both the compliment and the unspoken implications. The bond between him, Rosaria, and Lisa was growing stronger, and with it came a new level of closeness that Aether hadn't experienced before.

For now, though, the battle was over. But Aether knew that the next steps in both their journey and their relationships were only just beginning.