Chapter 26: The battle
The demons charged the adventurers. The adventurers charged back.
The Frost Devil and the General locked eyes, their gazes intense and filled with emotion. The Frost Devil's expression was one of anger, his eyes dark and filled with a burning desire for justice.
The general, on the other hand, had an arrogant smirk on his face, his eyes filled with a sense of superiority and disdain.
"Are you going to give me a speech about justice and revenge little snowman?"
"No need... Actions speak louder than words!" The Frost Devil said as charged towards the general with his sword held high, the blue ice glinting in the light.
The general, unfazed by the attack, reached out and grabbed the sword with ease. With a smirk on his face, he opened his palm and a stream of fire shot out, engulfing the Frost Devil's face.
The blue ice quickly melted and the Frost Devil stumbled backward, his armor singed and smoking from the intense heat of the fire.
"You only use ice magic, don't you? You are cursed by a gene that also gives you tremendous power. However, even so, ice still melts no matter the amount."
As the Frost Devil continued to battle the general, Blake and Ethan watched on, their own weapons at the ready. But they knew that this was a fight they couldn't join.
They were far too outmatched however they still wanted to battle.
"Hey dickhead, kamikaze, and mess what do you guys think of getting rid of the demon soldiers?" Blake said as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"I can only get a few because of my low magic supply," Ethan responded as he nocked an arrow onto his bowstring.
"I can boost your physical strength and provide you with magic energy," Charlotte said as she began to channel her magic.
"Will it be painful?"
"Of course, it's my trademark after all."
"I thought she'd be mad. I might need to get a new nickname for mess. She hasn't been acting rash for a while." He thought to himself.
Charlotte raised her hands and began to chant. A bright light emitted from her palms and enveloped Ethan. He felt a surge of energy flow through his body, invigorating him and making him feel stronger.
However, along with this newfound strength came a constant, dull ache that felt like he was being struck repeatedly.
He grits his teeth, trying to endure the pain as he noticed his blonde hair darken to a deep brown color.
"Mmm. Y-yep. It's painful."
"Fuck bro your hair's brown such a lame-ass color too. Yellow would've been a better color." Blake said as he pointed his sword toward Ethan's hair.
"Ah, I get the reference. But it seriously hurts like hell."
"Hey Charlotte can you get me the power-up too."
"I can only do one person at a time sorry."
"Useless." Blake sighed.
The group then looked at the battle and nodded at each other.
Ethan and Blake charged toward a demon with fierce determination on their faces. Lucy stayed and Charlotte stood back. Lucy used her fire magic to clear a group of demons. It was much calmer than normal.
Ethan quickly pulled out his bow and shot an arrow at the demon, piercing through its body with ease.
Blake, wielding his sword, swung it with precision and skill, just before it hit the demon, he surrounded the sword with a shocking aura of lightning, amplifying the power of his strike.
The demon was engulfed in a burst of electricity before falling to the ground, defeated.
Ethan and Blake shared a quick glance and bumped fists.
"We should do this more often," Blake said as he spun his sword.
"Yeah man. You know the only class we could pass now is Chemistry."
"Nah bro I was failing that shit. I had like a 48."
"Damn. Anyways let's fight some more I'm getting bored." Ethan said as he spotted the closest demon toward them.
As they charged towards a brute demon, Blake and Ethan moved in sync, their steps matching each other's pace.
Ethan let loose an arrow, but it was deflected by the demon's armor. Blake, seeing an opening, swung his sword at the demon from behind, catching it off guard and causing it to turn its attention toward him.
With the demon distracted, Ethan quickly took another shot, this time hitting the demon in the neck.
Though the demon was hurt it still swung at Blake causing him to be hit. Blake stumbled backward from the force of the blow, his sword flying out of his hand. He grimaced in pain as he clutched his side.
Lucy quickly unleashed a powerful lightning wave at the demon, striking it with a bright flash of electricity. The force of the attack sent the demon flying backward, but the blast also hit Ethan and Blake, causing them to be thrown off their feet.
The demon then collapsed and died from its injuries.
Ethan and Blake were surprisingly able to get up. Lucy had used just enough to kill the demon but also made sure that the two wouldn't get hurt.
"Lucy that didn't hurt as bad. Looks like you're moving in the right direction!" Ethan shouted to her.
"Don't talk like you can do much! You rely on others!" She shouted back.
"Well maybe beca-" Ethan's sentence was cut short as he was suddenly hit by a stray ice attack from the Frost Devil.
The ice pillar was massive, easily towering over the group, and it sent a chill down Ethan's spine. As he looked around, he saw that many of the adventurers around them had been killed or injured. Some were crying out in pain, while others lay motionless on the ground.
The scene was chaotic and overwhelming, and Ethan realized with a sinking feeling that they were in grave danger.
Ethan was in his own world ignorant of the chaos around him but now he could see what was happening.
They were losing.
The Frost Devil bled while the general had no visible injuries.
If the Frost Devil fell then so would the rest.
"Guys. I don't know if we're winning this." Ethan said his voice laced with fear.
The three others looked around. They realized Ethan was right.
"I need to use a massive attack to get rid of the rest of the demons," Lucy said as she pointed her wand at the demons.
"NO DON'T!" Ethan pleaded.
"Why?! If I don't then the rest of the adventurers will be overwhelmed."
"If you do the attack then it will hit us too! Even if we survive we'd all be injured. You would also kill the Frost Devil. Look at his shape! He's our only hope of winning this!"
"S-So do I just sit here? Do I let everyone die from the demons?"
"No. We have to help the Frost devil with the general."
"I need to use a massive attack to get rid of the rest of the demons," Lucy said as she pointed her wand at the demons.
"NO DON'T!" Ethan pleaded.
"Why?! If I don't then the rest of the adventurers will be overwhelmed."
"If you do the attack then it will hit us too! Even if we survive we'd all be injured. You would also kill the Frost Devil. Look at his shape! He's our only hope of winning this!"
"S-So do I just sit here? Do I let everyone die from the demons?"
"No. We have to help the Frost devil with the general."
The four of them stood together, their expressions determined and resolute. They knew that the task ahead of them was dangerous and that the odds of survival were not in their favor.
But despite the fear and uncertainty, they were all willing to put their lives on the line to help the Frost Devil and defeat the demon general.
Blake was unaware of the stakes if they failed.
Ethan did. He could not tell Blake because he knew he would run away. If they ran away then that would guarantee failure.
Blake and Ethan charged the general with determination in their eyes. They moved with precision and skill as they closed in on the powerful demon. Charlotte, meanwhile, focused on healing the Frost Devil. She quickly created a magic rope and used it to pull him towards her, allowing her to start healing him as quickly as possible.
"What are you doing?! Let me attack the general or else we all di- WHAT THE HELL?! WHY DOES YOUR HEALING HURT?!" The general shouted
"Sorry about the pain but if I don't heal you then you would've died. The two idiots fighting the general have no chance of winning. Let's just hope they last long enough for you to rejoin the battle." Charlotte responded in a concerned tone.
The general let out a loud, arrogant laugh as he looked at Blake and Ethan charging towards him. His eyes were filled with amusement as he watched them approach, as if he saw no threat in their efforts to defeat him.