With a newfound determination burning in our eyes, Larry, Drake, and I rose to action.
"That's right, Aria! You're the strongest." Drake grinned widely.
"Perena just wants to kill you so she can be the new strongest." I added with a snicker.
Our voices of encouragement reached Aria, who seemed overcome with emotion as she stared at us.
"Y-you guys..."
"Larry, Drake, let's do this," I commanded, my gaze piercing through the mass of silver-haired Elves surrounding us.
'Why did I just say that? None of them can even fight...' I swiftly thought to myself.
It was one thing to support the actual fighter among us, and it was another to leap into action.
Larry responded with a nod, determination etching his usually jovial features. Drake, however, offered a smug smirk, his knuckles popping ominously as he readied himself for the coming storm.
'Looks like they took my words too seriously.' I forced a grin on my face.
"Your words are wasted, humans. You stand no chance against the might of the Elven folk," Perena taunted, a cruel smile dancing on her lips.
Yet, beneath her bravado, I caught the faint shimmer of uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
'Taunting aside... Aria should be able to handle her sister, right?'
The Elves were probably cautious due to Larry's presence as the Great Sage of this world, which was why they hadn't struck yet.
I couldn't imagine that holding them back for very long, though.
~VWUUUUSSHHHH!~
Without warning, the Elves launched a devastating volley of raw energy our way.
'What? Already?!'
The air sizzled, thick with magical discharge and imminent danger.
'Crap!' I attempted to reach my satchel for a defensive tool, but the moment I paid attention to our ace, I realized I didn't need to.
Aria, seemingly rejuvenated by the surge of conflict, summoned a shimmering barrier around us.
~BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!~
The storm of elven magic crashed against the shield, sending ripples of light dancing across its surface.
She turned to Drake and Larry, their faces pale but resolute.
"Stay within the barrier. We'll handle this," she ordered, her voice hard but laced with concern.
"Yes ma'am." They nodded in understanding, their trust in us unspoken but evident.
"Aria, do you have a plan?" I asked, preparing myself for the onslaught I knew was coming.
She shook her head, a grim frown on her face. I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"You handle Perena. I'll deal with the rest."
I saw her hesitate, worry clouding her eyes.
"Can you handle them?" she asked.
I shrugged at her question.
Frankly speaking, it wasn't certain.
Still, Perena was the strongest, and I would rather pick my chances dealing with the small fries than actually fight someone with a much larger gap of power than me.
"I'm not sure. But you need to defeat your sister. Hurry, so you can back me up."
Without waiting for a response, I charged towards the Elves, throwing a flare into the sky. The brilliant burst of light drew their attention, and I used the momentary distraction to launch a volley of explosive shards from my satchel.
The Elves scattered, narrowly evading the onslaught, and redirected their attention to me.
'Aria's barrier will serve as a deterrence for the weaker Elves, and since I'm actively attacking them, they'll want to deal with me first.' A smile formed on my face.
~VWUUMMMM!!!~
I was the new target. From every direction, a tempest of spells and attacks barreled towards me.
With every ounce of agility I possessed, I danced through the storm, evading some and using my magical gadgets to deflect others.
It was a barrage of deadly magic and I was at the heart of it.
'Please hurry, Aria!' I screamed internally.
Elsewhere, I could see Aria squaring off with Perena. They were a tempest of clashing energy, the ground around them scorched and charred with their fierce battle. I could only hope Aria would defeat her sister swiftly.
'For our sakes!'
Looking around me now, I could see that I was surrounded by foes, outnumbered and outmatched.
"Hehe..." Regardless, I appeared undeterred.
I had to survive, to win.
We had to win.
I had no other choice but to weather this storm and stand firm. I knew then that it wasn't just a battle of might; it was a battle of resolve.
"Looks like I'll have to get a little serious..."
**********
On the other side of the battlefield, a separate storm was brewing.
Two figures clashed, their magical blades meeting in a cacophony of ear-splitting clashes and ethereal sparks.
Aria, her figure crackling with radiant light and bursts of lightning, locked swords with Perena, who commanded the elements of ice and wind with a chilling finesse.
The battlefield between them transformed into a stage of raw elemental might, the air shimmering with their magic.
Aria, wreathed in luminescent energy, moved like a bolt of lightning, her blade cleaving through the gusts of wind and shards of ice thrown by Perena. Her blade was a beam of light, dancing through the tempest unleashed by her sister.
Contrasting Aria's radiant energy, Perena was a swirling tempest of ice and wind. Her hair danced wildly in the storm of her making, her silver eyes cold as she commanded the elements with a ruthless efficiency.
The blade she wielded was a chilling manifestation of her icy magic, clashing against Aria's lightning-infused sword.
The force of their collision sent shockwaves reverberating through the earth, the surrounding terrain transforming into a field of destruction.
Their energies ripped through the soil, shattered rocks, and splintered trees, each clash between their blades sending a powerful quake throughout the battlefield.
"You're not superior, Aria!" Perena yelled over the howling wind, her voice carrying a bitter chill. "You will fall by my blade!"
Aria, her eyes alight with grim determination, met her half-sister's furious gaze.
She was done being deterred by Perena's words. She now had friends... a real family. None of the words she heard now had any effect on her.
"I won't let your delusions tarnish our fight, Perena. This ends here."
Their fight raged on, neither giving the other an inch.
They matched each other stroke for stroke, their power evenly matched, but Aria's speed was the key difference.
It was the lightning in her veins, the raw speed and power that allowed her to weave through Perena's onslaught of ice and wind.
She struck like a thunderbolt, her blade a flash of light in the storm, finally breaching Perena's defenses.
"HAAAAAAAA!!!" With a powerful swing of her blade, she sent Perena sprawling onto the ground.
~BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!~
The storm finally quieted.
Aria, her body humming with spent energy, approached her fallen half-sister, her breaths heavy and ragged.
"Haa... haaa..."
She cast a long shadow over Perena, who now knelt in defeat, her body shaking and her magic fading into wisps of frosty wind.
"It's over, Perena," Aria declared, her voice echoing throughout the scarred battlefield.
The storm was over, but the echoes of the clash between the two magic swordsmen would linger long after their fight ended.
*
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