The gunfire from Zekhtau had ceased, but instead of bringing peace, the silence pressed down on them like an invisible hand tightening around their hearts. In the far depths of the darkness, the distant sounds of troop movements echoed intermittently, resembling the footsteps of a predator closing in on its prey. Every step the team took was filled with caution, the steep, shadow-cloaked path doing nothing to ease the tension.
"Draco, you need to be extra careful," Elina said, her voice firm. She handed him pieces of protective gear one by one, her gaze filled with worry and concern. "If Zekhtau locks onto you, there won't be any room for mistakes."
Draco took the gear from her hands but avoided her gaze, his ears tinged red. The closeness of Elina stirred an unfamiliar feeling in his chest, one he didn't know how to handle. Lowering his head to hide his flustered expression, he let out a small, sheepish smile to himself.
"Are you even listening?!" Elina snapped, her tone a mix of exasperation and amusement. She had clearly noticed his unusual behavior.
Draco jumped slightly. "Of course, I'm listening…" he mumbled, still unable to meet her eyes, before letting out an awkward laugh to cover his embarrassment.
Elina sighed and shook her head. "If you don't focus, I won't be able to protect you."
Their playful exchange lightened the team's heavy mood slightly, but everyone knew the danger ahead was no laughing matter. Akira moved closer to Yue, who was watching him with a serious expression.
"Yue, as soon as Draco makes his move, you need to buff his defenses as much as you can. Understood?"
"Got it!" Yue replied immediately, her voice brimming with confidence. "I won't let a single scratch land on him!"
Akira gave her a faint smile and reached out to pat her head. Yue beamed with pride, her fluffy tail wagging happily behind her.
"Big Brother~ You're always so kind," she said with a bright smile.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, you little rascal," Akira teased with a soft chuckle.
His face quickly turned serious again as he turned to Mirelle, who was walking nearby. "Mirelle, can you buff all four elements at once?"
"All four?" Mirelle stopped in her tracks, staring at him like he'd just suggested something impossible. "How are you even going to handle that with just two swords?"
"I want to test something," Akira said evenly, his tone calm and composed. "I need to see what the black sword is capable of."
"Fine… have it your way," Mirelle replied with a shrug, her voice carrying a mix of skepticism and curiosity. She began casting the four-elemental buff.
The magic infused with the power of water, fire, wind, and ice flowed into the black sword. Normally, such a combination would clash or result in failure, but the black sword absorbed it all effortlessly, as if it were designed for such a purpose.
Akira raised the sword and slashed at a large boulder with a technique he called "Double X."
BOOM! The explosion echoed loudly, shattering the boulder into countless fragments. The energy unleashed from the sword split into four distinct elemental forces. Fire and water created the most violent explosions, while wind and ice amplified the attack's destructive range.
Akira glanced at his wrist, where faint glowing symbols of Ignis and Leviathan began to appear. He realized the blessings he'd received from them were still augmenting his power.
"So it's true…" he murmured. "The gifts from Ignis and Leviathan weren't wasted after all."
Mirelle, who had been watching from the side, looked on in awe. "This… this is insane. That black sword is on a whole other level."
"I didn't know it could do that either," Akira admitted with a light laugh. "I just wanted to test it… but next time, let's stick to fire and water buffs."
"No problem," Mirelle replied confidently.
Nearby, Yue grinned widely. "Big Brother, you just keep getting stronger! When I first met you, you were barely holding your own against a Chaos Wolf!"
"Uh…" Akira let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. "You saw me like that?"
"Of course~" Yue replied with a mischievous smile before skipping ahead like a child who had just successfully teased her older sibling.
The team chuckled softly at the playful banter between the siblings, a brief moment of lightheartedness in the midst of the looming danger. But as the laughter faded, their focus shifted back to the challenges ahead. The real battle was just beginning.