Dune and Leon attacked in unison, their strikes swift and relentless. But Helios barely flinched. Every slash, every thrust, it was like hitting solid steel. The giant's body was too damn durable. Pretty
Below, Nely had nearly cleared out the stone soldiers when she sensed something shift. A pulse of energy. Her eyes snapped upward just as Helios' hand pressed against a massive, ancient statue embedded in the castle wall.
Dune's heart sank. "Don't tell me…"
The enormous statue trembled, then came to life. A monstrous, spider-like creature, its body covered in jagged stone and countless glowing eyes, burst free. It lunged at Dune with terrifying speed.
Dune clenched his teeth. "I'll handle this! Go for Helios!"
Leon hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Got it!"
Leon dashed toward Helios while Dune turned to face the creature. The monster lashed out, stone limbs striking with immense force. Dune barely managed to block the first few blows before he was sent skidding backward.
*Damn… it's strong.*
Gritting his teeth, he activated Nebastep, weaving through the rapid attacks. The monster struck again and again, but Dune moved like a shadow, dodging each blow with precision.
Then he saw an opening.
With a sharp exhale, he twisted mid-air and brought his sword down in a devastating slash. The creature's head flew off, its massive body collapsing. Dune exhaled, satisfied, until he felt a presence behind him.
*What?!*
Before he could react, the headless statue lunged again, its stone limbs swinging wildly.
Dune barely managed to raise his sword in time. But he was off balance, caught completely off guard. The monster was still moving *even without its head?*
It was too fast—he wouldn't be able to block the next strike in time. Suddenly, a blur of motion. Nely appeared beside him, her scythe intercepting the monster's strike. The force sent both her and the creature crashing through the weakened castle wall.
They disappeared into the darkness below.
"Nely!" Dune shouted, taking a step forward, but he barely had time to react before another crash shook the battlefield. His head snapped around just in time to see Leon slam into a nearby wall, the impact shattering stone pillars.
"Damn it!" Dune gritted his teeth and sprinted toward him.
Leon was in bad shape. Blood dripped down his temple as he struggled to push himself upright. Dune crouched beside him. "Can you move?"
Leon exhaled sharply, staggering to his feet. "I—" A shadow loomed over them. Helios!
The monstrous giant raised his massive weapon, ready to strike. The air around them grew heavy with his sheer presence. There was no time to react. And then—
A figure dashed in front of them. Lucas.
The boy stood between them and Helios, his small hands trembling, but glowing. A brilliant green light radiated from his palms, expanding outward in a dome. A shield.
The moment Helios's attack made contact, the Neba flared. And reflected the impact.
A shockwave burst outward as Helios was blasted backward, crashing through several stone pillars. The entire structure trembled from the force.
Dune stood frozen, his eyes wide in disbelief.
*Did that kid just—*
Lucas wobbled where he stood, blood trickling from his nose. Then his knees buckled.
Leon lunged forward, catching him before he collapsed. "Lucas!" The boy's breathing was ragged, but he was still conscious.
Dune tightened his grip on his sword, jaw clenching. This fight wasn't over. Not yet.
Leon's body shimmered, morphing into an arrow that shot through the air at incredible speed. He struck Helios from different angles, reappearing momentarily before launching himself again. Each time he landed a hit, he'd reform for a split second, only to vanish in a streak of silver light.
As they fought, Leon spoke quickly between strikes.
"Lucas' ability… It's powerful, but his body can't handle it," he explained, dodging a massive swing from Helios' bat. "He can reflect an attack once, but the second time…" He paused, firing off another arrow strike before landing beside Dune for a moment. "It could kill him."
Dune clenched his jaw, dodging Helios' counterattack. "Then we don't let him use it again."
The battle raged on. Helios swung his bat wildly, sending shockwaves through the crumbling castle. Leon zipped through the air like a phantom, while Dune used NebaStep to stay one step ahead.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Nely appeared, her scythe clashing against Helios' weapon, the force of her strike sending him crashing into the castle wall.
She landed lightly next to Dune, breathing hard but grinning. Leaning in, she whispered something in his ear.
Dune's eyes widened. Then, his expression shifted into a smirk. "Good job, Nely," he said, glancing at her with rare approval.
Nely blinked, then quickly looked away, her face tinged pink. Dune wasn't the type to hand out praise or compliments.
The trio moved into position, ready to execute their secret plan.
Dune and Nely charged at Helios.
The monstrous figure roared, hurling his massive bat at them, but they dodged in perfect sync.
Then Helios hesitated. Something was wrong. He scanned the battlefield, but Leon had disappeared.
*Where did the arrow bastard go?* A deep rumble echoed from above. Helios ignored it at first, until cracks splintered across the ceiling.
Then, without warning, The roof collapsed.
Brilliant sunlight flooded the room. Helios' eyes went wide in horror. "No… No way… How did they—?!"
His skin immediately began to harden, turning to stone at the edges. A primal fear overtook him as he bolted, trying to retreat underground, back to the safety of the shadows. But Dune and Nely weren't about to let that happen.
Dune dashed in, using Nebastep to sweep Helios' legs out from under him. The giant crashed to the ground, his body slowly petrifying as he thrashed.
"*I won't die here!*" Helios roared, slamming his fists into the ground in a desperate attempt to break through and escape.
Then, from the shadows. A small figure leaped forward.
"Lucas?!" Leon shouted.
The boy's eyes burned with determination as he raised his hands. Green energy flared around him, forming a shimmering shield.
"You bastard!" Helios screamed, his body trembling. Helios' eyes widened in shock as his own attack rebounded off the shield.
A massive shockwave sent him flying backward, crashing through the remains of the castle, tearing through walls, and slamming into the ground below. Dust and debris filled the air.
Leon rushed forward, barely catching Lucas before he collapsed. The boy's nose was bleeding, his breathing ragged.
"You idiot," Leon muttered, holding him up. "I told you not to use it again." Lucas' body was trembling, but he managed a weak smile.
Across the battlefield, Leon carried his unconscious brother, his face tight with relief. They had won.
As the crumbling castle settled into silence, the last echoes of battle fading into the distance, Dune and Nely stood among the ruins, breathing heavily.
The air was thick with dust and the lingering scent of stone and blood. Leon held his unconscious brother, relief and exhaustion evident in his face.
Dune exhaled, wiping sweat from his forehead before turning to Nely. "How did you figure it out?"
Nely, still catching her breath, smirked slightly. "It was that monster statue I fell with. The one Helios brought to life."
Dune raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
Nely's expression darkened as she recalled the moment. "When we crashed through the wall, we were still in the castle's shadow. It kept fighting, trying to tear me apart." She glanced down at the scratches on her arms.
Dune listened intently as she continued.
"I didn't notice at first, but it was trying to avoid sunlight, the second the sunlight hit it, its body started to crumble. It turned to ash right in front of me, like it was never even alive."
Dune's eyes widened slightly. "And that's when you realized… Helios was the same."
Nely nodded. "Everything clicked. He never left the castle. He never hunted for himself. That's why he used Lucas to lure people inside." She clenched her fists. Dune let out a breath of disbelief.
A loud crack shattered the silence. The group turned as Helios' stone body, frozen in mid-run, suddenly crumbled. The petrified statue shattered into a pile of rocks. A long silence followed.
Then, A hand emerged from the rubble.
Dune's grip on his sword tightened. "No way…"
From the dust and ruin, a figure slowly rose.
It was nothing like before.
Thin, almost skeletal, yet brimming with dark energy. He was clad in a tattered black robe, two curved horns protruding from his head. His once monstrous form was gone, replaced by something far more sinister. His eyes burned an eerie green, and in his chest, a pulsing core glowed like a dying star.
A voice, filled with rage and agony, echoed through the ruins.
"How dare you kill my brother?"
The ground beneath them split as dark energy erupted.
"You…" His voice grew distorted, filled with fury beyond reason. "You will all die by my hands!"
The castle trembled and the wind howled.
Dune, Nely, and Leon stood frozen, watching as the nightmare they thought they had ended began anew.