Chapter 11
The cavern was vast, its rocky walls stretching high into the darkness above. Flickering torches cast eerie shadows, their dim light barely illuminating the bloodstained ground. The air was thick with the stench of sweat, damp stone, and something more sinister—fear.
Lucas and Nephis gently, their eyes scanning the numerous bandits scattered around. Some were slumped against the walls, nursing wounds, while others still stood, their bodies tensed for battle. The moment the twins stepped further inside, every gaze locked onto them.
A low murmur passed through the crowd, followed by hushed curses.
Then, a bandit finally spoke, his voice hoarse with disbelief. "They're with him. The black-haired bastard's friends!"
The tension snapped.
Swords were drawn, and the bandits lunged forward, surrounding them. Lucas merely cracked his knuckles, a slow, taunting grin spreading across his face.
"Finally. I was starting to get bored."
The next few minutes were pure chaos.
Limbs twisted, bodies crashed into walls, and screams echoed through the cavern as Nephis and Lucas tore through the bandits like a storm. Nephis's water whip struck with pinpoint precision, while Lucas weaved between attacks, his Beast Lunge turning him into a blur of destruction. One bandit had his blade frozen mid-swing; another was sent flying by a devastating roundhouse kick.
And just like that, it was over.
The surviving bandits groaned in pain, their bodies sprawled across the ground, motionless.
Then, the real threat revealed itself.
A deep rumbling filled the cavern as a section of the wall slid open, revealing a massive stone throne. Sitting upon it, one leg lazily crossed over the other, was a towering man with an iron-clad arm.
Raven.
The bandit leader radiated menace, his cold, piercing gaze settling on the intruders. His expression twisted into something between irritation and amusement.
"Can't I have one peaceful day?" he muttered, his voice thick with annoyance.
Lucas and Nephis barely acknowledged him. Their eyes were locked on something—**someone—**a few meters away from Raven's throne.
Blaze.
Chained. Bruised. Bleeding.
Beside him, two strangers were bound as well, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and quiet dread.
Raven sighed, rising to his feet. As he did, the air around him shifted, the weight of his power pressing down on the cavern. "I'll give you one chance to walk away. Do it, and I'll forget you were ever here."
Lucas scoffed. He widened his eyes mockingly. "The big bad leader of the Iron Clad Bandits is threatening us. I'm so terrified."
Nephis exhaled sharply through her nose. "Lucas..."
But it was too late.
Raven's face darkened. His foot slammed against the ground, sending a shockwave through the cave. "I was being generous."
Then he moved.
The air cracked as Raven vanished, reappearing inches from Lucas, his iron-coated fist arcing forward like a cannonball.
Lucas barely dodged. He twisted mid-air, using Beast Lunge to propel himself sideways. The shockwave from Raven's missed punch shattered a nearby stalactite, sending debris crashing to the ground.
Lucas countered instantly. His fist blurred, the force of Beast Fist sending a concussive blast toward Raven's chest.
BOOM!
The impact connected.
And yet—nothing.
Lucas's smirk vanished. His knuckles stung as if he had punched solid steel. Because he had. Raven's torso was covered in a gleaming layer of metal essence, the impact doing little more than making him blink.
Then, Raven's hand shot out.
Before Lucas could react, fingers like steel clamps wrapped around his throat, hoisting him into the air.
A sharp pain shot through his windpipe as he struggled, his hands clawing at Raven's iron grip. The bandit leader's eyes burned with cruel amusement.
"Pathetic."
He raised his other fist, preparing to crush Lucas with a single, bone-shattering blow.
But then—
CRACK!
A thin layer of ice suddenly encased his metal fist.
Raven's eyes flickered sideways.
Nephis stood several feet away, her right arm shimmering with moisture. Water dripped from her fingertips, rapidly solidifying into ice. Meanwhile, her left hand burned with flickering flames, casting a fierce glow across her face.
A sudden gust of wind swirled around her feet, lifting her slightly off the ground. Her long hair flowed behind her like a battle banner.
Her voice cut through the cavern like a dagger.
"Don't you dare ignore me."
Raven barely had time to react before Lucas ripped into his face.
Sharp, beast-like claws raked across Raven's cheek, drawing blood. The bandit leader snarled in pain and fury, releasing his grip. Lucas flipped backward, landing beside Nephis.
He crouched low, his beastly claws gleaming under the torchlight. "Alright," he muttered, cracking his neck. "Now we're talking."
Raven scowled, wiping the blood from his face. "You little shits—"
Then he stopped.
His eyes zeroed in on Nephis, realization dawning.
Tri-Elemental.
Fire. Water. Wind.
A rare combination.
A dangerous one.
His lips curled into a snarl. "Fine. If you want to die so badly—"
Then he charged.
The cavern erupted into chaos.
Lucas met Raven head-on, his movements wild and unpredictable. His Beast Fist clashed against Iron Fist, shockwaves blasting outward with every collision. Nephis danced around them, her movements fluid as she weaved spells in rapid succession.
A wave of water crashed toward Raven.
Lucas leaped into the spray, using it as cover before launching a surprise kick at Raven's side.
Raven grunted but countered instantly, his iron-plated arms forming an almost impenetrable defense.
Nephis was already moving, her fire-infused wind whipping into a scorching cyclone. She thrust her palms forward—"Flame Torrent!"
A spiraling inferno shot toward Raven.
But Raven roared, his entire body hardening into metal as he plowed through the flames, emerging with a murderous glare. Visible bruise on him for the first time.
From their chains, the two prisoners stared in awe.
"Who on earth... are these two?" one of them—Kaito—whispered.
Blaze, still injured but smiling despite himself, let out a soft chuckle.
"My friends."
To be continued.