Alex stood in the grand hall, still processing the revelation of acquiring all three relics. The weight of their presence was tangible, but where they disappeared still was unknown to him. He also knew the end of the ga was near, but he had no idea what awaited him in these final monts.
"Swoosh-! Tremble-!"
Suddenly, the hall trembled violently, snapping Alex out of his thoughts.
"BOOOM-!"
He barely had ti to react before one of the walls exploded, sending debris flying in all directions. Alex shielded himself with his arms, peering through the dust and smoke to see what had caused the destruction.
Erging from the wreckage were two towering fire summons, their bodies crackling with flas and heat. They parted to reveal a beautiful young woman, her presence commanding and formidable. She stepped into the hall with an air of confidence, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Alex.
"It was really hard to find you, Junior," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "You really hid well. But... it all ends now. Hand over the relics."
Alex recognized her imdiately— Emma Highwind, the fourth-year prodigy, now in her avatar as the Fla Warlord. Her reputation was well-known in the novel for her strategic brilliance and unmatched elent-based abilities. Alex's heart raced, knowing he was facing one of the most formidable opponents. But, he wouldn't just give up.
"I don't think so," Alex replied, standing his ground. "I've co too far to give up now."
Elara's eyes narrowed, a flicker of amusent crossing her face. "Is that so? Do you think you can stand against by yourself? I am not even seeing the monsters or your summons, so hand over the relics while I am asking nicely?"
'So, she doesn't know I can retract my summons to my shadow, a good info.'
"That's where you're wrong," Alex said, a hint of a small smile playing on his lips as he looked at the list of the summons. "In this avatar, I'm never alone."
"?" Emma looked at him in confusion and waited if sothing was going to happen. "Hehe, you sure know how to bluff, junior."
"Fla Hunters, get him."
Several fla summons launched themselves at Alex, their fiery forms blazing with intent. Alex quickly summoned his only Shadow Guardian to distract them for a second. The guardian's dark form clashed with the fire summons, buying Alex a precious mont.
Despite the chaos, Alex remained calm, his mind focused on the next move. He was cornered, the heat of the flas drawing closer, but he showed no signs of fear or desperation. Emma watched him with a mix of curiosity and frustration.
"Hand over the relics, Junior," she demanded once more. "You're out of options."
Alex's calm deanor didn't waver. Instead, he smiled. "I've always wanted to do this."
With a sudden burst of energy, Alex jumped high into the air, his voice ringing out with authority. "Co out, Shadow Dragon!"
The air around him swirled with dark energy, and a massive, serpentine form began to materialize. The Shadow Dragon erged from the shadows, its scales shimring with an otherworldly glow.
It roared, the sound reverberating through the hall.
"D-Dragon?!" Emma's eyes widened in shock as the dragon hovered above, its presence awe-inspiring.
"Not good! Take cover!" She braced herself for an attack, but Alex had other plans. Instead of striking her or her troops, he tore through their formation with the dragon, using its imnse speed to escape.
In an instant, Alex was gone, leaving Emma standing in the hall, her expression one of utter disbelief. The flas around her flickered uncertainly as she processed what had just happened.
"He... he escaped?" she muttered, still trying to comprehend the situation. "How...?"
As the dust settled, Emma's surprise turned to determination. She clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with resolve. "This isn't over, junior. But you got this ti..."
_____ ___ _
Alex navigated the labyrinthine corridors of the temple ruin with the Shadow Dragon, its presence a reassuring force. Two minutes later, he finally reached the exit and stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the cool, fresh air.
Just then, his eyes fell on a girl with short blue hair, flanked by several white-armored knights. She exuded an aura of authority and confidence, her gaze sharp and calculating. Alex imdiately guessed her identity—Ceil, the Warlord of Light.
Ceil's knights looked ready for a fight, but Alex had no intention of engaging them. He knew his target and where he needed to go. Ignoring her and her army, he mounted the Shadow Dragon and soared into the sky, heading directly toward the Twilight Thicket, the territory of the first traitor—Eldrid.
_ _ _
As Alex approached the forest, a sense of danger tingled at the edge of his awareness. The massive, ancient tree, Eldrid, had already appeared at the forest's entrance, its gnarled branches twisting nacingly. Eldrid's eyes widened in shock as it saw the massive Shadow Dragon flying toward it, Alex standing resolutely on its back.
The tree's shock turned to a mixture of fear and regret as it recognized Alex. The dragon's imnse power and Alex's cold, determined gaze sent a clear ssage: there would be no rcy for traitors.
"Eldrid," Alex called out, his voice echoing through the forest. "This is the consequence of your betrayal."
Eldrid's branches quivered with apprehension. "Warlord Aelion, p-please wait! We can co to an understanding! I-!"
"Too late for that," Alex replied coldly. "Shadow Dragon, burn the forest."
The Shadow Dragon reared back, its maw opening wide as a torrent of dark flas erupted forth. The fire spread rapidly, engulfing the forest in a matter of monts. Eldrid tried to fight back, its branches lashing out and summoning gusts of wind to extinguish the flas, but it was powerless against the combined might of Alex and the Shadow Dragon.
The ancient tree let out a groan of despair as the flas consud it. "No... my forest... my legacy... my descendants..."
Alex watched impassively, the crackling of the fire and Eldrid's cries filling the air. "You brought this upon yourself. Betrayal cos with a price."
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