Chapter 58: All-Out Attack
Disclaimer:
It's now Day 3 of the 5-day update schedule! Day 2 had a lot of history and backstories so maybe it was a bit too much, but it needed to be there. We resume the fight against Rhya this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy and see you tomorrow!
"Come on, Yuno! We have to help him-", Lucas started to move as soon as Dike clashed his sword against Rhya's body.
Though, Dike was quick to refuse the two's help. He held out one hand and used it to signal to the two to get out of his way.
Dike turned to the two Golden Dawn rookies; "I know you two have proven yourselves to me. Maybe you did not need to but your actions have shown us how we underestimated your abilities. The thing is…", he turned his gaze back to Rhya. "… As a Druid, and with what has happened here, we do things ourselves!"
Dike started pushing Rhya back with his elemental sword. Since Rhya was already hurt, his reaction time as well as his own strength weren't in top shape and this left many openings for the Druid to attack.
"Fire!" He exclaimed and the sword changed colour and shape. The large, red flame gushed out from the rain-guard.
He hacked and slashed as quickly as he could and with as much force as his body allowed him to. He was still injured from the previous battle against the Guardian and, after refusing to be healed due to his hastiness, was getting tired.
Though, this tenacity and unwillingness to not fail was bad news for Rhya. He didn't even have time for a recovery spell since the time it took for him to cast the spell may potentially allow Dike a fatal blow.
"Man, every time I think I'm in the clear, someone always interferes. This guy hasn't even been hit with Sally's Dark Magic Item, so I'm going to fight him fair and square", Rhya thought as he used all he had to block and strafe away from Dike's attacks.
"Earth!" Dike shouted and the flames of his sword died out. Now, they were replaced by a light-brown, jagged rock with a sharp edge.
"He is just blocking attacks that are head on so I will try this!" Dike declared to himself. He lodged the blade into the ground which started to make it shake and rumble. "Sorry about this, Chief!"
A mini earthquake was happening in the final room which was actually quite dangerous since they were in an underground temple. However, Dike was just wanting to defeat Rhya as quickly as possible. Cathbad's body was also moving but since he was further away from the action, he didn't get effected as much.
"An earthquake now…", Rhya thought, annoyed. However, that was when he got an idea on how to counter. "Hm, this might be a bit painful but if I can pull it off…".
He turned his entire body around so that his back was open for an attack from Dike.
"Giving up so suddenly?" Dike said, confused. Though, he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip. He took the blade out from the ground and was about to stab the Copy mage through the back.
Though, Rhya was vying for this move from Dike. The last of the earthquake's tremors subsided but not before the enemy purposely stumbled so that only his shoulder would be stabbed. He bent down and got his opportunity for a counter.
"Gah!" Rhya shouted as his shoulder started pouring blood from the elemental sword. However, he used a quick bit of Spatial Magic to move away from in front of Dike to his back this time.
"I'll be using that now…", Rhya said quietly. He reached his hand out towards Dike's green, three-leaf grimoire which was floating next to him and managed to touch it.
Meanwhile, during this very short moment, a shout came from the sidelines where the conscious Golden Dawn were standing by the unconscious ones. Lucas grabbed Dike's attention as Rhya had just touched the grimoire. "Dike, watch out! He has all of your spells now!"
"What?!" Dike flinched. He quickly backed away and had his back against the rocky wall so that he could see the whole area.
"He disappeared through the Spatial Magic for a millisecond at most, and he did all that behind me?!" Dike was shocked at the speed of this enemy and knew that he needed to be dealt with quickly.
"Copied my magic? I shall see about that!" Dike shouted and ran forwards. He brought out his elemental sword and changed it to the Water setting, giving him a more fluid attack style for this clash.
The water shot out in front of him and created a puddle in front of Dike. The dark-blue liquid spread all over and the only dry space was the little area where he and Rhya stood.
"Now, Air!" Dike commanded and used the change in his sword to freeze the water. The coolness of the air mixed in with the settling water, creating an icy space to battle on.
"Unlike this person, I have had practice and experience with my blade. If he even dares to use it against me, my prowess will surely overpower his!" Dike's running came to a halt and waited to see what would happen.
On the side, Lucas and Yuno were just watching the battle happen. They couldn't do much since the icy area was now Dike's domain since he had a lot of practice with his sword's combinations. Though, it wasn't like something like that was going to stop them from helping.
"Time Magic: Heaven's Time!" Lucas shouted as he appeared next to Dike. The space where Rhya and Dike were duking it out had frozen in time. The area turned a lifeless, grey colour for a few seconds whilst Yuno dealt a blow with his own magic.
"Wind Creation Magic: Gale White Bow + Sylph's Breath!" Yuno used his magic to construct a large bow in front of him and used Bell's power to shoot out three huge wind arrows towards the frozen Rhya.
Heaven's Time came undone but Yuno's spell managed to hit Rhya with full force. He was sent flying back into the icy circle, slipping as he fell.
"Good job!" Lucas praised whilst Yuno nodded.
Dike went up to the two and shouted. "What on earth are you two doing? This is my fight!"
The rookie duo were annoyed that this was the response they got for helping out. Lucas stood up to him and told him what they thought.
"It looked like you were in a pinch so we had to help. This is all of our fight!" Lucas shouted back.
"Even if you weren't in trouble, do you really think Magic Knights like us would simply watch from the sides?" Yuno added.
Dike disagreed with what the two were saying. He pointed at the other Golden Dawn who were knocked out. "Your own members did not interfere when Cathbad and Valmoira were fighting, did they?!"
"How do you even know that?" Lucas asked.
Dike shoved past them, moving them to the side and focusing on Rhya who had just gotten up. "Druids can just tell, and you just cannot feel their magic on the battlefield. Besides, it was Cathbad and he would have absolutely refused any human help… I am a bit different but because of what has happened, I am refusing it too! Just… let me fight!"
Dike ran past the two Magic Knights, leaving them on their own.
"Lucas, doesn't Dike seem different to you?" Yuno mentioned, talking to his teammate next to him.
"Yeah, he definitely does. I'm not good enough with my Ki to always pinpoint what others are feeling but just by his movement and body language, you can tell he's angered beyond belief", Lucas replied.
"He did see those other Druids back there…", Yuno added, gulping. "It's not that farfetched to think that he might be being too hasty".
"Yuno, I know what Dike said but I can't stand this". Lucas took a step forwards and brought his hand over his grimoire.
"We were healed through Mimosa so we're ready to go. Once we see an opening, follow my lead". Yuno asked to which Lucas wholeheartedly agreed. "Let's take a step back for now and wait until it's ready".
Dike and Rhya were on the ice but the Copy mage was indifferent at the change. "My Flame Magic can easily dispel this. But… why don't I put this guy down a peg or two? I'm glad he made those other two leave the battle though".
Rhya's grimoire opened up to a blank page and he held his right hand out in front of it. He smiled as he looked into Dike's angry, dark-blue eyes.
"Here it is, Druid. Let us see who can overpower who! Copy Nature-Force Creation Magic: Sword of the Elements!"
Rhya's open palm was filled with a sword's handle and the sharp blade formed afterwards. He span the weapon around his hand a few times before pointing the tip of it towards the watching Druid.
"So, shall we?" Rhya taunted.
"Fire!" Dike shouted, switching his blade into the red flaming one.
"Air!" Rhya responded. His blade disappeared as a steam of air came out of the cross-guard's hole.
The two attacked each other and it looked like Dike was going in for every possible strike that would assure victory.
He would aim for the head, the heart, the chest, but even so, Rhya had the right way of thinking with his sword's element.
He pointed his sword forwards and a gush of air shot out, dispelling the fire sword at every turn. When the air setting hit, the fire went away and that was when Rhya hit Dike square in the head, making him tumble to the floor.
"Looks like this magic is really interesting, Druid. Thank you for letting me copy it!" Rhya laughed. He then was about to stab his opponent on the floor.
Dike bent his body to avoid the sword's blade and used the momentum of his movement to slide across the ground of ice. He twirled in and out of Rhya's range and then used his flaming sword to hit at the Copy mage.
Not dodging this time, Rhya just grabbed the sword on its edge, burning his hand in the process. However, this allowed him to bring Dike up close to him and shove him on the ground with his other arm's elbow.
"This has to be the end!" Rhya declared, thrusting the weapon towards the fallen Druid's face.
"My magic is more than just weapons…!" Dike replied. He turned his head to look directly at the enemy and shouted; "Nature-Force Reinforcement Magic: Safeguard of the Unbroken!"
As he summoned the spell, bits of armour made from materials like tree trunks, vines, and plants covered his body. However, due to his injuries and deteriorating health, because of the previous battle, the spell did not cover all of him.
The force of the spell was enough for Rhya to miss his attack on him and Dike managed to roll away from immediate harm. He picked himself up, panting.
Then, they both summoned the same exact type of spell change. They held their swords out in front of them and shouted; "Earth!"
Both swords transformed into identical copies of each other and each of their sharp blades went for the other's throat. When Dike slashed horizontally, Rhya would block vertically and vice-versa.
"No one can match me in this! All my experience… all the practice I went through was to protect the Druids!" Dike roared. It was like he was a different person now. His previous composure and levelheadedness was thrown away in the moment.
He jumped in the air and brought the sword behind his back. He was attempting to swipe at Rhya with one huge slash and he needed the momentum of his swing to be the focal point.
"You're already injured. Just leave while your life is still intact", Rhya threatened. His blade shot out large, rock boulders from the tip and he successfully hit the Druid who was in the air, sending him crashing down.
Immediately, with no care for his injuries, he stood up again. "I cannot give up. You… you are the reason our vow has been destroyed! You say you did not kill those Druids, but you are the only one that is opposing us!" Dike screamed and then went to attack again.
Rhya shook his head but stayed silent. There was no point in proving his innocence on this particular matter so he didn't even try. Instead, he waited for Dike to get closer.
However, that was when Dike paused and thought about a risky strategy. "It might be time… I have never done this twice in the same day, but with circumstances as they are… I see no other choice!"
He brought his hands together and interlocked them with each other. He closed his eyes and chanted very quickly. "Nature has not been kind to you, O' tortured souls. You were forcibly laid to rest but now… Let thee come to my aid as frozen warriors!"
As he chanted, Rhya wore an expression of amazement. "No way… this guys uses that kind of magic?!"
A blue and purple pentagram opened up from underneath the feet of the two who were fighting. There was unreadable inscriptions in the middle and it looked like there was a dark power at play. The air started to chill and the walls became frozen. Suddenly, a light-blue arm shot out from the ground and revealed something like a troll climbing through.
After a few seconds, four other identical beings came through. However, that was when Dike fell to the floor, coughing in a fit and blood had started to pool out of his mouth.
"N-No! This… is too early!" He slammed his fists into the ground, leaving a little hole in the floor.
Due to Dikes' lack of control on his spell, the icy trolls started to vanish one-by-one until only one was left standing.
"I was a bit worried when I saw you use Forbidden Magic but it really looks like you're some rookie at it. You have been sacrificing your body's health for such weak-level spells?" Rhya mocked. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It was like he didn't even care what was happening and wanted this to be over with. "Do you pride yourself on that type of magic? If so, then you really are useless".
"I shall teach you…", Dike slowly shouted, coughing in the process.
The two of Dike and the ice troll stood side-by-side. Dike brought out the Air sword and gave the ice troll a boost in speed.
The troll turned his arms into a large icicle spike and was going to stab Rhya through the chest.
"Copy Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Breath!" The mirage of the Flame Spirit appeared behind Rhya. It was the same as when he previously used it but this time it shot out flames from its mouth in front and all around him.
The dragon-like creature flew around and melted the troll instantly, making it fall to the floor and burn away in the process. As it burned, the ice-armour melted away and it revealed a Draugr but with a set of antlers on its head.
"You blame me for killing the Druids, but your Forbidden Magic uses the dead ones as tools for fighting". Rhya turned his attention to Dike and repeated the attack. "For some reason, you use dead Druid's as part of your spells? And you think I'm the bad guy?"
The flames melted the ice that Dike had formed around the two, leaving puddles all around. Although, this attack also hurt Cathbad who was lying motionless on the floor. No one had moved him from danger and his body started to burn up.
This attack also managed to wake the Chief Druid up due to how intense and powerful it was, but he still couldn't use his magic or even stand up to fight. He was essentially awake to watch himself die from the flames.
"Oops… I didn't mean for that to happen, but I guess if he does die then it makes stuff easier for me", Rhya yawned.
"You…!" Cathbad said weakly.
At this point, Dike was completely dejected emotionally and also physically. His trump card, being Forbidden Magic, had easily been countered. He, now seeing the Chief burn, chose not to fight Rhya head-on. He decided that saving Cathbad was the right move to make so he just ran past the Copy mage, not paying him any attention.
"Good…", Rhya thought to himself as he let the Nature-Force Druid leave the battle.
Dike quickly picked up the Chief but then fell onto his knees as the strength from his body was fading. This, coupled with his previous injuries, was too much for his body and he collapsed right there and then, leaving the flames to engulf his body.
"Hm… I'll go for the finishing move since I do not want these guys to get up again". Rhya teleported above the two and was going to unleash a bunch of Light Magic to stab both Druids. The Light Swords of Conviction formed in the air and he fired them.
"Now!"
Rhya turned around at the sound of the voice. He saw a flash of yellow light mixed in with some white and grey wind coming towards him.
The Light Magic attacks fired down on both Cathbad and Dike but there was one person in the way who deflected them all with his weapons.
Lucas had brought out his Dual Blades and used them to render Rhya's attacks useless. As the last sword was deflected, Lucas put his weapons back and stood in front of the two Druids, protecting them.
"Good shout, Yuno!" Lucas put his thumb up to the Wind mage who was about to land.
"Yeah, whatever. We are going to be the ones to end this!" Yuno shouted.
Instead of landing next to Lucas, he opted to land behind Rhya. The wind tornado dispersed and Yuno revealed himself by throwing a Crescent Moon Sickle at Rhya's back, almost cutting into it but he managed to evade it at the very last moment.
"Light Reinforcement Magic: Flashing Armour Ritual!" Lucas crossed his arms into an 'X' shape, giving him a defensive boost. He slowly picked up both Cathbad and Dike, taking them to the side where Valmoira was. He let them down and returned to Yuno.
"You're up against us now. Don't think we're the same as the Druids", Yuno said as he stood next to Lucas.
"We have our own plan!" Lucas crossed his arms and smiled.
"Great. I have two guys that can actually pose a problem now… Not because of our strength, but because of…", he glanced at William who also moved a bit, showing he was waking up.
The Golden Dawn duo looked at each other and nodded. Lucas went to the right side of Rhya using his Light Magic to traverse the area, whereas Yuno flew to the left side of him, hovering on his wind platform.
Lucas put his right palm forwards and opposite Yuno. "Time Magic: Alter Accel!" A blue sphere formed around his wrist and then a bigger one around the flying Yuno. It then transferred onto his spell, giving it a blue glow.
"Wind Creation Magic: Crescent Moon Sickle!" The Wind mage used slashes of sharp wind at an increased speed through Lucas's spell to immediately hit Rhya. Again, he was sent towards the floor and was about to use his Light Recovery Magic to heal up.
"Light Recovery Magic: Healing Light P-!" Rhya felt a sharp pain to his lower stomach area. He turned around and he saw the ginger-haired mage with a glowing yellow and blue fist to his body.
Upon contact, Rhya went crashing into the floor as Lucas's Angelic Strike spell was used.
"He's gotten much better with using both of his magical attributes", Yuno said to himself. "Now he's using them both at the same time to increase his own speed and power. It doesn't seem like anything can go wrong now!"
Rhya got up through using his Spatial Magic. He was on the floor one second and then he was standing up straight the next.
"The boy has gotten better, but, honestly, I know what to do against him. It's the Wind mage that I'm going to struggle with since he seems to have endless mana reserves. Oh well, looks like I'm going to do it", Rhya thought to himself.
"Copy Kinetic Magic…", Rhya started and ran towards the two mages. He made sure they were in range before finishing his spell. "… Energy Reversal!"
The copied spell from Draien exploded as he summoned it. Rhya created an intense orange aura that acted somewhat like a barrier. Within a second, he used that as a type of shield by sending both Lucas and Yuno away from him so that he could spare a few seconds to himself.
"Light Recovery Magic: Healing Light Particles!" His body turned yellow and, slowly, his injuries were closing up again. He hadn't used the spell since his fight with Cathbad and Valmoira so he had wounds from Dike as well as now.
"Oh, no you don't! Time Magic: Heaven's Time!" Lucas shouted.
Rhya turned his way and just before he was frozen, he casted another spell quietly. Within a second, he was trapped in time again. The last thing he saw was Lucas on a platform of wind being sent close to him and Yuno just behind him.
"Thanks to Cyrus, I can use both of my magics at the same time, albeit with a limit. But since I haven't done that at all today with any spells, I have plenty of energy for it now!" Lucas pumped his fists together.
Whilst Heaven's Time was active, Lucas whipped his arms back. "Light Magic: Orbs of Blinding!" Five orbs surrounded Rhya and then they exploded.
Rhya's body looked to be unable to move as he fell to the floor. Blood was now spilling out from his wounds but then something happened that changed Lucas's immediate positive mood.
The body disappeared.
"What?!" Lucas shouted, confused.
"Watch out, Lucas! It looks like it's some kind of Illusion Magic!" Yuno warned, reaching his arm out.
However, it was too late as Rhya appeared next to the Dual mage and kicked him as hard as he could down to the ground.
"Close guess, but no. It was Mist Magic and you can thank someone else for that since I copied it from them", Rhya smiled.
"Wind Mag-",
"Oh, no you don't", Rhya waved his finger. He teleported next to Yuno. "Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Black Blade!"
Rhya swung his katana straight at Yuno, attempting to slash his body. Just in time though, the Magic Knight's Wind Spirit used her Sylph's Breath attack to counter. However, since Bell was already using her spell's earlier, Rhya had a plan to counter her as well.
"One of the Four Great Spirits…", Rhya sighed. He teleported away and then brought out the dark blade again, slashing it forwards.
"Since Dark Magic is slow, I can put this sword away and switch my magic to something else. Thankfully, this helps". Rhya switched to Spatial Magic and placed a portal on course with the Dark Magic slash. He placed many other portals around Yuno and caused some confusion.
"Bell, help me out!" The spirit came up next to him and was trying to pinpoint where the Dark Magic was coming from but since Rhya had already used his spell, time was very short and they couldn't do it.
"Yuno, watch out! It's coming from-!" Bell tried to warn but the magic hit Yuno and knocked him into the far wall on the side and he fell to the floor.
Rhya now switched his focus to the Time mage who started to get up. "I'll see if what Licht said is true when it comes to Lucas…".
"Oi, you", Rhya said with a bit of a rude tone. It was different from when he was taunting or mocking others. This seemed like one with ill intent.
"What… is it?" Lucas replied, brushing some of the dirt away from his face that had been trodden on.
"You really are an interesting one, and you're a bit like me. I can use more than one attribute and so can you", he said, pointing at him.
"Yeah, Light Magic and Time Magic. It's not like I'm hiding it". Lucas started walking towards the Copy mage.
"Oh, but you see… that's the thing! You were hiding it weren't you?" Rhya smiled.
"I mean… yes, I was but that's in the past. I'm not ashamed to use it", Lucas responded.
"Not ashamed? I guess that's true, but you were scared of it, right? You thought that if you used it, your childhood abuse would somehow repeat itself even though that's entirely stupid!" The disloyal Third Eye member stretched his arms out and tilted his head upwards to look in the air and laughed.
"Don't!" Lucas shouted. "All he's doing right now is to anger me but I've changed since the Entrance Exam and when Mystic showed me the memories of my abuse back then. I reacted upon my frustrations but I'm in control right now!"
"Hm, no change? I guess I'll…",
"Everyone, are you alright?!"
Lucas turned his head to where the very familiar voice was coming from. His blue eyes saw his fellow squad member in the distance from where he, Yuno, and Dike came from. "No, no, no… this isn't good".
The Dual mage reached out for Mimosa from distance. "Stay back! It's very dangerous right now!"
Rhya started to smile. "You care for her, right?"
Lucas's eyes widened. He knew what the enemy was going to try and do. He could feel it since Rhya was aiming to anger him and if his teammates were hurt, it would be the perfect catalyst.
Rhya teleported with his Light Magic and reappeared in front of Mimosa. "Sorry about this, princess…", he brought out his copied Flame Spirit and was about to attack the Vermillion.
"No!" Lucas shouted. He also appeared by Rhya and Mimosa and stopped the attack with his Dual Blades. "Don't you dare touch her!" Though, in his haste and anger, he couldn't deflect all of the flames and some hit him, making him crash down to the floor where William was laying, awake.
Lucas's head started to bleed as the rocky cave floor dug into the side of it.
"You moved as soon as I did but you're still a bit slow with your magic, aren't you? So much for accepting your magic", Rhya taunted.
"This is between me and you! Don't drag others into the battle!" Lucas shouted, his eyes starting to glow brighter.
"Fine, let's move away from here", he said right before looking at Mimosa in a disgusted manner. Lucas followed him as soon as he moved.
Mimosa was surprised that she was attacked so suddenly, but the one thing she was more worried about was Lucas. "That look in his eyes when he was shouted. It's like when we were at the Awards Ceremony and he defended me from Alecdora… The thing is, this one seemed more intense".
The Vermillion turned back and looked at where she came from. "Sallyanne told me to go on without her since her healing was a bit stronger than mine and that the others might need my help", she turned back and looked around. "The thing is… everyone here is injured or knocked out. I… I'll do the best I can over here!"
She went towards David and Hamon who were the closest and got to healing.
"You want a fight between you and me, you've got it". Rhya smirked as his gaze went elsewhere. "Copy Mist Magic: Clone Traversal!" Multiple Rhyas formed in a circle around Lucas and they all closed in on him.
"There's too many of him, but since they're clones does it mean they all have the same amount of strength?" Lucas turned to one at first and used his Energy Whips at them. Just like he thought, one of the clones turned into dust and disappeared. Then, he used his magic on all of them.
However, when he destroyed the last one it also disappeared.
"That… shouldn't have happened. They can't all be clones and if that's so, then where is the real one?!" Lucas stated. Quickly, he turned around as he read Rhya's Ki again and realised that he didn't stick to what he said.
"A fight between you and me, hm? You never even wanted that!" Lucas realised that Rhya was back where Mimosa and the other Golden Dawns were and saw him ready up a magic spell.
"Copy Light Creation Magic: Light Whip of Judgement! Rhya readied a strong, light whip and aimed for Mimosa who was busy healing the others.
She hadn't even noticed the enemy was behind her because of how quick he was with his teleportation and copied Light Magic.
However, another person did notice and see what was happening. He convinced himself that he would do something to help even if it might not be the best thing to do at that moment.
"World Tree Magic: Magic Warding Ash!" William summoned a small tree beside him and used its thick vines and hard branches to grab onto Rhya's whip that was about to hit his squad member.
Mimosa turned around and gasped. "C-Captain!" She shouted in the middle of her recovery spell on the others.
"You… I mean, I get it but…", he sighed. "This is against orders so I'll make it right". Rhya continued to use his Light Magic and started to break the World Tree Magic up. Though, William wasn't going to be easily beaten.
The Copy mage stopped attacking as he felt Lucas coming up behind him. He also saw Yuno start to get up from back where he had passed out and, so, he started to walk away. All of a sudden, he used Spatial Magic to get closer to Mimosa and finally hit her to the ground with his magic.
"Stop it!" William and Lucas both shouted. Though, the Dual mage was the angrier of the two. He had already jumped in the air and brought out his Dual Blades once again.
The blades were going to hurt Rhya but he grabbed them with his arms and took them away from him, throwing them towards the wall near them. "Copy Kinetic Magic: Double Uppercut!" The enemy then used both arms to hit the angered Lucas and away from him in the direction of where the Dual Blades had landed.
"Oh no! The way he's going to land…!" Mimosa tried to get up but she was too late to help. The way Lucas landed was terrible.
The Dual mage landed straight on the Dual Blades. The weapons were lodged in the wall from when Rhya threw them with the sharp edges stuck in the rocky surface. The force at which Rhya hit Lucas afterwards was so great that he landed on his own weapons, impaling, and digging into his own skin. The right blade dug into his right arm whereas the left blade dug into the middle of his back.
"AHHHHHHH!" He screamed as he landed. He didn't quite pass out but was on the verge of doing so.
"Shit, maybe I went too far", Rhya clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Though, the delicate balance you seem to have achieved with your Light and Time… let's see if I can break that to pieces!"
"What… have you done?!" Yuno shouted at Rhya. He brought out his Gale White Bow and used Bell's help to fight the Third Eye this time.
"Now, I've dealt with him so it's your turn". Rhya turned around and charged at the incoming Yuno. They started fighting around the battlefield.
Meanwhile, William crawled to Mimosa. "Mimosa, are you alright?"
The royal didn't reply but was just staring at Lucas and what just happened to him.
"I don't know what Rhya's plan is here but this is going way too far! The Magic Stone is right there with Valmoira!" William didn't like how events were turning out but it seemed like something was still holding him back.
Mimosa got up as she had finished helping both David and Hamon. Instead of focusing on Alecdora, who had already started to move on his own, she went to where Lucas was and tried her best to help him.
"Plant Recovery Magic: Princess-Healing Flower Robe!" Mimosa adorned her recovery spell as it covered her in green plants and vines, as well as pink and purple flowers. She held her arms over her squadmate to help in his recovery but then she was rejected.
Black and blue sparks started shooting out from Lucas's wounds and they almost hit Mimosa. The royal took a closer look at where the Dual Blades had impaled Lucas and saw his four-leaf grimoire acting frenzied. The spellbook was opening and closing, as well as moving from its front to its back.
"What the…? Why – what is happening? And why did I get the same feeling as when I'm around Asta. He has Anti-Magic and, as far as I know, only he has it. So, why did I feel it here?" Mimosa worried. She tried to heal him another time but failed again.
"Wind Creation Magic: Swift White Hawk + Wind Blades Shower!" Yuno did his Dual Spell Activation and used his hawk to attack Rhya whilst the sharp blades circled it and offered an additional offensive layer.
The wind started to pull Rhya in but he stuck his arm out and formed Dike's elemental sword in it. "Air!" He shouted and the sword transformed upon command.
The sword shot out a strong stream of air and it was countering Yuno's own wind.
"You hurt my friends and you hurt the Druids. You seem to be getting away with a lot of things but one thing you can't do is beat me with wind!" Yuno screamed.
That was when the same sensation happened with Yuno that happened prior in the fight against the Guardian. A thick, yet incomplete coating of mana surrounded the Wind mage giving him a boost in power as well as a backbone for defence.
"Mana Skin?" Rhya mentioned, looking intrigued. "It looks incomplete so that means he's a rookie".
"Mana Skin?" Yuno repeated, not knowing what it was. "I don't know what this is but if it gives me a boost then I'll gladly welcome it!"
Rhya teleported away from him and Yuno followed suit. He summoned his double spells once again and chased the enemy on his wind platform.
"You're not getting away!" Yuno shouted, closing in. Though Mana Skin is essentially a protective barrier and like a reinforcement spell, the confidence that Yuno got from partially acquiring it was helping him in this battle. "There!"
Yuno had gotten close enough and fired both of his spells at the same time. Rhya managed to block a few of the wind blades but the hawk was something else. It hit Rhya square in the middle of his chest and sent him flying.
The Wind mage wasn't going to end it there, though. "Look at the state Lucas is in right now! I'll be stupid to take it easy with you!" As Rhya was falling from the double spell attack, Yuno quickly got in behind him and used another few spells.
"Wind Magic: Tornado Fang + Crescent Moon Sickle!" Another double spell and he used it for maximum offence. Rhya tried to retaliate with a spell but Yuno's Mana Skin blocked it, although it did pierce away some of the skin on Yuno's leg since it was still incomplete.
"Gah!" Yuno shouted but still had the energy to let his offensive spells do the work. The spells hit Rhya once in the back, again, and then at the front, breaking his arm and shoulder, as well as shaving away parts of his torso.
The Copy mage landed in a heap and a loud crash with Yuno right next to him, panting. His Mana Skin disappeared and Yuno's strength and stamina looked to be quite low at this point.
He slowly walked up to Rhya and was about to use some Binding Magic on him when an eerie red aura formed around the middle of his head. The aura pulled itself upwards and it also pulled Rhya along with it, making him float.
"You're really not done?!" Yuno gasped. He took a step back and was going to attack again but then a sinister-sounding voice came from the person he was looking at.
"Ah… you really pushed me to this, human!" Rhya exclaimed. He opened his eyes to look at Yuno but then something else happened. It was terrifying and sent a shiver down the spine of all those who were watching.
Right on Rhya's forehead, appeared an additional eye – a third eye.
To the side of the room, both Dike and Valmoira woke up but didn't have the energy to stand up. They looked at each other and the expressions on their faces were of fear.
"He – that is… Forbidden Magic…", Dike said softly.
The newly-awakened Rhya yawned and then smiled. He went to feel the side of his body but noticed that he had a few broken bones as well as a bit of his torso missing. His black and white hair had slightly spiked up and gotten longer and his body seemed to have gotten bigger too.
"That's rather annoying…", he said as a red circle appeared underneath him. It looked similar to the one that Dike had summoned previously, but this one had more writing on it as well as being bigger.
"Copy Recovery Magic: ፍጹምማገገም".
An otherworldly sounding language came out from Rhya's mouth and the red aura brightened around Rhya's wounds. It replaced his arm and his torso with identical copies and it looked like he had completely recovered.
"No… this was not meant to happen…", William muttered from the back of the room. He had led his team into the cave to get the Magic Stone but this event had completely put his plans into a mess. "Actually, I did know but I wanted to ignore it. Dammit!"
Then, a noise came from Lucas. It was as if it was a response to the change in the enemy.
"N-no… get away from him, Yuno… everyone!" Lucas struggled but the Dual Blades were deep into his skin.
The Dual mage started exerting a monumental amount of force from his body to try and get free. He uses his Light Magic to its absolute max, causing stray rays of yellow sparks to fly. Then, he did the same with his Time Magic which seemed to work a bit. Every time he did this, it looked like he was in terrible pain. His body was jerking about and his head kept moving violently from side-to-side. His eyes were closed and his teeth were clenched. However, it also caused stray rays of blue sparks to fly outwards. His Dual Blades started lighting up and when Lucas used his Time Magic again, something happened.
"It's happening", Rhya said to which Yuno turned around.
"What do you mean?" He questioned.
"Let's just say… you wouldn't want to be around him", he replied.
FLASHBACK – BEFORE THE FORGOTTEN FOREST:
"I'm sending you for this mission, Rhya", Licht turned around to face him.
Licht was staring outside of the window towards the setting sun. The sky was darkening and the birds had stopped singing their songs.
The Light Magic user was in a room with three others, whilst he was stood on a higher platform that them.
"Really? You're sending me to deal with all of that?" Rhya yawned. He turned around and spoke to the other two who stood next to him. "Can't Vetto or Fana go instead? I'm a bit… tired", he said.
Vetto replied and spoke in a deep voice. He turned around and shook his head. "Sorry, Rhya, no can do. I've been assigned to squash some meddling bugs at the Underground Water Temple. I'd like to go to the Forgotten Forest, but only if I had nothing else to do".
"It's just as Vetto says, Rhya. I'm busy with preparing something in the future in regard to a Magic Stone. We all have our jobs and I'm sure you can kill people just as I am going to", Fana replied. Her sea-green eyes staring straight at Licht, showing no emotion.
Rhya got up from where he was laying and scratched his head. "Agh, fine… Though, it is the Golden Dawn. Are you sure you want me to kill them? You know, considering…?"
Licht walked down the set of steps and spoke to Rhya. "Yeah, this is going to be a tricky one but I think you'll be able to do it. There are a handful of talented ones there but the ones who are going to pose a problem are the Wind Magic user and the boy with two attributes".
"Licht, you know I don't care for the details. Am I going to be able to kill or will I have to think up a strategy", Rhya replied, not really caring about what Licht had to say.
"You can't kill them but there is a strategy for the one with Light Magic and Time Magic. Say, you remember the Hybrid rumours, right?" Licht asked.
Rhya was intrigued now. Even mentioning the Hybrids was weird since it had been a long time any of them heard it.
"You know that Hybrids are a bit taboo because of what happened all those years ago, right? But then again, that's what makes it interesting", he smiled.
"Right. So, we know Lucas has Light Magic and Time Magic. He's not from the Diamond Kingdom but is a Clover Kingdom native. This meaning that he has Hybrid blood, especially because his birth seemed to be natural. Hybrids used to be common during our time but after the… attack, they went into hiding. Perhaps they were all killed, or perhaps they simply escaped", Licht explained.
"Which attack are you on about? There was a few, you know?" Rhya asked.
Licht sighed and shook his head. "You know exactly which one".
"Haha, true. So, do I have to tap into one of his attributes?" Rhya wondered out loud.
"The thing with Hybrids is that their emotions are always one change away from going haywire. Present him with something that makes him feel a strong emotion and you'll get what you need from him". Licht started to walk away to take his place on top of the platform once again.
"H-hang on. I need something to go off since I don't exactly know the kid". Rhya stretched his arm out to Licht, signalling him to wait.
"Ah, yes, that's right. Fine, I'll tell you all I know…".
FLASHBACK END
A blue sphere formed around Lucas for a few minutes. During this, everyone watching was stuck still since they didn't know what could happen. It looked like Lucas was just using his Time Magic to try and break free but this blue sphere was completely different. It wasn't like the one he used for Alter Accel or Alter Decel. This one seemed to engulf the actual user of it.
Slowly, the blue sphere disappeared and Lucas appeared from the middle.
Mimosa was right next to him and all she could feel was absolute fear. She was scared at this change and she slowly backed away from her squadmate.
"L-Lucas…", she muttered.
"What… has happened to you?" Yuno said, shocked.
Lucas's grimoire came back to him and floated right next to him. Instead of having a bright yellow front cover like it always had, it was now completely blue just like the back cover. The black lines grew bigger whilst the white lines had gotten smaller.
The Time mage opened his mouth and his voice sounded a bit different with a dark and deeper tone.
"Come on, Rhya, let's have a bit of fun!"
NOTES:
It is here! A little transformation for you guys at the end but let's dial it back first.
Dike's vow, as well as Cathbad's and Valmoira's, has been broken and Dike was very angry. Just like Lucas and Yuno noticed, he was acting solely on emotions.
We then have a tag team with Lucas and Yuno. In my planning notes, I had the tag team be much, much shorter than it is but I wanted to extend it when I started writing this chapter since it is quite a big thing. Then, it split into single battles but I think it had to.
William feels guilty and that's why he reacted but of course, when you see your squad fighting for their lives, something has to change in you.
The third eye of the Third Eye has been unleashed! It was kind of a copy from canon with Vetto but I love the Water Temple arc so much, I just had to have a little reference to it here.
About the Anti-Magic comment: Remember when Lucas's and Asta's grimoire's stuck to each other all the way back in the first chapters? Well, that's all I'll say for now and I'll let you theorise :).
What do you guys think about Lucas?
