In a day that had been full of surprises, what they encountered at the end might have been was the most surprising of all. As crazy as the previous areas had been they still felt real, which couldn't be said about the place they were now. The eleven members of Class VII could only stare in shock and awe.
It was a world without color. Everything was either a dreary shade of gray or pitch black. If not for the fact that the other students all looked normal they would think that something had happened to impair their vision.
While the terrain appeared to be similar to that of a desert wasteland, that wasn't what caught their attention at all. It was the thousands of weapons sticking out of the ground all around them. Swords, spears, and other assorted weapons could be identified, all in as mute a color as everything else around them.
To add to the creepy atmosphere there was an ominous wind blowing through that place. Something about it felt unnaturally wrong, and even Gaius was a little unnerved by it. All in all it combined to give the place a very desolate and lonely feeling.
They were shaken from their reverie as Celine meowed, causing Emma to look up with worry. "Be careful! It's coming!"
Before they could ask her what she was referring to 'it' appeared. What it was was unknown, but it appeared to be a massive fiend comprised entirely of shadows. It was somewhat humanoid in appearance, but had to have been at least ten arge tall. Although it had no mouth it let out an inhuman roar that shook them. Alongside it appeared dozens of smaller fiends, similar to ones that the earlier group had occasionally spotted in the previous area.
"Eeeeeek!" All the courage that Elliot had gained over the year threatened to leave him as he stared up at the terrifying foe before them.
He wasn't the only one either. "Is this it for us?" Alisa questioned worriedly as she stared up at the terrifying creature.
"Ugh... How are we supposed to match this kind of power?!" Machias did raise a valid point. It seemed almost absurd to think that they could defeat something that large and powerful with swords, guns, and arts.
"Bah... Even if we bet everything we've got, it might still call our bluff." Although the words might have sounded defeatist, Crow stated it in a matter-of-fact tone as he pulled out his twin pistols and prepared for a fight.
Jusis too appeared of a similar mind. "There's no way out but victory." He stated plainly as he too drew his blade.
Wanting to inspire the more hesitant members of the group, Laura advanced proudly. "Stand tall! We're stronger than our fear!"
"No matter how mighty it is, there must be a way to beat it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a trial." Gaius's calm logic did just as much to reassure them as Laura's inspirational words.
"Target confirmed. Commencing assault!" As did Fie's ability to treat the giant shadow demon lord of doom as just another enemy to be beaten.
Millium... was Millium. "Ahaha...! Looks like I won't need to hold anything back this time! Let's do this Lammy!" As always, her combat shell responded in a way that none of them but her could understand.
While everyone did appear to have their confidence back by this point, Rean still felt the need to make his own statement. "This is it. The final trial." It was a nice thing that the enemy didn't seem all that interested in attacking as it waited for them to make their speeches. "We stand before a great darkness, but remember, darkness can't exist where light is. Let's be that light!"
"Right!"
That being said, they needed more than just a cheesy speech to beat a foe like this. They needed a plan. But at the same time it appeared that the fiend was through waiting so he didn't really have time to come up with something elaborate. "Two teams! One to fight the main enemy and the second to drive back the little ones! Support each other as possible!"
Perhaps it was because he was the one to speak the most, but the trial boss seemed to be headed directly for him. It was intimidating, but he would be lying if he said he didn't want to be on the team fighting the creature directly. Thus did he draw his tachi and prepare for the inevitable struggle.
He briefly considered calling upon his dark power, but decided to hold off on it... for now. This was a trial for Class VII as a whole so he didn't want to rely on it overly much. Still, if he saw a good opening for it or if someone was in imminent peril, he wouldn't hesitate at all.
The familiar sensation of a combat link activation filled his senses and let him know that he was now connected to Emma. He wasn't surprise that she had elected to fight against the main creature given her mysterious stake in everything. He had a feeling that her knowledge and skill with orbal arts would be critical in the fight to come.
He spared a glance to see who else would be fighting alongside him. Laura, Fie, Elliot, and Alisa. Perfect. There was something reassuring about fighting alongside those two that he had come to rely upon for so much. Having Elliot and Alisa along to support them from the back was also a comfort. He also had faith in the abilities of Gaius, Millium, Crow, Jusis, and Machias to hold back the shadow tide.
And that was as far as his musings got him before the enemy was upon them. He wasn't sure what to expect from such a strange opponent, but for it to breathe pure shadow upon them was certainly not it. Nobody appeared particularly inclined to find out what such an attack could do to them, so the entire group scattered away from the attack.
Fie, as usual, was the first to recover from the evasion and turned her gunblades onto the colossal shadow. The idea of the tiny girl hurting the monster with her bullets was almost laughable, but it did appear to respond unfavorably to the attack by turning it's attention to her and swiping at her as a human would a particularly annoying bug. Like most of those bugs she managed to avoid the blow and continued being a pest.
Something which gave an opening to Laura. With a yell and a spin she drove her blade deep into the shadows that comprised their opponent. Again there were no visible signs of damage, but that didn't deter her from her attack. Not wanting to fall behind, Rean also brought his own blade to bear, slamming home a flaming attack with his flame impact.
Seeking to drive away the gnats bothering it, the creature unexpectedly began drawing light to it, which it soon released in an attack that neither sword user could dodge. It was an awful sensation, as if their strength was being seared away alongside their flesh. Fortunately before it could go too far with such an attack it was interrupted by Alisa peppering it with flaming arrows, which gave Elliot the time to use healing arts to assist the two in recovering.
"Are we even hurting this thing?" Although Fie asked that in her normal bland tone of voice, there was a hint of worry in it as she unleashed a full combo of bullets and slashes onto the enemy with little visible effect.
"We are!" Emma hurriedly assured her as she charged her own attack. "It might not take damage like a normal foe, but as a being of pure energy we just need to keep attacking it until the binding fails and it dissipates!" If nothing else, all their weak attacks were enough to provide the class president enough time to finish her Claiomh Solarion, sending one of the most powerful arts attacks she possessed at the shadow creature. That at least seemed to deal significant damage as it roared in pain as the attack connected.
It was impossible to know if this thing felt emotion,but the way it responded to the damage it took hinted at it's annoyance. With but a wave of it's arm another legion of the smaller fiends appeared. Although the other group was able to intercept and draw away most of them, there were a handful that now engaged the assault team.
This created a problem, as it was extremely difficult to attack the big guy while the little ones were firing lasers at them and if they allowed themselves to get distracted fighting the smaller fiends they ran the risk of being blindsided by the more dangerous attacks of the boss. Something which almost happened to Laura as she found herself subjected to shadow vomit as she dealt with a group of assailants.
Rean was alarmed, but thankfully Laura emerged from the attack, but certainly not unscathed. Elliot was quick to rush to her aid so he quickly finished off his current opponent and assessed the battlefield. Fie had managed to get the big guy's attention after it attacked Laura, but was struggling to avoid it while also dealing with one of the little guys. Emma and Alisa were doing their best to support her, but thanks to constant interference were forced to rely on their weaker arts and weapons instead of their more powerful tools. Two others were approaching Elliot who was focused entirely on healing Laura's injuries...
Right, if they wanted to have a chance at victory they needed to take out the little guys and he was the only one in a position to do so. And fortunately for them he had the perfect technique to do so. He shifted his stance into that of the second form. All of his energy went into his feet as he launched forward in his biggest Gale yet. Back and forth he darted, slashing all the fiends has he covered the battlefield with his speed. It was exhausting using that attack to cover such a large area and attack so many enemies, but as he exited the move he determined that it had been a worthwhile endeavor as most of the shadow creatures dissipated away.
A shame he wasn't yet able to achieve true mastery of movement using that technique, as he wasn't able to control where the technique ended and instead ended up right back at where he started. The main boss appeared to realize exactly where he would appear and had prepared accordingly. He just managed to raise his tachi to defend himself when he was engulfed by energy and felt a sucking sensation. After that, all went dark.
"Rean!" Fie wasn't the only one alarmed as their leader was consumed by the beast as both Elliot and Alisa appeared equally horrified. Laura of course felt similarly, as seeing that happen to someone so dear to her was not a pleasant experience, but that fear was tempered by understanding.
But she needed confirmation. She shot a quick look towards Emma and saw the same understanding in the bespectacled girl's eyes. "Is that...?"
"Yes! It's the same as the Nosferatu! It's going to keep absorbing Rean until there's nothing left if we don't free him!"
As she thought. And if it truly was similar to the Nosferatu than it meant they would need a particularly powerful attack if they wanted to free him. Perhaps Emma could pull it off, but it appeared that the foul creature was wary of the president's arts and kept launching attacks of pure light at her. Ineffective at doing damage, but enough to cause her to abort any attempts at getting an arts spell off in time...
No, it had to be her. She was the only one range with the power needed to pierce through the shadow and free her beloved comrade. With no hesitation she closed her eyes and focused all her strength into her blade.
The Laura of six months ago might have considered herself strong, but she now understood that that was a hollow strength at best. If there was nothing else she had learned during her time at Thors it was the true meaning of strength. All the training and skill in the world meant nothing if you lacked the ideals to properly utilize it and the conviction to see it through to the end.
That was something she had come to understand these past few months. Every field study was a new experience for her. Each one a new time to learn. And each one offered a new cause worthy of her blade. Whether it was fighting for something as important as saving the princess from the clutches of terrorists or even something as simple as defeating a beast that was harassing farmers, each of those experiences honed her blade in ways she never expected and gave her new meaning towards what strength really was.
And it wasn't a path she walked alone. She had gained dear comrades from many different walks of life. People she might not have spared a second look to in the past all showed their own form of strength as the class endured one crisis after another. One of them she had even considered to be an enemy, only to later become her dearest and most precious friend. They helped her grow as both a swordswoman and as a human and to them she would freely give everything she had.
And now the one most responsible for these changes was in grave peril and she was the only one who could save him. All of her training. All those causes she fought for. All the people she met and allowed into her heart. All the triumph and tragedy. All of it was a part of her now.
All of it was her strength.
And it was that strength that now freely flowed into her sword. It was that strength that would cleave through the shadow and free Rean. He had said that they needed to be the light, did he not? It was time to show the world her true radiance.
Her blade glowed fiercely as she launched her attack. "Radiant Blade Dance!" Each slash carved through the shadow like it was nothing more than a bad memory, causing the beast to recoil in visible agony. Each swing filled with her resolve and drive to succeed. Each strike unrelenting as she pressed her attack.
It was her final swing, using her entire body, that finally accomplished her goal and forced the fiend to release it's hold on their dear leader. Rean appeared visibly confused when the creature spat him back out. "What happened?" Despite his confusion he refocused his blade on their enemy quickly and returned to battle.
With Rean returned and all of the smaller fiends now dealt with the group was able to go on the offensive. They had a general idea of it's attack patterns so they were able to either avoid or mitigate most of what it could bring to bear. Be wary of it's claws, run when it rears back to spray shadow, endure the light attacks as best as possible, and above all else try not to spend much time directly in front of it lest it decide to gobble you up.
Arts, blades, bullets, arrows. All were sent unerringly at the boss. They even occasionally got support from the other members as it appeared that their battle against the waves of monsters was going well. Emma assured them that it was weakening and that they just needed to keep up the attack to achieve victory...
Unfortunately, if they knew that it was weakening than it certainly did as well. And it had one final trick up it's proverbial sleeves to halt their momentum and deny them the victory they so desperately sought. One powerful enough to turn the tide of battle decisively in it's favor.
At first they thought it was just using it's light attack again, but unlike the earlier times it didn't immediately discharge the energy, instead letting it build up in it's hands. Eventually it became so great that even those without spiritual awareness could feel the sheer power of the light orb as it grew larger and larger. "Everyone, get away!" Rean shouted, but it was too late. With a deadly cry the shadow released the orb and the world was filled with light.
Everything hurt. Those were the dominant thoughts of one Fie Claussell as the light faded from her eyes and she regained her bearings. Thanks to her great speed she was able to make it away from the epicenter of the blast, but even that wasn't enough to shield her from the pain.
Still, she had lived a life of pain, so the current sensations of agony lancing through her body weren't enough to keep her down. Grimly, she dragged herself to her feet as she tried to regain her senses after dealing with the mother of all flashbang grenades. What she discovered wasn't pretty.
If she took this much damage despite making it far away that boded poorly for the rest of the group, and sure enough she saw them all on the ground. Mercifully they all were still alive and weren't critically injured, but it was clear that they were all out of commission for the time being. The others saw their plight and tried to assist, but were stopped as even more of the shadow minions were summoned to bar their way.
Fie always traveled light, so she only kept one healing potion on hand to deal with emergencies and had no healing arts equipped. This meant that she had no way to get everyone back into the fight and she only had a few seconds before they would be finished off. But she knew who did have that capability.
Rushing over, she all but drowned Alisa in the contents of her one Celestial Balm, causing the archer to sputter in shock. Still, it did the job and groggily the blonde girl rose to her feet as she too took stock of the bad situation they were in. "Get everyone back up!" The former jaeger ordered as she shakily took a combat stance.
"There's not enough time!" Alisa did have a valid point as the trial boss and some of the lesser minions were now advancing on the pair of girls.
"You do. I'll make sure of it."
She couldn't help but let loose a wry grin as she turned towards the approaching enemy. It was completely insane. There was nothing to be gained from this fight than to fulfill the combat fetish of some weird building.
The old Fie would never have done something so stupid. There were enough people back in the jaeger days trying to kill her without her making new enemies on her own. Especially for something as simple as... Pride? Curiosity?
And that Fie especially wouldn't do something as stupid as trying to hold her ground as a giant shadow monster of doom and one... make that two of his little minions was barreling down at her, especially with her already being so battered and bruised. Things would have been so much better if she just abandoned Alisa and fought to her strengths. An ambush here, some traps there, perhaps she could even win on her own, given enough time and explosives.
And yet despite her jaeger instincts screaming all these things to her she ignored them and held firm in her resolve. She would hold her ground, protect Alisa, and save the others. It seemed impossible, but this was the new Fie Claussell. One who would fight to protect those who had come to mean so much to her...
Damnit all, she really was turning into a bracer, wasn't she? Sara was probably laughing her ass off wherever she was.
That being said, 'holding her ground' was actually a metaphor as she wasn't stupid enough to remain in this one spot. Better to dart forward and engage the foes on her own terms. Holding off these three opponents at once for any lengthy measure of time was nigh impossible so she had to do her best to get rid of the small fry before one slipped past her.
Fortunately the lasers they fired were well telegraphed and she had little problem avoiding them as she closed the distance. Her bullets weren't doing much damage, especially as she spread her fire to hit all three of them, but they at least ensured that they were focused solely on her and not the girl charging her most powerful healing art some distance away. The big guy started to prepare what she realized was his light attack and a somewhat risky idea sprang to mind.
Instead of backing away to avoid the attack she instead continued closing the distance as she got as close as possible to the nearest fiend. Undeterred, the big guy fired off a blast of light at her. She had expected this, but still prepared herself for the worst regardless.
Happily, she was right in her assessment. The light attacks were quite damaging to the little guys and the act of friendly fire was enough to instantly eliminate the one she had engaged. Unhappily, she had somewhat overestimated it's use as a living shield as the attack blew through it almost instantly, causing her to take quite a lot of damage in return.
Everything was agony. The pain caused her to vividly recall one time when Xeno misplaced one of his traps and she triggered it unknowingly. It was a good thing that Zephyr had good healers. The boss had been so furious that day. She missed them...
No, she had to focus. The boss and the others might be gone, but there were those who were still there who needed her right now. The big guy looked like he wanted to finish her off and more ominously the other little one was turning towards Alisa's direction as it prepared to fire again. She willed her battered body forward. Clumsily she avoided the massive claw that swiped at her as she used all of her remaining energy to ram the other enemy in a graceless tackle.
Clearly it wasn't expecting such a move, as it did little to stop her as she drove both of her blades into what passed as a face before pulling the triggers. The success of her attack was plainly obvious as the fiend dissipated into nothingness. With the two little guys gone she struggled to her feet to face down the main enemy...
Only to scream in pain as a blast of pure shadow engulfed her, sending her crashing back to the ground. She thought she knew pain, but what she was experiencing in that moment was on a wholly different level. She honestly had no idea how she was still conscious.
Still, her spirit remained undaunted and she did her best to rise up once again as she knew the creature wouldn't be standing idle. Yet all the willpower in the world meant nothing when the body failed to respond. She cursed helplessly as her attempts to stand failed. She had promised to protect the others... Had she failed?
"Seraphic Ring!"
Actually no, she hadn't. She was able to buy just enough time for Alisa to finish casting her most powerful healing art. Almost immediately she felt new strength surging into her battered body. While the injuries themselves didn't all go away, it was enough to give her and the others the strength to continue fighting.
In a way that was a shame, as the hard ground was surprisingly comfy right now. After everything they had gone through she was really looking forward to sleeping that night. Thinking about it, hadn't Rean denied her a comfy nap earlier that day? He would pay for that ultimate betrayal. Grudgingly she accepted painful inevitability and rose back to her feet to join the others...
With it's attempts at taking them out with what they assumed was it's ultimate attack a failure, the big shadow appeared to be fighting with a sense of desperation and they had a feeling that victory was near. It was still a dangerous opponent no doubt, as a cornered beast had nothing to lose. But by this point they could read his attacks quite well. Dodge the swipes, endure the light, avoid the shadow breaths, and deal with any summoned minions as they appeared.
Unfortunately, the same could be said for Class VII themselves as the only thing keeping them going at this point was orbal energy and adrenaline. Movements were sluggish and strikes were growing weaker. The finale would all come down to which side had the energy and the will to outlast the other.
And Rean was determined that it would be him.
While he was no longer the same guy who would downplay his efforts into nothingness, he still couldn't help but feel he hadn't contributed nearly as much to the battle as Laura, Fie, Elliot, Emma, and Alisa had. But that was all about to change.
No longer was he one to shy away from the power within. Even if he still knew absolutely nothing about it it was merely a weapon for him to use like any other. And if that weapon could be used to ensure victory and protect the ones he cared about, he would not hesitate.
That being said, he didn't want to overuse it, especially with his body as exhausted as it was. A brief activation followed by his strongest attack would have to do. As the colossal opponent staggered from a powerful water art courtesy of Elliot, the young swordsman seized the opening to search deep within himself for that dark reservoir of energy.
Not only had he learned to control this power thanks to the support of others, but he had even managed to refine it thanks to the technique he learned in master's scroll. While not originally designed for powers such as the one he possessed, he was able to modify the Seventh Form craft into something that worked alongside his dark power, thus enhancing both it's power and his control over it. Something that he was ready to put to the test right now.
"Spirit Unification!"
The familiar sensation of power rushed through his body as he felt the transformation take hold, granting him the mother of all second winds. It was invigorating. It was intoxicating. Even with his improved control and understanding a part of him still wished to bask in that sensation until the end of time, consequences be damned.
Naturally he quashed that part of his mind, instinctively knowing that to give in would spell disaster, for both him and all those nearby who placed their faith in him. It was something he vowed he would never do, no matter how dire the circumstances were. Instead he focused, and controlled the power the way it tried to control him.
Confirming that the foe they were fighting had intelligence, the colossal opponent must have sensed his massive increase in power as it turned to him, deeming him the biggest threat. Not wanting to let him get off whatever he was planning it decided to take the initiative and attack him first.
Or at least that's what its intentions were. Fie and Laura had other ideas. He always knew those two made for a formidable team and seeing them attack in tandem proved it yet again. They didn't hesitate to throw everything they had at the enemy, despite almost certainly being at the end of their energy reserves. Between Fie's quick darting strikes and Laura's ability to exploit any opening with overwhelming force, the two were able to drive the enemy back.
Doubly so once the others got involved. If it was struggling against the two melee fighters, then it was positively reeling once a barrage of arts were added to the mix. It was an unrelenting assault and it wasn't something they could sustain long, but it was obvious that they were placing their faith in his ability to finish it.
He wouldn't let them down. He couldn't.
Although his memory of the event was hazy, he vividly recalled the sickly black flames that coated his blade when he used this technique when he first transformed fighting the giant suit of armor. It was a flame that threatened to consume everything it touched, friend or foe. He had been prepared to see those flames again.
Instead, showing just how far his control had some, the flames that now coated his flames were the same brilliant azure as first seen back in Roer. That wasn't to say the attack was identical, as these flames, drawing upon the vast reserves of potent energy inside him, were far more powerful than anything he could have hoped to create on his own.
The only question remaining is if these flames were capable of burning through shadow. An answer that he was about to discover as he lunged forward with his enhanced speed. The others, realizing that their role in this matter was finished, backed away to give him the space needed to operate safely. The fiend raised it's arms to protect itself...
A futile gesture. Come to find out his flames were far more than sufficient to cleave through the shadow and burn away the darkness. All it took was one good swing of his Azure Flame Slash to finish things. The enemy screeched in agony as the blue flames greedily ate away at it, before dissipating as it no longer held the energy to sustain itself.
With it gone the remaining fiends followed suit almost immediately after, leaving the battlefield empty save for the members of Class VII. With the threat removed, Rean allowed his transformation to fade, with what little strength he had remaining going with it. With his legs no longer able to support him he fell to his knees, but he wasn't the only one as adrenaline faded from the others and they too felt the full effects of the long day take hold of their bodies.
No words were said as the group of exhausted cadets appeared content to silently bask in their abrupt victory. Or at least no words were spoken by them.
"TERMINATING THE FINAL TRIAL... TAKE HEED, AWAKENER... HERE EXISTS A FRAGMENT OF THE GREAT POWER... THE FLAME AND THE JAWS THAT DEVOUR THE WORLD..."
As always, the voice was extremely cryptic and none of them were quite sure what it meant, but the importance of it's statement was undeniable and they recorded it to memory anyways. Their surroundings lit up brightly and they had a feeling that the strange world they were in was fading away. Just before it happened, however, Rean thought he glimpsed something. A word? It was right there at the tip of his tongue and yet...
"Hey. Can you hear me? Pull yourself together!" The next thing they could recall was hearing the annoyingly familiar voice of their instructor.
"Are you all right?" And the far less annoying voice of Towa.
Grudgingly, they all began to stir as they became increasingly aware of their surroundings. Somehow they were back in the Old Schoolhouse, lying on the cold hard floor in front of that massive door that had sucked them in earlier. Not the ideal place for a nap, but given all that had happened none of them were in the mood to complain about it. Everything that happened felt like a dream, but there was no denying the reality of what had transpired. Emma speculated that that last battle had occurred in a dream reality, but the results were still real and the exertion was felt on their bodies.
There was a brief scare when Sara informed them that there would be no festival tomorrow, but that was only because it had just passed midnight and it was technically later that day. A few eyes turned towards Fie as she seemed to be the most likely one to slap their teacher for her awful humor, but unfortunately the ex-jaeger was too tired and merely shook her head while muttering nothing kind about her senior.
They were prepared to return to the dorms for some much needed rest, but just as they were about to depart they were halted by a loud sound. The sound of a door opening. Startled, they turned to see the massive door that had been barring their path slowly reveal it's secrets to them. And what a secret it was.
It was a giant robot, unlike anything they had ever seen before. Even slumped down it was apparent that it might even match the shadow monster they just defeated in size. It was humanoid in appearance and it's design was far different from any archaism or other machine they had encountered thus far. And yet despite all that, Rean couldn't help but feel something familiar as he gazed upon the large robot...
However, as curious as they all were with that revelation, their immediate desire was sleep and not answers. Vowing to investigate further once they had the time, the eleven students of Class VII, their instructor, Towa, George, and Celine all made their way back to the elevator and into Trista. The battle for the Old Schoolhouse might be over, but the second day of the festival promised to be no less hectic...