"But I don’t have a habit of leaving my friends behind."
Freya’s body was trembling, not just from the pain but also from the overwhelming emotions swirling inside her. As Lukas stood in front of her, his cold, steady voice cutting through the chaos, she could only stare in disbelief.
Friends… with someone like me?
The thought struck her hard. A lowlife like him? Someone who barely held himself together?Does he even know his status?
Many questions swirled in her mind.
Yet, here he was, standing against a monster to save her.
Despite her ego, wanting to crush the boy before her, a tiny part of her heart couldn’t help but say.
’But… he saved me.’
Her chest tightened, and her mind spun as she clutched the vial in her hand, chugging it down with a shaky breath. Before she could process anything else, Lukas’s scream cut through the air.
"Talia!"
Freya’s head shot up just in time to see the specter’s attention shift. From the shadows, Talia lunged with her dagger, aiming for the specter’s back.
The creature moved unnaturally fast, twisting its elongated body to dodge the strike. Its sharp arm shot toward Talia, but she crossed her daggers just in time to block the blow, sparks flying from the clash.
Freya’s eyes widened as she felt the potion start to take effect, the pain easing and her strength returning. Anger surged within her. She slapped herself hard, the sharp sting waking her from her daze.
"How can my mental strength be this weak?I need to step up" she growled under her breath.
Lukas turned briefly toward her and tossed something in her direction. She caught it instinctively, looking down to see a small charm glowing faintly.
"This is a sun charm," Lukas called out, his voice sharp and focused. "We’ll create an opening. Use your strongest attack with it."
Freya tightened her grip on the charm, her resolve hardening. She watched as Lukas dashed forward, his form blending into the shadows.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
...…
Lukas reappeared beside the specter, his twin blades slashed the air in a rapid arc. The specter twisted its body unnaturally, its elongated arms extending like sharp lances.
"Don’t you fear your life boy?"The specter spoke.
Lukas ducked low, the blades slicing just above his head as he shadow-leaped behind the creature and spoke.
"I do but I can’t say the same about you."
Talia followed his lead, darting in from the side with precise, calculated strikes. Her daggers flashed in the dim light, forcing the specter to defend against her relentless assault. Lukas and Talia moved in tandem, a perfect balance of offense and defense.
The specter snarled, its bony tongue lashing out toward Lukas. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike, and then used Shadow Leap to appear above the creature. With a sharp twist, he brought his blades down, aiming for its head.
The specter shifted its body unnaturally, its torso bending backward at an impossible angle to evade the attack. But Talia was ready. She lunged forward with her daggers forming a cross as she aimed for the creature’s exposed side.
The specter roared, one of its sharp arms swinging toward her. She crossed her daggers just in time, the force of the blow pushing her back several feet.
Lukas’s eyes met Talia’s for a brief moment, and in that instant, an unspoken message passed between them.
Keep it away from Freya. Let her finish this.
Talia nodded subtly, her movements adjusting to match Lukas’s pace. She focused on keeping the specter’s attention divided, her attacks relentless and precise.
The specter growled in frustration, its attacks becoming more erratic. Its arms lashed out like whips, forcing both Lukas and Talia to stay on the move.
Lukas smirked, using Shadow Leap again to appear directly in front of the specter. He feinted left, then struck from the right, his blade slicing into the creature’s shoulder. Dark blood oozed from the wound, but the specter didn’t falter. Instead, it lashed out with its tongue, aiming for Lukas’s chest.
Talia darted in, her dagger intercepting the tongue and deflecting it with a sharp clang. She used the momentum to spin, her second dagger slashing across the specter’s arm.
The specter roared, its body convulsing as it unleashed a burst of dark energy. Lukas and Talia were forced to leap back, narrowly avoiding the wave of destruction.
---
"Freya!" Lukas shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Now!"
Freya tightened her grip on the sun charm, her eyes blazing with determination. She could feel the power surging through her, the artifact resonating with her wind abilities.
It was time to end this.
Lukas’s blade swung with a loose grip, an intentional bait for the specter. The creature took the opening, slamming its elongated arm against the weapon. The sheer force ripped the blade from Lukas’s grasp, sending it spiraling upward.
But before the blade could escape completely, Lukas bent forward in a sudden, fluid motion. Using the momentum of his spin, he delivered a powerful reverse kick. His boot connected with the hilt of the airborne blade, sending it hurtling back like a bullet.
The specter froze, its grotesque eyes widening in shock as the blade shot toward it with incredible speed. It had no time to react. The weapon stabbed cleanly through its jaw, black liquid spurting out like a ruptured pipe.
Taking advantage of the specter’s stunned state, Talia launched herself forward, her daggers flashing as she slashed across its torso. The creature faltered, its movements jerky and disoriented.
Seizing the moment, Lukas dived in, his hands glowing with a dark aura as he reached for the specter. He pressed his palms against its twisted body, activating Soul Reap.
"KykAKK!"
A bone-chilling scream erupted from the specter.
A feeling akin to his soul was torn apart, shredded into fragments and pulled into the void. Its form convulsed violently, its body writhing as though trying to escape the unbearable agony.
But the specter retaliated with ferocity. A burst of dark energy surged from its body, striking Lukas and Talia with a force that sent them flying backward. Both of them hit the ground hard, blood spurting from their mouths as the impact rattled their bones.
Lukas groaned, clutching his side, his vision blurring for a moment. Talia coughed, struggling to push herself up, her daggers trembling in her hands.
The specter screamed in rage, its voice raw and guttural.
"I will kill you! I will kill you all! I will destroy everything! Aaaahhh!"
Lukas wiped the blood from his mouth while his cold eyes narrowed as he struggled to his feet.
"Sorry, that’s not possible," he growled and then pointed up.
"Look up!"
The specter froze,interrupted by a sudden shadow looming over it. It tilted its head upward and saw Freya descending from the sky. Her body was wreathed in swirling winds, blades of air rotating fiercely around her like a deadly storm.
Freya’s expression turned grim as she controlled the huge blast of wind blades.
As she descended, she tore the sun charm apart in her hands whose light amplified her power. The swirling wind around her intensified, forming massive blades that sliced through the air with a high-pitched whistle.
The specter’s confidence shattered. Panic filled its grotesque features as it tried to retreat, its body bending and twisting in desperation.
But it was too late.
Freya unleashed her attack with a roar, a colossal wind blade tearing through the air. The specter had no time to dodge as the attack struck it directly, cleaving through its body. A deafening explosion followed, a shockwave ripping through the surroundings as the blast consumed the creature.
When the dust settled, the specter’s twisted body lay motionless on the ground, its black blood pooling beneath it. Freya landed gracefully, her chest heaving as she steadied herself, her eyes never leaving the fallen monster.
Lukas leaned against a nearby rock, smirking despite the blood trickling down his chin. "Not bad," he muttered, his voice laced with exhaustion.