"Greed."
Boom—!
Maybe it was out of instinct, but the moment those words left the boy's lips, Amelia immediately waved her hand, her magic sword materializing in an instant, slashing toward the boy with a burst of energy.
The others flinched and jumped back, taken aback by her sudden aggression.
"Amelia, what are y—"
Belle exclaimed, questioning her impulsive behavior.
"He's one of them! One of the people Brandon warned us about!"
But as the dust settled, the boy stood completely unharmed.
The sword had not even grazed him.
He remained still, a calm smile tugging at his lips.
"You strike without understanding. But to destroy without comprehension.... isn't that the root of all greed?"
The boy tilted his head. On his hand was a rock, which he seemed to have grabbed from the shattered ground.
The rock shimmered faintly around the boy.
No, he was absorbing the mana that still clung to the rock from Amelia's previous attack.
The boy's smile stretched a little wider, his gaze shifting from the rock back to Amelia.
"You give, and Greed takes. That's the cycle, isn't it? You're so eager to rid yourself of power, yet you don't understand what you truly offer."
Before anyone could react, Raven lunged forward, his dagger thrusting toward the boy with a sudden burst of speed.
"He's the Archbishop of Greed!"
Swoosh—!
The others, spurred by his movement, followed suit.
Belle brandished her sword forward, cladding it with light, while Reinhard summoned an array of flames, rushing towards the boy.
Water gushed out from somewhere, and ice bolts rained down.
But the boy didn't flinch. Instead, he casually lifted his hand, and with it, the rock still brimming with mana.
In a single fluid motion, the boy mimicked Amelia's attack perfectly.
The same energy that had failed to hit him before now surged from his hand, a magic sword slicing through the air toward Raven.
"Wha—Ukh!"
Raven, caught off guard, was sent hurling away.
His body hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop several feet away, groaning in pain.
"Raven!"
Amelia shouted, but she couldn't afford to turn her back on the boy.
He hadn't moved from his spot, still smiling that unnerving smile.
"You offer your strength so willingly, and Greed takes it all."
Amelia's magic sword vanished and reappeared in her hand, glowing fiercely as she prepared another strike.
"Stay back!"
She warned the others, stepping forward to engage the boy directly.
After all, she was the strongest one present.
But Belle wasn't going to wait.
With a swift movement, she extended her blade with light, the glowing energy crackling around the edge of her sword.
She leaped into the air, bringing the extended blade down toward the boy with incredible force.
The boy simply raised his hand, absorbing the light energy from her blade before flicking his wrist.
Belle's own light-based attack was thrown back at her, a blinding beam slicing through the air toward her.
She twisted in midair, narrowly dodging the attack, landing with a stumble but quickly regaining her footing.
"I get it now, he's replicating everything we do!"
She growled, her eyes locking on the boy with frustration.
Claire stepped forward, her rapier crackling with purple lightning.
"Then we'll just have to overwhelm him, won't we?"
Without hesitation, she dashed forward, her rapier extending with arcs of lightning.
Amelia followed suit, her swords slashing in tandem with the others.
Reinhard, Rachel, and Amy hung back, supporting with long-range attacks.
Fireballs from Reinhard streaked through the air, while Rachel's ice bolts rained down, and Amy's water tendrils lashed out toward the boy.
But the boy was unfazed.
With a flick of his wrist, he absorbed Amelia's magic once again, twisting the energy into a forceful wave that knocked Raven and Claire back.
They skidded across the ground, barely managing to stay on their feet.
Belle, with her light-imbued sword, slashed downward, aiming for his chest, but the boy caught her blade with his bare hand, stopping her attack mid-air.
"You can't win."
He whispered, his voice low and threatening.
Amelia gritted her teeth, pushing forward.
She summoned another barrage of swords.
The boy smirked, absorbing them effortlessly, but in the chaos, she slipped through his defenses once again, her blade slicing across his arm.
Slash—!
Another graze.
For some reason, it was only her who could manage to bypass his absorption defense.
The boy's eyes narrowed in fury.
"You.... dare...."
He swung his arm, and a shockwave of energy burst from him, sending Amelia flying backward.
She crashed to the ground, gasping for breath as pain shot through her body.
She struggled to rise, but her limbs felt heavy, her magic fading as exhaustion began to take its toll.
Raven reappeared, his [Shadow] affinity swirling around him as he lunged at the boy once again.
Slash—!
The dagger grazed the boy's shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. For a split second, the boy's eyes widened in disbelief.
With Raven's next attack, the boy sidestepped his attack, grabbing Raven by the collar and tossing him aside like a ragdoll.
"Another one...?"
He muttered in irritation. His glowing eyes flickered as he looked from Amelia to Raven.
Claire tried to strike from behind, her rapier crackling with lightning, but the boy caught her blade with ease, sending a surge of energy through it that knocked her off balance.
Belle swung her light-imbued sword with all her strength, but the boy deflected it effortlessly.
Reinhard, Rachel, and Amy launched their attacks from a distance—fire, ice, and water crashing toward the boy in unison.
But he absorbed the elemental magic, twisting it into a destructive force that he unleashed upon them in return.
The trio was thrown back, their attacks rendered useless.
Amelia forced herself to stand, blood trickling from her wounds as she summoned her magic swords once more.
Her vision blurred, but she wouldn't stop.
She couldn't.
"You think persistence will save you? Greed consumes all. Your strength, your hope—it's all mine to take."
The others were all battered, exhaustion palpable in their faces as blood trickled down their forms.
However, it was then.
Boom—!
As if it descended from the heavens, the rain hammered down, each droplet hitting the boy with the force of a thousand storms.
The sheer power of it sent shockwaves through the ground, an explosion of water and energy erupting around him.
Amelia and Raven staggered back, shielding their faces from the sudden downpour.
However, the water didn't just fall. It was moving, swirling and gathering, as if it were alive.
Then, from the depths of the storm, a woman appeared.
Her form seemed to merge with the rain itself, droplets clinging to her as she stepped forward.
The water twisted around her, as if responding to her every thought.
Amelia's eyes widened in shock, recognizing the newcomer's appearance.
"Illya...."