Chapter 162 [Event] [Enigma Red Dungeon] [23] Golden Awakening



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Also below synopsis

*****

"This is only the beginning."

"R-Ronald!" Aurora rushed to Ronald's side with a pale face, frantically administering a vial to him. She knew it wouldn't be enough, and her worry was evident in her voice. "I-It won't be sufficient, Louisa!"

"Don't let your guard down, Princess!" Morino's menacing presence loomed over Aurora, ready to strike.

But before Morino could attack, a figure suddenly materialized out of thin air and delivered a powerful kick, sending Morino sliding back several meters. It was a young boy who bore a striking resemblance to Aurora.

"R-Ruma," Aurora stammered in astonishment. It was her familiar, appearing just in time to protect her.

The air crackled with energy as Louisa confronted Pyres, her anger manifesting in a way Aurora had never seen before.

"I will ask again. We just want Aurora—"

"Shut it," Louisa interrupted him, her voice icy and filled with determination. With a flick of her hand, the ground beneath Pyres erupted violently.

"ARGH!" Pyres cried out as a rocky protrusion struck him squarely in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Louisa's hand flicked downward, and a rod-like formation descended from the ceiling, aiming for Pyres' head with deadly precision.

"Burn them!" Pyres commanded, his sunfire surging to incinerate the rocky projectiles. However, the rod aimed upward managed to graze his head, narrowly avoiding a critical blow.

As Pyres landed on the ground, he frowned, realizing the extent of Louisa's strength. "She is strong. Extremely strong," he thought to himself, surprised that his sunfire was struggling to burn through mere earth. Despite his supposed advantage against earth, Louisa's inherited Demeter bloodline and exceptional talent made her abnormally powerful. She was renowned in the academy as the strongest.

Louisa turned her attention to Morino, extending her hand. Another thick rod of earth shot out from the ground, relentlessly pursuing Morino.

"What the heck is that?!" Morino exclaimed, leaping away to avoid the rod. However, it continued to track him, refusing to relent.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Pyres made a decision—he would not hold back against Louisa. Facing someone of her caliber, he couldn't afford to underestimate her or save his full strength for the future.

"Sunfire Ball," As Pyres launched a massive Sun Fireball toward Louisa, a wave of scorching heat engulfed the surroundings. Louisa swiftly shifted her attention back to Pyres, her determination unyielding. With a raised hand, rocks and pebbles in the vicinity began to gather and coalesce high above her, forming a colossal earth ball equal in size to Pyres' fireball. With a decisive wave of her hand, the rocky sphere collided with Pyres' fiery projectile.

-BOOOOM!

The resulting impact unleashed a powerful shockwave, hurtling burning rocks in all directions. Both Pyres and Louisa were momentarily knocked back by the force, but they quickly regained their footing and charged toward each other once more.

Louisa extended her hand, and an exquisite sword materialized, crafted entirely from earth. Small, tennis ball-sized stones floated around the sword, enhancing its presence. Pyres, in response, conjured his own burning sword that matched Louisa's in its formidable nature.

The clash of their swords reverberated through the space, causing the entire area to tremble. Louisa and Pyres engaged in a relentless exchange of sword strikes, their movements executed with extraordinary speed. Their blades blurred as they sliced through the air, leaving behind a trail of energy in their wake.

Louisa and Pyres continued their intense battle, their swords clashing with resounding force. Each strike sent sparks flying and reverberated with a deafening resonance. The air crackled with the clash of earth and fire, their opposing elements locked in a fierce dance.

Louisa's movements were fluid and precise, her mastery over earth lending her swordplay a grounded stability. She seamlessly incorporated her elemental powers, augmenting her strikes with surges of earth energy. The rubbles floating around her sword served as projectiles, launched with pinpoint accuracy to disrupt Pyres' attacks and keep him on the defensive.

Pyres, fueled by his Sunfire abilities, unleashed waves of scorching flames with every swing of his burning sword. The intense heat radiated from his blade, threatening to engulf Louisa in a fiery inferno. He moved with calculated agility, his strikes swift and relentless, as he sought to overpower Louisa through sheer force and ferocity.

*****

"Louisa…" Aurora's heart raced with concern as she watched the intense battle between Louisa and Pyres unfold. She couldn't help but worry for her friend's safety. However, she quickly gathered herself, realizing that she needed to take action to protect Ronald, who lay unconscious nearby.

"No!" Aurora exclaimed, her voice filled with determination. In a flash of light, she transported Ronald to a safe location, carefully placing him down. She hurriedly retrieved vials from her bag and began administering their contents to his injured stomach, hoping to stabilize his condition. She wanted to buy time.

"I didn't know that there was a freak like that on this continent."

As Aurora tended to Ronald, her attention was abruptly drawn to a figure standing several meters away. It was Morino, his sinister smile sending chills down her spine. Filled with a mix of anger and determination, she retrieved her golden sword from her space ring, gripping it tightly.

Morino's mocking words cut through the tense air. "A wonderful weapon you have there, but it won't be enough to defeat me," he taunted. With a swift motion, he raised his leg, preparing to unleash an attack.

Aurora's instincts kicked in, and she instinctively raised her sword to defend herself. However, she was taken aback by the sheer force of the blast of energy that came hurtling towards her. Despite her best efforts to repel the attack, she felt a searing pain course through her arm, evidence of the attack's power.

Gritting her teeth, Aurora refused to let her spirits falter. "Ruma!" she called out to her familiar, her voice laced with determination. In an instant, the young boy transformed into a magnificent golden bird, his radiant feathers shimmering in the dim light. Ruma opened his beak wide, gathering a concentrated ray of blinding light.

But Morino was no ordinary adversary. With incredible speed and agility, he managed to evade the incoming ray of light, his movements almost fluid. Aurora's eyes widened in realization.

"Prana," she muttered, her voice filled with astonishment. She had observed Morino's attacks closely and had finally deduced the source of his power. "You're using Prana!"

Morino's surprise was evident as he smirked in response to Aurora's realization. "Oh, so you've figured it out," he remarked, his tone dripping with superiority. "As a native of Sancta Vedelia, I was born with greater strength than all of you from the so-called 'lower' continent."

Aurora's eyes widened in realization. Morino's use of Prana, a powerful energy unique to Sancta Vedelia and some races, explained his heightened strength and speed. It was a stark reminder of the vast differences in power between the continents.

However, Aurora refused to let Morino's taunts deter her. She tightened her grip on her golden sword and focused her energy. With determination burning in her eyes, she took a step forward.

"Being born with strength doesn't make you superior. It's how you use that strength that defines you," Aurora retorted, her voice filled with defiance.

Morino chuckled, his confidence unwavering. "We'll see about that. I'll show you just how vast the gap between us truly is."

He lunged forward with astonishing speed, closing the distance between them in an instant. Aurora swiftly parried his attack with her golden sword, their blades clashing in a shower of sparks. 

Aurora couldn't help but slide back, her body scraping against the ground. The force of Morino's attack was overwhelming, and she knew she had to gather her strength quickly if she wanted to continue the fight.

With a self-assured smirk, Morino lunged forward once again, his fist raised menacingly. "Prana Art, Claws," he declared, his hand slicing through the air and releasing a powerful blast of prana aimed directly at Aurora.

Reacting swiftly, Aurora tapped into her Celesta Mana, enhancing her speed and agility, allowing her to narrowly dodge Morino's attack. Despite the close call, she refused to back down.

"Abandon now, Princess, and your death will be painless," Morino taunted, gesturing towards Louisa. "We might even spare that girl."

Aurora's smile was defiant as she confidently responded, "Louisa won't lose to your friend. It's your comrade you should be worried about."

Morino's eyes narrowed, and a dark aura surrounded him as he opened his mouth wide. "Prana Art," he intoned.

Sensing the impending danger, Aurora took a deep breath, channeling her inner strength. With unwavering determination, she raised her sword in front of her face, closing her eyes momentarily. "Lord Michael, lend me your strength and bestow upon me your blessing," she whispered, invoking the power of her celestial bloodline.

In a blinding explosion of golden light, Aurora's transformation was complete. Her entire being radiated with shimmering golden particles, her hair and body glowing with an otherworldly brilliance. The Celesta Bloodline had fully awakened within her.

With her sapphire eyes tinged with gold, Aurora pointed her sword directly at Morino. "Michael's Holy Ray," she declared, her voice filled with conviction.

Morino's eyes glowed with a faint orange hue as he let out a powerful howl, his own prana art surging forth in response. Dust billowed around them as the clash of Aurora's golden ray and Morino's reddish-grey blast filled the air.

The impact was tremendous, a cataclysmic clash of opposing forces. The ground trembled beneath their feet as the two powerful energies fought for dominance. Both attacks were formidable, each vying to overpower the other.

Gritting her teeth, Aurora tightened her grip on her sword, pouring more of her Celesta Mana into her attack, determined to push through. 

Seeing his attack being slowly pushed back, Morino roared. "AH! Second Phase!" His body began to expand, growing in size before Aurora's astonished eyes. Slits appeared in his once black eyes, now glowing an eerie shade of orange.

A surge of power emanated from Morino's enlarged form, causing his reddish-grey blast to intensify. The force of his attack overwhelmed Aurora's struggling light ray, pushing it back against her relentless efforts.

Realizing the imminent threat, Aurora felt a surge of urgency. "Michael," she began to call upon her celestial ally once more, seeking his intervention.

But before she could complete her plea, a sudden, unexpected interruption occurred. In a flash, a white figure materialized beside Morino, delivering a powerful kick directly to his temple.

The resounding crash echoed through the air as Morino was sent hurtling away, his head impacting the ground and leaving a trail of shattered earth in his wake.

As the dust settled, Aurora's eyes widened in disbelief. The white-haired figure stood before her, clad in a blindfold, his right hand gripping a sublime white sword.

Recognition flooded her senses, and her voice trembled "You... It's you," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.