A dangerous smile formed on Elio's face while contemplating the acid-saturated battlefield.
If Lucien could turn the terrain into his weapon, he could convert it into his destruction.
The winged salamander roared, but this time it wasn't wind that emanated from it. Sacred fire expanded in a devastating wave, finding the volatile hydrogen fluoride clouds.
The reaction was instantaneous and catastrophic.
The air itself seemed to ignite. Lucien barely had time to create an interwoven barrier of carbon and steel around his body.
Even so, the explosion reached him, tearing away precious resistance points.
They were tied 1 to 1 now.
Elio, now charged with his complete mana, descended like a meteor toward his mentor. But Lucien hadn't survived so long by being predictable; the air beneath Elio transformed into an explosive column.
Lucien had used his frog to create a direct explosion now, combining hydrogen fluoride with water.
Elio's favorite reaction cost him another point, leaving the match at 2 to 1.
"You're not the only one who knows how to make things explode!" Lucien shouted while launching himself upward with a series of perfectly calculated impulses.
The third hit, which would decide the combat if critical, seemed inevitable.
But Elio's eyes blazed with superhuman intensity, blood beginning to flow as he forced his perception beyond safe limits.
The somewhat broken steel layer covering Lucien became his downfall, magnetic control tearing him from his trajectory at the last instant.
Elio's old trick, the magnetic control he had practiced so much.
The sword passed millimeters from Elio while Lucien was propelled backward...
And then, in a movement painfully reminiscent of his battle with the first leader of the families, Elio reversed the magnetic force. Lucien, still recovering from the initial deviation and his own attack momentum, couldn't avoid being dragged back.
Elio's sword found its mark, a precise strike to the heart that would have been lethal in real combat.
Lucien's consciousness faded.
Elio had won.
The first tree began materializing, its trunk emerging from the newly prepared earth. Each one cost too many mana points for Elio's taste, but the effect was immediate and dramatic. Green began appearing where it had never existed before.
"It's more than decoration," Lucien added, understanding his student's concern. "It's materialized hope."
Diana watched in wonder as the landscape transformed before her eyes. "Children who grow up here will never know a purely white city," she murmured. "For them, this will be normal."
"That's the point," Elio smiled. "Each generation should have something better than the previous one. And if we can use our power to create beauty instead of just destruction..."
The project would continue for days, but they could already see the impact. Passersby stopped, amazed at the transformation. Some cried seeing color in their city for the first time.
It was more than a park. It was a promise that the future could be different, better. And for Elio, it was a way to honor every mana point people contributed, transforming their trust into something beautiful and lasting.
♢♢♢♢
The rest of the group arrived when the first tree already stood majestic against the artificial sky.
Their faces, tired after rigorous training to reach level 10 or the daily locus encounter in Zara's case, lit up at the sight.
"I can't believe you did it without us!" Kriz feigned indignation, though his smile betrayed him. "The city's first tree and we missed it!"
"Always so dramatic," Brok gave him a friendly push. Explore more at M V L
"For once he's right," Mei added, studying the earth base with scientific interest. "It's a historic moment."
Lila approached the tree, her fingers brushing the bark reverently. "It's... real. Completely real."
"Don't worry," Elio smiled, watching his friends' reactions. "There are enough mana points for several more. And this time you can help decide where to place them."
"I vote for putting one right there!" Valeria pointed to an elevated spot.
"Typical of you, looking for the best view," Aria joked.
Ren was already calculating optimal distances between trees, while Kriz suggested increasingly ridiculous ways to organize them.
It was a moment of peace, a respite in their preparations to reach level 10. For a moment, they weren't soldiers or leaders, they were simply friends, marveling at something new and beautiful in their city.
"How many trees do you plan to plant?" asked Zara, positioning herself beside Elio.
"Probably about 10 per year," he responded, watching how his companions animatedly debated the perfect distribution. "The city deserves some color."