The forest was a battlefield of chaos, magic, and shifting alliances. Mitchel, her cold eyes gleaming with determination, continued her relentless assault on Erenesto and his group. Despite their attempts to reason with her, her gravity magic showed no mercy. Erenesto, using float magic to dodge and keep himself and his friends afloat, shouted desperately, "Fuck! ... Mitchel! Hear me out! We won't antagonize your team, we promise! We just want to pass the exam too, like you guys! We do hate Mixarnt, but we acknowledge his strength! We aren't that naive to pick a fight with him or with you! The ones who are aggressive are Kleto's group!"
But Mitchel's response was another gravity ball, slamming Erenesto into a tree with a loud crash. Her glare was icy, her resolve unshaken. "Actions speak louder than words," she said coldly, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Micky, one of the nobles in Erenesto's group, threw his weapon to the ground in surrender. "We don't plan to antagonize you! Please believe us! We also want to pass the final exam!" he pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.
Mitchel paused, her eyes narrowing as she assessed their sincerity. For a moment, the tension hung heavy in the air.
Meanwhile, Mixarnt was locked in a fierce battle with Aaron, the assassin's speed and strength proving to be a formidable challenge. Aaron landed a powerful kick on Mixarnt's wooden sword, sending him flying into a tree. But Mixarnt used the impact to springboard back into the fight, his grin never wavering. However, Aaron wasn't done. With a swift motion, he summoned a barrage of wind blades, fireballs, and lightning bullets, forcing Mixarnt to focus on deflecting the onslaught. In that moment of distraction, Aaron closed the distance and delivered a devastating punch, sending Mixarnt crashing to a tree once more.
"That's what you get for flirting, keke," Aaron said, cracking his knuckles with a smirk.
Mixarnt wiped the blood from his mouth, his grin still intact as he stood up. He noticed that half of Kleto's group, led by Ratrat, had joined Aaron, while the other half, led by Kleto, was chasing after Rise's group. Mixarnt couldn't help but laugh. "Lol, you all look like one happy big family with that old guy as your father," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he provoked them.
Aaron's smirk widened as he raised his hand, summoning 200 magical soldiers, each wielding advanced magic and weapons. The forest seemed to come alive with the sheer number of enemies now surrounding Mixarnt. "Hahaha! Mock all you want, boy. Come and beat that boy up, magical soldiers!" Aaron declared, his voice filled with triumph.
Mixarnt's eyes widened for a moment, but his grin quickly returned. "Oh wow, now you have your own cult, huh? Guess the Hero Xacion loves fighting with unfair numbers, hahaha!" he said, his words sharp and mocking.
Aaron's smirk faltered, his anger flaring at the insult to his master. The audience watching the broadcast in the whole Aetherlight erupted into laughter. The cheers had turned to amusement as Mixarnt's audacity and quick wit shone through. Some in the crowd even began mocking the Hero Xacion good-naturedly, their laughter echoing through the arena.
In the grand hall of the palace, the nobles and generals were equally entertained. Xacion's face turned red with anger as he watched the scene unfold. "That insolent boy!" he growled, his fists clenched.
Kalavan, however, burst into laughter, unable to contain his amusement. "Hahahaha! Don't mind it, Xacion! Like you said, it's PART of the TRIALS, hahahaha!" he teased, clearly enjoying the moment.
Gawain and the other generals joined in the laughter, their amusement only growing as Xacion stormed out of the room in frustration. Kalavan held up a triumphant fist, as if to say, Yes, I got revenge on him!
Sunshine, the youngest in the grouo as Eclipse isn't present sighed at their immaturity. She found herself surrounded by powerful figures who often acted like children, and it was both endearing and exasperating. "Honestly, you're all so childish," she muttered, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
Back in the forest, Mixarnt stood tall despite the overwhelming odds. The magical soldiers surrounded him, their weapons and magic at the ready. But Mixarnt's grin never faded. He knew the stakes were high, but he also knew that he wasn't alone. His friends were fighting their own battles, and together, they would overcome whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Alright, Aaron," Mixarnt said, his voice calm but filled with determination. "Let's see if your little army can handle the Pajama Warrior."
The battle was far from over, and Mixarnt was ready to prove that no matter how unfair the odds, he would fight with everything he had. After all, that's what it meant to be an Aether Knight.
The battlefield erupted into chaos as magic attacks bombarded Aaron's army from the side, catching everyone off guard. Ratrat, who had been leading the charge against Mixarnt, turned his head sharply, his face contorted with rage. "What the hell—Erenesto!? You traitor!" he shouted, glaring at Erenesto, who was catching his breath after unleashing the surprise attack.
Erenesto, his face filled with annoyance, shot back, "I never said I was on your side, Ratrat! We want to pass the exam, unlike you and Kleto, who are just selfish!" His words were sharp, and his gang quickly joined the fray, launching another wave of attacks against Aaron's magical soldiers.
Mitchel, seeing the opportunity, leaped into action as well. "Mixarnt! Leave them to us!" she called out, her voice filled with determination as she joined Erenesto's group in their assault. The tide of the battle was shifting, but Aaron's forces were still formidable.
Aaron, however, remained unfazed. He smirked as he watched the chaos unfold. "Haha, how lucky you are. But they're still outnumbered, boy," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. He commanded 50 of his 200 soldiers to assist Ratrat, ensuring that the pressure on Mixarnt's allies remained intense.
Mixarnt, standing amidst the chaos, grinned as his body began to crackle with black lightning. His Enigma Enhancement surged to 100%, and his presence became almost overwhelming. "So what? I don't know why you're so full of yourself, old man. You're just a bully who picks fights with kids," Mixarnt said, his tone mocking but his eyes filled with a fearsome intensity. "Just so you know, I've already fought two generals in the previous trials. One of them was retired, but both were monstrously strong. You really think I'll get scared fighting you, who's leagues below them? Don't make me laugh. You are the challenger here."
With those words, Mixarnt charged at lightning speed, his movements so fast that even Aaron, with his superior reflexes, was caught off guard. The force of Mixarnt's attack pushed Aaron back, and though the assassin could follow Mixarnt's movements, he couldn't match his speed in his 100% enhanced state.
Mixarnt didn't let up. He launched another attack, this time a powerful kick that sent Aaron skidding backward. Aaron, however, wasn't about to be outdone. "You think you can win with just that!? I have more experience, you brat!" he shouted as Mixarnt delivered another kick, however, Aaron overpowered Mixarnt's kick with his arm and with a swing he sent him flying upward.
But Mixarnt wasn't done. High in the air, he began spinning, building momentum with each rotation. "Take this! Mana Pillar!!!" he roared, swinging his wooden sword down with devastating force. Aaron raised his fist to counter, the clash of their powers creating a shockwave that rippled through the forest.
For a moment, it seemed like Aaron had the upper hand, but then his eyes widened in shock as the ground beneath him was devoured by a massive mana blast. The force of the explosion sent debris flying, and Aaron was engulfed in the destructive energy.
The audience watching the broadcast erupted into cheers and gasps. The sheer power of Mixarnt's attack was awe-inspiring, and even the nobles in the grand hall couldn't help but be impressed. Kalavan, who had been laughing earlier, now stared at the screen with a mix of pride and disbelief. "That kid... he's something else," he muttered, his earlier annoyance replaced by a grudging respect.
Gundrik grins because his combat training was effective.
Sunshine, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but smile. Despite her exasperation with Mixarnt's antics, she couldn't deny his strength and determination. "He really is something special," she said softly, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.