Levin thrust his staff forward, his voice sharp.
"Abi Art: Barrier!"
A dome of shimmering energy enveloped both him and Pita. Jett's glowing blade crashed against it with a deafening clang. Sparks showered the field.
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
Each strike chipped at the barrier's layers, the Abi trembling with every impact.
Inside the dome, Pita's face was pale with fear. "Levin! What are we going to do? If we don't stop him, he'll kill us both! This shield won't hold!"
Levin's jaw tightened. "Then I may not have a choice... but to use it."
Pita's eyes widened. "No, you can't! If you use that form, there's no telling if you'll ever turn back human. That power... it's an Artimancer's last resort!"
Levin's voice was grim. "That's true. But pragmatically, what choice do I have? If we die here, the Artimancer name dies with us."
Pita gasped. "Your son will carry the name... will he not?"
Levin's gaze faltered. "Perhaps. But... I'm afraid his mother will change his mind, someday."
He raised his staff, Abi roaring around him. "Grand Mancer... Terra 3"
But before he could finish, the battlefield shook.
BOOM.
A massive steel foot slammed into the earth. The ground split, dust surging outward. Jett, mid-leap, eyes blazing, was suddenly caught.
A spear shot from the massive figure, striking through Jett's side with brutal force. The wire attached dragged him midair, slamming him across the battlefield. His armored body scraped trenches through dirt and stone before smashing into rubble.
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Smoke rose. Sparks hissed.
Levin and Pita's eyes widened. "What, what is that!?"
The towering shape emerged: a mech plated in steel, lenses glowing red. A massive war machine of the Elda Knights.
Jett roared through blood, forcing himself back up, lightning crackling around him. The wire still pierced his body, yanking him forward as the mech dragged him like prey.
"RAAAHHH!" Jett slashed, his sword cleaving the wire in half. Sparks erupted. The chain snapped.
The gladiator knight dashed forward, too fast to follow. His glowing blade cut arcs through the smoke, his speed overwhelming the giant machine.
The mech retaliated, shoulders splitting open. RATATAT! Electro blasts fired in volleys, chasing Jett's blurred figure.
But the Achilles warrior was faster. He leapt high, lightning tailing his blade, and drove it straight into the mech's head.
Metal screeched. Sparks erupted. The machine staggered, pulling the blade free from its own skull. With one colossal heave, it tossed the weapon aside.
But the sword blinked out of sight, then reappeared back in Jett's hand, humming with rage.
"Darn artist..." Levin whispered.
The mech's chest split open again. FWWIP! Two more wires fired, stabbing into Jett's torso.
Electricity surged, roaring through the battlefield. Jett screamed, his body convulsing violently.
Then—
BOOM.
His form exploded into a storm of white Abi, scattering across the field like a thousand burning stars. The gladiator's body disintegrated in the burst, his life force torn apart by the overload.
Silence. Only the crackle of fading sparks remained.
The mech straightened. Its cockpit opened with a hiss of steam.
Levin and Pita awaited the mysterious pilot.
From inside Frodeon, a man spoke.
"Greetings, Artimancers," he said, his voice calm, confident, cruel. "I am Elda Knight Venku."
The battlefield was silent.
And Jett Achilles was no more.
End Chapter.