The Gbahali slowly rose to its feet, green blood dripping down its face. For once, the creature felt fear as it saw Lyra slowly stalk towards it. It tried to retreat, slowly making its way back into a darker area of the woods.
Lyra appeared right next to it, hitting the creature dead in the chest. The creature rolled back to the spot where it was originally struck. Its breath came out in a wheeze, as if its ribs were bruised.
"This was for my friends, you ugly fucking creature," Lyra spat, her red hair matted to her face as sweat continued to fall to the ground.
Lyra approached the creature, intending to finish it, but the creature wasn't done. The Gbahali kicked Lyra with full force, catching her off guard and sending her flying ten feet away into some trees. Sami felt a crack in the barrier that took the damage from the impact, but it couldn't stop Lyra from being thrown into the woods.
"Lyra!" Sami screamed, as he bent over and clutched his head in pain. A throbbing headache made him dizzy, as if a drum was pounding in his head. After a couple of seconds, the pain started to subside, allowing him to stand up straight. He finally noticed that the Gbahali was getting closer to him.
Sami's scream made Gbahali look at him. Sami quickly began to walk backward, freaking out as the Gbahali stalked towards him.
"Oh shit, oh shit," Sami muttered. "What do I do?" He began to fully panic as Lyra still hadn't recovered from the hit that sent her into the woods.
The Gbahali quickly caught up to Sami and slowly raised its hand to attack him. Sami this time used his hand to summon the barrier once again, deflecting the monster attack. A small headache formed, before quickly disappearing as the barrier lowered.
Sami tried to read the next attack as the monster raised its claws. Sadly, the Gbahali moved too fast for him to block. Suddenly, his form flickered, allowing the attack to go through his body before reforming once again.
Sami realized his spells are all about how he thinks, so if he thinks about defending, a barrier will form. If he wants to become intangible, he thinks of being unharmed. Sami wonders if other attacks could happen if he thinks of the words. Something he'll have to focus on for future battles.
Soon it became a dance between the monster and Sami, as he began to get used to fighting the monster, knowing when to deflect and if he can't see the attack, then to go through the attack. Both sides had no advantage over the other as the war raged on.
"My foolish, stubborn grandson," Mercer muttered to himself as he watched Sami from his vantage point in the treeline. Hidden from view in the darkness, only the moonlight illuminated the clearing where the fight had taken place.
Mercer looked upon Sami's trembling form, wondering if anything else might come from this battle. He was amazed at how his grandson had handled the situation so far, having been here since the Gbahali first attacked both Sami and Lyra. He'd been about to step in, but then seeing Sami jump into action and use a spell to avoid damage had intrigued him.
Then seeing him not only shield himself but also shield Lyra was astounding. If he had known his grandson possessed this much talent, he wouldn't have kept him hidden for so long. Even now, watching his grandson retreat, he felt proud of how much he had stood up to a monster for the first time.
In truth, this entire day had been nothing but trouble for Mercer since he lost two out of the team of four trainees he'd sent to check for monsters in the area. He had thought that Lyra, his apprentice, would be able to handle this mission, using it as an excuse to see his grandson for the first time in a year.
In the future, he would have to redo his intelligence network, because this was supposed to be an easy mission. Just to see if there were any monsters in his territories, which usually there are none. Yet they ended up facing an A-rank, borderline S-rank monster.
Granted, his apprentice handled the battle as best she could. Switching to her hammer sooner would have been smarter. Soon, the sound of sticks breaking behind him announced someone's approach.
"General Mercer, sir, I–" Lyra started.
"Are you injured?" Mercer interrupted with slight concern in his voice.
"No, sir, I'm only slightly tired from use of magic, not from injuries taken," Lyra replied. "Honestly, that last attack could've killed me if it wasn't for the barrier the new mage used to protect me."
"Hmm, I see," Mercer said, saying nothing else.
Mercer was lucky she wasn't injured, knowing her family is all but gone. He couldn't imagine having to tell her family that she died too. The weight of leadership isn't easy; every time a life is lost, he personally goes out and tells the family. Sometimes even paying for the funeral himself, as in most cases there's no body to be buried due to the deaths being by monsters.
The three members he assigned to Lyra were supposed to be her new team going forward, all with good talents, all from decent noble families. He thought that she could finally make a friend. Sadly, the death of those two are on him. He was able to save one of them before he died of blood loss. The other two were sadly torn.
Mercer finally turned his attention to Sami. Observing Sami intently, almost ignoring Lyra as he analyzed his grandson's fight. His grandson could clearly manifest those shimmering barriers and that other ability to phase through harm. Shifting between the two was evident, a flicker of intent preceding each use.
Yet, no other spells surfaced, no further magical spells came forth during the end of the battle. Beside him, Lyra shifted her weight restlessly, wanting to eagerly rejoin the battle. Her impatience stemmed from watching her teammates get killed, and wanting to kill the monster in an act of revenge.
A sigh escaped Mercer's lips, a sound heavy with the weight of his decision. As he saw his grandson fall to the ground once again, enough was enough. Seeing that the battle was becoming nothing but a stalemate, it was time to step in.
"I command thee, yield, Vincula Constrictoria!" a deep voice chanted out as a bright red chain circled the Gbahali, forcing it down to its knees.
The Gbahali froze, its red eyes swiveling towards the source of the voice, trying to fight against the chains holding it against its will. Standing at the edge of the trees, a silhouette stark against the dimming light, was Mercer. His posture was rigid, his gaze unwavering, and in his calloused hands, he held an old-looking staff. The whole staff gleamed faintly in the fading light.
Sami's eyes snapped open, relief washing over him in a dizzying wave. "Grandfather!" Sami quickly ran to his grandfather.
Mercer's gaze flickered briefly to Sami, a complex mix of worry and pride etched on his weathered face. Then, his attention returned to the Gbahali, his grip tightening on the wooden staff in his hand. Behind Mercer limped Lyra, her armor mostly gone, leaving her in just her shirt.
As Mercer quietly passed by Sami, he raised his staff as he formed a sharp edge on the end of it before swinging it down, cutting the head off the Gbahali as it slowly rolled across the ground. Green blood splashing all over the place as it died.
Sami didn't notice when Lyra stepped up next to him, his attention fully on his grandfather. With a sharp snap of his fingers, Mercer engulfed the Gbahali's body in flames, officially ending the night of danger Sami had been forced to confront.
Lyra playfully bumped Sami's shoulder to get his attention. "So, grandfather, huh?" she questioned with a teasing grin.
"Haha, yeah," Sami replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I never really had the chance to mention it before, you know, with the whole monster attack and all."
"General Mercer would always take time off during the summer," Lyra explained. "We always wondered where he went. It makes sense now that he is coming to you.
"Yeah, remember that village that was destroyed? Well, it was my hometown, and my parents died during that invasion," Sami said, his voice a little shaky as he thought back on those events. "My grandfather and I usually light candles to honor the lives lost that night."
"I see," Lyra finished lamely, unsure how to respond to that somber revelation.
Before Sami could say another word, Mercer was upon him. His grandfather moved with surprising speed, his calloused fist connecting sharply with the side of Sami's head.
"Idiot!" Mercer barked, his voice low and furious. Sami stumbled back, clutching his head, a look of stunned disbelief on his face. Lyra gasped, her face in shock with how the General was acting.
Sami blinked, trying to process the sudden pain and the unexpected aggression. "Grandfather? What the—?"
"DON'T GRANDFATHER ME! WHY WOULD YOU STAND THERE AND TALK IN THE MIDDLE OF BATTLE AGAINST SOMETHING THAT COULD'VE KILLED YOU EASILY?" Mercer yelled.
"Sir, it's not all of his fault..." Lyra trailed off as Mercer began to look at her.
"Don't get me started on you, soldier," Mercer growled, fully glaring at her as she squirmed under his look. "Not only did you entertain his conversation, but it got worse. You decided to not switch weapons sooner, wasting precious time and energy when you could've beaten the Gbahali sooner."
"You're right, sir. I enjoyed the battle too much when I should've ended it," Lyra said apologetically.
Mercer just shook his head as he began muttering to himself and walking away. Sami and Lyra looked at each other before quickly following behind him. The body behind them turned into full ash as they began their journey out of the woods.
Sami could only wonder how his future could change after this, not knowing that he was chosen for something greater. The ring on his finger made sure that he wouldn't just be a normal soldier for anyone. No, this is just the beginning for the young librarian in his destiny of becoming the Ring Hero.