As the dust began to settle, revealing Aaron standing amidst the wreckage, his body battered but still standing. His smirk was gone, replaced by a look of grim determination. "You're stronger than I thought, kid," he admitted, his voice low and dangerous. "But this isn't over yet."
Mixarnt landed gracefully, his wooden sword still glowing with mana. "I wouldn't expect anything less," he said, his grin returning. "But don't think for a second that I'm going to hold back."
Aaron, undeterred by the earlier setback, grinned fiercely as he rallied his remaining magical soldiers. "Hehe... Come, my soldiers! Bombard him!" he commanded, his voice filled with determination. The 50 soldiers who had been assisting Ratrat's group quickly regrouped at Aaron's side, their weapons and magic at the ready.
Ratrat, however, was less than pleased. "What the—" he began, only to be cut off as Mitchel's gravity ball slammed into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Mitchel smirked, her cold eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Stay down," she said, her tone icy.
The 200 magical soldiers now turned their full attention to Mixarnt, their advance relentless. Aaron laughed, his confidence unshaken. "This is the end, boy! All of them are advanced soldiers! There's no way you can beat all of them without sustaining damage, hahahaha!" he taunted, his voice echoing through the forest.
But Mixarnt just grinned, his playful demeanor never faltering. He charged forward, his movements swift and precise. Instead of engaging the soldiers head-on, he leaped onto the face of one of them, using it as a springboard to launch himself high into the sky. "You haven't learned your lesson, old man!" he shouted, his voice filled with confidence. "Come to me, Enigma!"
The crowd in the colosseum erupted into cheers as Mixarnt summoned his spirit weapon, the legendary Enigma. The weapon glowed with radiant energy, its power palpable even from a distance. Mixarnt spun in the air, building momentum as he prepared his next move. "RADIANT WAVE!!!" he roared, unleashing a devastating blast of radiant energy that enveloped the entire forest.
The attack was precise and overwhelming, targeting only those Mixarnt deemed enemies. The 200 magical soldiers were vaporized in an instant, their forms disintegrating into nothingness. The force of the attack left the forest eerily quiet, the only sound being the faint crackle of residual energy.
Aaron, caught in the blast, was severely weakened. He staggered, his body heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. He was also out of mana from using his summons, leaving him vulnerable. Mixarnt landed gracefully, his grin widening as he approached Aaron. "Looks like it's just you and me now," he said, his tone light but filled with determination, his enigma vanishing to particles of light as he cracks his hands.
Aaron, despite his weakened state, tried to stand his ground. But Mixarnt was relentless. With a series of swift and powerful punches, he beat Aaron into submission and soon Aaron collapsed, unconscious and battered, his face swollen.
Mitchel, watching from a distance, sighed with a small smile. "Well, that's that," she said, her voice tinged with relief. She walked over to Aaron's unconscious form and began tying him up, ensuring he wouldn't cause any more trouble.
The audience in the colosseum erupted into cheers and applause, their excitement reaching a fever pitch. Mixarnt's display of power and skill had left them in awe, and his victory over Aaron was a testament to his strength and determination. Alyssia, watching from the royal seating area, clapped her hands together in delight. "He did it! Mixarnt is amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with pride.
Elyssia, though still a little annoyed by Mixarnt's earlier flirting, couldn't help but smile. "He is our lover after all, of course he could accomplish such a thing." she admitted, her tone soft but filled with admiration.
In the grand hall of the palace, the nobles and generals were equally impressed. Kalavan, who had been annoyed of Mixarnt earlier, now looked at the screen with a mix of pride and disbelief. "That kid... hehe, well I guess I'll allow that date with my girl, but only if I supervise." he muttered, his earlier annoyance replaced by a grudging respect.
Back in the forest, Mixarnt stood tall, his grin as wide as ever. The battle had been intense, but he had emerged victorious. The final trial was far from over, but one thing was clear: Mixarnt had proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with. Whether facing an army of magical soldiers or a seasoned assassin, he fought with everything he had, and his determination was unshakable.
As the forest grew quiet once more, Mixarnt turned to Mitchel his grin never fading. "Alright, let's finish this trial and show them what we're made of!" he said, his voice filled with confidence.
The remaining members of Ratrat's group, who had been battling Erenesto's friends, froze as they witnessed Aaron's defeat. Panic set in, and they scattered like frightened dogs.
Erenesto's group stood victorious, their determination unshaken. Erenesto himself was panting, trying to catch his breath as he watched the nobles flee.
"That's right! Now get lost!" he shouted after them, his voice a mix of exhaustion and triumph.
Mixarnt, ever the cheerful one, turned to Mitchel with a grin. "Hey hey, Mitch! Is this an alliance? Hehe," he asked, his tone light and playful.
Mitchel nodded, her expression calm but firm. "Yup. They aren't hostile, nor do they want to harm any of us. What's more, they're determined to pass the final exam and become Aether Knights," she explained, glancing at Erenesto's group. She remembered how Micky had thrown his weapon in surrender to prove a point—that their group just wanted to pass and didn't want to cause harm. The other nobles in Erenesto's group had followed suit, and Mitchel had listened, which ultimately led to them helping Mixarnt.
"Nice, nice!" Mixarnt said, his grin widening. "So, who's a healer?" he asked, looking around.
From Erenesto's group, three women stepped forward—May, Julls, and Valentia, all around 16 years old. "We're healers," Julls said confidently. "Unlike the commoners, we can use high-level healing magic, so we're confident we can heal your friend Rise."
Mixarnt's grin softened into a tired smile. "Great, thanks," he said, his voice trailing off as his energy finally gave out. Before anyone could react, his face fell forward, landing squarely on Julls' bosom. Julls squealed in surprise, her cheeks turning bright red. "H-hey! What are you doing!?" she exclaimed, though her tone was more flustered than angry.
The other healers, May and Valentia, couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. Despite their initial dislike for Mixarnt, they couldn't deny his charm and the fact that he had just fought tirelessly to protect everyone. As they looked closer, they realized Mixarnt was sound asleep, his breathing steady despite the chaos around him.
Mitchel sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. "I'll leave Mixarnt to you guys. We'll use the unbroken carriages and wagons to reach Ateria City. Let's go," she said, her tone commanding but not unkind.
Erenesto nodded, his respect for Mitchel evident. "Understood. We'll follow your lead," he said, his voice firm. The group quickly got to work, gathering the remaining supplies and preparing the carriages for the journey.
Meanwhile, some of the men from Erenesto's group carefully carried Mixarnt into one of the carriages, laying him down gently. Julls, May, and Valentia immediately began healing him, their hands glowing with restorative magic. As they worked, their expressions shifted from annoyance to awe.
"H-how can this kid withstand these kinds of injuries?" Valentia asked, her voice filled with admiration as she examined Mixarnt's torn and stretched muscles. "He's practically a walking miracle."
May nodded, her tone thoughtful. "He did take on a General, so it's only natural that he's used to the pain, I guess," she said, though her words didn't fully capture the extent of Mixarnt's resilience.
Julls, still flustered from the earlier incident, couldn't help but smile as she continued healing him. "He's... Kinda weird, but reliable." she admitted, her voice soft. Despite her initial annoyance, she found herself respecting Mixarnt more and more.
As the carriages began moving toward Ateria City, the group reflected on the events that had unfolded. The final trial had tested them in ways they couldn't have imagined, but through it all, they had come together, forming alliances and bonds that would last a lifetime.