Chapter 33: The Leader's Core
The hall danced with chaos. Crimson mana shards unleashed by the Leader slammed into the walls and floor, turning solid stone into explosive dust. Kaelen rolled and dodged, feeling the searing energy pass by him. The Mana Core fragment in his hand pulsed wildly, its blue light glowing stubbornly against the oppressive red aura of the Leader.
"Emily, now!" Kaelen roared, his voice barely audible over the din.
Emily, eyes squeezed shut in concentration, poured every ounce of her remaining mana into the fragment. The blue light intensified, quickening into rapid pulses, like a small heart beating to life. The Leader shuddered, emitting a high-pitched whine, its obsidian form violently flickering. It seemed to be in pain, something it hadn't displayed before.
[Warning: Leader is experiencing 'Critical Mana Feedback'!] [Leader's 'Mana Core System' is under immense strain!]
Kaelen seized the moment. He surged forward, ignoring the burning pain in his arm and his exhaustion. The Leader was still shuddering, but it was beginning to regain its composure, its crimson eyes flickering with growing rage. Kaelen knew this was his only chance.
"This is for you!" Kaelen snarled, brandishing the fragment. He had no precise plan, only a primal instinct to strike the creature with the very thing that seemed to bother it the most.
In a desperate leap, Kaelen launched himself forward, using the last shred of his strength. He brought the Mana Core fragment up over his head, then plunged it down with all his might towards the Leader's chest, to the point where the orbiting crystals converged.
The fragment struck with a jarring impact, not a metallic clang, but a strange, splintering sound, as if something brittle had shattered. A blinding blue light exploded from the point of impact, engulfing the entire hall. The Leader shrieked, a cry that wasn't just a whine, but a true scream of agony, echoing in their ears.
Kaelen was thrown back by the force of the impact, landing hard on the ground, his eyes squeezed shut against the brilliant light. When he opened them again, the sight before him was astonishing.
The Leader was convulsing violently, its obsidian form cracking. The orbiting crystals were no longer spinning; instead, they were falling, shattering on the ground with a resonant chime. The crimson light in its eyes dimmed, replaced by a faint, dying glow.
Then, with agonizing slowness, the Leader began to collapse. It didn't turn to dust like the other Guardians. Instead, its obsidian body crumbled, disintegrating into large shards of glistening black stone. In the heart of the collapse, where Kaelen had struck, a large Mana Core, far bigger than the fragment Kaelen held, glowed a deep, vibrant blue.
[Leader Destroyed!] [Main Mana Core Recovered!]
Kaelen gasped for breath, staring at the glowing blue core. He had done it. They had defeated the Leader.