Chapter 5: Two Lights Against the Darkness
The giant lizard demon roared, its voice hoarse and saturated with killing intent. It lunged at Akkee with a speed unbelievable for its seemingly cumbersome body, its black metallic claws slashing, aiming to tear Akkee to shreds. Simultaneously, the remaining black-clad soldiers unleashed a barrage of energy machine gun fire, pressing in from all directions.
Akkee did not retreat a single step. He stomped his foot down so hard the floor tiles cracked. Brilliant golden flames erupted from his body like a miniature sun, swirling into a massive fire shield that defended against the multi-directional assault. The continuous pitter-patter of energy bullets striking the fire shield was incessant, while the lizard demon's claws raked madly against the curtain of fire.
"Thara! Take care of the remaining soldiers! I'll handle this beast!" Akkee commanded loudly. Despite facing attacks from all sides, his concentration remained unwavering.
Thara responded concisely with action. She raised both hands above her head. Chilling water vapor rapidly coalesced into dozens of large ice chunks, each with a point as sharp as a spear. "Ice Stone Storm!" As she finished speaking, these ice stones shot towards the group of black-clad soldiers who were providing covering fire for the demon, with unerring accuracy.
Cries of pain erupted intermittently. Several soldiers were knocked away by the impact of the ice stones; some were gashed by the sharp ice, leaving deep wounds. Their formation scattered, giving Akkee the opportunity to fully focus on the monstrous beast before him.
Akkee gathered his fiery power into both fists before charging directly at the lizard demon. Fist against fist, claw against claw, the battle was fierce and savage. Akkee's fiery power burned the demon's hard scales, sending up plumes of smoke, while its claws left several deep gashes on Akkee's arms and torso. Fresh red blood began to seep from these wounds, but the young man from the Sacred Realm gritted his teeth and fought on without yielding.
The limitations imposed by the "Heavenly Law" in the Mortal World began to take effect. Akkee could feel his power depleting faster than usual. Maintaining such high-level flames for an extended period consumed an enormous amount of energy, and his wounds were healing slower than they should.
Meanwhile, the sounds of combat from other rooms in the department grew more intense. There were periodic explosions, along with the cries of other power users who were also fighting to protect their families. Their fates were likely no different from Akkee's and Thara's; everyone was desperately fighting an unseen enemy that outnumbered them.
The lizard demon seized an opening when it saw Akkee begin to weaken. It roared loudly and opened its massive jaws, spewing forth a purple-black beam filled with an aura of profound darkness. Akkee's eyes widened as he sensed the terrifying destructive power within that beam. He instinctively raised his arms to defend himself.
Boom!
The purple-black beam struck Akkee's arms directly. The force of the explosion sent his body slamming hard against the room wall, caving it in. Akkee felt a sharp pain wrack his entire body; the arm that had taken the direct hit was numb, almost senseless. The flames around him dimmed noticeably.
"Akkee!!!" Thara shrieked her husband's name in extreme shock upon seeing him severely injured. She immediately diverted her attention from the few remaining black-clad soldiers, turning to help her husband.
That was the moment the human team leader, who had been hiding, seized his chance. He emerged from a blind spot with a new weapon in hand: a high-frequency sonic gun designed to disrupt the internal energy of power users. He aimed the weapon at Thara, whose attention was divided.
"Thara! Watch out!" Akkee tried to shout a warning, but his voice was hoarse and barely a whisper.
An invisible sonic wave shot towards Thara with great speed!
The woman from the Sacred Realm felt a violent vibration course through her body. Her internal vital energy roiled, almost beyond her control. The ice barrier enveloping her and Ar-Chin began to show cracks. A severe headache assaulted her, nearly causing her to collapse.
The lizard demon and the remaining soldiers saw their golden opportunity. They all rushed forward, intending to annihilate this family of power users from the Sacred Realm.
Akkee watched this scene with a heart constricted by anguish. He bit his lip so hard that blood trickled out, gathering every last ounce of his remaining strength. The golden flames began to blaze again, but this time, they were tinged with the crimson of blood. He knew that if they continued to fight like this, there was no way they could survive—not him, not Thara, and most importantly… not Ar-Chin.
In that split second between life and death, Akkee and Thara's eyes met in a look pregnant with meaning. Though no words were spoken, they both understood each other perfectly.