บท 75: post battle
The crew slowly converged in the center of Demon Lord Achlys's crumbling fortress. The once-imposing structure now groaned under the weight of its own destruction, walls cracked, floors littered with debris, and the skies finally clearing after Achlys's defeat. Each member of the crew—bruised, battered, and weary—dragged themselves back to the meeting point, where Yuma stood, still catching his breath after his climactic battle with Achlys.
"We made it, I'm one step closer to my goal" Yuma wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze distant for a moment, still feeling the echo of the storm that had raged around him. He didn't even flinch as a familiar voice called out from the shadows.
"You look like you've been through the underworld" Cani appeared first, emerging from the shattered remnants of a doorway. Her blonde hair, wild and disheveled, was streaked with soot from her fiery battle, but her eyes still gleamed with sharp determination. She gave Yuma a smirk, though her steps were slower than usual, her body aching from the intense fight.
"But I guess we all do." Yuma nodded, his usual confidence subdued as he glanced over at her, then gave a slight grin.
"I could say the same about you." Cani was about to retort when a loud crash echoed from the other side of the courtyard. Ika pushing off some rubble and walking out. Only his left arm was large and green.
"Ika!" Cani yelled, rushing over as Ika awkwardly tried to shift his weight and not knock anything over.
"I… I can't change my arm back," Ika's deep, monstrous voice rumbled, sounding as terrified as he was massive.
"I don't know how!" He scratched his head with his right hand, looking genuinely confused. Cani sighed, shaking her head.
"Just focus, Ika. You've got this. Deep breaths." With her calming encouragement, Ika took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he concentrated. Slowly, the arm reverted. The transformation left him disoriented and exhausted, but he managed to stand on wobbly legs. His messy green hair clung to his forehead as he looked at Cani, embarrassed.
"I'm... back," Ika said softly, glancing down at his hands as if to confirm he was human again. Cani gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Good job, big guy." Yuma lifts his hand.
"What was that, Ika?" Ika rubs his arm.
"I was born with the Mantra ability to transform into a massive Komodo Dragon…" Yuma nods.
"Oh, okay" Before they could say anything more, a sudden gust of wind rushed past them. Moon appeared out of nowhere, his face calm as always, though his clothes were singed and torn from his battle with Commander Zephyra. His eyes briefly scanned the destruction of the fortress before settling on Yuma, Cani, and Ika.
"Looks like I'm not the last one," Moon said, his voice as soft as the breeze that followed him. He casually leaned against a broken pillar, though the subtle strain in his movements betrayed how taxing his fight had been.
"No, you're just fashionably late," Yuma said with a half-smile, but his voice held a note of relief.
"I think that's everyone…" Cani said, glancing around, though her tone was cautious.
"That's everyone," a voice confirmed, and from the shadows, Boombox emerged, his usual grin plastered across his face. His clothes were slightly torn from his fight, but his energy was intact.
"Man, that was intense. I thought I wasn't gonna make it for a second."
"Yeah, you're never gonna let us hear the end of that, are you?" Moon muttered with a smirk. Boombox laughed.
"You know me too well... But seriously, we did it." The crew exchanged glances, the weight of their victory finally hitting them. For a moment, none of them said a word, simply letting the quiet after the storm settle around them. The sky above was now a brilliant blue, with fluffy clouds drifting lazily across the horizon—a stark contrast to the chaos that had just transpired.
"So… what now?" Ika asked, breaking the silence, his voice still shaky. Yuma looked around, seeing the rubble, the destruction, the echoes of the battles they had fought. His mind wandered for a moment, thinking about the path that had led them here. The unintended consequences of their actions, the suffering of the people they had tried to save, and the darker thoughts that had been gnawing at him for a while now. Yuma exhaled. though there was a heaviness in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"We find the cure and give it to the people," He continued. "Then we figure out where we go from there." Cani stepped forward, sensing the weight on Yuma's shoulders.
"Yuma, we've been through hell and back, but we did it together… We'll figure it out." Moon nodded silently, his gaze sharp as he watched Yuma carefully. Ika, though still shaken, managed to give a small smile, looking up at the sky.
"Yeah, we've come this far. We can't stop now," Ika said, his voice gaining a bit more strength. Boombox, ever the optimist, clapped his hands together.
"And hey, we've still got each other. No matter what happens next, we've got that." Yuma looked at his crew, his friends—the people who had fought beside him, who had risked everything to stand against impossible odds. The path ahead was uncertain, and he knew that their victories would come with their own consequences, but for now, at this moment, they had won. They had survived. And that, for now, was enough. Yuma took a deep breath, his gaze hardening with determination once more.
"Alright, let's get out of here," he said, starting to walk toward the remains of the fortress entrance.
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