Chapter 110: The Gathering Storm
The room became entirely still when the Heart of Light's powers started to penetrate Natasha and Alison through a spiritual heat they had never experienced before. The Heart's crystalline aura contracted mildly since it had used some portion of its boundless power. The strength of her body increased while her exhaustion faded and her mind became sharper. On the other side of her stood Alison who displayed a determined posture with his body rigidly fixed.
"It worked," Natasha murmured, staring at her hands, which now carried a faint, golden hue.
Alison closed and opened his fists repeatedly while his expression showed deep wonder. "I feel… different. The burdens of every uncertainty disappeared completely from his being.
Ira moved slowly while observing the Heart and the two young women standing nearby. The Heart of Light has bestowed its power upon you. The power of the Heart is now merged with your own abilities. The power you receive from this encounter has its own price to pay. The tests have finished yet the time for genuine testing approaches.
The ground started shaking when Natasha failed to give any reply. Dust along with loose stones descended from the ceiling of the chamber as a deep rumbling noise traveled through the entire cavern.
"What now?" Dren growled, gripping his sword.
Ira's face turned pale. "It's the Dark Tide. The Heart's energy surge must have become detectable to them during your completion of the trials. They're coming."
Natasha briefly met eyes with Alison. "We don't have much time. The situation demands we must leave this place to unite with our companions against the incoming Dark Tide attack.
Ira nodded, her voice urgent. The Heart selected you before but if it ends up with the wrong persons then all chances for survival disappear. We must defend this object no matter what the cost becomes.
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Dren and the remaining team members received an order from Natasha. "You all know the stakes. A defeat in this battle means the entire world will suffer because they depend on our success. Let's move."
The Ascent to the Surface
The team rushed through the maze of tunnels that provided an exit from the Heart's chamber. The intense atmosphere made each auditory signal seem louder within the overwhelming hush. Natasha took the lead while the Heart's energy elevated her senses.
The dark space sent Alison closer to Natasha because he scanned the darkness for any sign of movement. "How far to the surface?" he asked.
Ira checked the map in her hands while her forehead showed her concern. "We're close. Two more junctions will get us to the surface of the caves.
The tunnel exploded before them when they made the turn causing a massive outpour of rocks and dust. Several figures rose from the wreckage wearing dark broken armor which had green glowing eyes.
"The Vanguard of the Dark Tide," Ira said grimly, drawing her staff. "They're here."
The golden power from the Heart started to glow on Natasha's sword blade as she pulled it from its sheath. "No time to run. We make our stand here."
A wild exchange of swords and magic spells took place between the opposing forces. Natasha's movements during the fight surpassed everything she had previously believed possible as she slashed through enemy soldiers just like a bright beacon in the blackness. Alison joined her combat against enemies while his powerful strikes generated ground-shaking shocks.
Dren and the others maintained the outer positions as their weapons fought against the unending attack of the Vanguard forces. Through his spell Ira created a protective ring of light which blocked the dark magical attacks from the enemy forces.
"We can't hold them forever!" The axe of Dren sliced through yet another enemy while he burst out his command.
Natasha's mind raced. "Ira, is there another way out of here?"
Ira watched the map while she paused for a moment. A risky side corridor stretches up from this point although its structure appears dangerously unstable. The structure faces collapse during our presence inside it.
The situation was more tolerable than suffering complete conquest according to Natasha. "Everyone, fall back to the side passage!"
The team started their withdrawal while using protective positions to move backward. Numerous Vanguard enemies moved toward them as if there were no end to their ranks.
The cavern vibrated violently when they arrived at the side passage. An immense creature emerged before us its entire body shrouded by obsidian armor with two infernal eyes burning from its head.
"A Dark Titan," Ira whispered, her voice trembling.
One of the Titans lifted a wide weapon which was a jagged, blackened blade that destroyed the surrounding light. One mighty strike from the Titan caused dark energy to strike the group.
The moment arose for Natasha to react so she lifted her sword without hesitation. Through the Heart's golden energy she created a protective shield that blocked the enemy attack. When the impact struck her it knocked her down to the ground.
"Natasha!" Alison hurried to the fallen girl's side where she found herself.
She managed to stand up despite her statement of being fine. "This enemy cannot be defeated if we stay in this location." We need to force the passage closure to contain the enemy.
Ira started to cast a spell while nodding his agreement. Ira required time to perform the necessary spell that would lower the ceiling.
Alison moved ahead to confront the Titan after making her statement.
Natasha grabbed his arm. "You're not doing this alone."
He gave her a small smile. "Didn't plan to."
The Titan moved forward while the two of them maintained their positions beside each other with their weapons emitting radiant Heart light.
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The Collapse
The Titan roared by driving its blade into the floor which produced powerful vibrations through the passage. The two warriors used their perfectly timed movements to dodge the blow. The entity retreated because two coordinated attacks from their group made it stumble.
"Ira, now would be a good time!" Natasha managed to avoid an attack by calling out to the others.
"Almost there!" Ira finished her spell while her hands glowed brightly from the enchantment.
The ceiling of the passage started breaking down along with its crumbling state. The creature ignored the falling rocks because it maintained its fixed stare at Natasha and Alison.
"We need to draw it into the center of the passage," Alison said.
Natasha nodded. "On my signal, we hit it together."
When the Titan prepared to strike again Natasha and Alison rushed forward to engage their weapons with its armored body which created a dazzling golden flash. The creature experienced severe agony which caused it to fall into the center of the passage.
"Now!" Natasha shouted.
The spellcasting of Ira resulted in the collapse of the ceiling which created a loud crashing noise. A violent earthquake rocked the ground while dust along with other debris floated throughout the air.
The passage became totally blocked by rock while the Titan remained buried under massive amounts of stone.
Everyone in the group paused to catch their breath while standing there.
"Is everyone okay?" Natasha asked, her voice hoarse.
Dren nodded, his expression grim. "For now. The first part of this battle would prove to be only the start of what lay ahead. The Dark Tide has set its sights on obtaining the Heart and will persist until they achieve this goal.
Natasha looked at Alison while he rested his sword on the ground yet remained safe from injury. "Then we won't stop either. Let's keep moving."
The battle with the Titan left Natasha with a strong impression that worse challenges awaited their surface ascent. But with Alison and her team by her side, she felt a spark of hope.
The Heart of Light had chosen them, and they would not fail.