The group's morale plummeted as they saw their teacher and each other beaten down. The Roblins closed in, their snarls and growls filling the air. Solis, still standing, felt a surge of helplessness and anger swell within him.
"No… not like this." Solis's grip tightened on his sword, his body trembling as memories of his first failure with Pearl flashed through his mind. Guilt turned into rage as he saw his friends and teacher, bloodied and battered, lying helpless.
Then, something inside him snapped.
An intense heat coursed through Solis's body, his heart pounding like a war drum. His vision sharpened.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" He shouts.
He then felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of energy. A fiery orange glow erupted from him, radiating outward like a blazing sun. The ground beneath him cracked as he stood taller, his presence dominating the battlefield.
"What… what is that?" Ada murmured, dazed as she looked up at him.
Even Tedric, through his pain, managed to lift his head. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Aura Release? From Solis? But… how?"
Vaidya stared, his analytical mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "That's… impossible. He hasn't even been trained for this yet!"
Solis's chakra paths had unlocked, and his aura burned brighter than Tedric's had moments ago. He felt no hesitation, no fear—only fury and resolve.
"You messed up with the wrong people!" Solis roared, his voice echoing through the forest. The Roblins hesitated for a split second, their primal instincts sensing the danger emanating from him. But Solis didn't give them time to retreat.
With blinding speed, he darted toward the Roblins attacking Tedric. His sword moved like an extension of his body, striking with precision and devastating force. Each swing carried the weight of his rage, the orange aura amplifying his strength beyond anything he'd ever felt before.
"Get away from them!" he bellowed, slamming a Roblin into a tree with a ferocious kick. He spun, delivering a crushing blow to another that had lunged for Vaidya.
One by one, he cut through the Roblins that had overwhelmed his friends. His movements were fluid yet powerful, each step deliberate, each strike decisive. The intensity in his eyes and the growl in his voice made it clear: Solis was in charge now.
Tedric, leaning against a tree and clutching his bleeding side, could only watch in astonishment. "That aura… his control… it's unreal," he muttered, blood dripping from his lips.
Solis's assault created an opening amidst the chaos. Vaidya, seizing the opportunity, scrambled to his feet and began gathering his scattered books. "I can use a Wind Path spell!" he shouted, flipping to the correct page in his tome. "Solis, buy me a few seconds!"
"Do it!" Solis growled, standing firm as more Roblins charged at him. He met them head-on, his aura flaring even brighter. The sword in his hand moved like steel, striking down any who dared come close. His sheer presence was enough to keep the creatures at bay.
Vaidya finished his spell, chanting the incantation with urgency. A swirling vortex of wind formed beneath him, lifting him slightly off the ground. He directed the wind to carefully carry Tedric, Pearl, and Ada, who were all too injured to move on their own. The spell strained him, sweat pouring down his face, but he held firm.
"Solis, let's go!" Vaidya shouted, his voice strained.
Solis nodded, delivering a final, devastating blow to a Roblin before retreating. He sprinted toward Vaidya, his aura still glowing fiercely. The Roblins surged forward in pursuit, but Solis, with one last burst of speed, leaped onto the Wind Path.
"Hold on!" Vaidya yelled, directing the vortex to carry them out of the forest. The wind roared as they sped through the trees, the Roblins howling in frustration behind them.
---
They emerged from the forest, collapsing onto the open plains under the golden rays of the setting sun. Vaidya dropped to his knees, utterly exhausted, the Wind Path fading away. Tedric groaned as he lay on the ground, his wounds still bleeding but no longer life-threatening. Ada and Pearl were unconscious but stable.
Solis, his aura now dimming, sat down heavily, his body trembling from the exertion. The rage that had fueled him subsided, replaced by a deep, aching exhaustion. He looked at his friends and teacher, battered but alive, and let out a shaky breath.
"We did it," he whispered, his voice hoarse.
Tedric managed a weak smile, his pride in Solis evident despite the pain. "You… unlocked your aura… on your own. That's… incredible."
Vaidya, still catching his breath, gave Solis a tired thumbs-up. "You saved us all… and then you did some....." Viadya wanted to say something more but couldn't as he was out of breath also. And he collapsed over ground to inhale air and relax.
For the first time since the battle began, Solis allowed himself to relax. They had succeeded in rescuing Pearl and surviving the ordeal. But deep down, he knew this was just the beginning of his journey as a Postknight.