The battlefield lay in ruins, scorched and clawed beyond recognition. The air crackled with tension as the Omega Dire Wolf and Solis faced each other. The beast's dark aura rippled like a malevolent tide, and its crimson eyes glared at Solis with unrelenting hatred.
Solis stood firm, his orange aura blazing like a raging inferno around him. His body was battered and bruised, but his resolve was unyielding. He tightened his grip on his axe, the weapon glowing faintly from the energy coursing through him.
"This ends here," Solis muttered, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his heart.
The Omega Dire Wolf snarled, baring its jagged teeth. It crouched low, preparing to lunge, its massive claws digging into the ground.
Solis inhaled deeply, centering himself. He thought of Tedric's sacrifice, of his father's unwavering belief in him. Their voices echoed in his mind, urging him forward. "Fight for those who still need you."
The wolf leaped, its shadow engulfing Solis as it lunged with terrifying speed.
---
The Final Showdown
Solis sidestepped at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the wolf's claws. He swung his axe in a wide arc, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp hiss. The wolf twisted midair, avoiding the strike, and landed with a heavy thud that shook the ground.
Before the wolf could recover, Solis charged forward, his orange aura trailing like a comet. He slammed the flat of his axe against the beast's side, the impact creating a shockwave that sent ripples through the battlefield. The wolf howled in rage, its dark aura flaring in retaliation.
The beast countered with a swipe of its massive paw, its claws glowing with dark magic. Solis raised his axe just in time, the blade sparking as it met the wolf's attack. The force of the blow sent Solis skidding back, his boots digging trenches in the earth.
The wolf didn't relent. It lunged again, snapping its jaws mere inches from Solis's face. He ducked and rolled, coming up behind the beast. With a roar, he brought his axe down in a powerful overhead strike.
The blade struck true, carving a deep gash into the wolf's flank. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, sizzling as it hit the ground. The wolf yelped in pain, but its fury only grew.
Solis barely had time to react as the wolf spun around, its tail sweeping toward him like a battering ram. He leaped over the attack, twisting midair to land on the wolf's back.
"Enough!" he shouted, his orange aura surging.
He raised his axe high, gripping it with both hands as he prepared to deliver a devastating blow. But the wolf bucked wildly, throwing him off balance. He crashed to the ground, the impact jarring his entire body.
The wolf loomed over him, its fangs bared and dripping with venom. Solis's vision blurred, the world spinning as exhaustion threatened to overtake him.
But then he saw it—Tedric's face, smiling faintly even in death. His father's voice echoed in his mind: "Rise, Solis. Stand when everything else tells you to fall."
With a guttural roar, Solis surged to his feet, his aura blazing brighter than ever.
---
The Somersault Axe Bash
The wolf lunged, its claws extended to tear him apart. But Solis was ready.
He dropped low, spinning his axe in a tight arc that deflected the wolf's attack. As the beast stumbled from the force, Solis planted his feet firmly and leaped high into the air, his orange aura trailing behind him like a fiery comet.
"Somersault Axe Bash!" he roared, twisting midair.
The technique required perfect timing and control. Solis spun his body in a full circle, using the momentum to channel his kinetic energy into his axe. The weapon glowed with an intense orange light, crackling with raw power.
As he descended, he focused all his energy into the blade. The air around him rippled from the sheer force, and the ground below seemed to tremble in anticipation.
The axe connected with the wolf's skull in a deafening explosion of light and sound. The impact sent a massive shockwave rippling across the battlefield, flattening everything in its path. The wolf's dark aura shattered like glass, its body collapsing under the force of the blow.
When the dust settled, the Omega Dire Wolf lay still, its massive form lifeless and broken.
---
The Aftermath
Inside the Academia, the shockwave was felt like a minor earthquake. Students and instructors, who had been taking shelter, stumbled as the ground shook violently.
"What was that?" a villager asked, their voice trembling.
"Is it over?" another whispered, peering cautiously out the window.
Elizabeth stood at the forefront, her expression unreadable. She placed a hand over her heart, her instincts telling her that something monumental had happened.
"I think… it's safe now," she said softly, though her voice carried a tremor of uncertainty.
Slowly, cautiously, the crowd began to emerge from the Academia.
---
A Hero's Grief
What they saw left them speechless.
In the center of the battlefield, Solis knelt on the ground, his axe lying discarded beside him. His body was hunched forward, his shoulders trembling. Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the blood-stained earth.
Before him lay the massive, lifeless body of the Omega Dire Wolf, its black fur matted with ichor. The creature that had terrorized them all was finally dead.
But Solis's tears were not of victory. They were of loss. He tilted his head back, gazing at the sky as though seeking solace in its vastness. The memories of Tedric's death played over and over in his mind, an inescapable torment.
The crowd approached hesitantly, their faces a mixture of awe and sorrow.
Elizabeth had always prided herself on her ability to remain composed, no matter the situation. But as she turned away from Solis, her eyes fell upon the broken body of Tedric—or rather, what remained of it.
Her breath hitched, and for a moment, the world around her seemed to blur. Tedric's lifeless form lay crumpled amidst the wreckage, his lower body crushed and torn beyond recognition. His face, though pale and devoid of life, still bore traces of the man who had been her husband: the stern, protective glint in his eyes, now forever closed; the faint trace of his determined expression, frozen in time.
"T-Tedric…" she whispered, her voice trembling as though the word itself would break her.
Her legs felt like they would give way, but she forced herself to move. One step. Then another. She approached him slowly, her mind refusing to accept the reality before her.
Kneeling beside his body, her hands hovered uncertainly over him. She didn't know where to touch him—what part of him she could hold without feeling the cold, harsh truth.
"No…" Her voice cracked, the weight of her grief crashing over her. "No, no, no… Tedric…"
The memories came rushing back: their late-night conversations, his gruff but gentle encouragement when she doubted herself, the way he always stood tall and unshaken, even in the face of danger. He had always been her strength. And now, he was gone.
Tears blurred her vision as she finally placed her trembling hands on what remained of his chest. "Why?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why did you have to be so stubborn? Why didn't you let someone else take your place?"
But even as she spoke, she knew the answer. Tedric had always been selfless. He had always placed others before himself, even when it meant risking everything.
Her shoulders shook as a sob escaped her lips. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his chest. His body was cold, devoid of the warmth that had once comforted her.
"I wasn't ready for this," she murmured. "I wasn't ready to lose you."
Behind her, the crowd watched in solemn silence, their hearts heavy with the weight of her grief. Solis, still kneeling, turned his gaze toward her, his own tears renewed at the sight of Elizabeth's anguish.
Elizabeth clenched her fists, pressing them against Tedric's chest. "You were supposed to come back," she whispered, her voice filled with equal parts sorrow and anger. "You promised me… you promised we'd grow old together…"
Her words trailed off into silence, and for a moment, all that could be heard was the faint rustling of the wind.
Then she took a deep, shuddering breath and sat back on her knees. Her tears still streamed down her face, but there was a new resolve in her eyes.
Elizabeth looked up at the sky, her lips trembling as she spoke. "You gave your life to protect them, Tedric. You believed in Solis… in all of them. I'll carry your belief with me. I'll make sure they know the kind of man you were."
She reached out, gently brushing a hand over his face, closing his eyes for the final time. "Rest now," she whispered, her voice soft but filled with an aching tenderness. "You've done enough."
With trembling hands, Elizabeth removed the small medallion Tedric always wore around his neck—a symbol of his service and dedication to the Postknights. She clutched it tightly, her fingers trembling.
Turning back to Solis, who was still kneeling in silence, she walked toward him, her steps heavy but determined. She stopped a few paces away, her voice soft yet firm.
"Solis."
He looked up at her, his face streaked with tears.