The Phantom's Gambit-Chapter 56: Requiem OF the Fallen

The group, thrust into their quest, believed they had been transported to a ravaged community, a scene of a recent demon raid. But, unbeknownst to them, they remained within the confines of the room. Meanwhile, the other contestants watched with bated breath, eager to witness the unfolding drama.

The boy from the Levithan faction was the first to act. The inverted triangle symbol on his forehead pulsed with a white glow as he summoned his sword, channeling it without holding it.

With swift, precise motions, he struck at the encroaching Vermints, cutting through the air with deadly intent. However, his blows seemed to have little effect, as if the Vermints’ bodies were impervious to damage.

The sword clashed against the ground, its strikes futile. Yet, despite this, the boy managed to ward off a few of the Vermints, momentarily holding them at bay as they tried to get back on their feet.

The boy stumbled, his vision blurring as he swayed precariously, on the verge of collapse. He had exhausted eighty percent of his energy in a single, reckless burst, leaving him drained and vulnerable.

Following the previous tournament, some professors had immersed themselves in mentoring, revealing a multitude of strategies to gain a competitive edge. However, they had neglected to emphasize the risks and consequences of employing such tactics, leaving the students to face the risks on their own.

And so he decided to attempt one of the things he had been taught, expecting the Vermints to die immediately, but that just left him battered and weak. With the vermints, still very much onto them.

Amy grasped the arm of the boy from the Leviathan faction, who looked like he was on the verge of collapse. The stylized spiral mark on her forehead glowed brightly as she channeled her healing energy into him.

As his wounds closed, and he regained his footing, Amy rushed to the second boy, a conjurer who was valiantly trying to take down the demons.

"Hold on, I think I’ve got an idea on how to defeat the Vermint," she exclaimed, ducking to avoid a demon’s attack.

With a swift motion, she pushed the demon back, its claws scraping against the ground.

The conjurer seemed uninterested in Amy’s plan, but Nadia’s curiosity was piqued. "What’ve you got in mind?" she asked.

The Leviathan boy whom she had saved drew closer, a mix of confusion, gratitude, and interest on his face. After all, Amy had just saved his life.

"We need to work together," Amy began, but her words were cut short as the conjurer boy was sent flying in their direction. The spokesperson’s voice echoed through the air, announcing they had only two minutes left.

Amy quickly pointed to the conjurer boy, now struggling to get back to his feet. "What can you easily do with your magic?" she asked.

The conjurer boy shot her a stern look. "This is not a task to test what one can do for fun," he chastened, his voice dripping with disdain.

Just then, a demon lunged at Nadia, its claws swiping wildly. But Nadia barely broke stride, effortlessly swatting the demon away with her scarf. Amy’s eyes widened in stunned admiration at Nadia’s seamless move.

She shook her head as if to focus as she noticed more of the Vermints had surrounded them. "I need to know what you all can do effortlessly that wouldn’t risk using too much of our energies so I can come up with a strategy. I am sure the reason they piled us all together is to test our compatibility if we get to the field."

The conjurer boy scowled but exhaled sharply, realizing they were running out of time. "Fine. I Uhm… I specialize in fire constructs. But these demons don’t seem to be affected by direct attacks."

Amy nodded, even though at this point she wasn’t sure how to piece together a plan.

But the Conjurer boy spoke up again.

"And also, this isn’t really important… but I know how to bend the earth."

Amy’s eyes lit up as that sparked an idea. "Great! We can use that." She turned to Nadia, but Nadia beat her to whatever she had to say.

"I’ll keep them distracted," she said, drawing out her scarf and whirling it in a small circle. "But it’d be nice to know the rest of the plan."

Amy turned to the Leviathan boy, who was still recovering from his reckless expenditure of energy. "Can you still fight?"

His face twisted in frustration, but he gave a curt nod. "I can manage short bursts."

"That’ll do." Amy turned back to the conjurer. "If you can bind them, I think I can weaken them enough for the others to take them down."

The conjurer hesitated before raising his hands, his fingers tracing glowing symbols in the air. "I’m not sure about this, I simply figured this out and it was a medium for fun… but I’ll give it my best shot."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Vermints lunged forward again.

Nadia darted into action, using her scarf like a whip, knocking demons off balance and keeping them at bay.

The Leviathan boy, now steadier on his feet, slashed through the air, forcing the creatures back whenever they got too close.

The conjurer muttered an incantation under his breath, and the ground rumbled. Jagged stone spikes erupted from beneath, forcing the demons into a tight cluster. His energy waned as he continued manipulating the terrain, sweat forming on his brow.

"That’s the best I can do!" he called out.

Amy rushed to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I’ll keep you going," she assured him, channeling her healing energy into his fatigued body. A renewed vigor filled him, allowing him to maintain control of the stone prison.

"I think I just figured out how we can take them out completely," the Leviathan boy yelled, getting their attention as he stared at the head that had just cut off the demon’s neck.

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But when he noticed the head reforming its shape and the previous body regrowing a new head, he muttered a defeated "...or not."

Amy looked to Nadia. "Your siren talent — now that they’ve been caged if you unleash— what you do— we might get a chance to destroy them once and for all."

Nadia seemed reluctant but she gave it a shot regardless. "Step back," she told the rest including the conjurer boy.

"If I do, the barrier holding them will fall," he warned.

"Stand back, I’ve got it." Nadia told him.

He dispelled the spell sign he was using to hold up the barrier, hurrying to step behind the others. The Vermints began pouring out again, but Nadia didn’t flinch. Instead, she continued stepping forward, her eyes fixed intently on the demons. She took a deep breath and began to vocalize, unleashing a single, piercing note.

A haunting, ethereal melody filled the battlefield, weaving through the air like an invisible force. The song resonated with power, rippling outward in waves.

The effect was instantaneous. The Vermints shuddered, their bodies trembling violently as the magic-infused song tore through them.

The air vibrated with raw energy, and for a moment, it seemed like the plan was working perfectly.

Then, just as quickly as the effect began, the demons stopped trembling.

Nadia’s melody faltered when she noticed this.

She tried again, her voice soaring to an even higher octave, but it didn’t have any effect. Not even a tremble. The Vermints just kept coming, their vacant eyes fixed on her.

"Why isn’t that working?" Octavius asked Void in a puzzled tone, as they observed the scene unfold alongside the others.

Void’s gaze remained fixed on Nadia. [They’re demons, ] he explained flatly. [No emotions to manipulate. No desire to exploit. And sirens need that to toy with.]

Octavius’s expression betrayed his confusion, but Void offered no further clarification. Instead, he continued watching, his eyes fixed intently on the battle-scarred group.

"Fall back," Nadia heard Amy said but she found herself rooted to the spot. Wondering why her powers hadn’t worked on the vile distasteful creatures.

Amy ran to where Nadia stood still to drag her to move as the creatures surged forward, faster than before.

The Leviathan boy slashed wildly at the oncoming demons, barely managing to hold them back. The conjurer gritted his teeth, trying to reform the rocky barriers, but his energy was draining fast, even with Amy’s support.

"I don’t understand," Nadia muttered, panic creeping into her voice. "My song should’ve torn them apart.."

Amy’s mind raced. Had they miscalculated? Were the Vermints immune to certain types of magic? The realization sent a chill down her spine.

What else were these creatures resistant to?

The professor’s voice boomed from above.

"Enough! The trial is over."

The battlefield froze, the illusion unraveling before their eyes. The Vermints vanished into nothingness, leaving behind only the stunned expressions of the competitors.

Amy clenched her fists, frustration gnawing at her. Even with all their planning, all their strategy, they had still failed.

The professor strode toward them with an unreadable expression. "You did well to work together, but you must learn a crucial lesson—"

He met Nadia’s gaze directly. "Power is useless if you don’t understand your enemy."

Nadia furrowed her brows not sure what that meant.

As the group walked away in silence, Nadia clenched her fists. She felt a familiar feeling of despair.

A memory surfaced from the world she came from, when her peers had called her the weakest link, and wouldn’t let her take over queen mother place as the new queen even though the late queen had made it known she was to be the next ruler.

She thought coming here, she would gain an edge, and be the superior one when it came to channeling powers or talents… as they called it.

Her attention was drawn to the people she walked past saying, "If they couldn’t defeat those demons with that tactic that means there’s no chance of us winning."