Chapter 20: James Stanford Unleashed
The air was electric with tension as Adeath cast the Blood Contract Magic. The Stanforce held their breaths, expecting the worst. But instead of Adeath's demise, Death stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock and rage.
"How is this possible?!" Death bellowed, flames erupting around him. The Corpse prepared to attack, but a shining figure landed in the center of the battlefield, radiating an aura of invincibility.
"I'm the man who will bring Death down," the figure declared, his eyes blazing with solar energy. The light was so intense that it illuminated the darkened room, casting a warm glow over the battle-scarred faces of the Stanforce.
Death's face contorted in fear as the shining man stared him down. "Who are you? This is impossible!" Death's voice trembled, and for a moment, his confidence wavered.
"I'm JAMES STANFORD!!!" the man roared, his voice like thunder. The sound waves from his declaration shook the very foundations of the room, causing the Stanforce to stumble backward in awe.
King Vladimir arrived, a smile spreading across his face. "It's over, Death. You've lost." His voice was filled with a mix of relief and excitement, and his eyes shone with admiration for James's incredible power.
The Corpse launched a desperate attack, but James was unstoppable. He executed the Solar Kick Magic, shattering Terminator's armor and sending him crashing to the ground. Terminator's body was badly damaged, his armor cracked and smoldering from the intense heat of James's solar energy.
Edge tried to slow James down with her gadget, activating a temporal slowdown effect that would give the Corpse an advantage. However, James's Solar Energy Magic protected him, rendering Edge's gadget ineffective. James retaliated with the Solar Burn Magic, engulfing Edge in a blaze of golden flames. Edge screamed in agony as the flames consumed her, her body badly burned and charred.
Zapper unleashed his Super Thunder Magic, only to be deflected by James like an ordinary spell. Zapper stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock and fear. "How can he be so powerful?" he whispered.
Vixen and Reaper combined their magic, creating a Sky Hole that threatened to consume James. But King Vladimir countered Reaper's Blood Thirst Magic with his Blood Cleansing Magic, and James retaliated with a Golden Solar Energy Ball that destroyed the Sky Hole. The explosion was massive, sending Vixen and Reaper flying across the room. Vixen's body was badly injured, her skin burned and blistered from the intense heat of the explosion. Reaper struggled to get to his feet, his eyes fixed on James with a mix of anger and fear.
Death, enraged and desperate, cast the Moon Forbidden Teleportation Spell, a forbidden magic that allowed him to escape with his allies to a different dimension. The air seemed to ripple and distort as Death spoke the words of the spell, and the Corpse members began to fade away.
"No! You can't escape me!" James shouted, but it was too late. Death and the Corpse vanished into the unknown dimension, leaving the Stanforce to ponder their next move.
The Stanforce cheered, relieved and exhilarated. King Vladimir clapped James on the back. "Well done, brother. You've saved us all." His voice was filled with gratitude, and his eyes shone with admiration.
As they celebrated, James's Golden Solar Aura cooled down, and he transformed back into Ian Whitlock. He remembered his past life as James Stanford, and the curse that had killed him as a baby. But Abraham's intervention had changed everything. The sun's rejuvenation magic had reborn him, and Abraham had transferred the sun abilities to baby James, allowing him to live a hidden life.
The celebration continued at King Vladimir's palace, with Queen Archandia, the Archadians, and Samantha waiting to congratulate the heroes. Samantha rushed to Ian, embracing him tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Ian. You're amazing." Her voice was filled with emotion, and her eyes shone with tears.
The night was filled with laughter, music, and feasting. The Stanforce and the Archadians rejoiced in their victory, knowing that James Stanford's return had changed the course of their battle against Death and the Corpse.
As they celebrated, James's eyes shone with determination. He knew that this was just the beginning. The real battle was far from over. But for now, he was content to bask in the joy and camaraderie of his friends, knowing that together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead.