The undead warrior raised its massive greatsword high, preparing to strike down upon the recently risen Will.
"Tch! Damn it." Will sneered at it disdainfully.
At the very moment the undead warrior was about to bring the blade down upon Will, a tremendous fireball struck it, sending the warrior crashing to the ground.
"Lisa?" Will looked towards the direction from which the fireball had come, seeing Lisa standing not far away, her arms outstretched, directed at the fallen warrior.
"Will, what's wrong? Have you given up so soon? Didn't you say you wanted to be a hero?" Lisa spoke sternly to him.
"I... I can't match its strength, it's far too much for me." Will said with a sorrowful expression, his gaze falling upon his trembling hands.
"Why compare yourself to it in terms of strength? Strength has never been your forte. What you possess is only a fragment of the Giant's power." Lisa said cautiously, stepping closer to Will. Meanwhile, the undead warrior, having been knocked down by the fireball, had risen again and was now advancing swiftly toward them, retrieving its fallen sword.
"Right, strength was never my strength." Will seemed to begin to understand Lisa's words, muttering to himself.
"Think about how you fought Merlin last time, that golden aura of yours — that is your true power." Lisa stood in front of Will, ready to shield him from the warrior's attack.
"Golden aura?" Will glanced down at his hands.
In that moment, the undead warrior was upon them, its movements swift. With the same brute force, it swung its greatsword toward Lisa. Reacting swiftly, Lisa crouched and placed her hands upon the ground, casting a spell. A wall of earth rose up in front of them, separating them from the undead warrior.
The undead, without thought or restraint, continued its attack, striking the earthen wall with its greatsword. The wall was no match for the warrior's might, shattering effortlessly before it.
"What?" Lisa gasped in astonishment.
Before Lisa could react, the undead warrior swung its greatsword at her again. But now, Lisa stood frozen, unable to defend herself.
"Clang!" The metallic sound of the sword's strike was abruptly halted.
"Wi... Will?" Lisa turned in surprise to find Will blocking the undead warrior's attack with his sword. However, unlike before, a golden aura now radiated from his entire body.
"Now we're even. Heh." Will said with a relaxed smile, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
"Oh, is that so?" Lisa smiled warmly in return.
"That damn golden aura again!" Merlin, watching from a distance, muttered angrily. He raised the Magic Stone once more, sending a ring of purple light streaking toward the ground.
"Come forth." Merlin shouted. From the circle of purple light on the ground, another undead arose. This one wore tattered robes, a weathered hood, and wielded a staff on the verge of breaking. Beneath the hood, there was nothing but a skeletal frame, devoid of flesh.
"Now you're outnumbered, two to three." Merlin sneered.
"No, it's three to three now." At that moment, the battered Jin slowly rose to his feet, looking disheveled, covered in dust with blood still trickling from his nose.
"Jin! Are you alright? Can you still fight?" Will asked, shocked to see Jin back on his feet.
"This little wound won't be enough to take me down." Jin wiped the blood from his nose, his expression defiant.
"Tch, bold words." Merlin, still surprised, sneered after a moment of calm.
"Will, leave Merlin to me. You and Lisa take care of the two undead." Jin said seriously to Will. Will nodded gravely.
"No." Just as Will prepared to charge toward Merlin, Lisa suddenly raised her hand to stop him.
"Lisa…" Will looked at her, confused.
"This time, I'll handle Merlin." Lisa said firmly. Jin glanced at Will, who paused, deep in thought. After a moment, he nodded in agreement.
"Alright, Lisa. Merlin is yours. Be careful." Jin said with concern.
"I will. You both be careful as well." Lisa said, and without another word, she sprinted towards Merlin, who stood behind the undead warriors.
"Stop her!" Merlin shouted. The two undead immediately sprang into action. The warrior charged at Lisa, swinging its greatsword, while the necromancer raised its hand, preparing to cast a spell at her. Sensing the imminent danger, Lisa stopped in her tracks.
"Will, let's go. We'll cover Lisa's safe passage." Jin quickly said to Will, seeing the movements of the undead.
"Got it, I'll take on the one with the sword. You handle the mage." Will shouted back as he dashed towards the undead warrior. He reached the warrior just in time to block its strike.
"Though I still don't understand this golden aura, I can feel that endless surge of power again." Will spoke aloud, effortlessly fending off the undead warrior's attack. Meanwhile, Jin swiftly leapt into the air, delivering a kick that sent the necromancer crashing to the ground.
"Lisa, go!" Jin shouted. Lisa gave him a nod of acknowledgment before continuing her run toward Merlin. Meanwhile, the undead warrior, seeking to block Lisa's path, retracted its sword and took a giant step forward, preparing to strike.
"Will! Block it!" Jin shouted, his foot pressing down on the fallen necromancer, immobilizing it.
"I know." Will sprinted forward, circling around the undead warrior and once again using his sword to block its attack.
"So easy." Will said confidently. As he thought back to moments earlier, he recalled how he had nearly collapsed in sweat from a single blow from the undead warrior. Now, he was effortlessly fending off its strikes.
"What is this aura?" Merlin watched, growing increasingly disturbed as Will easily deflected the undead warrior's attacks. As a well-traveled and knowledgeable mage, Merlin had never encountered such a force. It seemed to radiate warmth, yet to him, it was a power he despised.
After two failed attempts, the armored undead warrior let out a furious roar. Enraged, it began to strike wildly at Will, slashing its greatsword as though it had lost all control.
...
"Ah, so you've finally come." Merlin said smugly, watching as Lisa approached him.
"Merlin, you've already lost!" Lisa admonished.
"Lost? Hmph, come then, show me how you intend to defeat me." Merlin taunted.