"Mother!"
Gugum's cry pierced the calm of the valley like the scream of an eagle, his figure bursting from the forest's edge like an arrow loosed from a taut bowstring. His training sword was unsheathed, its tip humming with thick Earth energy as he poured every ounce of power into it. His eyes burned with fury as he saw Andini surrounded by five mysterious figures in black cloaks.
The five attackers turned slightly, a chilling aura thickening around them for a moment before they returned their focus to Andini. She had just dispersed two shadowy blades with a swiftly spinning transparent wind shield on her arm, and now her eyes caught Gugum charging recklessly into a ring of death. A sharp flash of worry passed over her usually composed face.
"Gugum! Fall back! They're not your match!" Her voice rang out, tense, clashing against the clang of weapons and the whistle of slicing winds she constantly unleashed to keep her enemies at bay.
But Gugum, blinded by anger and fear, did not falter. Her warning was like wind in his ears. He spotted one attacker slithering like a snake, trying to flank Andini from her blind side. Without hesitation, he lunged at the figure, his sword slicing forward, coated in earthen energy.
The leader of the assailants, a tall man with a cold silver mask, sneered. "A brat rushing to his death," he muttered. He gestured at the attacker Gugum had targeted. "Don't waste time. Finish him, quickly."
The masked attacker grinned cruelly. His body twisted nimbly, dodging Gugum's strike, and his black dagger lashed out like a venomous snake. Gugum gritted his teeth, reinforcing his sword with a thicker layer of Earth energy to block the counterattack.
CLANG!
A resounding crash echoed through the air. Sparks flared where the two blades met, the opponent's dark-infused steel clashing with Gugum's Earth energy. The shock numbed Gugum's arm, the enemy's raw power clearly several levels above his. But he didn't retreat. Drawing on the agility of Wind that Andini had taught him, he sidestepped the follow-up thrust aiming for his neck, spun, and struck the attacker's ribs with the hilt of his sword, now also infused with Earth.
THUD! The enemy staggered slightly, caught off guard by the force of the unexpected counter.
Elsewhere, Andini faced immense pressure from four elite assassins. She moved like a dancer amidst a storm of blades, every flick of her wrist releasing razor-sharp wind blades that forced her opponents to either retreat or block frantically. Her feet glided lightly across the ground in unpredictable steps that made her difficult to pin down. Occasionally, the earth beneath her attackers would subtly shift or sink, throwing off their balance for a fraction of a second, thanks to her refined Earth control. She fought with deadly precision, but anxiety crept into her heart. Her eyes couldn't help but flick toward Gugum, who was locked in an increasingly dangerous duel.
Gugum himself was being pushed to the brink. Though he had briefly startled his opponent, the man was now fighting seriously. Everytime Gugum's attacks, be it a gust of Wind to push back or an Earth shield to block, was either bypassed or brushed aside with minimal movement, showcasing the man's seasoned combat experience. Gugum had to dodge, roll, or leap away at the last second, barely escaping slashes that aimed for his vital points. Only his hunter-honed reflexes and the faint Earth energy shield trembling around his body saved him from grave wounds. His breathing grew labored. The difference in power and skill was undeniable.
The silver-masked leader watched everything with the cold gaze of a hawk. He noticed Andini's split focus. He saw how the woman almost made a fatal mistake each time she glanced at Gugum in distress.
Got you, he thought, a cruel smile hidden beneath the mask. Now's the time.
"That boy is disrupting her focus," he muttered to two of the fighters still battling Andini, his voice low but commanding. "Execute the trap. Now."
He gestured subtly to the other two underlings to assist with Gugum.
In an instant, the two assassins attacking Andini withdrew, vanishing like shadows, and joined their comrade against Gugum. Their movement was fast and synchronized. Gugum, who had been struggling against one, suddenly found himself under a triple onslaught!
Daggers lunged for his throat. A sword slashed for his waist. A kick slammed toward his chest, all at once!
The battle became even more intense. Despite being overwhelmed, Gugum displayed astonishing resilience. He used his Wind attunement to read the flow of their movements, weaving between their deadly attacks. His Earth shield vibrated again and again as it absorbed blows that would have broken bones. But behind that shield, bruises were forming, his body aching all over. In one desperate moment, he pushed Wind through his legs, leapt back, and released a small whirlwind that staggered one of the attackers just enough for him to nick their arm.
But the trio fought like tireless killing machines. They pressed in, faster and more coordinated, closing off every escape route. They only needed one mistake.
Back with the masked leader, now facing Andini alone, though her attention was split, he grinned behind his mask. He saw it clearly now: the unmistakable panic in Andini's eyes each time Gugum faltered or nearly fell. The more pressure Gugum faced, the more often she looked away, and the wider her defenses opened.
Then, it happened.
One attacker knocked Gugum's sword flying.
At the same time, the second slammed a heavy kick into his solar plexus. Gugum coughed blood and collapsed, unable to keep his balance. The third assassin raised their dagger high, its tip gleaming under the evening light, poised to strike straight into his heart.
"My son!"
Andini's scream tore through the battlefield. Seeing Gugum lying helpless at death's door, logic abandoned her in an instant. A mother's instinct took full control. She summoned every last shred of Wind energy and shot forward like lightning, her arms outstretched in desperation, either to knock away the dagger or to pull Gugum into her arms.
She didn't see the flicker of triumph in the eyes of the masked leader.
"Now!"
It was the perfect trap, executed flawlessly. As Andini darted forward, her entire focus locked on Gugum, her sides and back were completely exposed. The five attackers, two she'd left behind, three who had just downed Gugum, shifted targets as one. Five streams of deadly energy, each laced with a chilling aura and possibly the corrosive power of Darkness from their leader, converged on a single vulnerable point: Andini.
"Mother, nooo!!"