After minutes of battle, where the group seemed to be gaining ground, an unexpected twist shook them. Aria's shadow creatures vanished in the blink of an eye, as did EMI's light magic, leaving the team stunned.
—"What's happening?"—asked EMI, confused, as the leader of the bandits reappeared amidst the chaos.
In his arms, he held the injured and unconscious woman, a look of perverse satisfaction on his face.
—"Did you really think you could win here?"—the man sneered, throwing the woman to the ground like she was nothing more than an object.
EMI clenched her teeth, her body trembling with rage. —"You're a monster!"
But with no active magic, the situation began to grow desperate. The number of bandits was overwhelming, and while EMI continued fighting physically, Aria and Alex were in a much more vulnerable position.
Alex kept Aria behind him, blocking every attack that tried to reach her. His mind raced for a solution as he watched the leader closely. Then something caught his attention: the ring on the man's hand was glowing with a peculiar shine, a mix of purple and yellow hues.
"That's it..." Alex thought, narrowing his eyes. He realized the ring seemed to reflect the magical energies of Aria and EMI.
—"It's a pure magic inhibitor..."—he muttered to himself, coming to a conclusion. The ring seemed capable of nullifying pure magic, but not necessarily techniques that didn't fully depend on magic.
Inspired by this idea, Alex came up with a plan. He turned slightly toward Aria, making sure no one else could hear.
—"Aria, I need you to trust me."
—"What are you thinking, Alex?"—she asked, nervousness in her voice.
—"I think the ring can only cancel pure magic. My ability isn't magic—it's a support technique. If I can amplify EMI's magic enough, maybe the ring won't be able to handle it and will break. While we distract him, you go after the leader and cut off his hand to destroy the ring."
Aria looked at him uncertainly, but seeing the determination in his eyes, she nodded firmly.
—"Understood. I won't fail."
Alex approached EMI, who was still physically fighting the bandits, and quickly explained the strategy. Though initially reluctant, she agreed when she saw they had no other choice.
—"Alright. Just don't die, Alex."—EMI said, her tone trying to sound casual, though her concern was obvious.
Alex placed his hand on EMI's shoulder and began channeling his support ability to the maximum, creating a huge strain since he wasn't used to forcing it so far. A faint glow began to surround EMI, her energy rapidly increasing despite the ring suppressing her magic, pushing her beyond her limit.
—"EMI, now!"—Alex shouted.
EMI let out a fierce scream as she released all the magic that Alex had amplified. The pressure from her magical energy grew so intense that the leader's ring began to tremble, emitting erratic sparks.
As the leader struggled to keep control, Aria moved through the shadows, taking advantage of the distraction. Her dagger, infused with the little magic she could still channel, glowed faintly as she crept toward the man.
At the critical moment, Aria leapt at the leader from a blind angle. With a precise movement, she sliced off the hand wearing the ring. The man let out a scream of agony as the ring hit the ground, releasing a wave of energy that canceled out any remaining magical effects.
With the ring destroyed, EMI fully regained her magical power. Her blue aura glowed intensely as she launched a devastating attack that neutralized the remaining bandits.
Alex, breathing heavily, allowed himself a moment of relief when he saw that the plan had worked. He turned to Aria and EMI, both covered in sweat and dust, but standing—victorious.
—"Nice work, team."—he said with a tired smile.
Though the battle wasn't quite over yet.