Alex, determined to protect Aria, closed his eyes and poured all of his energy into his support technique. He could feel his body weakening little by little, but he refused to lose focus. He extended his hand toward Aria, who was watching him with a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Get ready, Aria," Alex said, his voice tense from the strain. "This should give you enough power to face him."
A faint light surrounded Alex and then flowed toward Aria, enveloping her in a dark, ethereal aura that danced around her body. The power of the shadows responded to the call, and Aria felt a surge of energy unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
"This is… incredible," she murmured, staring at her hands now covered in magic.
But the spectacle didn't end there.
The shadow magic took form before them, materializing into a colossal, ghostly creature. Its appearance was monstrous: an elongated body, glowing eyes, and enormous hands tipped with sharp claws. However, despite its terrifying looks, its movements were clumsy… and its expression seemed more gentle than threatening.
Startled by the sudden appearance, Aria jumped backward—straight into Alex's arms.
"W-What is that?!" she shouted, clinging tightly to him.
Alex barely managed to keep his balance as he caught her, feeling both her weight and the nervous tension in her grip.
"It's… well, I think it's your magic," he replied, trying not to laugh at the situation.
The creature, noticing Aria's reaction, made a slow, awkward movement, raising its massive hands as if trying to calm her down. It even shed a ghostly tear that vanished before touching the ground, all while making exaggerated gestures that seemed to say: Please, don't be afraid of me.
The Great Dark Mage, who had been watching with one eyebrow raised, let out a scornful snort.
"Seriously?" he said with obvious irritation. "Is this really the best you can do? Enough games!"
With a swift motion, he fired a beam of dark energy straight at Alex and Aria.
"Watch out!" Alex shouted, trying to move away—but the shadow creature reacted first.
With a deep, raspy roar, it stepped in front of them, placing itself between the attack and its summoners. The dark energy slammed directly into its torso, but the creature showed not the slightest sign of damage. Its body absorbed the blow as if it were nothing more than a passing breeze. Then, turning toward the mage, it adopted an almost comically determined expression, as if saying: Is that all you've got?
Still clinging to Alex, Aria watched the scene with wide eyes.
"It's amazing…" she whispered. "That thing isn't just strong… it's also… kind of adorable?"
Alex let out a short, genuine laugh.
"Well, at least it's on our side."
The Great Dark Mage, now visibly irritated, frowned and began gathering more energy for his next attack.
"This is becoming far more interesting than I expected," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "But don't underestimate my power."
Alex and Aria exchanged a glance.
The battle was far from over… but for now, they had an unexpected ally—perhaps the strangest and most comical champion imaginable—standing between them and the darkness.