The time had finally arrived for Thadeus and Aries to face their fears and confront the Lumberjack. They knew that if they wanted to defeat him, they needed to work together. So they dashed, charging towards him at incredible speeds. The Lumberjack raised his Axe above his head, his hand trembling as he did. He unleashed a barrage of slashes all around his body, making them stop dead in their tracks just so they can dodge and weave. Any hope of penetrating his defenses was gone. Aries jumped back and shot a lightning bolt, paralyzing the Lumberjack long enough for Thadeus to land a devastating kick to his face.
The Lumberjack staggered , trying his best to grasp for air. He lowered his head, releasing a pool of blood from his mouth. It splashed on the ground painting it red.
Thadeus and Aries exchanged glances, now realizing that their teamwork was effective. Out of the blue, they heard laughter coming from the Lumberjack. 'What's so funny?' Thadeus asked, unable to understand what he found amusing about his situation.
The Lumberjack grinned, popping his nose into place. 'Oh, it's nothing. I'm just getting warmed up.'
His words took the boys by storm, but the bloodlust emanating from his body cautioned them to be on their guard. At this point, anything could happen.
He dashed towards them, dragging his Axe. Thadeus and Aries clashed with him unleashing a torrent of kicks and punches. The Lumberjack grabbed Thadeus's face and slammed him on the ground, only to get kicked on the head by Aries. This led to him kicking Aries in the gut hard enough to send him flying through a class.
'Aries!' Thadeus yelled at the top of his lungs, concerned .
He grabbed the Lumberjack's arm and burst it into flames.The Lumberjack jumped back, screaming in pain and agony.
Aries stood up , feeling his cracked bones scream. Thadeus came and helped him rise . 'Is he dead yet?'Aries asked, eager to hear his response. 'I'm afraid he's not,' Thadeus replied.
They saw the Lumberjack's arm regenerate after grabbing his Axe. Which gave the boys a clue, 'It's the Axe!' they said in unison, uncovering the secret behind the Lumberjack's strength.
Alexa walked up to them from behind and offered help, 'Mind if I join ?' The boys knew that her strength could help change the tied of battle so they agreed , 'Don't hold back!'
Thadeus collided his fists together, unlocking his form. This form increases his body temperature to scorching heights and boosts his speed, strength, and magic 10×. Aries took a deep breath, feeling his magic energy coursing through his veins. He focused, drawing on the lessons he learned from his father. 'Lvl 1, Sabertooth Twins!' He raised his hands, and two summonings materialized beside him; saber-toothed tigers with razor-sharp teeth.
The Lumberjack snarled, 'You think having a fever and bringing a couple of pets can stop me? Think again!' The two saber-toothed creatures burst forth, teeth bared. They lunged at the Lumberjack, clamping onto his arms. 'Grr!' he groaned
Alexa charged in, landing a ground shattering punch. The Lumberjack was unphased by her attack , he headbutted her , sending her crashing.
Thadeus appeared behind him , kicking his spine, but the Lumberjack quickly turned and grabbed his leg only to slam him on top of Alexa very hard.
Aries had to act quickly,He shouted,' Lvl 3, Lightning Strike,' the bolt of lightning struck the Lumberjack, causing him to roar in pain , momentarily stunned.
'Do it now!' Aries yelled. Thadeus and Alexa grabbed the Lumberjacks legs, pulling him down. The Lumberjack fell down face first and rolled around around holding his face screaming in anguish.
When he came to , he realized that his Axe had slipped from his hands. he looked at Aries and saw a devilish smirk on his face.
Aries fired another lightning bolt at the Axe , knocking it away from the Lumberjacks grip.
The Lumberjack kicked Alexa and Thadeus away from him as he crawled towards his Axe. Aries tried to fire another lightning bolt but blood spewed out of his mouth , eye sockets and nose , making him fall on ground unable to breathe. He had used too much magic , and his body was now overheating. When Thadeus and Alexa tried to grab him, he was long gone.
As the Lumberjack was about to grab his Axe a ray of light severed his arm, and suddenly he had a flashback.
The Lumberjack wasn't always like this. He used to be a woodsman who inhabited the woods where all fairytale stories end. Back then, before the leviathan appeared, all the fairytale creatures used to live in peace and harmony, and the only threat was Dragons.
As a woodsman, he enjoyed building wooden houses for villagers and chopping down giant trees, and using the wood to build makeshift bridges for people to cross ravines. The villagers cheered him on, and his legend quickly spread. However, things took a dark turn when he fell in love with a witch. She always had a veil covering her face, and he couldn't see what she looked like. They often met with each other and talked about all sorts of things. They shared their thoughts and interests and quickly grew fond of each other.
One day, the Lumberjack insisted on seeing her face, and when she revealed it to him, he was horrified. The witch, angered by his reaction, cursed his trusty Axe to become the weapon of his demise. And for 100 years, the Axe kept the Lumberjack alive, all the while diminishing his sanity and deteriorating his body.
The officials arrived, finding the school destroyed and the Lumberjack unconscious. They noticed that his hand was severed ,and right next to it there was an Axe. 'What's this strange object?' they asked each other, reaching out to grab it, but a voice shouted, 'Don't!'startling them good enough to make them move away from it. 'That thing is cursed; anyone who touches it will become just like him,' Aries explained, standing side by side with Thadeus and Alexa.
Mr. Cipher had severed the Lumberjack's arm, now he was helping the officials rescue any of the survivors. As for Liam Goldenberg, he managed to reunite with Luthour. Him, Tamika, and Eve were alright, along with Princess Sophia. He hugged his child tightly 'Thank God you're alive,I thought that I lost you,' he said,tears streaming down his face.
Luthour was taken aback ,he couldn't believe what he was seeing . he always thought of his father as a cruel, calculated man who cared about nothing more than upholding the family name. This vulnerable side of his father was foreign to him,it was new.
' Dad !' he hugged him back , seeing his father in a new light