The two hid behind the bushes and crawled closer to the group fighting Alex's mother. They hid behind the closest tree to the aggressors. They could hear their heavy breathing and grunting. With a perfect view of the battlefield from above. Alex started explaining.
"Malena, I need you to do the same attack that broke down those metal bars. This time hit the tree."
"Huh? Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard at the archives?"
"C'mon, no time for jokes."
Malena executed the orders and started her dance. After a couple of seconds to get the momentum going, she struck the tree trunk at its base and sliced it in half.
Alex wasn't sure that it would work because of how thick the Oak tree was, but to his surprise, it held its own even less than the prison bars. The tree began to lean and topple.
The tree made a loud crack, drawing the soldiers' attention.
"Mom, freeze them in place!!" shouted Alex while bolting to the side. After seeing what his mother was capable of, he knew that this would be an easy task. She had used her magic in the past to cool down their home during the summer by slightly freezing the walls.
Damn it... The tree isn't falling fast enough and it's going to miss one of them. I have to do something!
Alex snatched Malena's rod and shoved it in the crack she had just created. He then pushed the other end of the rod up with all his strength, making the tree fall faster and in the right direction. It was a technique he often used while cutting down trees or moving large rocks since he didn't have mana.
Watching the tree accelerate, Malena understood the plan and added her strength to the maneuver.
Zora's battle instinct kicked in; the second she saw the tree's trajectory, she already knew what to do.
The ice trail she conjured rapidly closed the gap between them and stuck their boots to the ground. One of the guards almost reacted in time, but the ice was too fast.
The Oak slammed on the ground, sparing none of them. And the soldier count was down to three.
"What a cheap trick, I could have beaten them with my own hands," muttered Malena, looking visibly relieved. "And don't touch my weapon without my permission."
"It's a damn metal rod... stop overreacting!"
"What are you doing here?!" Zora tried to keep a serious face, but seeing her son and Malena free from those cages appeased her heart.
"It's a long story, Mom, I'll explain everything after we beat Xander," replied Alex, already thinking about the rest of the battle.
The newly formed group joined Herald, who was still mostly deflecting everything the other soldiers were throwing at him.
"So you already made it out? I didn't expect less from you two." Herald didn't look at them, absorbed by his fight.
Zora and Herald exchanged one look and started conjuring at the same time. Zora spawned three icespikes and launched them at the goons. The three soldiers reacted in time; the attack missed them slightly, grazing their hair.
The next second, all three of them fell to the ground. The spikes found their target at the back of their head.
"Way to go, honey! You've still got it in you," exclaimed Zora, finally seeing victory at arm's reach.
Alex instantly understood what had happened and was amazed by the coordination.
Mom launched the icespikes at them, knowing that she would likely miss because of how obvious the attack was. The soldiers let their guard down after dodging it. That's when Dad conjured a shield behind them to deflect the spikes back towards them. Who are these people? Are they really my parents?
Everybody turned around to face the final enemy...Xander.
Xander finally decided to make his move. He walked slowly towards the group that had just reunited. Each step condensed the air more than the previous one. The air weighed heavily on their shoulders as they all felt that the real battle was just starting.
"What a lovely family reunion. Room for one more?" Xander's voice dripped with mockery; he had a plan in mind, and Alex was already scared of what would happen.
"Xander, we don't have to do this! I will get you your eight coins. Let us turn the page on this incident and go back to a clean slate." Elder Herald did his best to sound confident.
"Isn't that typical of you to propose such a deal? After all, even when your best friend died, you signed a contract with his killer and called it a day?" Xander's cane started glowing; the smell of it reminded Alex of their earlier altercation.
Elder Herald's face started decomposing; it was like all the will he had to fight was leaving his body.
"Don't listen to him, Herald, he's trying to get into your head," said Zora, conjuring ice balls.
Xander conjured as fast as he could, and the cane reacted instantly. It blocked each projectile as they came, except for one that slipped past and clipped Xander's armor.
What kind of calligraphy is that?? I've never seen anything like it.
"Miss Zora, that's quite the magic prowess you have there. If I remember correctly, you were part of the royal army in your youth?" Xander continued walking closer to the group. "Should I tell them all of your great achievements?"
"Shut your mouth!" Zora was enraged. She conjured a giant spike that flew out as soon as it materialized.
Xander's cane began to glow brighter. As Zora's spike flew, the cane shifted form into a shield and blocked the attack like it was nothing. Immediately after, the cane split into three parts: one piece hovered by Xander's side, and the other two shot toward Alex's parents.
The wooden chunks quickly elongated, wrapping tightly around Alex's parents' arms and legs. The wood also covered their mouths, preventing them from speaking.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this? I'll start with the brats first, then I'll end your lives." Xander continued walking at a controlled pace, like he had all the time in the world.
Alex was stuck in his place; he felt as if he had all the clues to understand how Xander's powers worked, but he couldn't quite make sense of it.
"Clan Leader Klutz, do you have no pride? Will you let him trample you again?" Alex called out, stalling for time.
Clan Leader Klutz's answer was the same as ever, looking at the ground and waiting for the interaction to pass.
Malena couldn't wait any longer. Alex's eye caught a glimpse of her rod that was glowing once more. She dashed right at Xander and launched an overhead attack with all her strength.
Xander's cane flew up to block the attack. It withstood it, but a loud crack was heard.
She can do it! Alex's eyes lit up as he saw what was unfolding in front of him.
"You're a strong one! But you lack experience! " Xander launched a kick filled with mana. Malena was able to block it, but it sent her flying back a couple of meters. "What was your name again? Ma... Malena? Ahhhhh... now I remember, you're Theodorus' kid! Aren't you the kid who only knows how to punch? Maybe having a little bit of brains would have earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy. That would have helped your mother a lot, right?"
How does he know about such a detail? Does he keep a log of everyone here? It must have been that rat Klutz... His cane's is glowing again. This isn't good.
Enraged, Malena bolted once more and launched the same attack as before, doubling in intensity. Alex was sure that she was going to break the cane in half. However, to his surprise, the exact opposite happened. The staff easily deflected the blow and once more parted in two to lock Malena's hands to the ground.
She looked at Alex, fear all over her face.
"Now it's just you and me...Static" Xander was still walking slowly toward Alex, who was the last one standing.