NOVEL WEB Chapter 263 – The Guardian of the Gate.
The team formed a protective semi-circle around Dabi as he approached the portal. With deliberate precision, he extended his hand, channelling the space energies stored within him and within the artifact key he'd secured earlier. This key is way out. They just need to use the key and exit the dimension gate.
The portal's shimmering surface quivered under his influence, and a radiant current of power flowed between them. The very air vibrated as ancient energies converged, and for a heartbeat, the temple itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then, with a sudden burst of brilliant light and an ear-splitting hum, the portal flared open. The chamber was filled with cascading streams of iridescent energy that swept across the floor like celestial ribbons.
The dimensional gate—once a chaotic, unpredictable tear—stabilized into a gateway of transcendent clarity. In that moment, the trials of the temple and the countless battles fought along the way culminated in a single triumphant vision.
"Clear the gate!" Dabi's system mission prompt flashed briefly in his mind, its directive fulfilled by his masterful act. He knew that as soon as they passed through, the temple's oppressive hold would vanish, and the reality beyond would welcome them with open arms.
Without hesitation, the team surged forward. Zen led the charge, his dual swords flashing with determined vigour, while Kiba and Jeni provided cover with their elemental assaults.
Althea's healing aura and protective spells wove a barrier around them as they advanced as one. Dabi remained at the forefront, his spatial powers guiding every step as he opened a path through the swirling energies of the portal.
Dabi's fingers tightened around the artifact key as the portal trembled, its swirling currents shifting erratically. A surge of energy rippled outward. The team instinctively braced themselves, sensing the imminent arrival of their final obstacle.
Be alert, Dabi yelled. Something is coming. I knew this wouldn't be this easy. If it was this easy the previous adventure won't die.
From the depths of the portal, a deep, resonant voice boomed, carrying the weight of an ancient decree.
"None shall pass unless worthy."
The luminous vortex flared as a figure emerged, materializing before them with an aura of unyielding power.
Clad in an ornate set of blackened armour inscribed with pulsating runes, the guardian of the gate loomed over them like a being forged from the essence of the dimension itself. A spectral greatsword, wreathed in flickering blue flames, rested in its gauntleted hands.
Zen took a step back, whistling under his breath. "And here I thought we'd just waltz out of here."
Jeni's fists clenched. "A final test. Of course."
Kiba growled lowly, his stance shifting into a battle-ready position. "No point in hesitation. We fight our way through."
The guardian's eyes, hollow voids of swirling energy, fixed upon them. "To pass beyond, you must prove your resolve. Strength alone will not suffice. Show me your will to carve destiny itself."
Without warning, the guardian raised its greatsword and brought it down in a single devastating arc. The force of the strike sent a shockwave crashing through the chamber, splitting the ground beneath them. The team scattered, narrowly avoiding the impact as debris rained down.
Dabi surged forward, drawing upon his mastery over space, blinking in and out of existence as he tested the guardian's defences. His sword flashed, striking true—but the guardian's armour absorbed the blows, barely dented by his assault.
Kiba roared, unleashing a barrage of earth-shattering punches, each strike reinforced by his immense strength.
Jeni weaved between the guardian's swings, her agility allowing her to land precise, burning strikes against its joints.
Zen moved like a shadow, launching dagger-like projectiles infused with wind chakra to find weak points in the guardian's defences.
Althea stood back, her eyes glowing as she channelled energy into a protective barrier, ensuring none of them fell to the overwhelming counterattacks. "Its core is its weakness!" she called out, sensing the guardian's spiritual nexus pulsing within its chest.
Dabi's mind raced. They needed a coordinated attack. "Zen, distract it from the left! Kiba, prepare a direct strike! Jeni, target the core when the armour opens!"
Zen grinned, dashing forward in a blur. "On it, boss!" He unleashed a flurry of slashes, forcing the guardian to shift its stance.
As the dust settled, Dabi surged forward. Drawing upon his mastery over space, he blinked in and out of existence along the periphery of the guardian's crushing blow.
His sword flashed in brief arcs as he tested the enemy's defences—each strike landing with a flash of brilliance, only to be absorbed by the guardian's enchanted armour, which barely flinched under his assault.
Kiba roared his challenge next. His fists, raw with elemental might, launched a barrage of earth-shattering punches. Each strike reverberated like thunder, and the impact shook the very floor beneath them.
Yet the guardian, undeterred, parried with heavy, deliberate swings of its massive sword, sending Kiba reeling back on one knee. A deep gash opened along his arm, crimson staining his water aura for a moment before he clenched his jaw and roared, "I'm not done yet!"
Meanwhile, Jeni danced around the guardian's sweeping strikes, her lithe form a blur of motion. Her agility allowed her to land precise, burning strikes against its exposed joints, but even her flawless technique was tested as one of the guardian's counterattacks caught her off balance.
A searing blow forced her to stagger, her left arm trembling with pain as ice magic sputtered from her fingertips. "Argh!" she hissed, but she quickly recovered, determination blazing in her eyes as she wiped away a trickle of blood.
Zen, always the silent assassin in the chaos, moved like a shadow through the battlefield. He launched a series of dagger-like projectiles infused with mana, each aimed at exploiting even the smallest weakness in the guardian's defences.
His blades whistled through the air, but one particularly vicious slash from the guardian's greatsword forced him to dive for cover behind a fallen column. A deep cut ran along his side, and though he grinned through the pain, he muttered, "Not exactly the kind of scar I was hoping to earn today."
Althea stood at the rear, her eyes glowing with focused energy as she wove a protective barrier around her teammates. Her hands glowed as she channelled healing magic into them whenever a blow threatened to overwhelm their defences.
"Its core is its weakness!" she called out, her voice trembling slightly as she sensed the guardian's spiritual nexus pulsing deep within its chest. Yet even her magic was taxed by the relentless barrage of attacks; she winced as a stray arc of dark energy grazed her arm, but she steadied herself, determined not to falter.
Dabi's mind raced. They needed a coordinated, all-out assault if they were to break through this relentless foe. "Zen, distract it from the left! Kiba, prepare a direct strike! Jeni, target the core when the armour opens!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the clamour of battle.
Zen grinned, already darting forward to engage the guardian on the left flank. "On it, boss!" he called, unleashing a flurry of rapid slashes that forced the guardian to twist its stance. The enemy's armor shifted momentarily, a glimpse of vulnerability in the curve of its metal plating.
As the guardian adjusted, Kiba roared and drove his fist forward in a devastating strike that cracked the guardian's chest plate.
The force of the blow sent a tremor through the enemy's frame, staggering it momentarily. But the guardian's retaliation was swift—a vicious counterattack sent Kiba stumbling back, his vision momentarily blurred by the impact. Still, the successful fracture in its armour provided the opening they so desperately needed.
In that critical moment, Jeni dashed in. Her hands blazed with concentrated, scorching energy as she channelled her mastery of ice into a single, searing attack aimed at the guardian's exposed core.
The intensity of her assault illuminated the dark chamber for a split second, and the guardian's greatsword faltered in its swing. Yet the guardian was far from defeated; it roared in defiance, its voice echoing with ancient malice, and retaliated with a sweeping strike that sent shockwaves through the air.
The blow caught Zen off guard—he stumbled, barely managing to parry the ferocious attack with his swords, but a shard of enchanted metal sliced across his forearm, drawing blood.
Simultaneously, Kiba felt another crushing impact as the guardian's counter struck him square in the chest, sending him crashing against a pillar. He lay there, struggling to catch his breath, pain and determination warring on his features.
Dabi's eyes narrowed. "We can't let it recover now!" he bellowed. Summoning every ounce of his spatial mastery, he stepped forward with a surge of raw energy.
His sword, glowing with a fierce blue light, slashed through the air in a calculated arc that seemed to warp the very fabric of space around it. With a force that rivalled the explosion of a supernova, Dabi's attack struck the guardian squarely in its fractured core.