As the summon looked at Zen's lifeless body, the surroundings were quite like before. The summon heads towards the necromancer, changing its spear back into a battle axe. Zen, still clinging on to life, said to himself, Am I about to die? Will I see God or heaven? Did I fail? Will Yawen and Rui die in vain? He then thought to himself, Why am I so weak? Why can't I wake up? Zen wakes up with a big hole in its stomach, crawling on the ground, and bleeding to death slowly but certainly.
Zen, as he raises his hand towards the summon, slowly loses his vision due to the excess blood loss. Finally, his hands give up and fall. A voice echoes, Child, do you want to defeat the summon? Zen says yes; I want to. The voice says the water in the garden from the vase in the statue is a weakness of the dead knight you fought. Make use of that water and defeat it. As per your current condition, I can help you recover from it. Zen says thanks, but who are you?
The voice said, I am the one who made this garden. The summons destroyed my garden, and I don't like it. You have to destroy the summons to avenge this. The summonsman was a knight who came from a faraway land hundreds of years ago. They are foreign to you. The knight died in this land, and the necromancer received its body and modified it.
It adds that the knight's name was Richard the Lionheart. With that, the voice stopped.
Suddenly, the vines in the garden reached towards Zen, wrapped him up, and healed his fatal wounds completely. The summon turned back to see what the commotion was. The butterflies in the garden come towards Zen, all shining, and release powder, which rejuvinates Zen. Zen stands up, glaring at the back of the summon.
Their eyes met again. This time, knowing how to defeat the Summon, Zen shouts, I have come again, but this time will be the last. I shall be your end, he proclaimed.
The knight wishpered. Time will tell.
Zen was without the power of his eyes this time, but the support of the garden made the first strike. Zen got his weapons from the branches of the trees there. Zen was shocked at first, but without expecting much from the tree branches, he struck right at the summon's head with a flash and touched it.
Zen was surprised at the ineffective attack, but suddenly the knight was pushed back several hundred meters. The voice came back, and these branches are strong. I shall guide you in this final stand of yours against this demon. Zen says I don't know who you are, but I will be forever grateful to you. The voice adds that the knight will fight against you seriously this time, so be prepared.
The knight released his powers, sending a chill vibe across the surrounding area. This signaled the beginning of an epic battle sure to awe anyone. The knight swiftly jumped and reached in front of Zen within a second. Zen was terrified at that and attacked the knight. The knight attacked Zen and broke Zen's bone, but was immediately healed by the vines attached to him. The voice said that was me; don't worry.
The vines wrapped around Zen's entire body, creating an inpenetrable armor. Zen extended his arms to punch the knight, and the vines followed, catching the knight and binding him. The knight tore off the vines, but they came back. The knight, annoyed by it, released its dark arts, which disintrigated the vines.
The voice said, Hey child, it will be hard, but I shall trap the knight and entagle it with my vines, and you use the water here and use it to deal the final strike. Zen says, Can you do that? The voice replied that the water here is anti-dark and will kill the knight, but it is too weak, so I need you to cooperate with me. Zen asked, How do I help you then? The voice replied, You will use that water and trap the knight into a water bubble, and the knight will slowly die. You and the knight will fight inside the bubble while the knight slowly dies. You and I have to last until all of his essence turns to nothing.
The knight before him was cloaked in darkness, his red eyes glowing ominously.
"Alright," Zen said, steeling himself for the battle ahead. "Let's do this."
Zen nodded, focusing his energy. He could feel the power of the elemental arts coursing through him—a blend of fire, wind, water, and earth. But now, it was water he needed to command. He reached out with his mind, feeling the cool presence of the anti-dark water that flowed through a nearby underground stream.
Zen marched towards the knight and thought to distract it while the voice set up a trap. Zen replied that the knight attacked with his own attacks, but with his eyes no longer in the equation, his attacks were weaker than before but were fast enough to work.
With a sudden, swift motion, the vines burst from the walls, wrapping around the knight. The dark figure struggled, its sword slashing through the air, but the vines were relentless, tightening their grip. The knight roared in fury, the sound reverberating through the cavern.
"Now, Zen!" the voice urged.
Zen used the water in the stream along with his own to create a huge water bubble that engulfed the entire garden. Zen got his fair share of air from the vines, and the knight, being dead, didn't need it.
The knight's eyes blazed with anger as he realized the trap. It lunged at Zen, its dark axe aiming to strike. Zen parried with a blade of water, the two weapons clashing with a splash. The water hissed and steamed as it met the dark energy of the knight's sword. The water slowed the knight while Zen could move freely, and with the vines helping him, it was easier. The voice encircled the entire bubble with her vines to prevent anything from going out.
The voice then said to Zen, This is where we fight; this is where he dies. Zen nodded yes, and with enthusiasm, he began to tackle the knight.
The water was taking effect, and the knight was slowly crumbling. Inside the bubble, the air was thick with tension. The knight roared loudly, his frustration evident. It swung its axe in a wide arc, forcing Zen to leap back. But the water was relentless, seeping into the knight's armor and weakening it further. Zen could see the dark essence of the knight beginning to dissipate, tiny wisps of shadow escaping from the cracks in its armor.
Zen was overjoyed and started laughing. The knight used his arts and strated, attacking everywhere. The voice said to Zen, This is not a time to be joyful. Prevent the knight from escaping, even if it costs you your hand or your leg. I will help you recover later on.
Zen said, "We're doing it," feeling a surge of hope. But he knew he couldn't let his guard down. The knight was still dangerous, and they had to last until every bit of its dark essence was gone.
The knight changed its axe into a harpoon to fight better in the water. He vocie saia to Zen. This guy is no fool. He is using a weapon perfect for fighting in the water. Zen got more cautious and started his barrage of attacks. His attacks are mostly air- and water-based. The knight tried to go towards the exit of the bubble, but the vines grabbed the summon by the foot and started spitting it everywhere, while Zen too had time to attack the knight.
Zen used his earthly arts to make huge stone walls to block the knight from escaping, adding to the vines and stopping the knight from leaving. The knight launched the harpoon at Zen at light speed. Zen was unprepared, but the vines stopped it, giving time for Zen to dodge it. Zen smirked and laughed.
Zen realized that the summon can call its weapon, but he was a little late, and the harpoon struck his left arm, rendering it useless. The voice said, Don't be careless, boy, or else you're not making it out of this alive. The knight was annoyed with it and sawm towards Zen, the vines blocking its path.
Zen, using its wood weapon, replied to each of the summon's strikes. Zen parried with his wooden weapon, the clash of elements echoing through the garden. He could see the knight's strength waning and the anti-dark water continuing to sap its power. But the knight was relentless, driven by a dark, unfathomable rage.
The voice added to the annoyance using vines, this time with wooden branches comigrating from below the bubble. The vines and branches slowly grabbed all of the limbs of the knight, allowing Zen to unleash a range of attacks on the summon.
As the battle raged on, Zen knew he had to end it quickly. The knight's attacks were becoming more desperate, but Zen's own energy was nearly spent. The knight, with all of his power, released a ton of dark rays, but to no avail; they were eroded by the water.
The knight thrashed within the sphere, its movements growing slower and more sluggish. Zen could feel the strain of maintaining the water prison, his muscles trembling with exertion. The voice said to hold on to the child just a little longer, and this will all be over, and you can rest for as long as you want.
The summons, with all of its strength, destroyed the vines and wood, and with its strong wind arts, it made an escape. It destroyed the walls and was about to leave, but the persistent vine pulled it back. The knight with full power was still ahead.
With a final, desperate surge, the knight attempted to break free, its harpoon striking at the walls of the sphere. But Zen held firm, his determination unyielding.
As the knight was about to break free, Zen summoned a massive spear infused with wind arts. With a swift motion, he hurled it towards the knight. The spear sliced through the water, piercing the knight's dragon armor and shattering its defenses, causing dark energy to dissipate and pinning the knight to the ground while the vines entagled it. "This is payback for earlier," he muttered.
The water sphere collapsed, splashing to the ground and leaving only the empty armor of the knight. Zen stood panting, his body aching and his wound throbbing. He had won, but the cost had been high.
"You did it, child," the voice said, a note of pride in its tone. "The knight is vanquished."