"What?" Will gazed at Merlin in disbelief.
Merlin's words threw the naive Will into disarray. It seemed as if Merlin could read his thoughts, but in reality, Merlin was merely probing with his experience, testing Will. To his surprise, Will fell right into the trap.
'This boy is still too green, hehehe,' Merlin thought with a smirk, delighting in his success.
Flustered, Will began to hesitate, his movements slowing. The cunning Merlin seized the opportunity without a moment's hesitation, drawing the Dark Stone from his other hand and aiming it at Will. A wave of invisible force erupted from the stone, striking Will directly.
Will bent over in pain, letting out a sharp cry. Merlin, seizing the moment, delivered a swift kick that sent Will crashing to the ground. Without pausing, Merlin rushed forward, raising his ice blade high.
"It seems history is about to repeat itself, hehehe," Merlin sneered, watching Will struggle on the ground. With that, he swung the ice blade toward Will.
Still lying on the ground, Will raised his holy sword, Durandal, to block the blow. He recalled how, not long ago, he had done the same with a dagger, only for Merlin to cleave it in two. Yet now, with no other choice, Will shut his eyes and braced for the impact.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing rang out, and Merlin's ice blade shattered into two pieces.
"What?" Merlin's once triumphant expression turned to one of shock.
Hearing Merlin's incredulous shout, Will quickly opened his eyes. Realizing he was unharmed, he sprang to his feet, gripping his sword tightly and charging at Merlin.
As Merlin prepared to dodge, Will's sword came hurtling toward him. But like the attacks from Jin and General Lei, Will's strike was unable to breach the invisible shield that surrounded Merlin.
'Damn it, that annoying shield is still in place,' Will cursed inwardly.
"It seems your sword has grown much harder," Merlin mocked with a sly smile.
"It looks like I can't kill you with a sword after all," Merlin continued, his expression suddenly turning twisted with fury. He pressed both hands to the Dark Stone, his face contorting in pain, as though enduring great torment.
Suddenly, the Dark Stone began to glow, emitting a blinding purple light.
"Hahahaha! Come, let me feel the full power of this mighty Dark Stone!" Merlin shouted in excitement.
In the next instant, the light from the Dark Stone vanished. Merlin slowly released his hands, and to Will's astonishment, the stone floated into the air, as though possessed by a life of its own. It slowly drifted toward Merlin, finally merging with his body.
"Ah!" Merlin screamed in agony, throwing his head back as the pain overwhelmed him.
After a few moments, Merlin ceased his cries and lowered his head. His eyes now glowed with a purple hue, and his face was twisted in fury as he fixed his gaze on Will.
"Come then, see how you will defeat me, now one with the Dark Stone," Merlin roared, his voice now deep and thunderous, as if another presence resided within him.
'What has he done to himself?' Will felt a cold anxiety gripping his chest.
Merlin, floating in the air, approached Will with deadly intent, while Will, filled with dread, began to retreat step by step.
"What's wrong? Haven't struck yet, and you're already afraid?" Merlin taunted, drawing nearer.
"Tch, I'm not afraid," Will retorted, instinctively raising his sword to guard his chest.
"Good," Merlin replied with a wicked smile. In a flash, he raised both hands, unleashing a far more powerful wave of destruction.
"What?" Will's eyes widened in disbelief. This was the first time he had witnessed such a potent wave of destruction. Shocked, he froze in place, unable even to flee, his gaze fixed on the impending doom.
The massive black wave of destruction consumed Will in an instant.
"The power of the Dark Stone is truly overwhelming," Merlin muttered in astonishment, looking down at his own hands.
"What... What happened? I'm not dead?" Will mumbled in disbelief, snapping out of his shock.
"Of course not," a familiar voice called from behind him, stern and commanding.
"Lisa?" Will turned to see her standing behind him, a blue shield now protecting both of them from the blast.
"You woke up?" Will asked with concern.
"Yes, but thanks to you two making so much noise, I couldn't even get any rest," Lisa scolded him, her gaze a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Will could only offer a sheepish smile in response.
"Ugh, two pests," Merlin sneered, looking disdainfully at the pair.
"You... How many times do I have to tell you? It's three!" Jin, kneeling on the ground, slowly rose to his feet and addressed Merlin.
"Jin, you're up?" Will asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"If you can't even stand, don't force yourself," Lisa quipped.
"How could I miss the rare opportunity for the Destruction Squad to fight together?" Jin straightened up, a confident smile on his face.
"Ah, I can't believe you still remember, Jin," Will chuckled awkwardly.
"Of course I remember. With such a ridiculous name, who could forget?" Lisa added with a grin.
"Doesn't matter how many of you there are. For me, the only outcome is death," Merlin said coldly.
"Try killing us first," Jin retorted boldly. "Destruction Squad, move out!"
"Right!" Will and Lisa echoed in unison.
The three of them rushed toward Merlin.
"Useless. It won't matter how many weaklings come, you'll all fall," Merlin sneered, aiming his hands at Jin, who was running in front.
"Destruction Beam!" A massive black shockwave erupted from Merlin's hands, surging toward Jin.
"Disruptive Spell!" Lisa, seeing the danger, immediately halted and cast the spell on Jin. The black wave veered off course, shooting into the distance where no one was standing.
"Thanks, Lisa!" Jin shouted, relieved.
"Don't mention it. But you owe me a favor," Lisa called back.
"Looks like I'll have to deal with you first," Merlin said, his eyes narrowing as he turned his attention to Lisa. He stretched out one hand toward her, and with a shout of "Gravitational Pull," Lisa immediately froze in place, unable to move.
In the blink of an eye, Merlin floated beside her, grabbing her by the neck with one hand and lifting her into the air.
"Damn it, let go!" Will shouted in fury, raising his sword to strike at Merlin. But the invisible shield still held, and his sword couldn't reach Merlin.
"Hmph, so naïve," Merlin sneered, his expression full of disdain. Suddenly, he kicked Will in the abdomen, sending him crashing to his knees. Then, with an air of cold finality, Merlin placed a foot on Will's head.
"The first to die will be this mage. The second... will be you," Merlin said, his voice emotionless.
Just then, Jin froze, his eyes locked on Merlin.
'I can't act recklessly. I need to break through that shield in one strike. But how? Maybe the red energy from earlier can break it, but why can't I summon it now?' Jin's mind raced in frustration as he watched his companions fall one by one.
"Not coming? If not, your friends will die," Merlin taunted, his voice echoing through the air.