Accidental Ascendance

Cedric and Elena stood across from each other, eyes locked in mortal combat. "I think I can stop holding back now..." chuckled Elena.

Cedric scoffed. "Is that so..."

The air crackled with magic as Cedric chanted an incantation in a powerful voice, drawing power from the ground beneath him. "Earth's embrace, heed my call! From soil to stone, rise, O blade of the earth! Stone Sword Creation!"

With a surge of mana, a gleaming stone sword materialized in Cedric's hands, its surface adorned with ancient runes. Elena's eyes widened with surprise and a hint of admiration at Cedric's newfound strength.

Clashing swords, Cedric and Elena engaged in a fierce duel, their magical weapons meeting with a resounding clang. Cedric's determination surged through him, and he found himself gaining the upper hand against Elena's large axe. Each strike of his sword was precise and powerful, pushing her back. For only a split second Cedric saw Elena wince as if she didn't really want to fight.

"Come on, Elena, snap out of it!" Cedric urged, his voice filled with genuine concern. "You're stronger than this curse!"

Elena's eyes flickered with emotion, the struggle within evident. The Ghost Eye's malevolent power fought to keep its hold, but Cedric's unwavering belief in her sparked a glimmer of hope. Her swings became less aggressive as she seemed to be momentarily regaining control.

"I-I don't know if I can fight it!" Elena confessed, her voice tinged with desperation.

Cedric blocked one of her strikes, locking eyes with her. "Yes, you can! I've seen glimpses of the real you, and I know you don't want to fight!"

Their clash of wills continued, and the cavern resonated with the echoes of their magic. The Ghost Eye glowed fiercer. "I am a tool and will complete my duty!" The possessed Elena shouted.

However, their battle was abruptly interrupted by a bone-chilling roar that echoed throughout the cavern. The ground beneath them trembled, and Oliver's eyes widened in realization.

"Wait, we're in the Night Salamander's lair!" he exclaimed.

The revelation sent shivers down their spines. The monster they had been seeking was now awake, and they were in its domain. The Night Salamander's presence filled the air with an overwhelming aura of danger.

Cedric and Elena's duel came to an abrupt halt as they turned their attention toward the source of the roar. The Night Salamander emerged from the shadows, its enormous form bathed in fiery light. Its eyes locked onto the intruders in its lair, and it unleashed a wave of scorching flames in their direction.

Without hesitation, Cedric and Elena jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the torrent of fire. The fight with the Night Salamander was no longer just a battle between A-rank wanderers; it was now a fight for survival against a formidable monster.

The cave trembled once more, and rocks tumbled from the ceiling as the Night Salamander charged forward, its claws poised to strike.

The Night Salamander roared ferociously, its fiery breath filling the air as it continued to battle Cedric and Elena with unmatched fury. Cedric's body moved with incredible speed and agility, a testament to the power of the Remint of Clair, but even with his enhanced abilities, the creature's sheer force was overwhelming.

As the battle raged on, Elena swung her large axe with grace and precision, attempting to find openings in the Night Salamander's thick scales. Cedric, meanwhile, channeled his lightning magic, sending bolts of electricity towards their scaly foe. The two fought with synchronicity, each move complementing the other, but the Night Salamander was relentless, its massive tail and claws proving difficult to evade.

"Keep it distracted, Cedric!" Elena called out as she maneuvered around the creature's attacks. "I'm going for its legs!"

Cedric nodded, his eyes focused and determination burning in his heart. He continued to weave intricate patterns in the air, calling upon the raw power of lightning to create a dazzling array of electrifying spells. As the Night Salamander turned its attention towards him, he used his enhanced speed to dart away from its lunges.

Meanwhile, Oliver and Lily stood back, providing support with their own magic. Oliver cast defensive barriers to shield Cedric and Elena from the creature's onslaught, while Lily sent spirals of fire towards its tail, attempting to distract the Night Salamander from the main fight.

Their coordinated efforts were proving effective, but the Night Salamander was far from defeated. Its fiery breath seared the ground around them, forcing Cedric and Elena to leap away to safety. With a mighty swing of its tail, it knocked Cedric off his feet, sending him tumbling through the air until he crashed into a nearby wall.

The impact left Cedric dazed and disoriented. Blood trickled down his forehead from a gash, but before despair could take hold, the Remint of Clair responded to his peril. A golden light enveloped Cedric, and the artifact's healing magic rushed through his veins, closing his wounds and revitalizing him.

However, as the Remint of Clair worked its magic, something peculiar began to happen—the artifact's power resonated with Cedric's mana, as if recognizing a connection between their essences. Cedric felt a surge of energy flowing through him, more potent than anything he had ever experienced before.

A manic laughter escaped Cedric's lips as he stood up, his eyes now blazing with an intense fervor. The forest around him seemed to respond to his unleashed magic, as if the very essence of nature bowed to his command. Fairy wings manifested on his back, and a regal crown appeared atop his head. The magic swirling around him drained the life force from the nearby plants, and an eerie yet awe-inspiring glow surrounded him.

Elena's eyes widened with astonishment. "Cedric, what's happening?!"

"I don't know," Oliver replied, his voice filled with concern. "His magic is on a whole different level!"

Cedric's laughter echoed through the forest as he began chanting a spell in a long-forgotten language. As Cedric chanted the incantation, his voice took on an ethereal quality, resonating with ancient power. The words rolled off his tongue with a cadence that seemed to ripple through the very fabric of reality. "Yarael nithral magus virethor! Zephyrion solemnis stratos thyronor!"

The words seemed to carry ancient power, resonating with the depths of the earth and the expanse of the heavens. To everyone's surprise, the sky itself began to change, magic circles forming in the air that hummed with unprecedented energy. Elena's eyes widened in amazement, unable to comprehend the enormity of what she was witnessing. "Cedric, what in the world are you saying?"

Cedric's voice carried on, the potency of the incantation growing ever stronger. "Ferroxis ombra delyrium! Astraethis lumeria veloxian!"

Magic circles stacked upon each other, growing larger and larger until they covered the once-blue sky, painting it a

bright red. The sheer scale and intensity of the magic sent chills down everyone's spines.

"W-What is he doing?!" Lily stammered, her fire magic flickering nervously. Lily stepped closer, her eyes shining with awe. "This is incredible, Montclair! I can feel the magic resonating with my own spells!"

Oliver's analytical mind was racing, trying to comprehend the magnitude of Cedric's spellcasting. "I-I've never seen anything like this before. He's invoking a power that defies classification!"

As the incantation neared its apex, the magic circles in the sky expanded even further, their light enveloping the entire cavern. The Night Salamander, sensing the overwhelming force gathering against it, roared defiantly, its eyes blazing with primal fury.

Cedric's voice reached its crescendo, his words a symphony of arcane might. "Celestion valithar, astralis dominus, fulgurion zeitar!" Cedric's voice rose, and he spoke the words of the incantation with a mix of triumph and madness. "SS-rank Spell: Fateful Smite!"

As Cedric cast down his hand, the magic circles shone with blinding brilliance, seemingly ready to unleash unimaginable devastation upon the Night Salamander. But then, something unexpected happened—the wings on Cedric's back disappeared, and the spell began to falter.

The intense magic dispersed like a wisp of smoke, and the magic circles faded away. Cedric's ears and hair color returned to normal, and he blinked in confusion. "Oops, too much magic," he muttered. His eye's closed, and when they opened, his face was filled with confusion. "Huh?"

As the Night Salamander charged towards Cedric, Oliver's mind raced with worry. He could see that something had changed in Cedric, and he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in his heart.

"That's the real Cedric. I don't know what happened, but this is the worst thing possible," Oliver thought, his mind spinning with possibilities. "I don't sense any magic from him now, and we are all drained from the fight. This is bad."

Cedric, seemingly unaware of the danger bearing down on him, could only muster a confused "Huh?!" as the monstrous creature closed in.

Just as it seemed that all hope was lost, a twist of fate intervened. The rocks above them, weakened by the ferocious battle and the Night Salamander's force, began to give way. Large boulders came crashing down, smashing into the Night Salamander with crushing force, causing it to let out a final, resounding roar of agony.

Cedric blinked in surprise, his vision blurring as the world spun around him. The last thing he heard was the shattering of rocks, and then darkness enveloped him as he lost consciousness.

Oliver rushed to Cedric's side, concern etched across his face. "Cedric! Are you alright?" he called out, gently tapping his friend's cheek in an attempt to rouse him.

Elena and Lily quickly joined Oliver, their worry evident. "Is he okay?" Elena asked, her voice trembling.

Oliver checked Cedric's pulse and let out a sigh of relief. "He's alive, but he's unconscious. We need to get him out of here and back to safety," he replied, his mind still reeling from the events that had unfolded.

Gorm jumped down and grunted. In his hand was Night Shallow. Oliver surprised grabbed it. "Thank you...."

Gorm nodded and picked up Cedric. "What are you doing?" Cried Lily.

Elena's right eye returned to normal as she let out a sigh of relief. "You have your Night Shallow, take it back in Cedric's stead. We still have a job to do."

Lily tried to protest. "You can't just..."

Oliver put up his hand to stop her. "You need to get him to medical care quickly. I don't know how much mana he used; it could be dangerous if he goes unattended."

Elena gives an agreeing nod before jumping on Gorm's shoulder. "Don't worry; the job is to bring him alive, and we always complete our jobs."

As the pair walked away, Lily questioned Oliver. "What the heck, I thought we were keeping him away from them. Why did you let them take him?"

Oliver shook his head. "There were circumstances that prevented Cedric from going until now. Plus, we are exhausted, and further fighting will only hinder us from getting this back to Lyla. It would be Cedric's wish that we return this as quickly as possible."

Lily let out a frustrated sigh. "I guess you're right..."

Oliver watched as the pair walked away and thought to himself, "Cedric, be careful. I still need answers, besides, we're friends now, so don't go dying on me...."

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