Chapter 11 - Chapter 11- The Bond of Strength and Will

The extreme heat of the sun scorched the dunes as the four of them marched forward through the desert. Helios struggled to keep his mana skin steady, every drop of focus felt like it was melting away with the heat. His throat burned, his lips cracked, and when he tried to speak, only a dry rasp came out. "Come on, Helios! Don't wimp out now. We're only a day away from our destination," Shidan barked. Helios wiped the foam at the corner of his mouth, forcing the words out. "I… I'm doing my best, Shidan." Bow wasn't much better off, but he clenched his fists and endured. Malvek suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Hey, Shidan… did you feel that?" "Yeah," Shidan said, his tone sharp, "but only for a second. Probably just a sand spirit." Malvek shook his head. "No… that didn't feel right. We should check it out. Better careful than dead." Shidan gave a quick nod, then turned to Helios and Bow. "You two keep heading toward that stone wall up ahead. That's the landmark. Once you reach it, there'll be a cave that leads to the temple. We'll mark it so you know it's the right one." Malvek pulled the Holy Barrier from his belt and handed it to Bow. "Turn this on at night. If you don't, the undead will tear you apart." The two veterans didn't waste another second, they sprinted across the sand so fast the dunes broke apart in their wake. Bow glanced at Helios and smirked. He raised his fist. "Let's do our best, Helios." Helios knocked his knuckles against Bow's. The two of them trudged onward, side by side, as the desert winds howled across the barren sea of sand. After a long silence, Helios finally asked, voice hoarse, "Bow… I might as well ask you now. What's your dream? What's your goal?" The wind answered before Bow did, sweeping the dunes with a hollow whistle. Bow's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he said nothing at all. Bow stayed silent for a long time, his eyes scanning the endless desert ahead. Then, with a quiet sigh, he finally spoke. "You know… when I was a kid, I used to be the happiest little brat alive. My parents were part of a militia in our hometown, and I was always tagging along, laughing, smiling, thinking nothing in the world could break me. But… one day, they didn't come back. They died on some mission, and from that moment on, I couldn't smile the same. No matter what I did, the world felt… empty. So I kept searching, searching for something that could make me feel alive again. I thought if I fought harder, trained harder, maybe I'd find it." He clenched his fist, his voice softening. "But I didn't. Not until I met you." Bow looked at Helios, his expression calm but vulnerable. "After I met you, Helios, I wondered what happiness would look like if I gave it a physical form. As I thought deep about it, I discovered that the shape of happiness might resemble glass. As I kept thinking about it, it made sense because even though we notice it, it's still definitely there, you just have to change your point of view slightly. Then that glass will sparkle whenever it reflects the light." He gave a small, genuine smile, the kind Helios hadn't seen on him before. "That's when I realized. Happiness isn't something you chase down or fight for. It's something you share. And now… I want to give it to people who don't have any. Just like you gave some of it back to me." Helios's eyes widened. He never expected that type of answer from Bow's mouth. A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he said, "You know… that little speech you gave is giving me some encouragement." Bow smirked faintly, and the two of them chuckled together, their laughter carried away by the desert wind. The sun dipped low, painting the horizon in gradients of purple, deep blue, and orange fire. Gradually, both of them let their mana skin fade away, embracing the cool breath of nightfall that finally soothed their burning skin. They sat beneath the shimmering dome of the Holy Barrier, waiting for the undead to stir from the sands. Jerky from Bow's pouch crackled between their teeth as they chewed in silence, the desert strangely calm before the night's chaos. "Hey, Bow," Helios asked suddenly, breaking the quiet, "have you ever gone to other planets before?" Bow shook his head, leaning back against the sand. "Nah. To be honest, I'm fine with this planet we're on now." Helios tilted his head. "What planet are we on, anyway?" Bow scratched his chin. "This one? Planet 1989 D P." Helios blinked, baffled. "...What kind of name is that?" Bow shrugged, a small grin playing at the corner of his mouth. "This planet's under the control of the Supreme Order. They're the ones who name all the worlds they conquer. Cold, simple, efficient, that's how they work." "Oh," Helios muttered, settling back as if that answer only raised more questions. "Well… I guess that makes sense." Helios's gaze sharpened. Something was moving in the distance. He rose slightly, pointing. "Hey, Bow, come look at this." Bow stepped up beside him, squinting across the desert. His face hardened. "What the hell is that?" "I… I don't know," Helios muttered. "Could it be Shidan? Or Malvek?" The shape grew larger with every step it took, until the details became undeniable. A colossal skeleton emerged from the shifting sands, its bones bleached white under the moonlight. It loomed as tall as a small giant, each step sending tremors through the desert floor. Bow's eyes widened in alarm. "HEY, HELIOS, GET UP! IT CAN'T BE CONTAINED BY THE BARRIER!" Helios shot to his feet, the barrier dissolving in an instant. He and Bow spread out, instinctively taking their stances, the night air thick with tension. Helios's smirk cut through his fear as he tightened his grip on his weapon. His voice trembled, but carried resolve. "Alright, Bow… it's time for us to become the perfect duo." Bow chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, Helios. Let's do this." The undead giant fixed its hollow sockets on them, then let out a bone-rattling war cry, like death itself shrieking across the battlefield. The sound sent chills through their spines, but the two warriors inhaled deeply, then roared back in defiance as they charged. "I'll take out its legs, cover me!" Helios shouted. "Got it!" Bow barked, following close behind. The skeleton slammed its massive fist into the ground, the impact shaking the sand into the air. Helios darted aside, sliding past the shockwave, his father's sword flashing from its sheath. He poured his mana into the blade until it glowed a burning crimson, then swung with precision, severing the giant's lower leg in a single stroke. The undead staggered, but Bow was already there. He planted his feet, throwing himself into the path of the monster's follow-up strike. The colossal fist descended, but Bow caught it, his muscles straining, veins glowing faintly with mana. "POWER!" he roared. With a surge of raw strength, Bow wrenched the giant's arm upward, lifting the massive skeleton into the air before slamming it into the ground with earth-shaking force. Bones cracked and scattered. Helios's eyes widened in awe. The Power Gem didn't just amplify Bow's mana output, it also bent to his will, granting him monstrous strength. Bow ripped the creature's arm free from its socket with a grunt, hurling it aside. Helios seized the opening, dashing forward with blinding speed. His sword lowered to his side, glowing brighter than ever, he cut through the monster in a clean arc. The giant gave one last rattling shriek before its body split apart, collapsing into a heap of shattered bones. They jumped back, pressing their backs against each other, both panting heavily as they watched the monster begin to reassemble, this time growing even larger. Bow grit his teeth. "I bet this thing has a core. If we shatter it, the whole body will crumble!" Helios gave a sharp nod. "Then I'll cover you. You've got enough strength to blow it apart." Bow smirked, determination burning in his eyes. "Easily." The undead now towered over them, twice its original size. With a roar, Bow charged forward. The monster hurled a ball of compacted bone and rotting flesh, but Helios was there first, his blade flashing. With one clean strike, he split the mass apart before it could reach Bow. "Overpower!" Bow bellowed. His mana erupted in a violent surge, wrapping around his fist like a raging storm. The air crackled as he leapt high into the air, winding back his arm. The undead swung, trying to swat him from the sky, but Helios was there again. His sword gleamed as he deflected the massive limb. "Parry!" he roared, knocking the creature's arm away. Bow drove his fist into the monster's chest. The impact shook the ground as bone shattered, carving open its ribcage and exposing a glowing, pulsating core. But it didn't break. "Helios! Now, the core!" Bow shouted. Helios bolted forward, his vision blurring as his eyes burned with fire. His blood boiled, muscles swelling as heat radiated from his body. With a fierce lunge, he unleashed a precise horizontal slash. The blade sang through the air, splitting the core clean in half. The undead let out a distorted scream as its body collapsed, crumbling into dust and scattered bones. Helios crashed to the ground, his chest heaving, body trembling from the strain. "Helios! You alright?!" Bow yelled, striding over with his fists still clenched and his shoulders rising with each breath. Helios stood, sheathing his sword. "Yeah… we got the job done." Bow shook his head, frustration lacing his voice. "It's my fault I couldn't break the core. It was tougher than I expected." Helios laughed softly, shaking his head. "Don't say that. It wasn't your fault. This was the first time we fought together. We were figuring it out as we went." Bow gave a small grin and began setting up the Holy Barrier. As they looked up at the night sky, stars glittering like scattered shards of crystal, Helios spoke quietly. "Bow… we really do make a great team." Bow glanced at him, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "You're giving me too much credit… but thanks." As Bow settled down to sleep, Helios remained on lookout, eyes scanning the horizon. Despite the calm, his mind wandered. Where had Malvek and Shidan gone?