第18章 双子のフィナーレ[Chapter 18: Twin Finale]
ライジング・ヒーローズとプラチナ・エッジの決勝戦が始まったとき、空には明るい太陽が輝いていた。皆の注目は、臨戦態勢に入った双子のラエドンとドラカーに集まっていた。ふたりともドラゴン族であり、そのライバル関係は伝説となっていた。辺りは静寂に包まれ、風が木々を揺らすだけだった。
ラエドンは両刃の剣を強く握りしめた。鋭い刃先には雷の火花が散り、雷を自在に操ることができる。彼は冷静で、集中し、攻撃の準備をしていた。その向かいにはドラカーが立っており、重い斧を握っていた。武器の表面には炎が揺らめき、ドラカーの激しく獰猛な性格を表していた。戦いが始まった。双子は翼を大きく広げ、瞬時に空に飛び立った。ラエドンが最初に攻撃を仕掛け、ドラカーに向かって鋭い稲妻を放った。ドラカーはすぐに炎の壁を作って攻撃を防ぎ、雷と炎の音が空中で混ざり合った。ドラカーは斧を振り回し、炎の波を放った。レードンは素早くかわし、翼で閃光のように動いた。彼は剣でドラカーの脇腹を狙い、急降下して反撃した。両者の武器がぶつかり合い、火花と炎が飛び散った。双子は互いに押し合い、その力は同等だった。ラエドンは手を引いて高く飛び、さらに稲妻を召喚してドラカーに降り注いだ。ドラカーは一歩も引かなかった。彼は翼で攻撃をかわし、驚くほど簡単に空中を回転した。
戦いが続く中、レードンはオーバーチャージを発動した。彼の体はエネルギーで輝き、より速く、より強くなった。彼は空中を急上昇し、ドラカーに素早いヒットを浴びせた。しかし、ドラカーはまだ終わっていなかった。彼はオーバーヒートを発動し、体を激しい炎で覆った。彼の強さは増し、攻撃はさらに強力になった。双子が力を出し切ったとき、空は稲妻の閃光と炎の炸裂で満たされた。双子の力の激しさは地面に衝撃を与え、木々を揺らし、瓦礫をばらまいた。戦いは永遠に終わらないように思えた。空中でぶつかり合った。両者とも一歩も引かず、まるで空中で爆発が起こったかのようだった。空中を突き抜ける武器の音は大きく澄んでいて、地上にいる全員に聞こえる。ドラカーもラエドンも真剣な眼差しで、戦いは激しさを増していった。
すると突然、暴漢の集団が現れ、辺りを取り囲んだ。顔に傷のある大男が前に出て叫んだ！今すぐ降伏しろ！特に竜人の双子と最強の戦士はな。大金を積んでやる！」。凶悪犯は両チームに大差をつけていたが、ラエドンもドラカーも恐れていなかった。彼らは互いに顔を見合わせ、うなずいた。
「これで終わりじゃない」とラエドンが言った。「まだだ」とドラカーは小さく笑った。
両チームはすぐに再編成し、ともに戦う準備を整えた。今のところ、ライバル関係などどうでもよかった。クェンラー、ドラン、エイドリアン、セラも加わり、ラエドンとドラカーの横に並んだ。チンピラたちは武器を振り回しながら叫び、最初に突撃した。ラエドンとドラカーは再び空を飛び、雷と炎を使って上空から攻撃した。クェンラーは正確に矢を放ち、ドランとエイドリアンは前線を守り、チームワークと技術で暴漢を撃退した。
凶悪犯の方が数が多かったとはいえ、2チームの強さには敵わなかった。ラエドンの雷撃は一度に複数の敵を襲い、気絶させた。ドラカーの火炎攻撃は暴漢たちを散らし、陣形を崩した。地上ではライラが激しく戦い、剣で近づく者を切り倒した。数分もしないうちに、暴漢たちは倒された。ある者は逃げ去り、またある者は戦場で気絶した。両チームは勝利を手にし、息も荒く、しかしチームワークを誇らしげに立っていた。
砂埃が収まると、太陽が沈み始め、空がオレンジ色と紫色に染まった。双子は地面に着地し、並んで立っていた。「ドラカーは斧を肩に置きながら言った。「俺たちを倒せると思っていたんだろう、実に面白い」レードンは微笑みながら答えた。
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チームは一緒にギルドに戻る準備をした。長い一日の戦いで疲れていたが、雰囲気は明るかった。しかし、帰路につくやいなや、ラエドンとライラは再び口論を始めた。「僕の方がお前より凶悪犯を倒したよ」レードンは自信たっぷりに言った。
「ハッ！そうだろう」ライラは言い返した。「私は戦いの渦中にいたのよ！」。
口論がヒートアップするにつれ、二人の声は大きくなった。他のメンバーは、彼らの絶え間ない口論を面白がって見ていた。そしてついに、セラがライラを引き止めた。「ライラ、言いにくいんだけど、私たちが今日終わらせるはずだったクエストを......私たちが戦っている間に、誰かが持っていってしまったのよ
ライラは目を見開いた。え？本気なの？」 セラはうなずいた。「うん、なくなっちゃった。ライラは明らかに不満げにうめき声を上げた。彼女はラエドンに向かって指をさした。「あなたのせいよ ラエドンは眉をひそめた。「私のせい？あなたが目立ちたがらなかったら、何時間も前に終わっていたのよ！」。
二人とも引き下がろうとはせず、再び口論が始まった。ラエドンとライラとは今日も同じような一日だった。夜空に星が見え始めると、その日は終わりを告げた。ライジングヒーローズとプラチナエッジは肩を並べて戦い、その強さと団結を見せつけた。しかし、ラエドンとライラにとって、戦いはまだ終わっていなかった。
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The sun was shining bright in the sky as the final match between the Rising Heroes and Platinum Edge began. Everyone's attention was on the twins, Raedon and Drakar, who stood ready to fight. Both of them were dragonkind, and their rivalry was legendary. The area was silent, with only the wind rustling through the trees as the two prepared to clash.
Raedon held his double-edged sword tightly. Sparks of thunder danced along its sharp edges, showing his control over lightning. He was calm, focused, and ready to strike. Across from him stood Drakar, gripping his heavy axe. Flames flickered on the weapon's surface, matching Drakar's fiery and fierce personality.The battle began. Both twins took to the sky instantly, their wings spreading wide. Raedon was the first to attack, sending a sharp bolt of lightning toward Drakar. Drakar quickly created a wall of fire to block the attack, the sound of thunder and fire mixing in the air. Drakar swung his axe, releasing a wave of flames. Raedon dodged quickly, his wings making him move like a flash of light. He countered by swooping closer and striking with his sword, aiming for Drakar's side. Their weapons clashed, sending sparks and embers flying. The twins pushed against each other, their power equal. Raedon pulled back and flew higher, summoning more lightning to rain down on Drakar. Drakar didn't back down. He used his wings to dodge the strikes, spinning through the air with surprising ease.
As the battle went on, Raedon activated his Overcharge. His body glowed with energy, making him faster and stronger. He zoomed through the air, landing quick hits on Drakar. But Drakar wasn't done yet. He activated Overheat, his body covered in intense flames. His strength grew, and his attacks became even more powerful. The sky was filled with flashes of lightning and bursts of fire as the twins gave it their all. The intensity of their powers sent shockwaves through the ground, shaking the trees and scattering loose debris. It seemed like the battle would never end, neither willing to back down. They clashed in the air, they were fast. It felt like a explosive works in the sky with neither of them backing down. The sound of their weapon which pierce through air was loud and clear, able to be heard by everyone one the ground. The fight kept getting intense, with both Drakar's and Raedon's eyes filled with great seriousness.
Then, suddenly, a group of thugs appeared, surrounding the area. Their leader, a big man with a scar on his face, stepped forward and shouted, "Enough of your fight! Surrender now, especially the dragonkind twins and your strongest fighters. You'll fetch us a fortune!" The thugs outnumbered both teams by a lot, but neither Raedon nor Drakar was afraid. They looked at each other and nodded.
"This isn't over," Raedon said. "Not yet," Drakar replied with a small grin.
Both teams quickly regrouped, ready to fight together. For now, their rivalry didn't matter. Quenlor, Doran, and Adrian, Sera, joined in, standing side by side with Raedon and Drakar. The thugs charged first, yelling as they swung their weapons. Raedon and Drakar took to the skies again, using their thunder and fire to attack from above. Quenlor shot arrows with precision, while Doran and Adrian held the front lines, fighting off the thugs with teamwork and skill.
Even though the thugs had greater numbers, they couldn't match the strength of the two teams. Raedon's lightning strikes hit several enemies at once, leaving them stunned. Drakar's fire attacks scattered the thugs, breaking their formations. On the ground, Lila fought fiercely, her sword cutting down anyone who came too close. Within minutes, the thugs were defeated. Some ran away, while others were knocked out on the battlefield. Both teams stood victorious, breathing hard but proud of their teamwork.
As the dust settled, the sun started to set, painting the sky orange and purple. The twins landed back on the ground, standing side by side. "Well, that was unexpected," Drakar said, resting his axe on his shoulder. "They thought they could beat us, very funny," Raedon replied with a smirk.
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Together, the teams prepared to return to the guild. They were tired from the long day of fighting, but the mood was light. However, as soon as they began their trek back, Raedon and Lila started arguing again. "I took down more thugs than you," Raedon said confidently.
"Ha! You wish," Lila shot back. "I was the one in the thick of the fight!"
Their voices got louder as the argument heated up. The others watched with amusement, used to their constant bickering. Finally, Sera stepped in and pulled Lila aside. "Lila, I hate to tell you this, but the quest we were supposed to finish today… someone else took it while we were out fighting."
Lila's eyes widened. "What? Are you serious?" Sera nodded. "Yeah, it's gone." Lila groaned, clearly frustrated. She turned to Raedon and pointed a finger at him. "This is your fault!" Raedon raised an eyebrow. "My fault? If you hadn't been so focused on showing off, we would've finished hours ago!"
The argument started again, with neither of them willing to back down. The others laughed quietly, knowing it was just another day with Raedon and Lila. As the stars began to appear in the night sky, the day came to an end. The Rising Heroes and Platinum Edge had fought side by side, showing their strength and unity. But for Raedon and Lila, the battle wasn't over just yet.
