I Got Reincarnated As The Ntr Protagonist In An Online Game-Chapter 56: Final Battle

"What—?!" he growled, his form beginning to destabilize.

The light intensified, growing brighter and more violent with each passing second. The dark figure let out an enraged roar as he was overwhelmed, his shadowy form dissolving into nothingness.

When the light finally subsided, silence fell over the battlefield. Eira, Helen, and Merlin stared in shock as Junior’s body returned to normal, the mechanical voice fading.

Eira collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "What... just happened?"

Merlin wiped blood from his mouth, his expression a mix of awe and confusion. "That... wasn’t ordinary magic," he muttered. "That was something far beyond us."

-----

Just as a sense of relief began to settle in, the oppressive air returned, heavier and colder than before.

From the void, the dark figure’s form began to re-emerge, shadowy tendrils knitting his body back together. But this time, he wasn’t whole. Holes marred his figure, fragments of his body flickering like a dying flame. His glowing eyes burned with fury as his voice thundered across the space.

"What *are* you?!" he demanded, his gaze fixed on Junior, who stood completely still, his eyes void of life.

Emma, trembling, reached out to touch Junior’s shoulder. "Junior? Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice wavering.

She looked into his eyes, searching for some sign of recognition, but they were cold and lifeless, as though he were nothing more than a hollow shell. "Junior, say something," she pleaded.

The dark figure growled in frustration at the lack of response. "You dare ignore me?!" he roared, his shadowy form surging forward with alarming speed, his outstretched hand aiming for Junior’s neck.

Eira was faster. She stepped in front of Junior, her sword drawn, and intercepted the attack with a resounding clash. Sparks flew as her blade clashed against the dark figure’s energy. "You won’t lay a hand on him!" she shouted, pushing him back with all her strength.

At the same moment, Merlin conjured a powerful wind shield, reinforcing Eira’s defense and forcing the dark figure to retreat several steps.

The dark figure snarled, his body flickering with instability. "Out of my way!" he bellowed, his voice laced with desperation and anger. "He must be destroyed before my time runs out!"

Merlin’s sharp eyes narrowed as he noticed the figure’s impatience. "He’s weakening," Merlin muttered under his breath. "Whatever form he’s taken, it’s unstable. He doesn’t have much time left."

Eira tightened her grip on her sword, her resolve hardening. She glanced at Merlin and then at Junior’s lifeless form. "Then we just have to hold him off until he fades."

Merlin nodded. "Agreed."

Together, they shouted, "We will protect you, Prince Junior!"

The dark figure’s frustration erupted as he lunged forward again, his movements erratic but filled with deadly intent. "You cannot stop me! I will destroy him and everything you hold dear!"

---

The battle resumed with ferocity.

The dark figure hurled waves of dark energy toward Junior, but Merlin and Eira worked in perfect harmony to block and deflect each attack. Eira moved like a blur, her sword flashing with precision as she intercepted each strike aimed at Junior. Merlin, despite his exhaustion, conjured shields and counterspells, his magic crackling with determination.

"You’re not getting past us!" Eira shouted, slashing through a shadowy tendril that had snaked its way toward Junior.

The dark figure’s attacks became more desperate, his form flickering as the holes in his body widened. "You think you can protect him forever?!" he roared, his voice trembling with rage.

"You won’t touch him!" Merlin retorted, summoning a wall of fire to cut off the figure’s path.

The figure growled, dissipating into shadows and reappearing on the other side of the battlefield. He reached for Junior again, but Helen intercepted him this time, her blade cutting through his arm.

"Not on my watch!" Helen yelled, her stance unwavering.

The dark figure snarled, recoiling as black mist oozed from the wound. He turned his glowing eyes on Helen. "You’re all pests!"

Eira seized the moment to attack, her sword glowing with golden light as she charged. She struck with all her might, forcing the figure back further. "We’re more than pests," she spat. "We’re the wall between you and him."

Merlin added to the assault, casting a powerful spell that summoned chains of light to bind the figure. For a moment, it seemed they had him.

---

But the dark figure wasn’t done yet.

With a guttural roar, he shattered the chains, releasing a shockwave of dark energy that sent everyone sprawling. "Enough!" he bellowed, his voice echoing with unrestrained fury.

He turned his sights back to Junior, who hadn’t moved an inch. "If I can’t go through you, I’ll erase you all together!"

The dark figure gathered all his remaining strength into a massive orb of dark energy, its size distorting the air around it. He hurled it toward Junior with everything he had.

"No!" Eira screamed, rushing to intercept it.

Merlin conjured another barrier, and Helen joined Eira, their combined efforts barely holding the energy back.

The dark figure laughed darkly. "You’re only delaying the inevitable!"

---

Just as the orb threatened to overpower them, Junior’s mechanical voice spoke once more.

["Reactivating self-preservation mode." ]

The lifeless boy lifted his arm, and a new surge of radiant energy erupted from his body. The light consumed the dark orb, obliterating it in an instant.

The dark figure staggered back, his form crumbling further. "No... not again!"

Junior’s light intensified, and without moving, he released a barrage of concentrated energy beams. They struck the dark figure with blinding speed, piercing through him from all sides.

"Impossible!" the figure cried out, his voice filled with despair. "What are you?!"

The light continued until the figure’s form was no more, dissipating into nothingness.

As the battlefield fell silent once more, Junior’s light dimmed, and he collapsed into Emma’s arms.

Eira, breathing heavily, dropped to her knees, staring at Junior in awe. "We... we did it," she whispered.

Merlin, leaning on his staff for support, nodded grimly. "For now."

The ominous feeling lingered, but for the moment, they had survived.