Chapter 5: Truths found in Shadows

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Dean was looking at the leader while being in his battle stance, with the leader having his arms crossed cockily.

"Seems that you are looking for something, boy." thought the leader, with Dean's eyes becoming angrier upon hearing him "I see." he said while holding his chin "If you win, I will tell you everything, which won't happen!" he claimed as he unleashed a beam of shadows, forcing Dean to fall back to avoid it.

"I will win and force you to tell me what I want!" said Dean angry while lunging at him, with both exhanging spells for close combat and their speed being equal "Beast Magic: Tiger Claw!" shouted Dean as his fingers became clad in a magical aura and managed to slice the bandit leader on the mask, albeit not deeply as he managed to avoid the slash before it could become deeper.

"Why you! You...will...PAY!" shouted the leader furious as his grimoire was flipping pages and a big snake of shadows coiled around him "**Shadow Creation Magic: Erebus Serpent**!" he shouted and the serpent lunged itself towards Dean, with him avoiding it and then rapidly slicing it, with it falling down and being erased "Damn you!" he shouted as he unleashed more snakes, but Dean sliced them all and then immediately sliced the leader on the stomach and quickly punched him there, bringing him down on his knees.

"Is this all you've got?" asked Dean coldly while looking at him, with the leader smiling and then, a pillar of shadows erupted beneath Dean and damaged him, inflicting damage while the leader managed to get further back "Eagh!" shouted Dean, managing to get away by slicing the pillar with bigger claws, with him then slightly being out of breath, much to the leader's anger.

"How...How do you have so much power?!" asked the leader Dean furious who was looking apathetically at him, with the leader then taking a deep breath and smiling "Hehehe, you really *are* strong for a kid but now, you wil see the *true* power of the Forty Night Demons!" he claimed cockily, with him being enveloped in a shadow magic aura that was covering his body and spawned tendrils that were covering both the unconcious members and those that remained, with the latter trying to resist it but to no avail, to the confusion of Dean and the girls while Helen was alsmost got caught by it, with her dress being now ruined.

"Hehehehe!" laughed the leader who became a hulking mass of shadows "**Shadow Magic: Union of Shadows!**" said the leader in a distorted voice and then lunged himself, managing to hit Dean so hard that he sput blood and was sent on a tree "How do you like this? Thanks to this spell, I can absorb those I have any form of connection with and add their total physical and magical power to mine, I'm invincible!" he claimed excited and cocky, with Dean then slowly trying to get up.

"This...is not true power....not true connection." said Dean while finally managing to stand up "Connection is...having friends... that support you, watch your back and fill your life to the point of trying to get stronger so you can protect them!" protested Dean while collecting himself.

"Rubbish." said the leader disappointed whie unleashing numerous tendrils of shadows at him, with them suddenly being destroyed "What?" he exclaimed puzzled.

"You are right, Dean. Those that claim to be strong by using others as if they were mere tools are pathetic. Even more so, those that pass it as connection or ownership over them." replied Helen with her sword on her shoulder while standing beside him.

"Right. This connection is an illusion, unlike ours that pushed us forward for each other's sake. Let's show him, Dean, the power of our true bond!" said Serena fired up, with him smiling and then the leader unleashed an orb of shadows which the three easily avoided "Scan Magic: Sign of Weakness!" shouted Serena, with many white symbols appearing on him "Helen, target these spots!" she shouted at her.

"Got it. **Forge  Magic: Bright Slasher**!" she shouted as a gold broadsword with three emerald gems on the hilt emerged from her grimoire and she quickly unleashed a slash of light, doing immense damage on him while the shadow mass became somewhat smaller "Now, Dean! Do it while he is in disarray!" she shouted, with him smiling.

"Thank you, Helen, I will! Beast Magic: Gorilla Punch!" he shouted as he closed the distance and punched him at the center where the white symbol was "Eagh!" shouted Dean while punching the spot repeatedly, managing to cause the shadow mass to erupt, with the leader then falling down in pain and his grunts falling down unconcious.

"We did it!" said the girls in unison while high fiving each other.

Dean then walked towards the leader and kneeled in front of him "Three years ago, many kids were abducted from the town of Nairn. While there was an organization that was doing that, many are still missing. Who is behind this?" asked Dean while grabbing him from his shirt, with the leader's now visible red eyes widening for a second and then he became silent.

"The last two years, we were acting as decoys for something bigger, something terrifying." said the leader and then sput blood and a portal was devouring him and the grunts.

"I will tell you this. Beware the Brigade!" he ended up saying before vanishing with his men, leaving Dean behind with many questions.

Half an hour later

"We don't know how to thank you!" said the waitress in the bar, with Dean and Serena being speechless "you saved our village and the nearby ones from that terrible gang!" she said excited "The boss decreed that from now on, you will eat, drink and sleep for free in our tavern!".

"Thank you very much!" said both Dean and Serena happy.

Then, Helen came down with a different look. She was wearing a white t-shirt with a short blue tie, short blue shorts, blue leggings, brown shoes and a blue blazer with a silver trim, with her appearance living Dean with an open mouth "This looks beautiful on you, Helen." he said ecstatic, much to Serena's jealousy and Helen's embarassment.

"T-Thank you" she said timidly. Then, she shook her head and bowed "I'm Helen Elpida, a nineteen years old girl wishing to join the Magic Knights. So, how about travelling to Kikka together?" she proposed, with the both looking each other before looking at her happy.

"Welcome to the team, Helen, we would be happy to have you!" said Dean as they ended up joining hands.