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Chapter 13: The Torrential Showdown

As the battle to stop Professor Elden and save Luna began, Jake, Carter, and Akane knew they had to be tactful in their approach. Despite their numerical advantage, they understood that Professor Elden Thorne, armed with the formidable Sword of Water, was not an opponent to be underestimated. Without exchanging a single word, Jake gave a simple nod, signaling both Carter and Akane to initiate their plan. Their teamwork and synergy were remarkable as Carter flanked to the left, Akane to the right, and Jake took the middle, surrounding the professor from every angle.

Professor Elden laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Your effort is respectable, but wasted," he declared, his demeanor shifting to one of deadly seriousness. "Come at me if you dare, and show me what you’ve got." The Sword of Water shimmered and pulsed in his hand, eager to display its power as he waited for them to strike first.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/1/14/Home_Run_Swing.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/9/98/Aqua_Surge_Slash.png]

Jake was the first to strike, surging forward with his baseball bat. Without hesitation, he unleashed his trademark move, Home Run Swing—a strike that had felled countless adversaries before. With exceptional power, he aimed to disarm the professor and turn the tide in their favor. However, Professor Elden had anticipated this move. Waiting patiently, he responded with Aqua Surge Slash, conjuring a pressurized blade of water with precision and force that clashed with Jake’s bat. The impact was immense, the water blade slicing through the air and sending Jake staggering backward, his momentum abruptly halted.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/5/5f/Rink_Runner%E2%80%99s_Rush.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/9/9d/Slapshot_Smash.png]

Seeing his friend unable to break through Professor Elden Thorne's defense, Carter launched into Rink Runner’s Rush, utilizing his athletic stamina and speed to close the distance quickly, not giving the professor any opportunity to counter. With swift precision, he swept his hockey stick for a Slapshot Smash, delivering a powerful, high-speed strike aimed directly at the professor's hand, hoping to disarm him.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/5/5b/Tidal_Grasp.png]

But Thorne, always one step ahead, noticed Carter's movement and responded with Tidal Grasp. Summoning water from the very air around them, he ensnared Carter in a powerful aquatic bind, rendering him momentarily immobilized—a clear display of the professor's mastery over the elemental forces at his command.

"Hey, guys, some help here! I'm stuck!" Carter shouted, his voice strained as the water's buoyant force pressed him down, preventing any movement.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/d/d4/Shadow_Step.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/4/42/Silent_Cherry_Blossom_Thrust.png]

Akane was the next to move, embodying the elegance and lethality of her Shadow Step technique. With a fluid motion, she stepped into the professor's blind spot, her small frame and agility giving her the advantage for a surprise attack. Her sais cut through the air with deadly precision as she launched a Silent Cherry Blossom Thrust, a technique aimed at incapacitating Thorne by targeting his vital pressure points—a move that spoke to her deep mastery of martial arts.

As her strike neared its target, the room seemed to hold its breath, the sheer speed and grace of her movements creating an almost serene atmosphere in the midst of the intense battle.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/9/9c/Aqueous_Ambush.png]

However, Thorne, ever the adept tactician, showcased his profound control over the elemental forces at his command. Anticipating Akane's move, he had already prepared a counter with Aqueous Ambush. As Akane's thrust struck where Thorne stood, his form dispersed into water, slipping through her attack effortlessly. Before she could react, Thorne reformed behind her, using the momentum of his sudden reappearance to deliver a surprise strike that sent Akane tumbling to the floor. The professor’s mastery over his element was clear, and his strategic foresight made him a formidable opponent.

While Professor Elden was momentarily focused on Akane, Jake seized the opportunity to free Carter from Thorne's aquatic imprisonment. With a swift strike from his baseball bat, he disrupted the water trapping Carter, knocking it away with a forceful blow.

"Thanks, bro!" Carter said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"No problem! We need to regroup with Akane and stop the professor," Jake replied, his voice firm with determination. Even in the midst of chaos, his leadership and resourcefulness shone through.

"Any plan, bro?" Carter asked, ready for the next move.

"Let's go for a combined assault, all at once," Jake proposed. "If we hit him together, he won’t be able to defend against all of us." The plan was simple, yet it had the potential to be effective, relying on their unique abilities working in unison—a coordinated strike that could overwhelm the professor's defenses and turn the tide of battle.

"Akane! Let's regroup!" Jake shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos as Akane swiftly picked up her sais, her determination was unshakeable.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/a/ac/Jake_performing_Stealing_Bases%2C_his_agility_allows_him_to_move_quickly_and_stealthily%2C_evading_capture_or_sneaking_up_on_foes.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/7/7c/Athlete%27s_Agility.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/d/d4/Shadow_Step.png]

The trio moved in unison, each deploying their unique movement skills to surround Professor Elden once more. Jake utilized Stealing Bases, his agility allowing him to dart quickly around the battlefield. Carter, with his Athlete's Agility, maneuvered fluidly, his reflexes honed for the rapid pace of combat. Meanwhile, Akane, employing her Shadow Step technique, slipped into Elden's blind spot, her small frame making her nearly invisible in the heat of the moment.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

As the trio surrounded Professor Elden, Akane, in her soft yet urgent voice, cautioned her friends, "Careful, he might use his skill to create water bodies." Her words, though not shouted, carried the weight of experience, and both Jake and Carter, having already faced the professor's absurdly imbalanced abilities, took her warning to heart.

"Professor, you are going down!" Carter declared, feeling confident that their combined attack would be the key to victory. Despite the professor’s powerful weapon, Carter reminded himself that Elden was still just a man. Disarming him would be the turning point. "Let's do this!" Jake shouted, leading the charge.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/6/67/Jake_harada_performing_Grand_Slam%2C_powerful_leaping_swing%2C_bringing_his_bat_down_in_an_arc_that_deals_heavy_damage_to_anything_in_its_path.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/1/11/Final_Buzzer_Blitz.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/d/d4/Crimson_Cyclone.png]

Jake unleashed his most devastating attack, Grand Slam, leaping into the air and bringing his bat down in a powerful arc, aiming to crush anything in its path. Carter followed suit with Final Buzzer Blitz, launching into a flurry of rapid strikes that embodied the intensity of a final hockey match. Akane completed the trio’s assault with Crimson Cyclone, a rapid spinning attack with her sais extended, creating a whirlwind of strikes that covered every possible angle of the battlefield.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/9/9c/Aqueous_Ambush.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/f/fb/Jake_Harada_performing_Batter%27s_Intuition%2C_allowing_him_to_read_his_opponents%27_movements%2C_giving_him_the_ability_to_react_swiftly_and_strike_with_precision.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/c/c4/Jake_Harada_performing_Home_Run_Swing%2C_swinging_his_baseball_bat_with_exceptional_power%2C_aiming_to_knock_out_opponents_or_send_projectiles_back.png]

The professor, seemingly unfazed, stood his ground, waiting for their attacks to come. Just as Akane had warned, he deployed Aqueous Ambush, merging with water bodies and reappearing behind Jake after he landed. But Jake, already on high alert thanks to Akane's warning, felt his Batter's Intuition kick in. He sensed the professor’s movement with pinpoint accuracy, turning around just in time to swing his bat with a Home Run Swing. The blow connected, striking the professor’s head and sending him tumbling. However, even as he fell, Elden's grip on the Sword of Water remained firm, showing his unwillingness to relinquish his prized creation.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/b/b6/Carter_performing_the_Puck_Precision_move%2C_showcasing_his_ability_to_throw_with_incredible_accuracy_and_speed.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/5/5c/Crimson_Flash.png]

"Carter, Akane, now!" Jake shouted, seizing the opportunity created by his successful strike. Carter immediately followed up with Puck Precision, using his hockey stick to launch scattered objects from the R&D lab with incredible accuracy and speed, all aimed at disarming the professor. Akane, who lacked a ranged attack, responded with Crimson Flash, a lightning-fast lunge that closed the distance in an instant, her sai targeting the professor’s arm with precision. Their combined efforts were intended to force him to drop the Sword of Water, but Professor Thorne's grip remained ironclad, his resolve unshaken even as he was surrounded by the trio.

"You fools! Do you really think your simple weapons can stand against advanced technology?" the professor sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Professor, you can give up now! We have you surrounded—you don’t stand a chance!" Carter urged, still hoping to reason with him.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/e/e7/Cyclone_Torrent.png]

But the professor only laughed, a chilling sound that echoed in the lab. "You really think I’ve lost? Time for round two!" With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed Cyclone Torrent, a spiraling water cyclone that swept the trio off their feet, forcing them back and creating distance between them and the professor.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/0/03/Healing_Rain.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/8/87/Tidal_Empowerment.png]

Not stopping there, the professor activated Healing Rain, utilizing the Sword of Water's healing properties to summon a gentle rain that began to mend his wounds. As the healing rain fell, he followed up with Tidal Empowerment, drawing from a nearby pool of water in the lab—used for his experiments—to enhance the sword's abilities. The water around him surged with power, amplifying the sword's hydrokinetic feats.

Standing tall and reinvigorated, Professor Thorne smirked as he signaled for the trio to come at him again. "You’re meddling with advanced technology that rivals the legendary swords themselves!" Thorne declared, his voice filled with a potent blend of warning and unmistakable pride. The Sword of Water was not just a weapon; it was a fusion of myth and cutting-edge science, a testament to his genius. Fearlessly, he awaited their next move, confident in the power he wielded.

The trio decided to give their best once more, darting forward towards Professor Thorne without any specific skills in mind. After all, their previous attempts to disarm him had failed, and they would need to rely on their reactions to counter his attacks.

image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/5/53/Torrential_Cataclysm.png]

"Behold my ultimate move, Torrential Cataclysm!" Professor Thorne shouted. Suddenly, the Sword of Water summoned an immense tidal wave from the opposite direction, imbued with hydrokinetic energy. The wave was so powerful that it knocked them to the far end of the R&D lab, slamming their bodies against the cold, wet concrete wall. Their weapons were scattered from their hands as they lay on the ground, drenched and panting.

"Jake, what are we going to do next?" Akane whispered, her voice filled with worry. She had no idea how they could defeat the professor.

"This is crazy!" Carter exclaimed, his frustration mixed with a hint of awe at the immense power they had just witnessed.

Jake, meanwhile, was lost in thought, his mind racing with potential strategies. However, doubt began to creep in as he realized how daunting the challenge was. The Sword of Water had proven to be a formidable force, and he was struggling to find a way forward.

Professor Thorne, proud of the results of his attack, stood confidently. The sight of the teenagers’ concerned faces gave him a sense of fulfillment. He sensed that the end was near for them unless they were willing to surrender.

"You see now?" Professor Thorne taunted, his voice brimming with arrogance. "You’re out of your depth! This is what true advanced technology stands for!" He reveled in the power he wielded, confident that the trio had no chance against him.