Leon saw his chance. He charged, striking the skeleton''s exposed side with a swift slash from his sword and a followed up Aether Bolt, sending shards of brittle bone scattering. The creature staggered but didn''t fall; instead, it let out another bone-chilling wail, summoning more dark energy into its sword.

    "We need to break that weapon," Leon shouted, his voice strained from the effort. "It''s amplifying its power!"@@@@

    "Then let''s shatter it together," Luna replied, determination hardening her gaze.

    In sync, they advanced on the skeletal warrior. Leon feinted to the left while Luna went right, their coordinated attacks forcing the creature to defend both flanks. With a final, powerful strike, they brought their weapons down on the skeleton''s sword simultaneously, splintering it in half. The creature let out a shriek, its body beginning to crumble as the dark energy dissipated.

    Finally, with one last rattle, the skeletal warrior disintegrated, leaving nothing but dust and fragments of bone.

    Luna exhaled, lowering her dagger. "That... was intense."

    Leon''s smirk faded instantly as he looked over at the grand tomb, the very one guarded by the Undead Knight moments ago. Now, it was trembling, the heavy stone lid slowly sliding away on its own.

    "Think that was just a mid-boss?" Luna asked, glancing at the tomb with unease as the rumbling intensified.

    Leon sighed, his voice laced with tension. "Oh, I don''t think—I know it was just a mid-boss." He sheathed his sword and reached into his satchel, pulling out a gleaming staff with intricate carvings and a glowing crystal at its tip. "Time to switch things up. My main attacks are magic, after all."

    Luna gave him an approving nod, gripping her dagger a bit tighter. "Good. Because whatever''s in there doesn''t look like it''s here to chat."

    With a deep creak, the tomb''s lid slid completely off, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. As it cleared, a chilling figure slowly rose from within. It was a towering skeletal being clad in ancient, tattered robes, its bony fingers adorned with rings that pulsed with dark energy.

    Its hollow eyes flared with a blue, ghostly light as it scanned the area, locking onto Leon and Luna with an ominous intensity.

    The mage extended one hand, unleashing a wave of darkness that spread across the ground like a creeping fog. Leon sidestepped just in time, feeling the air go cold where the dark mist touched.

    "Luna, flank it!" he commanded, positioning himself to draw the creature''s focus.

    Luna darted left, moving with the silent grace of a shadow, a dagger ready in her hand. She circled around, her eyes never leaving the creature. Leon raised his staff, chanting softly under his breath. Aether energy crackled around him, casting a faint blue glow in the dim light. He thrust his staff forward, releasing a bolt of pure energy that zipped toward the mage.

    The undead mage lifted its staff just in time, absorbing part of the bolt with a barrier of shimmering, dark energy. The force pushed it back a step, but it remained standing, undeterred. It waved its hand, sending a volley of dark, crackling missiles toward Leon in retaliation.

    Leon dodged, barely avoiding the dark projectiles that hit the ground with small explosions, leaving craters in their wake. He gritted his teeth, focusing on his next spell.

    While the mage was fixated on Leon, Luna seized her chance, slipping in close behind it. With practiced precision, she thrust her dagger toward the mage''s spine. The blade struck true, embedding itself between the vertebrae with a sickening crunch. The mage let out a bone-chilling shriek, twisting its head unnaturally to face her.

    Its mouth opened in a silent scream, black energy leaking from the wound as it tried to shake her off.

    "Nice hit!" Leon called, using the distraction to gather more power. He began weaving a more potent spell, blue energy sparking and flaring at the tip of his staff.

    The mage staggered, its body faltering, but it wasn''t done yet. Summoning its remaining strength, it raised both arms and called forth skeletal hands from the ground, which clawed up from the earth to restrain Luna. She slashed through them, her agility and quick reflexes saving her as she danced backward, avoiding their grasp.

    ###

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