Augustus wasn't the only one that thought so. Most of the B-class adventurers were at this point losing any hope they ever had of winning. Some even started to think about running away but whenever they looked back towards the locked gate they were reminded of the inevitable reality.
Live or die, they didn't have a third option.
"F*ck" Said Felix to himself as he sent out a fierce wave of fire towards the approaching Augustus, who didn't even bother to retaliate against it as his armor nullified most of the damage.
Maybe it was luck but Felix had managed to make it out alive without any significant injuries. The only thing that was damaged was his good looks. Felix's body was soaking wet with sweat and seeping blood, the scorching hot flames he kept on summoning through his swordsmanship wasn't helping his case either.
A fierce gale washed over all of the adventurers at this time but just as it had happened many times before, a thick semi-finished dome of earth protected the adventurers from being flung out of their positions.
"This can't keep on!" One of the magicians in the group yelled through gritted teeth. His mana was nearing exhaustion.
Samuel who barely managed to get inside of the protective dome heard this and completely agreed. He as the leader needed to do something different to get themselves out of this predicament.
He started to think about any potions or magic devices he might have brought with him on this expedition but nothing of use came to mind. His preparations were made with a lich in mind so things like the anti-curse bracelet he wore were useless.
Looking for a solution, Samuel scanned the group before being forced to refocus his attention on the boss they were fighting. Chunks of earth flew by as the strong earthen barrier was quickly demolished.
'Damn it!' He tightened the grip on his sword, what could he do differently? He asked himself as he charged towards Augustus.
Greenlight covered his body and all of his injuries began to heal. Drake had a similar thing happen to him as he ran towards Augustus with anger in his eyes.
"F*cking piece of sh*t!" Drake yelled as he punched out for the umpteenth time.
Augustus swiftly avoided the strike, he then smacked the close Drake in the face with the hilt of his sword. Samuel took the opportunity to release a sharp horizontal slash that, unlike other times, simply scratched the surface of Augustus' armor.
Just as he was about to counter-attack against Samuel, Augustus felt sharp pain strike his body. He was being bathed in holy light by Clarys.
He sent a murderous gaze towards her before trying to push aside Samuel with a swift blast of wind.
He unexpectedly felt some resistance though which sparked his curiosity.
Samuel was actually trying to prevent Augustus from blasting him away by controlling the wind elements himself but was unfortunately unable to and was sent off.
Drake similarly tried to prevent him from leaving. He grabbed at Augustus but was instead hit squarely on the face by the hilt a second time.
Augustus, with vicious power, launched himself towards Clarys who was only being protected by some B-class warriors.
Felix who was also there prepared to protect her with unwavering determination as now wasn't the time to act petty.
But unlike what they were expecting, Augustus was blocked by none other than... Eon! How did he do it? By literally standing in front of him. His enchanted robe summoned a rectangular barrier to cover his person against the ferocious attack.
"This will break, hurry!" Eon shouted at Clarys. He had recovered some of his energy thanks to the others inadvertently stalling for time.
Clarys may not be used to fighting as she was mainly known for her healing prowess but she was still an A-class adventurer. She knew how to take advantage of an opportunity.
Augustus was not deaf, although he was dead, he instantly backed away from Eon only to be hammered by a plethora of spells. His dented armor finally started to show signs of breaking as large cracks appeared on it.
He was then also assaulted by a fierce wave from behind that pushed him back towards Clarys.
This in turn allowed Augustus to finally feel the threat of death as he saw Clarys about to cast her spell, he was secretly elated.
He spun with the power of the wave and released a blade of wind towards Eon who stood in front of Clarys the power breaking the barrier and sending him backward.
Augustus then charged forward with his own two feet ready to thrust at the casting Clarys now that his path was clear.
Many noticed the peril of the situation but they weren't able to do anything about it, the only ones capable were the warriors next to Clarys but their strength was lacking. It might be no different from sending themselves to their deaths to try and intercept Augustus.
As a matter of fact, that was how some of the other warriors were killed since letting her take a hit also doomed them all. The leftover group wasn't willing though leading to some hesitation which would be more than enough to allow Augustus to land his strike.
Augustus' purple flames shone brightly as he anticipated his sword thrusting right through Clarys' heart and body.
He was brought back to reality by the cold sound of metal against metal. Felix who wasn't looking good at all jumped forward to try and block the thrust but he soon found his strength to be insufficient.
His awkward block only led to the thrust being redirected towards his chest passing right through it like butter. Blood spurted out of Felix's mouth before he felt himself fall backward, Augustus had quickly retrieved his blade hoping to catch up on the missed time but unfortunately, it was too late.
Clarys' life element spell finally materialized and a white beam shot out towards Augustus who had no time to dodge the assault. The white light pierced his body cleanly breaking through his armor and hitting his bones.
Not only that but the area in which the beam pierced through was also where his magic core was held. Augustus felt his body start to burn from the life element acting on the spell.
The many onlookers were forced to close their eyes from the blinding light. Clarys had clearly put most if not all of her magic power into that attack given its brilliance.
After a couple of seconds, the thick beam of light faded away allowing them to open their eyes and watch the aftermath of their last-ditch effort.
The sound of metal falling onto the ground reverberated the silent room, Augustus' sleek green armor had started to break apart and fall onto the hard ground.
The broken pieces revealed his skeleton which seemed to have been burned by a powerful and strong flame. This was obviously the result of the life element counteracting Augustus' natural affinity with death.
He fell to his knees and looked up at the adventurers. The purple flames that could be seen past his helmet started to dim and slowly flicker.
"Unexpected." He said to the watching crowd. Oddly enough his second death reminded him of his first leaving a hint of bitterness in his words
He looked down at the giant hole in his chest area. His bones were barely holding him up, it seemed like he could disassemble any second now.
The adventurers simply watched from a distance with a mix of relief and amazement at having dealt Augustus a lethal blow.
"Uurgh" more blood spurted out of Felix's mouth as he tried to lift his head to watch the aftermath of his interference.
The stupefied adventurers were then reminded of Felix after hearing this. The ones with healing potions quickly ran over to him while Samuel eyed the fallen Augustus who was still holding onto life.
Eon quickly stood up once he saw the dimming flames, he braved through his exhaustion and headed towards the dying Augustus. This was a legendary figure. It would be a pity to see him leave the world so simply once more.
Augustus with what little consciousness he had left looked at the approaching Eon.
"Old man… What do you want?" His voice sounded weak. His power to speak came from his soul which was dwindling away at the moment.
Eon found it funny to be called an old man by a person who has been dead longer than he has lived but simply went ahead and asked his question.
"It's been many years since you last graced the earth, your story was shortlived. How are you here?" Said Eon to the dying Augustus.
Eon also wanted to know how Augustus died but it was of far greater importance to know how he managed to appear here, especially with the limited time.
Augustus chuckled slightly before responding to the question with a serious tone, "Do you have any regrets?" he asked.
Eon quickly became puzzled by the question that seemingly came out of nowhere. Especially since it sounded like something he would ask Augustus instead. He thought a bit about the question but before he could answer he heard the faint voice of Augustus.
"Well I don't, not anymore." After saying his parting words the purple flame in his skull flickered one last time. Augustus' body then fell to the ground lifelessly leaving none of his earlier confidence for others to experience.. Eon simply looked down at the scattered bones from above, he had things to think about.