Dulled paint covers the ceiling of an orderly room with little memorabilia sprinkled about.
Atop a massive bed against the left wall, a woman feverishly tosses and turns, while mumbling choice phrases that can’t quite be heard.
The sun sits high in the window to her left, indicating that she must’ve awoken just before noon.
After willing herself out of bed, Ilene throws on the usual tan coat and skirt, then fastens her rapier to her waist.
It only takes a few minutes for her to quickly splash water on her face and untangle her hair before moving out of the South-East Tower and aimlessly roaming around.
Her thoughts are muffled by a heavy fog that hasn’t gone away since she held her father’s cold hand last night.
Although she had begun to fear for his safety after hearing the news about Lady Evelyn, she didn’t think anything would happen so soon.
I didn’t hear anyone else around the tower, so everyone’s probably going about business as usual.
If I had to guess how things proceeded after last night, the death is being hidden until more can be learned, then a decision will be reached from within the council to choose who will lead Mahora.
I suppose this means I’ve completely lost.
With the inner workings of the castle in silent chaos, it’s only a matter of time until the election is bypassed and the one with better standing is selected, which is Xander.
…I’ve failed everyone I care about.
Mother, Father, Ryuu… What’s wrong with me?
I make all of these promises, set all of these goals, yet nothing works out how I plan it.
Everything was riding on my success: my mother’s dream of restoring the capital to its former glory, gaining the power to follow up on my end of the deal with Ryuu, and even giving Xander the freedom to become a researcher like he really wants to be.
Now what do I do?!
Where do I direct this frustration?!
Ilene regains her senses as she finds herself outside of a wide brick building with steel doors.
The Council Station?
It seems my body subconsciously knew where to go… Perhaps I’ll find answers here.
She presses a button next to the doors, then a capture lens turns down from the rooftop and zooms in on her.
As soon as Ilene turns her face toward the lens, a hissing sound comes from the entrance, then it swings open with a thud.
The lady makes her way inside of a waiting room filled with chairs and three identical doors along the far wall.
A single guard stands by the doors, nodding his head as she continues past him and opens the middle door, which reveals an expansive chamber that dips lower as it approaches the center.
In the very bottom of the chamber, ten figures sit around a circular table, which appears to be magical in nature.
One of the figures turns their head after hearing her enter, then waves Ilene down to join them.
After moving down several flights of stairs, the noblewoman approaches the council members and takes a seat next to Xander, who had arrived before her.
“Nice of you to join us, Ilene. I was beginning to worry you hadn’t gotten my message.”
“I didn’t get a message. It just made sense to be here right now.”
“Regardless, I’m glad you’re here. The esteemed council members in front of us were just explaining to me why they think I killed our father.”
“What?!”
One of the balding men at the opposite end of the table clears his throat, then picks up some documents in front of him.
“Lord Xander, the castle’s investigation team has simply found too much evidence supporting our claim. Several Advanced M’yin with specialized Talents picked apart the duke’s room and surrounding areas, yet the only magical signatures left behind during the time of the murder were your own. Even if an A’yang had committed the murder, there would have been physical traces they couldn’t erase in such little time, other than the head trauma. As noted by Doctor Corna, the duke died in a very short time frame with no sign of a physical death blow, which means it’s more likely the killer used magic.”
Xander shrugs as Ilene slams her hands on the table and rises from her chair.
“This is ridiculous! Everyone here knows that Xander was already favored to win the election! What does he have to gain from this?!”
“I’m sorry, Lady Ilene, but we have no other leads. The longer we hold back information, the larger risk we’re at of information leaking to the citizens. We need to give them something, and even if that means charging Lord Xander, we have no choice.”
“I won’t allow this! There’s no way we can charge my brother with murder while knowing that there’s someone out there that got away with it! What’s stopping them from killing Xander next?! Or me?!”
Her brother speaks up from beside her, while resting his chin on his hand atop an armrest.
“Before we jump straight to sending me away, I dohave someone that can vouch for my innocence.”
“We won’t be acknowledging the words of your Blade, Lord Xander.”
“No, not my Blade. Ilene’s Blade, Ryuu, is sure to have found a clue that can clear my name, but he’s running a little late… I’m sure he’ll show up any second now.”
Ilene turns to Xander as she sits back down.
“What’s Ryuu up to? Don’t tell me you’ve gotten him wrapped up in something.”
“I didn’t do anything of the sort. The man was already involving himself, I simply gave some help where I could. Honestly, I have no idea where he is, or what he’s doing right now.”
The bald council member slaps some documents on the table to pull the siblings’ attention, then jabs a finger onto the papers.
“I’m afraid we don’t have the time to wait for someone who likely won’t show up. The nine of us council members have reached a decision, and it’s time to deliver a verdict.”
Xander frowns while a bead of sweat rolls down his temple, and Ilene buries her face in her hands as she feels the stabbing pain of yet another loss in her gut.
I didn’t want to win this way.
What was the point of all my effort if this is how I become a duchess?
The door to the chamber suddenly swings open above them all, then everyone’s heads turn to see who was foolish enough to interrupt.
A gloomy kid, an anxious woman, and a meathead are all the bald council member can make out from his seat, but before he can send them away, the giant red-headed member of the group shouts over him.
“Lady Ilene! We have something to ask you! Is now a good time?!”
******
After fighting for the three new arrivals to be able to stay, Ilene motions them down to the bottom of the chamber.
The one in the oversized robes, who she believes is named Isaac, leads the way.
“Lady Ilene, I have some information that I don’t know how to make sense of… Could you help me out?”
“Right now? I’m sorry, but we’re in the middle of something important.”
“Trust me, you’ll want to hear this… It might have something to do with the duke’s death.”
Xander raises a brow from behind Ilene, saying, “Please, continue.”
Isaac nods and recounts some of the events from the underground meeting hall.
In his explanation, he includes the spirits he summoned, the topic they were discussing, and the staff held by the one named Archie.
He chooses to leave out his observation about Lady Evelyn, since he’s still unsure of what he saw.
“Leon mentioned that the staff is something he saw every time the duke was around… Doesn’t that force you to think about its current whereabouts? If the staff hasn’t been found, which I’m half-expecting to be true, then it’s almost definitely the motive… Basically, you can’t force a charge on anyone here until you find the staff in their possession.”
Xander smirks and rises from his chair with a confident air around him.
“Additionally, nobody can become ruler without first taking ownership of the golden staff. Sorry, council of elders, but you can’t power your way through this incident.”
The nine members grumble and dart their eyes around due to the sudden wall in front of them, but nobody refutes the lord’s words.
Ilene nods with a light smile as she thanks Isaac and the others.
“That was some great timing. If you hadn’t reminded us about the relevance of the staff, it would have been over.”
“Thankfully there was a message on your door telling you to come to this building, or we never would have made it… There’s a little more to what we saw with the ghosts, but do you know where Ryuu is? We want him to hear about it too…”
“Unfortunately, I don’t. Xander and I were wondering the same thing just before you all showed up.”
The bald council member calls out to them once more from his seat.
“You’re all dismissed. We’ll summon Lord Xander and Lady Ilene again after we’ve looked deeper into the location of the golden staff.”
Xander grins and quickly leads everyone out of the Council Station.
The group of five spills out into the courtyard maze, where a young woman with a large book in her hands stares at them from across the street.
Ilene notices her and nods, “Hello, Belynda. What a coincidence.”
“Yes… Pardon me, Lady Ilene, but what’s happening here?”
“We’re brainstorming strategies to keep Xander from being pinned for my father’s death. Care to tag along?”
“Wait, what?! The duke is-!”
Xander quickly covers Belynda’s mouth before she can finish, then glances at all of the passing people before removing his hand.
Leon laughs, “Yeah, I didn’t know either until just a second ago when they said it in the chamber. I guess I’m mostly caught up now, but someone smart like you would be a big help, Belynda.”
The twintailed M’yin reluctantly agrees, then the party of six moves to the South-West Tower, where they settle in Xander’s room for now.
It’s roughly the same size as Ilene’s, though it feels slightly cramped due to the large desk in a far corner, as well as an absolutely enormous square table in the center of the room.
Sherry curiously runs her fingers across the hardwood table as everyone gets seated on chairs or couches.
“What do you use this for, Lord Xander?” she asks.
“It’s for sleep, or concentration. As ridiculous as it sounds, there are times I can’t relax without a hard surface beneath me.”
“That’s very unique.”
She finds a seat next to Isaac, then Xander addresses the group.
“Now that we’re all here, I’ll have to ask Belynda to catch up by piecing together details as we go. There’s not enough time to summarize everything at this moment.”
She nods, signaling him to continue.
“Where should I begin? I suppose going through my actions from the time of the murder until now would be sufficient. I was in the library underneath the Central Tower for most of last night, which is why traces of my magic were found in the area. I didn’t learn of my father’s death until early this morning, when I was awoken by Doctor Corna. After helping her move the body into one of her personal work spaces, I set out to clear my name, knowing that I was already in a bad position. While I was searching for information on the Staff of Muvolgyin in the library, I ran into Dragon Blade, who insisted on investigating the murder himself. I gave a clue, then I gave him my train of thought once we met again at the scene of the crime. After that, I don’t know what happened to him, and I soon received a message to report to the Council Station.”
Ilene takes over as she crosses her arms.
“The council then tried to pin the murder on Xander, which anyone with a brain can see isn’t true. I doubt the old geezers are in on it, but they’re too worried about electing a leader as soon as possible. It’s hard to tell if we’ll even get another day of time before we’re summoned again. Is there anyone here who may have the slightest clue on the whereabouts of the staff?”
Nobody answers at first, then Isaac pulls his hood off of his head and clears his throat.
“The only place it can be is with the killer… We won’t be able to find it as long as we don’t know who the culprit is. I have a feeling that it’s still within Mahora though…”
“What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know anything about it–besides that it belongs to the duke–but if it holds some kind of power, wouldn’t it make sense that the staff’s power has some conditions..? Otherwise, there would be a lot of accounts in other lands of what it can do… One of us would have heard something before.”
Ilene brings her fingers to her chin and furrows her brow.
“I suppose… It’s a bit of a stretch, but if we think about it under the impression that the staff possesses a power that has to be used while it’s in a certain location, then there’s a high chance it’s still nearby. After all, even if the staff is made of gold, that much wouldn’t be worth the risk of killing a duke. It’s not possible that the staff isn’t magical.”
“Exactly… If we follow that train of thought a little further, it means that the killer must also be hiding somewhere within the city. They’re waiting for something… Or perhaps they’ve been intercepted. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ryuu has already reached this conclusion and moved a couple steps ahead of us.”
Sherry lightly laughs while Ilene sighs, though the corners of her mouth curve upwards.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” she admits.
“He has a habit of heading straight toward trouble. How is it that someone who only started training a bit over a month ago is reckless enough to charge straight at Masters?”
“Hahaha, but that’s just like Sir Ryuu! It’s hard to see him as much more than a simple-minded brawler sometimes, but he’s oddly dependable when it counts.”
Xander waits for the noise to die down, then gives all of them a wake up call.
“Dragon Blade has certainly proved himself capable in many ways, but don’t overestimate him. At the end of the day, Intermediate-Tier is Intermediate-Tier. Skill and match-up compatibility might get him some wins against a few Advanced-Tiers, but a Master is going to bury him soon enough. If he really is getting close to the killer, it’s not good for him to be on his own.”
The room goes silent for a few long moments, then Ilene stands from the couch with her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“I’m going to look for him. Xander, you said the last place you saw him was Father’s bedroom?”
“Yes, but Ilene, I’m not letting you go alone. I’m coming with you.”
“No, and before anyone else tries to speak up, I’m doing this alone. There’s a killer roaming around Mahora, and none of the citizens have been warned. We’re completely blind once again!”
She slams her fist against Xander’s large table, then continues toward the door.
“I’ll find Ryuu, then we’ll all put our heads together and figure this out!”
“Um, what’s that?”
Belynda’s nervous voice stops Ilene in place, then she turns and sees a blinding light shining through the windows.
A few of them try to look out and see where it’s coming from, but the brightness fills up their view.
“Everyone, follow me! There’s a passage to the top of the walls downstairs!”
Xander leads the way to the pathway along the top of the castle’s inner walls.
From there, they can see that all of Mahora has been coated in a blinding white light, and it’s the brightest in the east.
“It must be coming from somewhere within the Gold District! I’ve got a bad feeling about this!”
Fwoom.
CRASH!!!
******
The last thing Ilene remembers is a flash as the white light intensified, then there was darkness.
As she opens her eyes, she notices that the light is gone, replaced by a dull, gray sky above.
She feels grass under her back, and although her entire body aches with every breath, she manages to roll onto her arms and rise to her feet.
At some point she had ended up on the ground, despite being several stories higher on the wall just a second ago.
As she glances around and regains her bearings, she finds herself more confused than before.
The wall she was on is gone, with only chunks of stone littering the ground showing it existed.
Buildings inside of the castle courtyard have been splintered, overturned, and even disintegrated.
Miraculously, the five towers remain standing, though each of them has taken noticeable damage.
What’s going on here?!
What the hell just happened to the castle?!
Don’t tell me the rest of Mahora is in a similar state!
Ilene grips her shoulder as she hobbles a few feet, then slowly starts putting more weight on her legs as she works up to a jog.
She doesn’t know what she’s looking for, but she remembers that the light came from the east.
As she passes through the outer layer of the castle, where people can freely tour throughout the day, a unique, brown braid catches her attention in a nearby bush.
“Sherry! Are you okay?!”
She reaches into the bush and scoops her arms under Sherry’s, then pulls the younger woman out onto the open ground.
“T-thank you, Ilene… I just woke up and couldn’t move very well. I was starting to think I’d be stuck in there forever.”
“Don’t mention it. I haven’t seen any of the others, but I’m thinking they probably got blasted outside of the castle walls.”
“Blasted?! Wait, what is all of this?!”
Sherry finally realizes how much destruction surrounds her, while Ilene moves to a nearby tree and snaps a branch, then tears a strip of her skirt off (which soon repairs itself) to make a splint for her right leg.
“That’s better. Come on, we need to head east. If the others are okay, they’re sure to head that direction as well.”
“Alright! I’ll do my best to watch your back!”
The pair leaves the castle grounds and dashes through the streets of Mahora.
Their situation is no better out here; shattered glass, leveled buildings, and injured people fill the roads, forcing the two of them to weave intricate paths around the bodies.
This can’t be happening!
What did we do to deserve this?!
The number of injured and deceased continues to pile up as they run along, until eventually, Sherry comes to a stop and leans against a crumbling wall for support.
“I can’t. I can’t. All of this blood… The mangled bodies…”
“Get a hold of yourself. If we don’t find whoever caused this, then what you see here will only be the beginning.”
“But, I’ve never… Who could be cruel enough to do something like this?!”
“Someone I plan on meeting very soon. I’ll be sure to learn all about them after I’ve avenged my people.”
Ilene moves ahead, forcing Sherry to keep up with her as they continue east.
After another ten minutes of jogging, they find a crowd of people who appear to be fine after the blast.
They stand at the foot of the steps that lead up to the Golden Temple, but on closer inspection, they don’t look friendly.
Those robes!
And now that I’ve seen it enough, I can tell that the circle with a slash through it is their mark!
Eternal Order!
She draws her sword and crouches down in one fluid motion, then flies across the street with a powerful first step.
The distracted figures don’t notice her until one of them is run through the chest with a yelp, then the other three panic and back away.
“Not today!”
Ilene quickly pulls her sword out of her first target and sends a sweeping slash at the others, her blade biting deeply into their necks.
They drop to the ground with their heads hanging further back than should be possible, then Ilene flicks their blood off of her weapon.
“Ilene, up there!”
Sherry points up at the Golden Temple, where a vastly weaker version of the devastating light from before can be seen.
“The temple? We’re close, let’s hurry!”
The two women climb the long flight of steps carved into the side of a hill, then reach the entrance of the solid gold temple.
Through the gaps between pillars, several figures can be seen gathered around, while one of them holds the source of the light.
What’s my move here?
Ilene moves close against a nearby pillar, and Sherry does the same across from her.
They peek their heads around the entrance of the temple and cup a hand around their ears, using [Mana Sense] to pick up whatever they can from the conversation ahead.
“…finally over…”
“Ilene Mahora…dragon… Relics!”
Two of the figures argue back and forth about something, but it’s hard to make out, even with a magic art.
As the light flickers between them, Ilene’s able to catch a glimpse of the two that had been speaking, causing her heart to fall to her gut.
A figure wrapped in a dark cloak with a protruding mask over their face stands to the right, using a slender cane for support, while someone with long hair and a spear across their back stands across from them.
Morrell!
You bastard, you dare return to this city after last time?!
The other one must be the spear-wielder I encountered underground.
Andromeda, was it?
How do these heathens keep managing to get past our walls?!
If they’d used the chamber in the Bronze District, my capture lenses would’ve picked something up!
At the same time Ilene has this thought, a white-clad figure with a blank mask steps into the light between the four others.
“There’s no point in hiding. Come on out, Ilene Mahora. You too, Princess.”
Ilene and Sherry share a startled glance, then steel themselves and step out from their cover.
They walk forward as far as they comfortably can, then stand with obvious wariness as the unknown person addresses them.
“How kind of you two to join us. The test run was more potent than I had expected, but I’m glad to see that the two of you made it out in one piece.”
“Cut the crap,” Ilene curtly commands.
“Who are you, and what have you done to my city?”
“You’re as feisty as I imagined. I suppose I do owe you an explanation though, as the one who’s done all of this to Mahora. Let’s see, you can call me…Riser. Yes, I am Riser, leader of the Eternal Order!” You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.
“Leader… You?!”
Ilene’s grip tightens around the hilt of her rapier, which causes the four people with Riser to raise their weapons.
“Now now, there’s no need to get dirty. I told you I would explain what happened. The truth is, you were hit by a practice shot from the Staff of Muvolgyin. I had only planned on affecting the Gold District, but my subordinate’s Talent pairs exceptionally well with the golden staff. As a result, both the Silver and Bronze District have been wiped as well.”
“You…you…why..?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not like we’re here to bully you. It’s just the unfortunate condition placed on the staff’s power: it must be wielded within Mahora. The good news is, since this city is in the center of the Northern Reaches, the real magic will reach all the other cities. Isn’t that great?”
“You’re insane… Why are you doing all of this?!”
Riser steps past their commanders and stops right in front of Ilene.
“To start anew. Once this land has been purged, only the strong will remain. The location of this age’s heroes will be revealed, and with that, I’ll be one step closer to my goal. For that, you and the princess here will be necessary. As a Chosen, you were born with a special mutation that allows you to tap into the full potential of the Ancient Relics, like the one on your hip. It’s said that your full strength is the only mortal power capable of rivaling the heroes’.”
“You really are insane if you think I’ll ever help you!”
“Hmph, the dragon said the same thing.”
Ilene’s pupils shrink to pinpoints, while Sherry’s jaw goes slack.
“What did you do to Ryuu?!”
She draws her sword and slashes directly at the blank mask in front of her, yet Riser comfortably slides back and holds a hand up to stop their comrades from retaliating.
“Don’t touch them. Chosen blood is much too rare to needlessly spill. As for the princess, we need her power. In fact, I’ll begin with that right now.”
Sherry backs away as Riser slowly moves toward her, then Ilene steps between them.
“You’re not touching a hair on her head so long as I’m here!”
“…I suppose I’ll have to move you myself.”
Riser reaches into their robes and retrieves a void-like dagger, its blade twisted, similar to a corkscrew.
“This tool is truly unsavory, but the spell within is particularly useful.”
They press the tip of the blade into their finger, letting droplets of blood spill on the floor.
A moment later, the blood suddenly shoots up and expands around Ilene, then contracts and seals her movement.
Her sword clatters to the ground as she falls next to it, trapped by a binding of blood.
“Now it’s your turn.”
The boss steps past Ilene and holds a hand outstretched toward Sherry.
She glances at Ilene a few times while slowly backing away, then turns to run down the temple stairs.
As soon as she gets to the entrance, a shorter shadow with two daggers appears in her path.
“Sorry, but I can’t let you leave.”
“No… This can’t be happening… Someone… Someone save us!”
“WE’RE HERE!”
A muscular silhouette flies in through the right side of the temple and lands with a heavy impact.
“Lady Ilene! Braid girl! Your heroes have arrived!”
Leon stands between Riser and their four subordinates, while looking back and forth like he’s ready to pounce.
He’s carrying Isaac by the back of his robes, who’s about to hurl from the rough ride.
Riser turns from Sherry, leaving her in the care of the dagger-wielder.
“More of you survived the blast than I thought. Although you show promise, what do you expect to do in this situation? You don’t even know what you’ve stepped into.”
Isaac swats Leon’s fingers to release himself, then fixes his robes before responding.
“Shut up, dumbass! You hurt my friends! That’s all I need for a fight!”
He thrusts his palms at Riser and unleashes [Magic Cannon] in a pulse of dark mana.
A colorless barrier wordlessly appears in front of the boss, who doesn’t flinch as the magic arts collide.
“So that’s your answer… Get them.”
The two men turn as Morrell and Andromeda enthusiastically converse.
“I should be the one to go! I have unfinished business with the depressed-looking one!”
“No, I’m going and that’s final! You’re not the only one who needs to earn points with the boss!”
Andromeda sighs as Morrell laughs and steps forward, swinging his cane around in a steady rhythm.
“Hahaha! Sorry for the wait, boys, but I’m your opponent. Actually, I sorta remember you, big guy. Heheh, aren’t you the one that got shot down immediately? HAHAHAHA!”
Leon frowns and slams his fists together, sending out a small wave of aura that shakes the air.
“I’m not the same as last time!
I’ve been training every day with your ugly mug in my brain!
How lucky am I, getting my rematch so soon?!
Mana surges beside him as Isaac begins focusing his power.
“I’ll fight with you, Leon.”
“I’m counting on you!”
Morrell flicks his cane and sends both of them flying out of the temple with surprised expressions, then quickly follows them through the air.
Ilene glances back at Riser as they step closer to Sherry again.
“Now then, where were we?” the leader mumbles.
“Wait just a moment!”
Two more allies enter through the front of the temple, behind Sherry and the dagger-wielder.
Belynda, who’s suffered a few nasty scrapes, creates several barriers between the princess and Riser, causing the white-clad leader to retreat a few steps.
The dagger-wielder flees into the shadows, patiently waiting for their chance to strike.
“Get behind me, Sherry!”
“T-thank you!”
Sherry hides close behind Belynda, while Xander paces toward the restrained Ilene.
He appears to be mostly uninjured from the blast, though his expensive-looking robes have been torn to shreds.
“You don’t look so good, little sister. I take it these folks are the ones that have been causing us so much trouble?”
Riser addresses the nobleman before he can reach Ilene.
“Xander, glad you could make it. Unfortunately, you’re not quite as useful as your sister… So, I’ll have to kill you.”
Xander grins without a care in the world and slashes his hand through the air toward Ilene.
The blood ropes restraining her snap at once, freeing her from the magical bindings.
“Since you’re speaking to the likes of me so arrogantly, you must be the boss. Let me fill you in on something, Eternal Order: you may have gotten the better of my father, but the future twenty-eighth duke of Mahora will not be bested so easily.”
He holds a hand out to Ilene and pulls her from the ground, then stares down the enemies.
“I see one of you has the staff I’ve been looking for. Since that treasure belongs in the hands of a Mahora, I’ll be taking it back now!”
Xander starts forward–Ilene right on his tail–then Riser commands, “Andromeda.” The spear-wielder with a striking resemblance to Ilene (in the face, at least) steps in front of the person holding the golden staff.
White pants, a flowing black jacket, and heavily-scored fingerless gloves–that was the description Ryuu had shared with his partner, and it matches the woman before them.
“Sorry, you two; boss’ orders. This works out for me, though. I’ve been wondering what a clash between S-grade artifacts would be like.”
Ilene narrows her eyes as Andromeda pulls a spear out from behind her back.
The relic woven from dark and light reaches nine-feet long, with a flawless sapphire resting in the middle of its impossibly-detailed blade.
The blue light of the gem shines in response to the ruby on Ilene’s rapier, which she holds in front of her with a resolute stance.
“That’s fine with me,” the noblewoman responds.
“I’ll take the staff and that spear before finishing you all for good.”
Xander pats her on the shoulder as he steps up.
“Allow me to back you up. I’m sure you’re aware I do my best work from the backline.”
“Whatever, just don’t slow me down.”
Andromeda smirks and raises a hand while they bicker.
Three dark rifts appear in the air, releasing dozens of mid-tier Fallen into the temple.
“I’ll take both of you on. It was never going to be one-on-one to begin with.”
***Belynda***
Belynda watches as Xander and Ilene are suddenly pulled into an intense situation ahead.
With those two busy, and the two she’d seen get blown out of the side of the temple earlier, it’s just her and Sherry against the supposed boss in front of them.
“Hmph, they started fighting like a bunch of savages, but they’ve left me with my target. It seems the blast affected their minds more than their bodies.”
Riser swats their hand through Belynda’s barriers as they slowly pace forward.
She casts [Barrier] again and again, but the purple walls do little to impede the incoming threat.
Sherry clenches her fists, finding her will to fight amidst the chaos around her.
“It’s just like in Titania, when I helped Sir Ryuu after training to death! I can’t sit and do nothing while everyone works to protect me!”
She motivates herself into action, chanting the phrases of [Max Mind] and temporarily unlocking Belynda’s potential.
“Miss Belynda, I’ve done all I can to support you! Please, give it your all!”
The younger M’yin nods without looking back, then begins her own chant as Riser gets less than ten feet away.
“Unbreachable land, trusted safety of mine, protect me with your walls of untold strength! [Territory]!”
Belynda’s spell, boosted by Sherry’s power, releases a wide zone of purple mana.
The energy molds into different shapes as it folds itself around the two women, creating a cube of dense mana.
Outside of the cube, four small spheres spark to life, doing nothing but spinning in the air while Riser watches.
“What kind of spell is this?” the boss asks.
“It seems you have a Protective-type Talent, yet it’s my first time seeing this kind of formation.”
“Why don’t you come find out for yourself? So long as I’m here, you’re not laying a hand on either of us!”
A bead of sweat rolls down Belynda’s cheek as she provokes the enemy, but the immense energy welling inside of her gives her the courage to see it through.
Riser slowly laughs for a few moments, then silently casts [Overload] around themselves.
“I’ll rip your flimsy shell apart.”
They move forward too fast for a M’yin, thrusting their fingers into the side of the cube, but the surface holds strong.
Even the magic art of Riser isn’t able to dampen the rigid mana.
Before the stunned leader can move, the four spheres outside of the cube suddenly pulse with life, releasing concussive vibrations through the air.
Riser instantly brings their hands to the side of their hood, but the Overload art isn’t able to protect against sound waves.
“Augh… Argggghh!”
The spheres continue to assault Riser as they crumple to their knees.
“Enough of this! I’ll have to be rough with you!”
They reach their hand out, and it suddenly disappears into space, as if it had vanished.
When they pull their arm back, the hand reappears, holding a demonic sword glowing with dark power.
“Behold! The A-grade artifact, Devil’s Nail!”
Riser holds the blade up as its dark light grows brighter.
The spheres in the air suddenly change hue, turning black, and switching their attention to the purple cube.
Belynda and Sherry cover their ears as the muffled sound waves make their way through.
The force of the blasts are weakened by their last wall of defense, but it’s only a matter of time before Belynda’s focus is disrupted.
The white-clad boss laughs maniacally as they repeatedly crash their demonic sword into the side of the barrier.
There’s no noticeable damage, but Riser has already lost sight of that after being pissed off.
“That’s right! Cower in there, until the moment I break through!”
***Leon***
Crumbled rooftops fly beneath Leon as he hurtles through the sky above the Gold District.
He spots Isaac spiraling beside him, and the guy who’d blasted them away is hot on their trail.
“I’m gonna throw you!”
“What?!”
Leon grabs Isaac’s collar and chucks him down at one of the few intact buildings.
As the younger boy flips through the air, Leon loads a {Charge Burst} in his palm and lets it explode, sending himself speeding past Isaac onto the wide roof.
He turns as soon as he lands and catches Isaac with a grunt, sliding back several feet before stabilizing.
“That wasn’t so bad, right?!”
“Let me go…”
He drops the M’yin and turns his gaze upward, watching as Morrell smoothly sails through the air toward them.
“I trust that you’re capable after seeing how cool your magic was before!” the A’yang begins.
“That said, do you think you can keep up with me in a fight?!”
“…What’s with the sudden switch? Don’t worry about me… Like I said before, I’m an Advanced M’yin that can handle himself.”
Leon grins and flares his aura just before Morrell lands.
The masked M’yin had disgraced him once before, but he isn’t about to let that happen again.
“Choosing a rooftop ten stories in the air against a wind-user? You really are musclebrained.”
Morrell lightly lands atop the bare roof, twirling his cane as he stares at the two men.
“After my last failure, I can’t afford to mess up in front of the boss this time. Thankfully, both of my targets are unimportant, so I can go all-out!”
Dark red mana surges around the commander as he raises his cane and sends out continuous waves of intense heat.
Isaac instantly becomes a ball of sweat, while Leon guards his face with his arms.
“Dammit! I can’t get close like this!”
“Portal of nightmares, feed on my being and give me your strength! [Haunting Army]!”
Isaac immediately casts a spell, creating a portal of shadows beneath Morrell.
Elongated limbs and tendrils reach out from the void, wrapping around the commander and threatening to pull him under.
“Nice!”
Leon shouts his praise as he rockets forth, using {In-step} to close the gap in a second.
He loads his fist with aura and slams a {Charge Point} directly into Morrell, but the Outlaw blocks with his cane and shouts:
“[Overload]!”
The portal beneath him is stripped away, along with his own heat, allowing Leon to press the attack.
“Burst!”
The Charge Point technique that was still active explodes in Morrell’s face, stunning him for a moment as Leon dips low and swings a heavy uppercut into his chin.
The commander’s head snaps back with a grunt, but he manages to swing his cane into Leon’s gut.
The length of the Omni-Steel rod is covered with razor-sharp winds, ripping through flesh like a chainsaw as it connects.
“Bleugh!”
Blood spills from Leon’s mouth and abdomen as he stumbles backward, yet stays tall on his feet.
Morrell cracks his neck and switches his grip on the cane, then ignites it with ultra-condensed flames while cautiously approaching Leon.
Isaac watches from across the rooftop, thinking of a way to stop him.
“I can’t use my [Shadow Slaves] in the sunlight, even being as dull as it is right now. That really only leaves one option.”
“Skies of ash and hills of bone, gather my soldiers, and answer my call, as the contract between us commands! [Hell Gate]!”
A murky gate springs into existence, held shut by rusted chains.
Creatures bang on the gate from the other side, then they break through the chains and spill out onto the Mahora rooftop.
Shadowy creatures of unknown origin surge toward Morrell in waves, causing him to turn his attention and swing his plasma cane.
It sweeps through a layer of the darkness without difficulty, but more creatures fill their place in an instant.
Isaac holds his forehead as the gate heavily taxes his mana, continuing to fuel it with energy as he unleashes more soldiers.
“Gah! What the hell is all this?! Nobody told me there was a summoner in the capital!”
“I’m not a summoner… I’ve just got an unfortunate Talent.”
“Whatever, kid! I’m going to enjoy roasting you alive!”
Morrell crouches low and creates a build-up of air beneath his feet.
Using the force from its release, he carves a path straight through the shadowy creatures and thrusts toward Isaac’s heart.
“Eternal flames, guard your maker. [Black Wheel].”
A ring of slowly-orbiting dark fire manifests around Isaac and collides with the flames emitting from Morrell’s cane.
Despite concentrating his magic into one point, so much so that it becomes white-hot, the commander is unable to pierce through the black flames.
“This time it’s a protective spell… You’re really not a summoner!”
“Yeah, and now you’re trapped.”
[Hell Gate] has now closed due to losing its mana supply from Isaac, but the entities that have already been released will remain until they’re destroyed, or sent back by the caster.
Thinking that he would be able to instantly kill the boy, Morrell has left himself wide open from behind.
Tendrils and massive hands latch onto the masked M’yin, then pull him back step-by-step as the rest of the darkness begins to pile on top.
“Fine!” Morrell shouts with fury.
“Sinking darkness, crushing grip-”
“Are you forgetting someone?!”
Leon interrupts Morrell’s chant with a roundhouse kick to the back of the head.
The enemy falls to one knee and buries his cane into the roof as he’s continuously yanked at by murky shadows.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Prodigy leaps backward, then barrels forward with his arm out, aiming for a lethal lariat.
“Having an ally that can dual-cast really makes things easier! You lose, Eternal Order!”
Morrell struggles against the creatures restraining him, while his vision doubles from the earlier kick.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spots the red-head charging up aura and barreling toward him, causing him to grit his teeth in frustration.
Mana discharges from his Omni-Steel cane and flows into the building beneath them.
The roof crumbles before Leon can land his blow, causing the three fighters and a hundred entities to fall through their makeshift arena.
The ten-story building continues to shudder as they descend, the three of them exchanging [Magic Cannons] and {Charge Bursts} mid-air.
Windows shatter, pillars crack, and the floors beneath them split apart.
They don’t stop until the fifth floor, where Isaac hits the ground hard after a five-story fall.
His shadow creatures immediately vanish as the boy wheezes and coughs, while Leon and Morrell land with relative ease and continue the fight without pause.
“DIE, YOU MEANINGLESS MAGGOTS!”
Morrell aims the end of his cane at them and chants, “Starving core, maw of the nova! [Incineration Serpent]!”
An enormous snake made entirely of flames erupts from the cane, tearing up the floor as it races toward the two young men.
Isaac tries to draw in breath to chant, but his lungs fail him.
“It’s time to get serious!”
Leon smirks and sprints straight for Morrell with his hand out in front of him.
He leaps into the air and hooks his hand into the serpent’s wide maw like he’s holding a fish, then flings it back at the masked M’yin.
“[Overpower]!”
A surprised “Huh?” escapes Morrell’s lips before his own spell slams into him and burns through his unprepared body.
“AUGHHHHH!
IT’S HOT!
TOO HOTTT!
The commander writhes in agony as his cloak turns to ash around him.
The enchantments along his Omni-Steel armor glow with power as they fight against the spell, until the flames finally snuff out.
While Morrell pants and shakes after the moderate nerve damage, Leon appears right in his face and buries a {Charge Point} uppercut directly under his sternum.
BANG!
Morrell flies back through a broken window and falls onto the street below with a loud crash.
Before following, Leon turns to Isaac, who waves him away.
“Go ahead,” he wheezes.
“I just need…to catch…my breath…”
Leon nods and leaps out of the window, digging his heels into the side of the building before jumping across the street toward where Morrell landed.
Alarms blare from a jewelry store on the corner, where a man in dark armor can be seen leaning against a wall through a broken display window.
Although Leon is sure it’s Morrell, the absence of a mask on his face is throwing him off.
Before letting himself get distracted, he loads up aura and throws his fist forward like he’s punching the air.
{Charge Burst} careens forward and explodes in the jewelry shop, sending the man through the wall he’d been leaning on.
Morrell slides across the trashed street in front of Leon and rises to his feet, giving the A’yang a glimpse of his face.
Dark skin, even more so than Ryuu’s!
I’ve heard that it’s more common in the Southern Reaches, but what would someone like that be doing working for Eternal Order?!
I thought the information so far suggested this group originated in the Northern Reaches?!
“What kind of magic was that?” Morrell mutters.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, boy! How the hell did you grab my spell like that?!”
“Oh, right, haha! I’m not going to tell you, so you’re better off giving up now.”
“Grk! Don’t get arrogant! So far you’ve only tasted wind and flames, but there’s more than that up my sleeve!”
“Bring it! I’ll launch whatever you’ve got right back at you!”
“In that case, why don’t I lend you some assistance, Mister Acer.”
A man in tattered robes of obsidian slicks his hair back as he steps close to the two others, forming a triangle in the crumbling streets.
“My day has been ruined by these Outlaws, and I need someone to take this anger out on.”
***Ilene***
Ilene spots Belynda holding out against Riser’s attacks as she fends off waves of Fallen.
Although Andromeda has summoned numerous enemies, most of them are C-Rank at best, making them easy for the siblings to break through.
The spear-wielder watches with amusement as they make their way toward her, then suddenly snaps her fingers and opens several more portals between them.
“Go, Ilene! Leave these weaklings to me!”
She nods at Xander’s shout and springs off of the head of a boar-like creature, sailing through the air over the Fallen army and landing at the back of the temple across from Andromeda.
The red and blue gemstones on their weapons reach maximum brightness as they stand in close proximity, subtly adjusting their stances as they measure each other up.
“So, Lady of Mahora, do you know what it means for two Chosen to stand against each other like this?”
“Can’t say I care. I’ll find all the answers I need after stopping you.”
“Don’t be like that. Two of us meeting is actually pretty rare, you know. They say Chosen are the offspring of the gods, blessed with the constitution to handle the Ancient Relics.”
Ilene only half-listens to her, scanning her eyes over the battlefield.
Belynda’s still holding her own for now, but there’s someone in the shadows behind them.
I can’t see much from this far… And the elf holding the staff over there, isn’t that Fulcrest?
Is he the one that set off the blast?
She suddenly ducks as the tip of a spear rushes through the space her head had just been in.
“Oops. You kinda left yourself open there, so…”
Ilene frowns and swings her blade, slapping the spear out of the way as she stands.
“Enough talk.”
The noblewoman holds her rapier flat in front of her and rests her hand on the blade.
“Awaken, Heroic Will! Lend me your strength so that I may overcome this trial before me!”
The ever-impressive cloak of aura flares to life around Ilene, releasing pulses of pressure that vibrate the air around her.
“Straight to it, huh? I’m game.”
Andromeda grabs her artifact with both hands and points it toward the ceiling.
“Wake up, Heaven Piercer! Give me your power so that I can pierce through even fate itself!”
In her case, a calm layer of life force forms over her body.
It doesn’t give off the same intimidating pressure as Ilene’s power, but its effects are terrifying to those that have faced them before.
“Dragon Blade wasn’t able to satisfy me when we fought in Titania. Will you be able to do better?”
No response comes from Ilene as she condenses her aura, then releases a surge of mana around her body while she silently casts [Overload].
My magic isn’t suited for direct combat, so it’s better to burn through my mana and end this as quickly as possible!
She lunges forward and unleashes a flurry of thrusts and slashes at Andromeda, who backs up while parrying the strikes that get close.
A few scratches appear along the spear-wielder’s body, but the small wounds close almost as soon as they appear.
The Outlaw returns the favor by sweeping her weapon in a wide arc, then lunging forward with massive amounts of energy charged in her relic.
Andromeda grins widely as she thrusts her spear toward Ilene and unleashes a focused beam of pure power.
The noblewoman somehow manages to curve her body out of the way, but feels an unpleasant warmness as the attack scrapes her flank.
What is that healing ability?!
She winces as blood flows down her hip, but stands strong and holds her sword high, ready to counterattack.
Andromeda stands casually with her hand on her waist as she watches her opponent, assessing every twitch, every breath.
“Ah, it’s no good. None of you are as entertaining as the Radiant Blade was. For some reason, the details get a bit foggy toward the end, but I remember being extremely impressed with his abilities.”
“My apologies for not living up to your standards.”
Ilene lets the Outlaw talk while using the blood on the tip of her sword as a medium to cast [Dark Witch’s Curse].
While Andromeda rambles on about whatever she wants, an untraceable curse slowly infects her system, until it finally sinks its fangs in and takes her out.
Or so Ilene thought.
CRACK!
The lady’s head flies back as Andromeda smacks her with the shaft of her spear.
“Haha! I noticed you casting something, but nothing happened, even though I waited! My relic seems much better than yours after all!”
Blood drips from Ilene’s split lip as she lays back on the floor.
She’s lightheaded from the hit, yet manages to keep her grip firm around her sword.
If my magic won’t work, then her healing power must be much stronger than I thought.
I won’t be able to end this in time.
She rises to her feet as aura wisps around her lip and torso, the power of Heroic Will allowing her to subconsciously use {Recovery}.
Then, she spares a glance in Xander’s direction, taking note of the piles of Fallen dropping around him.
He should be finished soon, but then what?
My brother’s Pen and Paper Talent doesn’t have much to gain from Andromeda, nor myself.
Perhaps, if I can land a lethal blow…
Ilene digs her heels into the ground and holds her sword close to her chest.
Aura blooms around her before pulling back in as she concentrates her energy into the thin blade of her rapier.
Wind races through the temple as Ilene’s power rises, even affecting the light from the golden staff.
“Good idea. Let’s have a contest of firepower.”
Andromeda bends low as she pulls her spear behind her with one arm.
Translucent energy begins visibly coalescing around the tip of the blade, glowing brighter and brighter as it further condenses.
The two women lock eyes, red meeting violet, as they charge their artifacts to their full power.
Air crackles between them once the pressure in the temple reaches its peak, then they move.
“Heroic Strike!”
“Sky Rend!”
A vicious vortex of aura crashes into an ultra-condensed beam of energy, creating a massive shock wave that shakes the foundation of the Golden Temple.
The two techniques unleashed by the Chosen struggle against each other in a battle of lethality, but ultimately, one possesses the stronger piercing power.
Ilene’s vortex is blown apart as Andromeda’s technique breaks through and smacks the rapier out of her hands.
She draws in a sharp breath as her hand chars black from the blast, but keeps her eyes focused on her opponent.
“I’m surprised your arm is still attached. I suppose the aura granted by an Ancient Relic is nothing to scoff at.”
Andromeda lines the point of her spear up with Ilene’s chest as she bends her knees.
“Sorry, but I’m not allowed to kill you, so…”
She suddenly switches her attention to Xander, whose back is turned as he takes down the last of the Fallen.
“No! Stop!”
Ilene cries out as she runs to intercept Andromeda, but the spear-wielder has already dashed off with her artifact held high in the air.
The tip of the blade glows with power as she brings it down over Xander’s head with a sadistic grin.
“LOOK OUT!”
Xander doesn’t move before the spear runs through his back with a burst of light, searing his insides and spilling too much of his blood.
“NO! …You… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”
Andromeda cruelly laughs while Ilene sobs behind her, then turns her attention back to the body on her weapon.
It shimmers for a second, then distorts like a bad connection on a message orb.
“[Second-hand]”
A voice suddenly rings out from thin air, then the area around Andromeda warps as the truth is revealed.
Her spear hadn’t made contact with anything.
Meanwhile, the real Xander is behind her, with his left hand on her back.
“I’ve touched you with my pen. Are you prepared for what happens next?”
“You-! How’d you do that?!”
She sweeps her spear behind her, but Xander had already leapt back and raised his right hand.
“Now it’s time to see what you’ve got!”
While his left hand that had touched Andromeda glows a dark shade of silver, his right hand is so light that it’s almost white.
“I call upon you, my treasured champion, taste the blood of my enemy, and revel in the praise of your master!”
“W-what?! That’s my-!”
“[Special Summon]!”
A violet rift opens just in front of Xander, where an eight-foot tall minotaur steps out with bloodlust in its eyes.
The beast hefts a giant double-sided axe over its shoulder as it stomps forward on cracked hooves toward Andromeda.
“What’s the meaning of this?! How did you use my spell?!”
“I think you’ve got bigger issues to worry about.”
Xander glances back at Ilene and winks as the minotaur gets within range of Andromeda.
I see!
He marked me with his pen when he patted my shoulder earlier, then created a fake opening with his illusion to pull her in!
I don’t like that he peeked at my spells though…
“Damn it! I guess there’s no choice but to do the same, is there?!”
Andromeda recites the chant for [Special Summon] and releases her original minotaur onto the battlefield.
The fur-covered beast is identical to the one Xander brought out, cracked hooves and all.
They bellow at each other and lift their axes, crashing them together as sparks repeatedly flash between them.
The spear-wielder deftly weaves past the Fallen, moving close inside of Xander’s blind spot.
“You’re still a M’yin, making you wide open!”
Another shock wave travels through the temple as Ilene flies through the air to deflect Andromeda’s attack.
They immediately trade a flurry of blows, which ends with Ilene swinging her rapier and unleashing a crescent slash of aura.
It smashes into Andromeda and sends her sliding back several yards, her torso smoking from the raw energy.
“Good work, little sister! I thought I was dead meat!”
“You still are unless we can figure out a way to overwhelm her!”
“Haha, well, speaking of that, my Blade just contacted me. He’ll be here any moment now.”
“That’s certainly a relief, but I don’t know how much longer Belynda and Sherry can hold on.”
Ilene glances over at the entrance, where Riser has finally calmed down after repeatedly swinging their blade against the purple cube around the two girls.
“I have a sneaking suspicion that someone over there has the ability to disrupt magic. Once Riser has had enough, Belynda’s barriers won’t be able to stop them.”
“Then we should hurry up and end things here,” Xander replies.
At that moment, Riser turns toward them and shouts at the top of their lungs:
“ENOUGH! FULCREST, BEGIN CHARGING THE STAFF ONCE MORE!”
The elven man slightly jumps at his boss’ tone, then nods and begins fueling the Staff of Muvolgyin with mana.
The same devastating light that had shone through Mahora before emanates from the staff, washing everyone inside of the temple in its glow of otherworldly power.
“No, we must stop him!”
Ilene speeds toward the man in the center of the temple, but a lithe figure wielding two daggers steps into her path.
“Not so fast, Illusive Sword.”
“Magic Killer! Out of my way!”
“MARY! CAST YOUR SPELL!”
The short woman in front of Ilene nods and aims a palm at Belynda’s barrier behind her.
“About time you asked. [Dispel]”
The purple cube fades as simply as if it never existed, along with the orbs that had been corrupted by Riser.
Belynda and Sherry are left half-delirious on the ground in front of the white-clad leader, with no one available to defend them.
“Dammit! I said move!”
Ilene swipes at Mary, but her opponent chants {Boost} and blocks with her obsidian-like daggers.
“I’ve been waiting for this, Illusive Sword. It’s time for my rematch!”
“Don’t you know when to give up?!”
The fighters enter a deadly blade dance, neither of them giving up ground as Mary blocks the way to Fulcrest.
Xander turns to Andromeda, who gives him an evil grin while his minotaur is still preoccupied with hers.
“Um… This isn’t looking good, Ilene!”
He gets no reply from his sister as Andromeda slowly paces toward him, then everyone stops for a brief moment as a notable source of power quickly approaches the front of the temple.
Xander smirks and remarks, “About time!” as a blur of movement suddenly erupts from the entrance and flies past Riser.
Before anyone can register what happened, Master Nolan appears in front of Xander with Sherry and Belynda in each of his hands.
His sharp blue eyes pierce through the blinding light of the staff as he addresses the relieved nobleman.
“I apologize for my tardiness, Lord Xander. I assume I was right in retrieving these two girls?”
“Yes, leave them with me. It’s time for you to prove your worth, Earth-Shattering Blade. Do you think you can handle two Master-Tier opponents at once?”
Nolan cracks his knuckles after removing the heavier outer-layer of his military robes.
They fall to the ground and create small fissures in the golden surface of the temple, while a calm, flowing aura settles over his body.
The pressure from the slight release of his power alone makes the floor beneath them crack and crumble, causing even Andromeda to back up a step.
“Please leave it to me, Lord Xander.”