Rosaline exhaled slowly, her gaze sweeping over the battlefield. She shut one eye for a brief moment before opening it again, her violet iris now a blazing mix of fiery orange and red. Heat pulsed from her sword as flames erupted along its edge, casting flickering light against the twilight sky.
Lifting her blade high, she murmured, "Flame Arts... Carry me through this battle. Burn with my desires."
At her command, the fire roared to life, surging upward in a swirling inferno. From within the blaze, a phoenix took shape, its eyes smoldering like embers. It let out a silent cry before vanishing into the darkening sky, leaving only the lingering warmth of its presence.
"We leave now," Rosaline commanded, her voice firm and filled with conviction. Flames burst from her sword, materializing into a magnificent horse of dark flames. Without hesitation, she swung herself onto its back, raising her blade high.
The members of Lox sprang into motion—some mounting their own steeds, while others ran, their strides swift as they kept pace with the galloping horses.
Celestia let out a sharp whistle, and Eclipse bolted toward her. In one fluid motion, she leapt onto his back, gripping his reigns as they followed the others.
Bril and Zoan exchanged a glance before Zoan murmured a spell, summoning a gust of wind beneath them. In an instant, they were airborne, racing after Celestia, the wind carrying them swiftly into the night.
Several hours into their journey, they crossed rugged mountain ranges, navigated narrow cliffs overlooking the ocean, and passed through vast fields of wildflowers. The Lox members dispatched several beasts that threatened their path. Slowly, the dark sky began to lighten... or what could only be considered dawn in this land of eternal twilight.
Rosaline brought her steed to a gradual stop, dismounting as the horse dissolved into flames, which her sword absorbed in an instant. She crouched near the edge of a hill, her sharp gaze fixed on the landscape below.
Red Dusk members lounged carelessly, some idly twirling blades, others sharpening weapons or downing bottles of beer. A few sat around a makeshift wooden table, engaged in a game of cards.
"On my order, we strike," Rosaline commanded, her voice was quiet. "Bring everything you've got and put these bastards out of commission."
Her sharp eyes swept over the camp, taking in every detail—the layout, the positions of the Red Dusk members, possible escape routes. Nothing would be left to chance.
"Group Di," she continued, "head down the hill behind us and secure that path. If anyone tries to run, cut them off. Group Mi, circle around the other side and lock it down. If they try to flee... do whatever you must."
Without hesitation, the two groups rose from crouching and slipped into position, moving with silent footsteps. Within minutes, the battlefield was set. All that remained was the signal to attack.
Rosaline lifted her blade high, and lances of dark flames materialized above, crackling with flames. Below, one of the Red Dusk members squinted at the sudden shadow looming overhead.
"Huh? What's that?" he muttered, setting his beer down. Another member glanced up just in time to see the flaming projectiles hurtling toward them.
Before they could move, the lances struck, impaling three of their own in an instant. Chaos erupted as the rest of the Lox forces charged in from the hillside, their attack swift and merciless. The flames recoiled, surging back into Rosaline's sword as the battle began.
The Red Dusk members scrambled to their feet, grabbing their weapons as they sprang into action.
"They're Lox! Kill them!" one of them bellowed before charging into battle.
Zoan infused his weapon with wind and water, his blade humming as he struck forward. Three scrawny men were sent hurtling backward, slamming into jagged rocks. Bril followed up, summoning a surge of Spirit-Ice that shot up from the ground, freezing several Red Dusk fighters in place—only their chests left exposed. In a seamless motion, Celestia lunged, her rapier piercing their hearts as Zoan's magic filled their lungs with water, silencing their life instantly.
Rosaline charged in, her sword blazing as four opponents rushed at her. She shifted her stance, then slashed through three in a single motion, flames engulfing their bodies and reducing them to ash.
The fourth man grabbed a spear from his back, intercepting her next strike before leaping back. Landing effortlessly atop one of the tents, he flashed a smirk.
"The name's Lyan Diron. And you are?" he asked, tossing his straw hat to the ground and shrugging off a heavy brown leather cape. His grip tightened around his spear, muscles coiling in anticipation.
Rosaline met his gaze, unshaken. "Rosaline Loxia," she declared. Her fiery orange eye burned brighter, and the flames around her surged, setting the dirt beneath her feet ablaze.
"Pretty name… what a shame we meet like this," Lyan said with a sigh, his tone almost regretful.
The tip of his spear pulsed with a vibrant blue glow, and a powerful gust of energy spiraled outward. The weapons of nearby Lox members trembled before being yanked into the air, swirling violently around him.
"Sword's Will…" Rosaline muttered, recognizing the technique as she shifted into a ready stance.
Lyan's eyes gleamed as the blue energy coiled around each airborne weapon. In an instant, they shot toward her like guided missiles.
Rosaline gritted her teeth, swinging her blade in rapid, precise arcs to deflect the incoming weapons. Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying as each blade was knocked to the ground—only for them to rise again, circling her like vultures before plummeting toward her all at once.
Bril reacted instantly, slamming his hands together as a surge of Spirit-Ice erupted around her, freezing the airborne weapons mid-flight.
Lyan arched an eyebrow before chuckling. "Spirit-Ice, huh?" he mused, his smirk widening. "It's been a while since I've seen someone wield it with such control."
"These bastards were right to hire me after all," Lyan thought, watching the battlefield unfold. "I figured this job would be a waste of time… but it turned out to be interesting after all."
His spear hovered beside him as he lazily scratched his chin, considering his next move.
"Well, whatever… the first possible threat I need to kill is that Spirit-Ice bastard." he muttered before gripping the spear and charging forward.
Bril reacted instantly, extending his hand as jagged ice erupted from the ground, surging toward Lyan. But with a single thrust of his spear, the ice shattered into shards, spraying through the air as he closed the distance, rushing straight for Bril.
Bril extended his hand, and ice began to spread across the ground as Lyan charged toward him. With a swift thrust of his spear, Lyan shattered the ice into countless shards. In the blink of an eye, swords appeared around him, spiraling before shooting straight toward Bril.
Zoan reacted quickly, hurling his weapon, coated in wind and water, toward Bril. His eyes locked onto the cutlass as it soared toward him, and with a quick grab, he redirected every sword aimed at him, sending them flying in all directions. He then jumped back just as Lyan landed with a thundering crash. The tip of his spear slammed into the ground, sending a crack through the earth, and a crater quickly formed around him. Lyan stood tall in the center, his spear resting over his shoulder as he surveyed Bril.
"I'll admit, you're not weak by any means," Lyan said, his voice cold, "but this is a horrible match-up for you."
Blue energy began to swirl around Lyan, and swords of pure energy manifested in the air around him.
Bril's eyes widened in disbelief. "...A grandmaster?" he murmured. "You don't even look like you're in your mid-twenties... how?"
Lyan's grin widened. "I'm twenty-two, as of a few days ago," he said calmly. "It's called being forced to train your whole damn life since you were barely old enough to stand. I'll show you the true power of someone using Sword's Will... if you'd like an example before death."
Bril swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat. "I'll gladly take the example... if I don't die, is that an option?" he asked, his voice trembling with hesitation.
Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and the sound of trees snapping echoed from the forest behind Bril. His eyes snapped to the source of the noise just in time to see a Soulbane Behemoth charging toward him.
Without a second thought, Bril leapt away, sprinting toward Zoan, Celestia, and Rosaline, who had formed a line with a few Lox members, subduing Red Dusk members and securing them.
Lyan, still in the crater, looked up at the approaching behemoth and laughed. "You're running away from this thing? Seriously?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I thought you were stronger than that, Ice bastard."
Lyan turned his focus back to the massive creature. Blue energy engulfed his body, and seven glowing chains of energy appeared in the sky before descending and wrapping around him.
"I hereby request the seven chains to break."
His voice was calm, yet it carried an air of suffocating pressure.
"Why the hell would he do that?" Zoan muttered, his voice barely audible over the shockwaves of energy erupting from Lyan. He raised an arm to shield his face, and the rest of the group followed suit.
Rosaline shouted over the chaos, "W-when a Sword's Will master breaks his chains, he can unleash the full extent of his power for a limited time before the chains reassemble. But a Grandmaster... I've never heard of someone doing it at that rank!"
The seven chains shattered with a violent burst of energy, sending shockwaves rippling across all of Nyxterra. Lyan's hair whipped wildly in the wind as he smiled manically.
"This is life!" he roared, his laughter echoing through the storm of energy.
In an instant, his spear transformed into a glowing blue sword of pure energy. Lyan leapt into the air, using the sheath to propel himself forward. He unsheathed the sword in one fluid motion, slicing through the Soulbane Behemoth with a single, precise strike—cutting directly into its stone body.
The beast fell in two, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.
Lyan exhaled slowly, his sword returning to its sheath. As he landed, multiple layers of slashes intertwined across the Soulbane's stone-like body, cutting it into thousands of pieces. The massive beast was reduced to rubble in a single, devastating blow.