The dimly lit workshop, filled with scattered scrolls and glowing crystals, trembled slightly as the sounds of battle echoed from the central hall. Shuri stood near her alchemy desk. Elin and Faren stood in front of her protectively, their stances tense.
Crash!
The glass window behind them shattered inward with a violent gust, shards spraying across the floor. A figure cloaked in black landed smoothly, blade in hand.
Elin gasped. "T-they made it here already?!"
Shuri stumbled back, and Faren immediately stepped forward, daggers drawn. "Stay behind us!"
Without wasting a moment, he slammed a palm into the floor and whispered, "Haze."
A thick, swirling fog burst from beneath his feet, enveloping the room in dense mist. Visibility dropped to nothing.
For a moment, silence.
Then—whoosh!
Multiple slashes from the enemy tore through the fog, splitting it apart like cloth. The mist cleared almost instantly, revealing the intruder standing firm, her dagger glowing faintly with moonlight. Her eyes scanned sharply through the room.
But Faren had been waiting. The moment the mist lifted, he lunged from the side with both daggers flashing in a cross strike.
Clang!
Metal clashed. The intruder twisted her body mid-air and deflected both of his blades with a single precise motion, landing gracefully on her feet. Sparks flew in the air. Faren gritted his teeth.
"She's fast…"
Behind them, Elin stood still. She was a healer, not a fighter—but her lips were pressed into a firm line, and a quiet determination burned in her eyes. She would protect her friends, no matter what.
Shuri reached into her bag with urgency, fingers brushing over a small cylindrical artifact engraved with radiant runes.
Faren and the intruder exchanged a flurry of blows—his footwork sharp, her counters sharper. But it was clear: he was struggling. Every strike he made was pushed back with just a bit more strength, a bit more precision. Blood dripped from a shallow cut on his shoulder.
Shuri tossed the artifact high into the air.
"Cover your eyes!" she shouted.
Elin instantly obeyed, turning her head and shielding her face. Faren reacted just in time, flipping backward and closing his eyes.
The artifact burst in the air with a loud crack! and a blinding flash of pure white light. The entire workshop lit up like a miniature sun.
"Agh—!" The intruder cried, momentarily blinded, stumbling back.
Faren seized the moment. "Got you!" he yelled, slashing forward with both daggers. One carved across her shoulder, sending her spinning and falling to the ground with a thud.
Panting, Faren took a step forward, eyes narrowed. "Is it over…?"
Slice!
Blood spurted from his right arm.
Faren blinked in shock—then let out a cry as his forearm dropped, severed cleanly at the wrist.
The figure on the ground shimmered and faded—the one he had struck was an illusion.
Behind him, the real intruder now stood, panting slightly, dagger dripping with blood.
"F-Faren!!" Elin screamed.
He dropped to his knees, clutching the stump of his arm, pain ripping through his body.
Shuri staggered back, quickly dropping low and taking cover beneath the table.
Elin rushed forward, her hands glowing with a soft green light. "Regena…" she whispered, pouring all her mana into the wound. A gentle blue glow spread over the severed area, the bleeding slowing as muscle and skin began to mend, piece by piece.
The spell nearly drained her completely, sweat beading on her brow as she stumbled back.
Faren rose to his feet once more, his regenerated hand trembling slightly. His grip tightened around his daggers, eyes sharp with renewed resolve.
The wide atrium echoed with clashing steel, and bursts of mana.
Rein's blade rang out as it met the dual daggers of the agile intruder. Every strike was met with a rapid counter. Rein gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his brow. Even with years of experience, this opponent was relentless.
Lysa was locked in a magical duel. The enemy mage hurled sharp bursts of flame and compressed stone toward her. She responded with blazing arcs of fire and defensive stone pillars—her control was tight, but without her staff, the output faltered.
Beside her, Sylvi weaved through the hall like a breeze. Her eyes scanned for angles, using wind magic to deflect attacks and water to shield her and Lysa when the masked mage's spells surged too close.
"He's focusing on me—take him now!" Lysa shouted.
Sylvi raised a hand. "Now!"
A swirl of wind wrapped around the enemy mage's legs, lifting him just enough for Lysa to slam a stone column upward. The intruder slammed into it, the impact knocking him out cold.
Rein, now freed of distraction, parried a dagger swipe and spun low, slicing across the legs of his foe. The intruder stumbled, and Sylvi dashed in, creating a water blast from her palm that sent the attacker flying into the pillar behind them.
"One left," Rein growled.
The third enemy charged him—a short blade glinting under the moonlight. Rein blocked with his longsword, but the enemy was quick. Too quick.
"Wind boost!" Sylvi cried. A rush of wind pushed Rein forward just enough—he slammed his hilt into the attacker's gut, disarming him. Lysa followed with a burning ember that ignited his cloak, and Rein landed the final strike.
The three intruders fell defeated.
They had won… or so they thought.
CRASH!
The heavy wooden doors to Shuri's workshop exploded outward.
A figure hurtled through them—Faren.
He skidded across the floor, tumbling until his back hit a bench. Rein turned sharply. "Faren?!"
"They—she—got in… Shuri—" Faren coughed, struggling to rise.
Rein was already moving.
Lysa and Sylvi followed close behind, and together they rushed into the workshop.