On the outskirts of Belafleece, war ensued. On a large field of dead grass and dirt, hundreds of soldiers clashed swords. Magic spells shot through the air, knocking people to the ground, and creating explosions. The battlecries shook the atmosphere and the clanging of metal swords rang through the air.
Far beyond the battlefield, in the thicket of the forest surrounding the warsight, Nyleah was running towards the battle. She passed through the forest at incredible speeds, making her way out of the forest and into the battlefield. She grabbed her bow, and shot out an arrow dozens of meters, soaring through the air and straight into a man's head. He fell to the floor, limp as a noodle. She drew her bow back once more, sending out multiple arrows that all hit their targets, weakening the southern forces with every passing second.
But as Nyleah's attacks continued, her arrows were deflected. A man was able to block her arrows through all the chaos. It was a Southern Sword Emperor, Hrorrin. He wore a white coat, and long brown hair, going past his shoulders. Hrorrin smiled at the sight of Nyleah, and the two of them faced off. The fight started with Nyleah sending out another arrow. Hrorrin deflected it, and responded by dashing forwards, closing the gap between them. Nyleah took a step back while grabbing another arrow from her back. Buyt the Sword Emperor swung his sword, catching her off guard and pushing her into a boulder, "Got ya!" He swung downwards, aiming to strike clean through Nyleah's torso. But she grabbed a dagger that was by her side, and blocked, Clang! She parried his attack, and countered by slashing through his coat and piercing through his right shoulder. Hrorrin gritted his teeth and jumped backwards. This gave Nyleah enough time to grab another arrow and channel mana into it, "Piercing Shot!" Her arrow began to glow with a white aura, and she shot it out. BOOM! The arrow was sent out so fast it broke the sound barrier and hurled into Hrorrin's left pectoral. The impact sent a shockwave through his body, sending him flying into a nearby boulder, "Gyuh!" The wind was knocked from his body, and he fell to the ground. Nyleah charged back another shot. This time, mana circled her entire body, sending high speed winds flying in all directions, "Singularity!" She said, while releasing her grip of the arrow, sending it out, hurling towards Hrorrin. He caught sight of the arrow as it flew through the air, but it was too late. His left shoulder burst out with blood, and his entire left side turned red from the stain of blood. The boulder behind him blew into small pieces, and his body sagged to the right. His eyes grew dark, and he went limp, laying there, seemingly lifeless.
"Sigh… seems like this battle is over." Nyleah said. She turned her back to Hrorrin, and began walking back to the battlefield. "Wait…" Hrorrin's voice called out weakly, "...I'm not done with you… So come fight me." He tried to stand up, but his entire left arm, and a good portion of his torso was missing. Blood trickled down his white coat, and onto the snowy ground, staining it. He took a step forward, but wobbled and fell back onto the floor. Nyleah was looking back with saddened eyes, "Please… don't push yourself. I won't kill you, but you'll die on your own if you continue moving so carelessly." "I don't care. This battle is all that matters to me. If I don't win… then my death is inevitable either way." He pushed off his right arm, trying to stand back up. But his knees wobbled, and he quickly staggered back onto the ground. Nyleah turned her body to face Hrorrin, but just as she did, Lura put her hand on Nyleah's shoulder, "Don't worry about him. I'll finish the poor sap off, you go take care of the real battle. Got it?" Lura held a stern face, but talked in a calm and understanding tone. Nyleah nodded, and walked off. Lura turned to face Hrorrin, "Alright pal… unfortunately I'm not as kind as my friend there. So your life is gonna have to end now… sorry."
A few hours later, Nyleah and Lura were standing at the center of the battlefield. However, the battle had ended, and the ground was covered in dead bodies, most of which were the south's soldiers. Lura walked up to Nyleah, "Welp, looks like this one's over." Nyleah nodded, "Yeah… we won again." "Why do you look so sad? I know you don't approve of all this killing, but we're doing it for a good cause." Nyleah lowered her head, "I just hate all of this. All the killing… and the sight of blood… I hate all of it." Lura patted Nyleah on her head, "Don't worry…" She smiled, "...I've heard that Kiliano's gonna be joining us soon." Suddenly, Nyleah's eyes lit up and she jerked her head towards Lura, "Really!? When? Is he gonna get here soon!?" Lura took a step back, "Wow, wow, calm down. I'm not sure. I only heard about this recently from master Vencer." Nyleah grabbed Lura's hands, holding them tight, "But is it confirmed? Is he really coming back!?" Lura made a sarcastic grin, "Ohh? You're pretty excited, aren't ya?" Nyleah's face turned red, "N-no, it's nothing like what you think! I'm just excited to see my friend again… that's all I swear!" Lura snorted, "Yeah, yeah, sure. Let's get outta here, the smell is nasty." Nyleah nodded, and the two of them walked off.
Farther west, past Belafleece, and near the kingdom of Lortmunt, another battle ensued. Soldiers clashed swords, and screaming rang through the air. Blood stained the snowy ground, leaving streaks of red. Suddenly, Nazeem jumped out from a crowd of soldiers. He leapt into the air, raising his left arm, "Lightning Bolt!" Just then, a blue streak of lightning hit the ground, sending multiple southerners flying, spewing blood. Nazeem landed back onto the ground, but just as he did, someone swung their sword towards him. He jerked backwards, dodging the blade, and countering with a punch to the gut. The soldier gagged blood and fell to the ground. Another soldier saw this and attacked, swinging his sword towards Nazeem's neck. But he bent his knees, and ducked down low while channeling mana into his right arm. He pushed off his right foot, and punched the soldier, sending out lightning that completely pulverized the enemy.
Nazeem's eyes quickly shifted across the battlefield and towards another enemy. It was a man in a white coat, similar to Hrorrin's. He was emanating an aura while fighting off multiple soldiers at once. The man was able to dodge four swords at once, countering them all in the blink of an eye. Nazeem recognized him as the most powerful enemy amongst everyone else there, and directed his attention there. He dashed forwards, channeling mana through his body, "Maximum output!" Nazeem's aura grew much more intense, as he grew closer to the enemy. But before he could get close enough, the man noticed Nazeem's attack, and was able to prepare one of his own. He pulled out a shortsword, and prepared a stance. Nazeem swung his right arm, aiming for the man's face, but he countered by swinging his sword towards Nazeem's stomach. However, it was a faint, and Nazeem's body disappeared, reappearing behind the man in an instant. He pushed off his feet, sending a left punch hurling into the man's back, sending him flying upwards. The man tried to regain his stability while in the air, but Nazeem dashed upwards, appearing just above the man with both of his arms raised up. He swung them downwards, smashing them into the man's ribs, sending him hurling downwards. BOOM! He hit the ground, shooting away all the snow and creating a large crater in the battlefield.
Nazeem dropped onto the ground next to the crater, "You alive there pal?" He said, leaning towards the crater. There was no response. Instead, the man dashed out from the crater, plunging his sword into Nazeem's gut. Nazeem's eyes widened, as his abdomen hunched over. The man made a malicious smile while staring at Nazeem. But suddenly, Nazeem's body began to fade away, and it turned into nothing but water vapor. The man's eyes widened as he took a few steps back. A hand was placed on the man's back, stopping him from moving backwards any further, "It's over buddy. Just accept it." It was Nazeem's voice. He had his right arm placed on the man's back while smiling. Mana began to channel through Nazeem's arm, and a bright blue lighting started emanating from his hand, "Electrocution!" And then, the man's body exploded with a burst of electricity running through his body, "Gyaah!" The man screamed in pain while tensing his body. Nazeem kept his hand on the man's back, continuing to channel his mana. The lightning grew larger and more violent, shooting out more than a meter from the man's body in all directions. Nazeem gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tight. Then, an even more intense burst of lightning shot from his hand. The man's screams stopped, and Nazeem let go. His enemy was silent, with smoke rising from his body, he fell to the ground.
"Huff… huff… Looks like you're finished…" Nazeem turned his attention away from the man's lifeless body, and focused once more towards the battlefield. By now, the battle had slowed down, and significantly less people were fighting. The ground was littered with dead corpses, most of which were southern soldiers. Nazeem began running over to the warzone, but before he could make it back, a voice called to him from behind, "I've heard of your power. And I've been told it was pretty extraordinary. But I must admit… You really are exceptional..." The voice wasn't yelling. But it was loud and commanding. Nazeem turned around, glancing over at the man standing before him. He wore a white robe with white hair, and his eyes were a glaring red color, "...My name is Asfodel, and I'm the commander of the South's army. It's nice to meet you… Nazeem."
In less than a second, lightning shot across the entire region. Dozens of lightning bolts struck the ground, and the sky was littered in a blue glow. But occasionally, a bright golden light would shine for just a mere moment, and then it would disappear again. One soldier on the battlefield was witnessing this. His gaze was fixated on the bright lights that flew across the sky at remarkable speeds. Loud crashing noises rang through the air, leaving nearly everyone deaf for a few seconds each time it would occur. The soldier kept looking up, staring. Until suddenly, a loud crash rang from behind him, and then the ground began to rumble right after. The soldier looked back to find that the huge mountains surrounding the region had been decimated. Instead of their usually tall peaks, there was a circular hole that cut it short, leaving just the base left. The soldier's eyes widened from fear, and he took a step back. Suddenly, a blue light filled the battlefield, and, CRRBOOM! Everything turned to dust. In less than the blink of an eye, the entire battlefield was vaporized. Dozens of soldiers turned to ash, leaving absolutely no traces of life for hundreds of meters.
Then, Nazeem dropped from the sky, landing in the crater that had just been created. His clothes were torn, and he had blood gushing from his head and torso, "Huff, huff… Crap, I'm screwed. This guy's way outta my league." Asfodel was walking over to him with a malicious smile on his face. He was holding a sword made of light particles in his right hand, "You did good to last this long against me. The Excalibur user wasn't nearly as fast as you are, so that battle ended way sooner. I suppose that proves how much potential you had. What a shame it was wasted on a Northerner." He raised his right arm, preparing to kill Nazeem. But before he could, a man appeared from behind him, "Split-Step." It was master Paarl. He was holding his sword in a ready position, and was already swinging. Asfodel glanced backwards, and parried the attack, Clang! The impact of their clash pushed Paarl back a few meters, but Asfodel remained in the same spot, "So you've decided to show up too? I'm honestly surprised." Asfodel began walking closer. But Paarl readied a stance, "You shouldn't be. This war is gonna affect me a lot, so I'd rather not have to deal with the South's bullshit. Why don't you leave?" Paarl lifted his left foot, placing it forward and swinging his sword at the same time. Asfodel's eyes widened and he jerked backwards. But Paarl's strike connected, creating a streak of blood running down from Asfodel's chest. He staggered and bent his knees which gave Paarl enough time to lunge forward, slicing through Asfodel's shoulder and dashing over to Nazeem. He picked him up, and they both disappeared, leaving Asfodel completely alone on the battlefield.
Paarl carried Nazeem on his back for nearly a dozen kilometers before he stopped running. By the time heh ad stopped, they were in a crevice beside a large mountain. Paarl put Nazeem down, laying him on a pile of rocks to prop him up. He stuck his arms out and began channeling mana through them, "May the gods bring forth their power, and aid my ally. Give them the strength they had before their downfall, and provide enough power to rise anew. Grand Healing." A bright green light emanated from Nazeem's body, and his wounds began to heal. Nazeem's eyes regained some of its vigor, and he stood up, "Thanks master. That guy… he was tough." Paarl sighed, "Sigh… Yeah I'd assume so. He is known as The God Killer, afterall." "W-what!? I fought some dude named The God Killer!? Jeez… I guess I dodged a bullet eh…" Nazeem walked down the crevice, "...Are we still scheduled for the meeting back at Belafleece?" "Yeah… we should leave tomorrow morning actually." "Sigh… Alright then, I'm gonna rest up. Cya in the morning!" Nazeem propped himself on a rock and began to doze off immediately. Paarl began to think to himself, "Jeez… that kid's unbelievable. How can he just take a nap like that right after a battle. Everyone died just now, and he was able to shrug it off. This kid's either a monster, or a complete idiot… Nah, he's probably just an idiot."
The next morning, Nazeem and Paarl got up early and headed back to Belafleece. "You ready to go, Nazeem?" Paarl was waiting for him above the crevice. Nazeem was stretching his back after waking up, "Yeahh… I'm all good to go." He jumped onto the ledge above the crevice and landed right next to Paarl. The two of them walked off, heading North-East.
Farther South, Asfodel was walking down a snow-covered path, "Crap… my entire squadron was wiped out because of that kid's lightning! What a rat bastard, I'll get that kid back for what he's done I swear it! But before that…" His demeanor changed, and his gaze was fixated on something in front of him, "...I'd like to know why you're here…" A man was standing in front of him. He wore black baggy pants, and a white, collared shirt. His hair was a deep black color that seemed to glow in the sun. Asfodel grinned, showing his teeth, and tilted his head slightly upwards while staring down the man, "...Are you gonna answer me?" The man smiled, "You're as hot-tempered as I remembered Mr. Zuri'el." "Don't call me that!" Asfodel snapped, his aura began emanating violently from his body. The man's smile grew slightly larger, "You should calm down…" His words rang deep in Asfodel's ears. His eyes widened and a sense of fear forced him to calm down. "...Good choice there pal. And to answer your question… I have some business with the Excalibur user. I believe you've met him, right?" Asfodel furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, "So that's why you're here. I hope you aren't going to interfere with this war." "No, no I have no intention of wasting my time with that crap. I just wanna see Mr. Monfril and have a discussion with him, that's all." Asfodel sighed, "Sigh… alright I'll take your word for it. But don't get your hopes up…" Murderous intent began to fill the air, "...I plan on killing that kid the second my eyes spot him." The man laughed, "Hahaha! Yeah right, you can try! Trust me, Kiliano Monfril won't die that easily." "How would you know? You've never met the kid." The man began walking off once again, "I suppose you're right… Goodbye, Asfodel Zuri'el." Asfodel gritted his teeth and began walking off as well.
The man glanced back at Asfodel while grinning, and whispered to himself, "Be careful there boy. Don't get too hasty… or you'll die." He turned his head back in front of him, and continued walking down the path with his hands in his pockets.