Freya's sword slipped from her trembling hands clattering against the cold stone floor as she collapsed to her knees. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at her brother.
She couldn't speak. No words could form.
Alexander stood watching in silence. He could understand her pain. He knew how it was... to lose loved ones. Those you truly cared for.
He had once felt that emptiness. In his previous life when he lost his parents to the cold hands of death. It was an accident that he survived but not without trauma. As he grew, it became worse threatening to consume him. Until he stumbled upon his first novel. Since then, fantasy novels became his anchor.
Though, somehow, he ended up being trapped inside one. Crazy.
"I guess I'll have to intervene," he muttered. But just as he moved, a low chuckle echoed across the walls.
Freya rose from the ground, eyes blazing.
"Too bad I won't be able to witness it? That's some talk, brother." She said, slowly stepping forward.
"Are you forgetting... who I am?"
"Do you think he can stop me if I decide to kill you? Doesn't matter... you will still die by my hands."
Her steps appeared unsteady with her face now ghostly pale. "You know what... you're a coward."
"Not only are you cruel... You used me... you made me lead thousands to their death. Soldiers with families. Just for some stupid grand plans."
"But that ends today." She spat. "Drakarhold will be free of you..."
"... A disgrace to the starfall family! And... Father will be glad.
Her hand tightened on her sword. She swung down, deflecting a dark dart aimed at her.
Arkan had already distanced himself from Freya the moment the battle began.
She dashed forward, twisting and weaving through the oncoming darts. Her steps were fluid, and her mind calm. A thin barrier of ice formed, protecting her from the storm of darts.
Ice shards materialised from thin air, streaking towards the figure while she continued forward.
Finally, the figure moved. His eyes glowed with eerie darkness as wisps of dark energy surged around him, forming dark blades.
Kicking the ground, he exploded forward, swinging his sword in a horizontal arc.
CLANG!
The cold sound of steel clashing against steel echoed across the dimly lit corridors as they exchanged a flurry of strikes in the blink of an eye.
"He's a dark mage." Ren muttered, a rare flicker of concern appearing in his expression.
"She won't be able to defeat him. He's a whole Tier above her. Though I would say that doesn't really matter sometimes but... it's different this time."
Alexander nodded grimly. "Dark magic... one of the rarest elements. And those who awaken it grow to become powerful mages.
Just like most novels he read, the world of Elysia was blessed with mana.
Through mana, they were able to awaken the magical affinity of the world. Power was ranked in nine stages: Magical Tier 1 to Tier 9. Each stage lead to an increase in strength and mastery over their magic affinity.
"Still... she's holding him back... barely," Ren muttered.
Alexander blinked, focusing back on the fight. "I thought as much. She's quite the prodigy of her family. Having such control over the ice element at this early stage."
Indeed. Freya was without question...a prodigy. Trained since childhood after awakening her magical affinity.
Why she focused on becoming the sword of the family. Her brother Arkan, unable to awaken his magical core, was groomed as the next king.
A streak of ice danced around her as she exchanged strikes. Each swing left behind a trail of frost. Her sword technique was graceful yet lethal.
She pressed forward, forcing the dark mage back.
While watching, Alexander realised her swordsmanship was superior to that of the dark mage.
As if realising it too, the guy jumped back, retreating a few steps.
"You've got quite the sword technique. I'll give you that," he sneered. "But let's see how good you are with magic."
Wisps of dark energy surged once more, gathering into a ball of darkness before his open palm. Without wasting time, he flicked it forward.
The air warped as the dark orb shot forward
Freya raised both hands, conjuring a thick wall of ice.
"His mana output far exceeds mine," she said with gritted teeth.
BOOM!
The dark ball slammed into the wall of ice with a defeaning impact. Ice shards scattered in all directions, with white mist slowly spreading over the area.
Freya... nowhere to be seen.
The fighting had attracted unwanted attention as a group of guards stormed through the dungeon corridor.
Meanwhile, the dark mage leapt away, dodging ice spikes that rose from the ground.
Freya struck again, finally revealing herself and forcing him into close combat.
Her movements were faster this time around. She skated on ice, darting through his attacks and counterattacking when she spotted an opening.
"He's strong. But not as him," she thought.
The dark mage wasn't as strong as the monster beside the white–haired guy.
Her arms trembled less from their clash. But that didn't mean she was winning the battle.
She was burning through her mana essence, and once it was exhausted, she would be defenceless.
Her opponent had yet to reveal all his cards.
"Arghh. That's enough." The dark mage growled. He was wasting precious essence while his true target was still untouched.
He couldn't afford to waste more time.
"You aksed for it, brat." He muttered as his body was covered in shadows. Her blade blade easily cleaved through the shadows, but she felt no impact.
"He vanished." She muttered with wide eyes. Her instincts screamed madly as she spun, raising her sword just in time to parry a strike aimed at her back.
Then, like a dark storm, more blades flashed around her. One was aimed at her chest, another at her head.
She barely sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the first one. She placed her sword before her chest, blocking the second attack. But failed to evade the third in time.
The attack came too fast. She twisted, but the blade still slashed across her shoulder, cutting through her armour.
Haha! You're finished. The mage sneered, emerging from the shadows. "You'll be dead in a few seconds."
"Poison." Alexander muttered with a frown.
"It's time we join the fight. She's gonna die if we don't help her."
"Finally." These old bones of mine have been yearning for a good fight." Ren said, his aura surging wildly.
With a snap, he shattered the shackles restraining him and then... he was gone, dashing forward to join the fray.