Lucas stood in a small clearing, already recovered from the kick, his longsword resting casually at his side.
His silver hair glinted in the dappled sunlight, and his expression was calm, and focused.
Across from him stood Lyxa, the dark elf, her dagger gleaming in her hand and a dark shadowy aura surrounding her body.
Lucas tilted his head slightly, his voice was calm and laced with curiosity.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Going after children. Not only is it a despicable tactic only Terra would pull off but there's nothing to be gained. It won't deter what's happening in the frontlines."
Lyra's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sneer. "This is war. I'm a single soldier. I simply follow orders." she said, her voice sharp.
"Besides, why do you believe Fantasia isn't a place like that? You think we're above such tactics? That's extremely naive."
Lucas sighed, his grip tightening on his longsword. "I'm not naive. I just don't believe in having to stoop to their level just to win."
Lyra didn't respond with words as she didn't feel the need to anymore.
Instead, she lunged at him, her dagger slashing through the air with deadly precision.
Lucas raised his sword, deflecting her attack with ease. The clash of metal rang out, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through the clearing.
Lyra used mana to enhance her speed and strength as she pressed the attack.
She struck at Lucas from multiple angles but no matter how fast or how hard she attacked, Lucas was always one step ahead.
His movements were calm and precise, his longsword deflecting her strikes with minimal effort.
Lyra's frustration grew with each failed attack.
She then took a step back, giving some space between them as she raised her hands in the air forming dark shadowy vines that immediately lashed at Lucas.
Lucas with a calm expression on his face, simply sidestepped them, before swinging his sword cutting through the tendrils with ease.
"You're strong," Lucas spoke, his tone was still calm as ever. "But I'll tell you this for free, you can't beat me."
Lyra growled at those words. She then conjured giant dark spears almost as big as her, launching them at him.
Using his sword Lucas simply deflected and parried them away.
While there was an opening to press the attack, he didn't, choosing instead to defend himself and wait for an opportunity.
He wanted to end the fight without killing her. And it was the opportunity to do just that he was waiting for.
And the opportunity seemed to come sooner than later as the fight went on.
As it seemed out of frustration she overextended her dagger, aiming at Lucas's chest.
He sidestepped the attack as he brought the butt of his sword up to her wrist, hitting it with enough force to disarm her, sending the dagger flying to the ground.
Lyra stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock. But she didn't plan on giving up yet as she conjured a ball of pure dark mana, and hurled it at Lucas with all her might.
The energy exploded on impact, sending a cloud of smoke and debris into the air.
BOOM
When the smoke cleared, Lucas was basically unharmed. Or rather he wasn't there at all.
He was right in front of her when she finally noticed him.
She tried to back away, but Lucas was faster. He grabbed her by the wrist, then pinned her against a tree with his sword at her throat.
"This fight is over," Lucas said, his voice calm but firm.
Lyra glared at him, her eyes filled with defiance. "No."
Lucas sighed, his expression softening slightly. "I don't want to have to hurt you."
But Lyra was vehemently refusing to back down.
She tried to conjure another ball of dark energy, but Lucas wasn't letting that happen as he delivered a precise strike to her temple, knocking her out cold.
Lyra slumped to the ground, her body limp. Lucas stood over her for a moment, his expression almost unreadable.
Then he sighed, resting against a nearby tree as he tried to catch his breath.
The fight was finally over but he knew for sure there was more to come.
Although he had been able to avoid killing her, he doubted whether she would be alive much longer.
Judging from the screams he'd been hearing for a while, he could tell that information would he needed.
And as for how they got it, well Terra never really minded the methods of getting the information, as long as they got it.
As that seemed to have passed onto their younger generation.
As he rested against the tree, Lucas couldn't help but wonder how much longer he could live among his sworn enemies while fighting against his own people.