The battlefield raged with chaos—magic clashing, explosions echoing—but in one corner stood Drake, his breath sharp against the frozen mist, squaring off against Yurok. Beside the commander stood Lyra, her eyes hollow, vines writhing endlessly as the mind-control spell twisted her will.
At first, Drake's cold fury and sharpened magic gave him the upper hand. His ice walls shattered Yurok's fire blasts, and every swipe of thorny vines was frozen midair. With a roar, he conjured "Glacier Spear!" —a jagged icicle that blazed with lethal intent—ready to pierce Yurok and end the fight.
But Yurok smirked.
In an instant, he shoved Lyra into the attack's path.
Drake's heart nearly stopped. His hands trembled, and the Glacier Spear halted inches away from piercing her chest. The ice shattered to harmless fragments.
Yurok's cruel laughter filled the arena.
"You're too soft, boy. You can't win if you can't hurt her!"
Drake was caught off guard—Lyra's vines lashed out, forcing him back. Yurok struck in the opening, hammering blows into Drake's defenses.
"Damn it…" Drake muttered, barely holding ground as vines and flame surrounded him. He wasn't fighting an enemy anymore—he was fighting a friend he swore to protect.
For a moment, despair clawed at him.
But then…a memory returned.
---
Flashback: Grand Ranking Trials, First Round
Drake and Lyra stood back-to-back, ice and vines forming a seamless dance. Her thorny whips curved around his frozen shields, her vines boosted his platforms, and his frost kept her plants alive longer in harsh terrain. Together, they overwhelmed their opponents like a single heartbeat.
Afterward, Lyra had smiled, flushed and bright.
"See? I told you, Drake. We're unbeatable if we work together."
He had looked away, hiding the faint heat in his cheeks.
"…Maybe you're not so bad, plant girl."
---
Back to the Present
Drake's chest tightened. She's still fighting inside. I know it. She's too stubborn to give in to this curse.
Slamming his foot down, he raised an ice pillar beneath him, shooting high into the air above the vines. Lyra's thorns lashed at him, but he froze them mid-flight, shattering them into glittering frost.
The battlefield grew cold—snowflakes began to fall. Slow, delicate, shimmering in the dim light.
"Memory of Ice: Snowfall Elūteṣ̌!"
The snow wasn't just frost—it carried his voice, his feelings.
He closed his eyes and whispered as the snow landed on Lyra's face:
"Lyra… you're the one I trusted most. Remember the trials, when we fought as one? That bond is still here. No spell can break it. You are my partner—always."
Lyra's vines shook violently. Her body trembled as if the words pierced through the chains in her mind.
Inside her, a war raged. The curse screamed, forcing her to attack. But the snow melted gently on her cheeks, like tears of warmth. Her heart raced, her vision blurred, and for the first time in this nightmare, she saw Drake's face—not as an enemy, but as the stubborn ice mage who never let her down.
"Drake… you…"
With a final scream, the spell shattered. Vines collapsed, frozen midair, then burst apart into crystalized beauty.
---
Yurok staggered back, eyes wide.
"Impossible! No one breaks the contro spell of Delimia !"
But it was too late. Drake had landed, catching Lyra in his arms as she collapsed. Her eyes blinked open, clear and teary.
Drake stood, fury burning in his eyes. "You'll pay for using her like a tool."
The ground shook with ice as Lyra rose beside him, her vines blooming with radiant energy. Together, their magic intertwined—ice weaving through vines, thorns coated in frost, forming a colossal frozen garden.
"Fusion Spell: Frostland Urestro!"
The attack roared like a storm—blizzards and thorns tore through the arena, engulfing Yurok. He screamed before the combined magic crushed him into defeat.
---
The snow slowly settled. Silence hung.
Lyra, her cheeks flushed, tugged at Drake's sleeve.
"…Drake. Those words you said. Were they…real? Am I really that important to you?"
Drake froze. His face turned crimson. "W-Wha—? Don't read into it! I just…said whatever to break the spell!"
Lyra tilted her head, eyes twinkling mischievously. "…So you don't mean it?"
"Th-that's not the point!" Drake barked, waving his hands furiously. He turned away, hiding the blush burning across his face.
Lyra giggled softly, her heart racing but light again.
To be continued…