[Farlios Forest – Still in the Middle of the Night]
The fog grew thicker. The metallic scent of burnt Astrat blood still lingered in the air.
Between the shards of moonlight cutting through the treetops, Azura stood with her cloak fluttering softly. Her right eye — a red mechanical lens — reflected the faces of Zeydan, Lina, and Victor before her.
A faint scrape of metal echoed as Victor lifted his energy spear, the tip trembling with a pale blue glow.
Lina gripped her energy blade tightly, her breath heavy but her gaze sharp.
Zeydan slowly regained consciousness — the mysterious whispers in his mind fading away. He stared at Azura, rigid and cold.
The silence shattered when Azura spoke, her voice soft yet heavy with sorrow.
"...I'm sorry. I truly am."
Lina tensed. "What do you mean?"
But before Azura could answer, Victor cut in as he looked at his younger sister.
"Lina, follow the plan as usual."
Lina nodded slightly, though her eyes remained fixed on Azura — trembling between anger and confusion.
Then—
Victor shot forward.
The ground burst beneath his feet as he launched at Azura with rapid spear strikes, each slash carving streaks of blue light through the mist.
Azura parried with machine-like precision, every movement calculated, emotionless. Clashes of metal and energy echoed through the forest like storms of light.
CLANG! CLANG! FWOOOM!
They fought for a long time — too long.
Victor's steps grew heavy, yet his spirit burned fiercely. He dove, jumped, spun his spear in sweeping arcs like a dance of defiance.
But Azura was far too fast. Her body twisted with perfect trajectory — and one powerful slash collided with his chest.
DOOM!
Victor was thrown back, rolling several meters before stopping at Zeydan and Lina's feet. His breath trembled, blood dripping from his lips.
"Victor!" Lina cried.
Driven by fury, Lina charged — blue light erupting from her blade. But with a single sweeping strike, Azura knocked her aside.
Lina's body flew and crashed behind Zeydan.
"Lina! Does she feel any remorse?!" Victor shouted weakly.
Lina rose slowly, eyes trembling.
"It looks like… there isn't even a trace of regret on her face."
Zeydan stood up straight, gripping the Photon Edge in his hand — the blue blade glowing in the fog.
"In that case… I'll face her."
Victor shouted from the ground:
"Hey! She's too strong! We should just run!"
But Zeydan ignored him.
He dashed forward and swung at Azura — the first strike landing, but Azura barely moved.
With one swift motion, she parried and slammed Zeydan to the ground, sending dust exploding around him.
Zeydan gasped, stunned.
Azura stepped closer, her cold voice carrying a hidden sorrow.
"Ivan… you're weaker than before."
Zeydan's face turned pale.
"Hey! Azura! Why are you calling me Ivan?! My name is Zeydan!"
Azura stopped walking. Her shoulders twitched — as if an old memory trembled behind her mechanical systems.
Before she could respond, Victor, soaked in blood, stood once more.
He glared at Azura with burning rage.
"Hey! You heartless metal woman! Why are you picking on small fry?! Fight me!"
A bright halo of energy flared behind Victor — blue rings spinning in rapid motion.
Halo Back—activated.
The air spiraled around him, scattering leaves and parting the fog.
"I, Victor Halren — Warden of Wind — won't let you hurt another living being!"
Azura raised her blade.
"Then show me… how far a Warden has progressed against someone like me."
The battle erupted — a storm of wind and steel.
Victor flashed through the air like lightning, slashing and spinning, redirecting himself mid-flight with bursts of wind.
Azura matched every attack with flawless precision.
Shockwaves cracked the forest floor. Trees split. Light and shadow twisted violently.
Victor roared, unleashing a final strike with everything he had—
But Azura drove her sword through his heart.
"I'm sorry…"
Her whisper was soft, almost inaudible.
Azura's right eye glowed bright red — absorbing Victor's wind element.
Soft blue energy spiraled into her pupil, then vanished.
Victor's body fell limp.
The fog around them grew eerily calm.
Zeydan could only stare.
And in that silence, the glowing bird from earlier chirped again — its wings trembling on a branch, as though mourning with its gentle blue eyes.
The thin fog still clung to the ground of Farlios Forest. The scent of wet earth and blood mixed in the cold air. Victor's lifeless body lay motionless, eyes empty beneath the shadowed canopy. Lina nearly collapsed, but Zeydan grabbed her trembling hand.
Azura walked forward slowly. Her steps were silent — more like a machine drifting than a person approaching. Her black-and-white cloak swayed gently, reflecting the red glow of her mechanical eye. Her face was blank, emotionless; beautiful yet terrifying.
Suddenly, a whisper slithered into Zeydan's mind.
(You deserve it…)
(You deserve it…)
(You… deserve it…)
Zeydan's breath hitched. He clutched his head, eyes widening in panic.
Lina stared, frightened.
"Zeydan! Focus! Stay with me!" she shouted.
Zeydan couldn't answer. The whispers kept swirling.
Azura continued her approach, her red gaze unchanging. No emotion. No hesitation.
Lina pushed Zeydan behind her and stepped forward. She drew her blue energy blade; the glowing edge formed with a soft hum.
Before she could strike, a volley of bullets hit Azura.
DOR! DOR! DOR!
Several rounds struck Azura's shoulder and side, sparks flying off the metal beneath her coat. She staggered half a step.
Then came two magical arrows.
Tsiing! Tsiing!
Azura slowly turned toward the attackers.
Standing atop a massive tree root were Ardelle Nightrune, bow drawn, and Mireya Solstice lowering her rune pistol.
Mireya sprinted toward Zeydan and Lina.
"Zeydan! What's happening to you?!" she grabbed his shoulder.
Zeydan trembled, the whispers still faintly echoing inside him.
Lina looked helpless, then turned toward Ardelle and Azura — now clashing.
Ardelle leapt from the root, her movements elegant and swift, like an elven dance.
Azura lifted her blue-gray katana — her motions precise as a machine.
Their blades collided with a blast of force, scattering dry leaves through the air.
Azura struck with extreme speed — three slashes within a second.
Ardelle twisted her body, jumping and firing arrows mid-air. Glowing projectiles burst like pink sparks.
Their fight was fast, sharp — a storm of light and shadow.
But Azura was stronger physically. One powerful strike sent Ardelle skidding across the ground.
Ardelle rose again, breathing hard but resolute.
Before she could lunge, a voice cut through the entire forest.
"That's enough of your little game."
Everything froze.
Falling leaves drifted slower. Even the wind seemed to stop breathing.
Ardelle, Azura, Mireya, Lina, and Zeydan all turned.
From the fog, someone stepped out.
A man in a gray-and-black jacket and dark pants, face partly covered by a gray mask. His hair was white, slightly messy.
But the most striking feature was his right eye — marked with a glowing white X.
His presence alone made the leaves around him tremble.
He walked forward with one hand in his pocket, steps relaxed — like someone who already knew how this fight would end.
He stopped a few meters away and lifted his chin slightly.
"It's time we fought," he said, voice calm yet sharp..
The mist in the Farlios Forest swirled again, hissing softly like the cold breath of the earth. The leaves on the ground trembled lightly when the man with the glowing white X in his right eye lowered his head a little.
Azura and Ardelle both stood on guard.
Without warning, the man vanished.
—THWOOOSH!
He reappeared between them, spinning his body and swinging the Xiphos Reaver. The strike split the air like a lightning slash. Ardelle crossed her slender blade to block, while Azura raised her gray-blue metal katana.
TRAAANG!!
Both Ardelle and Azura were pushed back several steps, the ground scraping beneath their feet as leaves scattered.
Ardelle let out a soft groan, digging her heel into the soil to keep her balance. Azura only slid four steps back, her body still upright and cold.
They both glared at the man now standing casually, one hand tucked in his pocket.
Azura turned toward Ardelle, her voice cold yet sounding… slightly bored.
"You handle him."
Before Ardelle could protest, thick fog rose from the ground, wrapping around Azura's body like a cloak. Her red mechanical eye dimmed and —shhh— she vanished.
Ardelle clenched her teeth.
(That elegant coward…) she muttered.
She returned her gaze to the man, her face cold but her raised brow showing full alertness.
Ardelle bent low, then shot forward.
Her movements resembled an elven dance: graceful, circling, short slashes that left trails of pink light.
The man only tilted his head slightly to the right—dodging effortlessly.
Ardelle spun, kicked, slashed, even fired an arrow at point-blank range.
But the man seemed to read the future.
Every move Ardelle made was avoided before it even happened.
Leaves whirled around them, shredded by their speed.
Tsing! Tsing! Tsing!
Ardelle's blade sparked as it cut through empty air.
The man blocked one of her strikes with just his index finger, forcing Ardelle to leap back with widened eyes.
"He's… reading my movements," Ardelle thought.
Before she could take a breath—
WOOOSH!
The man stepped forward in a long stride. His shoulder slammed into Ardelle's chest.
Ardelle flew back, skidding across the ground, rolling several times before stopping with a pained gasp.
Zeydan and Lina watched with pale faces.
Lina whispered,
"That's… not a normal human."
Zeydan didn't answer. He swallowed hard as he gripped his sword.
Ardelle got to her feet, breathing heavily. She tried attacking again—faster, wilder.
But the man dominated effortlessly. Short slashes of the Xiphos Reaver carved through the air, forcing Ardelle to retreat, retreat, and retreat again.
Suddenly—
TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT!
High-speed rune bullets shot from Mireya's right side.
The man shifted his shoulder slightly. All the bullets passed through him as if shooting through wind.
Mireya sprinted forward, a karambit in her right hand. Her expression was filled with determination and anger.
"You!"
She slashed.
The man caught Mireya's wrist with ease. His large fingers wrapped around her neck and lifted her off the ground.
Mireya choked, feet dangling.
"You're very slow," the man said flatly.
Mireya glared, her green eyes trembling between fear and fury.
Ardelle tried to charge in, but—
—WHUMP!
A gray cube-shaped barrier appeared, deflecting Ardelle's strike and throwing her back to the ground.
Ardelle stared in horror.
"A… dimensional barrier?"
The man looked back at Mireya, eyeing the karambit in her hand.
He raised a brow slightly.
"Hm… so you got that from Abdullah."
Mireya forced her voice out, choking.
"Abdullah? Who is that?! This weapon was a gift from my uncle!"
The man tilted his head, examining her face.
Then, both of his eyes lit up—
not just one.
White X symbols appeared in both eyes.
Their glow was blinding.
Mireya felt something inside her… open.
As if a door of power was kicked from within.
Her whole body shook violently.
CRAAACK!
She hammered her knee into the man's chest, breaking his grip. Her neck was freed.
Mireya dropped to the ground, then slowly rose—her expression transformed.
A hazy white aura surrounded her. A faint white glimmer appeared in her irises. Wind curled around her body.
Zeydan was shocked.
Lina covered her mouth.
Ardelle stared cautiously.
(No way…) Ardelle whispered.
(Atharlez Awakening…)
Mireya shot forward like a bullet.
—BRASH!
She attacked with her karambit like a storm: rapid short slashes, double thrusts, acrobatic leaps, spinning kicks.
Her movements were three times faster than before.
The man—for the first time—
dodged while taking a small step back.
It was only slight… but it was enough to make Ardelle tense up.
Mireya swung her karambit toward his face.
TSAANG!
A burst of white sparks.
She spun, attacking from the left.
The man crouched low.
She smashed the ground, creating a small crater.
She kicked.
The man stepped back.
But he still didn't counterattack.
He merely dodged… as if evaluating her.
Ardelle finally broke through the barrier as it cracked—
CRAACK!
—then sprinted toward them.
The man leaped lightly onto a thick branch of a large tree.
Mist covered half his figure.
He looked down at them with a faint smile behind his mask.
"Interesting."
Both of his eyes glowed again.
The X symbols pulsed slowly.
"I'll try recruiting you later."
Then his body disappeared into the mist, like a shadow being erased.
Silence blanketed the forest.
Ardelle immediately ran toward Victor's lifeless body. She gently yet urgently lifted him and slung his body over her shoulder.
Ardelle's face was pale.
Her ruby eyes trembled.
She ran toward Lina and Zeydan.
"You two need to move before—"
Before she could finish—
—SHING!!
Mireya's karambit flew past, nearly slicing Ardelle's neck.
Ardelle deflected it by instinct.
TANG!
Mireya stood there, panting harshly, her green eyes now marked with thin lines of pale white light. The Atharlez aura roared around her.
Zeydan stepped back half a pace.
Lina gripped her sword with trembling hands.
Ardelle narrowed her eyes.
"Mireya… please control yourself."
Mireya didn't answer.
She attacked again—wilder, faster.
TSAANG! TSIING! CLANG! BRASH!
A brutal clash erupted between them, while Zeydan and Lina could only stand frozen… watching their friend lose control completely.
The mist swirled.
Metal clashed against metal.
The Farlios Forest trembled as two unleashed powers collided.