The sounds of hurried footsteps broke through the stillness of the forest.
Two figures moved along the narrow path, one pulling the other back as they argued.
"Ansley! What are you doing? Let me go!"
"My lady, I can't. The grandmaster specifically told me to let you rest. We need to go back," Ansley replied firmly, his grip unwavering.
Alteraz, stubborn as ever, struggled against his hold, twisting and pulling.
"Ansley, I'm telling you, we need to go! Zhangxuan… Zhangxuan can't handle that!"
Hearing her speak the grandmaster's name again startled Ansley. It wasn't her sudden decision to rush toward the palace that unnerved him, it was the familiarity in her words. He lifted an eyebrow, a shadow of doubt crossing his features, and said nothing further.
"My lady, forgive me for doing this," he said, lifting her effortlessly and turning her back toward the inn.
Alteraz's view flipped upside down as anger and frustration surged. She punched his back repeatedly, but Ansley didn't even flinch.
The struggle had lasted for several minutes, until Ansley noticed the sudden stillness behind him.
"My lady?"
BANG!!
Before he could fully react, Alteraz suddenly propelled herself upward, catching Ansley off guard and throwing them both off balance. She twisted midair and grabbed a handful of dirt, flinging it straight into his face. Blinded, he instinctively covered his eyes, giving her just enough time to slip free.
"Lady Alteraz!" Ansley called, but she was already darting deeper into the forest.
Branches scraped her arms and legs, but she didn't slow. Every step took her further from Ansley, though she had no clear idea where she was heading. She slowed only when she felt certain she had put enough distance between them.
From the shadows ahead, faint lights flickered between the trees. Without hesitation, Alteraz moved toward them, drawn by instinct more than thought.
Her focus on the lights almost made her overlook a cliff edge. She froze mid-step, the ground vanishing beneath her feet but a strong hand shot out from behind, gripping her firmly.
"If you think you can escape just like that, you're mistaken," Ansley's voice rang behind her ear.
"Ansley!" she gasped, twisting to face him.
"Tell me, young miss, what is it you intend to do?"
Alteraz swallowed, her mind racing. She knew Ansley's loyalty to Zhangxuan was absolute. Ansley believed in his master's strength more than anything, even over her warnings.
"He'll die"
"And what makes you think the grandmaster will die?" Ansley asked, a knife gleaming in his hand as he took a cautious step closer.
"My master… you know his temperament. Even at odds, he will push further. What happened earlier also won't be overlooked," she said, pressing her point.
Ansley paused, eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her words. For a brief moment, he wondered if the grandmaster truly needed him elsewhere, if perhaps leaving Alteraz for a short time was justified. In the end, his loyalty won out. The thought of Zhangxuan facing danger without his aid left no room for doubt.
"Fine," Ansley said finally, his voice tight. "I'll go… but I'll leave you here. You stay put, and I'll handle the rest."
Alteraz froze. "Leave me? Are you insane? You can't—"
"I'm telling you, it's for the best," he interrupted, already starting to move.
"No! If you're going, then I'm going too! You're not taking all the risk alone. I don't even know the way back, bringing me along won't slow you down, it'll save time!"
Ansley hesitated, his grip on her arm firm but conflicted. He opened his mouth as if to argue, then finally nodded reluctantly. "Very well… but stay close. One step out of line, and I will drag you back myself."
Alteraz let out a triumphant breath and stepped alongside him, keeping pace as he led the way through the forest.
He can't leave me behind… I need to be the one to see him alive. If I'm there, I can make sure things go the way I want.
The forest blurred around them as they ran, their feet barely disturbing the carpet of leaves. Branches scraped their arms and faces, but instinct guided every movement. Suddenly the world shifted, Ansley activated a warp, and in an instant they arrived inside the palace.
The halls, which were restored just hours ago after the collapse, were already in ruins again. Nobles scattered, gates swung open, dust and splinters hung in the air. In the grand hall, two figures struggled violently one trapped in glowing chains, the other pressing the attack with merciless force. Smoke and scorched wood clung to everything.
"Zhangxuan! Threatening a Celestial in his own Kingdom is a grave crime! You are courting death!" Elshmir's voice boomed through the hall.
Zhangxuan remained silent, breaking free of his chains as he lunged at Elshmir. The two clashed violently, exchanging strike after strike, the force shaking the hall.
Around them, the palace mages scrambled. Some tried to restrain Zhangxuan with binding spells, their hands glowing as they chanted, while others focused on reinforcing protective barriers to shield the hall and the nobles. However, with each strike, the energy of the battle pulsed through the air, causing the barriers to flicker and shudder under the immense power.
Alteraz watched helplessly, knowing magic of this level was far beyond her. Every clash of power and surge of energy made it clear that even the combined efforts of the mages could barely contain the destructive force radiating from the two combatants.
For some time, Zhangxuan's exhaustion became evident. Each high-level spell he fired to match Elshmir drained him further. Alteraz's heart tightened. She was about to call out to Ansley for help, her voice already forming, when before she could finish, Ansley surged forward, cutting down the mages who tried to block him and clearing a path with precise efficiency.
Zhangxuan's attention flicked to Ansley and then to Alteraz, kneeling at a distance.
That heartbeat of distraction was all Elshmir needed.
The strike landed squarely against Zhangxuan's ribs.
The sound wasn't loud, just a dull, sickening crack that Alteraz felt more than heard. His body jerked from the impact, boots carving half a step across the marble before he forced himself upright.
For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.
Then his breath hitched.
A thin line of red slipped past his lips.
Alteraz froze, momentarily stunned at the sight of him staggering under the blow. For a split second, she could barely process what she was seeing, her mind racing to catch up. Her gaze fell on the chandelier above the duel. Without hesitation, she seized a shard of glass and began slicing through the rope, ignoring the pain as blood ran down her hands.
"Come on… come on" she whispered, almost to herself.
The chandelier came crashing down and Elshmire didn't even look up. He stepped aside as the chandelier exploded against the marble behind him.
Silence settled over the hall.
You've got to be kidding me.
I just sliced my hands open for that?!
He tilted his head, the corner of his mouth curling into a devastating smile, "Ah… look what we have here. The mouse finally shows itself to the cat,". With a sudden, fluid motion, he lunged forward, aiming to strike Alteraz before she could react.
Closing her eyes briefly, she wished desperately for another reincarnation yet nothing happened.
When she opened them, Zhangxuan had positioned himself between her and Elshmir.
"Master!!"
Zhangxuan countered immediately, sending Elshmire flying several meters back.
"Dane Zhangxuan De Florencia! Destroying royal property, striking a Celestial… do you wish to make the whole Kanzakh Kingdom your enemy?" Elshmir roared.
"Master… what does he want? Why has it come to this?"
Zhangxuan remained silent, but Elshmir's words revealed the truth.
"Hand over your disciple, and your sins will be pardoned as well as for the sake of your family's name!"
Zhangxuan's eyes narrowed. "You accuse her of what you yourself provoked," he said.
Enraged, Elshmir unleashed a colossal spell, a surge of energy so powerful it shook the hall and threatened to annihilate everything in its path. Mages tried desperately to restrain him, but the attack was unstoppable.
Zhangxuan was readying himself for another strike, mana coiling around his fists to protect Alteraz behind him. His chest rose and fell heavily, each breath rough and uneven, the strain of the battle finally breaking through his composure. Then, without warning, Alteraz placed a hand on his shoulder. The sudden touch startled him, not enough to break his focus, but enough to make him pause, the faintest crease forming between his brows.
In the next instant, she moved in front of him, positioning herself directly between him and the incoming spell. Her eyes glowed bright red, and in her hand, she tightly gripped a small knife, the blade trembling slightly with the surge of energy.
"Zhangxuan… you truly are an ignorant master," she said, her voice steady despite the danger, as if scolding him for pushing himself too far.
Zhangxuan's smirk tightened, that tone he knew it. There was something in it, unmistakably familiar yet utterly different. He didn't move, didn't speak, only let the faint curl of his lips suggest recognition.
The blade in her hand flared and expanded, transforming into Accsentia's true form. With a single, effortless motion, she cut through Elshmire's devastating spell. The hall erupted in blinding white light, scorching and pure.
When the brilliance subsided, Alteraz was standing in front of him again. Then, just as suddenly, she blinked. That unnerving aura faded as the girl who had been hesitant moments ago returned.
She looked down at Zhangxuan, breathless, and reached out to help him up, completely unaware of what had just occurred. Her hands touched him, steadying him, but her mind had no recollection of the deadly precision and confidence that had flowed through her mere seconds ago.
Elshmir's eyes sharpened as he observed Alteraz. Her sudden surge of power caught his attention.
Turning back to Zhangxuan, he said once again, "Hand her over, give me your disciple, and I will forgive all that has happened here"
Zhangxuan said nothing. He stepped slightly in front of Alteraz, his stance firm, his eyes fixed on Elshmir
Elshmir's grin widened, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Then, how about a wager?"
Alteraz froze.
A wager?
"If your disciple can defeat mine," Elshmir continued, his tone deliberate, "then she will be free but she will have only one month to prepare."
Her mind went blank.
One month?
Against a Celestial's disciple?
I can barely cut a chandelier rope!
She opened her mouth to refuse,"I… I can't—there's no way I could possibly—"
Before she could finish, Zhangxuan's hand rested lightly on her shoulder. He didn't speak, he only moved slightly, as if answering Elshmire for her.
Alteraz's eyes widened, Wait… what?!
Elshmir's grin deepened, "Ah… so it seems your master accepts on your behalf, excellent"
Alteraz staggered back a step, her mind scrambling. I didn't even agree! How—how could he just do that?!
The palace fell silent around them, the echoes of the earlier chaos fading, but the tension remained. One month, one chance, one impossible wager and Alteraz knew the real challenge was only just beginning.
Zhangxuan… really? I saved you for this?, she thought, half annoyed, half amused at herself for still caring.