In the scorched throne room, the atmosphere sizzled with tension. Saria stood firm, her eyes fixed on Persephone. Her voice was steady, unwavering.
"I'll go after Persephone. You two handle the demon princess."
Tiabishi and Nox exchanged a brief glance, nodding in silent agreement as they unsheathed their weapons.
Without hesitation, Saria too drew the sword of Nota.
"Nota... lend me your power."
A radiant pulse surged through the blade as if in response, its glow intensifying with Saria's will. A fierce smile carved itself across her lips. Her intense, fiery emotions rampaged and erupted like the great volcano itself. Led by her fury, she charged head-on at Persephone.
Persephone, ever composed, summoned a phoenix. "Adonis, come forth!" She then turned toward the demon princess. "Shall we form an alliance? Just for now."
The demon princess raised her chin. "I think not. I have no interest in your ambition." Refuting the offer, she looked around, searching for someone. "I'm only here for one thing: to capture a boy named Achlys."
The silence that followed her words was deafening. Tiabishi's face froze in disbelief; those words snapped her. She ignited with fury.
"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!" she screamed.
She lunged forward, her sword cleaving the air as glacial spikes burst from the ground with each movement, trailing behind her like icy spears.
The demon princess nimbly dodged every formation.
Nox joined the assault, leaping forward and delivering a brutal kick to the demon princess, launching her from the city. Tiabishi clung to his arm as they soared after her.
"You handle ranged. I'll take her up close. She's too strong for either of us alone," Nox instructed.
Tiabishi nodded, focusing her energy as the princess landed, laughing maniacally.
"Finally, a fight! I'll beat you to a pulp and FEED YOU TO MY DOGS!"
She lunged.
In a blur, she grabbed Tiabishi by the leg, slammed her to the ground, and flung her aside like a ragdoll. Her foot connected with Nox's jaw.
"Fight back! Come on!" she howled with manic glee, sending Nox crashing through the earth.
"TIABISHI, NOW!" Nox roared.
Recovering, Tiabishi conjured a volley of ice spikes and launched them with deadly precision. But the demon princess laughed, weaving through them effortlessly.
"That's all you got, elf?!"
As Tiabishi prepared another attack, Nox grabbed the princess's leg and slammed her to the ground.
"Thanks, Tiabishi," he grunted, blood trickling from his mouth.
Tiabishi turned to retreat, but her eyes widened.
"Dodge!"
A chain flashed through the air, tipped with a serrated blade. She ducked just in time.
"Thought I was weak? You're dead wrong."
The princess seized Nox by the head and crushed it into the earth, then stepped on his arm with sickening force. A cry of pain burst from his throat.
"Stop it..."
The voice was soft, but it halted the carnage.
The princess turned. "What was that, little elf?"
Tiabishi didn't answer. Her gaze stayed low. She raised her sword and slashed through.
"Ice Slash!" She roared.
A blade of frost cleaved the air and severed the princess's ring finger. Blood splattered.
"Still got fight in you? Pity. I can regenerate."
She smiled, unbothered.
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Back in the throne room, fire raged. The massive phoenix, Adonis, beat his wings with a thunderous growl. Persephone and Saria stared at each other in silence.
"You're famous, Saria. The fiery warrior. I hoped you'd stand beside me... Old friend."
Saria's lips curled with scorn. "I would never stand with a traitor. You... You... FORGET IT!"
She dashed forward.
Adonis moved swiftly, slamming his wings to conjure a vortex of fire that hurled Saria back.
"You shall not pass."
The towering bird stood proud, casting an ominous shadow. He dwarfed Saria by at least five meters.
"One big turkey," Saria muttered, stepping forward. Her blade glowed red-hot.
"The Sword of Nota... ancient and fragile. Many died bearing its will." She clenched her fist and glanced at the sword. "Yet I hold it. That makes me stronger than them. And you."
Adonis roared. "I, Adonis, will fight you."
Persephone took out her whip but hesitated.
"Master, this is my fight."
She nodded, lowering her weapon and glancing toward Akatsuki.
Persephone felt the guilt. Her overwhelming emotions caught up to her. "Hey there... King." She called.
He looked up weakly, a soft smile gracing his lips. "Everyone makes mistakes. It's how we learn."
Tears glistened in her eyes.
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In the city square, a light blue phoenix lay beside the unconscious Achlys.
Cryo nudged him, chirping softly.
"Cree..."
Hearing the distant clash of wings and fire, Cryo wrapped Achlys in a protective dome of ice, then shot skyward straight toward the throne room.
"We are going all out. Those two will take care of the princess."
Below, Saria stood ready, her grip on the glowing sword of Nota tightening.
"Nota... full power."
The sword erupted with a crimson aura, threaded with glimmering blue particles.
"Didn't know the blade could do that," Adonis mused.
He summoned a tornado of fire.
A chill breeze swept over it, freezing the flames mid-air.
"Permafrost...? Only a few can manifest that. Was that you?"
"I wield fire and light. That wasn't me."
They looked up.
Hovering above the castle was a Cryophoenix, shining like a falling star.
"You... Achlys' companion," Saria whispered.
Adonis snarled. "You do not belong here!"
Telepathically, he threatened Cryo.
| Leave. Or I will end you. |
| I go where I please. |
Adonis lunged.
Cryo raised an ice wall. Adonis slammed into it, mist exploding outward.
"Tricks won't save you!"
He summoned another tornado. Cryo condensed the mist into a sphere of ice, trapping Adonis.
"Now that's done..."
Cryo returned to Saria's shoulder, eyes heavy.
Then—a hiss.
The ice turned green.
"He's escaping!"
Saria struck the orb. It exploded. Adonis emerged, burning with emerald flames.
"Didn't expect to transform so soon."
He hurled fire.
"Cryophoenix! Wake up! Please!"
Cryo stirred. A towering shield of ice materialized.
"I'll handle him. For Achlys. For the city."
He soared, conjuring hundreds of ice shards.
Below, Saria advanced through fire, her gaze locked on Persephone.
"There will be no hope for you."
"Hope begins with fear, Saria."
"What happened to you…You changed."
Persephone sighed.
"No. The world changed. I stood firm. You moved with it."
Flames danced around Persephone's whip.
"You left me... for your dream."
"I left to protect people! I never left you!"
Their weapons clashed.
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Flashback
A young brown-haired girl sat in front of a house, all depressed. She was crying, bruised all over, and had deep scars implanted on her back.
"Hey... You okay?" Another red-haired girl approached her.
"It's nothing..." she sniffled.
"I'm Saria. What's your name?" She smiled and extended her hand.
Seeing her pure and untainted smile, the girl replied. "Persephone." Taking her hand, she stood up.
They shook hands.
"Wanna play tag?"
Their laughter echoed through the village.
Years passed.
Saria, sixteen, looked nervous. "Persy... I got accepted to Elysium Magic School."
Persephone smiled, "I'm happy for you." She knew what she meant by that news.
"Are you fine with this, Persy?"
"Y-yeah…" she replied, hesitantly, though a tear welled.
Saria grabbed her by her shoulders. "Wait, don't cry! I won't leave you!"
"Then what about the school!?" she asked, looking away.
"I don't care! You are far more important to me!"
"Are you nuts!?" With a sudden jerk, she pushed her away.
"Persy…?"
Persephone looked away, regretting what she had just done. Her saddened expression showed her true wishes, which she couldn't say herself. "Just go…we'll meet again…in three years."
She stared at the sky and then walked away.
They walked separate paths.
Three years later, Persephone arrived at their meeting spot. She saw Saria in the distance, with someone else.
"…" She couldn't say a word. She could call for her. She just stood there and stared.
Her heart shattered. Soon, she vanished in flame.
Saria, unaware of this, still waited.
"Persy... you promised..."
She broke down.
Her friend Toiaka, standing beside her, comforted her.
After a while, Saria regained her composure. "When we meet again... I'll win her back."
Saria looked to the sky.
"Thank you, Toiaka."
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In the present, Persephone's whip wrapped around Saria's sword. Pulling her whip back, Saria lost grip of her sword. "Oi! We don't do that here!"
Saria dodged her frequent whip attacks and called for her sword. The sword flew straight back to her hand; she gripped it tightly and lunged forward.
"That artifact! It's goddamn annoying!" She roared. "You got everything! I got NOTHING!"
She lashed out. The whip morphed into magma-tipped spikes.
"This place is going to be your tomb, Saria!"
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Meanwhile, Tiabishi and Nox fought the demon princess.
Tiabishi struck countless attacks but was quickly overpowered and slammed into the ground repeatedly. "C'mon!! Show me more, bitch! Damn it, this ain't fun!"
The princess grabbed Tiabishi by her hair and pulled her up. She continuously slapped her until Tiabishi lost consciousness.
Trying his best to save her, Nox severed the princess's arm and caught Tiabishi.
Bleeding as he was, he summoned a dark axe.
"I won't give up. I'm a guild leader. I protect my people!"
His magic healed his wound. He reappeared in front of her, slicing off another arm.
"Shadow Axe!"
The ground split.
The princess suddenly appeared before him. "First of all, this ain't no comic. Stop screaming like a protagonist." She slapped him hard, knocking him off the ground and slamming him to the ground again.
He coughed blood, but stood again. "I am not dying this easily!!"
The princess laughed, jumping onto a pillar for higher ground. Her limbs regenerated, one morphing into a katana of blood.
Nox took his stance and charged straight at her.
They clashed.
An ice spike pierced her eye.
"STILL ALIVE!?" she shrieked.
Tiabishi, bloodied and enraged, dashed forward.
"One of us DIES TODAY!"
She summoned a snowstorm.
All visibility dropped.
But the princess snapped her fingers, dispelling the storm and flinging Tiabishi away.
"You're nothing without a hero. And there IS no hero."
They attacked together. Tiabishi from behind, Nox from above.
"This time you are done for, bitch!"
She was caught off guard. Tiabishi unleashed a hail of ice shards.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!"
Nox placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's done." He said as he extended a hand for help.
She took it and stood up. "Godforsaken bitch, she should have never been born in the first place." She spat at her grave.
Nox was quite surprised seeing her strange behavior. "Wasn't she a cute and shy girl…?" He thought.
It's finally over, so they thought.
But it wasn't.
A hand burst from the crater, hurling Tiabishi into the distance.
"You're still alive?!"
The princess laughed, her body scarred but standing. "Now... let's finish this." She cracked her neck and fingers.
"I wasted a lot of time here." She glanced at the sky.
Dark magic surged from Nox. Crying out, he charged. She met him head-on.
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Back in the town square, Achlys stirred.
"What... happened...?"
He saw flames erupt from the castle. He could hear countless clashes and screams from there.
"I have to go."
He ran.
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Far away, beside a tree glowing with a golden aura, a man bowed before its ticking pulse.
"Tree of Time... Another war brews in Loipetras. May I intervene?"
A fruit dropped onto his head.
He smiled.
"Understood. I will end this... and kill them all."
He vanished into the wind.
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<| Ability Book |>
Spellbook: Ice Manipulation
Spell: Spiker's Swing
Tier: Low Angelic
Strength: Spike generation up to 100 meters.
Weakness: High mana drain, long cooldown time.
Use: Long-range attacks.
Explanation: Often born from emotion, the sword swings instinctively in response to rage. It results in countless spikes generated from the ground.
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