"That was just rude, my love," the voice came from within the smoke.
She raised her hand and swiped through the dust—and in an instant, the cloud of dust blew aside.
Sylas had his sword up, aiming at her.
"We can talk about this," she spoke in her gentle tone.
Sylas shot toward her, activating his domain the instant his feet left the ground.
His sword swung down, fast and sharp—the air splitting with the force—
She didn't move.
Still wore that same soft smile, like this wasn't a fight.
The blade struck.
CRACK!
It shattered.
The sword broke into pieces. He stared at her.
She calmly brushed her shoulder, like she was wiping off dust.
A black sphere shot past him—Morgana's.
She hurled it with speed, but the woman tilted her wrist—deflecting it mid-air like it was nothing.
"Liz, support us!" Sylas called.
He turned to Elizabeth and Ryan.
"Protect Liz!"
Then his eyes locked with Lancelot's.
They didn't speak.
They didn't need to. They had fought beside each other for years.
They moved together.
Sylas came in from the left. Lancelot from the right.
Their swords moved in harmony—one striking high, the other low.
She didn't parry. Didn't dodge. Just stood there. Still smiling.
Their blades clashed against her skin—
Nothing.
CRACK!
Not even a scratch.
Sylas spun around, swinging in a wide arc—
At the same time, Lancelot dropped low, swinging from underneath.
Still nothing.
She didn't move. Her eyes always followed Sylas, ignoring Lancelot and Morgana.
Her gaze moved wherever Sylas went.
Liz used her ability to increase their speed and attack.
Sylas felt lighter. Stronger.
Morgana attacked from above, but it did nothing.
Then Sylas dashed back a step and pointed toward Lancelot.
From the ground, a sword exploded upward—it flew across the battlefield toward Lancelot.
He caught it mid-air as he charged toward her.
They struck again. When one weapon broke, Sylas tossed another.
Again—they attacked.
Right. Left. High. Low. From behind. From above.
Nonstop.
Synchronized. Perfect.
Like they were one fighter with two blades.
And still—she didn't move.
Their blades clashed and shattered, cutting through the wind—
But she stood untouched in the center, staring at Sylas.
Smiling. Watching him.
"Okay, that's enough."
She dashed toward Sylas.
Her fingers were long—sharp like claws.
She struck with a fast swipe.
Sylas reacted in an instant.
Excalibur appeared in his hand.
He raised it just in time—his blade met her claw-like fingers. Sparks flew.
She pushed him back, overpowering him.
"Damn you!"
He gritted his teeth as she forced him to slide backward—his foot scraping across the ground.
"Oh, my love, why are you making me do this?"
Sylas couldn't move his blade. It was stuck between her fingers.
She dashed forward with a crazy smile on her face—dragging him like they were going for a walk.
The others tried to help, but were pushed back by a single swipe of her hand.
"What the hell are you?" The words escaped through his clenched teeth as they crashed through one building—then another.
Stone shattered. Houses crumbled.
She kept driving him back, smashing through structures.
Stone cracked. Wood splintered. Walls collapsed around them.
All while she kept smiling.
Then—she stopped.
She was fast. Too fast.
The others were still trying to catch up.
His lungs burned. His knees shaking. But he still gripped the sword like it was the only thing keeping him up.
"Damn you, you old hag," he muttered, trying to catch his breath.
Her tone shifted—calm, sweet, mocking.
"That's not nice, dear."
She lunged—not with claws, but arms wide.
Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight.
Crack. Crack.
He felt his ribs break—pain exploded through his chest like fire.
His eyes widened, mouth open in silent agony.
"That's your punishment for having a foul mouth."
Then she dropped him.
He hit the ground hard.
The others arrived—eyes wide, breath sharp—seeing him collapsed.
They all shouted.
And without hesitation, they charged her all at once.
But this time, she didn't fight them directly.
Monsters rose from her shadow—twisting, snarling.
The same ones Sylas had fought during the exam…
Fish-like creatures with pale eyes and snapping jaws, their skin slick and glistening.
They rushed in with no fear.
Elizabeth cut through the beasts. All the training Sylas gave her came in handy.
Ryan ran through them with brute force.
Lancelot moved like the wind—his sword cutting through beasts with ease.
Morgana used her magic to lift them off the ground and crush them down. She turned them into crumbles.
Liz cast spells to support the others. They were all trying to reach Sylas, but the monsters were in the way.
Sylas tried to speak, but no words came out.
He crawled toward his sword, one inch at a time.
Fingers trembling. Breathing ragged.
He grabbed the hilt and pushed himself up with it, using it as a crutch.
He stood.
Slowly.
And began walking toward the chaos—cutting down weak monsters in his path.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
Each soul fragment surged into his body.
Tiny sparks of energy. Just enough.
Lilith watched from the side—cheering like it was a game.
"Go, Sylas! Go, you can do this!"
She clapped as if entertained.
He walked toward her.
He swung.
But she caught the sword with one hand.
Then—snap.
She broke his arm like a twig.
He screamed, but no sound came out.
"You're making this really hard, my love."
She grabbed him by the throat.
Lifted him with ease.
Then she tossed him, and he soared through the air, crashing past the gate they had entered from.
As he flew, she waved her hand.
"I'll be back for you after I kill your friends here."
He flew through the air—crashing into the dirt, body broken.
At first, he was alone. Just dust and wind.
Then—people began to appear.
Surrounding him.
Lifting him.
Helping him to his feet.
He turned to them.
His right arm dangled, broken.
His body trembled.
His vision blurred. His legs gave out.
For a moment, he wanted to just… stop fighting and sleep.
But then he heard voices.
Then—hands. Then people began to emerge.
They had been hiding.
"Help me," the word barely came out.
"How?" an old man asked.
"Believe in me…"
He raised his sword.
It glowed—bright gold.
Belief Gauge: 25%.
He walked toward the gate.
Light trailed behind him.
Belief Gauge: 65%.
He reached out.
His fingers gripped the gate.
He opened it.
Belief Gauge: 90%.
"Damn you!"
His voice broke through the chaos.
Belief Gauge: 100%.
He felt it—all their support. All their belief.
They believed in him. That he could save them.
Excalibur exploded—
A blast of golden light tore the air apart.
The sword wasn't a blade anymore.
It had become pure energy.
He stepped forward.
The others retreated instinctively—sensing the shift.
Lilith's smile began to fade.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
She flew upward.
Sylas raised the sword high.
Time stopped.
The battlefield turned black.
Light vanished.
He stood alone in the void.
And then—
He swung down.
"Caliburn…"
A golden arc split the world in half.
Light tore through the darkness—cleaving the sky, the ground, and everything in its path.
After that excalibur reverted to its true form.
His vision blurred.
He looked up.
Lilith was no longer whole.
Half her body was gone—torn, ragged, steaming.
She looked at him.
No more soft smile. Only hate.
"Why you—"
Before she could move—
Morgana and Lancelot dropped from above, blades ready to finish her—
But she vanished into the shadows.
Gone.
Sylas exhaled.
His body collapsed.
He hit the ground face-first.
And everything went black.
[Soul Core Fragments Collected: 50/200]