A day has passed since the announcement of the Yaijuu hunt preparation.
Aiden's katana sliced through the air, his movements fluid and controlled. His group watched intently, their eyes fixed on his technique.
"I told him to rest," Rhea said, her brow furrowed with concern.
Frederick chuckled. "Well, he's not one to listen. Maybe this will give him an edge." Frederick's gaze lingered on Aiden's form, before he let out a sigh.
"You're slow," he said, his tone matter-of-fact. Aiden halted mid-swing, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Frederick.
"You think my katana makes me slow?"
Frederick's words hung in the air.
Aiden shrugged. "It's a bit heavy, but I'll manage."
Alexa spoke up, her voice calm and measured. "He's right, don't let your gear weigh you down. In a fight, every advantage counts."
Aiden's eyes locked onto Frederick as he asked, "What do you suggest I use, then? I've been training with this katana for six months." Aiden gestured to his blade, his movements fluid as he continued to swing it.
Frederick's gaze never wavered, his expression unyielding. "And yet, you're still near the bottom of the unranked warrior's records."
Aiden nodded, his katana slicing through the air with precision. Rhea intervened, her voice calm and measured. "Why don't you try using daggers?"
Aiden's response was immediate. "I prefer katanas."
Alexa looked up from her book, her eyes meeting Aiden's. "Being versatile is key. You can learn to use other weapons."
Aiden's mind lingered on the word "versatile" as Alexa continued, "You have two days to learn how to use a dagger for the hunt."
Aiden turned to Rhea, his decision clear. "Teach me, Rhea." Rhea nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips.
********************************
The blue portal dissipated, revealing a group of golden armored figures with a wing symbol standing amidst a desolate expanse of ash-covered terrain.
"We're here, David," one of them said, his voice low and measured. As he gazed around, a shiver ran down his spine.
"The mana's incredibly potent here. They didn't exaggerate." David, the blond-haired leader, nodded thoughtfully.
His gaze swept across the barren landscape before turning to his companion.
"Do you recognize this place?" Another armored figure asked, their voice tinged with curiosity. David's nod was solemn.
"This is where it all began. Where the dragon decimated half of humanity and clashed with Zeru." His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of history and foreboding.
"For four millennia, the mana from the battle has lingered," David said, his voice filled with a mix of awe and reverence.
"It must be incredibly potent," one of his companions observed.
David nodded in agreement. "It is." As they stood there, another member of the group spoke up, "Do you think they'll be drawn to this kind of place?"
The question hung in the air before someone else asked, "What about Lingens?" David's expression turned thoughtful.
"Don't worry, Clara's handling that. She's going there herself." With that, he began to walk deeper into the desolate landscape, his footsteps echoing through the stillness.
"I have another question," Robert said, his voice carrying across the desolate landscape.
David turned to him, his expression inquiring. "What is it, Robert?"
"What about Lord Ammon?" Robert asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
"I haven't seen him in months," he added, his words hanging in the air. David's gaze swept the horizon before he replied, his voice measured.
As he reached the center of the barren land, he nodded to Robert.
"Robert, do your thing." Robert nodded, his hands extending to touch the ground. He closed his eyes, and a soft hum filled the air as a white aura began to envelop his body.
The rest of the group stood watch, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger, their vigilance a testament to the unknown threats that lurked in this forsaken place.
"There's someone here," Robert said, his voice low and alert, as he tilted his chin upwards, indicating the direction of the mysterious presence.
David's gaze snapped to Robert, who nodded in confirmation, his hand tightening around the grip of his golden shield.
"Jack, get ready," David called out.
"I'm set," Jack replied, his voice calm and focused, as he conjured an arrow from the palm of his hand and nocked it in his bow.
David nodded in approval, his own dual golden swords at the ready. "We know you're there," he bellowed, his voice carrying across the desolate landscape. "Reveal yourself!"
The figure chuckled, puffing out a stream of smoke from his cigar as he revealed himself.
"A group of youngsters? Tsk, and I thought there'd be real trouble," he said with a smirk.
"Erik was right, someone would eventually come sniffing around." With a flourish, he grinned at the group.
"What's up, amigos?" Diego said, his smile faltering for a moment as David's gaze narrowed.
"Who are you?"David demanded, his dual swords still at the ready.
Diego bowed, his movements fluid. "I'm Diego Sandreas."
David's eyes never left Diego's face as he asked, "What brings you to this place?" Diego shrugged, his response laced with nonchalance. "I'm just an explorer, curious about the dark land. Who isn't, right?"
Robert's white aura flared, his voice firm. "He's lying." The aura pulsed with an otherworldly energy as Robert continued, "And according to the tier meter, he's S rank."
David's expression turned calculating. "One last question: do you know Lyra?" Diego's smile slipped, and he sighed, producing a pair of derringers from his coat.
"Users of six wheels are so annoying; I can't even spin a decent lie and get away with it," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
David's body was enveloped in a burst of yellow lightning, and he shot forward with explosive speed, the ground rumbling beneath his feet. His golden dual swords sliced through the air, aimed squarely at Diego's arms, but Diego dodged the attack with a swift sidestep, retreating hastily.
Before he could catch his breath, Jack unleashed a flurry of five arrows in rapid succession, Diego raising his arms to block the projectiles. The arrows pierced his skin, drawing tiny rivulets of blood as Diego grimaced. Robert charged forward, his shield glowing with a fierce determination, and slammed into Diego with bone-jarring force, sending him crashing into a nearby tree with a deafening impact.
A massive cloud of dust billowed out as Diego crashed into the tree. "That should be enough to knock him out," Jack said, nodding in satisfaction.
But David and Robert exchanged a skeptical glance, and in unison, they said, "No."
David's dual swords began to hum, releasing sparks of yellow lightning as he rotated them, the air crackling with energy.
Diego groaned, pushing himself up from the splintered tree, his clothes dusty and torn. He cracked his neck and back, dusting off his attire, and snapped off the arrow shafts protruding from his skin.
With a wry smile, he puffed on his cigar, laughing low in his throat.
"We should've pressed the attack," Jack muttered. "No, that would've courted disaster," David countered, Robert nodding in agreement.
Diego's eyes glinted with amusement as he flicked the cigar toward them. In a flash, he fired a bullet that matched the cigar's speed, his voice ringing out: "Elemental conversion: fire." The bullet transformed into a blazing fireball, and Diego snapped his fingers, his voice dripping with anticipation: "Boom!" A deafening explosion erupted, sending David and his group flying in all directions, their bodies hurtling through the air with terrifying force.
"Now we're square," Diego said, his voice low and even, as he pulled out another cigar from his pocket and lit it, a plume of smoke curling lazily into the air.