―Ruins of Aldelviewreld―
The Kings were stunned by the joint request from Fiora and Mustaffa.
"What you are asking is almost impossible, it is not that simple" replied Lord Argus.
The mood remained tense, Mustaffa and Fiora remained silent. Both understood that the past and all the conflicts had fragmented any possibility of new diplomacy between the Kingdoms.
Many lives have been lost, and resentment towards Fiora is still strong. At least Mustaffa became Averford's business partner two years ago, establishing peace on certain points between their societies over time.
"This is premature. We still don't know if what Fiora has said is entirely true" exclaimed Aurora.
The beautiful Queen of Eircloft did not take her eyes off Fiora, and she could feel the sharpness of that gaze.
"It's true, it happened to my adventurers too" replied Mustaffa. The others looked at him incredulously, and Mustaffa approached slowly.
"My adventurers found something strange, a kind of mud with powerful mystical properties, but cursed" said Mustaffa.
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" asked Fiora, and everyone looked at her.
They were confused, because Fiora couldn't have known about this, and yet she and Mustaffa seemed to be very close friends.
"It seems, Your Majesty, that something dark, truly dark, may be happening deep within Threnafell" replied Mustaffa.
"That is why we must form an alliance to explore every corner of Threnafell" he added.
Hearing this, all the kings remained thoughtful, and Mustaffa turned to Fiora.
"I'm sorry I didn't share this with you before, Your Majesty" said Mustaffa.
"It had to be said in front of everyone here" concluded the wise king.
Fiora looked at him and nodded in approval of the king's actions. The others thought for a moment until they were interrupted by Everard.
"Your Majesties, we are under attack!" shouted the young warrior.
Everyone went on alert and approached the slope of the small hill where the four runic teleportation portals of each Kingdom, except Averford, rested.
From outside the camp, four huge shadows with the silhouette of large lizards could be seen.
"Everard, status!" shouted Aurora, requesting more information while her and the other Kings quickly descended, except for Fiora, who remained at the top of the portals.
This was observed by Mustaffa, who wondered for a moment if Fiora had frozen in fear.
"My Queen, we could really use your help right now, please!" begged Mustaffa.
Fiora's expression remained solemn as she turned her gaze toward the thick fog surrounding the Ruins of Aldelviewreld.
"Continue, your grace, I will take care of locating them immediately!" replied Fiora.
Mustaffa obeyed and continued the descent alongside the other Kings, while Everard and Woodrow prepared to repel the attack alongside the other soldiers at the eighth gate.
"Prepare the cannons and have the lookouts ready with their arrows!" Everard ordered.
The other kings arrived alongside the large battalion prepared to defend the camp.
"Has the lighthouse been prepared?" Aurora asked, causing Everard and Woodrow to stammer.
"Prepare the lighthouse immediately, we must find them right away" Ezekiel exclaimed.
Argus and Dracus noticed Fiora's absence and questioned Mustaffa because Fiora was not helping if she was seeking an alliance with them, but before Mustaffa could answer, he was interrupted by Fiora's cries from the portals.
"I've located them, prepare your cannons and fire where I do!" ordered Fiora.
Aurora was annoyed by Fiora's order, but everyone was perplexed when they saw a powerful red beam shoot out from Fiora's position toward a specific part of the fog.
Upon impact with the snow, the roars of the Scarlets were heard Shards of ice, snow, and dust burst into the air, soaked in a foul, dark ooze.
Fiora had connected her attack to a large group of those dragons.
"Fire now!" Fiora shouted.
Everard obeyed and ordered the cannons to fire, but before they could open fire, thousands of rocks wrapped in blue fire were launched from the mist, forcing them to keep their shields up. The rocks hit the shields with such force that they created loud booms, and all the soldiers began to feel nervous.
"I must descend immediately" thought Fiora.
The attacks from the Scarlets hidden in the fog continued with increasing power.
"Your Majesty, our hands are tied, we cannot fight back!" said Everard.
"Don't worry, as long as the shield is active, they can't do anything else" replied Ezequiel.
Fiora descended quickly, even with her omen spell activated. This allowed her to sense the Scarlets moving underground. The other Kings, unable to sense their presence, were more concerned about the shield's resistance to the Scarlets' meteor shower.
"Get the cannons ready, we'll find a window to counterattack!" exclaimed Aurora.
At that moment, everyone watched in awe as the Eighth Gate began to emit a light that grew brighter and brighter, almost to the point of being blinding. Everyone covered their faces, protecting their eyes from the beautiful but intense glow of the seals.
"But what does this mean?" exclaimed Mustaffa. The attacks did not cease, becoming more intense. The Kings, almost blinded, heard one of the magicians shout. ―The first seal has been opened―
―Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Averford―
Claire and Margott were being treated with healing spells by Sakura, Lucas, and the others, as they had suffered some cuts and bruises from the clash of the two spells.
"It's unbelievable that you forgot the rules. Why did you do something like that?" asked Kiett.
"Chill, brother, we just got carried away" replied Claire. Kiett looked annoyed and turned to Margott, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm sorry, it was my fault. I challenged Claire, and then we just got caught up in the heat of the moment" said Margott apologetically.
Kiett's eyes seemed to calm down with every word the two girls said. Lucas warned them that they should not provoke anything like that again, as it could cost them their expulsion from the Legionnaires for ignoring the simplest rules.
"The main characteristics of a Legionnaire are loyalty, honor, and discipline" Lucas explained. "If you can't respect that, you'll be considered prone to insubordination" he concluded.
"Lucas is right," said Blumiere. "We must respect the rules at all times," he argued.
Amber was angry at Blumiere's comment and hit him on the head. Blumiere winced and clutched his head tightly.
"Why did you do that?" asked Blumiere, upset. "You're the last person who should be giving advice, you shameless man!" shouted Amber. Blumiere acted offended, as if he were a diva.
"I am offended. Why are you talking to me like that? What did I do to deserve that?" asked Blumiere. Amber, angry, grabbed Blumiere by the collar of his coat. "Give back the money from that dirty bet you just made" Amber exclaimed, very upset. Blumiere nervously denied the accusation.
"Now you deny everything. Go tell them to their faces, you shameless man!" Amber replied, pointing behind Blumiere. Turning around, Blumiere saw everyone who had bet on which of the two girls would win the supposed decisive duel.
"Guys, no returns—business is business!" exclaimed Blumiere, before running off like a madman, pursued by a crowd of angry young people. Amber and the others laughed loudly at the situation. "Do you think he'll be okay? They won't hit him, will they?" asked Marth, while Amber continued to laugh hysterically.
"Don't worry, he's as sly as a fox. He'll get away like he always does" replied Amber. "Although he could use a little punishment," she added.
While the others laughed, Kiett approached his sister and knelt. "Are you sure you are okay?" asked the young man. "I'm fine, brother, don't worry" replied Claire. "You know I'm as tough as steel," she emphasized, stroking her brother's head.
"I'm here too, in case you forgot" Margott interrupted, wanting to get her boyfriend's attention. Claire shot her with a look of disgust and jealousy. "I know you're there, I have something for you, but I'll give it to you later" replied Kiett.
Margott's eyes lit up and Claire just watched, annoyed. "It had to be her" she thought. Kiett approached Margott and kissed her. "Well, girls, I have to go, and you have a lot of work to do!" Kiett said. Claire and Margott looked thoughtful. "What do you mean?" they asked.
"Remember Princess Liliam's order" replied Kiett. "You will not leave the arena until it is repaired" he concluded. Claire and Margott bowed their heads in regret. "Remember that tomorrow the incense ceremony will take place at dusk" said Lucas. "We must be there, in honor of our brothers, our companions" he concluded.
Everyone was serious after Lucas reminded them of the ceremony. Claire and Kiett looked at each other, and you could see in their eyes that they were relieved to be able to continue seeing each other.
"We'll be there. Come on, Margott, let's finish this!" Claire exclaimed.
Margott approached Kiett and kissed her right cheek. "See you later, my love" Margott said, and Kiett blushed.
―Ruins of Aldelviewreld―
The Scarlet assault continued. The kings stood near the Eighth Gate, which had begun to glow intensely since one of its seals had been broken.
"What does this mean?" Ezequiel asked while he turned to Woodrow.
"We don't know yet, Your Grace. It started glowing the moment the seal was undone" Woodrow answered.
"Figure it out immediately! How was the seal broken?" Aurora demanded.
Everyone was entranced by the eerie glow of the gate, almost hypnotized. They were so focused that they failed to notice a group of Scarlets tunneling beneath the battlefield, breaching their defenses.
A sudden, inhuman scream rang out—followed by a searing red beam that incinerated a scarlet dragon that had come dangerously close to the monarchs. The shock snapped them out of their trance. "What the hell was that?" shouted Aurora. Fiora's attack had saved the lives of all the monarchs.
"What the hell is happening!?" Dracus muttered, still dazed. "The dragons can move underground, they've crossed the shield. We must deactivate it and attack now!" exclaimed Fiora. The glow from the eighth door had put them into a kind of trance.
As he looked around, time seemed to slow—explosions, fire, and destruction surrounded him. He snapped back to reality only when Argus ran toward him and slapped him hard across the face.
"Brother! We're surrounded—we need you!!" Argus shouted desperately. "What should we do?" shouted Ezequiel. "Open a section of the shield, we must gather them in one place and then destroy them" exclaimed Fiora, "fire the cannons and everything you've got. We can beat them, I reckon there are just over eight hundred of them" Fiora stated amid the echoes of destruction.
Everard shouted and directed the defense inside the area protected by the enormous shield. The dragons continued to emerge from the bowels of the earth and began to devour soldiers, burning them and tearing them in half.
Three scarlet dragons emerged behind the monarchs and attacked with their blue fire breath, but Fiora was faster. She summoned her shield, repelling the attack. Aurora activated her mystical rings, creating six spears that appeared to be made of pure lightning energy, and threw them at the dragons' bodies. When they struck, the dragons were completely charred.
"Aurora, follow me!" exclaimed Fiora, launching herself into the attack alongside Everard and Woodrow. "Don't you dare give me orders, woman!" replied the queen of Eircloft, but she obeyed Fiora's command and ran after her. "Come on, guys, let's defend the eighth gate!" exclaimed Ezequiel. The shield opened in one section, allowing the dragons to enter. Fiora's plan seemed to be working; now they had those beasts coming toward them in a single direction. "Now, fire the arcane cannons!" Aurora shouted from the crowd.
The cannons opened fire, incinerating many dragons, but they needed time to recharge their mystical energy for a second attack. Without hesitation, Dracus and Argus unsheathed their swords and joined the counterattack. The Lords Downmore fought side by side—except for Fiora and Aurora, who had charged ahead. "Where are they? I can't see them" Ezequiel said, scanning the battlefield.
"They're leading the front lines, sir!" Everard reported. Mustaffa immediately sprang into action. With a swift leap, he landed between two Scarlets and decapitated them both in a single stroke.
While Ezequiel, Argus, and Dracus charged forward, clashing against the monstrous beasts. Mustaffa remembered something, "Keep going. Come with me. We must use the cars I brought with me" exclaimed Mustafa.
The Eighth Gate had turned into a full-scale bloodbath. Soldiers were dismembered, burned, and devoured. Despite the chaos, Fiora and Aurora fought together. They were destroying the dragons, Fiora cut through their thick skin with her spear as if it were butter, and Aurora used her rings to summon diamond spikes, obsidian, and her lightning spears, the team was pushing forward while Woodrow and other mages reinforced their defenses, casting protective spells against the Scarlets' breath attacks.
A Scarlet suddenly lunged at Woodrow, striking her with a powerful claw. She managed to block with a shield, but the force sent her flying out of the protective formation.
"Aurora! Go after Woodrow!" Fiora commanded. "I told you to not give me orders!" Aurora snapped, but she still rushed toward Woodrow.
A pack of Scarlets closed in, ready to tear Woodrow apart. She desperately reinforced her shield, but it was starting to crack under the sheer force of their attacks.
From behind, Aurora arrived, summoning massive stone spikes from the ground, impaling the Scarlets. She then unleashed a torrent of crimson fire, slicing them to pieces.
"Woodrow! Get back to the formation—NOW!!" Aurora ordered.
Just then, another Scarlet appeared behind Aurora. She quickly summoned a massive boulder, using it as a shield before crushing the beast's skull with it. Woodrow recovered her composure, raised her staff and sent a flurry of stone daggers into the heads of three more Scarlets, killing them instantly.
"Good job, Woodrow! Let's finish these bastards!" Aurora shouted as Woodrow followed her into battle.
Meanwhile, near the Eighth Gate, the four kings fought against a relentless horde of Scarlets.
"Don't let them reach the gate! If they get through, we're finished!" Mustaffa warned. The battle was turning against them. The king's forces were suffering heavy losses, and Ezequiel knew they couldn't hold out much longer. Without warning, he rushed ahead, pulling out a chain-bound war axe.
"Ezequiel, fall back to formation!!" Argus yelled.
Ezequiel ignored him, he unleashed lightning magic through his axe, cutting through waves of Scarlets.
"Trust me! Stay down—NOW!!" Ezequiel ordered.
Spinning his axe wildly, he extended its reach with a mystical chain, nearly decapitating the kings behind him. They ducked in time as Ezequiel's attacks grew stronger, electrifying more Scarlets.
"Stay down! I'm not done yet!!" he warned.
He then leapt high into the air, flinging his axe skyward. A massive bolt of lightning struck the weapon, charging it. With a swift tug of the chain, he slammed the axe into the ground, unleashing a devastating shockwave that annihilated everything within a 25-meter radius.
"Incredible…" Argus whispered.
"You haven't seen anything yet." Dracus smirked.
The kings rose cautiously, scanning for survivors. Only dust and smoke remained—but in the distance, Mustaffa saw everything while he was preparing the cars for battle, at the distance he noticed flickering red flashes. He knew it was Fiora, still fighting.
"We have to assist Fiora and Aurora!" Mustaffa declared. But just as he was about to charge forward, a soldier hold his arm. "Wait, my king… look!" the soldier said, his voice shaken. "We had made a big mistake!" he warned.
Everyone turned in horror—the Scarlets they had just slain were regenerating, rising once more, restored as if nothing had happened.
"May Throme have mercy on us…" Mustaffa murmured, dread filling his voice.
―Averford Academy – Arena Repairs
Claire and Margott were hard at work, repairing the damaged arena. The girls were using plowing tools, filling the holes they made with the great clash of mystic spells reflected in wooden swords. Claire was moving forward with some speed, while Margott was beginning to sweat and her breathing was more agitated than Claire's.
"Faster, Margott! We must leave this place better than before!" Claire shouted. Margott, exhausted, was starting to lag. She glanced at Claire, amazed at how she never seemed to tire.
"How do you have so much energy!?" Margott asked. She paused for a moment, wanting to catch her breath, causing Claire to also stop moving forward and come closer.
"Don't tell me you've already reached your limit" Claire replied smugly. Claire took some fresh water from her canteen and shared the rest with Margott. "It's incredible how strong you are… Kiett can't compare to you." Margott exclaimed.
Claire halted, turning to Margott with a sharp look. She took the tool Margott was using and placed it next to hers.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice tinged with irritation.
"Let's be honest, Claire." Margott said, regaining her breath. "If it weren't for his Original Spell, Kiett would be a bit weaker than you."
Claire's expression darkened as she approached Margott. "Instead of belittling my brother, shouldn't you be encouraging him?" Claire questioned, her tone was sharp. "That's not something a girlfriend should say."
Margott lowered her head, realizing her mistake.
"That wasn't my intention… Please, forgive me." Margott apologized.
Claire was still upset but turned her back and continued working.
"Forget it and hurry up. We must attend the Incense Ceremony." Claire muttered. Margott silently nodded and got back to work. Margott was ashamed of her words, but a subtle hesitation crossed her mind like a flash of lightning, she cautiously looked around making sure they were both alone.
"Claire, how about we use magic to fix this?" suggested Margott with a mischievous grin. Claire watched her and smiled back, becoming an accomplice.
TO BE CONTINUED...