The night was choked with the scent of ash and burning stone.
A crimson moon hung low in the sky, casting a bloody sheen across the shattered ruins of the once-proud fortress. Thunder rolled in the heavens, and the earth trembled as if recoiling from the sheer magnitude of the battle between two divine titans.
Naoko Rotschy, drenched in dust and blood, stood barely upright amid a crater of her own making. Her obsidian combat attire—now torn and scorched—clung to her lithe form, her silvery hair matted to her cheeks. Her silver eyes flickered dimly, glazed with pain but not surrender. Around her, the world had become a battlefield of pure chaos. Walls of obsidian lay crumbled, spires shattered, and fire danced in the wind like tormented spirits.
She coughed violently, spitting blood into the rubble. Her ribs ached from where Ebernio's devastating punches had landed. She had never felt pain like this before.
Hovering above the ruins like a goddess of ruin, Ebernio—the God of Destruction—watched Naoko with glowing crimson eyes. Her golden hair cascaded like fire down her back, untouched by the filth of war. Her black gown, elegant and flowing, was immaculate, defying the carnage around her. She floated barefoot in the air, arms crossed, smirking as though Naoko were nothing but a child playing war.
Naoko stumbled to her feet, bones groaning in protest. With a trembling hand, she extended her palm toward the heavens.
"...Lunar Mana—Phase Green," she whispered.
The air shimmered.
A gentle, emerald light enveloped her body. The deep wounds began to knit together. Bruises faded. Her breathing steadied. Her vision cleared, and her silver eyes ignited once more with moonlight.
Ebernio giggled. "Cute. Healing magic? You're still a child, clinging to borrowed time."
Naoko's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Borrowed time is all I need."
She clenched her fists and gathered the mana of the moons.
Her body surged with raw, celestial power. Arcane circles spun beneath her boots. Runes etched themselves into her skin in glowing patterns. The winds shrieked. The ground shook anew.
Then she vanished.
Like a comet streaking across the battlefield, Naoko appeared behind Ebernio in a burst of red mist. Her fist, wreathed in blazing moonlight, cracked into Ebernio's spine with a thunderous boom.
Ebernio jerked forward slightly.
Then turned.
Smiling.
Before Naoko could retreat, Ebernio's hand grasped her face and slammed her downward like a meteor. The floor buckled beneath them, a shockwave flattening the surrounding ruins. The debris turned into a storm of death.
Naoko coughed blood again, her vision a swirl of grey.
But she wasn't done.
She flipped backward, both boots striking Ebernio in the chest. The god staggered half a step, amused.
Naoko landed in a crouch and extended her arms.
"Moon Art: Thousand Fangs!"
A whirlwind of shimmering lunar blades erupted around her, swarming toward Ebernio like a divine storm. Each blade carved through the air with lethal precision.
Ebernio raised a single hand.
"Null."
A black sphere expanded from her palm, consuming the blades like smoke in wind.
She stepped through the fading energy.
"My turn."
She blinked forward.
Her elbow shattered Naoko's defense.
Her knee crashed into Naoko's stomach, lifting her off the ground.
A casual flick of her finger sent Naoko hurtling through three stone walls. Her body rolled across the ruined floor, limp for a moment.
She groaned. Blood dripped from her lips. Her limbs trembled.
But she stood.
Her hand formed a mudra.
"Phase Black. Lunar Suppression."
A field of gravity magic burst outward, warping the battlefield. Ebernio's movements slowed as space thickened around her.
Naoko darted forward, her movements enhanced by Phase Blue.
She struck.
Kick—uppercut—spinning back fist—elbow—every blow aimed with surgical hatred.
Ebernio blocked two.
Took three.
Dodged the last.
Then retaliated.
Her palm struck Naoko's heart.
Mana backlash exploded in a violent burst.
Naoko was launched skyward. Crashed into the ceiling.
Then silence.
Dust settled.
Ebernio hovered in place, her eyes twinkling with mockery.
"You're amusing, moon-child. But I haven't even begun."
Suddenly, the ruins around them trembled again. A new aura flared. Violent. Primal.
Naoko emerged from the rubble above.
Her clothes were in tatters. Her body bruised and bleeding. But her eyes—those silver eyes—shone with unshakable fire.
"Lunar Phase: Crimson Spiral."
From her chest, a sigil exploded outward.
The moons aligned.
Thirteen circles rotated in harmony.
Her hands moved like a conductor of fate.
Bolts of lunar lightning rained from the heavens.
She charged again.
Their battle became chaos incarnate.
Light and darkness clashed in blinding symphony. Stone melted. The sky fractured.
Naoko's fists met Ebernio's palms. Waves of destruction echoed for miles.
But with every exchange, it was clear—
Ebernio was still holding back.
And Naoko?
She was just getting started.