At the edge of Deko Forest in the present moment—
Hifung stood, still carrying Shelyn on his back. In front of him were Yuita, Kobayashi, and Ray, forming a protective line.
Beyond them stood thirty men—hostile, prepared to kill Hifung.
Amid the raging snowstorm, each of the thirty wielded iron swords, their blades glinting under the pale light.
Yuita, Kobayashi, and Ray, in turn, channeled aura into their right arms—blue, green, and blue again—each one pulsing with energy.
Ray: Are they just commoners?
Ray spoke without taking his eyes off the thirty men before them.
Yuita: No... If my calculations are correct, they're from the royal forces—sent by King Fild.
Kobayashi: Then... this will be a battle worth remembering, beneath a storm born of ice and fury.
Yuita gave a wicked grin, the fire of excitement lighting her eyes.
Yuita: Yes. This will be fun.
A heavy silence fell as the two sides locked eyes, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
Moments later, the thirty charged forward, swords raised high.
Yuita: Ray—protect Hifung and Shelyn!
Ray blinked, caught off guard.
Ray: Wha—?
But before he could protest, Yuita and Kobayashi had already dashed ahead, aura-coated hands glowing with power.
Ray: Tch.
He quickly moved beside Hifung and Shelyn, keeping a watchful eye on every movement from the enemy lines.
And then—it began.
Blades clashed.
Strikes came fast and wild toward Yuita, but every blow was blocked with her aura-coated arms, blue sparks flying in every direction.
Kobayashi, meanwhile, struck back with sheer force, his green aura crashing into enemies and sending them flying.
Suddenly, an overhead slash nearly caught Yuita off guard—but she caught it in time.
With a single strike from her aura-powered fist, the enemy's sword shattered mid-air before it could even touch her.
Enemy: Impossible!?
With a cold, sharp stare, Yuita spun swiftly—her attack blowing everyone near her back in one powerful sweep.
Kobayashi paused, momentarily stunned—and impressed.
Then Yuita grew serious. Her smile faded, her gaze sharpened. Drawing in her aura, she pulled it back into her arms.
A moment later, her hands erupted in massive yellow flames.
In response, the thirty warriors forced themselves to their feet and summoned orange fire magic, casting their spells in unison. The clash of heat filled the air with violent winds.
Magic collided.
Fire met fire in a cataclysmic explosion that shook the very storm itself.
Yuita and Kobayashi dispelled the wave of scorching energy with ease.
The thirty soldiers held their ground—but just barely.
A stray wave of heat veered toward Hifung and Shelyn.
With a sharp breath, Ray intercepted it, summoning a large gust of wind magic to neutralize the blast—barely in time.
Yuita and Kobayashi stood tall, unfazed. Their eyes locked coldly onto their enemies.
Despite being outnumbered, they showed no signs of weakness.
The thirty soldiers remained on their feet, though weariness crept into their stances.
Enemy: Quickly! We must defeat them before it's too late!
Some of the warriors seemed to realize something—an urgency in their voices, now tinged with fear.
Enemy: Right! We must act now!
Enemy: Combine our powers! Strike them down in one final blow!
A surge of magic followed—some summoned fire, others lightning.
Seeing this, Yuita and Kobayashi readied their wind-blades, each glowing with aura.
The thirty charged.
Flames and lightning burst toward Yuita and Kobayashi like a storm of destruction.
Kobayashi: What!?
He hadn't expected such a reckless surge.
But still—he slashed through the barrage with his wind-infused blade, severing the spells before they reached him.
Yuita countered with a barrage of her own—slashing at the air itself.
Each cut sent invisible blades flying toward the enemies, striking down several with bleeding wounds.
Then, her eyes began to glow yellow.
She had activated her eye technique.
Yuita's power surged—her movements accelerated tenfold, her attacks struck with unmatched force.
But it came at a cost—her chi drained rapidly.
Blade after blade flew from her aura, invisible but deadly.
The enemies tried to block them with flaming swords.
But instead of Yuita's slashes breaking—their weapons shattered.
Enemy: Wh-what!?
Panic spread. One by one, the blades struck them down, launching them through the air, their bodies cut and scorched.
Yuita ended her eye technique, her irises returning to green.
Kobayashi, stunned once again, stood silently in awe.
Several foes lay unconscious. Their magic flames flickered out, and with no protection, they were swept away by the roaring blizzard.
Only five remained.
But they were barely standing—battered, bleeding, and exhausted.
Yuita, eyes locked onto them, spoke coldly:
Yuita: I suggest you leave. Tend to your wounds while you still can.
She smiled sharply.
Yuita: Because my aura still lingers in your wounds. Push yourselves any further...
Yuita: ...and it might just kill you.
But the five didn't listen. They were trembling, panicked, afraid.
Enemy: It's better we die here...
Enemy: Yes... Let it end now.
Their fear was strange—far deeper than mere defeat.
Kobayashi stepped beside Yuita, puzzled.
Kobayashi: What's going on?
From afar, Ray watched silently, confused at why Yuita and Kobayashi weren't finishing them off.
Even Hifung furrowed his brow in confusion. He gently set Shelyn down on a patch of snow he had cleared.
Hifung: Stay here, Shelyn.
Shelyn nodded, though she clearly didn't want to be far from him. She sat down quietly, her eyes on Hifung.
Suddenly, Yuita froze. Her expression turned pale—pure dread washing over her.
Kobayashi: What is it, sir?
Yuita: No... Don't tell me—!?
The five remaining warriors clung to their fire magic, barely holding the storm at bay.
Then—it happened.
A massive slash cut through the air—silent and final.
The five warriors fell where they stood—dead in an instant.
Yuita, Kobayashi, Ray, Hifung, and Shelyn stared, stunned.
Yuita's eyes narrowed into a deadly glare.
Yuita (in his heart): "Damn it!"
From amidst the storm, a figure emerged.
He stood tall, cloaked in a regal robe, arms outstretched. His hands—no, claws—were sharp and inhuman, covered in scale-like armor.
He radiate
d a golden aura—one that pulsed from within his very body.
His eyes gleamed an eerie blue-green as he fixed his gaze on Yuita.
Yuita: I didn't expect you to come here... Your Majesty.