Lex's eyes widened, heart pounding so loud he could hardly hear anything else.
"They're the guardians?"
All five figures stood like legends—bodies tense, shifting beneath waves of smoke—the castle's last defense. The flicker of torches along the battered walls reflected off metal and hair, casting sharp shadows across battle-worn stone.
Luo's gaze zeroed in on the solitary girl within the group. Her aura was palpable, electric.
"That girl…" she whispered, memory stirring—was this someone she'd heard of, rumored invincible?
Rayn's entire posture shifted, blades of resolve sharpening in his eyes.
"TRAITOR? ME?" he barked back, voice ringing with hard pride.
The tension snapped through the castle's air—crackling like thunder. Captain Rayn's aura erupted into full force, darkness radiating from beneath a mask of calm. Yet those who looked closer saw his fists trembling, the vein pulsing in his jaw—a storm boiling just below the surface.
Luo shivered as pressure rolled over her, making the hairs on her arms stand straight.
"What's this pressure?" she muttered, feet digging into the cracked stone.
Lon In his head muttering.
"This guy's not kidding…"
Rayn let his anger speak for him. He drew his katana in a flash—a brilliant, crystalline blade gleaming ominously in the torchlight.
"You are traitors—all of you. Betrayers of this country for siding with evil!"
Across the courtyard, Ren, the leader of the guardians, watched without emotion—eyes glazed cold, unflinching before Rayn's power.
"Please. Give me a break." His voice sliced through the tension, casual, but deadly. He unsheathed his katana with fluid grace, the steel casting deep blue ripples in the swirling smoke.
Lon strode forward, defiance burning; the blue-haired swordsman stepped up to meet him.
"Hey! Blue-haired sword guy—you're mine."
The man's hair danced like lightning, his katana loose yet ready.
"My name is Roju," he replied, voice low and thunderous.
Luo, still burning with resolve, locked eyes with the girl.
"Then this girl's mine."
Kirya's answer was steel.
"Let's get this over with." Her movements were measured, her stare venomous.
Nayor, the sharp-eyed youth, turned to Lex, his gaze dissecting every twitch and flinch.
"Then that guy's mine."
Lex's mouth went dry—his mind swimming with doubt and determination.
"Me?"
From the side, Niro, half in shadow, half in sunlight, called out, "Oi, what about me?"
Silence.
He snapped again, frustration barely masked.
"Don't ignore me!"
Before anyone could answer, Lon interjected, voice urgent.
"Hey! Are we seriously all going to fight here?"
Rayn's response held chilling confidence.
"Don't worry. There'll be more space soon."
In a blink, Ren exploded forward, katana gleaming—a charging tiger. Rayn met him instantly. The collision rang out, blades sparking, echoing like thunder. Ren twisted, dragging Rayn across the ground with brutal skill.
"Don't be a pain in the ass," Ren hissed, muscles rippling as he pressed Rayn back, "and die."
Rayn's eyes caught fire.
"Don't be overconfident," he shot back.
Ren's lips curled into an assassin's grin.
"Enough talk."
Lex threw a desperate shout, voice breaking,
"Rayn!"
Every breath in the courtyard stilled as Nayor materialized in front of Lex—his movement too fast for human sight.
"Shouldn't you pay attention to me?"
"LEX!" Lon's roar echoed, panic raw.
Luo's scream broke through the darkness—
"WATCH OUT, LEX!!"
Lex spun, but Nayor's punch was faster—a thunderbolt into his belly. Lex tasted iron, blood pouring from his mouth as he was hurled across stone, crashing hard, vision swimming.
Lon lunged for Nayor, fury unleashed—but Roju intercepted, eyes glittering.
"I'm your opponent now."
Luo rushed for Lex, terror cutting through her—but Kirya stepped into her path, eyes like ice, blocking with brutal precision.
Nayor snarled, voice sharp as broken glass.
"I finish that guy first."
"Stop!" Lon barked—but Roju was already building up power.
"Dead Sea!" Roju's voice thundered, the air thickening with raw blue energy. Water materialized, waves crashing, pulling Lon into a nightmare ocean where sound was distorted and light flickered eerily.
Lon gasped, struggling against the cold pressure—he gritted his teeth, searching for footing in the watery dream.
Roju smirked, voice echoing,
"Welcome to my world!"
Kirya moved with deadly speed and precision—her punches and kicks cutting through the air, causing stone to splinter and wood to crack. The force of her movements sent dust whirling, each blow a warning.
Luo parried and twisted, a cold fury sharpening her eyes, her thoughts racing: If I lose, Lex and Lon are finished.
Meanwhile, Niro propped himself against cracked rubble, watching with a lazy smirk.
"Look at them. This castle's already done for—even before the king knows what happened."
Scene Shift: Ren vs. Rayn
Across the ruined battlefield, Ren and Rayn's blades sang—striking, parrying, dodging. Sparks of white and blue collided, explosions tearing through the ground.
"Ren—why are you siding with them?" Rayn spat, anger erupting with every stroke.
Ren's gaze was iron, voice a low storm.
"This is the path I've chosen."
Rayn didn't waste words. His katana flashed, feathers of pure white energy streaming out:
"FEATHER!"
The attack slammed Ren back, dust and light blinding all around—but Ren's defense was inhuman, barely scratched.
Ren retaliated—a single arc splitting stone. Rayn dodged, feeling the blast so close it nearly split his armor.
"This is a five-way deadlock, Rayn! None of you walk away alive!" Ren's voice thundered, echoing off walls.
Rayn darted behind Ren in a ghostly blur, blade pressed straight to his neck. Ren blocked with monstrous force, blades crackling as shockwaves blasted outward, tearing walls, sending both fighters crashing and rising again.
Scene Shift: Roju vs. Lon
Their blades met in staccato rhythm, each swing and clash too fast for the naked eye. Roju's water world pressed in, cold and dark, Lon's breath laboring as he strained for footing. Lon recalled every lesson, every night of pain, pushing back against the ocean—determined not to drown.
Scene Shift: Kirya vs. Luo
Sweat and dust filled the air as they fought—every punch cracking the floor, every kick buckling support beams. Luo's mind spun, balancing rage, fear, and resolve. Kirya's eyes gave nothing away, her attacks relentless.
Scene Shift: Niro Alone
Niro lounged atop shattered stone, eyes tracking the chaos.
"Let them fight," he muttered. "This place was rotten long before we arrived."
Scene Shift: Unknown Dark Place
Lex coughed, pain wrapping his ribs as he blinked in the familiar darkness.
"I'm here again…" The words echoed through night, lost somewhere between memory and reality.