Karon quickly assessed the situation on the battlefield, then used Blink to move to the airship's wing. He created a powerful fireball at his fingertips and then, along with a chain lightning spell, struck the airship. As one side of the vessel was severely damaged, the giant craft lost its center of balance and began to fall rapidly.
Rian was still simultaneously fighting Elahar and Brakka, and he himself was destroying the part of the airship they were on.
Rian: "You are no longer a match for me."
Elahar smirked at the challenging words.
Elahar: "Now it's getting interesting."
Brakka also shouted, excited, as he swung his axe.
Brakka: "Let's play rough!"
The three of them did not stop fighting, even as the airship was being destroyed. Elahar and Brakka also began to rampage on the airship, unleashing the power they had been holding back. Their attacks grew more and more fierce, and the airship broke apart even faster. Ria and Marielle used Feather Magic and protection spells with all their might to protect the airship, but they were now feeling the limits of their power.
As the airship could hold out no longer and fell, completely breaking apart, Rian, Elahar, and Brakka continued their battle in mid-air, leaping from the falling debris as if they were footholds. Their movements were as free in the air as they had been on the ground. Rian's sword moved as fast as lightning, and Elahar dodged his attacks while countering. Brakka tried to break through Rian's defense with his powerful axe swings. Their battle transcended the ground, as if they were engaged in an endless duel in the very sky.
In the midst of this, Karon had at some point left the battlefield. Ria, on one side of the fight, found her companions and the Dwarves and Gnomes who had been operating the airship, casting Feather Magic on them to ensure their safety. Marielle used a protection spell to help absorb the shock of the fall as much as possible, and they were able to land safely on the ground amidst the wreckage of the airship.
From within the wreckage, Ria watched Rian's battle. She could feel his increased strength, but at the same time, she realized something unfamiliar was mixed within it. It felt as if something other than Rian was guiding his power.
Ria: "Brother… is that power really yours?"
Ria could not reach Rian. He was completely absorbed in the battle, pouring all his strength into defeating the opponents before him. His movements were much sharper and more powerful than before, but a cold and somewhat alien feeling was mixed within them.
Elahar and Brakka were gradually being pushed back by Rian's powerful attacks. But they did not yield easily. They, too, fought back against Rian with all their might.
Elahar: "I cannot be pushed back like this!"
Brakka: "Harder! Faster!"
Rian accepted their challenge and continued his assault even more fiercely. His sword flashed, cutting through the air, parrying Elahar's and Brakka's attacks and countering. Rian's power now seemed to be amplified by something beyond him. The power was his, but at the same time, it was the touch of something trying to completely dominate him.
Ria watched the scene, unable to shake her unease. The stronger Rian's power grew, the more distant he seemed to become. She whispered as if in prayer from atop the wreckage of the airship.
Ria: "Please, let my brother come back… the Rian we knew…"
The battle unfolding amidst the wreckage and in the sky was still not over. Rian was now becoming a wall that his enemies could never overcome.
As the battle continued, Elahar and Brakka exchanged a look.
Both warriors, sensing a turning point in the situation, called forth the birds and wyverns they had fought alongside.
Elahar: "Our battle ends here for today. Let us wait for the next time."
Brakka raised his giant axe to the sky and shouted.
Brakka: "Do you think we have not used all our strength! Let us postpone today's victory for the next time!"
Elahar and Brakka mounted the birds and wyverns that were like their own kin and soared into the sky, breaking through the destruction of the airship. Their mounts quickly gained altitude and disappeared amidst the chaos of the battle.
Rian watched their escape, his face a mixture of anger and despair. Even though his power had become immense, it was not enough to stop his enemies' escape. He continued to attack, trying to seize even more power.
However, suddenly, Rian's body swayed, and his eyes grew dim. The moment he used all his strength, the powerful energy radiating from his body vanished in an instant, and Rian began to fall powerlessly from the sky.
Ria: "Brother! Rian!"
Ria quickly tried to catch Rian, but the battle was still raging fiercely on the wreckage of the airship. Marielle and Ria simultaneously rushed toward Rian, trying to protect him. Marielle tried to envelop him in a protection spell, and Ria tried to stabilize him with her Feather Magic.
However, Rian had already lost consciousness, and his body fell limply, exhausted from the shock and the expenditure of energy. At the same time, the airship's descent was accelerating. Ria had to act desperately for her own survival and that of her companions.
Ria: "Brother, please, hang in there... We have to fight together!"
She tried her best to protect Rian amidst the wreckage of the airship, but the situation was becoming more and more desperate. Along with Rian's limp form, Ria's and Marielle's efforts continued.
The airship was now completely destroyed and began to plummet to the ground. Rian and his companions had to make a final, desperate struggle for survival in that hopeless situation. Whether Rian could rise again, and whether they could survive this battle—their fate was not yet decided.
***
Episode : Survived the Fall... Rian, Wake Up
After the airship's fall, Rian and his companions had miraculously survived. Though their lives were saved with the help of magic, the situation was still perilous.
Amidst the wreckage of the airship, Rian lay unconscious, lost in a deep silence. His companions worked desperately to save him. Marielle used her healing magic to treat Rian's physical wounds, but he still did not wake up. Eris attempted a shamanistic healing spell, but that, too, had no effect.
Ria watched Rian with eyes mixed with worry and fear. The traces of battle still remained on his face, and her heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
Marielle: "Rian's physical recovery is already on track. But why isn't he waking up? Oh, divine one, what is the meaning of this?"
At Marielle's words, Eris fell into deep thought. She sensed that Rian's spirit was elsewhere. Eris realized that his mind was in a different dimension from this reality, or trapped in another form.
Eris: "Rian's condition is not merely a physical problem. It seems his spirit is in another place. He is not in a state of death, but as of now, he does not exist in this reality."
Ria's eyes reddened as she heard Eris's words. The sight of Rian lying there, unconscious, was unbearably painful and unsettling for her.
Ria: "Then, what should we do? How can we bring my brother back here?"
Eris resolved to go and retrieve Rian's spirit herself. As she prepared to help his spirit return, she informed Ria of her decision.
Eris: "Do not worry, Ria. I will go in search of Rian's spirit. I will find where his mind is and bring him back to this place. Your task is to protect Rian here."
Marielle nodded at Eris's decision, resolving to continue doing what she must to protect her companions.
Marielle: "Eris, please. Bring Rian back to us."
Eris met their worried gazes and carefully prepared her magic. She began her journey to find Rian's spirit, stepping into a dark and mystical dimension.
Through a deep meditation, Eris moved to the dimension where Rian's spirit was. The space around her was a mysterious place, filled with a white mist. It was different from reality, resembling a world of spirits. The fog was thick, at times obscuring her vision, but Eris cautiously moved forward, following Rian's trail.
She found Rian's faint form in the mist. He had collapsed, alone, and his appearance, in contrast to his usual strength, was lonely and powerless. Eris approached his side and carefully checked his condition. Rian's spirit was stained with wounds, and because of them, he was lost in a deep confusion.
Eris knelt beside Rian and began to chant a spell to stabilize his spirit. Her voice echoed through the mist, and the magical energy slowly began to seep into his soul. Eris closely examined the state of his spirit, pondering what had trapped him here and how she could return him to reality.
Eris: "Rian, can you hear my voice? I am searching for the reason your spirit is trapped here. Be strong. We can bring you back to our world."
As Rian's spirit responded faintly, Eris decided to go deeper into his mind. She tried to understand the internal pain and confusion Rian was experiencing and worked to find a way to rescue him. Deeply connected to Rian's spirit in the mist, Eris tried to grasp the state he was in and the conflict occurring within him.
Eris calmly soothed the anxiety and fear inherent in Rian's spirit, gathering her strength to find the key that would return him to reality. She did her best to awaken the will from deep within his heart and to help him wake up again.
Rian's spirit began to slowly awaken in the mist. His consciousness vaguely collided with the intense images from his memory. The form of a giant, powerful being had left a deep impression on his mind. But soon, Eris's stable magic and sincere voice calmed his confusion.
As if waking from a dream, Rian slowly regained consciousness in the mist. Eris, seeing him begin to awaken, let out a sigh of relief and held out her hand to take him back to the real world. Rian took Eris's hand, and together they left the unreal space, returning to reality with a feather-light sensation.
When Rian opened his eyes, he saw his companions—Ria, Marielle, and Brunok—with him. They were all looking at him with worried expressions. Rian slowly sat up, realizing he had returned to reality.
Rian: "Eris... I... how..."
Eris: "Your spirit was temporarily trapped here, but you have now returned safely. Everything is alright."
Ria ran to Rian with a tearful smile.
Ria: "Rian, you're back. I'm so glad."
Rian looked around, feeling a deep sense of relief to be with his companions again. He responded to Eris's and Ria's warm gazes and began to steel his will.
Rian: "Everyone... I'm sorry. And thank you. I'm ready to get up and fight again now."
His companions encouraged him, expressing their joy that he had returned to them. Amidst the wreckage of the broken airship, they prepared for a new battle, vowing to fight together with renewed strength.
However, Rian realized that the power he had used to simultaneously fight Elahar and Brakka was no longer there, but he did not say so for now.