Kyokuto Western Front: Waters Near the Border
While battles raged across Kyokuto, the area around Shion had completely changed. Lead colored waves surged, and black clouds swallowed the daylight. A localized storm born from repeated clashes of ice and flame covered the sea.
Rain fell like needles. In the heart of the violent winds, two figures collided.
A torrent of flames roared.
Both of Luary's arms and her hair blazed up. The raindrops that touched her instantly turned into steam. Every swing of her arm split the sea and made the air scream.
On the other side, Shion stood between the waves wrapped in cold air. Ice crystals scattered around her, and with every step the sea froze solid. She had few visible injuries, but her breathing was ragged and exhaustion showed through the rain running down her cheeks.
Heh. Not bad. Really not bad at all.
Luary laughed. Her voice mixed delight with a beast like excitement.
It has been so long since a human could fight me this well. Maybe since the Witch?
I am honored, Shion replied, narrowing her eyes.
Luary licked her lips and shrugged.
That said, both the Witch and you are only good enough to be my playthings. If I get serious, you are nothing more than tiny creatures that would turn to charcoal in an instant.
At those words, Shion's eyes glowed coldly.
Why do you people only know how to destroy things? You have intelligence, so I think it would be far more useful to use that power for something else.
The smile vanished from Luary's face.
Destroy? Did you just say destroy?
Her red eyes burned brightly, and the raging wind grew even stronger.
You humans are the ones who have destroyed countless things over and over!
As if answering her roar, the sea itself howled. Heat swelled and flames spread like they had gone out of control. A wall of white steam cut off their view.
You humans fight, steal, and destroy, and it is still never enough! You claim you do not want to destroy anything, yet you keep making tools for destruction. You pile on excuses and keep killing each other until only one is left! You drag everything else down with you while you keep destroying!
Rain soaked hair clung to Luary's cheeks. Shion's cold gaze wavered for a moment.
It is true that humans have kept fighting. But we must have learned many things from it too.
The words sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
Learned?
Luary's heat turned into a violent storm.
How many times do you think this has repeated? You pretend to learn, then fight over things again. You just repaint it with pretty words like progress and use that to justify the same mistakes!
Sparks grazed Shion's cheek. Luary's fury was not just anger. It was piled up disappointment itself.
Even so, not everyone is like that. There must have been people who tried to stop it.
They failed, so here we are, Luary said, her voice growing calm as the flames pulled back together.
In the end, humans are the ones who destroy the world. That is why we decided to clean it up ourselves.
Flames gathered in her palm.
Because you humans are the garbage of this world.
In the middle of the storm that scorched sea and sky, killing intent filled the air once more.
Flames floated up around Luary and writhed in time with her breathing.
Shion gathered cold air at her fingertips as well.
That was when it happened.
White Holy Spear Holy Javelin.
A clear female voice tore through the roar of the storm.
A white spear of light pierced the space and shot straight toward Luary.
How rude, Luary muttered. She thrust out her burning left arm, trying to incinerate the white light with a flaming hand.
Light and flame collided, shaking the air.
This magic power. No way!
The white spear was not burned away. Luary, unable to fully cancel the force, was slammed down into the sea.
The surface exploded, covering the area in steam and spray.
Shion, are you okay?
When Shion turned toward the voice, she saw a woman wrapped in white light. It was Luna.
Her hair and eyes both shone pure white.
That voice. Is that you, Luna?
Yes.
Shion gave a short smile back to the relieved looking Luna.
Heh. You have gotten pretty cool.
Thank you.
As the two spoke, a low growling sound rose from under the sea surface. Crimson flames burst upward from the water, piercing the wall of steam.
The boiling sea exploded and heat waves pushed back the surrounding air.
White smoke rose from Luary's soaked body, and her wet hair instantly caught fire.
You traitor!
Her red eyes pierced straight through Luna.
The roar shook the sea and evaporated the raindrops around them.
Flames swirled at Luary's feet and spread across the sea surface as if scorching it.
Traitor?
When Luna looked confused, Pixie's voice echoed in her head.
Do not worry about it. She is just saying that on her own.
What do you mean?
Mom, the fairies, and those demons are all magic lifeforms, but our way of thinking is the complete opposite. Mom has never once joined the demons.
Luna gave a small nod and steadied her breathing.
I see. So because we are the same type of being but think differently, she is calling me a traitor.
Just as she started to understand, the air exploded again.
If you were not here, the world would have found peace by now! Losers should stay out of the way! Do not interfere with us any more!
Luary roared and closed the distance in an instant.
Her flaming fist burned through the air.
Luna!
Shion spun around and jumped between them.
The ice wall formed in a flash collided with the flames and shattered with a loud blast.
In that instant Shion bought, Luna activated Shift Transfer. She moved herself and Shion away from Luary.
Then she controlled wind and lightning spirits with both hands and unleashed her magic.
Ten Thousand Thunderstorm Tempest!
She trapped Luary inside a tornado. Massive lightning fell from above, mixing with the blades of wind and slicing into Luary.
Damn it!
Luary forced a hole in the tornado with Scorching Pierce Ignis and escaped. She reformed her flames, but the lightning charged wind blades had left her numb, slowing her movements.
Shion closed the distance as if swimming through the air and released blades of cold.
The ice blades sealed Luary's path. At that exact moment, the white spear flashed again.
Ice, light, and flame. The three powers clashed, scattering remnants of magic power across the sea.