Lysandra grits her teeth as Isadora pushes her further into the ground, a spider web of cracks stretching outwards from beneath her, breaking all the trees within their radius. "How the hell is a human this strong?" she wonders, trying to wrap her head around the sheer force exerted by the younger girl. "I know humans can grow stronger, but no human should possess this much raw power at such a young age."
She can't help the loud, raucous laughter that escapes her lips. "Hahahaha! You sure are fun~"
Isadora merely glances at her, giving no hint of emotion. But beneath her mask, Lysandra can feel the sword-girl evaluating her, trying to gauge her strength. Taking advantage of a brief moment when Lysandra's attention wavers, Isadora retreats, abandoning her sword.
The unmistakable sound of snoring cuts through the tense atmosphere, and Lysandra shoots an irritated glance at Biana, who is obliviously drooling on her pillow amidst the chaos. "This damn bastard!" Lysandra thinks with a huff. "She's so fucking lucky I can't kick her ass right now... Damn it, Kael won't feed me if I lay a finger on her."
Seizing her chance, Isadora stands upright, wiping the blood from her mouth. With a swift move, she resets her dislocated hand and then reaches into her pouch. Her fingers wrap around a sheathed sword. The hilt, intricately designed with silver filigree, stands in sharp contrast to the deep black sheath, adorned with subtle red engravings that seem to dance like flames.
She doesn't show it, but Isadora has a plan. Channeling aura into her feet, she dashes towards Lysandra with blinding speed. By the time Lysandra realizes what's happening, Isadora is nearly upon her, sheathed sword raised overhead.
Lysandra's brow furrows. "What the hell is she up to? Her sword's still sheathed!"
Too late, she realizes the threat. Her eyes widen in alarm, and dragon scales shimmer beneath her clothing, rushing to form a protective shield. The sheathed sword collides with her arm, its sheer force sending Lysandra skidding back hundreds of feet, her boots digging trenches into the earth.
Fuck! What the hell is this thing!? Why the hell are my instincts screaming danger!? Panic threads through Lysandra's thoughts as she feels the relentless force pushing against her. She knows that if she doesn't act soon, whatever's inside that sheath is going to cut right through her. "Fuck it. I don't have full control yet, but if you get hurt, it's on you."
Without warning, Lysandra undergoes a dramatic transformation. Her hair, usually a fiery red, shifts to a frosty blue. The temperature around her plummets, turning the air to ice. Her mask, which has until now concealed her expressions, is covered in a thick layer of frost.
Using the hand that's still blocking the sword, Lysandra summons a massive icicle. The frosty spear propels Isadora and her mysterious weapon away at an incredible speed, leaving a trail of shattered ground in its wake.
For a moment, the forest is eerily silent, the only sound being Biana's continued snoring. The absurdity of it all strikes Lysandra, and she chuckles, brushing off the frost from her mask. "All this, and she sleeps through it. Unbelievable."
-
Leaping backward, my legs quiver beneath me, betraying a weakness I hadn't expected. Blood splatters from my mouth as I cough violently. Fuck...why now? Inside, the fierce battle rages on between the icy and fiery energies I possess. Their tumultuous dance is threatening to tear me apart. Get your shit together, damn elements!
Before I can even attempt to gain control, there she is—Isadora—blade raised, eyes determined. With a swing of her sheathed sword, she sends me hurtling through the forest. Trees blur past as I try to orient myself mid-flight.
Damn it, this woman has zero manners! The world around me spins, and I can feel the weight of impending doom. If I don't return to Kael before he's done with his mana circulation thing, I'm doomed to eat that bland, lifeless cafeteria food for who knows how long. Ugh, the horror!
A yawn reaches my ears, and I mentally groan. Biana. She rubs her eyes, gazing at the two of us, her face contorted in a mix of annoyance and drowsiness. "Seriously!?" she snaps at Isadora, her voice dripping with irritation. "You're supposed to be the top of our class!"
Isadora just blinks in response.
Biana then turns her glare to me, her anger evident. "And you! Bastard! Can't you just die already!? Seriously, Isadora, we have herbs to gather from that damned field!"
I feel the urge to growl. The audacity of this girl! But then, a temptation dances in front of my eyes. Should I do it? The thought of beating the daylights out of Biana is so damn appealing. But then, Kael's food... Ah, decisions, decisions.
Digging into her pouch, Biana produces a stack—no, a mountain—of papers. Talismans! I've seen Kael fiddle with those before. She hands them over to Isadora. "Just cut these, alright? What a waste. All of this effort for a nobody."
Nope. Time to exit stage left. I sprint away, but Biana's mocking voice stops me in my tracks. "Where do you think you're going?"
As Isadora swiftly slices through the talismans, a massive surge of energy envelops the area. Suddenly, I'm bound, thousands of mana chains wrapping around me. One after another, they constrict, tightening with every move I make. And if that wasn't bad enough, my dragon eyes reveal the path I'd intended to take littered with traps. This... is really bad.
I mentally curse. The chains tighten, prohibiting any use of mana, and with both my inner energies still at war, using magic would be plain suicidal.
Biana's laughter echoes through the forest, the sound grating on my nerves. "Hahaha! Too easy!" She turns to Isadora with a smirk. "See? This is what being the strongest means. You've got a lot to learn~"
Isadora's stoic face remains unchanged, her gaze locked on me as I struggle against my bindings.
The weight of the situation hits me. I'm truly trapped. And with Biana's insufferable laughter in the background, all I can think is, "Shit, I really messed this one up."
-
The ground beneath Lysandra quakes violently, a direct result of her desperate attempts to break free from the seemingly unbreakable chains. A crater begins to form, dirt and rocks pushed away by the sheer force of her struggles. "What the hell would Kael do in a situation like this?" she thinks, her mind racing.
Biana and Isadora, reveling in their apparent upper hand, begin their approach, their steps synchronized and oozing confidence. A wicked grin stretches across Biana's face. "Now, let's see that ugly mug hiding behind the mask, shall we?"
As Biana reaches out to rip away Lysandra's mask, a sudden pull stops her in her tracks. Isadora, her face unchanged but her eyes betraying a hint of caution, holds Biana back.
"You damn humans!" Lysandra bellows, her rage evident. "You think these chains can hold me? Do you think you've won?"
Determined to reclaim her dignity, Lysandra makes a bold choice. Even if it means breaking her promise to Kael, she won't let Biana gloat over her. And so, hidden beneath her clothing, a tiny glowing red-orange horn begins to emerge, its light piercing through the dark fabric.
The earth trembles, reacting to her growing strength. Chains begin to snap, unable to contain the immense power surging within Lysandra. Isadora, eyes darting, seems to be analyzing the situation, trying to understand the sudden shift in mana patterns.
Biana groans as she bonks Isadora's head in exasperation. "Idiot! Can't you sense her mana? She's not human... How did you not realize after all this time?"
With a burst of force, Lysandra's mask cracks, yet still clings stubbornly to her face. As Biana frantically digs into her pouch, searching for something, Isadora makes a quick decision. She grabs Biana, hurling her far into the distance, "You can't fight her... Idiot."
Almost instantly, Lysandra appears in front of Isadora, their faces mere inches apart. Their eyes lock. Just as Isadora's eyes widen in realization, Lysandra lands a powerful palm strike to her midsection. The impact sends Isadora soaring, trees splintering in her path until she finally collides with a massive boulder, which threatens to crumble from the force.
Coughing up blood, Isadora manages to raise her sheathed sword in defense as Lysandra reappears. Catching the blade with her sharpened fingers, Lysandra taunts, "Are you not going to unsheathe it?" With a flick of her wrist, she disarms Isadora and delivers a powerful kick.
Using a last-ditch effort, Isadora manifests an aura shield to absorb the blow. Although it shatters upon impact, it buys her a split second to counter. In a swift move, she kicks up a cloud of dust, blinding Lysandra temporarily. Channeling all her aura into her legs, Isadora zips through the forest, searching for an opening. Spotting her chance, she aims a slice at Lysandra's legs. Though it doesn't cut, the move successfully off-balances Lysandra. Seizing the moment, Isadora uses her sheathed blade to trip Lysandra, then with a burst of strength, she suplexes her opponent into the ground, creating an enormous hole.
The forest floor trembles as Isadora does her best to keep Lysandra pinned down. Each time Lysandra attempts to rise, the sheathed blade slams into her with thunderous force, knocking her back to the earth. Each impact resonates with a force that makes the trees quiver.
Biana, standing a safe distance away, can't hold back her peals of laughter. "Look at you! All that power, and you're being bullied by a human? Hilarious!"
Lysandra snarls, rage evident in her eyes. "Fuck! This feels just like when I spar with Kael! Dammit! Did he teach you these dirty tricks, Isadora?" Lysandra's thoughts roil, fueled by frustration and the memory of her sudden second attribute awakening. "If I wasn't undergoing this messy transformation, I would have torched you by now!"
In a furious attempt to break free, Lysandra's hand lashes out, connecting with Isadora and sending her flying back. The sword-girl skids across the ground but manages to block Lysandra's subsequent attacks with her seemingly indestructible sword. "Why won't that damned blade break? She's not even using aura on it!"
As the battle rages on, Lysandra can tell that Isadora is slowly running out of steam. Despite her efforts to adapt and grow stronger during the fight, the significant aura she used to block Lysandra's mighty blows earlier is taking its toll. Sensing a weakening in her opponent, Lysandra prepares to capitalize on it.
Suddenly, Biana steps in, tearing apart a bunch of her precious talismans. "Ugh, these took forever to make! But I don't have much of a choice if we want those herbs."
Before Lysandra can react, a dizzying sensation washes over her, her vision blurs, and a heaviness drags at her limbs. She manages to parry Isadora's strike but staggers, dropping to one knee and clutching her head.
Biana grins wickedly, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "A monster, huh? That talisman should've knocked out anyone instantly. Now, let's see what's hiding behind that mask of yours."
As Biana's fingers inch closer to Lysandra's mask, a chilly voice slices through the tense air, "You have some explaining to do."
From the shadows of a nearby tree, a figure clad in black, wearing a mask similar to Lysandra's, emerges. Neither Isadora nor Biana detected his presence, making it seem as if he materialized out of thin air. Isadora, in a moment of sheer panic, chokes Biana without realizing, her grip tightening around her friend's throat.
Coughing weakly, Lysandra mutters, "Um... They started it."
Isadora's body tenses, ready to launch into another fight, but the mysterious man simply rolls what looks like a marble onto the ground. A puff of purple smoke engulfs Biana and Isadora, causing them to collapse, unconscious, in an instant.
The silence that follows is almost deafening. Lysandra struggles to her feet, brushing the dirt off her. The man in the mask looks at her with an unreadable expression. With a huff, Lysandra comments, "That was fast..."