As Michael walked away, Kayden's frustration boiled over. He had no choice but to be protective over Amara; he only knew her potential because of Kyan, her strength, and the importance of her Mana Core. He wasn't about to let Michael's arrogance put her in danger.
When Amara came to, she found herself bound in a dimly lit room, her Mana Core still pulsing weakly within her. The fear of losing it and the terrifying consequences rushed back into her mind. She struggled against her restraints, the ropes cutting into her skin.
"Welcome back," Michael said, his voice oozing with malice as he stepped closer. "I hope you're feeling refreshed."
"Like I was on a spa retreat," she retorted, testing the ropes again. "You really think you can keep me here?"
"Oh, I don't just think it—I know it," he replied, leaning in. "You're quite the prize, Crown Princess. And your Mana Core will fetch a hefty price. But first, I need to ensure you look the part."
Micheal could only smirk at her disgusted face and stand up, walking up to the door. "I'm trying to survive, so stay put and be pretty. There are many demons who would want to get a taste of you." He said before slamming the door shut.
Amara felt disgusted at the implications he made about her. She couldn't tell if he meant literal eating or if he was trying to imply something else. She had only one thought though, and that was to escape. In a moment of desperation, she focused inward, drawing upon her Mana despite her fear.
As the ropes fell away, she forcefully summoned her scythe towards her hand. She could feel her power coursing through her, illuminating the darkness around her. It was time to fight back.
With a burst of energy, Amara launched herself from the room, her eyes sharp and focused. The scythe hummed to life in her hand, materializing through a shimmering mana gate just as she grasped for it. She swung the blade with deadly precision, catching the guards outside completely off-guard. The scythe carved through their defenses effortlessly, its arc swift and brutal.
As she sprinted down the corridor, her chest tightened for a brief moment. The sounds of chaos—shouts, footsteps, clashing weapons—grew louder. More guards poured in from every direction. Amara's heart pounded, a spike of panic threatening to unsettle her, but she pushed it down. She remembered her training. Fear had no place here.
A group of guards charged toward her. Without breaking her stride, she weaved a complex pattern with her free hand, summoning shimmering afterimages of herself that scattered in different directions, confusing her enemies. The guards, disoriented by the sudden influx of identical figures, swung wildly at the illusions.
Amara slipped behind them with ease, her scythe slicing through the air in a wide arc. Blood sprayed as the guards fell, unable to tell where the real threat was coming from. One of them, faster than the others, managed to block her first strike. He lunged forward, sword raised, but Amara's eyes flashed with a cold focus. She stepped back and opened a small gate, teleporting behind him in the blink of an eye. The guard barely had time to turn before her scythe cleaved through him, ending the threat.
More guards appeared from the shadows, their numbers growing as the hallway filled with enemies. Amara's breath quickened, but she refused to let them box her in. She crouched low and launched herself upward, flipping midair, using her momentum to come crashing down in the middle of them. Her scythe spun in her grip, slicing through limbs and armor with a lethal, graceful precision.
One guard, quicker than the others, thrust a spear toward her back. But Amara didn't even turn—she could feel the ripple in the air, her instincts honed. With a single thought, she redirected the attack through a burst of mana, the spear snapping under its own force as the guard stumbled back in shock.
Amara coldly stared at the guards laying on the ground, her eyes blazing with anger. "You should've stayed out of my way."
The corridor was still echoing with footsteps, more enemies arriving. But she wasn't done yet. Channeling her mana, she opened another gate and vanished from view, reappearing in the heart of the next wave of soldiers. The guards barely had time to react before her scythe whirled through the air once more, cutting them down where they stood.
She could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on her, but her resolve was ironclad. Amara moved like a shadow, always one step ahead, her scythe flashing like lightning as it struck down her enemies with cold efficiency.
This fight was far from over, but she wasn't about to lose—not today.
She ducked into a large hall, finding herself amidst a crowd gathered for the auction. In the center stood a raised platform, the spotlight illuminating the men and women dressed in extravagant clothing, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the auction! Tonight's first item: the Crown Princess Sicilia Amara!" a voice boomed from the stage.
Amara froze, realization dawning on her. She was the prize, the object of a dark game. But she wouldn't be sold like a commodity. Her Mana surged as she prepared to reclaim her power.
"I'm not a prize for you to bid on you know?" she cringed, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.
Michael's smirk returned, this time menacing. "Ah, there she is. But you'll find there's no way out of this." He laughs while clapping at her reaction. "You're in my domain now." He said in a low pitched voice.
The crowd murmur only got louder at Michael's words, eyes wide with intrigue and only being fixated on Amara.
"Your domain you say, but… which one of your guards will you be sending over to tie me down?" She asked him in a serious tone, pointing the scythe towards him.
Michael looked confused at her question, "Obviously the ones that are still…-" He suddenly froze after understanding what she meant. There is no one to do so. Amara couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, he called this his domain but doesn't know anything about the guards? "You dare to call this your domain…" She said while swinging the scythe in the air. "But you don't even know what's happening within it." She said before striking him down.
Michael was breathing heavily, his golden wings faltering as he stood his ground against Amara, who twirled her magical scythe, red eyes locked on him. The battlefield between them was littered with cracks and energy disturbances, the aftermath of their deadly clash.
Amara lunged forward, her scythe slashing through the air, its divine edge humming with Primordial Creation. Michael barely managed to raise his spear, blocking the blow as sparks of energy flew between them. But he was growing weaker, each strike from Amara driving him further into the defensive. Her power was immense, reality itself rippling around her with each swing.
"You still think you can protect this realm?" Amara sneered, her scythe glowing with a destructive pulse. She unleashed a blast of red energy, sending Michael crashing into the ground, his golden aura flickering as he struggled to rise.
"You call yourself a General," Amara said coldly, "but you have no idea what true power is."
Michael growled, his wings flaring as he pushed himself back up. "This realm answers to me!" he shouted, summoning the last of his demonic energy, his spear glowing with the force of Infinity's Reflection. With a roar, he charged, his spear thrusting forward to deliver the final blow.
But before their weapons could clash, a golden light erupted from behind Michael. Kyan appeared in a flash, his eyes glowing fiercely with golden energy. Moving faster than either Amara or Michael could track, he materialized between them, his hand raised.
"Enough," Kyan said, his voice calm but firm, filled with a power that resonated through the air.
Michael barely had time to react as Kyan intercepted his spear with a single hand, stopping it in its tracks. Michael's eyes widened in shock. Kyan didn't flinch, golden eyes meeting Michael's with an unshakable intensity.
"Scribe!" Michael snarled, straining against Kyan's grip, but his strength was no match. Kyan's eyes glowed brighter, and in an instant, he activated Cosmic Entropy Manipulation, channeling pure energy through Michael's spear. The weapon vibrated violently before shattering into pieces.
Michael staggered back, his energy beginning to unravel as Kyan advanced, his power radiating around him like a storm. "You've already lost," Kyan said, his voice almost a whisper as he unleashed a wave of energy that wrapped around Michael.
Michael screamed as Kyan's power overwhelmed him. The tendrils of energy pulled him down, pinning him to the ground as his golden aura faded. With a final burst of force, Kyan drove him into the earth, creating a massive crater. Michael's wings crumbled under the pressure, his body broken and defeated.
Amara watched from above, her crimson eyes still burning with intensity. Her scythe crackled with latent energy, but she made no move to attack. She knew Kyan had the situation under control now.
Kyan turned to her, his golden eyes softening slightly. "You pushed him to his limit," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of respect and concern. "But you're hurt."
Amara looked down at herself, noticing the blood seeping through her arm. Somehow without noticing Michael managed to get hits on her earlier. She grimaced but tried to wave it off. "I had him. But I appreciate the help."
Kyan approached her, reaching out gently. "Hold still," he said, his hand glowing with healing energy. His touch was warm, soothing the wounds across her side and arm. The power that he used on her was unusually comforting.
Before she could protest, Kyan had healed most of her injuries, though a faint scar remained along her ribs.
Amara let out a breath, finally relaxing. "You're surprisingly calm," she muttered, her tone softening as she met his gaze. "Aren't you going to yell at me for searching you?"
"Is there any reason I have to be," Kyan replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm always calm when we meet."
Before their conversation could continue, a bloody Kayden appeared, his eyes scanning the scene, taking in the damage and the aftermath. He rushed over to Amara, his brow furrowed with concern as he noticed the blood still staining her clothes. "Amara, you're injured."
"I'm fine, Kayden," she said with a small, tired smile, gesturing toward Kyan. "He took care of it."
Kayden glanced at Kyan, who gave a small nod before stepping back to allow Kayden to check on her. "You don't look fine," Kayden muttered, his gaze lingering on the scar at her side. "You were reckless."
Amara rolled her eyes. "If you say that, you sound unbelievably hypocritical."
Kayden sighed but didn't argue, his hand resting gently on her arm. "Let's get you out of here."
Kyan stood off to the side, watching silently as Kayden helped Amara. His golden eyes flicked toward the crater where Michael lay, defeated and unconscious, his realm now quiet and still. Kyan's gaze hardened briefly before softening again as he looked back at his allies.
"Michael won't be a problem anymore," Kyan said, his voice calm and resolute.
Amara glanced back one last time at Michael's broken form before turning to Kyan. "Let's hope not," she said, her voice tired but determined.
Kayden and Kyan were walking in front of Amara before realizing she wasn't walking with them. She looked them straight in the eye when they turned, Kayden found it a bit creepy and stood behind Kyan. "Will you come with us?" Kyan asked her.
Before answering she let out a deep sigh. "If I had known you were truly the Ruler Scribe Ammit I would've left this case to someone else." She said with an annoyed tone, Kyan was a bit confused at what she had said.
"What makes you say that?" He asked in a curious tone.
Amara sighed before sitting down on the ground. "I'm being tracked by the Celestial Gates, what else do you think I've meant, Scribe Ammit?" Kyan looked at her with shock but then felt disgusted at what she called him.
"If you are being tracked by them then so be it, I doubt they will find their way into Scarlett Fall." He said in a proud tone to her. "However," He quietly spoke out to her before taking a couple steps closer to Amara, making her tense up a bit. "I don't think I'm a stranger to you now, am I Princess?"
Amara couldn't help but look at him with a confused expression on her face. "Whatever do you mean Scribe Ammit?" He sighed before leaning in her ear. "You can either call me Husani or Kyan, you can drop formalities around me." A shiver went down Amara's spine while he said that, she doesn't know why he would say that. It has been many years since they last spoke, is it not more appropriate for them to talk formally?
Amara softly pushed him away at his chest. "Alright, but which do you prefer?" She looked up to him without putting her hands away. He softly placed one of his hands on top of hers and gently replied with;
"Husani."
Amara's heart skipped a beat, she had known he was Husani all along but to hear the name coming from him meant something else to her. How could he say that in such a calm demeanor? The silence surrounding them wasn't helping them either, Kayden staring at them dumbfounded made everything worse too!
"Should I.." Kayden uttered out while faking a cough. "Should I perhaps just go?" He felt awkward between the two of them and if he had to listen any second longer to them he would throw up on one of them. The couple took a step back from each other, avoiding eye contact. Kyan decided to speak up.
"It is best that we all make way to Scarlett Fall, we must protect the innocent people and children if Celestia decides to come near." Amara couldn't help but feel guilty, does she expose her plans now or after that she's in the city?