The battlefield was a scene of chaos and bloodshed, with Naga, one of Athos's most dangerous henchmen, moving through it with deadly skill. Her presence alone was enough to strike fear into anyone who saw her.
Her scaled skin glistened in the dim light, and her glowing yellow eyes scanned the battlefield with a predatory hunger. Her serpentine lower body moved with eerie grace, the sharp points of her trident sword dripping with the blood of fallen Eldoans.
An Eldoan soldier, his face pale with terror, raised his hands to cast a desperate water spell.
"A fucking snake!!" he screamed, unleashing a torrent of water aimed at her.
Naga's lips curled into a sinister smile as she sidestepped the attack with inhuman speed. Before the soldier could react, her trident sword flashed in an arc of silver, and his head fell to the ground.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield as her chilling voice echoed:
"Weaklings..."
Further down the line, a beastfolk from the cat clan—a scout with the rare ability of Insight—saw the carnage unfolding. His pupils narrowed, his instincts screaming in warning.
"A snake is coming!" he shouted, his voice sharp with urgency.
But Naga had already seen him. Her gaze locked onto the scout, her yellow eyes gleaming with the thrill of the hunt.
"My comrades," she hissed, her voice smooth and venomous. "Kill them all!"
At her command, a swarm of her minions emerged from the shadows. Like Naga, they bore snake-like features but each was unique: some with venomous fangs, others with coiled tails that crushed their prey. Their battle cries filled the air as they descended on the Eldoans with ruthless ferocity.
As the Eldoans struggled to regroup, a figure moved silently through the chaos. Elara Moon had arrived.
Elara Moon, known across the world as Phantom Moon, Elara was a legend among the Eldoans. A former member of the infamous Raven Squad, her reputation was built on her uncanny ability to strike without warning and disappear without a trace.
She stepped into view, her form sleek and poised, her assassin's cloak fluttering lightly in the breeze. Her eyes locked onto Naga, and a sly smirk played on her lips.
"What a bad bitch," Elara remarked, her tone laced with both amusement and venom.
Naga turned, her trident sword dripping blood, and hissed with delight at the new challenger.
"And who might you be?" she sneered.
Elara didn't answer immediately. She rolled her shoulders, her twin daggers glinting as they caught the light.
"Your worst nightmare," she finally said, her voice as cold as the grave.
The tension between the two women was palpable, the promise of a deadly clash lingering in the air. Around them, the battle raged on, but for a moment, all eyes seemed to shift to the duel about to unfold.
The Phantom Moon had arrived, and the serpent's reign of terror was about to be challenged.
Elara Moon stood amidst the battlefield, her petite frame seemingly out of place among the chaos. Yet there was no mistaking the deadly aura she exuded. Her Lolita-style outfit, a combination of frilled elegance and practical combat gear, gave her an almost doll-like appearance. The contrast between her sweet exterior and her piercing, dark eyes was unsettling—a duality that made her both mesmerizing and terrifying.
Her short jet-black hair swayed lightly with the wind, framing her sharp features in soft, choppy layers. Her side-swept bangs revealed intense eyes that seemed to pierce straight through to one's soul, their depths betraying neither fear nor hesitation.
Naga slithered forward, towering over Elara with her serpentine body coiled menacingly. The glint of her trident sword mirrored the malevolence in her glowing yellow eyes.
"A small girl dares to challenge me?" Naga hissed, her voice dripping with disdain. "I am Naga, the Queen of Snakes!"
Elara tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a sly smirk. Her hands rested lightly on the hilts of her twin daggers, her stance relaxed yet brimming with readiness.
"Queen?" she repeated, a mocking lilt in her voice. "Then I suppose that makes me the queen of your nightmares."
Naga's pupils narrowed into slits, her anger boiling over.
"How arrogant!" she screeched, her voice rising in a venomous crescendo. "Hisss!!"
Naga lunged forward with lightning speed, her trident slicing through the air with deadly intent. The ground beneath her serpentine body churned as she surged toward Elara, her yellow eyes blazing with fury.
Elara stood her ground with calm confidence, completely unfazed by the towering serpent queen in front of her. Despite her small size, every move she made was sharp and precise, revealing her deadly skill.
As the trident's sharp prongs descended toward her, Elara sidestepped with uncanny grace, her Lolita-style dress fluttering in the wind. Her voice was calm yet taunting as she spoke:
"For a queen, you're awfully slow."
Naga's hiss filled the battlefield, a mixture of rage and frustration. She spun her body, using her tail to sweep the ground in a wide arc, aiming to knock Elara off balance.
But Elara leapt into the air, her agility and speed amplified by her assassin training. Her twin daggers gleamed as she flipped mid-air, her jet-black hair catching the dim light.
Elara's voice was barely a whisper, but the words carried an intensity that sent a shiver through the battlefield.
"Fire Dagger Strike!"
Her daggers erupted in flames, the fire dancing along the blade edges like living serpents. The heat radiated from the weapons, distorting the air around her and casting flickering shadows on her determined face.
Naga's eyes narrowed as she hissed, sensing the shift in Elara's aura. "Fire? Do you think your petty tricks will harm me?!"
Elara dashed forward with blinding speed, the flames trailing behind her like the tail of a comet. Each step left singed marks on the ground as she closed the distance between herself and Naga.
With a swift motion, Elara slashed her fiery daggers toward Naga's serpentine torso. The Queen of Snakes countered with her trident, sparks flying as the flaming blades clashed with the cold steel of the weapon.
The impact sent a wave of heat across the battlefield, momentarily pushing back the nearby combatants.
Naga growled, her voice dripping with venomous contempt. "Is that all you've got, little girl?"
But Elara's smirk deepened. "Fire isn't just for burning."
She twisted her wrist, and the flames on the daggers flared brighter, igniting into spiraling infernos. The fiery vortex forced Naga to retreat slightly, her scales glinting under the intense light.
"It's for consuming everything in its path!" Elara continued, her voice steady, the flames now casting an ethereal glow over her dark eyes.
Naga snarled, raising her trident to strike again. But Elara moved faster, her daggers a blur as she unleashed a series of rapid strikes, each one leaving a trail of fire that danced dangerously close to Naga's form.
The serpent queen hissed in pain as one of the strikes found its mark, searing a line across her side. Smoke rose from the wound, and the smell of burned scales filled the air.
"You'll pay for that!" Naga roared, her voice echoing with fury. Her dark aura intensified, but Elara only tightened her grip on her flaming daggers.
"Pay? Sweetheart, I don't owe you a thing," Elara retorted, her smirk never faltering. "But I'll happily give you another taste."
The battlefield seemed to pause for a moment, the soldiers and beastfolk caught in awe of the clash between two deadly forces.
The Phantom Moon and the Queen of Snakes—only one would emerge victorious.
..........
The battlefield quaked as Oni, the towering ogre-like warrior, laughed with unrestrained menace. His voice boomed, a thunderous roar that shook the resolve of the weaker fighters around him. "You all are too weak! Too weak for Oni!
As he swung his massive stone club, another wave of beastfolk and Eldoan soldiers fell before him. His volcanic rock-like skin shimmered under the chaotic light of the battlefield, and the heat radiating from his body created an almost suffocating aura of dominance.
But then, a stillness spread through the chaos as Kenjo of the Turtle Clan entered the fray.
Kenjo moved with calm precision, each step deliberate and measured. His imposing presence was undeniable; his aura was like the calm before a storm, commanding attention from all who remained standing. His armor, adorned with intricate turtle-shell designs, glinted in the light of the battle, and the long katana at his side exuded an air of quiet lethality.
Oni turned his fiery gaze toward the newcomer, grinning wickedly. "You who wield the sword—are you strong?"
Kenjo's keen eyes locked onto Oni, instantly recognizing the danger he posed. The hulking brute radiated raw power and wild aggression. Thanks to Kenjo's fok ability, Serpent Sense, he could sense every movement and intention in the air around him, making Oni's shifts and attacks easy to predict.
Kenjo stood tall, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. His voice was low but firm, carrying the weight of his experience. "This katana has a name. Kamuri."
Oni snorted, rolling his massive shoulders. "Don't care about the name. I asked if you're strong."
The insult hit like a blade against steel. Kenjo's calm demeanor did not waver, but a flicker of irritation passed through his eyes. Slowly, he drew his katana from its sheath, the blade gleaming with an almost otherworldly sharpness.
"Kamuri is not merely a sword," Kenjo said, his tone sharper than the edge of his weapon. "It is the extension of my soul and the justice of the Turtle Clan. You would do well to remember its name, brute."
Oni growled, his grip tightening around his club. "Words mean nothing to Oni. Show me your strength, sword-wielder!"
Kenjo raised his katana, holding it with both hands in a classic samurai stance. The blade seemed to hum, resonating with his inner energy. "Very well. Kamuri and I shall carve your arrogance from this battlefield."
The two warriors stood locked in a tense silence, their energy emitting from their body clashing like two storms about to collide. Oni's volcanic power radiated heat and fury, while Kenjo's calm yet overwhelming presence exuded a cold precision, as sharp and unyielding as his blade.
The battlefield around them grew quiet as soldiers, beastfolk, and Eldoans alike paused to watch the titanic clash that was about to unfold.
Oni roared, his fiery anger erupting as he charged forward. His massive stone club was raised high, ready to crush everything in his path. Each of his heavy steps shook the ground, making the battlefield tremble under his immense power.
Kenjo stood his ground, his sharp eyes tracking every movement of Oni's charge. His Serpent Sense heightened his awareness, revealing the trajectory of the club and even the subtle shifts in Oni's stance.
As Oni charged closer, Kenjo's eyes locked onto the massive club. Its rough surface, carved from volcanic stone, radiated raw, brutal power.
"A weapon born of sheer force." Kenjo thought, his grip steady on Kamuri.
Oni swung his massive club in a wide arc, the sheer weight and force behind the strike creating a gust of wind that swept across the battlefield. Kenjo quickly stepped to the side, dodging the attack just in time as the club smashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater where he had been standing.
But Kenjo had already moved.
With a fluid step to the side, Kenjo evaded the crushing blow, the stone club slamming into the ground and sending shards of rock flying. The force of the impact left a crater where Kenjo had stood mere moments before.
Seizing the opening, Kenjo pivoted with blinding speed, his katana gleaming in the light. "Kamuri—strike true."
In one seamless motion, Kenjo's blade sliced through the air, striking Oni's torso with precision. The katana's edge, honed to perfection, cleaved through the ogre's volcanic rock-like skin as if it were mere fabric.
Kenjo took a defensive stance, his katana poised and ready for the next move. "Strength without skill is nothing more than chaos," Kenjo said, his voice calm but cutting. "Kamuri and I will restore order to this battlefield."
Oni growled, his molten eyes burning with rage. "You dare wound Oni?! This is far from over, sword-wielder!"
The battlefield trembled once more as the clash between Oni's brute strength and Kenjo's precise swordsmanship escalated.
To be continue