The quiet village of Embervale, usually so tranquil, had fallen under a veil of tension as Nico stepped outside, his every movement deliberate and calculated. The villagers, who had taken refuge behind locked doors and shuttered windows, peered through cracks and gaps, their curiosity mingled with fear. Even the birds seemed to sense the ominous atmosphere, their songs replaced by an eerie silence.
There, in the village square, stood Alice. She looked nothing like the summoners Nico had known or read about. Her long silver hair flowed behind her like a river of frost, her piercing violet eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made the air seem colder. She wore an expression that was both calm and maddening, as though she held the upper hand in every way.
And at her side, encased in a cruel iron cage, was Lila.
Nico's breath hitched. Lila's usual bright, lively appearance was absent; her head hung low, her body limp, her skin bruised. She looked small, fragile, and it took every ounce of control for Nico not to rush forward. His fists clenched as he felt an overwhelming urge to destroy the cage with his bare hands.
"Ah, I see you made it," Alice spoke with a twisted smile, her voice smooth yet laced with malice. She looked at him as though he were nothing more than a passing interest, a mere insect she would soon squash underfoot. "I wondered if you'd actually come all this way. Seems you have a bit of loyalty left in you, after all."
"Let her go," Nico's voice was calm, but his tone carried a weight that dared not be defied.
Alice raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Oh, but I never said she'd be released without cost, did I?" Her eyes sparkled with a cold amusement as she gestured to the cage. "If you want her free, you'll have to prove yourself to me."
Nico's expression darkened, his mind racing. The stories he'd heard about Alice had painted her as ruthless, but now he realized just how dangerous she was. "What's your condition?"
Alice tilted her head, her smile widening. "A duel. Right here, right now. You win, she's free. You lose…" She shrugged. "Well, let's just say you won't have to worry about her anymore."
Lucy had followed Nico out, watching the exchange in horror from a short distance away. The air around Alice began to shimmer, and she snapped her fingers. Instantly, a translucent barrier sprang up around Nico and Alice, casting them in an otherworldly glow. The villagers, Lucy, and the cage with Lila were shut out, separated by a powerful, impenetrable wall.
Nico looked at the barrier, then back at Alice, his eyes narrowing. "You didn't have to do that."
Alice chuckled. "Oh, I think I did. Don't want anyone interfering. Besides…" She tilted her head, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "It's more fun this way, don't you think? No one will hear you scream."
Outside the barrier, Lucy rushed to the cage, her heart pounding as she reached Lila. She placed her hands on the bars and tried to wrench them apart, but they remained sealed, unyielding. She muttered a spell, then another, each one ricocheting off the bars like water on steel.
"Come on…" she whispered desperately, her eyes darting between Lila's unconscious form and the battle about to unfold inside the barrier. Frustrated, Lucy pressed her hand to the cage and felt a surge of dark magic; the cage was enchanted, layered with spells beyond her ability to break.
Meanwhile, inside the barrier, Nico faced Alice, his entire body coiled like a spring, ready to strike. He felt the weight of every second, every breath. Lila's fate depended on his strength here and now.
Alice grinned, her hands raised as dark energy gathered around her fingers, crackling like embers. "I've been waiting for this," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "I've always wondered if there was anyone who could challenge me. Turns out, you might be the one. Or perhaps," she sneered, "you'll just be another disappointment."
Without another word, Alice made the first move. She lifted her hands and conjured a series of shadowy, twisting serpents that shot forward, lunging toward Nico with fangs bared. Nico sidestepped, summoning a wave of light magic to counter them. His magic collided with hers, and the serpents dissolved in an explosion of black smoke.
"Impressive," Alice mused, clapping her hands together mockingly. "But let's see if you can keep up."
With a flick of her wrist, Alice created a storm of dark blades, each one slicing through the air with a deadly precision. Nico raised a hand and muttered a spell under his breath, creating a wall of shimmering ice that absorbed the impact. The shards fell away, and Nico responded with a bolt of energy that sailed toward her, catching her off guard.
Alice staggered back, her grin faltering for a moment. She wiped a trickle of blood from her lip, her eyes flashing with fury. "You're better than I thought," she snarled. "But this isn't over."
Outside the barrier, Lucy remained by Lila's cage, whispering spells as her fingers traced the bars, desperately searching for any weakness. Her heart raced, torn between watching Nico's battle and trying to save her friend. Each clash of magic reverberated through the ground, a reminder that Nico's time was running out.
Inside the barrier, Nico's body was a blur as he dodged Alice's relentless attacks. Each spell she hurled grew darker, more twisted, the air thick with a malignant energy that weighed on him. But he held his ground, drawing on reserves of strength he didn't know he possessed. He sent another blast of light magic her way, only for Alice to absorb it and send it back, twisted with her own energy.
The spell struck him in the shoulder, a burst of pain radiating down his arm. He clenched his teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing him falter.
"Is that the best you've got?" she taunted, her voice laced with venom. "I expected more from you."
Nico glared at her, his eyes like steel. He took a steadying breath, drawing on the well of power deep within him. He extended his hand, summoning a spell he hadn't used before—one that came instinctively, as though it had always been part of him.
A lance of pure, white-hot energy formed in his grasp, humming with intensity. Alice's eyes widened as Nico hurled it toward her, too fast for her to dodge. It struck her side, sending her staggering back with a scream of pain, her grip on her own magic momentarily faltering.
She snarled, a furious gleam in her eyes as she clutched her wound. "You'll pay for that," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.
But Nico was undeterred. He took a step forward, his gaze unwavering, the air around him crackling with power. "Release her, Alice. This ends now."
Alice laughed, a sound filled with madness and bitterness. "You really think it's that simple?" She raised her hands, dark energy pooling around her as she prepared for one final attack. "I'll show you what real power looks like."
The ground beneath them shook as she unleashed a torrent of dark magic, a force that seemed to consume all light within the barrier. Nico's eyes narrowed, and he focused, gathering every ounce of his strength. He raised his hands, summoning a shield of light around himself, bracing as her spell crashed into it with the force of a storm.
For a moment, it was a battle of wills—light against dark, each one pushing against the other. Nico felt the strain, the energy coursing through him like fire. But he held on, refusing to give in.
Outside the barrier, Lucy continued her struggle with the cage, whispering a desperate plea. "Come on… please… open…"
At last, the dark energy dissipated, Alice's spell spent. She staggered, breathing heavily, her face twisted in frustration and rage. Nico stood firm, his shield fading as he lowered his hands.
"This isn't over," she spat, her voice filled with fury. "But I'll leave you with a parting gift."
With a final, dark laugh, Alice raised her hand, and the barrier around them began to dissolve. As the magic faded, she vanished in a swirl of shadows, leaving Nico standing alone in the empty village square.
Lucy hurried to his side, her eyes wide with relief and concern. But Nico's gaze was fixed on Lila, still trapped in the cage, unconscious but alive.
He turned to Lucy, his expression fierce. "I won't stop until she's safe," he said, his voice steady.
Lucy nodded, determination in her eyes as they both turned their attention to freeing Lila, resolved to end Alice's reign of terror once and for all.