The air was thick with the smell of charred earth and blood. Rodensky and Emmanuel stood amidst the chaos, their breaths ragged and bodies battered. Their beasts, their trusted companions, were crouched low, their once-brilliant auras dimmed from exhaustion. The Black Snake Guild's members surrounded them, their smirks growing wider with every passing second.
"Not so tough now, are you?" sneered one of the guild's fighters, a burly man with a scar running down his face. He twirled a jagged blade, his confidence unshaken by the duo's earlier resistance.
Rodensky wiped a streak of blood from his forehead, his hand trembling. "You're going to regret this," he spat, though his voice betrayed the doubt creeping into his heart.
Emmanuel, standing by his side, leaned heavily on his sword, his vision blurring. "We've faced worse," he muttered, though he could feel his strength slipping away.
The Black Snake Guild's mages stepped forward, their eyes glowing with malevolent energy. One raised his hands, conjuring a swirling hurricane of wind, while the other began weaving a fiery inferno. Their chants harmonized, and the spells merged into a roaring cyclone of flames, hurtling toward Rodensky and Emmanuel.
The duo braced themselves, their bodies too worn to dodge or counter. The heat of the spell singed their skin, the sheer force threatening to knock them off their feet.
"This is it," Rodensky thought, his mind racing through memories of their journey—the battles, the bonds, the dreams they had yet to fulfill.
Emmanuel clenched his fists, a flicker of defiance in his eyes. "Not like this…"
But just as the fiery cyclone was about to consume them, a blinding flash of steel split the air. A tall, muscular woman with fiery red hair and a gaze that could pierce through stone appeared, slicing the spell in two with a massive greatsword. The spell vanished instantly, its fiery remnants dissipating harmlessly into the wind.
Rodensky's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lira?"
Standing before them was Lira, the fierce warrior they had encountered in the arena on the eighth floor of the training hall. Her presence radiated authority, her movements confident and precise. The emblem on her armor marked her as the captain of a renowned guild—a guild that, as it turned out, controlled the port they had been heading toward.
"What's this mess?" Lira said, her voice low and dangerous. Her fiery gaze swept over the Black Snake Guild's members, who faltered under her intense stare.
The burly man with the scar stepped back instinctively but tried to save face. "This doesn't concern you, captain. These two are our prey."
Lira's lips curled into a smirk. "Your prey? Funny, because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're about to be mine."
With that, she charged forward, her greatsword a blur of motion. The Black Snake Guild's members scrambled to defend themselves, but Lira was a force of nature. Her blade cleaved through their ranks with precision, each swing forcing them further back.
Rodensky, drained of energy, collapsed to his knees. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw before passing out was Lira standing tall amidst the chaos, her greatsword glowing faintly in the dim light.
---
The Fight Continues
Emmanuel, barely conscious, struggled to stay on his feet. He watched in awe as Lira dismantled the Black Snake Guild's ranks with terrifying efficiency. Each of her movements was calculated, her strength overwhelming.
"She's… incredible," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the clashing of steel and the shouts of the Black Snake Guild.
Lira turned her head slightly, catching sight of Emmanuel out of the corner of her eye. "Stay out of this, kid," she said, her tone sharp but not unkind. "You've done enough. Let me handle the rest."
Emmanuel tried to argue, but his legs gave out, and he sank to the ground. Abaddon appeared beside him, growling lowly, ready to protect its master despite its own injuries.
The Black Snake Guild's leader stepped forward, his calm demeanor unshaken. He was a tall, lean man with a sinister smile and a pair of daggers that seemed to shimmer unnaturally. "You're a nuisance, Lira," he said, his voice smooth. "But even you can't take all of us."
Lira chuckled, twirling her greatsword. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that."
The leader's eyes narrowed, and he signaled to the remaining guild members. The mages began chanting another spell, and the fighters moved to flank Lira. The air grew heavy with tension as the battlefield seemed to hold its breath.
But Lira was unfazed. With a roar, she charged into the fray, her greatsword blazing with a fiery aura. The ground shook with the force of her strikes, and the Black Snake Guild's members fell one by one, unable to match her ferocity.
Emmanuel watched in amazement, his mind racing. "She's not just strong… she's on a whole different level."
Despite Lira's overwhelming power, the Black Snake Squad's leader remained calm, his eyes calculating. As his men fell, he slipped into the shadows, his presence vanishing entirely.
---
A Haunting Revelation
By the time the battle ended, the ground was littered with the unconscious and the defeated. Lira stood amidst the chaos, her armor battered but her expression triumphant. She sheathed her greatsword and turned to Emmanuel, her fiery gaze softening slightly.
"Your friend's out cold," she said, nodding toward Rodensky. "And you're not far behind him. Rest while you can. You'll need your strength."
Emmanuel forced himself to his feet, wobbling slightly. "Thank you," he said, his voice hoarse. "If you hadn't shown up…"
Lira waved him off. "Save the gratitude. You can repay me by explaining what kind of trouble you two idiots have gotten yourselves into."
Before Emmanuel could respond, a low, chilling laugh echoed through the clearing. Lira's eyes narrowed, and Emmanuel felt a shiver run down his spine.
From the shadows, the Black Snake Guild's leader emerged, his sinister smile wider than ever. "Impressive, Captain Lira," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "But this is far from over."
In his hands, he held a strange, glowing artifact—a jagged shard of obsidian that pulsed with dark energy. The air around it seemed to warp, and a sense of foreboding washed over the battlefield.
"What is that?" Emmanuel whispered, his voice trembling.
Lira's expression hardened. "Trouble," she muttered, gripping her greatsword tightly.
The leader raised the artifact, and the ground beneath them began to crack and tremble. A dark mist poured from the shard, coalescing into a massive, shadowy figure that loomed over the battlefield. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and its presence was suffocating.
"This is just the beginning," the leader said, his grin widening. "You should've stayed out of this, Captain."
Lira stepped forward, her fiery determination undeterred. "Bring it on," she growled, her greatsword igniting with a fierce glow.
Emmanuel clenched his fists, adrenaline surging through his veins despite his exhaustion. He knew they were in for the fight of their lives.
And a,ys the shadowy figure let out an ear-piercing roar—