As they followed the wheel tracks left by the wagon, a strange scene unfolded before them in the distance. Eldarion pulled his horse to a stop to take in the area, and Kayn did the same. The ground was littered with defeated elves, remnants of what appeared to have been a great battle. Among them, only one seemed somewhat conscious: Arwin. A pool of blood had formed beneath his body as he struggled to stay upright.
"Arwin!" the prince shouted, rushing toward him. Arwin lifted his head with difficulty at the sound of his name.
"What are you doing here?" he murmured weakly. Kayn and Fenris arrived at his side, and Arwin's eyes widened in surprise. "It doesn't matter—you need to leave here immediately."
Eldarion didn't have time to process the warning before someone lunged at him from the shadows. The prince barely managed to dodge, and then he recognized his assailant. It was Calawen.
"So, it seems Doral wasn't the only traitor," Eldarion muttered.
"Did someone call for me, my prince?" said a figure stepping out from the trees. Beside him was the princess, held firmly.
"Doral..." Eldarion muttered. He quickly drew the spear from his back, pointing it at him. "Release the princess now."
Doral burst into laughter at the prince's command.
"I'm sorry, my lord. But I'm no longer obligated to follow your orders."
"What are you plotting, Doral?" the prince demanded.
"I already told you, my lord. It was the king who ordered us to kidnap the princess. All you had to do was stay put and keep quiet."
"I still can't believe my father would do such a thing," Eldarion replied, widening the grin on Doral's face.
"And who mentioned your father?"
A chill ran down Eldarion's spine, and he charged at Doral in fury.
"Bastard, what have you done to my father?"
"Why don't you take a look at my memories? Assuming you make it out of here alive, of course."
Calawen leaped at the prince, pushing him away from Doral. Eldarion dodged the attack with a quick backflip. Doral turned to Calawen.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? The prince is mine. You handle the nuisances."
Doral threw the princess to the ground and used his magic to bind her with tree roots. Though somewhat disgruntled, Calawen charged at the others. Kayn managed to block one of his attacks, though with great difficulty. It was the first time he felt such pressure wielding a sword.
"Not bad with a sword for someone your age. May I know your name?" Calawen asked.
"Kayn Ashborne," the young man replied. Normally, he didn't like revealing his identity, but since it was an elf, it shouldn't be a problem.
"I'm Calawen. Let's see if you can entertain me better than that one over there," Calawen said, glancing disdainfully at Arwin lying on the ground. Kayn knew he couldn't hold out long against this opponent.
Meanwhile, Eldarion was battling Doral, using his spear to maintain an advantage in reach. Doral was barely able to keep up.
"You must be confident if you think you can defeat me, Doral," Eldarion said. Suddenly, the shaft of his spear began to glow brightly. A circle of eight trigrams lit up with golden light. He gripped the spear with both hands, spinning it rapidly. "Come forth, Zephirus!"
A massive surge of energy surrounded Eldarion, enveloping him in a powerful whirlwind. The air swirled violently, kicking up dust and creating gusts that spun around him as if the heavens themselves answered his call. Behind Eldarion, a colossal figure began to take shape, though only its glowing red eyes were visible within the vortex. The spear in Eldarion's hands disintegrated into fragments of wind, dissolving into the current swirling around him. These fragments reassembled into a new form: a pair of chakrams that Eldarion grasped in each hand.
"Doral… I, Eldarion Carrion, sentence you to death. Prepare yourself!"
Kayn watched the scene in awe. That spirit seemed like a guardian, but could an elf truly use one? There was no time to ponder it now. He was barely managing to hold his ground in his own fight. Calawen's attacks constantly forced him to retreat.
"Aurora Style: Step of the Wind."
Calawen's figure vanished from Kayn's sight, leaving him barely any time to react before a sharp blow struck his back. He stumbled, trying to find a way to counterattack.
"Damn it, so this is elven style. It's much more effective when they use it," Kayn thought, keeping his distance from Calawen. He needed a plan to counter him. In close combat, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Aurora Style: Dance of Shadows."
This time, Calawen's figure split into multiple blurry images, completely disorienting Kayn. The young man sheathed his sword and closed his eyes, focusing. Calawen's copies lunged at him with ferocity, convinced they had him cornered.
"Zenith Style: Break Zone."
In a state of heightened awareness, Kayn attempted to identify the real Calawen, launching a powerful strike. However, all the figures he struck vanished, exposing a gap in his defenses that Calawen exploited instantly. Before the attack landed, Arwin intervened.
"Still alive, I see?" Calawen sneered, glaring at Arwin with disdain. "You've sunk so low as to help humans now?"
"Shut up, traitor. Even if they're human, if they're willing to save the princess… they're allies," Arwin retorted, locking swords with Calawen. He turned to Kayn, who was on the ground. "Hey! Can you still stand?"
"Of course," Kayn replied, gripping his sword firmly. He looked into Calawen's eyes. Though the elf wasn't even paying attention to him, Kayn thought that might work to his advantage.
"Not even Break Zone could penetrate his defenses. If I want to win, I'll need to use another style," Kayn thought, gripping his sword's hilt with determination.
Arwin attacked Calawen with blinding speed, and the elf countered with equal agility, deflecting the attack before retaliating with a fluid motion. Calawen's sword began to glow as he thrust it toward Arwin.
"Aurora Style: Luminous Thrust."
Arwin barely reacted in time, taking most of the damage.
"Zenith Style: Ethereal Slash."
In an instant, Kayn had positioned himself behind Calawen without the elf noticing, delivering a strike that landed squarely.
"How did you…?" Neither Calawen nor Arwin understood what had just happened. Calawen's focus shifted to Kayn, but before he could react, Kayn vanished again, reappearing directly behind him.
"Aurora Style: Twilight Touch."
Kayn struck Calawen's back with the palm of his hand, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"Zenith Style: Ethereal Slash."
With a swift movement, Kayn sent Calawen flying through the air, though the elf managed to stabilize himself before landing. Both Arwin and Calawen were bewildered by the techniques Kayn was using.
"How do you know elven style?" Arwin inquired. Kayn remained silent, immersed in the fight. Unlike before, Calawen now kept his eyes fixed on him. "Well, that doesn't matter now."
Arwin turned to Fenris, who was watching from a distance.
"You, go rescue the princess," Arwin ordered, but Fenris was paralyzed in shock. He wanted to help but had no idea how to use his anima. He stared at his hands, searching for an answer. "I said, help the princess!" Arwin shouted, snapping Fenris out of it. Obeying, Fenris ran toward the princess, still bound by Doral's magic.
"You really think I'll let you?" Calawen roared, lunging at Fenris. Arwin tried to intercept him but couldn't. Kayn sprinted after his friend.
"Fenris, look out!" Kayn shouted just as Calawen struck with blinding speed. Kayn threw himself in front of the attack, shoving Fenris aside, but couldn't fully avoid the blow. A deep gash tore through his arm, shredding his sleeve. A scream of pain escaped his lips.
"Kayn!" Fenris shouted. Arwin got back up, holding Calawen at bay. Meanwhile, Fenris looked at his injured friend with regret, blaming himself for Kayn's wound.
"Fenris, if you can't fight, retreat," Kayn said firmly. Fenris nodded reluctantly, his face filled with shame. Kayn charged at Calawen again, joining Arwin. Fenris felt utterly powerless in the situation. Kayn's words echoed in his mind. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how to use his powers. Then, a voice began to resonate in his head.
"You can't do anything. Let me take over."
Fenris clutched his head, feeling as if it would explode. He thought he might lose consciousness, but he didn't. He gritted his teeth, fighting against the voice that echoed relentlessly in his mind.
"Shut up!" Fenris screamed. His shout caught Kayn's attention. He knew Fenris was struggling with something but couldn't focus on it now. He needed to stay fully engaged in the battle.
"What are you waiting for? Let me handle this."
"No! I can do it myself!" Fenris shouted in anguish, charging at Calawen. He attempted to land a punch but was clumsy and fell to the ground. Kayn was stunned. Against Silstoner, Fenris had shown great skill. Fenris got back up and managed to land a punch on Calawen this time, but it had no effect. Calawen glared at him with disdain, as if he were an insignificant insect.
"Get out of my way, kid," Calawen sneered, kicking Fenris several meters back. The impact left him dazed. Calawen moved in for the kill, but Arwin intervened just in time.
"Hey, your fight is with us, not him." Both Arwin and Calawen stepped back. Kayn approached Fenris, his expression filled with disappointment.
"Kayn, I—"
"You'd better leave. You're just getting in the way," Kayn replied coldly before throwing himself back into the fight against Calawen. Fenris watched the battle with despair, his vision growing blurry. The voice in his head grew quieter.
"Look at what you've done. What will Kayn think of us now? You've made us look pathetic. But don't worry—I'll fix it."
Fenris tried to resist, but his willpower wavered. His eyes began to glow green, and a grin spread across his face. Flames ignited from his fists as he charged at Calawen with incredible speed. This time, the blow connected, causing significant damage.
"Nice hit, Fenris!" Kayn exclaimed, smiling with approval as he rejoined the fray. This was the Fenris he knew. In a quick exchange of blows, Arwin managed to destabilize Calawen momentarily.
"He's mine!" Fenris shouted, his flaming fists ready to deliver a critical strike.
"I said, you're not coming out."
Fenris's flames flickered and vanished, his eyes returning to a yellow hue. He collapsed, losing the opportunity entirely.
"What the hell are you doing?" Arwin roared in frustration. Calawen regained his footing and launched himself at Kayn and Arwin again.
"What do you think you're doing? Can't you see we almost had him?"
"Shut up. I don't need you to win."
"They expect me to save them, not you."
"That's not true. I'll be the one to defeat him."
"Are you sure?" the voice taunted. Fenris fell silent, doubting himself. "Why do you think Kayn asked us to join him? Because I'm strong. If it were up to you, he'd never have done it."
"That's not true. Kayn and I are friends."
"Then why don't you explain the look on his face right now?"
Fenris glanced at Kayn, who wore a disappointed expression. Just as the voice claimed, his friend didn't seem regretful for bringing him along.
"Kayn..."
"Honestly, I'm not surprised. Just when he thought he found someone strong… it turns out to be a failure."
"Shut up. Kayn doesn't think that about me," Fenris protested, but doubt consumed him. Arwin, noticing how unhinged Fenris appeared, shouted at him.
"Hey, kid! Leave your schizophrenia aside and go rescue the princess."
"Look, they're calling for me. Let me out."
"No, I won't let you."
"What's wrong with him?" Arwin murmured. Kayn watched his friend with a tinge of sadness. He couldn't understand why Fenris was acting this way.
Fenris did everything he could to resist as his two personalities clashed within him. His eyes flickered, alternating between yellow and green.
"You're nothing but a burden."
"That's not true!" Fenris screamed.
Finally, he lost control. A guttural scream escaped his throat, and a fiery explosion erupted from his body, engulfing him in a raging storm of flames. His anima overflowed, the heat so intense it distorted the air around him. The pressure forced those in the midst of the battle to retreat.
"What the hell is that energy?" Arwin shouted, struggling to stay on his feet. The suffocating heat made breathing nearly impossible. Kayn stared at Fenris, bewildered, wondering if his friend was the cause of what was happening.