Despite the chaos of the battle, Eldarion and Doral continued their duel. With his chakrams in hand, Eldarion lunged forward. He hurled one of the chakrams at Doral, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. Doral raised his sword to block it, but the impact was stronger than he anticipated, forcing him backward.
Eldarion didn't give him a moment to recover. Spinning on his heel, he threw the second chakram, which curved in a perfect arc toward his opponent. Doral barely managed to dodge, but the disc grazed his cheek. The chakrams Eldarion had thrown returned to his hands as if they had a life of their own.
Doral attempted to close the distance, striking with his sword, but his adversary was far quicker. With a spin, Eldarion blocked the attack with one chakram while slashing diagonally with the other, forcing Doral to retreat once again. He stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Surrender, Doral. You're finished."
Despite Eldarion's threat, a grin spread across Doral's face, something the young elf could not comprehend.
"What's so funny?"
At that moment, Eldarion's magic seemed to falter. The glow of his chakrams began to dim, and the vortex surrounding them lost intensity.
"What's happening? I haven't even used the armor…" Eldarion murmured, panting from the effort. The spirit behind him began to fade entirely. His strength gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. The chakrams fell from his hands, reverting to the form of a lance. "Zephirus…"
Doral began to approach the prince, who now lay prone on the ground. He grabbed Eldarion by the chin, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"And to think you hadn't realized it," Doral said, a smile on his face. Eldarion glared at him with disgust as he tried to rise. In his attempt, Doral stomped on his back, pinning him to the soft earth. "That tea you drank suppressed much of your anima. I figured you wouldn't even bother using the armor, so all I had to do was endure a few blows. I must say, it's been a pathetic performance."
"Doral, you filthy rat—" Eldarion spat, but his words were cut short as Doral stomped on him even harder, forcing him to cough up blood.
The sounds of battle stirred Kayn, forcing his eyes open. He had nearly lost consciousness. His body was still wracked with pain from the burns and numerous wounds. Beside him lay Fenris, sprawled on the ground.
After losing control, Fenris had expended too much anima, rendering him unconscious. Kayn turned his gaze toward the ongoing battle. It was clear Eldarion was on the ropes. But was there anything Kayn could do? Then his eyes landed on his sword. Fenris had grabbed it earlier, and its flames had not yet completely extinguished.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. Once I'm done with you, I'll personally take care of Elvira."
Hearing that name sent Eldarion's fury skyrocketing. Ignoring his injuries, he lunged at Doral, grabbing his lance from the ground and wielding it with both hands. Doral easily blocked the attack, holding him in place.
"Bastard! Don't you dare lay a hand on my sister!"
Arwin watched the scene with rage. Of the three, he was the only one still conscious, yet he couldn't do anything. Pain kept him pinned to the ground.
Like a ghost, Kayn's figure began to move before his eyes. Despite his injuries, he still refused to stop fighting. The sound of metal scraping against the ground echoed with every step he took. The sword he held still bore Fenris's flames, though his hands were so numb he could barely feel its heat. Arwin watched him helplessly. Kayn managed to stand, but Arwin couldn't move a muscle. He had given everything he had. All he could do now was plead.
"Please… save the princess," Arwin begged with his last breath.
Kayn froze, absorbing the words. His labored breathing was the only sound in the air. He panted from the pain and exhaustion that had piled up during the battle. His legs trembled, and his head swayed slightly, as if he might collapse at any moment. Yet he refused to give in.
"Consider it done," Kayn replied. With titanic effort, he began to move, dragging one foot after the other, refusing to let the pain stop him.
Meanwhile, Eldarion continued to fight Doral with the last of his strength. The elf was exhausted. Finally, he collapsed to the ground, at the mercy of his advisor.
"It's over, Prince," Doral said, pointing his sword at Eldarion's neck. A single slash was all it would take to end him. Eldarion glared at him in rage, knowing he had no way to win. But his gaze shifted to a figure advancing slowly.
Doral had not yet noticed Kayn's presence behind him. It could be their last chance.
"Zenith Style: Ethereal Flaming Slash!"
With his sword engulfed in flames, Kayn deflected the strike aimed at Eldarion in a fiery arc. Doral managed to block the attack, but that wasn't Kayn's true aim.
Eldarion quickly grabbed his lance from the ground, preparing to summon Zephirus again. Even if it was only for a moment, he knew it would be enough to finish Doral.
"Come to me, Zephirus!" Eldarion shouted as a tornado swirled around him.
Doral turned to end him before he could strike, but it was too late.
"Pierce through the winds!"
Eldarion unleashed a powerful blow that shattered Doral's defense entirely, sending him crashing to the ground, defeated.
The battle was finally over. The flames on Kayn's sword faded after fulfilling their purpose, leaving only the steel blade. He still didn't understand how the blade hadn't melted under such heat, but it didn't matter. They had won.
Eldarion looked at Kayn, worried about his countless injuries.
"Hey, Kayn, are you okay? You shouldn't be fighting in that condition."
Kayn nodded weakly, but he began to sway as the sword slipped from his hands. He dropped to his knees, exhausted from the overexertion. His vision blurred as he struggled to catch his breath, then he collapsed to the ground.
"Kayn!" Eldarion rushed to him, trying to wake him up. "Hey, wake up!"
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," a feminine voice said behind them. It was the princess. After Doral's defeat, the spell had broken, and she was now free.
Arwin managed a smile upon seeing her safe but couldn't move to approach her.
Mariana knelt beside Kayn, placing her hand over his body.
"Aurora Style: Dawn's Light."
Concentrating her anima, a soft golden glow surrounded Kayn's battered body. Slowly, his burns began to fade, and he opened his eyes weakly.
"What happened?" Kayn murmured.
"I used my healing power. It's the least I can do after you risked your lives to save me," the princess said with a smile. She then turned to Arwin. "Do you want me to heal you too, Arwin?"
Arwin, lying on the ground, didn't respond. But the princess approached him anyway. After healing him, Arwin moved closer to Kayn.
"I'm sorry for the trouble we caused you. It seems not all humans are the same after all."
"Maybe you should stop arresting people for making campfires in the forest," Kayn replied with a teasing tone.
"That's the king's decision," Arwin replied, his gaze fixed on Doral, who lay unconscious on the ground. "What are we going to do with him?"
"We'll wait until he wakes up. I have many questions for him," Eldarion explained.
"For now, let's take him to the village. My father must be very worried about me," the princess said before turning to Kayn and Eldarion. "Why don't you stay in our village tonight?"
Kayn nodded gratefully, as did Eldarion. Then Kayn looked around, searching for Fenris. Meanwhile, Arwin didn't seem too pleased with the suggestion.
"Princess, letting humans stay in the Great Tree is…" Arwin began but stopped at the princess's sharp glance. "I didn't say anything."
"Prince Eldarion, if you'd like…" The princess's words were interrupted by a shout nearby.
"Fenris!" Kayn exclaimed. Alarmed by his behavior, everyone rushed to him. Fenris was breathing heavily, his face pale.
"Hey, what's wrong? Say something!"
Concerned, the princess approached Kayn.
"Let me see," Mariana said in a calm voice. Kayn stepped aside, and the princess placed her palm on Fenris's head.
"He's burning up, but it doesn't seem to be a fever," she said. As before, a golden light emanated from her palm, enveloping Fenris in a radiant glow. Slowly, his wounds and burns began to heal, and his labored breathing steadied. Seeing him improve calmed Kayn.
"I've healed his wounds. However, it doesn't seem like he'll wake up," the princess said, looking around at the group with confusion. "Can someone explain what happened to him?"
"He lost control of his anima," Arwin replied. Kayn hung his head, avoiding looking at Fenris. He had pushed him to use his powers, and because of him, Fenris was unconscious.
"For now, it's best to take him with us and let him rest," the princess suggested. Arwin nodded and carried Fenris in his arms, as Kayn didn't seem capable of doing so.
Eldarion approached Doral to take him along. With the remaining horses, the group set off, leaving the battlefield behind and heading toward the Magnolia Clan's village. As they ventured into the forest, darkness began to envelop the landscape.