Selah struggled to maintain her balance as the hulking monster loomed over her, smashing her with relentless fury. She slipped and fell to the ground, battered, and exhausted, her suit flickered weakly, its energy dwindling from the assault.
Lights bursts, then erupted in a blinding flash, forcing the monster to pause and glance over his shoulder. Together, they beheld the enigmatic lady's transformation, a graceful yet formidable Erbecea radiating raw power. With her bare feet, she strode across the smoldering ground, untouched by the flames, her sickle gleaming with boundless ethereal energy. Her flowing dress seemed to move with a life of its own, and her gaze glinted with an intensity akin to a bottomless pit filled with lost souls.
The monster sneered and charged, roaring as he lunged, only to meet empty air. He stumbled forward, glancing back in confusion, only to find the lady's sickle pointed menacingly at his face. Enraged, he struck the sickle and quickly rose, unleashing a frenzied barrage of punches, yet each one whiffed through empty space. Desperately, he stomped, stirring up a cloud of dust to obscure her vision. But his plan backfired; searing pain prickled across his body like invisible blades slicing him from the inside out. He let out a guttural groan, feeling the agony of countless strikes without a single visible wound.
As flashes of bluish-green light continued to surge through him, he felt his power steadily weakening. Desperation set in. He knew he had to break free from this deadlock, or he would lose everything. Gathering his remaining strength, he began charging a ball of dark energy in his mouth, siphoning even more power from the pendant, hoping to unleash a devastating attack that could shatter the stalemate.
With a soft, melodic voice, the enigmatic lady began chanting amidst the rising dust.
Enigmatic lady: ֆքɛƈȶʀǟʟ ǟʀȶֆ, ֆօʊʟ ֆɛʋɛʀǟռƈɛ…
Blasting all the dust away, the energies in the monster's mouth dissipated as it leaned back, losing balance from the attack. The enigmatic lady stared straight into the soul, her eyes filled with sorrow as countless spirits began to scream and break apart. The once-mighty soul that had consumed Kahtiaze's body tore itself free, disintegrating into ethereal fragments.
Selah sat down in awe, witnessing the conclusion of the battle. The enigmatic lady slowly undid her transformation, her form reverting back to its previous state as she stood, breathing heavily. Energies escaped her body like particles of tranquil energy, dissipating into thin air. Selah rose to her feet, intending to assist, but the lady gestured for her to leave her alone. She then began to approach the carcass of their once-formidable foe to pick up the pendant, which was still fused to his flesh.
The flames crackled with a blazing intensity, gradually softening with each passing second. The enigmatic lady stood atop Kahtiaze's lifeless body, ready to claim her prize.
Suddenly, Selah felt a searing pain in her foot and quickly pulled it back, realizing something was off about the flames, they seemed unnatural, burning endlessly with a strange, white hue. Looking closer, she noticed the flames creeping toward the carcass and quickly called out a warning.
Selah: Wait… Something feels off, something strange is going on.
The enigmatic lady shot Selah a quick, dismissive glance before turning back to her task. But then, her eyes caught something unsettling, a peculiar gathering of flames, converging around the cold corpse.
Without warning, the corpse suddenly burst into flames, absorbing every nearby flicker into a violent whirl before ascending skyward toward its master's location. The enigmatic lady managed to leap back just in time, though her left foot was lightly singed in the eruption.
Selah: Watch out! You, okay?!
Enigmatic lady: I don't need your concern.
Selah: But…
Enigmatic lady: Sigh, I'm fine… more importantly what do we do now?
As they both looked up, the skies flared with trails of fiery white embers. Selah's screen caught sight of an object floating just behind the fiery facade, something invisible to the naked eyes. She squinted, recalling a faint memory.
Selah: That's it! Neros told me before he…
Looking back at the charred ground, she was reminded of the finality of his earlier defeat. A wave of sorrow crossed her face as her gaze shifted to Hyuwin, lying critically injured nearby. Her body felt weighed down, and her mind raced with tangled thoughts, torn between grief and the urgency to act.
The enigmatic lady stepped in front of her and slapped her back to her senses.
Selah: gasped.
Enigmatic lady: That was a very human thing to do, but moping around won't help us. You were filled with enthusiasm just a moment ago, so go and do what you set out to do.
Selah wiped away her tears and steeled herself, focusing on her suit's instructions. She recalled the time when Neros had mentioned placing parts of Fortis in the sky. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and visualized the process. Her determination solidified, and the suit responded with a green confirmation sign.
Fortis: Affirmative. Re-grouping Wing Frame Sequence. Activate.
Dozens of small objects are visible in the sky, each with four triangular wings lifted aloft, adorned with linear patterns and glowing energy vents. At its core, a powerful laser turret is surrounded by charging bars pulsing with blue light, storing energy with an intricate system designed for controlled output. The machine then falls from the sky, descending in a perfectly organized formation, as it piles up behind Selah's suit.
The components seamlessly fuse with her suit's appendages, while bluish lines of energy circulate around the new machinery, repairing and integrating it. In an awe-inspiring transformation, Selah's suit now bears four sleek wings on its back, with an additional four floating satellites orbiting her
Fortis: Flight enabled. Do you wish to pursue our target? Yes/No?
With a nod, the suit launched into the sky, breaking the sound barrier in an instant. The enigmatic lady shielded her face with her arm, bracing against the powerful winds created by Selah's rapid ascent.
Enigmatic lady: Please, you're my only hope, return my sister…
In the skies, the suit displayed calculations of their vector and velocity, but Selah ignored the data, focusing entirely on catching up with the flames as it attempts to reunite with its ruler.
Though confused, Selah instinctively mimicked what her father did during his fight with Draknorax. She pointed her arms toward the target, following the green circle patterns on her screen, and clenched her fist whenever the circles overlapped.
Beams shot from the suit with precise accuracy, but they simply passed through the target. The suit quickly recalculated, adjusting its energy output. The four satellites around Selah's suit tilted and morphed into diamond-shaped formations, their edges briefly opening to reveal intricate mechanisms within.
The suit then fired a wide-ranged blast, spreading through the air and impacting the flames. As the attack expanded, it disrupted the fiery chaos, gradually revealing the pendant at the center of the storm.
Selah, still adjusting to the flight, gradually increased her speed by pushing off with her toes. She extended her arms, reaching through the dying flames to grasp the pendant before it vanished completely.
Though she got closer, things didn't go as planned. The flames surged once again, accelerating rapidly and closing in on the serpent, which was just a few meters ahead slicing through the air.
Thinking quickly, Selah adapted a new strategy. She recalled the Tyrathis and imagined her wings merging into two, creating a more streamlined, aerodynamic design.
At the same time, her four satellite appendages shifted and attached to her hips, enhancing her speed even further. The suit complied instantly, adjusting its structure to optimize her flight.
As the pendant slipped further out of reach, streaking through the air, Selah stretched out her fingers, feeling as if she could almost grasp it. But then, a sharp pain surged through her, her nose began to bleed, and her vision blurred. The overwhelming speed and strain on her body took its toll, and before she could regain control, she lost consciousness. Her body went limp, and she began to fall toward the ground.
Selah drifted in and out of consciousness, her mind wandered through a haze. She saw the flame and the serpent merge into one, but her vision blurred, and her body refused to hold on any longer. In that dreamlike state, Se recalls the kindness, the struggles, and the quiet victories that shaped her. As she fell, she clung to those memories.
Fortis: Impact in 5… 4… 3… 2…
Selah: No… not yet!
With renewed determination, Selah's eyes glinted with fire as she skillfully avoided hitting the ground. She flared her wings, continuing the pursuit despite the pain coursing through her body. Extending retractable swords from her arms, she surged forward, slicing through the serpent's bony neck. The impact sent the serpent crashing down, landed in the lake, the waters breaking its fall, the scorching heat causing steam to rise from the water
Landing near the lake, Selah collapsed to her knees. She took a moment to catch her breath, her chest heaving as she fought to steady herself after the intense battle.
Just as Selah thought the battle was over, a figure erupted from the lake. It was far more terrifying than before. The serpent had transformed, now resembling a massive dragon with sharp claws, serrated teeth, and a long, menacing proboscis. Its body had grown larger, engulfed in blazing white flames that intensified its already formidable presence.
Orihi Ves'ruun: You little tick dare?!
Her eyes widened as the screen before her lit up with urgent warning signs, flashing insistently and urging her to move out of the way.
A blast of scorching flames erupted, striking the spot where Selah had just been. The flames carved a blazing path through the forest, leaving a straight line of charred destruction. Fortunately, Selah had launched herself into the air just in time, witnessing the devastating power of her foe.
Seething with rage, Oirihi Ves'ruun unleashed a relentless barrage of flames in Selah's direction, each blaze scorching the air and darkening the bright daytime sky.
Selah retaliated swiftly, launching a barrage of compressed energy orbs that tore through her foe's fiery body, each impact briefly disrupting the flames only for them to rapidly reform around the wounds. She expertly maneuvered through the skies, twisting and turning to dodge the blazing death. She felt as though she was running out of options when a warning sign flashed across her screen. She turned just in time to see fireballs approaching from behind. Countless blazing fireballs floated, suspended in the air, forming a fiery trap closing in around her, turning the sky itself into an inferno under the monster's control.
Selah refocused, initially aiming to target and neutralize each fireball, but quickly abandoned the idea as their sheer number became too overwhelming. Instead, she darted through the air, weaving and dodging with precision. Descending lower, she maneuvered to lead the fireballs closer to the ground, hoping the impact would dissipate them on contact.
As she descended closer to the stream, she was caught off guard by sharp claws waiting below. Snatched her mid-flight and, with a deafening crash, slammed her deep into the boiling waters. The fireballs extinguished on impact with the surface, sending up clouds of steam, while she struggled desperately to break free, the creature's massive grip clamping down with relentless force.
A brilliant bluish light shimmered through the steam above, followed by a massive blast of flame that erupted from the depths, engulfing the surface with a searing force. The flames struck Selah directly, the sheer power of the blast vaporizing her entirely in an instant. The force left behind a massive crater where she had once been, her body completely immobile as her screen flickered and died out.
The massive dragon coiled its fiery body around Selah, tightening its grip until her suit's exoskeleton began to form cracks under the pressure, dents became vissible along its surface. Selah gasped, her breath shallow, as the pressure built. She struggled frantically within the suffocating hold, pressing against the fiery embers that confined her, her mind racing for any way to break free.
Selah: It can't end like this… Someone please help… Soren!
Before she could lose consciousness again, the suit, though battered initiated a self-preserving mode. A shield formed around her, and as she extended her arms, the barrier pushed away the flames wrapped around her, allowing her to burst into the sky. Selah caught her breath, then broke the now-tattered blade from her arm and held it as a proper weapon.
The suit displayed a damage report to Selah, indicating it could no longer hold up much longer and that power was nearly depleted, requiring a quick recharge. While Selah didn't fully understand the technical details, she grasped from the damage she had sustained that her suit was close to giving out, and that she needed to finish the battle soon.
Orihi Ves'ruun: You pest, why don't you just die!?
Selah: Let's finish this!
Selah took a deep breath before diving down, her suit crackling with the last ounces of its energy. The wings adjusted once more for enhanced maneuverability as the dragon squirmed, launching a series of fireballs at her while shifting its massive body to intercept.
Orihi Ves'ruun: Know the difference in our strength, the power culminated from a decades of experimentation and sacrifice!
The dragon's eyes gleamed, and the skies darkened as swirling clouds gathered. Countless flames began raining down in a fiery onslaught. Below, Selah could see countless creatures in peril, and fear gripped her at the thought of their fate. She tried to release blasts in all directions to counter the flames, but it was in vain, consuming more and more as the gauge steadily drops.
Despairing, Selah's mind raced as she screamed, desperately trying to save as many lives as she could. Unaware, she was struck down by its tail, slamming her to the ground. As she looked up, flames rained down toward the forest, and the terrified cries of creatures echoed, fearing for their lives.
Just as all hope seemed lost, a beam of light streaked across the sky, sweeping through the flames and causing them to explode and dissipate into smoke. As the skies cleared, Selah's armor emitted a faint buzzing sound, and her power gauge filled, turning green. Surprised by this sudden miracle, Selah wasted no time. Taking advantage of the dragon's distraction, her wings emitted charged particles before she surged forward. Scanning the dragon's interior, she located the focal point of its energy, where the pendant, now fading with a bluish light, was lodged.
She spun in the air, channeling the majority of her energy into her right hand, while retaining just enough for mobility. The energy flowed toward the blade she held, causing it to extend into a sharp beam of light.
Fortis: Warning! Energy output exceeds recommended threshold.
Selah: Haaaaaaaa!
Selah ignored the warning and thrust forward with massive momentum, wielding the weapon with great force. It sliced through the dragon's neck, decapitating it as Oirihi Ves'ruun let out a pained grunt before its head fell to the ground. Selah floated in the air, momentarily satisfied with the result of her gamble, looking down at the dragon's head as the flames on its imposing body rapidly disappeared. Suddenly, an explosion erupted from her right arm and wings, causing her to fall with a thud.
Taking a quick breath, Selah flipped over, tottering as she made her way to the dragon's head to investigate and end the ruler once and for all. But to her surprise, the spot where the ruler had been was now empty.
The ground burned gently, and fiery footsteps led into the forest. She took a step forward to chase after him but felt a sharp sting on her side. As she touched it with her left hand, she discovered she was bleeding.
Selah: Not yet, I must…
Seeing her bloodied palm, exhaustion finally overtook her, and she collapsed as her suit began tending to her wounds.
Deep in the forest, Orihi Ves'ruun dragged his weary body, cursing in the wind as his flames slowly dimmed.
Orihi Ves'ruun: Accursed girl with strange weapons! I never knew such thing exist. How could anyone possibly possess such an impossible tool? It should have been me who reigned supreme!
Further into the forest, as he strode through the dense woods, before he stumbled upon a person after a few minutes of walking. The individual bore rare pitch-black hair and unusual dark clothing. He halted, confused, as the man glanced at his palm, which held Selah's pendant.
Orihi Ves'ruun: And who you might be?
Soren: I'm nobody, just here to collect what you've stolen. But if you resist, well...
Orihi Ves'ruun: You idiot! And what if do resist!? Take this!
Orihi Ves'ruun unleashed a curtain of blue flames in Soren's direction. Flying creatures scattered in the sky as a pained groan echoed, followed by shockwaves reverberating through the depths of the forest, ending his lust for power and ambitions.
Selah woke up inside a chamber and checked her wounds, which were lightly stitched. Her suit had retreated back into her bracelet. The corridors were dimly lit by flickering flames hanging from sconces along the walls. She could hear commotion outside, group Crosents had gathered, praying and performing ceremonies in an attempt to save Hyuwin. He lay on a stone platform, in critical condition, as salves and medicinal plants were ineffective against his internal wounds.
The enigmatic lady approached Selah from behind and, with a gentle but firm grip, grabbed her by the arm. She led her away from the commotion, ensuring they would speak alone.
Enigmatic lady: Your friend won't last long. Unless we do something, his soul is weakening and will leave his body before the morning arrives.
Selah: Hyuwin… I…
Enigmatic lady: There's another way, but we need the pendant... Did you have it?
Selah: No, Orihi Ves'ruun ran away before I could retrieve it. I'm sorry!
Enigmatic lady: Sigh... I can sense, though faintly, that it's in proper condition. However, my powers haven't fully returned, and I'm not sure if I can break through that shell.
Selah's face lit up with hope as she grabbed the enigmatic lady's hand ecstatically. Her eyes sparkled with determination. The enigmatic lady, a little startled by the sudden gesture, paused for a moment before sighing and agreeing. Her of paying her debt for helping in their earlier battle.
She approached Vaisth, who nodded and called for everyone to continue their ceremony in the Aciry's domain. They exchanged a glance before Vaisth raised his voice with a resounding command, easing their doubts and urging them to assist their saviors. The group scrambled to gently lift Hyuwin, carefully preparing him for the ritual.
Under the guidance of the luminous creatures in the night sky, the group made their way back through the forest. The path was illuminated by their ethereal glow as they passed by the petrified Crosents, their statuesque forms standing pristine and unmoving. The imposing giant still cradled the last of their kind, nestled within a blue, impenetrable shell, untouched by time.
Nyliara looked at her father with sorrow. Vaisth smiled at her and patted her head.
Vaisth: These outsiders have a promise and fate to uphold. I cannot allow tragedy to befall them before that happens. Let's help the best we can.
The enigmatic lady removed her robe and placed her hands on the blue shell. As her eyes glowed softly, she chanted, and the blue shell began to glow in response. She channeled energies towards it, while the onlookers stood amazed, feeling as though they were comforted by gentle winds. The glow of the shell was soothing to the eyes, and the lady's hair cascaded over her shoulder, swaying with the flow of energy.
Vaist and his daughter looked utterly amazed at the flow of energy they were witnessing as it collided in perfect harmony, unlike anything they had ever seen before.
Nyliara: Beautiful!
As the dance of energy continued and the shell reacted, Selah noticed a shift in the enigmatic lady's expression. Suddenly, the tranquil energies were disrupted, and the enigmatic lady fell to her knees, weakened, unable to hold on much longer as the glow began to fade.
Selah: Are you okay? Don't push yourself.
Selah noticed the enigmatic lady's hands trembling and turned to comfort her. Vaist and the others looked slightly concerned, with a hint of disappointment washing over them.
Nyliara approached them both, gazing at Aciry's shell. She reminisced about a time when she used to visit them, the image in her mind of being warmly welcomed in a lush forest a stark contrast to how they appeared now.
Nyliara: They are our friends, this place is their sanctuary. I would give my life to see them smile again, even if only for a brief moment.
Nyliara could no longer hold back her emotions as she cried her heart out. The rest of the onlookers wore pained expressions, feeling the weight of their blunders and incompetence in maintaining their realm. The enigmatic lady mustered the courage to stand again and began channeling energy once more, but before she could continue, a voice echoed from the thicket.
Neros: I'm afraid it won't work. I believe you need her in order to accomplish it.
Selah: Neros, you're alive!
Selah stood and welcomed Neros, wiping away her tears of extreme joy at seeing him again. Neros walked closer to the enigmatic lady and handed her the pendant, but instead of feeling grateful, he was met with a glare of suspicion, as though his presence was distrusted.
Neros: Ehem, I've fixed it, so it should be fine now physically. However, the soul inside is still weakened, so it won't be enough. I'll need you all to gather and focus your energies towards her.
Everyone exchanged confused glances before moving closer to the enigmatic lady as Neros instructed. He then attempted a visual representation how to accomplish it, but since it wasn't his strong suit, they only became more confused. Thankfully, Vaish grasped the concept and took over, demonstrating by channeling his own essence into his arms. They then placed their hands on her back and tried to imagine transferring their essence to her.
The enigmatic lady felt a rush of ethereal energy as she grasped the pendant tightly, sensing her sister's presence offering reassurance. She placed her other hand on the shell, which glowed brighter than ever. Cracks began to form, and as the shell shattered, a purple figure emerged, suspended in the air, surrounded by fragments. The figure took form, revealing a little girl with pale skin. As her toes touched the ground, life sprang forth rapidly, the once bleak soil now teeming with plants, and the stream returned as life bloomed across the land. The dwellers of the land stood dumbfounded by this unique power, kneeling before the last of the Acyris kind, calling her The Life-Giving Sage, Nifri.
When she open her eyes, reveals marbles of Gold flickering, as she walked towards Hyuwin sensing his fading life and with one touch of his arm his condition became stable, his wounds disappear including the ones Selah and the others sustained during their fight. The enigmatic lady felt no more pain in her left leg. Looking down, she saw that her skin had been restored. She peered into her own being and discovered that even her soul had been affected, leaving her amazed.
Everyone rejoiced at her return, but before they could thank her properly, she fainted and fell back into a deep sleep. Neros explained that this was due to her being sealed for so long, which put them at ease. However, the enigmatic lady raised her sickle against him, challenging him to a fight. Selah was taken aback by this.