The tall figure folded it's arms.
"Eva. Find out who's responsible for that beam of light."
Eva stepped forward, stretching as she moved.
"Yeah, yeah… I'll handle it."
"They're strong," Carai whispered. "We split. You two take the man, I'll handle the girl."
"Why the girl? Shouldn't we fight together?" Dravena asked.
Saeriel stepped in, eyes locked on them. She pointed.
"Yes because we're not fighting humans… those are demons."
Carai glanced back.
"Demons… what are those?"
"We don't know exactly what they are… but look."
She traced the image, dragging their focus to the eyes.
"Red pupils. Black sclera."
She finished and straightened, her voice low.
"That's the mark of a demon… and they're extremely powerful."
A beat.
"Alright. We don't fight them together, not yet. We split them."
She pointed at the approaching girl.
"Light armor she must be Fast. Speed is my advantage, I'll hold her off."
Her gaze shifted to the others.
"You deal with him, then join me."
"I see." Dravena gripped her blade. "Saeriel!"
"Got it." Saeriel drew her bowl. They moved out together, swift and silent.
Carai stepped forward toward the girl, her hand brushing the hilt of her sword.
"Am I your opponent?"
Eva tilted her head, glancing at Dravena.
"Ah… but you don't look strong. I wanted the hybrid."
Carai's aura flared around her as she took her stance.
"I will make sure you never say that again."
Eva smiled, fire igniting beneath her feet.
"This aura… maybe this won't be so boring after all."
In an instant, she struck. Carai staggered backward, her feet dragging across the ground under the force of the blow.
Eva set her foot down.
"Seriously… you blocked that?"
"It wasn't that strong." She wavered slightly.
"Nice try." Eva smirked.
Dravena and Saeriel turned to face the tall figure.
"Mmm… so you've come to die," he said, eyes scanning them, he fixed his gaze on Saeriel.
"Well, an elf… that's a rare find."
Saeriel flinched, but he leaned closer, voice silky.
"Don't worry. I don't bite. Just come here… I promise to take good care of you."
Her eyes narrowed, face darkening with disgust.
"I'd rather die."
Dravena glanced back and smiled.
"I have power, wealth, strength," he said, spreading his arms wide.
"Come to me… and I'll let you keep your life."
"How boring." Saeriel's expression didn't change.
"The thought of me with another man disgusts me. You can't compare."
His smile vanished.
"Then you'll die here."
Ice formed instantly, jagged spikes erupting around him before launching forward.
Saeriel leapt to higher ground, light and precise.
Dravena stepped in, raising her blade, the strikes crashing against it in sharp bursts.
The dust settled.
Dravena stood firm, the last shards of ice falling away.
"Hey, Saeriel…" she called, a grin returning,
"like we always do."
Dravena planted her feet, blade raised. Her aura roared outward, wild and violent.
"Don't worry."
She drew an arrow, its tip glowing red.
"I'll support you."
She moved first.
Dravena launched forward, blade cutting down. A wall of ice surged up infront of her, but the arrow struck.
It exploded.
The ice shattered.
He slipped aside just in time. Her blade slammed into the ground where he stood, cracking stone.
He turned.
A sharp kick drove into Dravena's side, forcing her back.
He straightened.
Five arrows flying toward him.
"These explode on impact."
He leapt back.
He dodged the first four cleanly.
The fifth
Dravena's blade chimed from beneath him.
His eyes snapped down. Ice surged to block
Too late.
The arrow struck his back.
It exploded.
Fire swallowed him.
Dravena stepped back toward Saeriel.
"That was a direct hit."
"Are you okay, Dravena?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
He walked out of the flames.
Clothes burned. Eyes blazing.
"That… was infuriating."
He tore the remains of his robe away.
"You should have agreed when you had the chance."
They hesitated.
"So that won't be enough," Dravena gripped her blade, "Saeriel, again." she charged.
Saeriel shot five arrows.
"The same trick."
Ice spread across the ground in an instant.
Dravena's foot froze mid-step.
She fell hard. Her blade slipped from her grasp.
He moved.
Four arrows missed.
He caught the fifth.
Threw it back.
"You've got to be kidding me"
The arrow struck before Saeriel could fully evade, the explosion swallowed her.
"Saeriel no!"
Dravena's aura flared, heat bleeding into the ice until it began to melt. She tore free and surged forward, fists flying in a relentless barrage, but not a single strike landed.
With a flick of his wrist, an ice pillar shot up from the ground and slammed into her stomach.
The impact ripped a grunt from her as her body lifted off the ground, then came crashing down.
He glanced at Dravena's motionless body. "Ahh… that was no fun."
Another surge of power flared nearby.
His gaze shifted instantly.
Stone cracked in the distance.
He moved toward it.
Carai stepped back before Eva even moved. Her heel slid across the stone, Every step pulled Eva away from the others.
Eva glanced at Carai and back towards Evans.
She grins.
"Running already?"
Carai exhaled slowly. "Try and catch me."
Eva disappeared.
The air cracked,
Carai twisted aside just as the strike tore through where her throat had been, she pushed off instantly, widening the gap again.
Eva turned, eyes narrowing slightly now.
"...So that's your game."
She came again, faster.
Carai shifted left but this time Eva adjusted mid-step, cutting the angle. Forcing Carai to guard instead of evade.
Impact.
Carai's arm jolted as she blocked, her feet grinding against the ground.
She slipped back,
Eva immediately moved in.
A second strike followed. Then a third.
Relentless.
Carai avoided the first, barely caught the second.
The third grazed her ribs.
Her breath hitched.
"You're slowing." Eva laughed.
Carai tried to reset her stance but faltered.
Eva was already advancing every step cut off an escape route before Carai could take it.
"…Damn it." Carai forced a strike, "leave me alone!"
Eva surged forward.
Carai raised her guard.
The strike never came from above.
It drove straight into her center.
The impact folded her. Air ripped from her lungs as she dropped hard to one knee. Cracks splintering beneath her.
For a moment, neither moved.
Carai's breath came uneven, her blade slowly slipping.
Eva stood over her looking down. "Is that all?"
Carai didn't respond.
"Come on, Eva… you're not done yet." He slowly approached.
Carai's eyes snapped towards Dravena's battle.
Her stomach dropped.
Dravena lay still.
Saeriel was gone.
She clicked her tongue. "…We lost."
"Oh, Evans, don't worry," Eva said lightly. "I was only toying with her."
She stepped forward. "I'll end it now."
Eva lunged fast.
Her fist slammed into Carai's chest.
The impact ripped her off the ground and sent her flying back.
She drove her blade into the ground to stop herself.
Steel screamed against stone as she skidded, then collapsed. Blood spilled from her mouth and nose.
She tried to stand.
Her legs trembled.
They gave out.
'My vision… is fading.
I can't lift my sword.'
She forced her head up.
She's coming again.
'Move.'
Her feet didn't respond.
"Hey, look at this," Eva said, voice bright with cruelty. "I'll kick her head clean off."
She leapt.
Boom.
Eva's body snapped sideways mid-air, launched across the field, crashing through trees before vanishing into the forest beyond.
Everything froze.
Kayon stood where she had been.
Still.
The ground trembled beneath him.
Evans glanced back, grit his Teeth.
"So who might you be."
He raised his hand ice surged forward in a massive wave.
"Ice, huh?"
Kayon answered with fire.
The two attacks collided.
A violent burst of steam swallowed the battlefield whole.
Through the mist, Kayon dropped to one knee beside Carai.
"Are you alright?"
She coughed, blood slipping past her lips as her eyes slowly found his.
"Make them suffer… before they die."
For a moment, his expression softened. He gently patted her head.
"Enjoy it."
Then he stood, stepping into the mist.
Evans scanned the shifting haze, senses sharp.
A figure emerged.
Kayon.
"I'll show you what it means… to make me angry."
The ground trembled. Stones ripped free from the earth, rising into the air as they began to glow a deep crimson.
Behind Carai.
Saeriel appeared.
"That's my magic," she said quietly.
Carai didn't turn. "So… it was you who called him."
Saeriel held her side, blood seeping through her fingers as she stepped toward Dravena.
"I had to. The moment I took that hit… I knew we couldn't handle them alone."
Carai let out a slow breath, steadying herself.
"So you ran."
Saeriel didn't hesitate. "Yes."
A beat.
"And we're still alive because of it."
Carai gave a faint, tired nod.
"…Fair point."
Saeriel pushed forward, forcing her way toward Dravena.
Above, the crimson stones screamed through the air.
They crashed down on Evans.
He reacted instantly, raising a thick wall of ice.
Impact.
One, two, three hits,
Then cracks spidered across the surface.
The wall shattered.
Kayon slipped through the opening.
Eva was already moving. She struck fast, driving him back.
"I almost forgot about you," Kayon muttered, brushing dirt from his chest.
He dropped his hand.
And slammed it into the ground.
Spikes erupted beneath Evans and Eva.
They leapt.
Kayon's eyes locked onto Eva.
A red beam tore from his hand.
Evans reacted without hesitation, kicking up a block of ice.
It slammed into Eva, knocking her out of the line of fire.
The beam ripped past, missing her by inches.
She landed, steadying herself. "Yeah… that saved my life."
Her gaze sharpened on Kayon. "We found the source."
"Send the signal," Evans said.
She raised her hand.
A burst of blue flame shot into the sky, flaring into a blinding flash.
Kayon watched it burn. "Calling for help?"
Evans smirked slightly. "Something like that."
The air shifted.
Eva's body ignited, flames wrapping around her form as her presence surged.
Beside her, Evans' skin turned pale blue, cold radiating outward as the ground beneath him began to frost over.
They stepped forward together.
"Let's get serious."