Power of Runes

So she is our opponent.....

Elysia thought as her gaze locked onto Melissia, who floated high above in the sky. Her heart was beating wildly, yet her mind remained steady. Ever since her two personalities had found balance within her, she carried a strange calmness, a sense of clarity that rarely wavered even in the midst of danger.

Just then, Melissia's lips moved faintly, almost as if she were whispering a chant, and in the next instant hundreds of magic circles flared to life in the heavens, covering the sky in their radiant glow. From each of them, fireballs materialized, burning fiercely as they rained down toward the ground.

"Veyric!"

Elysia's voice cut through the chaos. Responding instantly, Veyric layered a dome of earth above the shimmering water shield.

-BOOM!!

-BOOM!!

-CRASH!!

-CRASH!!

Each fireball smashed against their defenses, sending violent tremors through the dome. Cracks ran along the shield beneath, threatening to shatter at any moment, but both Corin and Veyric continued pouring their mana into it, sweat dripping as they barely held the onslaught at bay.

Their thoughts tangled amidst the pressure.

Why is she so strong.....

Even Elysia, who stood at the front, could feel the frightening weight behind every strike. It was as though Melissia was holding back, deliberately restraining the power of her spells just enough so the shields could barely endure them.

That was the most terrifying part.

If she was truly holding back, then what will happen if she unleashed her real power?

Did Melissia rank up or something.....?

Elysia did not know. She had once called Melissia a friend, but lately there was an invisible distance between them, like a rift that widened no matter how much she tried to ignore it. She did not understand why Melissia had changed, or why she behaved this way now. But none of that mattered anymore.

Right now she is the enemy.....

When the storm of fireballs finally ceased, Melissia still hovered in the air, her presence as heavy and suffocating as ever. The surroundings, however, were utterly devastated. The mountain peak had been flattened, reduced to broken debris and scattered stones that rolled down the slopes in restless echoes.

Ignoring the destruction, Elysia dashed straight toward Veyric.

Sensing her, Veyric moved at once as well. Not all of their time had been spent hidden away inside rooms and keeping watch; they had worked on coordination, creating strategies for fighting enemies in any place, be it air, water or ground.

They had trained for this.

Veyric bent low into a solid stance, his arms sheathed in thick stone as he shaped them into a wide platform. His body was built for defense, but the raw strength flowing through him was no less terrifying than his unbreakable walls.

Elysia stepped onto his earthen hands, and with a surge of power, Veyric hurled her into the air with all the force he could muster.

She shot upward like a blazing arrow, her blade gleaming with moonlight mana, soul destructive property coating it in a deadly aura.

Melissia, watching her approach, narrowed her eyes.

She is too straightforward..... and she still has no fighting instincts.....rather than rushing she should have observed more carefully.....

Hovering effortlessly in the sky, Melissia flicked her hands as if signaling someone, and the air currents that supported her body vanished. Her figure dropped rapidly, descending like a falling star.

Due to which, Elysia soared past above her.

For a moment, their eyes locked in midair. Melissia's gaze held mocking disdain, while Elysia's face remained calm and unreadable.

In Melissia's mind, the verdict was already made. Elysia had leapt into the sky without even thinking. If she had considered her actions for a single moment, she would have realized that Melissia could not fly on her own. Instead of targeting her, she should have targeted the one who cast that magic.

She is just as bad as I remembered. They say Saint Alice took her as a disciple, but it looks like she is learning nothing.....

Melissia lifted her hand as she plummeted toward Elysia, ready to cast a spell. Yet before she could finish, a sudden mana circle formed in front of Elysia. A slanted platform of water appeared, tilting downward.

With perfect timing, Elysia's boots struck its surface, and using it like a springboard, she launched herself back into motion, shifting her direction and closing the gap between them once more.

For the first time, Melissia's eyes flickered with surprise. Her gaze slid toward the blue-haired boy in the distance, who stood watching her with a faint mocking smile.

She turned back just as Elysia reached her.

A dragon of fire erupted from Melissia's spell, rushing forward with its maw wide open. But with one clean stroke, Elysia's moonlit blade cleaved through it, her mana unraveling the flames from within until the dragon dissolved into embers.

Melissia's lips curved faintly at the sight. Flames surged around her arms as she caught Elysia's blade with her bare hands, fire burning so intensely it devoured the moonlit mana coating the sword.

Elysia's eyes widened in disbelief as the pull dragged her forward. Before she could react, Melissia's flaming fist struck her stomach with brutal force. A searing pain exploded through her body, and blood spilled from her lips.

Melissia tried to pull her hand free, but she faltered.

Elysia's grip had locked around her forearms, clutching the parts that were not yet burning. Despite the unbearable heat, she refused to release her hold. Abandoning her blade, she pulled back her fist, her mana's soul destructive property now swirling around it instead, and slammed it into Melissia's stomach.

The impact made blood trail from the corner of Melissia's lips, and her eyes blazed even brighter, fury and madness igniting within them.

***

Meanwhile, some place far away, another boy was sitting quietly above a tree, hidden by its branches as he observed everything that was unfolding before him. His sight was not his own, for he was controlling the seabirds in the sky and sharing their eyes to watch the battles below.

Luthan, was it? He is quite sensitive and intelligent... and strong too...

The boy had brown hair and deep black eyes, though they were closed at the moment. His focus was elsewhere, divided between two places at once. On one side, he watched the clash between Elysia and Melissia, and on the other, he followed the struggle between Luthan and the remaining two opponents.

But then his vision caught something that made him pause.

Wait, are they going to attack Gwen..?

Through the eyes of the birds, he saw the boy with blue hair, along with the other one—the one with earth affinity—rushing straight toward the place where Gwen stood.

Looks like when Melissia gave her signal, they must have noticed that... now what should I do...?

The truth was that he was not that strong. His class was Bird Master, not Beast Master, which meant his control was limited only to flying creatures. In this place, at this moment, that was a heavy disadvantage, and he knew it all too well. His stats were nothing remarkable either, leaving him far weaker compared to others here.

There is nothing I can really do besides watch... oh, right, I can at least warn Gwen in advance.

That much, at least, was within his reach, and it was something he could manage with ease.

***

"Damn, you are quite strong brother.."

Luthan spoke as he ducked under another of Aric's attacks, his body moving with natural ease. In that moment, he felt free, truly free. For the first time, he was no longer burdened by the weight of hiding his powers, no longer forced to keep anything in the shadows. The freedom surged within him like a rush of wind.

But then a quiet thought brushed against his mind. Why was he revealing his strength now, when he had kept it hidden for so long, even from himself?

Look at this, how strong I am..

The words echoed inside him as he continued, weaving through the storm of strikes. His feet slid lightly over the ground, dodging arrows and avoiding the sharp arcs of Aric's blade, sometimes deflecting them with casual precision, as though it was a game.

Sigh, who knew I would be showing off my greatness to a girl as beautiful as her, sigh what a life.....

Yet while his thoughts were tangled with amusement, his expression told a different story. A dazzling smile lit up his face, making it seem as if he was not fighting for survival but playing a lively game with his opponents, enjoying every moment.

"Zane, let's do that. He is far more powerful than we imagined..." Aric shouted, his voice sharp with urgency. At his call, his sister abandoned her bow, summoning a rapier that gleamed in her hand, and she quickly joined the fray.

Zane... Zane... Zane...

So that's her name. It's nice... it's beautiful, just like her..

The rhythm of his movements shifted once again. His body grew even lighter, his steps more nimble, and his strikes carried a flowing sharpness, almost as though her name alone had breathed new life into him. The siblings lunged at him relentlessly, their swords and rapier wrapped in mana, every clash ringing with force. But Luthan danced through their attacks, slipping between blades and counters as if he was gliding through a storm, untouchable.

Still, his mind wandered. Amidst the sound of steel and mana crashing, he pictured something else entirely.

Luthan and Zane, no..... Zane and Luthan, yeah that feels nice.....

With a swift kick, he sent Aric stumbling backward, and in the same breath his hand brushed against Zane's, holding it for the briefest heartbeat.

Oh damn, I held her hands..

That single touch froze him, even if only for an instant. His mind blanked, caught between disbelief and thrill. It was more than enough. Zane's punch struck him across the face, and he was sent flying back, his body crashing hard into the ground.

Groaning, he rose quickly, his hand moving to his face. Warm blood was already running down from his nose, staining his fingers red.

That hurts...

But instead of faltering, the sting sharpened his spirit. He steadied his stance, his smile returning, though this time there was focus in his eyes. He lunged at them once again, his mind finally clear.

Maybe I could defeat both of them.....

****