The Inner Odyssey

The Holy Knights recognised that something had to change.

…The crowd did too.

And so, with worry and anxiety thick in the air, the two stone-like warriors spun, deflecting an intense strike from the Noble Queen. Instead of using the brief moment to attack her exposed back - which Alden could tell wasn't really all that exposed, considering a twitch of the Noble Guildmaster's wings could help her evade any strike - the Holy Knights suddenly grasped each other.

Immediately after, the wind howled, and green wind energy coaelsced around them like a shell.

Only, this shell had a shape.

Alden's eyebrows instinctively rose.

'Interesting.'

Reflected in his crimson gaze, a light-green panther snarled, its fangs dripping with deathly sharp wind energy. Nestled safely in the centre of the Wind Creature, the two Holy Knights cut solemn figures as the heavens howled its lament.

The crowd, awed by this, burst into a frenzy.

In the next moment, the magical panther disappeared.

Just one step… and it was barreling towards the Noble Queen, its claws outstretched ready to tear into her wings. A collective gasp resounded within the arena.

It was as if the creature rode on unseen currents of wind.

Alarmed for the Noble Guildmaster's sake, Alden's muscles tensed.

With incredible reaction speed, the masked Queen twisted at the last moment so that her estoc absorbed the panther's blow. However, as a result, she was slightly off-balance - enough so that the sudden strike caused her to shoot unexpectedly through the air.

The Noble Queen was like a golden blur.

Only, this time, her flight was anything but controlled.

Just when Alden thought she would crash into the barrier protecting the crowd, the Noble Guildmaster righted herself at the last moment. And not a moment too soon. The panther, intent on chasing its prey, was inches away from her armoured figure.

Alden clenched his fist, worry drowning his heart.

However, his anxiety proved unfounded. The Noble Queen's brilliant wings twitched again, and she evaded the creature by a hair's breadth. The panther slammed into the green barrier, a spiderweb of cracks running across it in tandem with the screams of the crowd.

The hum of magic filled the air, and the Zephyr Clan Elders promptly restored the protective barricade.

The panther launched itself off the barrier, lunging towards the Noble Queen once more.

Silently cheering the Nobles on, Alden watched as the Guildmaster tore through the air, pursued by the swift creature.

She weaved through the arena, twisting her body and wings in impressive maneuvers, trying to shake it off.

…To no avail.

The panther was too dogged and too swift. It was relentless in its pursuit.

For the first time in the Guild Tournament, something was giving the Noble Queen a run for her crystals. Even when the staff-wielder summoned numerous lances, hurling it in the creature's direction, the magical construct was able to shrug it off through a mixture of wind blasts and breathtaking speed.

After evading a particular, near-instant blow, Alden saw the winged Queen pause, as if inviting the panther in. The creature was all too happy to oblige. However, at the last moment, the Noble Queen dropped her shoulder.

Naturally, the panther followed, adjusting its direction.

Unfortunately…

It was a feint.

With a lightning-fast strike, the Noble Queen dove under the panther and ran her blade along the length of the light-green shell. The creature bled. Only, instead of blood, it leaked wind energy.

The panther snarled.

…And suddenly, the Noble Queen lurched.

Alden internally gasped, wondering what had caused the mighty warrior to stagger in the air.

He found out less than a breath later.

'Blasted Asterons!'

The Noble Queen was missing half her wings.

The panther's tail shone with a razor-sharp green hue, responsible for the sudden wound. If not for the slightest mana fluctuation coming from it, Alden would have completely missed what had caused the Noble Queen to sway - it was imperceptible, and that quick!

A brief lull appeared in the battle as both sides healed.

The Holy Knights imbued their panther with more wind energy, mending the long cut along the underbelly that the masked Queen had created. Her figure, meanwhile, shone with a radiant golden hue, and very soon, her wing grew back, its progress visible to the naked eye.

Just when both combatants prepared to rush each other again, a wave of azure chains suddenly rose up from the ground, shackling the panther. The azure manacles appeared extremely solid, as if formed from crystallised mana.

The magical creature hissed, its restraints tightening.

Before it could break free, though…

Toni materialised on top of the panther with a shout, carving the creature from shoulder to hip with her sword.

The hood of her cloak was down, revealing her whipping braid and the numerous bloody cuts marring her face.

To Alden, she was like a Defiled possessed.

In other words, she was extremely cool.

A sharp intake of breath resounded collectively around the arena. Toni's blade - now dyed green - tore through the magical creature. However, before she could reach the Holy Knights inside, she was violently flung off the panther.

Alden winced at the sound of her slamming into the earth some distance away.

A cloud of dust rose, veiling her prone form.

Suddenly, he paled, recalling the Noble's secret.

Just as the Noble Queen was about to launch herself at the panther like an arrow, she stiffened. The staff-wielder turned rigid, as well - right at the moment when she and the solitary Holy Knight clashed.

The youngest Noble shot through the air like a projectile.

Alden feared she would slam into the barrier and lose consciousness. However, at the last moment, the staff-wielder righted herself and bent her knees, springing off the protective barricade, and zipping back towards the lone Holy Knight.

The gem on her staff shone with a blinding light. And in the next moment, an indescribably large magical staff formed above her, smashing into her dark-armoured opponent.

A larger cloud of dust rose this time, the resonant boom of cracking earth resounding within it.

In the centre of the arena, the Noble Queen swiftly recovered.

The Holy Knights, meanwhile, used the brief moment to dispell the magical panther.

By the looks of things, Toni had thoroughly savaged its shell.

Alden leaned forward, his arm digging into the cushioned armrest with more force.

His crimson gaze scrutinised the masked Queen closely, and when he saw her figure shine with a golden radiance, brighter even than the azure light emitted by the staff-wielder, Alden instinctively knew the clash was over.

The Noble Guildmaster's figure resembled a butterfly with its grace.

Beneath that elegant veneer, however, lay a dangerous stinger.

Before the two Holy Knights could comprehend what happened, a golden line stretched across both of their chests, and blood poured out the wound like a river.

They swiftly lost consciousness.

The arena turned deathly silent as the Noble Queen leaned on her estoc to stop herself from faltering. The staff-wielder and Toni dragged their weary bodies over as well, and the three sisters looked over the silent crowd regally, as if daring them to challenge their might.

In the next moment, a thunderous roar swept through the Theatre of War.

The Nobles had won!