———
"Only the strongest rule the land…"
–Luqie Mi Gami
———
I crashed onto the battlefield. The impact shattered the ground beneath me, a crater blooming outward as Gravemaws turned in unison.
Dust filled my lungs. Rot clung to the air.
God, it stinks.
I didn't move. Claws scraped stone. Jaws opened. I tracked the nearest one—left shoulder lagging, jaw unhinging a beat too slow. If it lunged first, I'd lose an arm. If I stepped right, its neck would be exposed.
I shifted my weight and waited for it to attack.
The wrenched beings surged toward me. Stone cracked beneath their charge, debris crushed without slowing them. One trampled another aside, their mouths gaped wide. Eyes fixed on me alone.
I summoned the Omniblade. It refused a single shape, steel flowing and snapping between weapons as if anticipating the kill before I moved.
I exhaled and swung.
The Omniblade flashed once. Three Gravemaws fell before the rest understood what had happened.
The charge broke. Claws slowed. Several creatures skidded to a halt, their momentum dying with the bodies at their feet.
[Eliminate all of the 'Gravemaw' 46/637]
Seems like they are on a killing spree.
I stepped forward. This time, they backed away.
This is easier than I thought.
I rested the Omniblade on my shoulder. None of them moved.
I stepped forward, and the line broke. "Run." They scattered toward the ruins behind them—toward the shelters, the screams still echoing inside.
———
As I plunged into the swarm, the city screamed elsewhere.
Magistrate Haruza skidded backward through a marketplace, stone pillars collapsing as a flaming fist drove into his guard. He answered with a punch of his own, the shockwave shattering windows three streets away.
Fire spilled across the ruins. The ground cracked beneath them. This fight wasn't hunting—it was mutual destruction.
Haruza wiped blood from his lips with the back of his hand. "It doesn't matter." He winced, clutching his side. "…I won't give you the relic."
A man in black leather walked up to him. "You are wasting my time." He let out a slow breath. Clusters of fire bloomed around him, pulsing with heat. "Just die already."
———
Yurina and Haruto were slaying Gravemaws side by side.
[Dragon Breath]
Yurina unleashed her breath of flames. The abominations shrieked as fire stripped them down to ash. Black Smoke rose from the burning flesh, twisting into ragged shapes.
Haruto scoffed. "Show off." He muttered, slaying a Gravemaw without looking.
"Is that the right tone to speak to a princess?" Yurina's voice carried pride. "But I will take that as a compliment."
Haruto raised his eyebrows. "But on chapter 6, you said, 'There's no need for formalities,'" he said with a teasing smile.
Her face flushed. "You know what I mean!"
FWOOOOSHHH!
Something shot past them, splitting the air with sheer force and kicking up clouds of smoke.
"What was that?"
When the smoke cleared, the figure standing before them was none other than Magistrate Haruza—badly wounded and unconscious.
"Well… well." The atmosphere instantly changed and the air suddenly felt heavy. "What do we have here?" a voice slithered through the silence, cold enough to send chills down their spines. A shadowy figure that looked like a man emerged towards them but none dared to even look at him.
"What is he doing here?" Haruto screamed in his thoughts. "He's not supposed to be here. Not now."
The man gave an unpleasant smile as he pointed his finger downwards and whispered.
[Combustion Nova]
A crimson orb of compressed fire bloomed in his hand.
Haruto sensed the upcoming threat and rushed to Yurina's side, before his hands slammed to the ground.
A heartbeat later, it detonated—fire and pressure ripping outward. A large part of the district was engulfed in flames, smoke curling into the sky as sirens wailed in the distance.
[Dream Barrier]
A cocoon of crystalline water exploded into existence, enveloping them just in time to deflect the relentless eruptions.
———
From the shadows of the ruins, a hooded man observed the chaos in silence. His eyes glimmered faintly beneath the veil.
"…how annoying," he muttered, his voice laced with arrogance, yet calm as if the destruction before him was nothing more than a trivial inconvenience.
Without another glance, he turned away. His cloak trailed behind as he vanished into the darkness, slipping through a hidden passage that led deep into the sewers—toward something only he sought.
———
Back at the battlefield, the lands had turned into an ocean of flames. The crystal barrier began to melt. The heat suffocated their lungs, making breathing impossible.
[True Rewrite: Conceptual Override ]
Object: Fire
Current Concept: Blazing
Rewrite: Ice
For an instant, the fiery inferno froze into sculpted ice. The temperature dropped and cold winds swept through the battlefield, carrying with it the silence of winter.
I marched from the ruins, each step echoing with unyielding resolve. The man grinned, amused by what seemed heroic, but was utterly foolish.
The Apostle faltered, his voice tightening. "What… is this?"
Haruto breathed heavily as he lowered his Obsidian Wall, the black stone crumbling away into dust. Yurina coughed as she gasped for fresh air. They looked at each other before their eyes locked on me, only a few steps before the man.
I tipped my blade towards the man. "Who are you, and what's your business here?" I demanded, my voice edged with rage.
The man burst into laughter. "Who do you think you are, mortal?" his laughter echoed like thunder, shaking the air by his presence.
The Omniblade turned into a scythe as I hurled it at the man in anger. The blade spun through the air like a crescent moon of death.
He effortlessly dodged and glanced at me disgusted. "A mere mortal dares to challenge me? How foolish of you."
Yurina stood up as her will adapted to the sudden change of atmosphere. "Careful, Izayami." She picked up a sword from the ground nearby, it must belong to one of the adventurers. "…he's an Apostle."
Haruto rolled his eyes. "An annoying one… to be exact." his voice danced with irony.
Rings of lightning started to take a form circling the apostle as he introduced himself. "I'm Luqie, Luqie Mi Gami." he grinned, flames engulfing his fist. "…Apostle of Elements."
———
I shook my head, giggling, letting the Omniblade twirl lazily between my fingers. "Luqie? What a weird name."
I glanced back just as a lightning bolt tore through the air toward me. I immediately channeled the attack into the ground with my blade.
The Apostle's eyes flared with anger. "How bold of you," he hissed, turning his gaze to Yurina. "Ahhh… I remember you. How did you manage to escape the seal, princess?"
Haruto raised his hand, shielding his eyes as he glared at the Apostle. "Drop it, dude."
The Apostle scoffed. "I'm not here because of her anyway. But I'll deal with you later." He waved his hands, and a roaring tornado of fire tore through the battlefield, lifting Yurina into its blazing spiral.
"Yurina!" Haruto and I shouted, arms outstretched toward her.
The ground split open beneath us. Vines erupted from the fissure, coiling around Haruto's limbs and yanking him down into the darkness below.
"Haruto!" I caught Haruto by the wrists, but the vines were too strong, dragging him down. I spun and swung at him without thinking.
The Apostle laughed softly. "How pathetic." In a single step, he seized my throat and hoisted me off the ground.
I gasped for air, his grip crushing my throat. "L–let… go of me!" I kicked at him blindly as he hoisted me higher.
The Apostle tossed me across the ruins. Pain shot through my chest as I hit the ground, gasping, hands clawing at my throat.
Lightning-shaped arrows erupted around the Apostle, arcing violently, each one humming with deadly intent. My hands scraped the ground as I forced myself up.
With a wave of his hand, an arrow flew at me. I blocked it with my blade, making the Apostle more furious. He thrust his hand forward, and all of the arrow came at once.
I managed to dodge a couple of arrows first but now it's overwhelmed. Wings of swirling wind erupted behind me, lifting me just as lightning arrows tore after me.
"This is wasting my time." He pivoted, eyes locked on Haruza, and surged forward like a predator.
———
📄 End of Chapter 7
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