DARIA: Damon Household
The first light of dawn crept slowly over Daria, brushing the rooftops with a soft, pale gold. The Damon estate lay in a rare, heavy stillness, broken only by the optimistic chirping of early birds and the rhythmic rustle of leaves in the morning breeze. In the courtyard, the garden fountains whispered to the wind, their droplets catching the sun like scattered diamonds.
Inside, the house was already humming with activity. Cassandra was in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, helping Lady Lisanna prepare a holiday breakfast. Her parents, Damon and Maria, had vanished before the sun had even cleared the horizon—likely called away by the hushed, urgent politics following the news from Tikka.
Aristo staggered into the dining room, practically dragging Phobos by the collar of his nightshirt. Phobos, true to his nature, was still eighty percent asleep, his head lolling like a wilted flower.
GLisanna began arranging the table, placing steaming platters of honey-glazed cloud-bread and savory sun-fruit tarts in the center. In the place of honor sat Cassandra's contribution: a bowl of spiced oatmeal porridge mixed with bitter-root extract a dish she had spent an hour perfecting, though her definition of "perfect" was questionable.
" Would you spend the whole holiday sleeping ?" Cassandra shouted at Phobos .
Phobos sat down, his eyes glued shut. Instinctively, he reached for a spoon, shoveled a massive mound of Cassandra's porridge into his mouth, and began to chew.
A second passed.
His eyes snapped open, bulging in horror. Without a word, he bolted for the washroom. The sound of violent gagging echoed through the hall. A minute later, he shuffled back, looking pale and betrayed.
He slumped into his chair and stared at the bowl. "I've realized something, Cassandra," he croaked, his voice trembling. "If the war in Tikka ever restarts, we don't need soldiers. We just need to catapult your cooking over the walls. The enemy will surrender just to stop the smell."
Thwack!
Cassandra's fist connected with Phobos's stomach with the speed of a strike-viper. The air left his lungs in a wheeze as he toppled off his chair, hitting the floor with a dull thud. He didn't even try to get up; he simply stayed there, knocked unconscious by the force of the blow.
"Cassandra!" Lisanna scolded, though her tone remained calm. "Behave like a proper young lady. Violence is the language of those who have run out of arguments, and one should never speak it while breaking bread."
"But he started it!" Cassandra yelled, her voice echoing off the high ceilings.
"It matters not who lit the spark, but who chose to fan the flame," Lisanna replied firmly.
"A woman of true strength masters her temper before she masters her Dio . To strike someone in a moment of anger is to admit that your mind is weaker than your hands. A lady must always be the architect of her own peace."
"I'm sorry, Phobos," Cassandra muttered, her words dripping with a sweetness that felt like a threat. "I tend to get angry sometimes,
Please forgive me." Her mouth was smiling, but her face was dark, screaming that she would gladly finish the job once Lisanna left the room.
A sharp, rhythmic knock sounded at the estate's outer gate. Lisanna smoothed her apron and went to see to the visitors. A few moments later, she returned, followed by two striking figures.
Hesper and her sister, Zira, stepped into the dining room.
They were a vision of beauty; their hair was a pure brilliant white that seemed to glow, and their eyes were like polished silver.
Two elegant, horns gracefully from their head , contrasting with their fine, a flowing lavender gown with silver embroidery tracing delicate vine patterns across the bodice, the long sleeves flaring gracefully at the wrists.
Zira stopped short, looking at the rug. "Why is Phobos on the floor?"
"Cassandra punched him back to sleep," Aristo answered casually, not breaking his stride as he reached for a tart.
"Hi, Aristo," Zira said, a small smile playing on her lips.
"How's your day, Zira? And how do you intend to spend this holiday?" Aristo asked, offering her a seat.
Lisanna gathered some linens and quietly slipped out, leaving the youths to their talk. Hesper leaned against the table, her silver eyes locking onto Cassandra's.
"So, Cassandra," Hesper began, her voice skeptical. "Are we still going to see this lady you admire so much? You keep saying she has no Dio or Eno, but that's technically impossible.
Eno can't be locked,the surge vessel is always open. There aren't any restrictions for it like there are for Dio."
She crossed her arms, her brow furrowing. "And you said she's an Elf? Cassandra, Elves have been extinct for ages. They are myths. To say one is just sitting in Daria is impossible. When exactly are we going to go see this 'legend' of yours?"
" Alexandra is captivating, she's the vice commander when my dad was the commander of the elite force, she has surge vessels, but they are completely empty, and according to what they said, she has three surge vessels" Cassandra continued as she kept on earth.
" That's impossible " hesper replied, " and elf, three surge vessels and no Dio or eno energy, let's see "
THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DARIA
" Alexandra, you're off duty today, aren't you? What's on the agenda for a free woman?"
Alexandra looked up from a stack of long-lost scrolls, a stray lock of her vibrant yellow hair falling across her face. Her ears, unmistakably pointed, twitched at the question. She offered a small, knowing smile. "I'm meeting with Cassandra today."
The librarian snorted, nearly dropping a leather-bound tome. "Damon's daughter? The little firebrand? She was a nightmare when she was small,always fighting, always bruised. I wish you good luck, Alexandra. You'll need it."
"She's not that bad," Alexandra laughed, her blue eyes bright with amusement. She stood up, smoothing out her fitted trousers and adjusting her crisp, tailored shirt. She looked less like a relic of history and more like a modern woman of the capital as she slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out of the library.
The capital was a symphony of chaos. The air was filled with the rhythmic clack-clack of carriage wheels on cobblestones and the constant hum of the crowd.
People swarmed past soldiers in polished bronze, scholars in flowing robes, and commoners rushing toward the market ,all under the watchful gaze of the library's spires.
DARIA :Valerian Street
The Valorian Courts
The Valorian Courts was an expansive open-air arena , The arena was designed to handle extreme power. It absorbed energy,kinetic, elemental, and magical alike.
keeping destruction to a minimum. Gravity was slightly heavier than normal, grounding fighters in the chaos, while the reinforced core stabilized every impact, making the battleground steady no matter how fierce the clash. a place where the air always tasted of dust and sweat. It was the heart of Daria's martial spirit, filled with the sounds of clashing wood, grunted efforts, and the shimmering hum of students practicing their Dio and eno-bursts.
Alexandra arrived to find the group waiting by the spectator benches. She paused, then burst into genuine laughter when she saw Cassandra.
As they walked closer.
"Don't say a word," Cassandra groaned, looking miserable. She was trapped in a formal, high-collared holiday gown.
"Lady Lisanna made me wear it. She said I had to look 'civilized' for the holiday."
"You look like a doll, Cassandra. A very angry, lethal doll," Alexandra teased.
Cassandra huffed and stepped forward to introduce her guests.
"This is Hesper and her sister, Zira. They... well, they didn't believe me when I told them about you."
Hesper stood frozen, her silver eyes wide and her breath hitching in her throat. Zira was no different, her white hair practically shimmering as she stared at Alexandra's pointed ears.
To them, Elves were tapestries and bedtime stories,not women in trousers standing in the middle of a sunlit arena.
Phobos, who had been dragged to the arena against his will and without his consent, didn't bother with the introductions. He simply slumped onto a bench, his chin hitting his chest, and went straight back to sleep.
Zira walked back to the bench
"Hesper, Cassandra," Alexandra said, her tone shifting to something more professional as she surveyed the bustling training ground. "Go change. You can't learn to move in silk and lace."
A few minutes later, the girls returned in sturdy leather tunics and flexible trousers suited for combat. The boys stayed behind on the benches, Aristo watching with keen interest while Phobos snored lightly beside him.
Hesper walked onto the sand of the arena floor, her eyes still fixed on Alexandra. The reality was finally sinking in: she was standing before a living legend.
"Make use of whatever you want," Alexandra said, stepping into the center of the ring.
"You are free to draw upon your Dio energy. Cassandra, you've only just unlocked yours, so don't overextend. And you, Hesper? How long has it been since you unlocked your Dio?"
"Seven months ago," Hesper answered, her voice regaining its steady confidence.
"Seven months," Alexandra repeated with a nod. "I see. Then you must be getting quite comfortable with it.
The atmosphere in the Valorian Courts didn't just shift; it curdled. The air grew heavy and pressurized, not with magic, but with the sheer physical presence of a predator .
"Begin," Alexandra commanded.
The word hadn't fully left her lips before Hesper's fingers sparked.
A jagged bolt of white-hot lightning hissed across the sand, moving at a velocity that far surpassed natural lightning bolt . Simultaneously, Cassandra closed the gap, her fist already mid-swing.
Alexandra didn't move until the lightning was an inch from her skin. With a flick of her head, she let the bolt whistle past her ear, the heat singeing the air. In the same motion, she opened her palm and caught Cassandra's fist.
The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave erupted from the point of contact, a literal wall of air that blasted outward, knocking spectators in the front rows flat against the benches, those training at the other side were blown away .
A sudden gust of wind tore through the arena, scattering dust and debris. Dex Adventure party had arrived at that moment to practice, and the sheer force of the blast made everyone take notice.
The guide team stood together, their eyes sharp as they studied the fighters.
At the front was Darian "Stormhand" Vale, the team's captain, his posture calm but alert. His gaze swept the arena with precision, noting every movement.
Beside him, the vice-captain Kaia "White Spark" Ryn, graceful and poised, her blue -streaked hair glinting in the sunlight, leaned forward. "That lightning just now… white lightning, around a terajoule, She must have unlocked Dio about five or six months ago, Fast, yes… but still not quite at an elite level."
Taren "Ironfist" Kole, broad-shouldered and solid as stone, cracked his knuckles.
"That gust just now? Strong enough to level a Ferrodrako—metallic beasts with high resistance. Still… not enough to push her beyond limits yet."
The last member, Lysander "Shadowstep" Vey, lean and wiry, eyes darting between every move, added, "Look at her body movement—almost flawless, but not impossible to predict. Definitely dangerous, though. Keep your distance until we see more."
Darian nodded thoughtfully. "Watch carefully. I want every detail logged.
This isn't just training—it's a chance to assess raw potential."
The arena floor beneath Alexandra's boots didn't just crack; it pulverized into fine white dust. This was a blow designed to wipe a village off the map in a single strike, yet Alexandra's arm didn't move a single millimeter.
"Good speed, hesper " Alexandra noted, her voice eerily calm while holding back a village-level extinction event. "The lightning is faster than a standard lightning bolt , but you're telegraphing the release, also make it faster , And you," she looked at Cassandra, whose eyes were wide with terror. "You hit hard enough to level a mountain, but you're pouring your soul into a single point. If you miss, you're dead."
" That lightning should have cause alot of damage, it was absorbed to the ground, what are we standing on" hesper thought to her self .
Alexandra's leg lashed out in a blur. Cassandra managed to cross her arms in a desperate block, but the force was titanic.
The impact sent Cassandra skidding twenty meters back, her feet carving deep trenches in the floor.
"That was a kick, right? You saw that? It was way too fast… felt like she didn't even move. Who's that elite soldier? I can tell she's strong, but I can't detect any Dio from her," Darian said, his eyes narrowing as he studied the the fight.
Internal bruising flared across her ribs, her body's natural healing factor screaming to life as it knitted muscle and bone back together in seconds.
Hesper's mind raced." Detection isn't picking up a single drop of Dio or Eno. The only signature she has is her body heat. She's doing all of this with pure, raw physical conditioning."
" So this is what Daria elite force are, a single elite soldier is able to wipe out about 12 of tikka strongest soldiers"
Hesper manifesting seven perfect clones. They swarmed Alexandra from all sides, a coordinated blur of strikes. Alexandra wove through them like a ghost. Each time her fist connected, a clone vanishes from the sheer atmospheric pressure of her punch.
The other trainees sprinted toward the opposite side, crowding onto the benches to watch. A ripple of unease ran through the room as everyone else instinctively backed away toward the exits, their eyes wide—no one wanted to be caught in the wake of that power.
A crowd began to form at the gates, citizens watching in horrified awe.
Cassandra lunged again, her fist glowing with a faint Dio-. She swung with enough force to collapse a citadel. Alexandra stepped aside, and Cassandra's fist slammed into the floor.
BOOM.
A massive crater, thirty feet wide, erupted where she hit.
The entire of Valorian street shook as if hit by an earthquake, windows rattling in the distant . Dust billowed into the air.
" What are this kids on!!, someone shouted from the other side "
"Wasted energy," Alexandra's voice came from the side. "And that blow? It wasn't even close to as strong as the first one you gave me. You're getting sloppy because you're desperate."
Alexandra countered with a snap-punch. Just before impact, Cassandra vanished, reappearing ten feet behind.
"Teleportation. Finally, some effort," Alexandra smiled.
"I see she's also mastered teleportation," Kaia observed, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Teleportation works hand-in-hand with detection.
First, you activate detection, creating a radius—360 degrees, which you can expand depending on your skill.
The moment you teleport, you can appear anywhere within that radius.
Your body's atoms scatter and instantly reform.
It's so fast that even if you move faster than the speed of light, you can't disrupt it, because it happens instantly"
She paused, watching carefully, then added with a faint smile, "Hmm… they're even better than I expected."
Cassandra and Hesper exchanged a look. They needed numbers. Together, they channeled their energy. Twenty of Cassandra's physical projections and fifty of Hesper's magic-reinforced clones flooded the field.
While the army of seventy rushed Alexandra.
Darian's expression grew more serious. "Detection frequency doesn't rely on Dio in the target," he said. "It targets the nervous system itself."
The team stiffened.
"When a person thinks, neurons fire," Darian continued. "Those signals generate microscopic bio‑electrical pulses.
Normally, they're chaotic and unreadable. But detection frequency emits an invisible Dio waveform that overlays those pulses."
He gestured subtly. "It doesn't synchronize, it induces resonance."
"The waveform forces neural signals to align for a fraction of a second, just long enough to expose intent.
It doesn't matter if the target has unlocked Dio or not.
A brain is still a brain."
"So it's reading the nerves?" someone asked.
"Exactly," Darian replied. "Not memories. Not thoughts. Just the direction the nervous system is about to commit to."
He paused. "That's why even non‑Dio users feel uneasy when detected. Their minds are being touched, not invaded, you could also push it forward to read the mind, to the enemy you're simply predicting his future."
He then turned to the second part.
"To block this, you need Mental Isolation," Darian said. "Mental Isolation creates a counter‑frequency around the brain. Instead of allowing resonance, it introduces controlled neural noise."
He tapped his head. "Your Dio floods the nervous system with randomized micro‑signals, breaking alignment.
The detection waveform can no longer lock on."
"And illusions?" another asked.
"Same defense," Darian answered. "Illusions require overriding sensory neurons, With isolation active, false input is rejected before it reaches perception."
He narrowed his eyes.
"To an enemy using detection frequency, you don't disappear,you become unreadable."
A faint smile crossed his face. "Like trying to read a language that keeps rewriting itself."
" I see so that blow just now was to buy time, you both linked up, communicating telepathically, If only I could use Dio" Alexandra said " communication is key after all "
She waded into the sea of clones, synchronising together.
This time, her movements were different. Instead of simple strikes, she used the momentum of one clone to smash through five others. She was a whirlwind of efficiency.
When Hesper's reinforced clones tried to grapple her, she simply flexed her muscles, the sheer expansion of her frame tearing through the clones.
"These are tougher," Alexandra admitted, standing amidst the fading mist of the final destroyed clone. "But still not enough. Go all out. Right now."
"Thank you, ma'am," Cassandra said, her voice dropping an octave.
A white aura erupted from Cassandra, her Dio energy gathering.
Darian's eyes narrowed as faint white traces peeled off her body, like mist made of light.
"Those white emissions… that's Dio," he said quietly. "And not the basic kind."
He continued, voice steady.
"Dio exists in stages. Black, red, and white. Each stage isn't just stronger, it operates on a completely different level of power ."
He raised a finger. "Black Dio is the foundation.
Weapons formed at this stage are already terrifying.
They're strong against almost any physical substance.
For example diochrome
Those gems can destroy other gems. Even diamonds can't touch them."
He glanced back at the arena. "But a black blade? It would slice through a diamond with almost no resistance."
"Red Dio," Darian went on, "is a massive leap.
Red weapons surpass black entirely,At that level, conventional durability stops mattering.
Most defenses simply fail."
Then his tone sharpened.
"But white Dio… that's the highest form."
The room felt quieter.
"Weapons at that stage don't just cut flesh or break defenses," he said.
"They bypass the body entirely and strike the soul itself."
He nodded toward the fading lightning scars in the arena.
"That lightning earlier,it was white,If she had taken it head‑on, her body would've been split in two. Worse than that, her soul would've been damaged."
Darian exhaled slowly. "No amount of physical resilience could withstand it."
Someone swallowed hard.
"And Damon's daughter?" one of them asked.
"She hasn't reached white yet," Darian replied.
"But she's close,Very close."
He gestured toward the faint, unstable glow. "That flickering you see? That's her Dio brushing against the threshold. Her body hasn't fully adapted yet—but once it does…"
He paused
"…she won't be on the same battlefield anymore."
She rushed in, her speed doubling. She and Alexandra exchanged a flurry of blows— millions strikes in a second. Alexandra dodged all of Cassandra punched, to the spectators, they didn't see what happend, time felt frozen to them.
Cassandra took millions of hits to the shoulders and chest, her healing factor working overtime, steam rising from her skin as she refused to fall.
"Wow—what just happened?" someone from the audience shouted.
"I didn't even see it," Taren said sharply.
"Was that a single punch? No… the damage on Damon's daughter couldn't have come from just one. And from what I picked up with detection—her Dio is overworking, actively repairing her body."
Darian shook his head. "Not exactly."
His eyes stayed locked on the arena. "It seems these girls are far better than I expected. You noticed what happened to the rest of the audience, right? They couldn't tell anything happened at all. Not a single movement."
He continued, calm but precise. "Time didn't stop.
They simply moved faster, faster than your detection could gather information."
A pause.
"They exchanged multiple blows in that instant. Every strike Damon's daughter threw was evaded.
Every punch from the elite soldier landed clean."
Darian exhaled slowly. "That speed gap… it's overwhelming."
Hesper saw her opening,She completed the symbol on the floor, and from it emerged wave after wave of clones, each armed with Eno and far more durable than the first.
They surged forward in coordinated groups, relentless and precise.
Cassandra fell back, her energy depleted, taking a moment to recover as Hesper advanced, joining the fray herself.
Despite their combined assaults, clones striking with elemental weapons, blasts of energy, and coordinated attacks, Alexandra was untouchable.
She moved faster than their eyes could track, stronger than anything they could land. Every strike that should have hit was dodged ,every attempt to corner her rendered useless.
Hesper's mind raced. She had faced powerful opponents before, but never like this. An elite soldier with no detectable energy, no Eno, no Dio—an elf whose sheer physical mastery alone made her a predator unlike any other.
"I see… this is Fulton's way of fighting," Alexandra said, her eyes narrowing. "A spell of endless clones. No matter how skilled you are with Dio, no matter how much your surge vessel can hold, you should have been exhausted by now.
Each clone carries Eno—every single one of them comes from you.
And with a spell like this, you reduce the requirements, making it less taxing on you. This… this must be an ancient spell. An unending army."
With that, Alexandra leapt back.
A single punch shattered the swarm.
The force didn't just destroy the clones—it wiped the spell clean off the ground. The glowing symbol disintegrated, vanishing into nothing.
Aristo acted instantly, raising a protective barrier, but even that wasn't enough. Alexandra's punch hit with such power that the barrier shattered on impact. Hesper and Cassandra were both thrown backward, sliding across the arena floor, struggling to regain their footing. Dust and debris filled the air, and the spectators gasped, clutching the edges of the stands as the shockwave rattled the entire arena.
"Remind me to never pick a fight with an elite soldier or any of these girls," Lysander muttered, eyes glued to the arena.
Darian didn't respond immediately.
"We should invite them to join our guild," Kaia said, never looking away from the fight. Her gaze was sharp, calculating. "Talents like this don't appear often."
Darian finally nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "If they survive this bout," he said calmly, "they won't stay unaffiliated for long."
Hesper and Cassandra were not done yet, Cassandra, rushed in this time she was faster than before, " she's fast, before Alexandra could react the punch was already close to her face, she dodged but was grizzed.
A concentrated blade of air, sharp enough to cut through anything, surged toward Alexandra.
Cassandra leapt high into the air, clearing the path just in time.
The wind strike slammed into Alexandra with a deafening roar. The force pushed her backward a few meters, but she remained perfectly upright, standing firm on the arena floor.
The arena was vast,tens of kilometers in every direction, even with that power, she wasn't anywhere near the walls. Dust and debris swirled around her from the impact, but she planted her feet instantly, arms crossed in a steady blocking stance.
"Finally!" Hesper gasped, her chest heaving, relief and tension mingling in her voice.
Alexandra's shirt was slightly torn, but her calm intensity didn't waver. The push had barely phased her; she had stood her ground.
"Aristo!" Alexandra barked. "Place a six layer barrier, Now."
Aristo, realizing the danger, stood up , A shimmering, reinforced dome of energy locked over the entire arena, sealing the combatants inside.
Phobos was still sleeping.
Hesper realized the truth with a chill.
"She didn't dodge that wind strike because the stray energy would have slaughtered the crowd behind her. She took it to protect the spectators."
Alexandra cracked her neck, then her fingers.
The sound was like dry wood snapping. A terrifying, calm intensity filled her blue eyes as she took a fresh stance.
"That was a decent warmup," Alexandra said, a shadow of a predatory grin appearing on her face. "Now, let's actually start the lesson."
"Warm up!!"
The shout came from the Dex guild members all at once, their voices echoing through the vast hall as the arena.
"Hey, Captain," Kaia said under her breath, nodding toward the far side of the arena. "See those boys over there? The one sleeping… and the other one wearing a blindfold."
"Yeah, I see them," Darian replied calmly. "They're kids."
Then he paused.
"But the blindfolded one…" Darian's eyes sharpened. "I didn't notice it at first,but his detection range covers this entire arena."
"And he's doing it without effort."