—VILLAGE
The final screech of the Abyssal beast echoed across the night. Its body crumbled into black dust, slowly scattering into the cold wind. Lucia, breathing heavily, dropped to one knee. Her body trembled—partly from exhaustion, partly from the sheer weight of what they just faced.
Kenjiro panted beside her, gripping his blade with both hands, barely staying on his feet.
"Is… it finally over?" he gasped, his voice ragged.
Lucia nodded weakly, wiping a streak of blood from her cheek.
"That… thing wasn't normal. Someone summoned it. Someone powerful."
The night air suddenly shifted—sharp, colder, heavier.
It was as if the world itself was holding its breath.
tap... tap... tap…
Footsteps.
A tall figure in black approached from the shadows between the trees, his pace slow, deliberate. The moonlight revealed a man with an elegant yet unsettling aura—silver-streaked black hair, deep crimson eyes that gleamed with amusement and cruelty.
His cloak swayed with the breeze, lined with red runes and stitched with a symbol unknown to either of them.
Lucia stood up quickly, conjuring a sphere of defensive light in her palm.
"Who are you?!"
The man smiled—calm, relaxed, and completely unfazed.
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just an observer. Or… perhaps the storm after the silence."
Kenjiro narrowed his eyes.
"Tch… what kind of edgy villain intro is that?"
The man chuckled softly, ignoring the jab.
"You may call me… Azerius."
Lucia's grip on her magic tightened.
"Did you summon that monster?"
"Monster?" Azerius tilted his head slightly. "No no no… that was merely a test. And congratulations. You passed."
He stepped forward again.
"You fought well, little noble… and the outsider," he said, his crimson gaze locking with Kenjiro's. "Especially you. Something sleeps inside you, doesn't it?"
Kenjiro flinched.
"What are you—"
"Enough!" Lucia shouted, launching a sharp spear of ice toward him.
SHH-CRACK!
Before the spell could even reach Azerius, it shattered into particles midair, as if space itself refused to let it touch him.
"Wh—?!" Lucia took a step back. "It didn't even reach him…"
"How dull." Azerius sighed dramatically. "You strike first without hearing the full story. How very human of you."
Kenjiro's expression turned serious.
"We're not interested in hearing whatever sick story you've got."
"Such hostility…" Azerius murmured, raising his hand slowly. "Very well then. Let's see how long you two last…"
FWOOOSH!
The ground around them twisted—his aura warping reality. Shadows writhed beneath his feet. A pulse of magic so dense radiated from him that the ground cracked and trees swayed away in fear.
Lucia conjured dual blades of ice and fire, her body trembling but standing tall.
"Kenjiro… stay behind me."
"Not this time." He gritted his teeth, pulling out another magic scroll and clutching his sword.
"Together then," she said, eyes narrowing.
"Let's give 'Mr. Edgy Villain' a proper welcome."
From the thick mist beyond the burning tree line, a figure emerged—cloaked in elegant black, embroidered with ominous red patterns that pulsed faintly like veins. His stride was calm, almost too calm for someone stepping into a battlefield littered with ash and blood.
Lucia narrowed her eyes. "Who…?"
Kenjiro slowly stood, still catching his breath. "Another one?"
The man smiled, his voice silky and taunting.
"How delightful… You two are still standing. I expected nothing less from the ones who survived an abyssal spawn. But then again…" His gaze locked onto Kenjiro for a second longer than necessary. "There's something very wrong with you."
Kenjiro flinched slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Dark mana. Clinging to your skin like a second soul," Azerius whispered, more to himself. "How curious."
Lucia stepped in front of Kenjiro, forming a protective stance. "Who are you? Another summoner?"
Azerius chuckled. "Me? Oh no, I don't need tricks like summoning. I am the trick."
Kenjiro clenched his fists. "Alright, I've had enough of your mouth."
In a flash, Kenjiro lunged, gripping a nearby sword and slicing downward.
Azerius didn't move.
SHHHHK!
Kenjiro froze mid-swing. His blade cracked—no, reality around the blade itself cracked like a mirror.
"Is it appropriate to strike someone while they are speaking?" Azerius said with a sigh.
In that same moment, an invisible force ripped through Kenjiro's left hand, slicing it clean off.
Kenjiro gasped, eyes wide. His blade fell. So did his hand.
"KENJIRO!!" Lucia screamed, immediately rushing to his side.
"Calm yourself, girl," Azerius said as he took a step forward. "He's not dead. Yet."
Lucia's magic flared up with wild emotion, frost dancing on her right arm, flames roaring on her left.
"You'll pay for that."
Azerius's smile widened.
> "Then allow me to give you a taste… of despair."
—
Lucia's cloak fluttered wildly as she raised her arms, wind swirling violently around her palms. With a sharp chant, she launched a high-pressure air slash, followed by jagged ice spikes that shimmered in the dim moonlight.
"Wind Cutter!"
"Frost Lance!"
Dozens of slicing currents and icicles screamed toward Azerius from every direction.
Yet—
They never made it.
The spells shattered midair, disintegrating into blue particles before even reaching his cloak.
"Such effort…" Azerius said with a mocking tilt of his head, "for such... decorative results."
Lucia grit her teeth. "What are you…?"
Azerius smirked. "I'm the one who doesn't need to try."
Kenjiro staggered up, holding his bleeding wrist, still defiant. "Tch... damn it…"
He's playing with us. Just standing there like we're some training dummies—!
Fueled by anger, Kenjiro grabbed a shattered weapon from the ground and charged once more.
"RRRRAAAAHH!!"
He raised it high and aimed straight for Azerius's chest.
And yet—
SLAM.
A sudden invisible force struck him from the side mid-run, sending Kenjiro flying like a ragdoll across the battlefield.
He crashed through a stack of crates and skidded along the dirt, groaning.
Lucia screamed, "Kenjiro!"
"Does he not learn?" Azerius said, still unmoved. "You're both children trying to wound a god with sticks."
Lucia's breath was heavy now, sweat beading on her temple.
Kenjiro coughed violently as he slowly pushed himself up, his face scratched and bruised, eyes burning with frustration.
"Why… can't I land a single hit…?"
Azerius slowly began to walk forward—still calm, still untouchable.
"Because you don't understand what you're holding inside."
But Azerius said no more. His smile faded, and for the first time—his hand moved toward the hilt of his blade.
—
Kenjiro knelt on the ground, blood dripping from where his left hand used to be. His body ached. His vision blurred. But something inside him refused to give up.
"Damn it... there has to be something…!"
If I don't do something—Lucia's going to get killed!
He fumbled into his satchel with trembling fingers, pulling out another scroll, one etched in golden and violet glyphs.
Lucia noticed. "Kenjiro—?! That one's unstable! Don't—!"
Too late.
Kenjiro ripped it open with his teeth.
A violent gust erupted, shaking the ground beneath them. The sky above roared as dark clouds spun overhead.
"From lightning, rise… beast of the heavens—!"
With a thunderous explosion, a massive lightning dragon emerged from the scroll's light—its scales crackling with electric arcs, eyes glowing like suns. The very ground trembled beneath its presence.
Azerius lifted his head slightly.
"Hmm… Now this is slightly entertaining."
"GO!!!" Kenjiro shouted, pointing his bloodied hand forward.
With a deafening roar, the lightning dragon launched itself at Azerius, fangs open wide—devouring him whole in one swift, glowing chomp.
The village around them was lit in white-blue hues, the air still buzzing with static. Lucia gasped, almost believing it was over.
But then—
BOOM!
The dragon's body convulsed and exploded from the inside out, scattering chunks of pure lightning that vaporized trees and nearby structures.
From within the storm of destruction… Azerius emerged.
His cloak was torn slightly, smoke rising from his shoulder.
"Summoning magic huh. That's the technique of the last sage I killed"
He raised his hand and casually snapped his fingers.
A gravitational wave pulsed outward—Kenjiro dropped to one knee, coughing blood, overwhelmed by sheer pressure.
Lucia's eyes blazed.
"I've had ENOUGH!"
She chanted swiftly in an ancient tongue, magic sigils spinning beneath her feet.
> "O frozen moon… heed my call—
Let frost pierce time and silence gods—Arctis Finalis!"
An enormous sigil opened above, radiating ice energy so intense the air itself froze. Shards of light formed into an ancient greatsword made entirely of crystallized mana.
Lucia hurled it downward toward Azerius.
The ground split beneath it. The pressure was immense.
BOOM!!!
The explosion of light and frost engulfed the field.
Everything was buried in ice… even the clouds above trembled.
Lucia fell to her knees, gasping—her mana almost depleted.
But the cold wind whispered something terrifying.
> Crunch…
A single step echoed from within the frozen crater.
Azerius… walked out unscathed, brushing ice shards off his shoulder.
"How cute. You almost scratched me."
Kenjiro forced himself up—wobbling, limping, breathing heavily—his sword shaking in one hand.
Still, he charged.
Still… useless.
Azerius didn't even turn. The moment Kenjiro got close—
SLAM!
Azerius raised a single finger—Kenjiro was blasted back, crashing through a stone wall, his blade shattered.
"Pathetic," Azerius muttered.
Lucia's eyes widened in fear.
They were outmatched.
Badly.
—
Smoke drifted over the battlefield, the air heavy with burnt earth and shattered mana. Kenjiro coughed blood, struggling to lift himself with his remaining arm. Lucia was still on her feet, barely, her breaths shaky, mana all but drained.
And yet, Azerius stood perfectly untouched.
He chuckled as he stepped closer, his boots echoing across the broken stones.
"You two really thought you could fight me? What a joke."
He looked at Kenjiro, then at Lucia, his red eyes glowing faintly.
"But I'll admit… I haven't had this much fun in years. It's kind of charming. Like watching bugs try to push a mountain."
"Shut up…" Kenjiro growled, gritting his teeth.
Azerius crouched beside him mockingly.
"Still breathing? How persistent. I like that in prey."
Lucia slowly raised her hand, trying to summon another shard of magic—but her body trembled, sparks fizzling before they even formed.
Azerius turned to her next and tilted his head.
"You're more interesting than I expected. That mana… it's old. Ancient. Frozen bloodline, perhaps?"
"Stay away from him," Lucia hissed, standing protectively in front of Kenjiro.
Azerius raised his hands in exaggerated surrender.
"Easy now. I'm not done talking."
He smirked.
"Oh I almost forgot, I am Azerius. One of the warlocks of destructions"
Lucia's eyes widened.
"...The Warlocks of Destruction…?"
Kenjiro glanced at her, confused.
"What the hell is that…?"
Lucia's face went pale as she explained quickly under her breath:
"They're… an ancient group. Powerful dark magic users… allied with the Abyssal Forces—the remnants of the Demon Lord's army. No one knows how many of them are left, but they're extremely dangerous… And this one is—"
Azerius laughed and interrupted.
"One of the stronger ones, yes. You're not wrong, little noble girl."
He turned to Kenjiro.
"And you… You reek of it. That cursed presence… So much like him. But incomplete."
Kenjiro's eyes widened slightly, but Azerius just smirked.
"Ah, don't worry. I won't kill you. Yet."
He turned his back, pacing with confidence.
"You're not ready. Not strong enough. It'd be boring to finish you off now."
Lucia gritted her teeth. "Coward."
Azerius chuckled.
"No, no. I just like giving hope. It makes your despair so much more delicious when I crush it later."
He stopped, looking over his shoulder.
"Grow stronger, little bugs. Let's see if you survive what's coming."
And with that, a portal of swirling dark mana opened behind him. Without another word, Azerius stepped into it.
He vanished.
The battlefield fell eerily silent. The storm faded.
Kenjiro collapsed again, his vision flickering.
Lucia fell to her knees, grabbing his shoulder.
"Kenjiro! Hey, stay with me! We're safe now…"
…..
The first rays of sunlight broke through the dark canopy of the trees, painting the blood-soaked soil with a golden glow. The barrier that had shielded the village flickered faintly, now weakened but still standing.
Doors creaked open one by one.
The villagers cautiously stepped out of their shelters, eyes wide as they took in the destruction left behind.
And then they saw them—Lucia, bloodied and breathing heavily, leaning over Kenjiro's unconscious body. Cuts ran down her arms and legs, her cloak torn, hair wild and crusted with dirt and magic residue. Kenjiro, limp and battered, his left hand still gone, but the remnants of a dark aura still lingered faintly around him like smoke that refused to disappear.
"Lady Lucia!"
"Lord Kenjiro!! What happened?!"
Several villagers rushed to them in panic. The village chief helped lift Kenjiro onto a wooden stretcher.
"Quick, bring water! Bandages! Call the healer!"
Lucia stood silent for a moment, still catching her breath, but finally nodded.
"Please… bring him to the mansion. He needs rest. We both do."
The villagers obeyed without hesitation. Some still trembled from the earlier attack, but gratitude filled their eyes. Their protectors had survived.
Meanwhile… Somewhere Far Beyond Aestheria
The air is thick with ominous energy. A vast, circular chamber lit only by the glow of floating violet orbs reveals nine colossal thrones carved from black stone—each uniquely designed to reflect its owner's personality. However, only one figure is fully visible: Azerius.
Azerius steps forward, placing one arm lazily on his throne's armrest, still wearing his smug expression from the earlier battle.
Azerius (chuckling): "What a delightful warm-up. The two showed some potential. I nearly got excited."
The rest of the thrones are occupied, but their owners are shrouded in shadow or concealed by cloaks, veils, or dark illusions. Each presence radiates a terrifying aura—some cold, some chaotic, some eerily silent.
One of the unseen members speaks with a distorted voice, echoing unnaturally through the chamber.
???: "You delayed the meeting… for that?"
Azerius: "Just scouting. The boy's aura reeks of the forbidden... and the girl... interesting magic for a child of nobility."
Another Voice (???): "Enough. The time has come."
A third member leans forward from their throne, resting their chin upon steepled fingers.
???: "The sages must fall. They are too close to awakening the ancient balance. We must take the orbs... before they do."
Azerius (grinning): "Five sages. Five keys to that ancient power. One orb is already stirring… can't you hear it whispering?"
A moment of silence falls over the chamber. Then, the leader—his voice alone enough to silence the others—speaks.
??? (Leader): "Then the order is given. Each of you will hunt the sages. I will assign every two members "
Suddenly, a dark sigil flares beneath each throne, pulsing like a heartbeat. The chamber begins to darken further as the voices fade.
Fade to black…
Back in Aestheria…
Inside the Marquands mansion, Kenjiro and Lucia lay in their separate rooms, unconscious and bandaged, the storm behind them... and a darker one ahead.
To be continued—