Somewhere along the line he had found his footing. He parried another blow aimed at his arm, then again aimed at his waist then again and again. Her sword strikes and movement was like a barbarian throwing caution out of the window, her fighting was full of flaws but he couldn't take advantage of it as he could barely stop her from killing him.
He deflected another blow his hand shaking, his starved bones quaking from the force, her speed wasn't too overwhelming but he couldn't follow, his brain was tired, he could barely keep up.
In no time he was covered in injuries and blood, weakening him more, but the relentless attack didn't stop but become increasingly harder to hold at bay, he was becoming weaker as time goes by, he didn't have time for his sarcastic remarks as the fight demanded his full attention.
The girl lifted up her sword and swang down at Eclipse who had barely raised up his sword to block her attack.
Clang.
The swords hit each other causing sparks to lit up, she lifted up again barely giving Eclipse time to breathe then brought it down again, and again and again, and again.
Eclipse brought his tumbling hand he barely felt anymore upward shielding his head from being cleaved in half, the force of the blow caused his knee to bent down, another one came again his knees gave way and crashed on it kneeling on the ground, then another his back bone quaked pain radiated from his back and hand, then another but this time his hand failed him not only because his hands were tired but also because the soul cost of confessor had taken effect.
[Soul cost]: [The blade grows colder with each kill, emotionally and physically. You begins to lose feeling in the hand that wields it.]
Raising his hand mid-air it suddenly dropped, Eclipse mind slowed down as he accepted death, as one point he had realized he was going to die he was only protecting himself to prolong his demise— not wanting to die kneeling down but this world didn't care about will at all, all it cared about was strength— strength he didn't have.
He felt something, definitely a pain but not from a sword— the girl had feinted attacking him with her sword but instead she had attacked him with her leg clad boot, and coincidentally collided with his sword that was now in the process of falling down.
Eclipse was lifted up off the ground from the force of the blow, he rolled on the floor like a rag doll. His chest tightened from the blow, breathing became hard, under the sickly dark sky only the sound of someone desperately trying to breath filled the air, he laid there broken, bloodied, exhausted.
The girl walked over to his side, he looked at her with his dead eyes, he opened his mouth but nothing came out. The girl went on her knees then for the first time spoke.
"A-a-a-are you still alive". A youthful voice filled with grief, accusation and denial rang out. Eclipse mind was weak and hazy, all he knew was that the girl was crazy and he hoped she died a gruesome death.
"Lady Rachel, Lady Seraphina is coming over from the west not the south". A breathless voice rang out, it was as if the owner of the voice had been running.
"Quick Laura heal him". The girl Laura quickly ran to Eclipse side and used her Exousia to heal him.
"What happened here". Laura quickly dropped to her feet by his side and begun to heal him, soft with light pulsed from her hands. He felt relieved, his starved flesh and bones drunk crazily, his hazy consciousness gradually returned, but the what he heard nearly knocked him unconscious.
"I initially ran his this direction looking for Sera, but I didn't see her so I thought I could spar him him a little". The girl name Rachel said defensively.
"By killing him".
"How was I supposed to know he would be so fragile". She said shrugging her shoulders.
Eclipse finally found the strength to prop himself up. He took a better look at the girl who healed him. She had black hair and black eyes with a or face, she was just looking at him or in particular his injury and strangely he was getting healed and his strength was returning to him. He expected there to be light on her hands but it was nothing like that.
"He's better now, see you later". With that Rachel ran away probably looking for that Sera girl.
"Please don't hold a grudge, she has been here for quite a long time and this place leaves an adverse effect on someone". The girl spoke in the favour of Rachel all the while looking at his body which was kind of creepy.
There was silence for sometime with the only movement from the girl as she looked all over his body, it was starting to get weird so he decided to change the topic.
"Am Eclipse by the way". His voice was cracked as if he had been crying for a long time.
"Ooh mine is Laura". And then silence.
"This is how much I can heal you, conserving Aether you know how this place is". Laura stood up.
"Yeah yeah". Eclipse got up shakily with the aid of confessor, he almost fell but Laura was quick to aid him.
"I think it would be best if we head back to the city".
"City?". Eclipse eyes widened, finally civilization.
"Yes city you stink, you need a bath". But Eclipse didn't hear the rest of what she said his mind kept revolving round the concept of a city.
The journey to the stronghold was a silent one which was filled with anticipation. Mostly from Eclipse, he finally got to escape desolation. There kept waking until there entered a large clearing, ahead of him was filled with nothing but people — people with white souls with different coloured soul shard
In the middle of a vast, open plain, where the wind rolled like waves over tall grass and wildflowers, stood a colossal castle—a towering four-story fortress of stone, steel, and sorcery. Its walls were smooth and dark, etched with glowing sigils and climbing ivy. Four main levels rose in increasingly slender tiers, each with broad terraces and sweeping balconies, giving the impression of a giant throne forged into the earth.
Around it, dozens of smaller castles were scattered like a city of miniature strongholds. Each little castle had its own style—square towers, round keeps, peaked roofs of slate or brass—all arrayed in a rough circular pattern around the main fortress. They were connected by straight, stone-paved roads that crisscrossed the fields, with market stalls and open courtyards between them. Some floated slightly above the ground, kept aloft by minor levitation enchantments, while others nestled into small mounds of earth.
No forest, no mountain, no barrier stood around it—only the endless plain, stretching out to the horizon. The sight of such a structured, towering bastion rising in the emptiness was surreal, like a god had placed it there by hand. At sunset, its silhouette cast a sprawl of long shadows that reached for miles, while the wind carried the distant hum of its enchanted bells.