VR- Battlefield
[3... 2... 1... 0..]
As countdown reached zero, and the barrier vanished.
Lunara was the first to move.
"Phantom Wings!" she cried, as dark, bat-like wings sprouted from her back. She shot forward mid air, her speed increasing with each flap, her fangs bared in exhilaration as she closed the distance to Ryu in an instant. Just as she reached mid-distance to ryu, ready to strike—
Ryu disappeared.
"Flickering Phantom."
A blur. A shift in space. Before Lunara could react, Ryu reappeared mid-air between them, his blood-red katana gleaming under the battlefield's lights. A clean slash followed, and crimson sprayed into the air. A deep gash ran across Lunara's side, blood dripping freely as she hissed in pain. Yet, before she could retaliate,or ryu could attack, vines with throne covered with dark-green aura ,surged forth from all directions from below, attempting to ensnare him.
Sylvara's magic.
Ryu barely spared them a glance.
"Ghost Fang."
A single, invisible slash. The vines were severed before they could touch him, falling in shredded pieces to the ground. But Lunara's spilled blood was already moving—
"Hemomantic Spear!"
A crimson spear, forged from her own blood, shot towards Ryu at blinding speed, from point blank. Its tip crackling with energy, capable of piercing magical barriers. Ryu twisted, sidestepping it using telekinesis mid air with practiced ease. His eyes flickered to Lunara's wound—already closing, regenerating almost instantly.
As he landed on ground.
That was when Rael attacked.
"Thundering Stride!"
Electricity crackled in the air around and Rael's golden fur ,as he moved faster than the eye could follow. He was upon Ryu in an instant, lightning dancing across his claws.
"Fangs of Fenrir!"
A blur of movement. Dozens of lightning-fast strikes condensed into a single, seamless motion, meant to tear through any defense. But Ryu countered each with his katana, the battlefield echoing with the sharp clash of metal against claw. Creating the flashes of red and yellow. They exchanged blows at an impossible speed, lightning crackling against Ryu's blood-red blade. Then, in a split second, Ryu's sword flicked forward—
A clean slash across Rael's eye.
Rael let out a roar, staggering back as blood dripped down his face, staining golden fur in red. But there was no time to recover—
Ryu vanished. "Flickering Phantom."
As ryu vanished. An arrow, imbued with lunar magic, passed in streak of light straight at where moment ago Ryu's head was.
Ryu gaze flickered side.
Standing far way silver-blond hair girl with
emerald-green eyes locked on him, arrows of energy pulled back, ready to shoot.
Elaine.
Ryu bearly gave her glance.
Before rael could recover.
Ryu reappeared behind Rael.
A swift, merciless slash—
"Ghost Fang."
The blade cut through both of Rael's legs. He collapsed, his knees slamming into the ground as pain twisted across his face. Before Rael could scream.
"Flash Step!"
Leon appeared in a flash, his greatsword arcing down towards Ryu in a devastating strike.
Ryu raised his blade, blocking it with one hand.
Leon growled and swung again, but before he could land another blow, Ryu's telekinesis activated. A sudden force yanked Rael's body from the ground—
And sent him crashing into Leon, both of them hurtling toward Kieran, who was mid-chant for a powerful ice spell.
Before they could collide, Evelyn stepped forward her golden hair shining in artificial sun, her shield glowing .
"Aegis Reflection!"
A golden barrier shimmered into existence, stopping Rael and Leon before they could slam into Kieran. As barrier disappeared.
With a flick of his wrist, Kieran unleashed his spell—
"Thunders of Ice Shard!"
A blizzard of razor-sharp ice, infused with lightning, surged toward Ryu. But the moment it neared him, Ryu was gone again.
"Eternal Tracker!" Elaine shouted her emrald eyes scaning whole battlefield, sensing his presence. "Sylvara, behind you!"
Sylvara spun just in time to see Ryu mid-swing, his katana slicing toward her. She activated her magic instantly—
"Gale Step!"
She blurred away with a gust of wind, but Ryu was faster. A line of crimson has still appeared across her shoulder before she could escape.
Dain, Cassandra, and Leon as well after recovering from smash against barrier rushed to her aid.
"Meteor Strike!" Dain roared, his fist engulfed in flames as he swung at Ryu. His movements creating sonic boom.
Ryu dodged, his movements fluid, and retaliated with a sharp kick to Dain's ribs, sending him flying backward. Leon was next, his greatsword crackling with lightning.
"Stormcall Blade!"
He slashed, but Ryu parried it. As they exchanged more strikes, ryu parried every strike with ease. Within moments, Leon was covered in wounds, blood dripping from a dozen cuts. Cassandra followed up with her scythe art—
"Reaper's Dance!"
Her scythe spun in a deadly vortex, slicing through the air with terrifying speed. But Ryu evaded each slash, his footwork immaculate. At the same time, Elaine loosed arrows from a distance leaving streaks of lights, each one narrowly missing as Ryu twisted and turned through the chaos.
Even with all of them attacking together, he was pushing them back through sheer speed and precision.
Then—
Ryu's purple eyes glowed, he used his telekinesis.
A massive rock from the battlefield, which was originally a beautiful grassfield was now filled dust and dabris from their clashes, suddenly hurtled toward Cassandra from her blind spot.
She barely had time to register it before it slammed into her side, sending her staggering. Before she could regain her footing—
"Phantom Step."
Ryu's illusions scattered across the battlefield, confusing the others for a split second. He cleared the distance in an instant.
"Ghost Fang."
A sharp, clean slash.
Cassandra's head separated from her body.
Then her body fell.
Silence.
Then—
Darkness surged.
[Echo of Resentment!]
A shadowy figure—Cassandra's own vengeful phantom—materialized from her fallen body, lashing out at Ryu with unbridled fury. Ryu's eyes widened in mild surprise as he barely dodged the first strike, the dark energy of the phantom screaming with hatred.
He wasted no time.
In instant , his blade cut through the phantom, severing it in half without much effort.
But Cassandra's body stated twitching.
Her head reattached itself seamlessly, as if it had never been severed.
Her crimson eyes opened.
Ryu took a step back, watching as Cassandra stood once more, her wounds erased like they never existed.
She met his gaze, her own crimson eyes meeting ryu's purple, breathing heavily, her scythe trembling in her grip.
Ryu's lips curled into a smile.
"Interesting."
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TO BE CONTINUE...