"Why do you want me to join though?"
Daydrine asks as she is flabbergasted after her brother asks her to join a Ruler-level affair.
"Since Flare and Raika couldn't join the expedition, you can join us and gain some real experience. Not to mention, you can learn a thing or two about other Rulers in the meantime"
"..."
Daydrine hesitates, she never had any experience in expeditions since she has been locked inside the Ice Region due to her young age and hence, she must undergo Frost's mentorship before being able to defend herself at all times.
However, Frost comforts her younger sister before the latter becomes panicked.
"Worry less. If anything happens, I'll do my best to protect you and the others"
"...Or you just want me to learn so that I will take over your role as the Ruler of Ice and you can slack off?"
"Precis–" BAM Daydrine knocks Frost in the head.
"DREAM ON!! But sure, I'll join tomorrow's expedition"
"Now that's more like it!"
Afterwards, the Silver Haired Siblings take a good night's sleep.
...
The next day, Blossom and Jason arrive at the south part of the Water Region earlier than others.
However, Jason notices some of the Corruption Essence has been cleared.
"Did you not sleep overnight, Blossom? Are you not tired?"
"No I didn't, I've spent some time finding a way to clear the Corruption Essence! Besides, followers of Water are born to withstand these kinds of fatigueness"
"Really…"
As their conversation ends, Frost and Daydrine arrive at the same spot.
"You're here, Frost, and this is…?" As the Silver Haired Siblings nickname is only popular among the people in the Ice Region, Blossom curiously turns her attention towards Daydrine, who shares some same characteristics with Frost, including the silvery hair.
"Oh right, this is Daydrine, my younger sister."
"H-Hello…" Daydrine says with shyness
"Hi, young fella! My name's Blossom, and this guy here is Jason!" Blossom points at Jason, who is more focused on the path Blossom has cleared for the expedition
"Nice to meet you two, uh…f-fri…Your M-Maje–"
"Don't be shy, just call us by our names!"
Blossom's friendliness catches Daydrine off guard, as she doesn't need to be entirely formal towards the Rulers.
"O…Okay!"
"We'll enter the path cleared by Blossom soon, remember that the weakening effects may still lurk around as we proceed"
Everyone turns their attention towards the path's direction, which still has some pale Corruption Essence, before marching forward to begin the search for the Ruler of Light.
…
"Purify!" 30 minutes have passed, yet Blossom continues to clear more pathways for the others as they find zero possible traces for the Ruler of Light.
"Blossom, are you sure this will lead us to the Ruler?" Jason asks as they wandered cluelessly for a long time.
"..." Blossom knew that there is no such thing as 'the right path', everything was based on pure instinct.
…
Another 10 minutes have passed, and they're about to lose hope…until Daydrine notices something
"Guys, I think I found something" Daydrine says as she points at a pitch black area filled with Corruption Essence.
"...Daydrine, there's nothing there" Frost says, but Daydrine sees something that the others didn't.
"Blossom, can you use your purifying powers to clear that area?"
"Sure" Blossom unleashes a wave of Water energy to the direction Daydrine's pointing, clearing the Corruption Essence while revealing an unknown dimensional rift.
"Well…" Frost got humbled.
Jason closely observes the dimensional rift and says "If Raika's here, she would call this dimension a flawed dimension"
"Flawed dimension?"
"A dimension that'll open and close randomly" Jason straightforwardly answers Blossom.
"We haven't found anything suspicious for 40 minutes now, this should be where the Ruler is" Without any hesitation, Frost enters the unknown rift.
"Wait…you gotta be kidding me…" Jason enters the rift as he has no other choice
"W-Wha…" Daydrine becomes anxious as they enter the rift hastily. "Take it easy, Daydrine, your brother is always like this" Blossom comforts Daydrine as they are about to enter the rift.
"Here, hold my hand, take one step at a time"
"O-Okay" Blossom stretches out her right hand before Daydrine grabs it and enters the rift alongside the Ruler of Water.
…
…
"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING HERE" Frost exclaims after entering the rift, which is pitch black inside.
"Tch…what's this feeling…?" Jason feels weakened and overwhelmed, as the Corruption Essence in the rift is at its strongest.
"Blossom…I don't feel well here…"
"Stay close with me, Daydrine"
Blossom's purifying abilities are overridden by the essence, but she can still reduce the effects by a small margin for herself and anyone close to her proximity.
"At this rate, we won't even make it out alive…huh?"
At a distance, Jason notices fluorescent light at a distance, followed by Blossom, Frost and Daydrine.
"Over here, younglings…"
A weak voice calls for them as they are making their way to the source of the fluorescent light.
"...What is this…?"
Everyone is dumbfounded as a humongous tree stands before them, where its center imprisons none other than Kevin, the Ruler of Light himself.
"Greetings, young ones. I may have never met you all, but I know for sure you guys are not siding with the Corruption." Kevin says confidently
"How are you certain?" Jason asks curiously, as he thought Kevin only assumed through pure instinct.
"We have something in common that the followers of Corruption don't have: the Core of Definition, which resonates with one another in close proximity" Kevin explains as Blossom, Frost and Daydrine attempt to release him from imprisonment.
"But…this young fella doesn't have the Core" Kevin turns his gaze towards Daydrine, which startled her for a bit before Frost does the explaining.
"She's my younger sister Daydrine, my lord. She is here to gain experience for her future expeditions"
"Please, just call me Kevin, we Rulers are at the same rank, no Ruler is superior to other Rulers. You can call me by my name too, Daydrine"
"Okay…"
Frost activates his Imaginary Blade in an attempt to cut off the chains that immobilise Kevin.
CLANG As the contact is made, the Corruption Essence immediately accumulates onto Frost's blade
"!"
"Stop! Don't let it enter your body!" Despite Kevin's advice, Frost decides to go against it and imbues heavy Ice energy into his blade continuously to counter the Corruption Essence.
"Come on…" While Ice isn't exactly known for purifying Corruption Essence, Frost's method proves it otherwise
However, the blade also has its limits and hence, both Corruption Essence and Ice energy overload the blade and crash shatters it.
The chains are also shattered alongside with the blade, freeing the Ruler of Light from his imprisonment.
"Thank you, I appreciate you all for travelling a long way just to save me…" Kevin expresses his gratitude before he continues to elaborate what he had been through as they return to the rift.
"Since the Sacred Conflict that ended around 620 years ago, the Light Branch has been overwhelmed on this planet and I was taken hostage by that tyrant, Senoria…"
"Senoria…" Jason confuses between Serevia and this new name
"Senoria is the Prime Corruption of the Corruption elements. In other words, she's the head of Corruption, with many of her subordinates attacking this planet 620 years ago…"
"Seems like you faced a formidable foe, Kevin" Frost's fighting instinct kicks in, slightly impressing Kevin.
"She was, and I thought Planet Sudania was doomed until you guys showed up…I was imprisoned right after that event, and suffered many torture from the Corruption itself"
"Has no one been able to even notice you throughout your imprisonment" Blossom asks
"None, many failed to detect the constant Light energy I've been releasing for hundreds of years and that adds up to my speculation of this planet's demise…Speaking of Planet Sudania, how is it now?"
"It is still thriving, but the Six Regions is surrounded by Corruption Essence, which covered most of Planet Sudania"
"The Six Regions, I see…I wonder if my partner is there…"
"Hm? Something wrong, Kevin?" Daydrine asks as they arrive at the rift's gate.
"...Nothing, let's get out of here" Kevin says before they all enter the rift to return to the real world.
…
…
"So…you've made it out alive"
"Senoria…"
The one who started the Sacred Conflict and the Prime Corruption, Senoria, is now standing before the followers of Light Branch.
"We're definitely not strong enough for her…Frost and I are weakened and there's a much younger fella here…"
Kevin murmurs to himself as Senoria stares at his group menacingly.
"Ruler of Light, you know what happens when you step out of that rift, do you?"
Senoria, without expressing any remorse, unleashes her go-to weapon to attack the weakened group. Her weapon is a scythe that carries immense Corruption impact power, giving herself an edge.
"No you don't" CLANG Blossom intervenes with her Imaginary Blade, but the scythe's impact is too much for her.
"Hmph" Senoria shoves Blossom off and attempts to execute her with another scythe slash.
However, Jason uses his Imaginary Blade to intervene in front of Blossom as well.
CLANG The impact from both weapons are great, but the scythe is simply more powerful due to the Corruption's enhancements.
BANG Hence, the scythe eventually shatters his blade and slashes both Jason and Blossom in their chests.
"GAH" Both of them become unconscious and bleeding profusely, leaving the other three in a state of panic.
"N…No…" Witnessing blood coming out of the two, and the remaining parts of their blades on the ground, Daydrine is especially horrified.
She knew she had to do something, or none of them is getting out of here alive.
"You three are next…" Senoria lifts her scythe towards Kevin, Frost and Daydrine, with Kevin attempting to retaliate using his weapon that fails to take shape.
"..." Senoria is about to swing her scythe, an attack that'll instantly kill the three.
…
Until…
"STAGNANT ICE!"
"?!"
Daydrine places her palms, which have an unusual amount of an unusual type of Ice energy, onto the ground filled with Corruption Essence, all while closing her own teary eyes.
"PLEASE SAVE MY FRIENDS!"
Her Stagnant Ice technique releases an extremely heavy burst of Ice energy to her surroundings, sending Senoria far away while forming a large ice cube around her, trapping her inside it in the meantime.
Her doing also clears the Corruption Essence around her, reducing its effects and allowing faster escape. However, Daydrine experienced rapid energy loss that nearly threatened her own life.
"Frost, you'll carry Daydrine and Jason and I'll carry Blossom" Kevin says before Frost nods and carries her younger sister and Jason on his shoulders.
Senoria, who is still trapped inside the ice cube, watches them as they slowly leave.
No matter what Senoria does, she is forced to wait for at least 2 days to be able to get out of the ice cube.
"That silver haired girl…"