Maya and Belial found a secluded area near the mountain, a place untouched by distractions, where they could unleash their power freely. The air was crisp, and the ground bore the scars of past battles, a perfect training ground for what they were about to attempt.
Belial crossed his arms, watching Maya intently. "You need to learn to control your dragons. Since it's just me and you, focus on channeling Nyx."
Maya nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "What about you?"
"I'm going to try and control Dawn Form."
With a deep breath, Maya closed her eyes, her earrings glowing with a violet hue. When she opened them again, her pupils had transformed into narrow slits. She raised her hand, summoning intricate magic circles in the air before her. Instantly, tendrils of dark purple energy spiraled toward Belial.
Belial's wings flared out, their edges crackling with golden energy. "Dawn Form—Divine Mode!" he shouted, his body vanishing in a blur of light. He reappeared several feet away, the speed of his movement so great it seemed like teleportation. "A little warning would've been nice!"
Maya smirked, her voice now layered with the deep resonance of a dragon. "Warnings are for the weak."
She launched another barrage of attacks, her magic surging forward like a relentless tide. Belial danced around the onslaught, dodging effortlessly, until he closed the distance in a flash and sent a powerful punch rocketing toward her. Maya barely ducked in time, retaliating with swift hand-to-hand combat. Belial, caught off guard by her aggression, initially faltered, but soon, he began to gain the upper hand.
Frustration flickered across Maya's face as she realized she was losing. Gritting her teeth, she pulled back and extended her hand. A brilliant magic circle flared to life before her, its runes pulsing violently. "Nyx's Wrath!" she roared.
A thick violet beam erupted from the circle, surging toward Belial with overwhelming force. Smirking, he raised his gauntlet and bellowed, "Eclipse Counter!"
But something was wrong. His counter failed to absorb the attack. The sheer intensity of Maya's magic overloaded his defenses, triggering a massive explosion. When the dust settled, Belial lay sprawled in a crater, not from pain, but from sheer disbelief.
He had lost—to his sister.
Meanwhile, Azire and Suna stood amidst the open plains, both focused on refining their magic. Azire ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Suna with a thoughtful expression. "Suna, we should find a way to combine our powers. With your light and my darkness, we'd have no weaknesses."
Suna folded her arms. "That's a great idea, but how would that even work? Light and dark are complete opposites. They have nothing in common."
Azire shrugged. "I don't know, I just thought of it."
They both chuckled, the shared moment easing some of the tension in the air. But before they could continue, a deep voice interrupted them.
"I know a way."
Both of them jumped back in shock as Cocobeal emerged. Azire groaned. "Who told you to come out? Get back inside me."
Cocobeal scoffed. "Do you want help or not?"
Azire exchanged glances with Suna before sighing. "Fine."
Cocobeal stepped forward. "Suna, you'll be the base. Start by using your angelic energy."
Suna nodded, closing her eyes as golden light swirled around her. The air hummed with power.
"More!" Cocobeal commanded.
Suna gritted her teeth and pushed further. The air crackled, her energy forming a brilliant aura around her.
"Now, Azire, create a storm with your dark flames."
Azire summoned his power, deep crimson and black flames coiling around his arms before expanding outward. But as soon as the two energies met, they clashed violently, struggling for dominance.
"Tell your flames to calm down!" Suna shouted, straining against the force.
"Tell your light to stop trying to overshadow them!" Azire shot back.
The unstable energy exploded, sending both of them flying backward. As they groaned, Cocobeal sighed, visibly disappointed.
"Once you get that under control, you'll be able to manifest something—preferably a sword," he explained. "Azire's side will wield dark flames, and Suna's side will radiate bright light. You can either wield it together, mirroring each other's movements, or throw it to burst into thousands of energy shards. Be warned—Suna, your energy will heal and possibly purify the enemy, while Azire's will consume and corrupt them. Use it wisely."
With that, Cocobeal landed on Azire's shoulder and sank back into his body, leaving them both to process what they had just learned.
Farther up the mountain, Hollie was enduring a brutal training regimen. The Grandmaster had handed her a workout plan that was grueling beyond belief—ten miles of running, a thousand push-ups, a thousand sit-ups, a thousand pull-ups on a branch, and a thousand leg raises. And that was just to begin to unlock Verdant Fang's true potential.
Sweat dripped from her forehead as she let out a frustrated sigh. "This is ridiculous…"
She glanced at Verdant Fang, summoning the emerald-green saber in her hands. As she stared at its blade, her expression hardened.
She wanted more.
She wanted to unlock its full power.
Letting out a determined breath, she tightened her grip and pushed forward, sprinting toward the next mile, determined to uncover the true spirit within her blade.
Maya and Belial found a secluded area near the mountain, a place untouched by distractions, where they could unleash their power freely. The air was crisp, and the ground bore the scars of past battles, a perfect training ground for what they were about to attempt.
Belial crossed his arms, watching Maya intently. "You need to learn to control your dragons. Since it's just me and you, focus on channeling Nyx."
Maya nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "What about you?"
"I'm going to try and control Dawn Form."
With a deep breath, Maya closed her eyes, her earrings glowing with a violet hue. When she opened them again, her pupils had transformed into narrow slits. She raised her hand, summoning intricate magic circles in the air before her. Instantly, tendrils of dark purple energy spiraled toward Belial.
Belial's wings flared out, their edges crackling with golden energy. "Dawn Form—Divine Mode!" he shouted, his body vanishing in a blur of light. He reappeared several feet away, the speed of his movement so great it seemed like teleportation. "A little warning would've been nice!"
Maya smirked, her voice now layered with the deep resonance of a dragon. "Warnings are for the weak."
She launched another barrage of attacks, her magic surging forward like a relentless tide. Belial danced around the onslaught, dodging effortlessly, until he closed the distance in a flash and sent a powerful punch rocketing toward her. Maya barely ducked in time, retaliating with swift hand-to-hand combat. Belial, caught off guard by her aggression, initially faltered, but soon, he began to gain the upper hand.
Frustration flickered across Maya's face as she realized she was losing. Gritting her teeth, she pulled back and extended her hand. A brilliant magic circle flared to life before her, its runes pulsing violently. "Nyx's Wrath!" she roared.
A thick violet beam erupted from the circle, surging toward Belial with overwhelming force. Smirking, he raised his gauntlet and bellowed, "Eclipse Counter!"
But something was wrong. His counter failed to absorb the attack. The sheer intensity of Maya's magic overloaded his defenses, triggering a massive explosion. When the dust settled, Belial lay sprawled in a crater, not from pain, but from sheer disbelief.
He had lost—to his sister.
Meanwhile, Azire and Suna stood amidst the open plains, both focused on refining their magic. Azire ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Suna with a thoughtful expression. "Suna, we should find a way to combine our powers. With your light and my darkness, we'd have no weaknesses."
Suna folded her arms. "That's a great idea, but how would that even work? Light and dark are complete opposites. They have nothing in common."
Azire shrugged. "I don't know, I just thought of it."
They both chuckled, the shared moment easing some of the tension in the air. But before they could continue, a deep voice interrupted them.
"I know a way."
Both of them jumped back in shock as Cocobeal emerged. Azire groaned. "Who told you to come out? Get back inside me."
Cocobeal scoffed. "Do you want help or not?"
Azire exchanged glances with Suna before sighing. "Fine."
Cocobeal stepped forward. "Suna, you'll be the base. Start by using your angelic energy."
Suna nodded, closing her eyes as golden light swirled around her. The air hummed with power.
"More!" Cocobeal commanded.
Suna gritted her teeth and pushed further. The air crackled, her energy forming a brilliant aura around her.
"Now, Azire, create a storm with your dark flames."
Azire summoned his power, deep crimson and black flames coiling around his arms before expanding outward. But as soon as the two energies met, they clashed violently, struggling for dominance.
"Tell your flames to calm down!" Suna shouted, straining against the force.
"Tell your light to stop trying to overshadow them!" Azire shot back.
The unstable energy exploded, sending both of them flying backward. As they groaned, Cocobeal sighed, visibly disappointed.
"Once you get that under control, you'll be able to manifest something—preferably a sword," he explained. "Azire's side will wield dark flames, and Suna's side will radiate bright light. You can either wield it together, mirroring each other's movements, or throw it to burst into thousands of energy shards. Be warned—Suna, your energy will heal and possibly purify the enemy, while Azire's will consume and corrupt them. Use it wisely."
With that, Cocobeal landed on Azire's shoulder and sank back into his body, leaving them both to process what they had just learned.
Farther up the mountain, Hollie was enduring a brutal training regimen. The Grandmaster had handed her a workout plan that was grueling beyond belief—ten miles of running, a thousand push-ups, a thousand sit-ups, a thousand pull-ups on a branch, and a thousand leg raises. And that was just to begin to unlock Verdant Fang's true potential.
Sweat dripped from her forehead as she let out a frustrated sigh. "This is ridiculous…"
She glanced at Verdant Fang, summoning the emerald-green saber in her hands. As she stared at its blade, her expression hardened.
She wanted more.
She wanted to unlock its full power.
Letting out a determined breath, she tightened her grip and pushed forward, sprinting toward the next mile, determined to uncover the true spirit within her blade.