Never mind, I ended up finding the chapter, and I actually did explain it all. Wohoo to me. I'm a better writer than I thought. Also, since we're close to ten stones, if we reach it, I'll drop two chapters that day.
"Ghislaine, it's time."
We were pressed against the wall inside the mansion, tucked deep in the shadows. A massive explosion shook the ground, followed by the panicked cries of soldiers sprinting toward the source. I already knew it was Sylphie. Only she would start the diversion with something that loud.
"Move," I whispered, and Ghislaine nodded sharply.
We ran.
"Ghislaine, you remember the layout?" I asked, struggling to keep pace. She was going fast, fast enough that my lungs were burning. And I could tell she wasn't even running at her full speed. She was holding back for me.
"Yes, Rudeus, I remember. Left here."
We turned the corner. More soldiers rushed past us, all sprinting toward the explosion.
"Hey! The blast is that way!" one of them shouted behind us, confused.
We ignored him. At worst, they'd think we were idiots running in the wrong direction. No one would expect infiltrators to wear the same armor as them and sprint deeper into the mansion.
We took a right. Then another. Then three more fast turns until we reached a massive door. It towered over us, covered in golden plates, precious gems, and impossibly detailed carvings. A door so over decorated it screamed "self-important bastard lives here."
This was 100% Darius's chamber.
Right now, he should be shaking in his own sweat.
We grabbed the handles and shoved the doors open. Ghislaine instantly tightened her grip on her sword. I mirrored her, my hand squeezing the hilt so tight my knuckles whitened.
When we jumped inside our eyes scanned the room. it had a huge bed. Velvet curtains. A polished desk. Wine bottles. A mirror tall enough to stroke his ego. But no Darius.
"Rudeus… where is he?" Ghislaine's voice was flat and confused. This whole operation was designed around surprise. He should have been here. He should have been trapped.
But he wasn't.
My heart dropped. Darius wouldn't flee. The man was a coward, yes, but a coward who preferred to hide and wait for others to die for him.
So where was he?
"Ghislaine, use your magical eye. Look for mana traces. Anything." My voice cracked.
Compared to me, her eye was sharper. She'd had it longer. She could spot faint mana trails better than I could right now.
She lifted her eyepatch and surveyed the room carefully. A couple seconds passed. But Ghislaine didn't find a single thing.
"Rudeus… I don't see anything. There are no traces. That means he hasn't been here. Not today at least."
My stomach twisted. Panic surged like ice water through my veins.
"Oh shit… oh shit…" I grabbed my face, fingers trembling.
The room spun. My breathing started to spike and I felt my knees weaken.
"Rudeus!" Ghislaine grabbed my shoulders and steadied me before I collapsed. Her grip was firm but careful. "Breathe. Say something."
I could hear her. But my mind felt like it was drowning.
My legs shook violently as a horrifying thought forced its way into my head.
Hitogami.
"Ghislaine… we're going to die," I whispered. "We have to run."
Eris was pissed. That was the simplest way to describe it. The attack that hit her wasn't just strong, it was also insulting to her. It ruined the good mood she'd finally managed to settle into.
Whoever the bastard responsible was, they were going to pay for it. She grit her teeth, forcing herself back to her feet her jaw was tight eyes blazing with the feral anger she was known for.
But the instant she looked up, her whole body froze.
"Isolte…"
The name slipped out before she could stop it.
The girl standing before her wore a twisted sneer that looked so wrong on her normally cute, innocent face. Her sword was already drawn, the steel catching the light. Her blue hair swayed gently in the breeze, giving her an almost angelic silhouette. Yet her expression… her expression belonged to a devil.
"You…" Isolte spat, voice shaking with hatred so intense it almost didn't sound like her. She didn't even know she had this much hate inside her. She'd grown up with nothing but warmth and safety. Her grandmother's kindness. Friends to train with. A warm meal every night. She'd never needed to worry, never had reason to feel true anger.
So why now?
Why was her body trembling with rage so deep it felt like poison?
The answer sat heavy in her heart.
Because the people standing in front of her were trying to steal that happiness away.
And Isolte hated thieves more than anything. People who stole what others cherished. People who ripped away joy. People who took without remorse.
And a thief was right in front of her.
Last night's conversation replayed in her mind like a broken record.
"Isolte, I have something important to tell you."
Her grandmother had walked into her room while she was preparing for bed. That alone had been strange. But recently Reida had been acting… different. She was more tense. More stressed. And that scared Isolte more than anything, because her grandmother was the strongest woman she knew. She'd always been Isolte's idol.
"What is it, Grandma?" she asked in a small, worried voice.
Reida smiled at her, but it was a sad smile. She sat down on the spot right next to Isolte. And a thoughtful expression graced her face.
"You see, when I was younger, I was a brash girl. And I made very brash decisions."
She let out a soft chuckle as if recalling a life so distant that even the memories didn't feel real.
"At the time, I was a prodigy. The future of the Water God Style. Strong. Talented. And with a very, very big ego."
Isolte sat upright. Her grandmother rarely talked about her past. She didn't want to miss a single word.
"One day," Reida continued, "I was walking down the street. A man bumped into me. I berated him immediately. He looked terrified. Back then… people feared me. I beat anyone who crossed me."
Isolte's eyes sparkled. She never knew her grandmother was that intimidating. That was cool and terrifying. Reida chuckled at her expression.
"Well, the man refused to apologize. I wasn't sure if it was pride, or fear so intense he couldn't even think. Probably fear."
Isolte giggled imagining a grown man scared frozen by a teenage girl.
"So, I dragged him into an alley and beat him senseless," Reida said calmly. "Just like I did with others."
Isolte winced. That wasn't like her grandmother at all. "Did you feel bad?" she asked hesitantly.
Reida shook her head. "Back then, they weren't important to me. I never remembered their faces. It's why I never talked about those days. I didn't want you to turn out like me."
Isolte nodded. She understood.
"What happened after you beat him?" she asked quietly.
Reida sighed deeply. "Turns out he was the prince of some kingdom. I was attacked later by his men. Beaten so badly they almost cut off my arm. But just before they did, a man appeared."
"Hey. Stop that."
The moment they saw him, the attackers froze.
"Oh…Darius. Sorry, we were just—"
Darius scoffed. "Hurt her again and I'll have the king deal with your entire group."
They fled immediately.
"And when I looked up… the man who saved me was already gone."
Isolte listened with wide eyes.
"So what happened after?" she whispered.
"I became a Water King. And I searched for him. He never noticed me. But I owed him my life. I would've never become what I am today without him. That's why I must protect Darius. No matter what. And why I need your help to stop the bad people."
So now she stood here, grip tightening on her blade until her knuckles went white.
"I will kill you. And that girl over there. Do you hear me? I won't let you take my or my grandmother's happiness away."
And with one explosive step, she launched herself at Eris.
Eris reacted fast, dashing forward with precise strike aiming for Isolte's unprotected torso. Her sword was sharp. And her stance perfect.
But Isolte's blade flicked up instantly, parrying with ease.
Eris wasn't shocked. She knew Isolte was strong. Expecting the counter, she leapt back, keeping space.
She glanced around to make sure no one else would flank her she was still in a heated battleground. When she saw the battle field she froze.
The battlefield was silent. Bodies were laid out. Ice shards littered the ground, glittering like broken glass.
"Don't worry, Eris," Sylphie called out. "I took them out. Focus on the fight. I'll support you with my magic."
Eris nodded, gripping her blade tighter.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I won't let you ruin Rudeus' plan."
Those words only made Isolte's expression twist even further.
Eris lunged again. Isolte blocked. Eris changed angles. Blocked again. Every strike she fired, Isolte parried like she had all the time in the world. Her face reflected a calm but angry expression.
Eris grew angrier and forced herself to move faster. but it didn't matter. Isolte caught everything that Eris threw out.
Then, Isolte seeing the opening in Eris's guard drove a kick into Eris' side, sending her skidding back across the ground.
"Eris!" Sylphie shouted.
She fired a fireball. Isolte sidestepped and was immediately pelted with ice shards. She blocked most, dodged others, but then her foot sank into the quagmire Sylphie had conjured.
Isolte took a few hits as she yanked her leg free. "Strange tricks," she muttered. "A silent mage appearing here of all places…"
Before she could reposition, a sword slammed into her back. The armor she had on had shield her from the full strike.
This was her first ever battle to the death she couldn't lose and die here. She looked around to make sure she wouldn't get flanked again.
She studied the mage. She had noticed the little hand movement she did for that mud. And then turned back to Eris whose bloodlust nearly choked the air. She'd go deal with the bigger threat then put down this mad dog.
Isolte moved with her full speed and appeared right next to Sylphie
Sylphie was shocked and screamed. A sudden blast of wind threw her back. And Eris tried to flank her again but she blocked it and jumped back to distance herself.
"What the hell!" she snapped, glare snapping toward Sylphie.
"Why should I stop?" Sylphie shot back. "You're the bad guy here."
"Because you're trying to take my happiness away. Fight me fairly!"
Eris didn't wait. She dashed in again.
Isolte dodged and went for Sylphie. She moved so fast Sylphie barely reacted, firing another burst of wind this time it was sharp. Isolte cut through it with flow, nullifying its mana. Her blade slashed Sylphie's shoulder, drawing blood.
Sylphie healed and rolled back but felt strain after. The barrier was taking up so much of her mana because it was an unperfected spell. And now this fight it was too much.
"Eris!" she shouted.
Eris charged at Isolte to help Sylphie but Isolte used flow on impact, redirecting her like a ragdoll straight toward Sylphie. Sylphie caught her with a wall of water.
"What the hell…" Eris hissed.
Isolte smirked. "Do you not remember what I told you.if you come at me with all that bloodlust I'll redirect you every time."
Then she sneered, "Give up. Maybe I'll spare you and your little worthless boyfriend."
Eris was mad now.. "Don't talk about Rudeus like that you don't know him at all!"
Sylphie boosted her with wind. Eris blurred forward, faster than ever. Isolte blocked the fast attack but felt the impact. They both were caught in a flurry of attacks from each other. She stepped around spells, flowing around every movement like water.
Why?
Why were they fighting so hard?
Why did they take and destroy so easily?
Why didn't they understand the weight of their actions?
The pain they caused?
Her grandmother's tears flashed in her mind. Just remembering her grandmother's trembling voice… her watery eyes… the fear she'd never seen on her face before… made Isolte's blood boil.
"AHHHHH!"
Isolte roared, bringing her sword down with monstrous strength. Eris' blade groaned under the pressure. The sound of hard metal creaking.
Sylphie's eyes widened.
"Stop! If that sword breaks—!"
She fired a fireball, controlled so it wouldn't hit Eris. She also couldn't make it too powerful so the impact wouldn't hurt Eris. Isolte didn't dodge. She didn't even flinch. She tanked it.
"What is WRONG with this girl?!"
Isolte's voice cracked.
Her eyes burned red.
Mana exploded around her.
"Do you think your goal is the only one that matters?! What about me?! What about my happiness?! Have you even thought about that? No! All you ever think about is RUDEUS!"
Tears poured down her face. She remembered her grandmother's trembling hands. Her voice breaking the first time she'd ever seen her cry.
Something inside Isolte snapped completely.
With a scream drowned in rage, grief, fear, and desperation, her touki exploded. Her mana flared violently.
And with earth-shattering force. Her blade shattered Eris' sword completely.
Through broken shards Isolte continued her swing downward, aiming straight for Eris' body. But before the strike could land
A deafening white light exploded around them.
A/N: Probably has to be one of my favorite chapters to write I felt the emotion writing this I even shed a tear while writing about all the confused anger Isolte felt. Also the parallels with Isolte and Eris both fighting for the things they want to protect i love it. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did also the end of the arc is coming very soon..
Also I'm sorry if the fight scene sucks I'm not good at writing fight scenes.