Eryndra mockingly hunched her shoulders, walking forward like an elderly man. "Impossible! Oh no, it's impossible!" Then without warning, she burst forward again, a blur of motion.
Siren barely brought his blade up in time, knocked back several feet by the sheer force of her attack. Anger flashed in his eyes, a bright, icy glow illuminating them as he skidded backward.
"Don't think you've won so easily," he growled, blue streaks trailing from his eyes as he spun into an attack. Strange droplets spun outward, elongating into long, blade-like shapes as he rotated.
Roy squinted. "Is he... sweating knives?"
Lutrian shook his head thoughtfully. "No, but it's fascinating. He's accumulating globules of condensed mana on his skin, using them offensively as he moves. A remarkable technique, I might have to try something similar myself."
Eryndra hesitated briefly, caught off guard by the swirling blades. She raised her gauntlets, deflecting some, but the distraction was just enough for Siren to slip to her side. She swung a heavy counter, but he blurred impossibly, as if warping through space, striking her in the stomach with the flat of his sword. Eryndra stumbled back, annoyance crossing her face.
"You shouldn't have done that," she warned darkly. "You should have tried to kill me."
Siren steadied himself, panting. "I'm not trying to kill you."
Eryndra's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "I'm not giving you a choice," she echoed back at him. In an instant, she lunged again, hammering at him relentlessly. Siren parried desperately, each blow shaking his defense. Occasionally, his own sword slammed painfully against him, forcing grunts of effort. Yet in brief, breathtaking bursts, he moved with such precision and speed that even Eryndra struggled, missing blocks and catching glancing blows.
Frustration briefly flickered in Eryndra's eyes, and as she charged once more, she vanished abruptly.
Siren stopped, bewildered. "What the—"
A rock slammed into his shoulder, knocking him sideways. Before he could recover, another struck his chest, followed by several more pelting him mercilessly from different directions. He staggered, trying in vain to block the hailstorm of stones. "Is she an Earth mage?" he shouted.
Roy called out casually, "Nope! She's just over there throwing rocks at you."
Siren turned incredulously, catching sight of Eryndra just as another rock smashed squarely into his face. Growling, he sliced the next projectile mid-flight, then another, and another. A grin slowly formed as he rhythmically parried the barrage.
"Actually," Siren chuckled, "this is rather enjoyable! Throw some more!"
His smile abruptly faded when Eryndra hurled a massive volley toward him. Eyes wide, he surged into action, blade a blur as he sliced through the cascading stones, sweat beading on his brow. As the last rock split, he exhaled triumphantly, just as Eryndra burst through the debris cloud, her fist looping in a vicious hook aimed right at his jaw.
In sheer panic, he swung his blade downward, catching her punch with the back of his sword. Her eyes flashed furiously as her armor plates snapped fully open. She disappeared from sight again, and before Siren could react, her hand clamped around his face, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
Desperately, he swung the flat of his sword at her head; with casual contempt, she shattered the blade with a single strike of her free hand, then crushed the remaining fragments in her fist.
"I warned you," she said coldly.
"Er... Eryndra," Roy intervened nervously, "this is getting a little beyond playful."
Siren twisted violently, breaking her grip and landing unsteadily. Panting, he spun swiftly, casting the strange mana blades at her, each one exploding harmlessly against her armor. Eryndra watched him impassively.
He drew himself up, breathing heavily. "I have one last trick, a technique my wife taught me, though it pales in comparison."
"Oh really?" Eryndra folded her arms, stepping back casually and opening her stance wide. "Should I dodge, or should I just stand still?"
Siren chuckled bitterly. "Oh, how I'd love nothing more than to punish you for that arrogance. Once, perhaps a thousand years ago, I might have stood a chance against you... but even that is a laughable lie." He straightened up fully, a genuine smile gracing his lips. "Still, this is the most fun I've had in thousands of years. Thank you for indulging this old man's selfish request."
With a solemn nod, he began chanting unintelligible words as he leapt and spun, his mana blades carving intricate patterns into the ground around Eryndra. As he landed, breathing deeply, he fixed her with a sharp look.
"This may look like regular runic magic, but I assure you it isn't. This is ancient magic. Some of the greatest spells in history come from this branch. While this particular spell isn't overwhelmingly powerful, it's notoriously difficult to break. I wish you luck."
Siren drew one final mana blade from the air, like pulling a strand of melted glass, hurling it decisively. As the blade struck the ground, brilliant lines flared, forming a dark cube encased in glittering blue chains. The cube slammed shut around Eryndra, immediately sealing within another, then another, a sequence of ever-larger containers cascading and wrapping her in rapid succession: a thick iron-banded chest, an ancient stone sarcophagus, a heavy brass vault, an obsidian coffin, a reinforced wooden crate sealed with pitch, a massive iron cauldron, a reinforced bronze cage, a marble mausoleum box, an enormous iron-bound oak barrel, and finally, a shimmering translucent crystal prison etched with glowing glyphs.
Siren exhaled softly. "Eldritch Sealwork: Glyphic Prison. This ancient spell once imprisoned gods themselves. While I am nothing compared to those original casters, The First Echos, but it should at least hold one troublesome—"
A thunderous crack split the air. The containers exploded outward violently, shards and splinters scattering in all directions. Eryndra stood at the center, appearing slightly altered. Just for a brief instant, Roy ever so briefly glimpsed strange black lines filling the creases of her armor, flowing steadily back into her closing vents.
Eryndra smiled faintly. "That was genuinely challenging. You've earned my respect." She stepped forward, extending her hand warmly. "I apologize for my earlier arrogance, I was just hoping to bring out your best. In exchange for your forgiveness, consider this an open invitation, fight me anytime you wish, old man."
Siren stared in disbelief before slowly clasping her hand, smiling wryly. "I'll gladly take you up on that."
He glanced down ruefully at the fragments of his sword scattered across the battlefield. "Though, I must admit... I'm a bit saddened about losing my sword. Or perhaps I'm relieved? I'm not entirely sure."
Takara stepped up confidently. "I can fix that."
Roy glanced at her skeptically. "You can fix that? The sword wasn't even metal—"
"No, sorry," she interrupted patiently, "I mean I can craft him a new one. What do you think I've been doing when we're not fighting pirates? Serenity helped convert the engineering room into a fully equipped workshop and lab. Making him something nice is no problem."
Roy nodded approvingly. "Excellent. Oh, and at the same time, we can use that... thing we discussed earlier to handle the curse issue... yeah...."
Takara nodded knowingly. "Perfect."
The group walked slowly back to the tram, the night feeling oddly peaceful after the intense battle. As they settled into their seats for the return journey,
Eryndra leaned forward, addressing Siren seriously. "You know, Siren, I think you might've been the strongest opponent I've ever faced."
He gave her a wry grin. "Unfortunately, I can't return the compliment fully. You're easily second place, though."
She blinked, startled. "Wait, second?! Who was first?"
"The Gloaming Scion, obviously," Siren replied grimly.
Eryndra tilted her head thoughtfully. "Ah. I suppose that makes sense. I've heard the Gloaming Scion was pretty strong."
"'Pretty strong' is an understatement," Siren said, shaking his head. "I swung my sword with everything I had, fighting for vengeance, for my wife. But I was completely outmatched. In reality, I couldn't touch them. The Gloaming Scion was bored. Even my greatest blows were effortlessly turned aside, the deflections people speak of were actually just the Scion mocking my efforts, and even that alone nearly crippled me."
Eryndra frowned, intrigued. "Damn, now I really want to fight the Gloaming Scion."
Roy cleared his throat loudly, changing the subject swiftly. "You know what I like? Sandwiches."