The carriage ride had been peaceful, but as Liebe stepped out, that peace shattered. An impenetrable, dense fog had swallowed the entire forest, muffling all sound and reducing the world to a ghostly grey.
"Licht," Liebe said, his voice tight, "did you not use the alternative route?"
"I did," Licht replied, his own tone edged with confusion.
Before another word could be spoken, Liebe sensed a wave of alien mana, feeling one singular presence coalesce within the mist. "Someone is here! Everyone, battle formations!" he commanded.
A mysterious figure in a hood emerged from the swirling fog, its movements unnervingly fluid.
Licht stepped forward, his weapon at the ready. "Who are you? State your name!"
The person replied with a single, guttural word: "Hungry."
"What was that?" Licht asked, glancing at Liebe.
"Sorry, man," Liebe called out, "we don't have any food on us."
As the man screamed "HUNGRY!" the air itself grew heavy with palpable malice. Weapons were drawn in unison as the figure unveiled its cloak, revealing a man with the top half of his body turned a sickening, fluid purple. Without warning, the creature rushed towards them.
Liebe and Licht attacked as one, but their blades met no solid resistance. The purple skin acted as a fluid, and their strikes passed through harmlessly.
"It isn't working!" Licht yelled, leaping back.
"I can see that!" Liebe shot back.
"Plan B! Light Magic: Enchant Blade, Holy Burn!" Licht's sword ignited with searing light. As the man lunged, Licht pierced him with the glowing blade. "Now, Light Burn!"
The heated steel vaporized the liquid with a furious hiss.
"That did the job," Liebe said, watching the creature seemingly dissolve.
"Seems like it," Licht agreed.
But the vaporized air simply connected back, reforming the monster entirely.
"Great," Liebe muttered. "This thing can endlessly regenerate."
"Any ideas, wise, fearless leader?" Licht asked, a note of desperation in his voice.
Liebe tightened his grip on his weapon. "Yeah. We keep cutting it down till it can't regenerate."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
M stared at the reforming horror. "That's one ugly bastard. What do we do?"
"Turn it to dust," Liebe stated.
"Got it," Licht said.
"Sure," M agreed.
"Light Magic: Piercing Light's Strike!" Licht shouted.
"Holy Light Magic: Raging Engulfing Light!" M cried out in unison.
"Dark Magic: Abyssal Gate Strike!" Liebe roared.
The three attacks converged in a cataclysmic blast, the combined strike powerful enough to annihilate anything into nothing.
"Is it over?" Licht panted.
"Looks like it," M said.
"No, it isn't," Liebe countered, his voice grim. Even though their attacks had hit, the gaseous monster simply regenerated, its form swirling back together. None of their attacks could land a lasting blow since it was just gas.
"Should I try again?" Licht asked.
"And turn this thing into plasma?" Liebe retorted.
As he spoke, the monster roared and struck, a wave of force sending all three of them flying. The creature then convulsed, and from its body, it created smaller subunit monsters.
"Everyone, stop them!" Liebe screamed.
On cue, Alysa, Elizabeth, and the others engaged the smaller units.
"What the hell is happening?" Liebe seethed. "Just a moment ago we were dominating, yet now... this thing is... how did it grow so strong?" He turned to his companions. "M, Licht! Get me thirty seconds! I will end this in a single attack!"
"Here? Now?" Licht argued. "You will destroy the forest!"
"We have to protect the carriage, no matter what!" Liebe insisted.
"Ok, then," Licht conceded.
As Licht and M continued their futile engagement, Liebe began to charge his strike. They were utterly outmatched, unable to harm the gaseous form, and were soon beaten to the ground, bleeding and battered. As the monster started to walk towards the charging Liebe, Licht grabbed its leg.
It looked down, its hollow eyes staring.
"As long as I'm breathing," Licht gasped, "you won't lay a finger on Sverð Keisaraynju Faustar!"
The monster tried to step forward, but M grabbed its other foot. "I won't let you get close to Faust!"
Suddenly, the sky darkened. A voice, cold and absolute, cut through the chaos. "Void Magic: Abyssal Gate Strike, Afterglow."
All the subunits were turned to dust in an instant.
"Now," the voice commanded. "Void Magic: Grand Lance."
A colossal lance of pure void energy materialized and struck, sending the main monster reeling back.
Licht stared in awe. "It can't be..."
M whispered, "The Empress is here."
"Mother..." Liebe said, his charge never faltering.
Lilith's voice was calm and final. "Finish it, Liebe."
" I can see it clear as day , the new dawn."