Episode 35: Battle on the Airship (Elahar's Perspective)
On the deck of the airship, Elahar stood still, sensing the moment of battle drawing near. The wind that tore across the skies whipped his long hair behind him, heightening the tension that had already begun to coil within. This was not to be a mere clash of strength, but a proving ground for will and conviction.
Elahar: "Children of Elysium, it is good to see you again. This time, there will be no escape."
He caught the flicker of unease in Lian's expression and allowed himself a faint smile. Whatever resolve the boy had forged since their last encounter would now be laid bare. Elahar was eager to see how far he had come.
Lian was the first to strike. A shockwave burst from his greatsword, hurtling across the deck. Elahar twisted aside with fluid grace, letting the force skim past him.
Elahar: "Impressive… but this alone will not be enough to surpass me."
Lian shifted his weapon into twin blades, pressing forward with more aggression. Elahar studied his movements closely, realizing that though Lian's strikes remained predictable, there was undeniable growth in his rhythm and ferocity.
Their blades sang against each other, sparks flying in the narrow space of the deck. To onlookers it might have seemed like a dance—two figures weaving through steel and flame above the endless sky. Elahar parried each assault with precision, countering in swift, measured bursts.
As the fight wore on, Elahar noticed something unsettling. Lian's strength was not born of training alone. His eyes carried a cold gleam, as though some other will was creeping into his very being.
Elahar: "Then show me, Lian… show me how much of this strength truly belongs to you."
Before the duel could settle, Brakka stormed into the fray. His sheer force rattled the beams of the airship itself as he swung his axe with wild abandon.
Brakka: "Let's tear this thing apart!"
Side by side, Elahar and Brakka drove the party back, their combined power forcing Lian and his companions onto the defensive. Yet the battle twisted again when Caron appeared, weaving destructive magic into the airship's very frame.
Elahar (grimly): "So he means to turn the vessel itself against us…"
The deck shook violently, the wind howled through splintering wood, and amidst it all Elahar felt it again—that strange, foreboding aura clinging to Lian. His blows grew heavier, wilder, as though he were no longer the sole master of his body.
Elahar: "Lian… is this power truly yours?"
The boy pressed forward, launching an unexpected counter that even Elahar had not foreseen. His might had grown overwhelming, but with it came the chilling sense of something foreign, something dangerous, gripping his spirit.
Though intrigued by the fire in Lian's eyes, Elahar's concern deepened. This was strength bordering on the uncontrollable.
Elahar: "Our battle ends here. Let us save the rest for another time."
Brakka raised his axe overhead, his booming voice echoing across the skies.
Brakka: "Don't think this is over! Victory waits for us in the next clash!"
Together they broke away, leaping from the collapsing wreck as the airship cracked and groaned around them. As Elahar descended into the night winds, he cast a final thought toward Lian.
May he master this power before it consumes him.
With that silent prayer, Elahar turned back to his own solitary path.
**
Episode 36: Rest at the Tavern
That night, the tavern glowed with warm lamplight, alive with laughter and clattering mugs. Yet in one quiet corner sat Elahar, Brakka, and Caron—each lost in their own silence despite the din around them.
Elahar nursed his drink, replaying the clash aboard the airship. Lian's raw determination, and the unsettling presence behind it, lingered in his mind. He sipped the bitter liquid slowly, hardening his resolve to walk his path with clarity.
Brakka leaned against his massive axe, the edge resting by his stool. He smirked as the strong liquor burned down his throat. The thrill of battle still hummed in his veins, though unease tempered his mood. To him, combat was joy—but meaningless destruction was not. Tonight, he sought only a moment of release.
Caron sat opposite them, silent, eyes fixed on the faint shimmer in his glass. Thoughts flickered behind his gaze. He, too, longed for strong opponents, but strength for its own sake had never been enough. Aligning with Noctus, chasing their schemes… it left a sour taste. And yet, so long as worthy foes appeared on this path, he remained bound to it.
After a stretch of silence, Brakka broke the quiet with a low rumble.
Brakka: "Strange, isn't it? Sitting here feels almost… peaceful. But I can't say I care for the way Noctus does things."
Elahar: "Peace after battle is the only reason we can endure the road ahead. But to fight alongside them… it leaves me wary."
Caron: "Strength is what binds us, but this… this alliance does not sit right with me either. Our paths may part sooner than we expect."
Brakka grunted his agreement.
Brakka: "Strength I will always seek—but never at the cost of preying on the weak. That fight, I refuse."
Elahar: "Exactly so. Power used to oppress the helpless loses all meaning."
They were bound by a common pursuit of strength, yet each carried a different creed. Though seated at the same table, solitude lingered in their eyes.
At last, Brakka raised his mug high, his grin returning.
Brakka: "Then let's drink to today's battle! And to the next, when stronger foes await us!"
Elahar and Caron raised their glasses in turn, the three of them toasting in quiet solidarity.
Elahar: "We will fight together, and grow stronger still—whatever hardships await."
Caron: "And in the crucible of battle, we will be forged harder than steel."
For that night, their differences faded. United by the pursuit of strength, they felt—for the briefest moment—that none of them walked alone.
**
Episode 37: Encounter Before Altekna – Elahar, Brakka, and Caron
The wide plains stretched endlessly as Lian's party advanced toward Altekna aboard a steam carriage. I stepped forward to block their path, studying them with calm detachment. Determination burned in Lian's eyes. Beside him were Lia and Eris, and further back stood Brunok, watchful as ever.
Elahar: "Our last battle was most enjoyable. Your skills had grown, and I found pleasure in it. But perhaps this time shall be the last."
Lian ignored my measured words, answering instead with steely resolve.
Lian: "I'm stronger than before—and I will surpass you."
I could almost feel the sparks of his conviction.
Brakka laughed, swinging his axe in great arcs.
Brakka: "Hah! Nothing pleases me more than a fight like this! So, are you ready to take me head-on? That's the only way to do it right! Come then, let's see what you've got!"
His booming voice seemed to shake the earth itself. As Lian charged toward him, greatsword flashing, I realized this battle would be far from simple. They were a formidable alliance, and today's clash would test us all.
From behind, Caron's voice cut through, quiet yet sharp.
Caron: "Precision is what decides victory. Strategy is paramount. This time, I will dismantle your tactics piece by piece."
The battle erupted. Lian hurled himself at Brakka, their blows rocking the ground beneath them. I kept close watch on Brakka's immense swings, preparing myself to act when the moment demanded.
Meanwhile, Brunok's bullets hissed through the air. I weaved aside and turned toward Mariel, knowing I had to break her defenses to blunt Lian's charge. But her barrier was strong, and before I could close in, Lian intercepted me—his blade clashing against mine to hold me back.
His strength had grown. I felt it in every strike, and yet there was something else—something ominous woven into that growth.
Again he came at me, greatsword raised high, while Brakka's axe swung in tandem, pressing me from both sides. Their combined assault was fiercer than I had anticipated.
Elahar (grimly): "So… this is the power of their unity."
Caron unleashed his shadow magic, only to be countered by Lia and Eris. Their spells disrupted his casting, forcing him back. Their teamwork was not to be underestimated.
I exchanged a glance with Brakka and signaled him. We would need to strike in concert. Yet at that very moment, Lian's power began to surge in a way I had not seen before—as if something deep within him was awakening.
He leapt, greatsword raised high, and brought it down with all his might. I felt the raw intensity of his will, but also the shadow of another force, something not entirely his own.
This battle was more than a test of strength. It was a warning. Lian's change was undeniable, and I resolved to put an end to it before the darkness could claim him.
Elahar: "This fight ends here. We will meet again."
Brakka lifted his axe skyward, roaring with laughter.
Brakka: "Think we've shown our full strength already? Hardly! Today's victory will have to wait for the next round!"
Together we pulled back, leaving the field behind. Lian had grown undeniably stronger—but in his growth lurked shadows that could not be ignored. The battles ahead would reveal what choices he and his companions would make.
**
Episode 38: The Sinister Face of Noctus
After the clash, I sat with Brakka and Caron, each of us weighing what we had seen. Noctus's true face was now plain: they twisted our pursuit of strength into cruelty, delighting in tormenting the weak. To lend them our blades any longer would stain our honor.
Brakka's voice thundered with anger.
Brakka: "Enough! We are warriors who seek the strong—not lackeys who trample the helpless. I won't fight beside them again."
Caron nodded grimly.
Caron: "Sadril's creed has proven false. Yet even so, the duels we've begun must reach their end. To walk the path of strength is to accept pain—and solitude."
Their words resonated with my own heart. To outsiders, our choices may have seemed strange. But as the so-called strongest of the elves, my pursuit of greater strength was mine alone. For that purpose, no sacrifice felt too great.
I remembered the battle with Sadril, his fierce resolve, and how Lian's determination had brought him down. Watching his end steeled my conviction further: Noctus's wickedness could not be ours.
And so, in secret, we turned our blades against them. When their armies and golems descended upon towns, we struck from the shadows, leaving no witnesses to tell of it. Their victims had no voice—but neither did their soldiers, once we were done with them.
Now, at last, we would leave Celesta behind and return to my refuge in the Luminaria continent. Long had I dwelled here, but thoughts of her—of the one I once longed to see—lingered in my mind. Was she well? The question tugged at me even as I steeled my resolve.
The road ahead was uncertain, but it was mine to walk. With past promises and fading hopes held close, I would set forth once again—seeking the path of the strong.