Inside a room near the gala hall, two young people were panting heavily, their breaths uneven as the lingering rush of adrenaline slowly began to fade.
"That was almost really bad… I don't think I've ever opened one that fast before…" Zenith muttered between breaths.
"You opened it behind me… you idiot," Lumina shot back, her voice strained as she leaned against the wall before slowly sitting down. She never felt so close to death before.
"Hey, that was a mistake. I wanted to open it in front of you, but I couldn't get the position right in such a short time," Zenith replied defensively.
Zenith looked at Lumina, who was still breathing hard as she finally started to calm down. The tension in her body eased bit by bit, though the fear from moments ago had yet to completely leave her.
After a brief pause, his gaze dropped to her stomach, where Astro's attack had struck her earlier. The middle portion of her outfit had been destroyed, the fabric torn away as if ripped by force, yet there wasn't a single bruise or cut on her skin.
"Anyway… how do you have no scratch at all? I saw you get hit by that guy before," Zenith asked quietly, his eyes lingering on the spot to see if there was any damage behind the skin.
"I don't know. He probably didn't want to hurt me, I guess," Lumina replied, though her voice trembled slightly. The memory of that moment still made her chest tighten, and for an instant, she had truly thought she was finished.
"Well, I guess that guy is weird like his mother," Zenith mumbled after noticing her shaken state. He reached down and pulled her up to her feet.
"Weird like his mother?" Lumina repeated, tilting her head in confusion.
Zenith didn't answer her. After making sure she was really okay, he quickly straightened and raised his right palm, magic gathering as he prepared to open another portal.
"We can talk about it later. Right now, we need to get out of here. Let's go," he said firmly, pulling Lumina up and dragging her forward as his hand passed through the forming portal.
In an instant, Zenith stepped out onto snow-covered ground, his boots sinking slightly as he landed. Cold air hit his face as he looked up and saw that the snowfall was still heavy, thick flakes continuing to pour down from the dark sky.
"Hey, who are you?"
Zenith froze as multiple council guards suddenly turned toward them. It seemed he had accidentally opened the portal right in the middle of a patrol route.
Lumina stepped out of the portal right after him and stared at the group of guards speechlessly before looking at Zenith.
"Hey, I didn't know the guards' position," Zenith muttered stiffly as he glanced back at her. Lumina turned just in time to see the portal close behind them.
"Are you guests? Even if you are, this is unauthorized ground," one of the leading guards, a young woman, shouted as she raised her staff and pointed it directly at Zenith and Lumina. Her subordinates followed immediately, forming a loose formation as all of their staves locked onto the two intruders.
"I'll take care of them," Zenith whispered.
Lumina was about to protest, but she stopped herself. This wasn't the time to hesitate, and Zenith was stronger than her anyway. She nodded silently, her eyes briefly flickering to the Devil Lacrima in her right hand.
As soon as they left this place filled with magic runes, Zenith would be able to open a portal to somewhere far away, somewhere safe and completely out of reach. She can figure out a way to destroy it then.
Zenith narrowed his eyes and raised his left arm to shoulder level.
"Requip: Umbrael."
A blue aura erupted from his body, blasting the snow away from his feet and forcing it to scatter outward. When he opened his eyes again, a sharp crescent-moon shape glimmered within his pupils.
As the guards' vision cleared, they saw that the boy was now holding a greatsword with a dark blue handle. Intricate designs ran along the blade, giving it an almost majestic presence despite the cold aura surrounding it.
"We're kind of in a hurry, so can we make this quick?" Zenith murmured as he casually rotated the greatsword in his left hand.
"Last warning. Surrender, or we will shoot," the council wizards shouted as they spread out across the snow. There were around ten of them, each raising their staves, aiming at Zenith.
Well, not all of them….Zenith noticed that several of them were aiming at Lumina as well.
"Last warning? That's actually the first time you said that," Zenith replied calmly. He gripped his great sword tighter under his arms and raised his right hand to shoulder level, aiming it toward the council wizards.
"Shut up. Surrender now," one of them shouted again.
"How about no?" Zenith said with a faint smile.
"Lunar Magic: Moonbound Expanse."
The whispered incantation echoed directly into the council wizards' ears. As Zenith clenched his right fist, a vast dark blue zone erupted outward, expanding in an instant until it engulfed Zenith, Lumina, and every single council wizard at once.
"What is this?" one of the wizards muttered as he looked around in confusion. He had never seen magic like this before, and the strangest part was that he didn't feel any immediate change at all.
"Doesn't matter. Shoot them," the leader barked.
"Yes, Boss"
"Energy Bullet!"
"Energy Bullet!"
The area was filled with streaks of multicolored magic as the spells tore through the air. The falling snow and the dark blue zone only made the lights stand out more vividly.
But Zenith showed no fear. He rotated his greatsword one time before stepping forward, his body shifting into a running stance.
"What is he doing?"
The leader watched in disbelief as Zenith charged straight toward them, completely ignoring the magic bullets flying at him at high speed. Zenith didn't answer her; instead, he took another step, and suddenly the entire scene shifted from the council's wizard's perspective.
"Huh?"
In the next moment, the council wizards found themselves suspended several meters above the ground, still trapped within the blue zone. The magic bullets they had fired moments earlier also seemed to move through space and turned back toward them, attacking from every direction at once.
Boom.
Before they could even process what was happening, most of the council wizards were struck by their own spells. Small explosions of different colors erupted around them in quick succession.
"Rune Guard!" the leader shouted, barely managing to form a defensive barrier in time.
"What was that?" she gasped.
As she began to fall back toward the ground, her eyes locked onto Zenith, who was already dashing toward her, leaving deep footprints in the snow behind. Zenith's figure rapidly filled her vision as she tried desperately to raise her staff and defend herself.
But Zenith did not give her any chance this time. His eyes glowed with a cold, dark blue light as he locked gazes with the council wizard. A chill ran straight through the woman's bones.
"Rune Guard!" she shouted again, hastily forming a shield in front of her. She couldn't believe she was intimidated by such a young kid.
Zenith's greatsword became coated in dark blue magic.
"Lunar Magic: Moonstep."
That was the last thing the council wizard remembered hearing that night. And the most terrifying part… was that the voice came from behind her. In that instant, he realized Zenith was no longer in front of her at all.
"Agh!"
Dark blue slashes appeared all over her body. She looked down in horror to see her staff shatter into countless pieces, while deep cuts spread across both of her arms as well.
"Aghh!" She screamed as she collapsed onto the snow. The pain was so intense that her vision blurred, but through it she could faintly see the boy walking away without looking back.
The last thing he heard was the heavy thuds of bodies falling into the snow around her before her consciousness finally faded.
Zenith made a brief hand motion, and Lumina appeared beside him near the rune barrier as the dark blue zone disappeared completely.
"Are they going to be alright?" Lumina asked, glancing back at the council wizards.
"Don't worry about them, they won't die. After you break the barrier, others should come here and take care of them," Zenith replied.
Lumina studied his face for a moment, then nodded when she saw he wasn't lying. Turning her focus to the barrier, she raised her left hand.
"Solar Script Magic: Re-Rule."
Her left index fingertip glowed yellow as she drew a rune in the air, with precise movement. She then slammed the rune forward toward the barrier.
"Now break."
A massive shattering sound echoed as a huge hole opened where the rune struck, revealing the way outside.
"Let's go."
Lumina and Zenith exchanged a brief nod before breaking into a run. As long as they made it out of this area beyond the barrier, Zenith would be able to—
"Hm?" Lumina suddenly murmured in surprise.
Zenith, who was a step ahead of her, subconsciously turned back at the sound. The moment his eyes landed on her, they widened in shock.
Lumina also looked down at her stomach just as a metallic chain burst straight through it. Blood poured out instantly, warm and vivid against the falling snow. Her breath hitched, her pupils shrinking, and before her body could even react, another chain shot out of nowhere and slammed into her right shoulder from behind.
The chain scraped brutally along her arm, tearing through flesh as it slid down her forearm before snapping tight around the Devil's Lacrima in her right hand.
Lumina instinctively tried to clutch it, her fingers tightening despite the pain, but the chain wrapped around the lacrima far too fast. With a violent tug, it was ripped free.
"Agh."
"Lumina!" Zenith shouted.
The chain that had pierced her from behind was yanked back just as violently, ripping free and dragging a spray of blood with it. The snow beneath her was instantly dyed a deep crimson as Lumina's strength gave out. Her body tilted forward, knees buckling, and she began to fall forward.
Zenith caught her just in time, his arms tightening around her as he dropped to his knees.
"Lumina… Lumina… are you alright?" he asked urgently as he patted her face.
"The lacrima…" Lumina whispered weakly.
Zenith clenched his teeth and looked up.
The chain that had pierced Lumina dragged across the snow as it retreated, leaving a long red trail behind it before coiling back around a pale arm. Another chain that was wrapped tightly around the Devil's Lacrima, which dropped neatly into its owner's open palm.
Zenith's eyes locked onto the figure standing ahead.
It was a woman with short black hair, wearing little more than tightly bound strap-like clothing. Silver tattoo-like markings covered every inch of exposed skin, crawling across her arms, legs, and even her face. She examined the purple lacrima in her palm with a lazy, amused smile.
"So this is the Devil's Lacrima. It doesn't feel… as majestic as I thought," she said in a disappointed tone as she examined the lacrima.
"I was going to thank you for making our work easier, but are you sure, kids, that you stole the right thing?" she asked, her gaze shifting to Zenith.
"That boy is mine, Petra. Don't take away my prey."
A man stepped out from behind her and came to a stop at her side. Like her, his body was covered in silver markings. He wore a black vest that left his arms fully exposed and part of his chest bare. Two more men emerged behind them, all sharing the same markings and oppressive presence.
"Who are you?" Zenith asked he hugged Lumina closer, pressing a hand against her wounds to slow the bleeding.
"Zenith… the lacrima…" Lumina coughed weakly.
Zenith didn't answer her. Instead, he carefully examined the people in front of him.
"Wait, you don't recognize me?" the man beside Petra asked suddenly in shock. He pointed straight at Zenith, his expression incredulous. "Hey, Petra, that guy doesn't remember me?"
He turned his head, raising his voice to the two men behind him. "Did you hear that, Kalyx? Liore? He doesn't remember me! Haha."
"You don't remember me, kid? I found you alone and brought you into my guild. But you betrayed me the moment you laid eyes on this girl. Do you know how embarrassed I was in front of Master? And now you don't even remember me?"
Zenith tilted his head slightly, studying him, still not remembering who it was.
"Wait… you really don't remember me?" the man muttered, disbelief creeping into his voice.
Petra finally clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Shut up, Giel. He was using us from the beginning to find the girl. You never really mattered to him. Why would he remember you?"
"What?"
"Oh," Zenith said slowly, finally realizing who they were. "You're from Lumina's old man's gang. Why do you all look so shiny now?"
It wasn't that he truly forgot them. Back then, they were weak, barely worth noticing. Now, their presence alone weighed heavily on the air. And on top of it, they now had some weird silver tattoo-like marks on their body.
"Zenith…" Lumina murmured.
"It'll be alright," Zenith whispered back, tightening his hold on her. He didn't care about the lacrima anymore. Lumina's life came first. His mind raced, calculating how to escape the barrier zone without a fight. If he could just get out, he could open a portal and get her medical help immediately.
"Shiny? You mean these marks?" Giel said smugly. "Of course you'd notice. Right now, we are—"
"Shut up, Giel," Petra snapped again as she rolled her eyes. She tapped her earring. "Master, we got the item."
"You are late."
Petra suddenly flinched, hearing the loud sound that came through it.
A deep, low-pitched voice echoed from the earring; it was loud enough that even Zenith could hear it clearly.
"There were complications. Communication wasn't working well while the physical barrier was active," Petra replied smoothly, rubbing her ear.
"What kind of complications?"
"Well," Petra said as she glanced at Lumina in Zenith's arms, "we found your daughter trying to sabotage us. What do you want us to do with her?"
Giel, Kalyx, and Liore slowly stepped forward, spreading out, waiting for the man's instructions. Zenith shifted his stance, still holding Lumina with one arm while his other hand slowly reached for his greatsword, his eyes never leaving them.
High above the city outside the castle, atop a clock tower, a man sat with his legs dangling in the air. Wind tore through his brown hair as his single red eye glowed ominously. His gaze was fixed on a figure carrying his daughter through the snow.
It was unknown what was going through his mind for a moment.
"I thought she would understand someday…but maybe I was too lenient on her." Golvax finally muttered, the red glow intensifying.
"Kill her. Right now."
The command echoed into Petra's ear.
Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she licked her lips and looked at Zenith and Lumina.
"As you wish," she replied cheerfully, swinging the chain on her left hand
Giel didn't hesitate. "Let me do it, Petra."
"Laser Magic: Type One."
He thrust both hands forward, the silver markings on his body blazing as a massive white beam erupted toward Zenith. The air screamed as it tore through the snow.
Zenith's eyes widened. He didn't recall anyone under Golvax able to use magic on this level….he looked down at Lumina's pale face. He could open a portal. He could activate Moonbound Expanse. But even the smallest movement might worsen her injuries.
There was no other choice.
Zenith turned his body, shielding Lumina completely with his own.
"You want to play hero again?" Giel shouted. "It doesn't matter. I'm in a whole different league now. This attack will erase both of you."
"Yes, kill her, Giel…"
Petra shouted with a sadistic smile….but suddenly she felt something flash past her overhead.
"Purple wind?"
The white beam filled Zenith's vision as dark blue light gathered in his eyes. He prepared to defend, even knowing it wouldn't be enough.
Then, within the blinding light, a black silhouette appeared in front of him out of nowhere.
"Sky Devil's—"
A low-pitched whisper echoed through the area.
"Gale Rebound."
Swish.
From Zenith's perspective, the figure swung a sword glowing with purple light. Instantly, violent purple wind wrapped around the white beam, bending it unnaturally before hurling it straight back toward its origin.
"What the—" Giel shouted as his own attack rushed back at him, now coated in raging purple wind.
Boom.
The explosion lit up the snowfield.
"What is going on now?"
Petra raised an arm to shield her eyes, but suddenly she heard something behind her. However, before she could look back…
"Agh!"
An axe slammed into her back with brutal force, embedding the axe in her left shoulder as if she were nothing more than wood. With another single clean motion, a second axe severed her arm, the one holding the Devil's Lacrima.
The lacrima fell.
The man ripped the embedded axe free, sending Petra flying helplessly into a tree with the motion. The impact shattered the tree, as it collapsed on the ground under the force. The man flipped both axes effortlessly before holding them in one hand.
He crouched and picked up the Devil's Lacrima with his free hand.
Percival glanced at it briefly before slipping it into his pocket. Then he rose, gripping an axe in each hand once more.
"So who are you guys?" Percival finally decided to ask.
But nobody answered him…
Kalyx and Liore both leapt backward the moment they saw Giel and Petra get overwhelmed in such a short span of time, their instincts screaming that the battlefield had just shifted in a dangerous direction.
"Well, it doesn't matter who you people are, but the lacrima doesn't belong to you," Percival said in a monotone voice as he casually rotated one of his axes in his hand. As he spoke, a massive white wing erupted from his right shoulder, feathers unfolding with a heavy presence that stirred the falling snow.
Kalyx and Liore immediately took defensive stances, their bodies tensing as their silver markings pulsed faintly.
"Come on, genius. We're here to steal it. Why would we care who it belongs to?" A voice suddenly came from Percival's left side.
Percival turned his head just in time to see the woman he had slammed earlier slowly rising from the snow. Her right arm was missing completely, blood pouring freely from the severed shoulder.
Astro, who was standing in front of Zenith and Lumina, also noticed her at the same time. The silver markings across her body flared brightly, and a surge of silver light raced across her form. In the next instant, her severed arm vanished in light before reappearing fully restored, seamlessly reattached to her shoulder as if nothing had happened.
"Haha, this magic really is the best," Astro heard a loud voice come from where he shot the attack back.
From the site of the earlier explosion, the man Astro had countered rose back to his feet. His body was covered in blackened burn marks, his upper clothes completely shredded and charred, yet he wore a wide, manic smile. Silver light flashed over him as well, and in seconds his injuries vanished, leaving his body completely unscathed, though his upperclothes did not return.
"Who are you guys? I don't think you're with—" Astro began, looking at the four unfamiliar figures.
He paused mid-sentence and glanced behind him, only to see that the two kids were gone. All that remained was a trail of blood leading toward the cracked barrier. Astro frowned slightly at the blood before refocusing on the enemies in front of him.
"You must be the legal wizards invited to the gala." Petra looked at Astro before looking back at Percival and said calmly.
"We don't have business with you right now, so how about you give that thing back to us?"
She noticed the two kids escaping, but right now she couldn't care less about them.
"I wouldn't say no business, they dared to attack us. I want to make them pay." Giel said menacingly as he turned his gaze toward Astro.
"Blade Rush."
Giel thrust his right palm forward, and countless blades erupted from beneath the snow-covered ground. The sound of metal tearing through snow echoed as the blades surged toward Astro at frightening speed.
Astro jumped high into the air, narrowly avoiding the blades as they continued to burst upward where he had just stood.
"You should get a taste too," Giel snarled as he turned his left palm toward Percival.
The ground beneath Percival exploded with blades as well, the wave racing toward him. Percival flapped the wing on his shoulder once and lifted smoothly into the air, the blades tearing uselessly beneath him.
"Giel, can you stop making things complicated for no reason?"
"Chain Magic: Snake Bind," Petra shouted, snapping her chain forward.
The chain extended instantly, wrapping tightly around Percival's body midair. He didn't struggle. Instead, he looked down at it with mild curiosity, as if evaluating how a chain could be used as a weapon.
"Got you," Petra said with a grin. "Chain Magic: Blazing Chain."
Flames ignited along the chain, racing toward Percival in an instant and engulfing him.
Yet Percival didn't scream. He didn't even flinch.
He released one axe from his hand. The weapon spun on its own as it fell, slicing through the chain midair before curving back and cutting through the remaining length in front of him. The flames vanished as the severed chains fell uselessly to the snow.
"Tell me…do you know the consequences of attacking…" Percival couldn't finish his sentence as he suddenly felt someone behind him.
"Transformation Magic: Pazuzu."
He turned just in time to see a massive creature descending from above. A towering gray body packed with muscle, a lion's head twisted into a monstrous snarl, and two massive wings beating the air.
Liore slammed both fists down together, smashing Percival into the ground and creating a deep crater in the snow.
Astro landed nearby and instinctively turned to check on Percival, but his instincts screamed again.
"Don't forget about me," Kalyx shouted from the side.
"Wind Magic: Raging Tornado."
A massive tornado erupted beside Astro, roaring as it surged toward him. The air twisted violently, snow and debris spiraling upward.
"I got you!" Kalyx yelled triumphantly.
Giel grinned, certain Astro would be torn apart. Even Liore thought the same from above, looking at Astro.
Astro, however, didn't dodge.
Instead, he opened his mouth.
The tornado rushed into him and… vanished.
All four dark wizards froze, their eyes bulging in disbelief as Astro casually swallowed the attack without any resistance.
"Monster," Liore shouted in shock.
"You're the last one to talk, Liore," Kalyx yelled back angrily.
Giel didn't say anything, nor did Petra…They couldn't help but think of a certain boss who eats…
"That was the weirdest wind I've ever eaten," Astro muttered, not caring about their shock.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kalyx asked instinctively.
"You ate my attack, and you're complaining?" Kalyx shouted in frustration.
Astro wiped his mouth thoughtfully. "I am not saying it tasted bad. Just weird."
"Oh… so you're saying my magic was unique?" Kalyx said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Thanks for the compliment."
"Shut up, Kalyx," Giel snapped.
"You used purple wind, right?" Petra said, staring intently at Astro. "Are you the Sky Devil Slayer?"
"Is that going to change anything?" Astro replied calmly before asking, "But who are you people, and why are you after that lacrima?"
He wasn't expecting an answer. Right now, he was trying to figure out a way to capture them and get the answer from them using his…
"You're the Sky Devil Slayer who killed Kian? " Giel roared when he realized Astro did not deny it. "You killed our guildmates. I am going to make you pay—"
"Aero Dominion."
Boom.
Before Giel could finish, a compressed sphere of violent purple wind filled his vision. Astro appeared in front of him instantly and slammed the attack directly into his face without hesitation.
A massive explosion erupted at Giel's head, purple wind and blood scattering in every direction. Petra and Kalyx were forced back several steps.
"Heaven Drive Magic."
"What?"
Liore, still airborne, looked down just in time to see an axe slicing upward through the air. Before he could react, his body was split cleanly in half from bottom to top.
Percival shot upward from the crater and appeared in front of the falling remains.
"Twin Axe Cleave."
With a vertical swing, he split the two halves again. He raised his right hand, catching the returning axe effortlessly.
"If you want to go against an angel. You should be prepared to fall into hell."
"Heaven Drive Magic: Twin Axe Cleave."
He continued swinging, with fluid and relentless movements, reducing Liore's body into countless pieces before the remains scattered across the snow.
Astro landed behind him on the ground and turned to look at Giel.
Giel was still standing.
But the space where his head should have been was empty.
A second later, his headless body collapsed forward into the snow.
Astro shifted his gaze to Petra, who stood frozen in shock.
"I wasn't going to kill you guys," Astro said quietly, his purple eye glowing. "But if you're with Abyss Howl, I don't see a reason to let you live anymore."
Astro did not forget how Kian used Abyss howl as a front and killed so many men, women, and children on Ventara's island. Shawn's sister is also missing now because of him.
Petra growled, glaring at Astro and Percival as they stood back to back, one grounded and one levitating.
Suddenly, silver light flashed over Giel's body again. His head reattached with a wet sound as he gasped violently.
"Agh… agh… it hurt so much… how dare you… I'll kill you…" Giel staggered to his feet.
"So you guys are immortal or something?" Percival asked calmly, glancing at Liore, who had also fully regenerated.
"That's right," Giel snarled. "Our master gave us this power. With this mark…our magic is stronger now, and we'll never die—"
"Never die?" Astro asked, looking at Giel's body. He really had no injuries on his body.
"That's right… You'd better start running before it is too late… After all, no matter how many times you'd kill me, it is pointless."
"Pointless?"
"Yes…now—"
"Giel, shut up," Kalyx shouted.
"Huh? Why would I? They need to know how hopeless they…" Giel said, slowing as he noticed something unsettling.
There wasn't a shred of fear in Astro's eyes at all. If anything, Giel even had an illusion that Astro was looking at him as if he were a research subject.
Giel would know after all, that's what their dark guild would gather for Abyss Howl.
"What… why are you looking at me like that…?" Giel asked warily as a chill crawled up his spine. He took an instinctive step back, his boots crunching softly against the snow, and both Kalyx and Petra mirrored his movement without even realizing it.
"Hey, what's with that look…?" Liore added as he glanced at Percival, who was also looking interestingly at Liore… Something told that he was not interested in the secret of immortality…He was more interested in…
"Hey, you are from Fiore, right? What's your name?" Percival asked casually as he glanced back at Astro.
"Astro," Astro replied casually without looking back.
"Percival," Percival continued, rolling his shoulders. "These guys are pretty interesting. How about we each take two? You can have the woman and the man you attacked earlier. Let me have the other two."
"Sure, but honestly, I don't think we'll have the luxury of that," Astro replied cheekily. "Aether."
With a faint hum, purple wind condensed in his palm, and a sword formed instantly in his grip, its edge shimmering with purple wind.
"I guess we'll have to make do with one only then," Percival took a moment to realize what Astro meant… He also now sensed three people coming this direction. "I'll take this guy then."
Liore felt a chill sink straight into his bones the moment their eyes met.
"Hey…" Giel muttered, staring at them in confusion. They still were not afraid, and that alone was beginning to terrify him. "Did you not realize what I said? With these marks, we are unstoppable… Immortal, even. Are you not believing it?"
Astro simply shrugged and gave his sword a lazy swing through the air. "No, we actually believe it. After all, only someone who suddenly gained so much strength would be this dumb."
"What… what do you mean…?" Giel asked, his voice tightening.
"You see," Percival said as he casually spun one of his axes in his hand, "there is no eternal magic source. Every magic has its limits somewhere."
"Yeah," Astro continued calmly, dragging the tip of his sword across the snow as he walked forward to Giel, leaving a line behind him. "And when you get strong, you kind of have to hold back so you don't kill people by accident every time. So I have to say, your master is really thoughtful to deliver you guys to us."
"What… what do you mean…?" Kalyx asked in a trembling voice as he took another step back.
"You guys are asking way too many questions for training dummies," Percival replied with a sadistic grin.
"Yeah," Astro added, wearing the same expression as he looked at Giel, "So please be good training dummies now, so we can all have fun."
He truly regretted that he could not kill Kien himself or drag him away alive to make him suffer properly in prison. But thankfully. His guildmates were nice enough to deliver themselves even in such bad weather. How thoughtful of them.
"Stop coming near…" Giel said shakily as he backed away, staring at Astro slowly approaching him with that same unsettling smile.
"Stop!" Liore shouted at Percival, who was slowly coming near him as well.
Petra looked at the scene in panic. She tried to tap the earring, but before she could, suddenly, something grabbed her head from behind and slammed it down into the snow with brutal force.
THUD.
Kalyx whirled around just in time to see two beautiful women standing behind him. One had short golden hair and fair skin, while the other had long white hair and dark skin. Their presence alone made the air feel heavier.
"I guess we're late to the party," the golden-haired woman said casually, completely ignoring Kalyx as she looked toward Percival, who was the oldest. "So what happened to the two who broke into the party?"
"They got away," Percival replied without looking back, still smiling at Liore. "But I got the lacrima, so it doesn't matter."
"And what about them?" the white-haired woman asked, her gaze finally shifting toward Kalyx.
"They after the lacrima too… they seem to use some kind of magic that makes them immortal," Astro replied this time. "You can kill them as much as you want. They'll just come back alive."
"Wait, really?" Vera said with clear interest as she held Petra down.
"Let me go!" Petra screamed.
"Radiant Fist."
BOOM.
Vera's punch, glowing with yellow crystal-like light, smashed straight through Petra's head in the back, releasing a shockwave that scattered snow in every direction.
"Oh. She's dead."
A moment later, a silver flash flickered, and Petra's head reformed as if nothing had happened.
"Oh. She's alive."
"That hurts! Are you insane? Why are you guys acting like the dark wizards—"
"Radiant Fist."
BOOM.
Her head exploded again, with a spray of blood before reforming once more in a silver flash.
"It's true, wow," Vera muttered, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "How do you do it?"
"You could have seen it was true after the first time, you bit—"
"Radiant Fist."
BOOM.
"You know," Astro said calmly, a sadistic smile spreading as a swirling purple wind sphere formed in his left hand, "I'm interested in your limits. So, shall we put it to the test?"
"You all… are monsters…" Giel trembled.
"Aero Dominion."
Astro smiled wider as he appeared in front of Giel in an instant and slammed the wind sphere straight into Giel's chest.
BOOOOM.
"That was a yes or no question."
Graxia and Swan also turned their attention to Kalyx, studying him with clear interest. Despite being stared at by two beautiful women, Kalyx could only tremble, and it had nothing to do with the cold.
Liore tried to take off into the air, panic fully taking over, only to see Percival appear in front of him in an instant.
"As Astro said," Percival murmured, "I want to see where your limit is, too."
BOOM.
Another explosion echoed as Vera destroyed Petra's head yet again.
"Please… let me go…" Liore pleaded as he lost control of his magic, reverting to his human form and collapsing into the snow. "Please…"
The only thing he saw was Percival slowly levitating toward him, like a predator closing in on its prey.
BOOM.
He didn't need to look to know Petra's head had been blown off again.
He swallowed hard.
"Please…"
"Axe Cleave."
SLASH.
His body split cleanly in two.
BOOM.