Late night, Sylvaris.
"So the king wants you to what?" Lord Alistair asked as his servants placed plates of food on the table.
"It seems the king can't contact Aurelia, and Rethrus is there. He's kind of scared for his 'favorite child," Slade replied from the other side of the table.
"Oh yeah, I've met the kid. Smart for his age, and him being very strong is no exaggeration. But why did General Chan heal Rethrus's deep scar anyway?"
"Well, the king talked to us about how we should treat Rethrus, so you know," Slade said with a wink at Alistair.
"You're right. The kid is remarkable. Never seen someone with that mana pool at such a young age. The king might be scared about where that power would end up if it's not on his side."
"Anyway, do you have any meat?" Slade asked.
"Hahaha, you know we don't eat meat here, and we didn't expect you to stop by. Besides, aren't those plant-based meats satisfying enough?"
"Well, thank you for your hospitality, I guess," Slade said, continuing to eat.
Alistair looked at Slade for a moment. "Wow, look at you. Back then, you were just some annoying son of a noble. Now you're a general."
"And you were a womanizing knight. Now look at you—a fancy lord in a dress," Slade answered with a grin.
"Well, war really changes people. Maybe we're different, but knowing the same things doesn't mean we react the same," Alistair said thoughtfully.
The two pondered for a moment in silence before Alistair stood, breaking it.
"Well, anyway, you'll stay here for the night. My servants will accompany you to your room."
Straight to his room, Lord Alistair wrote a private parchment—meant only for the cities belonging to Alborea. It was a secret connection the king didn't know about.
'Tsk, aren't they finished with their beef yet?' he thought. 'If they don't stop, they'll give the king a reason to conquer them, especially since he doesn't want to handle this diplomatically given what's happening to the kingdom.'
He sealed the magical parchment and sent it to the Aurelia magistrate and the Frings estate.
'Tsk, who in their right mind would trick those two into war anyway?'
In Aurelia, Rethrus was still running, knowing he was far from safety. He paused to catch his breath, looking up at the sky.
'Hope they're all alright,' he thought.
Then, he started running again.
'Xiaolan, Gerard—I hope you're fine.'
In the capital, Gerard reached the inn, shocking Mr. Eddie and Mrs. Hilda.
Gerard pleaded and explained the situation.
"So you saved this kid from Lord Frings, and Rethrus is trapped in a war?" Mr. Eddie asked.
"Yes. Please, I need the key to Rethrus's room so I can prepare his things. He and this kid need to depart immediately when he arrives," Gerard said, breathing heavily.
The couple hesitated, but seeing Xiaolan's innocent face convinced them. Mrs. Hilda took Xiaolan to bathe, caring for her like a daughter.
During the bath, Mrs. Hilda noticed how fragile Xiaolan's body was. She looked at her face and saw a beautiful child, which softened her heart.
"Tell me, does that guy tell the truth?" she asked Xiaolan.
"Ohm, Rethrus is the one who saved me. He promised he'd be here, but he's not here yet."
"Don't worry, Rethrus will be fine," Mrs. Hilda reassured her gently.
It was late at night, and the battle had not stopped. Magic had lessened, replaced mostly by physical combat. Mages fired small spells here and there, but many had drawn swords and fists, fighting hand to hand.
Cassius looked around at his surroundings. He focused for a moment and thought, 'I guess this is it.'
His hand, covered with water, began to grow larger and larger. His water arm expanded until it became massive.
He smiled. 'Poseidon's arm!'
His hand was now covered by two gigantic water arms. People nearby saw this and were filled with fear, knowing the guild master was ready to move.
Garrick noticed and took a step back from Thane to give Cassius space.
'Now, let's end this,' Cassius whispered.
He smashed the ground with his enormous water arm. The earth cracked and shattered beneath him, causing enemies to fall. The Merlion army tried to resist, but the massive water hands were too strong. Cassius didn't even have to move much to destroy the opposing forces, allowing the Frings army to advance.
Thane, seeing the disadvantage, wanted to fight, but most of his men were already fleeing the battlefield. He tried to rally them, but even he felt fear creeping in. Some of the Merlion soldiers who couldn't run anymore surrendered, forcing Thane to retreat as well.
In Riverdale, the battle was over—the Frings family had won.
The fights within the Frings estate continued. Every matchup was still a close contest. The Frings had the advantage in numbers but couldn't easily defeat their opponents.
Eri knocked an enemy down, only to see them get back up and fight again. She was confused. Suddenly, she spotted a woman in the middle of the Merlion army planting her staff into the ground.
After a moment, Eri realized—'She's their main healer!'
Thalara, on the other hand, was busy healing allies with her advanced earth magic: Nature's Gift. This magic healed chosen targets as long as they are on the ground.
Suddenly, Eri lunged forward, claw extended, aiming for Thalara's face. Thalara's eyes snapped open just in time, and with a swift, graceful movement, she dodged the attack.
Without hesitation, Thalara counterattacked, striking back at Eri with a precise blow.
Seeing Thalara's counter, Eri clawed the air, creating a recoil that propelled her upward, dodging the strike.
The two held their distance, locking eyes. Then, they attacked each other simultaneously.
Eri tried to close the distance while Thalara kept attacking from afar.
Elsewhere, Diablo and Lucian exchanged blows, evenly matched. They kept a cautious distance, their wind magic clashing in swift, precise strikes.
Nearby, Kaedric and Captain Brienne fought like dancers, metal ringing as their weapons met. Even without magic, Brienne was confident she could parry Kaedric's attacks.
The battle raged on, growing more destructive by the minute. Suddenly, a loud voice shouted:
"STOP!"
Everyone paused and looked toward the source.
It was Mergoth, holding the unconscious body of Kesca. The Merlion army bristled with anger, ready to attack again.
"Attack again, and I'll kill the daughter of your beloved lord," Mergoth threatened, pointing his staff at Kesca's neck.
With no choice, the entire Merlion army lowered their swords and surrendered, including the Stars of the Battle. They didn't like it, but they were outnumbered.
Mergoth then began to curse the Merlion enemies, ensuring they could be used again for some time.
At the battle in the Frings estate, the Frings family had claimed victory.
In the north of Riverdale, the smoke thickened the atmosphere, steam swirling in heavy clouds that blurred the battlefield. Through the haze, two figures clashed relentlessly—masters of fire and water locked in a duel that shook the very earth beneath them.
"I guess your title isn't a joke,"Berren said, flames flickering fiercely around his conjured clamore.
Dante, panting but unyielding, gripped his massive claymore, its blade shimmering with rapidly swirling water. "You sure you want me to fight you with just your conjured claymore?"
"I want to fight the strongest on his strongest suit," Berren replied, eyes burning with fierce determination.
Without warning, Dante slashed the air, sending a rushing wave of water surging toward Berren. The fire user met it head-on, slicing the water with his blazing clamore. In a blur, Dante closed the distance, swinging his water-enshrouded blade in a fierce strike. Berren raised his fiery sword to shield himself, but Dante's water magic surged, cutting through the fire blade and grazing Berren's side. He hissed, but quickly burned the wound, gritting his teeth and smiling.
"You still sure you want to do this my way?" Dante asked, eyes gleaming.
Berren answered by conjuring two flaming claymores, their lighter-orange fire crackling with deadly heat. 'Of course,' he said, charging forward.
Their blades met again and again—fire against water, each strike sending sparks and steam flying. They kicked and slashed, blocking and countering with breathtaking speed and strength. Both smiled, exhilarated by the fierce challenge, each trying to outmatch the other.
Suddenly, Dante stepped back, planting his claymore firmly on the ground. "I guess it's time to end this."
Berren laughed, flames dancing wildly. "I agree."
They prepared their final attacks.
Berren lowered his body, hands clasped at his side as fire began to roll and coil like a living thing, gathering power.
Dante's focus sharpened. A massive chunk of water formed around his claymore, swirling and condensing until it took the shape of a great Fenrir's head, roaring with watery fury.
"Fenrir's Fang!" Dante shouted, leaping into the air and swinging his blade in a devastating arc.
At the same moment, Berren unleashed a searing beam of fire, a blazing lance of pure heat aimed to shatter Dante's attack.
The two forces collided with a cataclysmic explosion—fire met water in a tempest of steam, shockwaves ripping through the city. The ground quaked, buildings shuddered, and a towering plume of smoke rose, blotting out the sky.
When the smoke finally cleared, silence fell over the battlefield.
Only one man stood amidst the ruin—Dante, his claymore dripping with water, eyes blazing with unbroken resolve.
Dante stood amidst the shattered battlefield, his chest heaving as exhaustion weighed heavily on him. He gripped his claymore tightly, the water droplets still trickling from its blade. Panting, he scanned his surroundings through the lingering haze, every muscle aching from the fierce duel.
Slowly, he turned his back to the ruined ground, his gaze settling on a figure emerging from the smoke—a familiar silhouette cutting through the mist like a beacon.
A faint, tired smile curved Dante's lips as recognition dawned.
"I was right... it was you, Rethrus"