{Month: Sunflare}
{Date: 1/7}
{Time: Mid Evening}
Ren, Hayate, Leo, and Izumi watched as the royal staff bustled about in the halls, each one moving with purpose as if an important event was happening. The four watched with slight confusion for a moment before Ren spotted Jin amongst the crowd.
Pulling him aside, Ren began preparing the questions in his mind, his brow raising with confusion and curiosity. "Lord Jin, what is going on? First Queen Stella raids Ránheim by surprise, now everyone is preparing flight units?"
"Ren, Natsume and Lady Victoria are missing so everyone is heading out on a search to find them. I'm heading out to help, I'm joining Stella and Sophia since I know Stella could find Victoria easily," Jin explained, his voice carrying his usual stoic tone.
"You both should stay here. Natsume and Lady Victoria have a history, a deep rivalry. Their battle may not be safe to be around," Jin said before turning around to walk off with the guards, pulling up his scarf as he left the castle.
Ren exhaled softly as he watched Jin walk off, closing his eyes while memories of him and Natsume played in his mind. Suddenly a hand gently fell upon his shoulder, Ren looking up to meet Leo's reassuring smile.
"How about we break the rules for once? You and Hayate worried about Lady Natsume just as me and Izumi are worried about Victoria. Plus, it would be nice to see their battle up close," Leo said, stepping back and gently taking Izumi's hand.
Ren smiled at Leo, crossing his arms behind his cloak and glanced at Hayate, raising an eyebrow at him. "Well, troublemaker? What do you say?"
"I say let's do this! The evening is still young and I'm still pretty good on reserves," Hayate cheesed, giving Ren a thumbs up.
Ren nodded then turned around and watched as the guards and knights marched through the front. With a leading gesture, Ren led the group out the castle, the four joining the hunt for Victoria and Natsume.
"Slow down, Stella! You barely gave us time to recover and now you're taking us off the path!" Saya exclaimed, holding onto her horse's leash as tightly as she could as he raced behind Blanche.
Blanche whinnied with glee as she was finally able to race and explore around, her white mane flowing graceful in the wind. Sophia followed beside me along the river while surfing upon her Grand Beast, Darkstripe Ray, her aquatic cries harmonizing with the songs of the night critters.
"Wow, I haven't seen Blanche race in so long..~ Blanche can you still hear me?" Risa's voice whispered mentally, her tone tinged with hope and anticipation.
'You're my spirit, dummy. She can't—' I began, but Blanche whinnied with recognition in response to Risa's voice, catching me by surprise. 'Well, excuse me, girlie. I suppose you are also a reincarnation...makes since taken you also got hit by that car.'
"By the way, how are we going to find Victoria? Does she have any like tracks we can follow? I'm not too used to this whole magic thing.."
'Victoria isn't dumb. She knows not to run off without leaving subtle tracks only I can pick up on. That's how deep out bond runs, she's like...my Tomoka,' I replied to Risa, my eyes searching around for any clues before picking up on X shaped cuts along a few trees.
"Your Tomoka huh...I wonder how everyone on Earth is doing. But, I digress. Let's find Victoria and Natsume!"
I chuckled softly at Risa, snapping Blanche's leash and began racing through the forest accompanied with Sophia, Miyuna, and Saya. The four of us were already along the right path before the others, yet we were treading through the most dangerous path within North Sylvannia.
------------------------------------------
{Time: Mid Evening}
Ren and the others made it to the outskirts of Ránheim, searching around the open area for any signs of Natsume and Victoria. As they raced around the area, they quickly were stopped by a blockage ahead, the sea.
"They couldn't have gone out that far..." Izumi quietly spoke, looking up at Leo with slight confusion.
"They 100% went out that far. Ahead are some distant islands connected to North Sylvannia territory. The only other way to those islands without water travel is that way," Ren said, pointing toward a path that led toward the most dangerous route in North Sylvannia, Rán Forest.
Everyone looked toward where Ren pointed, noticing a glowing crystal waypoint at the entrance of the forest with a sign warning people of the beasts and rouges that reside within the forest. Izumi and Hayate shuddered at the sign, glancing at each other and back at the sign ahead.
"Are you serious about this one, bro?" Hayate asked, his tail fluffing up with uncertainty.
"Would you rather take a swim? You don't own any Beasts, and you don't have the necessary stamina to keep yourself above the water's surface to make it to the islands. And then, you'd have to worry about more than Rouge Elves and Beasts," Ren said, glancing at Hayate with a raised eyebrow.
"It should be alright, but we should be extra careful while we are in there. The only active Beast we can count on is Darkwing," Leo said with reassurance, placing his hand on Izumi's back.
Izumi blushed lightly at Leo's uplifting tone, a gentle smile forming on her face as she nodded. "Right, I'll give him a summon...even though it's been a few days since I've summoned him."
"Go ahead, it shouldn't be too hard to call upon him. Take your time, I'm pretty sure my sister will find Victoria before us," Leo said with gentle patience, stepping back to give Izumi space to summon Darkwing.
Izumi nodded at Leo's words of encouragement, looking ahead and closing her eyes with a deep breath. After exhaling slowly, she opened her eyes and began enhancing her Wind into Lightning, purple streaks of lightning crackling around her body.
"Darkwing, come to me!" Izumi called out, holding her arm out for her eagle to land on.
In the sky, Darkwing's valient screech echoed out, his graceful, dark figure swooping down and landing on Izumi's arm with his talons. Hayate laughed with awe and excitement, his eyes shining with high interest of Darkwing's presence. Ren hummed with impress, similar to Jin, his lips curling into a small smile.
"So, you are an Advanced Wind User? That is very helpful with the environment we're in. Hayate can only enhance his Wind via Karma Energy at the moment, and that's only safely. He hasn't mastered Lightning yet," Ren said, looking over at Hayate with a soft chuckle.
"Hey! I may not have mastered it, but that doesn't mean I don't have access to it! Wait until she steps into the domain of The Storm!" Hayate retorted, confidently crossing his arms with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeah... Let's get going. We don't want to be left behind," Ren said, looking toward the path leading to Rán Forest.
The others nodded, Izumi lifting her arm to let Darkwing become airborne. With confidence and anticipation filling their adventurous spirits, they began pushing toward the forest to safely make it to the distant islands.
The four ran into the forest with pure willpower driving them forward, Darkwing taking the skies above and scouting for dangers ahead. Along their paths, a pack of wild, aggressive Tidal Wolves rushed out from the bushes aiming to chomp down upon the four.
"Not today, Wolves!" Hayate called out, summoning a large gunbai then swung it in a circular motion, releasing omnidirectional winds to blow the wolves away.
"Let's make a run for it!" Ren called out, hurrying ahead and hopped in the air, generating a water serpent to surf upon.
Hayate rose his scarf and took to the trees, leaping from branch to branch with high efficiency. Leo picked Izumi up bridal style and began rushing forward, Izumi holding onto Leo tightly as the howls of the wolves began frightening her.
The pack didn't let up, chasing the group through the forest with predator instincts driving them. One wolves pounced toward Leo and Izumi, but Hayate intercepted with a powerful stomp upon its neck, killing it upon impact.
The other wolves began scattering after Hayate's display, temporarily retreating into the forest. Pushing ahead, the sound of the calm waves filled the air, a sense of distortion brimming around the forest. Blue roses began sprouting along the forest floors, the moonlight causing them to shimmer to life and radiate a mystic glow.
Ren quickly stopped in his tracks, holding his arm out and stopped the others. He glanced at his arm, noticing goosebumps and began searching around. 'We took a wrong turn while running from those wolves...no doubt about it...'
"Ren, what's going on? Where are we?" Hayate asked, frantically searching around their surroundings, feeling the air around them growing colder.
"My, my..~ Four lost little children playing in Rán Forest, now confused about their surroundings?" A feminine voice sounded around them, followed by a sadistic chuckle.
Leo glanced around quickly, recognizing the voice nearly immediately and set Izumi down carefully before summoning Tsukiyoma into his hand. "Everyone, whatever you think is going on is. We are trapped in an Illusion that seeped into reality..."
"Illusion? What do you mean, Leo? What is happening?" Ren asked, glancing back at Leo over his shoulder.
"We are being attacked by Dark Elves, specifically Lady Sophia's ex-Advisor, Lelitia. She is a Trickster who has the power of Black Water, a corrosive mix of the Darkness and Water Affinities. I don't know what she has planned...but—"
"Ahh~ My cute little Leo!~ It's been years since we've last seen each other, I hope you've enjoyed your reunion with that backstabbing long ear witch you call a Princess or a Queen!" Lelitia hissed, each word dripping with poison.
"The only witch around here is you, Leli. You betrayed Sophia when you conspired against her with Xahir to end her reign. Now, stop hiding and face your justice!" Leo challenged, glancing around the forest in hopes of finding the dark elf.
Lelitia laughed with mockery, her tone filled with thrill of Leo's challenge. "You wish to see me that badly, beloved Leo? Alright...~ Here, I am!"
Within an instant, a beautiful figure appeared in front of Leo before he could react, swinging her rapier upward and landing her strike. Leo groaned in pain as he was blown away, his body crashing into a tree and falling onto one knee.
'S-Such speed...! Not even I could perceive it..! Just who exactly is this Dark Elf..?!' Ren thought mentally, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
Before them stood a princess like figure, her hair an icy blue color similar to Miyuna's and adorned with a pink bow with roses etched into them. She was fitted in a royal blue battle dress with a rapier with the same icy, elegant design as Miyuna's.
'Wait...that's one of the Six Masters of Arcania, Princess Lexida of Semelia..! She's...dead though, so how is she here?' Ren thought to himself, his body unable to react unlike his mind.
Izumi quickly summoned her bow and fired a barrage of lightning arrows at Lelitia, but she gracefully evaded each bolt of lightning like an elegant phantom, her figure flashing in and out of view. Darkwing swooped down with lightning infused wings, aiming to slice and scratch Lelitia with his wings and talons.
"You're too slow!" Lelitia taunted, swing her rapier upward and knocking Darkwing away then dashed toward Izumi, landing a knee to her stomach.
Izumi coughed heavily then grunted in sharp pain as Lelitia elbowed the back of her head, causing her to drop to her knees. Lelitia prepared the finishing blow upon Izumi, but she paused in her movements to dodge Hayate's Sonic Boost.
Ren appeared behind Lelitia with a Stealth Strike, but his blade phased through Lelitia's body as if she was never there, her illusory clone disappearing like a ghostly figure. Before he could perceive her, Lelitia appeared at his side, blowing him away with a kick to his jaw.
Ren groaned as he flew backwards and crashed into a large tree before falling onto the ground. He grunted softly as he slowly recovered onto one knee, panting softly as he looked up at Lelitia in the distance.
'Leo said this was an illusion...but why is she using Lexida's image? What purpose beyond her speed..?' Ren quietly thought to himself, slowly rising to his feet and adjusted his cloak.
Lelitia laughed softly at the failure of the four young vanguards, placing a hand on her hip and tapped her foot against the ground. "This is all the Kingdoms of Lunia and Wadataka can bring? I expected this from a land of lone ninja, but you...my precious Leo...I expected more from you.."
Leo stuck his odachi into the ground, using it as support to rise to his feet, his heart beating hard against his chest with adrenaline. His pupils became vertical, strands of his hair covering his face. "More from me..? You haven't even seen anything yet..."
Lelitia watched as Leo's Dragon Energy began to slowly surround his body, her brow raised with intrigue while she readied her blade. With a simple shift, Leo rushed toward Lelitia like a light blue blur, appearing in front of her with a rotating heavy swing.
Lelitia's eyes slightly widened as she felt the immense pressure Leo's aura released, her body growing colder as Leo's presence neared. Quickly, she dodged Leo's slash, his blade slamming into the ground and releasing a force of Darkness energy toward the Dark Elf.
Lelitia stomped on the ground to create a wall of ice to protect her, the force of Darkness slamming into her defenses like a sonic boom against the terrain. She grunted softly as the wall began to slide backwards, placing her hands upon the wall to add more resistance.
"You expected more from me right..? Well, is this not enough?" Leo asked, raising to his feet then dashed toward the ice wall and swung his sword, his blade slicing through the wall like a hot knife through warm butter.
Lelitia paused in her movements as she watched her ice wall dissolve into icy particles, her eyes meeting Leo's intimidating draconic gaze. She gulped lightly and took a step back, noticing his gaze mirrored my own when he was pushed to the edge.
"What? Afraid now? You should be," Leo growled lowly, rushing forward with a step up knee strike to Lelitia's face, staggering her momentarily.
Leo landed on the ground and spun around with a giant swing, his blade slashing through the air in a wide arc. The blade slammed against Lelitia's body, sending her flying through the forest at high speeds and crashing into a tree, knocking it down with a loud crash.
Letting out a powerful roar, Leo awakened his Dragon Soul, activating Selenoath's Cloak around his body and transforming into his Prince Forme. Immediately, his very presence began to overpower Lelitia's own influence, shattering the illusion around Leo and the others.
Ahead of Prince Leo, Lelitia stood in her true form, a beautifully wicked Dark Elf with clear skin in a light purple hue, her two tone lavender and sky blue hair cascading down her back like a calm waterfall. Her eyes shone an emerald green brilliance, as if still in tune with the nature around.
"Heh...Haha..!~ Leo! This power! You've...truly bonded with Selenoath! Your Twilight Sapphire...I must take it!" Lelitia laughed, summoning her great sword and transforming into her Sacred Knight Forme, black knight armor forming upon her body.
"You can try...but I know what must be done. Knowing you're still alive...in Sophia's name I must strike you down!" Leo declared, shifting Tsukiyoma for Selenoath, the blade of his halberd glowing with a blizzard force.
Lelitia grinned at his challenge, her aura flaring around her body with a dark rush as she prepared herself for battle against Lunia's High Prince. She dashed toward him, her speed now perceivable due to the armor weighing her down.
The two began clashing repeatedly, each swing cutting through the air and singing the songs of iron with each collision. They stood on equal footing for a moment, but Lelitia had a nasty plot cooked in mind after their last clash.
Lelitia leaped backwards then snapped her fingers, letting out a sadistic hum. "Dryads, fire!~"
Leo immediately braced himself, but unbeknownst to him, Lelitia's skill in trickery...had begun to mimic the Spatial Affinity. A stone arrow pierced Leo's leg before he could realize where it came from then another piercing through his arm, forcing him to drop his weapon.
Ren wanted to intercept the arrows, but even he couldn't tell where they were coming from. He clenched his fist, knowing he couldn't let the brother of the Dark Queen die, no blood of that caliber could be on his hands...but he didn't know what to do.
"Ren..! We have to do something..!" Hayate exclaimed in distress, watching the imperceivable bullet hell of stone arrows pierce through Leo's body in non lethal areas.
Izumi covered her mouth in shock, tears welling in her eyes and her heart racing in shock and terror as she watched someone she truly cares about be in such an unfortunate situation. Her body couldn't act out of pure fear of Lelitia, and out of the safety of not getting caught in the onslaught.
Lelitia held her hand out, stopping the Dryad's onslaught and watched as the nature entities retreated back into the trees. She looked down at Leo, a mocking grin playing in her face. "How did you like my Gaia's Soul Art?~ Earth is such a beautiful Affinity..."
Leo didn't reply, his hair shadowing his face as he softly panted with pained exhaustion. Selenoath's aura began to heal his wounds slowly, each healed wound replaced with a patch of icy scales.
Lelitia chuckled softly at Leo and began walking toward him, crouching down to his level and rose his chin gently. "Leo..~ Don't tell me you're already done for...your wounds are healing. That's one thing I love about Divine Beasts...they protect you and that's why I need you with me. You'll protect me..."
Izumi's heart skipped a beat as she watched Lelitia possessively lick the side of Leo's face, her entire body boiling over with anger and pure rage. She panted softly, gripping her shirt tensely, not understanding her intense, indomitable emotions.
Though she couldn't understand her emotions, her mind knew one thing, and her mouth followed suit with a passionate scream. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF LEO!"
Lelitia glanced up from Leo with confusion, looking over to where Izumi once stood before an electric knee struck her face and launched her backwards, surprising both Ren and Hayate. Lelitia recovered onto her feet and summoned her great sword once more, searching around for Izumi, but her eyes could only track the streaks of purple lightning flashing around.
'That girl's prowess just skyrocketed...I can barely track her movements unlike before. This...should be very interesting,' Lelitia thought with a plotting grin, her body bracing itself for Izumi's attack.
Izumi darted around Lelitia at flashing speeds, using the environment to confuse Lelitia as much as she could before flashing in front of Lelitia with a wild punch. Lelitia noticed her fist flying toward her face, preparing to dodge it, but Izumi quickly appeared behind Lelitia as fast as lightning.
Catching Lelitia off guard, Izumi landed a powerful palm strike to her back then fired a large lightning arrow at her back, dealing super effective damage to her body. During her paralysis state, Izumi began rushing Lelitia with lightning quick strikes, each successful attack pushing her back further.
"Darkwing! Rising Wing!" Izumi yelled, kicking Lelitia back into position for Darkwing's strike.
Darkwing screech loudly and quickly dove down at high speeds, generating high kenetic and wind energy then swooped back up in a twirling motion, summoning powerful whirlwinds to lift Lelitia's body airborne. Izumi grunted softly at the surprising evolution of Darkwing's Rising Wing, feeling its powerful updraft lifting her as well.
Putting her full trust in Darkwing, she began taking aim at Lelitia in the air. "Don't let up, Darkwing! Take her down!"
Lelitia began using her Water Energy to combine with the twister, resulting in a small Hurricane she could slightly control the currents in. She didn't have any time to think to herself before Darkwing charged in with lightning infused wings strikes, followed by a barrage of lightning arrows.
Trapped inside of Darkwing's Hurricane, Lelitia had limited space to dodge and maneuver around, each dodge tight within the walls of the hurricane. Each missed arrow bounced off the hurricane, ricocheting back toward Lelitia with deadly precision.
'This can't keep up forever—'
Just as Lelitia took a second to think of her next steps, five arrows ricocheted back toward her, her eyes widening with true alarm for the first time in years. Knowing she didn't have enough time to dodge the attack, she put up a stone barrier around herself as fast as she could, the arrows impacting and causing a massive explosion in the air.