Frings Estate
"Mmm, this food is delicious!" Takashi said, savoring another bite as he dined with Lord Frings.
"I am very sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Takashi," Lord Frings apologized, his tone earnest. "Something urgent has come up. It's very, very important."
"Oh, it's fine, Lord Frings. I've been very comfortable staying in your estate," Takashi replied with a polite smile.
"I'm glad you're enjoying your stay," Frings said, relaxing a bit as he sipped his wine. "Now, back to business."
"Of course, Lord Frings," Takashi answered, though his mind wandered. 'I wonder what those three are doing right now.'
Meanwhile, at the Avalorian headquarters, Taiju was chatting with his fellow countrymen, laughter and stories filling the air. He glanced up at the sky, thoughtful.
'I wonder what those two are up to,' he mused.
Elsewhere, in their rooms—
"Tok tok tok—Rethrus, wake up!" Kaede called, knocking on the door. "Let's hang out together!"
He waited, but there was no answer. He frowned. "Huh, no one's home… or is he just sleeping?"
With a sigh, he muttered, "Tsk, guess I'll go without him. Damn, I could have been with so many Stargladian girls if I was with him right now."
He stomped off, grumbling to himself. 'I bet he's having fun somewhere, and he didn't even bring me along. Typical Rethrus,' Kaede thought, his face scrunched in a grumpy pout.
The night was alive with noise—the forest thrummed with the restless cries of unseen creatures, the rustling of leaves, and the sharp snap of twigs underfoot. A cold wind brewed, weaving through the trees like a ghostly whisper, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and distant danger.
Deep in the heart of the forest, a strange light flickered—a pale, unnatural glow that seemed to push back the darkness itself. Around it, the monsters dared not tread, their snarls and growls fading into uneasy silence as they kept their distance.
At the center of this eerie illumination stood Rethrus, his dark aura blending with the shadows, eyes sharp and wary. Opposite him, emerging from the gloom, were Dante and his group—grim-faced and ready, their weapons glinting faintly in the ghostly light.
The tension in the clearing was electric as Gendry stepped forward, sword heavy in his hands, eyes blazing with determination. He approached Dante first, voice firm. "I want to face Rethrus, Knight Commander. I lost the kid, and this is my chance to make it right."
Dante's gaze was cold but measured. "Are you sure, Gendry? Rethrus is no ordinary opponent."
"I'm an experienced knight. Close combat is my strength. Let me handle this," Gendry insisted.
After a long pause, Dante nodded. "Very well."
Rethrus stood nearby, arms crossed, shadows flickering faintly around him. Hearing the challenge, he sighed with irritation. 'A knight? Seriously? A mage forced to fight a brute in close quarters. Just perfect.'
He flexed his fingers, summoning wisps of shadow around him, ready to react.
Gendry charged like a battering ram, sword swinging in wide, earth-shaking arcs that sent shockwaves through the ground. Rethrus's reflexes were sharp. He darted back and forth, moving with unnatural speed for a mage, his feet barely touching the ground.
Shadow hands erupted from the earth, snatching at Gendry's ankles, but the knight was quick, dashing sideways with a powerful burst of speed, narrowly escaping the grasp.
Rethrus raised a hand and unleashed a Darkblast—a concentrated wave of shadow energy. Gendry raised his shield just in time, the blast slamming against it and sending him staggering backward.
From the sidelines, Dante's eyes narrowed.
Garrick giggled. "Gonna see Rethrus fight. I just hope he beats Sir Gendry quickly—I want my turn next."
Mergoth smirked, watching the battle unfold.
Gendry charged again, sword swinging in a devastating overhead strike. Rethrus barely summoned Dark Armor in time—a swirling black shield that absorbed the crushing blow. The force rattled him, but the armor's power sucked away the energy, leaving him unharmed.
Rethrus countered with a small, concentrated Dark Nova—a piercing spike of shadow energy aimed at Gendry's side. The blade grazed him, leaving a shallow cut and a flicker of pain.
For the first time, Rethrus felt a flicker of fear—Gendry could hit him.
Xiaolan stirred, awakened by the noise.
Gendry roared and pressed the attack, swinging his sword in a series of brutal strikes. Rethrus dodged and weaved, moving faster than any mage should, but the relentless assault pushed him back.
Summoning his full strength, Rethrus unleashed a massive Dark Nova. Shadows spiraled outward in a deadly circle, the ground trembling beneath its power.
Gendry raised his sword, bracing for impact, but the blast was overwhelming. The shockwave slammed into him, throwing him off his feet and slamming him into a tree.
Breathing heavily, Gendry struggled to stand, battered but not broken.
Rethrus closed in, shadow hands reaching to bind him.
With one final surge, Rethrus struck—a concentrated blast of dark energy that knocked Gendry unconscious, sending him crashing to the ground.
The clearing fell silent.
Xiaolan's eyes widened as she fully woke.
Dante stepped forward, voice low but firm. "It's over."
Garrick giggled, tapping his feet impatiently. "Now it's my turn."
But before he could step forward, Dante moved—swift and silent.
'Who's next?' Rethrus thought, spinning around—and froze. Dante was standing right in front of him.
Panic surged through Rethrus, and he instinctively stepped back.
Dante gripped his massive claymore, the weight of the blade sending a clear message. Rethrus's heart raced; he was starting to panic.
"Hey, looks like the knight commander's pissed," Garrick murmured sadly. "And I don't even get a chance to fight him myself."
Mergoth chuckled, reaching out to tap Garrick's head. "Garrick, you're still young. You'll get your chance to face him soon enough."
Xiaolan's eyes widened with fear, despite knowing Rethrus was strong. Dante's aura was different—darker, more commanding—and it sent a chill down her spine.
The forest night was alive with the clash of power and steel, cold wind whipping through the trees as shadows danced beneath the eerie light. Dante moved with the fluidity of water—swift, relentless, unstoppable. His claymore swung not with the edge, but the flat, each blow a brutal reminder of the vast gulf between him and Rethrus.
Rethrus's eyes narrowed, summoning shadows and dark energy. His attacks were powerful enough to level villages—Darkblast, Dark Nova, shadow hands—but Dante moved like a living torrent, fluid and unstoppable.
'Power means nothing if you can't land a hit,' Dante thought coldly. 'Rethrus's magic is devastating, but his speed… it's no match for mine.'
Dante's strikes shattered the air, each blow driving Rethrus backward. The dark mage barely managed to summon Dark Armor in time, the swirling black shield absorbing the crushing force, but the impact rattled him to his core.
'This kid's power is raw and brutal,' Dante thought, eyes narrowing. 'Rethrus is talented, no doubt, but he's reckless. I don't understand why he let us catch him. And with Mergoth watching… this fight can't end badly for him.'
Dante's claymore crashed into Rethrus's chest, flat against his armor, sending him flying into a tree. Pain exploded through Rethrus's ribs, but still, he rose, shadows writhing around him as he summoned a desperate Dark Nova.
'I can't let this end here,' Rethrus thought, breath ragged. 'I have to push through, no matter what.'
But Dante flowed through the blast like water, his movements seamless and swift. Before the magic could fully form, Dante was upon him again, hammering him with blows that left Rethrus staggering.
From the edge of the clearing, Xiaolan's eyes filled with tears. She clutched her hands to her chest, voice trembling as she shouted, "Please… stop! Please stop!"
Her cries pierced the night, raw and desperate.
Dante's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and mercy. 'She's scared. I feel it too. But why did you let this happen? You should have kept running!'
Rethrus, bloodied but unyielding, locked eyes with Dante. 'I'm no match for him… but I won't give up. Not while I still breathe.'
With a final, overwhelming strike, Dante's claymore slammed into Rethrus, knocking him unconscious. The dark mage crumpled to the ground, defeated but unbroken in spirit.
The clearing fell silent except for Xiaolan's quiet sobs.
"Wow, you really punished the boy, didn't you?" Mergoth said to Dante as he approached to check on Rethrus's lying body.
Dante's expression was grim. Garrick, walking over to Xiaolan, who was still crying softly, teased, "Damn, Knight Commander, you're that mad?"
"Huh, hey, look at this—Mr. Mergoth, Sir Dante," Garrick called out, pointing. "Rethrus's barrier is still up, even though he's down."
Mergoth's eyes gleamed with interest. "Hmm, that's really impressive." He began tracing a magic circle in the air around himself and Rethrus.
"What are you doing to him?" Dante asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, I'm going to seal his memory of what happened today," Mergoth answered casually.
"Seal his memory? You can do that?" Garrick asked, still trying to break through Rethrus's barrier.
"Of course. That's what my lord ordered. However, Rethrus's mana is so strong I can't make it an absolute curse—only a conditional one."
"Hmmm? What's the condition?" Mergoth's gaze swept the surroundings and landed on Xiaolan, still sobbing quietly. A faint smile crossed his lips. Then, he performed the spell on Rethrus's head, the mark seeping through his hair.
The barrier flickered and finally broke.
Dante lifted Rethrus's unconscious body with care. A healing potion quickly restored him—his body showed no trace of damage.
"I've heard Rethrus is undefeated," Garrick said with a sly grin, looking at Dante. "I guess you're his first loss, huh?"
Dante smirked slightly.
"Well, no one's going to know about it," Garrick chuckled, "but we'll know. Hehehe."
Xiaolan's tear-filled eyes never left Rethrus's pale, lifeless form as Garrick gently carried her away. Her sobs shook her small frame, the weight of helplessness pressing down on her like a stone.
"Rethrus…" she whispered, voice trembling, "You promised… you promised to rescue me… Please, wa—"