England - Parliament for National Security
A tense silence fills the room. Everywhere on the walls hang detailed plans showing the outlines of Berlin. Twenty soldiers stand at attention - ten women and ten men all wearing tidy brown uniforms and each of them armed with a machine gun.
Suddenly the heavy door opens and all eyes focus on the man entering. An aura of authority accompanies his steps. His only remaining left eye glowing with an eerie, icy blue. Although he wears the same uniform as everyone else present, the soldiers salute him respectfully and reverently.
Without saying a word, he strides toward the briefing room. Arriving there, he takes hold of the board and turns it around. Immediately, the soldiers' voices echo together through the room:
"Welcome, Master Mage Joul!"
With a brief nod as Joul acknowledges their greeting. His deep voice now clearly and powerfully pierces through the tense atmosphere.
"Gentlemen we will attack. Our primary target is..."
His stare solidifying in an angry expression, his voice deeper and more threatening then before.
"Lucil the Rose Mage!"
A female soldier raises her hand immediately. Her long blonde hair shines as she energetically lifts her weapon into the air.
"He's just a mage! That shouldn't be a problem. One good sniper and bam."
Murmurs of agreement spread among the soldiers.
Yet Joul shakes his head slightly in a disapproving headshake while his voice becomes warning and forceful.
"Lucil is no ordinary mage. He fights with two swords and is exceptionally agile. He teleports, causes gigantic detonations and wields the most powerful illusions known to us."
Another soldier timidly raises his hand. Joul gives him a short acknowledgement to allow him to speak.
"Nevertheless - one shot -"
"He has a dragon as an avatar." Joul sharply interrupts him. "Moreover he possesses an extraordinarily powerful shield. Lucil always approaches his opponents first. Stay alert! As soon as he gets into close combat he is among the strongest fighters in this world."
"Yes, nevertheless, he cannot alone -"
"The last time, as tried to drop a bomb on him…", Joul interrupts him with a thunderous voice. "... I still had both eyes and Arazaha was still a settlement and not a goddamn graveyard."
Instantly all the soldiers fall silent. The seriousness of the situation is becoming tangible and the weight is slowly dawning on the soldiers.
Joul's silently sweeps through the ranks with his eyes before he concludes decisively and with unyielding intent:
"Lucil must be eliminated. As long as he lives the devastation will be immeasurable. He and his tower must fall."
After Joul's words fade away a chill runs down the soldiers' spines as if they'd just personally looked into the eyes of the devil himself.
Once again, Joul raises his deep, cutting voice:
"The highest priority is the elimination of Lucil. Accordingly all circle battalions have agreed - including the Anti-Magic Battalion."
The soldiers exchange intimidated, downright uncertain glances.
"All?" the blonde female soldier hesitantly asks.
"All! "Joul nods shortly, somehow even more serious and uncompromising than before.
Battlefield | Berlin | Domain of the Tower
Before them an enormous palace rises - dark, with an evil aura of sinister magic. In the front garden the endless rows of magnificent roses bloom but beneath these roses lie hundreds of fallen soldiers fully scattered across the ground. Each corpse gets overgrown by roses that slowly sprout from their bodies. Some of the dead disappear entirely into the overgrown tangle of roses.
All soldiers have fallen - except for one man. Joul stands alone now frozen in shock and trauma.
Opposed to him, a man in a deep red coat with two swords tightly in his hands. A long scarf flutters around his silhouette. His eyes meeting with Joul's singular eye.
"LUCIL!" Joul desperately yells with all his remaining fury.
Lucil calmly slides both of his swords back into the Sword sheaths on his back, wraps his scarf around his right arm and while all around there are no signs of the soldiers' corpses bleeding - instead the rose petals sprout from their wounds until their bodies are finally completely transformed into violet roses and get dissolved.
"Those who play stupid games win stupid prizes." Lucil speaks with icy calmness.
He looks at Joul with pity in his eyes.
"Joul, I had warned you. No one touches this domicile."
He looks up to him as he rises with determination, drops his now useless weapon to the ground and cracks his knuckles as blazing blue streams begin to surround him.
Lucil then slowly closes his eyes while the harrowing howl of a dragon echoes in the distance.
Lucil vanished after taking one step and the next moment a tremendous impact noise.
Before Joul can realise what just happened Lucil is already back in his previous position.
Without any word he turns and makes his way towards the castle.
Joul looks confused as to what has happened as he looks down at his own body. Where a devastating strike should have left a gaping wound now his limbs begin to crumble into rose petals.
Lucil's voice rings out once more - clear and cold:
"Endless Blossom - Mage Sacrifice."
As soon as Lucil spoke the words more corpses across the battlefield began to dissolve into countless magnificent roses.
"Silver will save us.. !" Joul gasped in despair.
"Then I will die with him - and erase these extremes from this world.",Lucil responded calmly with a firm resolve.
He slowly raises his hand and snaps his fingers.
A mighty storm of rose petals swirls up behind him and from within it a colossal dragon manifests majestically.
Without another word Lucil returns to the interior of the tower.
LuSilfer - the dragon - rises thunderously above the palace and breathes down a wave of destructive violet flames which consume Joul's remains once and for all.
Rose Temple
Lucil and the Shadow clash with devastating force.
A massive shockwave erupts. The ground vibrates and shatters; earth and chunks of stone are spinning chaotically around through the air. A black, menacing mist rapidly spreads out.
Lucil quickly pushes himself backward leaving deep grooves in the ground and lands safely a few meters away. He takes a deep breath to refocus his mind.
"Rose Environment - Movement 4 - Swarming Petals" Lucil says with a calm determination.
At that moment his eyes begin to glow with intense light as do the chains that adorn him. Massive thorny vines burst from the ground and quickly cover almost the whole area. The vines spread at an unstoppable pace while countless roses bloom rampantly in every direction.
The Shadow casually snaps his fingers.
"Behemoth." a distorted, monstrous voice echoes out.
The black mist around him thickens immediately. All the roses near him wither at once and crumble into dust. From the shadows rises a gigantic, horrifying creature with nightmarish appearance - four massive, monstrous legs stomp impatiently against the ground.
For a brief moment Lucil lets his guard down - a tiny and a barely noticeable distraction.
Suddenly the shadow stands right in front of him; from its arm, a glowing sword forms in a flash, ready to strike. Lucil reacts instinctively just barely able to block the blow with his hand gripping his opponent's wrist tightly.
But at that exact moment the Behemoth is already charging toward him from the side. Its thundering steps leave deep cracks in the ground and the earth trembles ominously.
"Rose - Shif -"
Lucil doesn't make it in time. With brutal and merciless force the Behemoth slams into him from the side. Yet Lucil remains rooted in place unmoving, rock solid.
His body withstands the impact but his arms tear under the immense pressure. Instead of blood a bunch of softly swirling rose petals flow from the open wounds into the air.
"Rose Switch." Lucil stoically with a cold, emotionless voice.
In a blink of an eye he vanishes - leaving both the Shadow and Behemoth striking nothing but air. The Shadow's sword crashes with a metallic sound into the ground and the Behemoth loses all control.
A second later the earth shatters entirely, forming a massive crater several meters deep. The dark mist continues to spread and annihilates every remaining rose mercilessly.
"You're not an illusion... You're taking the trial too." the Shadow speaks with a surprised tone.
"Your illusions are useless." Lucil replies flatly.
A deep, amused laugh rings out. The Shadow snaps his fingers once more.
The black mist slowly withdraws and finally reveals the true face of the opponent:
A man steps forward - sharp brown eyes beneath a black fedora, a three-day beard, giving him a refined yet threatening presence. He wears a sleek black suit, his hands adorn mysterious magical circles from the center of which the symbol of the Behemoth gleams darkly.
"Lucil - Rose Mage." Lucil fully fixated on him.
"Kragalta - Shadow Mage." the man responds with respect, still menacingly.
"It will be my honor Shadow Mage. I've rarely seen such power." Lucil nods slightly with acknowledgement.
"A mage focused on close combat and illusions - very rare but only one can leave this trial with their Avatar." Kragalta returns a dark smile.
"The other one dies." Lucil responds with cold determination.
Without warning Kragalta takes a deep breath. A dense, destructive black smoke pours from his body and envelops him completely. A sharp snap follows.
"Dunmeer!", calls Kragalta out powerfully.
Around them a realm of deep, endless darkness forms instantly. Lucil remains calm, breathing steadily.
"Dunmeer…" he murmurs while his long hair suddenly begins to glow.
He raises his hand and begins chanting in a quiet, resolute voice.
"My blood is the beginning—
Petals forming from it—
A flower blossoms—
And the rose builds—"
His voice rises - loud, powerful and terrifying.
"BLOOD BREAK!"
Lucil's veins begin to glow intensely, pulsing with radiant light. His amulets shine ominously and thick smoke rises from his body which effortlessly represses the surrounding dark mist.
"What… is that?" instinctively Kragalta steps back, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.
The black fog focuses more and more on Lucil's figure - yet nothing happens.
"No, then this has to hold!" Kragalta growls in determination.
"Dunmeer – Onyxia!"
From absolute darkness Kragalta forms a sword, black and almost invisible like the night itself. In a flash he appears behind Lucil, ready to drive the blade deep into his body but Lucil's reflexes are faster - a precise, powerful left hook crashes into Kragalta's stomach sending him flying several meters through the air with unimaginable force.
Kragalta catches his breath with difficulty, looking around frantically and searching in desperation for his opponent. Suddenly he glances upward - just in time to realise Lucil's devastating dropkick.
Kragalta reacts reflexively, raises his arms defensively and blocks the attack.
"Dunmeer – Infinitum Abyss!" he shouts in that exact moment.
The black mist instantly envelops Lucil like living chains and flings him violently to the hard ground. Countless deep-black, violet-tinged chains wrap tightly around Lucil's body, pinning him to the ground.
Kragalta sees his opportunity. Regaining his composure he steps back viciously while breathing heavily and sweat becomes visible on his face.
"Dunmeer – REINFINITUM BEHEMOTH!" he speaks again with a sinister grin.
The monstrous creature reappears again ready to crush Lucil once and for all. It lunges brutally forward in an unstoppable manner straight towards Lucil who remains bound by the dark chains.
Lucil calls out resolute but calm.
"LuSilfer!"
"Pointless!" returns Kragalta mocking him triumphantly.
The Behemoth crashes into Lucil while the chains grow longer. An endless charge from the Behemoth. Slowly its horns begin to pierce into Lucil.
"Kragalta - I thought I'd have to trigger it later." Lucil says in a cool, almost bored voice with all his calm and confidence.
Kragalta stops abruptly and the unease overtakes him.
"You're bluffing!" he snaps. "This domain devours everything."
The dark chains around Lucil tighten further, an ominous cracking sound fills the air and draws ever closer to his body. Yet instead of panic Lucil calmly spreads his arms wide.
A massive explosion shatters the air, the dark chains are violently blown apart in all directions. Before Kragalta can react Lucil strikes the charging Behemoth with indescribable force and hurls it with ruthless power straight into Kragalta who is swept away just by the sheer impact as well.
Casually Lucil cracks his knuckles as he begins to walk toward his enemy.
"You've beaten so many." Lucil says coldly. "But didn't you notice something?"
Only now does Kragalta notice the truly terrifying presence of Lucil.
"It has just begun. So don't play all your cards too soon - or it'll end faster than you think." warns Lucil.
Lucil raises one hand, presses it together and makes a targeted throwing motion toward Kragalta.
Kragalta with exhausted and tense breathing. Suddenly a single drop of blood appears beside him.
Lucil speaks calmly and with certainty.
"Rose Arise – Step 2 – Switch."
Immediately the drop of blood blossoms into a magnificent rose but in the same moment the flower teleports to Lucil's previous position - while Lucil appears right beside Kragalta, already in the middle of a powerful strike.
Kragalta can barely react Lucil's fist strikes his cheek with deafening force. The impact echoes through the air with a grinding, snapping crack like the lash of a whip.The shadow mage is hurled back several meters by the force, stumbling helplessly.
Kragalta's jaw now dislocated hanging loose; he coughs blood but instead of red liquid more rose petals pour from his mouth.
Lucil lifts his hand casually and speaks mercyless as he snaps his fingers:
"Detonate!"
Violent explosions suddenly erupt from Kragalta's mouth expanding the bleeding wounds which quickly transform into rose petals. Each new rose again detonates creating a destructive chain reaction without mercy.
Lucil's and Kragalta's eyes mett. In that brief moment Kragalta sees true fear in Lucil's merciless, cold eyes.
A scream filled with fear and despair escapes him as the unstoppable chain reaction consumes his body.
Kragalta calls out desperately into the darkness:
"Behemoth!"
But as he turns to face his creature he realizes with horror that it doesn't respond - something is wrong.
"Did you just really realize it now? It's been one-on-one for a while already." Lucil's cold voice speaks calmly from behind him.
Only a blood-soaked rose remains at his position before he silently vanishes into the darkness.
Explosions continue ripping through Kragalta's body. Each detonation pushing him further toward the edge of despair. Suddenly he hears Lucil whisper quietly.
"Rose Switch."
At that moment, Lucil appears directly beside Kragalta whose body is soaked in cold sweat from fear and pain.
Lucil's voice gets deep and threatening.
"It's time to break this domain."
Kragalta breathes shallowly and fearfully as Lucil holds something out to him - heavy, hairy, disturbingly familiar. Hesitantly he looks down and his eyes widen in pure horror.
Lucil's eyes glow with icy light as Kragalta realizes what he's holding:
It is the severed head of his Behemoth, lifeless eyes now replaced by white roses. Its monstrous body pouring countless white rose petals behind Lucil.
Lucil speaks with cold clarity.
"Destiny Rose – Base Zero."
In that instant the petals rise and spiral high into the air, exploding in a massive, thunderous cascade. The detonations echo endlessly while striking the dark domain without mercy until, finally, a great rift tears open. The illusion shatters and they are back in the original temple.
Kragalta drops his Behemoth's heavy head to the ground staggering. As he backs away trembling, the creature behind Lucil disintegrates completely into a storm of endless rose petals.
Overwhelmed by despair Kragalta draws his dark blade with trembling hands. In Lucil he now sees his death - only now does he understand the true, monstrous power of his opponent.
Lucil looks at him indifferently, asking coldly.
"What are you still fighting for? Your potential avatar is already dead."
Suddenly tears pour from Kragalta's eyes. Memories flood him: An image of a small, innocent creature that once rested safely in his arms. The pain turns into pure, unrestrained hatred.
"HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND! YOU DID - ! NO! AARGH!!" screams Kragalta in grief and fury.
Lucil cuts him off sharply and coldly.
"Those who are ready to kill, should always be ready to die."
Kragalta breathes heavily, staring deep into Lucil's relentless eyes and cries out in desperation.
"DUNMEER – ABSOLUTION!"
Lucil responds without emotion.
"So, you're willing to sacrifice everything. Good -"
His gaze narrows and he continues, now with grave seriousness.
"Then I'll take you seriously and introduce myself officially -"
Slowly he raises his left hand and pulls the rose pendant, carving a deep cut into it. Blood drips heavily onto the Ground and transforms into swirling rose petals that steadily and ominously form into a blade. A majestic crimson-red sword slowly takes shape from his own blood.
He raises the weapon resolutely in his right hand. Kragalta watches silently as the pain suddenly eases - the destructive explosions stop on his body.
Lucil's voice now rings out solemn and ominous:
"People call me Lucil, the Rose Mage with the Rose Dragon. But I'm also known as - ####."
Kragalta shudders deeply, cold chills run through him. Lucil's presence suddenly becomes almost like a merciless executioner. In a final moment of clarity he removes his fedora with respect and bows deeply before Lucil.
"The living myth..."
Kragalta's emotions boil over. One last glance falls upon the mortal remains of his beloved Behemoth - pain, fury and boundless grief tear him about. Then his eyes shift back to Lucil, filled with hatred and at the same time deep admiration for his power.
Despite everything he bravely faces his final challenge. With iron determination, he holds back his emotions to fully focus on his final decisive spell.
"As a mage - don't hold back" Kragalta demands in cold bitterness.
His voice doesn't tremble as he grips his shadowy blade tightly. Dark clouds gather menacingly around him, the space thickens and the atmosphere grows heavy and ominous.
Lucil raises his crimson-red sword, approaching with calm, unwavering steps. With every bit forward a menacing red mist follows him and his eyes shine with a sinister, fearsome glow.
Their eyes meet again - Kragalta shrouded in excruciating black mist now standing face to face with the most powerful rose mage Lucil.
Then in a single heartbeat - a devastating collision.