As the illusion of the white wolf and Kieran closed in on Elseria, she stood there motionless, her body heavy, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks as she stared blankly ahead.
The dagger and the ice fangs were mere inches away from her when an explosion followed by a gust of hot wind swept through the illusion and stirred the air.
The illusion was suddenly filled with a blinding golden blue light.
As the world returned to color, the white wolf could be seen cut in two halves, its form disappearing into nothingness. A lycan stood between Elseria and Kieran's dagger, blocking it with a double-bladed sword, its slitted pupils burning with a blaze of impending anger.
Elseria's empty eyes regained a slight glimmer of clarity as she saw the lycan before her, "Kie…ran…"
The lycan glanced at Elseria's condition before redirecting its furious gaze back to Kieran, "You! Don't use my face to hurt Elseria!"
Kieran's face twisted into a crazed grin as he let out a maniac laugh.
***
A few moments ago.
Kieran struggled amidst the shadows, occasionally glancing at Wen Zhao to check if he was safe, only to sigh as he saw him moving around casually as if he were taking a leisurely walk in the forest or finding a comfortable sitting spot while snacking on his chips. Every shadow that tried to approach him inexplicably fell to the ground before reaching him as if it had suddenly fallen asleep.
He dodged a blade coming for his head while erecting an earth wall behind him to intercept a barrage of arrows. His sword moved quickly, slicing through the shadow before continuing to rush towards Elseria.
As he moved, a small amount of his crystal essence was sent into a piece of metal engraved with a flame in his left hand.
Glancing at the piece, Kieran said anxiously, "Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
"Something must be restricting the transmission. It could be an effect of her ability or the space around us has been sealed," replied Runihoril.
Kieran frowned before putting the token back into his aurora collar and focusing on the shadows.
"The number of shadows blocking my path is decreasing. The one that trapped us in this illusion must be running out of crystal essence. I need to get to Elseria quickly. Together, we can find a way to escape this place."
A distant wolf howl suddenly echoed, followed by an enticing blue light that caught his attention.
"She's over there!"
Pushing away the shadows around him, he ran towards the blue light. The fire giant's transformation quickly moved inside his body and concentrated on his legs, increasing his speed.
Wen Zhao, who was sitting there eating his chips, watched him go while tilting his head to the side, "Where is he going?"
As Kieran disappeared from sight, his gaze shifted to the dozen shadows that began to close around him.
"Hey. It's not my training. Stop coming to me and chase after him," he said indifferently, pointing in Kieran's direction. Yet the shadow's footsteps did not stop and continued to rush towards him.
"Fine..." he said before letting out a long sigh as a black aura escaped his body and gathered behind his back.
Without sparing a glance for Wen Zhao, whom he had left behind, Kieran quickly arrived at an area where trees had been uprooted, evidence of a fierce battle. His gaze immediately fell on the motionless figure of Elseria, sitting still on the ground. An illusion resembling himself, accompanied by a menacing white wolf, lunged toward her with deadly intent.
"Elseria!"
His heart began to beat violently. His entire body tensed, and his muscles tightened like springs. The elongated claws of his left hand pierced the ground, anchoring him firmly as he arched his back toward the sky. He pulled his right arm back, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his double-bladed sword.
"Scarlet Crow's Soaring Blaze!"
A blazing scarlet fire burst from his back, forming the illusion of a pair of crow wings. The intense flames burned his skin, but all his thoughts were focused on Elseria, making him oblivious to the pain.
The blazing wings spread apart before beating with explosive force, propelling him forward as he pushed against the ground with all his might.
In the blink of an eye, Kieran vanished from his spot, leaving behind only an explosion and long trails of fire. He reappeared in front of Elseria, the fiery wings on his back dispersing into elemental particles.
His hands moved in a fluid motion, tightening his grip on his double-bladed sword. He spun it, pointing one of the blades towards the sky. His eyes began to shine with a golden-blue gleam as his blades greedily devoured his crystal essence.
"Earth Shattering!"
With a vertical cut, the white wolf was split in two, disappearing the next second.
The ground beneath his feet shifted subtly, allowing him to get a better grip and rotate his body effortlessly. He switched the position of his hands on his sword and turned one of the blades to intercept the dagger of the illusion that resembled him.
*clang*
"Kie... ran..."
Kieran glanced over his shoulder at the faint sound of Elseria's voice. His chest tightened as if countless invisible chains were wrapping around his heart. Her body had only minor injuries, but her eyes seemed empty if it wasn't for the light deep within them that had just appeared.
He gritted his teeth, threatening to break them, and looked at the illusion before him.
"You! Don't use my face to hurt Elseria!"
The illusion let out a maniac laugh at his words.
"Why are you defending an abomination? Out of kindness?" the illusion said.
"Shut up! Don't use my voice!" shouted Kieran, shattering the ground beneath his feet and lunging at the illusion.
His arms swelled as the transformation of the fire giant flowed through him. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap between himself and the illusion. One of the blades of his sword was raised above his head, shining with a threatening glow. His arms tensed as he swung his blade down with all his might.
The illusion dodged at the last moment, barely escaping Kieran's strike. Its dagger moved quickly, becoming a blur of motion as it made its way towards Kieran's throat.
A dull yellow hue flashed in Kieran's eyes. The next moment, an earth shield appeared between him and the dagger.
*clunk*
The dagger struck the shield, leaving no mark on it, but the force behind the impact pushed the illusion's arm back, causing it to click its tongue in frustration, "Tsk."
Without wasting a second, another dagger appeared in the illusion's hands as it moved at blinding speed, sliding around the earth shield and cutting a deep line across Kieran's chest.
Enduring the pain, Kieran reversed the force in his arms. The blade that was falling downward was pulled back with a rapid rotation while the second blade was pushed away, sweeping horizontally and targeting the illusion.
Not having the time to dodge the attack this time, the illusion blocked the blade by protecting itself with its two daggers. But as the blade struck the daggers, an explosive force repelled the illusion, sending it flying through the air.
Hidden in her illusion, Lascia gasped for air, her complexion a deathly pale, as if she had been drained of all her blood. Her eyes narrowed with fierce intensity as she saw Kieran push back her illusion. She glanced at the crystal at the top of her staff before biting her lip and drawing a single drop of blood.
The inscriptions engraved along her staff glowed with a blinding light as cracks spread across the surface of the crystal. In the air, the illusion twisted, regaining its balance just before disappearing completely.
Kieran felt a shiver run down his spine. He spun his body and his double-bladed sword while raising an earth shield. But before he could react further, a blinding light reflected off the daggers, temporarily blinding him, and in the next instant, he was assailed by the sensation of hundreds of sharp cuts slicing through his flesh.
"Arghh!!"