The air grew tense as Zanetor towered over the silver-haired girl, his expression devoid of mercy as he held her at gunpoint.

Xoese observed in silence, calculating the right moment to launch a counterattack or make a defensive move.

Eternity seemed to pass as the two souls remained locked in a tight stare down.

The wind warrior's eyes narrowed as she took a step forward.

Bang!

A bullet, coated in water, sliced through the air, severing her left leg. She collapsed to the ground, blood spraying from the fresh wound.

The suddenness of the attack left her bewildered, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred as she lay in the muddy terrain. Her lips parted slowly, and a sharp, brief scream escaped her vocal cords as the pain finally registered.

Edem's expression turned grave. "That's strange.. Zanetor's spirit energy feels different."

Zanetor approached the writhing soul, his presence looming over her. There was an ominous and sinister aura emanating from his very being, as if he were consumed by pure malevolence.

He aimed his Torrent Blazer at Xoese and murmured, "How does it feel? To be the one grovelling at someone else's feet? To experience pain in a situation where you are utterly powerless?"

A dark grin spread across his lips as he covered his face, chuckling and laughing like a madman until he abruptly fell silent, sending chills down her spine. His eyes gleamed from between his fingers as he stirred his spirit energy, causing it to swirl within his soul core.

"Well, it doesn't matter," he began. "You won't exist for much longer, anyway."

'Tch! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!' Xoese clenched her teeth, trying to push the pain out of her mind.

She had to find a way to stand, or she would be reduced to mere specks of spirit energy. But with a missing leg, it seemed impossible. Adding to her predicament, her own spirit energy had dwindled to a critical level.

Was it really going to end like this for her?

Was she really going to disappear at the hands of a filthy shadow soul?

No, No, she wasn't going to stand for this!

Not when she had come so far.

Not when she had come this far for that one person.

Why hadn't reinforcements been sent!? The top tier souls at the Crown Plane should've already witnessed the situation.

Or… could it be that they had no use for her anymore?

No, could it be that she wasn't deemed worthy to possess the power she had?

Xoese summoned every ounce of strength remaining in her body and drove her fists into the ground, mustering just enough power to lift her upper body. Her movements came to an abrupt halt as she felt the icy touch of a metallic object against her forehead.

"Die," Zanetor muttered, his voice filled with malice.

Edem had witnessed enough. For some time now, he had been gathering an impressive amount of spirit energy, readying himself for this pivotal moment.

"Not so fast," he whispered to himself. "You're going to end up surrendering yourself to the darkness within."

A radiant golden circle erupted from the depths of Edem's soul core, breaking the hold of Xoese's spell on both him and Kekeli. With a swift motion, the cloaked soul snapped his fingers, summoning several shimmering golden circles that materialised out of thin air. They encircled Zanetor with impeccable timing.

Zanetor instinctively raised his head, prepared to strike a deadly blow. But before he could act, the circles contracted, coiling tightly around him, rendering him immobile. The torrent blazer dissipated as a brilliant yellow glow enveloped Zanetor.

"He...he stopped him," Kekeli muttered to himself. He observed the scene from a safe distance, cradling Jackie protectively in his arms.

Zanetor strained with every ounce of strength he could muster, desperate to break free from his bindings, but his efforts proved futile. His attention shifted to the approaching footsteps, causing him to raise his gaze.

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Rage blazed in his eyes. "Edem! Why are you interfering?!"

The cloaked man stared back at the shadow soul, his face almost expressionless.

"Hey!" Zanetor thrashed against his restraints. "Why are you ignoring me? Why won't you let me eliminate all the obstacles at once? Hey!"

Edem's gaze shifted to Xoese, who was barely able to move as her dwindling energy drained away

He let out a sigh.

Of course, he couldn't stand by and watch them kill each other.

"I...I don't understand," Zanetor's voice wavered. "If we let her live, she'll only come after us again. I can't risk being dragged down."

Silence hung in the air, further irritating the young boy.

"Tch," he clenched his teeth. "EDE-"

The golden circles that had bound Zanetor suddenly expanded, forming a floating sphere that encapsulated the raging soul.

Edem casually placed a finger in his ear. "Perhaps you need some time to cool down and gather your thoughts."

The silver-haired warrior coughed up flecks of blood, fiercely holding onto consciousness.

"I won't..." She coughed again, her voice strained. "I won't let you escape."<

A grin crept across Edem's face. "Oh, don't worry too much, Xoese."<

He turned away, walking toward Kekeli. The sphere containing Zanetor obediently followed him, along with the one containing the unconscious Leticia.

"After all..." Edem glanced back, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. "This isn't over, is it?"

Xoese struggled to raise her body, but a searing pain shot through her skin, forcing her back down.

"What do we do now?" Kekeli approached Edem. "Reinforcements will arrive soon, and I'm in no mood to fend off a thousand fourth-rankers."

Edem raised an eyebrow. "You mean you want to join forces with a band of criminals?"

"I'll go wherever Miss Leticia is headed," the flame warrior declared without hesitation.

"Hmm?" Edem tilted his head, contemplating for a moment. "So, that's why you helped us."

The cloaked soul pressed his hand against his left waist.

"Well, it seems you can't return to the Spirit Warrior Corps at this point," he said, his eyes gleaming as he turned toward a mass of rubble. "We're about to transcend to the plane above us."

Kekeli's eyes widened. "Transcend? How? The inter-realm transit has been destroyed."

A sly smirk curved Edem's lips as he snapped his fingers, conjuring a magic circle above a specific pile of rubble. Golden light enveloped the two souls and the floating spheres.

"Normally, one would need access to the Planar Train to travel between planes," Edem explained. "The train is summoned from the zone between planes to transport passengers to the next transit point."

"How did you know that!?" Kekeli stepped back, panic in his voice. "That information is highly classified! Keeping the train in the neutral zone was supposed to keep it safe."

Xoese winced, lifting her head slightly. "He's... summoning the Planar Train?"

A point of light emerged in the clearing sky, descending gracefully from the clouds. Riding atop the clouds, a train adorned with intricate gold and silver ornaments on its metallic surface came into view.

The train gradually slowed, coming to a stop right beside Edem and Kekeli.

Surprise flashed in the flame warrior's eyes. "H- How did you summon the train!? Just... who are you?"

"Save your questions for later," Edem replied, leaping into one of the train's carts. "You're not in the mood to fight a thousand spirit warriors, right?"

Without hesitation, the flame warrior joined him in the cart, a perpetual look of astonishment on his face.

Xoese's vision blurred as she watched the train ascend into the clouds, disappearing from her sight. She tried to speak, but the intense pain gripping her body refused to subside, leaving her in great discomfort.

Her breathing grew laboured, and consciousness slipped away from her.<

Almost succumbing to weakness, her vision plunged into darkness.

However...

"Pathetic," a velvety voice laced with mockery echoed right above her.

The wind warrior's eyes widened, and the darkness dispersed as she immediately recognized the voice.

"Of course, there's no need to be surprised," the unknown figure knelt before Xoese.

His eyes emitted a radiant blue glow as he locked his gaze with hers.

"Fifth rank, Michael," she flinched, attempting to lift her head. "Sir, I-"

*SLAM!*

A powerful blow struck Xoese's head, causing it to collide with the ground

"Don't you DARE look at me!" Michael's eyes reflected disgust. "I'd rather not have the gaze of a curse upon my precious existence."

The numerous ornaments adorning his opulent attire chimed in an eerie symphony as he rose to his feet, circling the battered spirit warrior.

"You failed to complete the simple task of destroying the shadow soul's core," Michael began, his tone dripping with disdain. "And, of course, the Blade of Wind wouldn't listen to me when I told him you weren't capable enough for it."

He paused, then burst into a somewhat maniacal giggle.

"Truly, you're nothing more than a comedic piece of trash!" Michael covered his face, his gaze fixed on the silver-haired girl between his fingers.

With a foot on her head, he suddenly calmed down. "You're nothing but a curse, though the king seems to favour you."

The fifth-ranking spirit warrior ran his hand through his blonde hair, visibly distressed by the fact that the king held such interest in a soul with an unclear background.

Perhaps it was due to the power bestowed upon her by the gods?

Tch, no. It was best not to dwell on it too much, lest he regret his thoughts.

The last time the Blade of Wind discovered how he had mistreated her didn't go well. Removing him from the Spirit Warrior Corps wouldn't be easy, considering his status as a member of a royal family.

Sigh. He couldn't wait to become the next Blade of Wind

An evil smile played on his lips.

His true fun would begin once he attained that title.

"The king wishes to assign another mission to you," Michael said, removing his foot from her head. "Even though you lost so pitifully."

He walked a distance away, gazing up at the rays of sunlight piercing through the clouds, a sly smirk forming on his face.

"Your comrades are on their way," he stated. "Try not to appear too pathetic in front of them, Silent Whisper."

With that, the arrogant soul vanished into thin air.

Xoese remained on the ground for a while until she had the strength to clench her fists.

A bit longer…

She just needed to endure it a bit longer

She didn't need anyone's help

She could do it on her own…

She would make sure she reaches her goal no matter what.

All for that person's sake.