(The Spirit Realm - Several years ago, Diamond era)

Standing majestically in the heart of the imperial city was the Peak Tower. Its height far exceeded that of the surrounding buildings and on its walls were intricate designs that told stories of old.

This tower was the reason why the Spirit realm had its odd structure and the same reason why the strange world hadn't fallen apart since the beginning of the universe. Many souls believed that the Peak Tower was a key to unlocking a path to the deepest, untouched parts of the soul core.

The Soul core…

That sphere of energy only managed to have its surface understood and it seemed like it was going to keep its secrets to itself for as long as it wanted.

In the Diamond era, the Peak Tower served as the recruitment grounds for souls who chose to dedicate their entire existence to serve the Soul King as Spirit warriors.

Within the eerie hallways of this great tower, two figures made their way through the winding paths, keeping a constant expression of seriousness imprinted on their faces.

One of them was a girl who wore a simple black uniform and skirt. Her eyes shone an emerald green and her short silver hair made her look more akin to an angel than any other soul on the entire plane.

The other was a young man donned in a black uniform that was hidden underneath a black cloak. His eyes shone contrasting colours of blue and brown within the dark hallways.

Both souls stopped before a large wooden door and the cloaked individual moved forward and grabbed its sturdy knob, gently swinging the door open and revealing a near-empty room, brightly lit by the light that entered through a large opening in the back.

The only things in that room were the candle lamps on the walls and the red carpet on the floor. On the carpet was the Imperial symbol; An orb with six differently-coloured stones orbiting it.

"Ah! There you are!", an excited voice echoed within the room.

Standing before the large opening in the back was a middle-aged man, his form projected as a silhouette by a hovering artefact that resembled a crow. The crow-shaped artefact displayed a surreal representation of the man's soul, creating an enigmatic presence in the room.

The silver-haired girl, Xoese, and the cloaked young man, Edem, immediately knelt on their right knees and bowed their heads in respect as they recognized the authority before them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there's no need for that," the holographic man spoke hastily. "Edem, Xoese, I've heard a lot about you two."

Xoese and Edem rose to their feet, maintaining their serious expressions as they listened attentively to their superior.

"In fact, I've heard so much about you two that I simply had to see you in person!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands. "However, certain duties have held me back."

The holographic man took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Anyways, the reason you were summoned here is to complete a certain task for the Spirit Corps' Wind Faction."

"As rank 3 soldiers, I understand this is nothing out of the ordinary for you," he added, acknowledging their experience.

Their serious expressions remained unchanged, prompting a nod from the holographic man. "Hm. Far off in the north of the city, we've detected energy imbalances. It's possible that spirit beasts are causing a rampage."

"However, the imbalances have persisted for an extended period, suggesting there may be more to it. I've heard of your efficiency in surveillance and combat, so this should be an easy task for you."

Xoese inclined her head in acknowledgment. "Understood. Is that all you require of us?"

The hologram turned around, contemplating his response. "Mmm, well... both of you haven't been officially assigned to any factions yet. I am considering both of you as potential recruits for my faction."

Edem and Xoese exchanged quick glances, a mix of surprise and curiosity in their eyes.

"You're probably already in my faction, considering the great feats I've heard about both of you," the hologram said, scratching his barely visible hair. "I'll be waiting."

With those words, the hologram vanished, and the crow-like creature closed its large beak. It flew out through the opening in the wall, disappearing from sight.

The room fell into silence as both souls stood there, absorbing the weight of the conversation. After a moment, a chuckle broke the stillness.

"The heck!" Edem burst into laughter. "I swear, I nearly lost my composure the moment I saw your face."

"H- Huh?" Xoese's face reddened. "What do you mean?"

"You were being a bit too serious in there! We both know how much the Wind Blade enjoys a tension-free environment," Edem said, leaning against the nearby wall. "Pfffftttt! His reaction to our 'seriousness' was priceless!"

"Sh- Shut up!" Xoese lightly punched Edem on the arm. "We were in the presence of a blade-"

"In the presence of an image, you mean," Edem interjected, regaining his composure. "It made him even more uncomfortable. He was probably wondering how he would deal with the tension in person."

Xoese wanted to retort with a few more choice words, but before she could speak, Edem continued.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Well then, we have a task ahead of us," he said, walking toward the entrance. "There is a forest far north populated by a few spirit beasts. Reaching the source of the energy imbalances should not be a problem."

The silver-haired girl nodded, her expression focused, and followed Edem out of the room.

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.

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(Northern forests)

The two spirit warriors arrived at the forest in the blink of an eye, thanks to Edem's teleportation spell. They wasted no time and immediately set to work, swiftly manoeuvring through the dense trees and monitoring the fluctuating spirit energy in the area with their heightened senses.

Xoese keenly observed the behaviour of the wind, as spirit energy often caused it to change direction abruptly. Meanwhile, Edem focused on detecting the vibrations that accompanied the movements of the wind.

However, Edem seemed somewhat preoccupied and didn't put much emphasis on the task of surveying the energy. He had something else on his mind.

As they leaped from branch to branch, the forest shrouded in darkness with only scattered rays of sunlight breaking through the thick foliage, Edem suddenly halted in his tracks, a small smirk forming on his face.

Noticing his pause a moment later, Xoese landed on a nearby branch and turned back to him. "T-Teacher?" she questioned. "Is something wrong?"

"Remember what the wind blade said about the potential cause of the imbalances?" Edem asked, standing upright.

"Um, he mentioned it might be caused by rampaging spirit beasts," Xoese replied, recalling their earlier conversation.

"Exactly. But he also noted that these imbalances have persisted for longer than expected. Spirit beasts don't usually rampage every single day, especially not in this area."

Xoese surveyed her surroundings, her senses attuned to the forest. Something felt off, and her teacher's words resonated with her. The activity within the forest seemed unusually subdued, given the circumstances.

Edem scratched his head, a playful glint in his eyes. "This is a set-up," he concluded. "Seems like someone doesn't appreciate our presence here."

"A set-up? What do you mean?" Xoese furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "The wind blade would never-"

"It could be his doing or not", the cloaked soul raised his right arm. "Anyway, we'll have our answer once we get out of this alive."

A golden circle resembling a music sheet materialised, expanding in size and covering a significant portion of the forest. Enchanting melodies resonated from the circle, causing the air to stir with otherworldly tunes.

Xoese's eyes widened as a powerful gust of wind swept through her, causing her hair to flutter. She could feel the presence of an immense force gathering.

"This is..."

Before she could finish her sentence, an enormous form began to emerge from the forest, revealing a colossal spirit beast resembling a salamander. Its pale yellow skin, large round eyes, and menacing teeth sent shivers down Xoese's spine. Spikes adorned its back, adding to its formidable appearance as it fixed its gaze upon the two spirit warriors.

A loud, booming voice echoed from a particular direction in the forest, shaking the surroundings.

"I never thought peasant wayfarers like you two would ever figure it out!"

Edem and Xoese looked up, their eyes landing on a figure perched on the head of the salamander-like creature. He wore a uniform similar to theirs, and a bird emblem adorned his left sleeve, signifying his affiliation with the wind warrior faction.

The colour drained from Xoese's face as she muttered, "It can't be..."

Edem tapped her shoulder, his voice low. "Don't jump to conclusions just yet. Let him revel in his arrogance."

With a disdainful expression, the wind warrior glared down at the two spirit warriors. "I'm sick and tired of these lowly peasants finding their way into the spirit warrior corps."

He ran his hand through his long black hair, his sickly grin widening. "The corps is meant for the elite nobles, like me. I won't allow some mysterious souls who appeared out of nowhere to claim a spot in the wind faction!"

His lips curled into an evil grin as he continued, "Your progress through the ranks is highly questionable. You've reached this far in less than a year? Impossible!"

Xoese exchanged a hidden glance with Edem, who returned it with an amused and knowing look.

The arrogant wind warrior clenched his right fist, his voice filled with malice. "I'll give you two choices: give up on your dreams of joining the wind faction or meet your demise at my hands."

"The Wind blade is only going to interpret your non-existences as being caused by the rampaging spirit beasts anyway."

'That means the Wind blade has no hand in this', Xoese sighed inwardly as she thought.

Her emerald green eyes blazed with determination as she locked her gaze onto the arrogant spirit warrior. "And who do you think you are to give us a choice!?"

The wind warrior raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes as he looked at the defiant silver-haired girl. "A girl who enjoys having a man's nose up her pants should learn to keep quiet and obey."

Edem staggered, his grip tightening on the tree's bark as he stared at Xoese in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

Before Edem could respond, Xoese's figure blurred and vanished into thin air, leaving him bewildered.

"It seems it's too late," Edem muttered to himself, a hint of concern in his voice.

The wind warrior burst into laughter, his voice filled with taunting mockery. "AHAHAHAHA! You peasants truly-"

Suddenly, a menacing presence loomed over him, causing him to raise his head and meet Xoese's intense gaze, filled with a deadly green glow.

"I'll kill you," Xoese declared, her voice laced with a chilling determination.

*SLAM!*

Xoese's fist connected with the wind warrior's face, sending him hurtling off the creature's back and crashing into the forest below with a resounding thud.

Xoese's image vanished into a blur once again, and explosive sounds reverberated through the area as she moved through the air at incredible speeds, exceeding the limits of sound.

"Wind Spell," Xoese uttered.

Edem smirked sarcastically, covering his ears. "Uh oh."

An ear-deafening BOOM reverberated through the area as a streak of wind hurtled toward the spirit warrior's location. Xoese, the source of this powerful wind, aimed her feet at her staggering target, prepared to deliver a deadly blow.

"Sonic Mega Thrust!"

Doom descended upon the unfortunate soul at breakneck speed, but it was abruptly halted by an invisible force. A transparent force field had materialised between Xoese and her target at the last moment, blocking her attack.

"Tch," Xoese leapt back, landing on the same branch as Edem. Frustration etched across her face as she observed the towering Salamander, which rose to its hind legs and turned its head toward them. Maniacal laughter echoed from the thick undergrowth below as the spirit warrior entered a crazed state.

"Nothing can ever penetrate my defences!" he cackled. "NOTHING!"

"UGH!" Xoese stomped her foot in annoyance. "I want to kill him so bad!"

Edem flashed a knowing smile. "Relax. I have my own way of dealing with his rude behaviour. Let's first show him just how 'impenetrable' his force field really is."

Xoese understood the cloaked soul's plan and mischievously smirked. She began channelling her spirit energy in a specific manner known only to her, causing a packet of air to rush to her right side and merge into a potent rotating drill.

"Wind Bullet!"

Golden circles formed around Xoese's spell, shrinking in size and concentrating the wind into a powerful, streamlined shape.

Edem chuckled, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Combination spell: Symphonic Spear of Zephyr!"

The concentrated wind spear shot straight toward the force field created by the spirit beast, its impact generating a powerful shock wave that swept through the area.

"Heh... Heh Heh!" The spirit warrior stepped back, observing the cracks forming on his shield. "S-Shit."

*BOOM!*

An incredibly explosive sound reverberated through the area, uprooting several trees as the force field shattered into countless pieces.