Kazuki and Selena sat inside the inn, peering out through the frosted window as the controlled villagers knelt in unison, worshiping small statues of Nolan. Their eerie chants echoed faintly through the blizzard, blending with the howling wind. Kazuki broke the silence, his voice low but firm.

"Any ideas on how we can stop the controlled villagers? Or at least snap them out of it?"

Selena furrowed her brow, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the table. "I don’t know," she admitted. "But there’s something about that fountain—it’s radiating a strong presence of mana. Last night..." She hesitated, glancing at Kazuki.

"Last night?" Kazuki prompted, his gaze sharpening.

"I entered the fountain," Selena confessed. "There’s a hidden path leading to an underground base. It was filled with controlled villagers, all coming out of an entrance that connects back to the fountain."

"So, the fountain’s the source," Kazuki mused, crossing his arms.

Selena nodded, determination sparking in her eyes. "If we destroy whatever’s down there, we might be able to stop this madness!"

Meanwhile, atop a towering structure overlooking Mirkdusk, Roberto stood with his subordinates, their breaths visible in the icy air. The weight of anticipation hung heavily over them.

"There’s something strange happening in this city," Roberto muttered, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene below. "We’ll strike early, before anyone expects it."

Raising his hands, he began casting a spell. "Blaze Cannon!"

A massive fireball erupted from his palms, soaring into the sky. Moments later, Roberto clenched his hand into a fist, causing the fireball to explode into fiery sparks like a signal flare.

Roa, waiting outside the city walls, saw the blazing signal. A grim smile spread across his face. "So, it’s time."

He turned to his troops and roared, "CHARGE!"

The soldiers responded with a thunderous cheer, unleashing their magic to tear down the city walls. Yet as they breached the defenses, they found no resistance. The city lay eerily still, its only occupants the controlled villagers, who moved in unison toward the fountain.

Roa frowned. "What’s going on?" he muttered. "Is this part of Roberto’s plan? Either way, nothing’s stopping us now."

In a grand white castle far from the chaos, Nolan lounged on his ornate throne, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"How entertaining," he said, snapping his fingers.

The villagers near the fountain suddenly turned toward the invading troops. Their faces blank behind their glowing masks, they raised their crude weapons and charged.

Back at the inn, Kazuki and Selena were jolted by the sound of explosions outside. Selena rushed to the window, only to recoil as the second floor of the inn was blasted apart by a massive rock.

Kazuki shielded his face from the debris, peering through the broken walls. Below, he saw scarred men wreaking havoc on the city, destroying buildings with ruthless efficiency.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed.

Selena clutched his arm. "Who are they?"

Kazuki shook his head. "I don’t know, but they’re clearly enemies."

Selena hesitated. "What about the controlled villagers? They’re victims too. We should help them!"

Kazuki smirked grimly. "Fine. But I better get something out of this." Without another word, he leapt down into the fray.

Selena hurried downstairs, determined to check on the innkeeper and others. But as she reached the ground floor, the innkeeper turned on her, swinging a longsword with frightening speed.

She dodged narrowly, her heart pounding. "What’s going on?!" she thought.

As the innkeeper lunged again, Selena noticed something. The mask he wore glowed faintly with a sinister purple light.

"It’s the mask," she realized. "That’s how Nolan is controlling them!"

Summoning a sword of pure light, Selena kicked the innkeeper to the floor. As he scrambled to rise, she sliced the mask in two. The fragments clattered to the ground, revealing a small crimson crystal embedded in its center.

Selena picked it up, studying it closely. "A Crimson Veil Fragment," she murmured. "So this is how he’s doing it."

The innkeeper groaned, rubbing his head as he regained consciousness. "What... what happened?"

Selena grabbed him by the collar. "Who gave you this mask?!"

"Chill, chill!" the innkeeper stammered. "It was a woman dressed like a priest. She wore a long white robe and said the mask would bring us good luck."

Selena dropped him, her thoughts racing. "Stay here and keep safe," she instructed.

Before the innkeeper could respond, three more controlled villagers burst through the door, weapons raised. Selena dodged the first attacker and swiftly sliced his mask. The second swung an axe at her, but she countered and destroyed his mask as well.

The last villager hesitated, but Selena didn’t. Forming her fingers into the shape of a gun, she cast a spell.

"Light Bullet!"

A beam of radiant energy shot from her fingertip, shattering the final mask.

She turned to the innkeeper, who stood frozen in awe. "Lock the doors and defend yourself. Protect the others too."

Back at the tower, Roberto watched his troops storm the city. From his vantage point, he saw the villagers turning on the invaders, their masks glowing eerily.

"It’s begun," he said, rising from his seat.

The soldiers around him stepped forward, raising their hands in unison. Together, they unleashed a barrage of spells, raining destruction down upon the chaos below.

The battlefield was in chaos, with Roberto and his troops bombarding the controlled villagers with a relentless barrage of spells. Blasts of fire, ice, and lightning illuminated the darkened city, their intensity matched only by the cries of the possessed and the relentless determination of the attacking forces.

Meanwhile, Kazuki stood amidst the carnage, locked in combat with three of Roa’s elite troops.

One soldier hurled a shield at him with deadly precision. Kazuki raised his arm, deflecting the spinning projectile with a sharp clang, only to block a kick from another soldier with his forearm. A third combatant joined the fray, wielding twin daggers and casting a spell mid-charge.

“Rock Step!”

Kazuki’s feet became ensnared in jagged stone, anchoring him to the ground. The other two soldiers capitalized on his immobilization, their voices echoing through the chaos.

“Smokescreen!”

“Aqua Pump!”

A dense fog enveloped Kazuki, and a high-pressure blast of water slammed into him. The force nearly knocked the wind out of him, but Kazuki remained defiant.

He crossed his forearms over his chest, sparks of electricity crackling between his fingers. "You think this will stop me?" he growled.

“Hand of Zeus!”

Two jagged bolts of lightning erupted from his palms, cutting through the smoke and striking the water and smoke-wielding soldiers with a deafening crack. They collapsed, their bodies convulsing from the electric shock.

The dagger-wielding soldier smirked, undeterred. “You’re good,” he admitted, dashing forward, “but not good enough!”

The soldier slashed Kazuki across the chest, his twin blades leaving a crimson X carved into his torso. Blood dripped from Kazuki’s mouth as he staggered back, his breaths shallow and labored.

The soldier stepped closer, confidence brimming in his voice. “It’s over for you.”

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Kazuki’s lips curled into a grin. Slowly, he straightened his posture, his injuries vanishing before the soldier’s astonished eyes. “Not quite,” Kazuki replied, his tone icy.

In a flash, Kazuki assumed a boxer’s stance, his fists raised. He lunged forward with blinding speed, landing a gut-wrenching punch to the soldier’s abdomen. The impact sent the man airborne, his body hurtling toward the sky.

Kazuki closed his eye momentarily, focusing his mana. When he reopened it, a magnetic force pulled the soldier back toward the ground at terrifying speed.

“Rock Armor!” the soldier shouted in desperation, encasing himself in stone as he plummeted. The sudden increase in weight caused him to crash down faster than expected.

Kazuki swung too early, missing his mark. The armored soldier landed atop him, pinning him to the ground.

The soldier stood, smirking. “Seems like I underestimated you. But that’s not a mistake I’ll make twice!”

Kazuki spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed. “Maybe you’re just weak.”

The taunt enraged the soldier, who lunged again with his daggers. Kazuki caught him mid-strike, gripping his head with ironclad hands. With a savage roar, he smashed the soldier’s face into the ground, the impact splintering the cobblestones beneath them.

He wasn’t finished. Kazuki hurled the soldier’s body toward a nearby wall. The man’s back slammed into the stone, and before he could recover, Kazuki was already upon him. He grabbed the soldier by the head once more and dragged it along the wall as he ran, leaving a bloody smear in his wake.

Kazuki finally released him, flinging the lifeless body to the ground. He stood over his fallen foe, breathing heavily, blood dripping from his knuckles.

Two more soldiers emerged from the shadows, their expressions a mix of rage and disgust.

“You bastard!” one of them shouted. “Do you have any humanity? You killed him brutally and didn’t even feel sorry for it!”

The other pointed his blade at Kazuki. “Prepare to die, you fucking monster!”

Without hesitation, they charged.

The battlefield shifted back to Roa. Standing amidst the chaos, his lips curled into a cruel smirk as he barked orders to his troops.

“Defend me, idiots!” he commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Four of his loyal soldiers formed a protective circle around him, launching their attacks on the approaching controlled villagers without hesitation.

“Hydra's Poison!”

“Steel Spikes!”

“Undead Ooze!”

“Electric Shock!”

The soldiers’ combined spells unleashed a devastating torrent of magic, cutting through the horde. Roa sneered as he watched, clearly unimpressed by their efforts.

“There are so many of them,” he muttered before leaping into the air. He raised a hand, sliding his palm in an elegant arc as a translucent, blue glass-like platform materialized beneath him.

Standing on the glowing surface, he glared down at the chaos below and roared, “JUST GIVE UP!”

He raised his hand high before slamming it downward. “Barrier Squeeze!”

A massive blue barrier appeared above the controlled villagers. With a simple motion, Roa brought it crashing down, crushing them in a brutal display of power. The ground trembled under the force, leaving behind a mangled mass of bodies.

“That’s a faster way to clear the way,” Roa said coldly as more villagers surged toward his position.

Meanwhile, Selena darted through the streets, her destination the fountain where the chaos had begun. Her sprint was interrupted by a horde of controlled villagers blocking her path.

Without hesitation, she summoned a radiant sword of light, its blade shimmering with divine energy. She charged into the crowd, slicing through the enchanted masks with precision and speed.

One of the villagers—this one unmasked—stepped forward, a sinister grin spreading across his face. “Why bother with the masks?” he taunted, stomping a villager’s head into the ground with a sickening crunch. “Why not aim for the head?”

Selena’s gaze hardened. “Are you the one behind this madness?”

The man chuckled darkly. “So what if I am? It’s not like you can stop me!” He crushed another person’s head underfoot, blood pooling around him.

Selena dashed forward and delivered a swift kick, sending him staggering back. “I don’t know why you’re doing this,” she said, her voice firm, “but I won’t let you hurt anyone else!”

“There’s nothing innocent about them!” the man snarled, charging at her.

“Bone Summon!”

The ground beneath Selena erupted with jagged bone-like spikes. She leaped away just in time, narrowly avoiding impalement.

“Bone magic,” Selena muttered to herself. “I can’t let him touch me.”

The man lunged, his fists aiming for her face, but Selena sidestepped his attacks with graceful ease.

“It’s rare to find a girl who can fight like this,” the man said, grinning. “It’s a shame you’re not one of us!”

“Are you saying that because you can’t catch me?” Selena retorted, effortlessly dodging another blow.

The man’s grin twisted into a snarl as he drove her into a corner. “Prepare to die!”

Selena raised her hands, her fingers glowing with radiant energy. “Radiant Burst!”

A blinding explosion of light erupted from her hands, engulfing the man. When the light subsided, his lower left torso was mangled and bloodied, forcing him to the ground.

Not giving him a moment to recover, Selena raised her hand again. “Wind’s Wrath!”

A powerful gust of wind surged forward, slamming into him and hurling him through the air. As he landed, another force struck him mid-fall, leaving him sprawled and gasping for air.

The man gritted his teeth, clutching his wound as he staggered to his feet. “This girl is stronger than I expected,” he thought. “But all I need is one touch to control her bones.”

He straightened, forcing a smile. “Before we continue, at least tell me your name. Mine’s Lucan. What’s yours?”

Selena didn’t respond. She was already charging her next attack. “I need to end this quickly,” she muttered.

“Lightspeed Dash!”

In a flash, she disappeared, reappearing before Lucan faster than he could react. Her blade slashed across his chest and up to his head in a single motion, leaving a deep, fatal wound. She followed through by severing his head from his body with one final strike.

As Lucan’s lifeless body collapsed, Selena stood over him, her voice calm but icy. “Fools like you don’t deserve to know my name.”

The two goons charged at Kazuki, determination etched into their faces. One of them clenched his fists and thought to himself, "I will avenge my comrades!"

Kazuki, undeterred, dashed toward them with equal resolve. As he closed the gap, his mind raced. "The longer I stay here, the more enemies will show up. This is a waste of time—I need to find the boss!"

His fists ignited with dark and lightning magic, crackling with raw power. He shifted into a boxing stance, his focus locked onto his targets. Kazuki feinted with a series of quick jabs, forcing one of the goons to dodge. But it was a trap. Kazuki’s right fist powered through, landing a devastating hook that sent the goon flying into a nearby wall.

The other goon’s eyes widened, his confidence faltering. "He's too strong in close combat! I’ll keep my distance and fight him from afar!"

Summoning his magic, the goon chanted, “Expand!”

A massive tree erupted from the ground, lifting the goon high into the air. Perched on the rapidly growing branches, he aimed down at Kazuki and shouted, “Nature’s Deadly Bind!”

Thick vines shot out from the tree, whipping toward Kazuki in an attempt to entangle him.

Kazuki noticed the attack and narrowed his eyes. “Hand of Zeus!”

Twin lightning bolts materialized in his hands, crackling fiercely as he wielded them like daggers. With swift, precise movements, he sliced through the approaching vines, severing them before they could reach him.

Without hesitation, Kazuki leaped into the air and dashed toward the goon atop the tree. The speed of his assault left the enemy stunned. Before the goon could react, Kazuki’s blade-like lightning slashed through his arm, severing it in one clean strike.

The goon let out a scream of agony as he tumbled from the tree, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Blood poured from his shoulder as he clutched the stump where his arm had been.

Kazuki landed smoothly and approached him, his expression cold but composed. “I’ll give you one chance. Take me to your boss, and I’ll let you live.”

The injured goon groaned, trembling as he tried to steady himself. His voice quivered as he spat out the words, “He’s... at the top of that tower!”

Kazuki glanced in the direction the goon had indicated, spotting the imposing silhouette of a tower looming over the chaotic cityscape. Without another word, he sprinted toward it, leaping across the rooftops with agile precision.

As he reached a higher vantage point, Kazuki paused briefly, surveying the city below. The once peaceful streets were now overrun with chaos—controlled villagers rampaged through the alleys, and the remains of magical destruction scarred the buildings.

Kazuki’s fists clenched as he muttered under his breath, “What the hell is going on here?

Kazuki sprinted toward the towering structure ahead, his focus unshaken. But before he could reach it, Roa and his troops appeared, blocking his path.

“Not so fast!” Roa sneered, his troops stepping into formation behind him.

Meanwhile, Selena raced toward the fountain at the center of the city. A powerful surge of mana radiated from it, pulling her closer. But just as she was about to reach it, a massive boulder came crashing down, shattering the fountain into rubble.

Back at Kazuki’s location, Roa and his troops unleashed their combined magic.

“Special Spell Combo!” they shouted in unison.

A devastating blast struck Kazuki, sending him hurtling through the air. He landed hard, right near the destroyed fountain, where Selena stood.

“Kazuki!” she called out.

Shaking off the impact, he quickly stood and faced her. “Selena, we need to take them down together!”

“On your mark!” she replied with determination.

The two charged at Roa’s troops side by side, their movements perfectly synchronized. Selena gracefully dodged attacks from two opponents, weaving between them with agile precision. She retaliated with a swift kick before summoning her radiant sword of light. In one clean motion, she sliced through a soldier’s arm, disarming him both literally and figuratively.

Kazuki, on the other hand, confronted a group of attackers head-on. His foot slammed into the ground with immense force, creating a shockwave that sent Roa and his lackeys flying. Using the airborne debris to his advantage, he leaped forward, finishing off the scattered troops with rapid, brutal strikes.

Selena, not missing a beat, aimed her hands at the remaining goons. “Light Bullet!” she shouted, releasing concentrated rays of light that pierced through their defenses.

With Roa’s troops eliminated, Kazuki shifted his focus to the man himself.

But Roa wasn’t finished yet. “Invincible Prison!” he bellowed, conjuring a cube of glowing blue glass around Kazuki.

“Behold the power of barrier magic!” Roa smirked as he began shrinking the prison, intending to crush Kazuki inside.

Selena, having dealt with the remaining soldiers, rushed to Kazuki’s aid. She dashed forward and landed a powerful kick on Roa, breaking his concentration and shattering the barrier.

Kazuki emerged from the broken prison, his dark aura crackling with restrained fury. Selena, not letting up, aimed her spell at Roa.

“Light Bullet!” she shouted again, firing a beam of light that struck Roa’s shoulder and pinned him down.

Before he could recover, Kazuki charged forward, grabbing Roa by the neck and lifting him off the ground. His voice was low and menacing.

“Why are you doing this?” Kazuki demanded.

Roa, defiant even in defeat, spat back, “For revenge, you bitch!” He attempted to cast another spell, but Selena swiftly interrupted him with another kick, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

Kazuki tightened his grip but then loosened it, his expression hardening. “Spare him,” he said firmly.

Selena hesitated, about to protest, but Kazuki cut her off. “I said, spare him!”

Leaving Roa in the rubble, Kazuki muttered to himself, “Revenge, huh? I guess we’re all the same.”

As they sprinted away, Selena called out, “I know how to stop the controlled villagers!”

“How?!” Kazuki asked, his eyes sharp with urgency.

“There’s a crimson veil fragment embedded in the forehead of their masks!” Selena explained.

“What’s that?!”

“No time to explain!” Selena replied. “If the fragments exist, there must also be a crimson veil core somewhere, linking the controller to the villagers!”

Kazuki nodded. “Fine. You find the core. I’ll take care of the ones without masks!”

With a quick nod of understanding, the two split up, each heading toward their respective targets.

TBC

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: LATE HAPPY NEW YEAR!