Linus continued to follow the two figures, his shadow magic keeping him concealed as he navigated the darkened streets. The night was silent, and the air was tense as they approached the old, dilapidated warehouse again.

This time, however, the figures did not enter. Instead, they stopped just outside the entrance cautiously. One of the masked figures reached into their cloak, withdrawing a small, radiant gem.

The moment Linus laid eyes on the gem, his stomach twisted. The Phoenix’s Heart pulsed with an eerie radiance, its crimson glow flickering like a dying ember in the night. He swallowed hard, his fingers twitching at his sides. This was it—the key to the Phoenix Blade. If they had it, they were already too close. One of the figures inclined their head, their face vanishing further into the depths of their hood, a silent acknowledgment that sent a chill crawling up Linus’s spine.

The masked figure holding the gem passed it to the third person, who examined it briefly and turned it in their gloved hand. The gem's glow intensified momentarily, reflecting in the onlookers' eyes before the third figure handed it back with a subtle nod.

As Linus processed the exchange, his shadow snake dissipated, sending back a chilling vision. Inside the guild master's home, the guild master lay lifeless, his body slumped awkwardly on the floor, a dark pool of blood slowly spreading beneath him. The sight was stark and unmistakable—he had been killed, likely by the very figures Linus was now trailing.

Just then, the third masked figure quickly signaled before slipping away into the darkness. Linus, unwilling to lose track of them, promptly conjured a shadow bird and sent it trailing after the figure, ensuring he could keep tabs on their movements. With a flick of his wrist, the bird launched into the air, gliding effortlessly after the vanishing figure. Linus's pulse quickened. If they noticed it, he'd lose his only advantage.

Linus's eyes locked onto the two remaining masked figures. He knew this was his moment to act. The third person had vanished, and if he was to seize the key, it had to be now.

With a swift motion, Linus conjured dark tendrils that shot out to entangle the figures’ legs. The figures hesitated momentarily, a flicker of surprise betraying their otherwise stoic movements. One of them, wielding a lightning-infused blade, sliced through the tendrils with a crackling arc of electricity, while the other dissolved the shadows with a sweep of their water-infused weapon.

Linus barely had time to react before the air crackled with energy. The lightning-bladed fighter’s movements were crisp, each strike deliberate, honed through years of discipline. The water-wielder flowed around his attacks with an effortless grace, their blade sweeping in smooth, undulating arcs, dissolving shadows before they could take hold. These weren’t common mercenaries. Every motion, every counter, screamed training and experience. Linus gritted his teeth.

He conjured a shadow clone, sending it charging at the lightning-bladed figure, forcing them to divert their attention. As they parried the clone's attacks, Linus used the shadows to teleport behind the water-bladed figure, swiftly disarming them before landing a powerful kick that sent them stumbling back.

A crackling arc of lightning ripped through the air, searing toward Linus with deadly precision. Sparks illuminated the alley in brief, blinding flashes, but before the strike could land, Linus dissolved into shadow, his form vanishing into the darkness. An instant later, he reemerged a few feet away, his silhouette flickering back into existence like a wraith in the night.

But his reprieve was brief.

The water-bladed fighter reacted instantly, thrusting their weapon forward. A crashing wave erupted from the blade’s edge, surging toward Linus like a relentless tide. When it struck his shadow barrier, the magic hissed and sputtered, steam billowing into the night air.

A sharp whistle cut through the mist. Linus barely had time to register the sound before the assault came. The masked figures struck in unison, their movements honed by discipline. A flicker of lightning to his left—a feint. The real attack came from behind, the water-bladed fighter sweeping in low. Linus pivoted just in time, shadows coiling around his limbs to propel him backward, narrowly avoiding a strike meant to cleave through him.

Enough.

Linus clenched his fist, and the darkness surged. From the shifting shadows at his feet, a monstrous form emerged—a beast of pure night, its hulking figure rippling with raw energy. The creature let out a guttural snarl, its eyes glowing like violet embers before it lunged.

The lightning-wielder met the attack head-on, their blade flaring with crackling energy as it clashed against the beast’s massive claws. Thunder roared as the impact sent shockwaves through the alley, splintering nearby crates and rattling the cobblestones. The fighter gritted their teeth, pouring more power into their weapon, but the beast was relentless, its sheer weight and force driving them back.

With a deafening crash, they slammed into the stone wall behind them. The impact sent fractures racing through the brick, dust, and debris crumbling around them. Linus smirked, his breath steady despite the burn of exertion in his limbs. The tide of battle had shifted—now, it was his turn to press the advantage.

With the lightning-wielder pinned beneath the monstrous force of his shadow beast, Linus turned on the water-bladed fighter.

A blur of motion—water surged as their blade sliced forward in a deadly sweeping arc. Linus dropped low, the cold kiss of steel whispering just above his head as he twisted away. A fraction of a second later, a crackling bolt of electricity detonated where he had stood, the residual force lifting the fine hairs on his arms. He had no time to breathe—his opponent pressed forward, capitalizing on the moment, their blade crashing toward him with relentless force.

Linus didn’t flinch.

With a flick of his fingers, darkness slithered from his fingertips, weaving into a razor-thin tendril that lashed out like a viper, aiming for his enemy’s ribs. The water-bladed fighter reacted instantly, pivoting with inhuman grace, their form twisting with the fluidity of a current. Water gushed from their blade, crashing against the tendril with enough force to scatter the shadows into mist.

Linus clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing. They were good—too good. But that only made this more exhilarating.

The lightning-wielder, still locked in a desperate struggle against the hulking shadow beast, barked a sharp command. Their partner hesitated only for a second, but it was enough. With a swift motion, the water-bladed figure conjured a shimmering barrier, wrapping their ally in a protective cocoon of rippling energy. A moment later, they unleashed a powerful jet of water, the blast slamming into the shadow beast’s chest. Linus watched as his creation shrieked soundlessly, its form unraveling like ink dissolving in water, its essence scattering into the mist.

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And that’s when he saw it—the water-wielder faltered, just for a heartbeat. Their stance, usually as fluid, wavered as they steadied themselves.

Linus moved without thinking.

Shadows surged beneath him, swallowing his form whole in an instant. He reemerged behind them, his blade in motion, slicing through the thick veil of steam. The first strike landed cleanly—steel met flesh, slamming into their shoulder. A sharp gasp escaped their lips. Linus wasted no time. Twisting, he drove his knee into their ribs, feeling the impact reverberate through his own body as they staggered.

They barely had time to react. Their weapon came up in a desperate attempt to counter—but Linus was faster.

With a vicious final motion, he planted his boot against their chest and kicked.

The force sent them hurtling backward, their body skidding across the damp ground, knocking over loose debris in their path. They hit the warehouse wall with a choked breath, gasping, struggling to push themselves upright.

At that moment, Linus felt a jolt—a sudden disconnection from his shadow bird. He cursed under his breath, "Shit." The third person had discovered the bird and was likely heading back. He had to act fast.

A sharp crack split the night air as the lightning-bladed figure recovered, their body flickering like a phantom. Lightning surged beneath their feet, coiling around their form before launching them forward at a blinding speed.

Linus barely had time to react before the attack came. He brought his shadow blade up just in time as the weapons crashed into each other in a violent collision of shadows and crackling fury.

Linus's grip tightened. He could feel his opponent's raw power surging, but he had faced worse. He adapted. He overcame.

With a flick of his free hand, shadows twisted and surged forward, a serpent-like tendril snapping toward the lightning-wielder’s wrist, aiming to rip their weapon from their grasp. But his opponent reacted instantly—a surge of electricity exploded outward, shattering the tendril with a violent pop. The force sent a static shock rippling through the air, but it also made them falter. Their balance wavered, their footing unsure for the briefest of moments.

Linus didn’t hesitate.

He vanished.

In a heartbeat, he teleported behind them, the darkness swallowing him whole before spitting him out just inches away from their exposed back. He struck. Fast. Precise. Unforgiving.

His blade connected hard, the impact sending his opponent stumbling forward, their grip faltering. Their weapon slipped from their grasp, tumbling through the air before clattering onto the ground below.

A desperate gasp cut through the chaos.

Linus’s eyes snapped toward the water-bladed fighter. They were pushing past exhaustion now, their breaths ragged, their limbs trembling. But they weren’t done. Not yet.

With a final, desperate effort, they raised their blade high. Water surged at their feet, twisting and swirling as they summoned a roaring wave. The sheer force of the wave churned the mist into a spiraling vortex. The wall of water rose like a tidal wave, surging toward their downed ally, a last-ditch attempt to break the fight wide open.

Linus narrowed his eyes.

Not this time.

Before the wave could crash, he flicked his wrist—a second figure burst into existence, stepping forward in a blur of motion. The shadow clone lunged, striking fast, drawing the water-wielder’s attention for a fraction of a second.

It was all he needed.

Linus darted through the confusion. In one fluid motion, he knocked their blade aside, twisting his own in a precise arc to disarm them completely. Before they could react, tendrils of pure darkness lashed forward, snaking around their arms and their legs—binding them tight.

The water-wielder struggled—a last act of defiance—but the fight had been decided.

Linus exhaled, standing over his captured foes, his breath steady even as his heart pounded. He wasted no time as he searched them, fingers gliding over hidden pockets, retrieving anything of value.

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he reached forward and grasped the edge of the first mask.

He pulled it away.

Then, the second.

His breath stilled.

Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking them.

Aria.

And her co-star.

For the briefest moment, time seemed to stop.

Then, slowly, Linus’s lips curled into a smirk.

Well.

This just got interesting.

Linus's mind raced, piecing together the implications of this discovery.

Just as Linus prepared to finish off the subdued figures, a sudden burst of intense light flooded the alley, scattering his shadows and breaking their hold on Aria and her co-star. The third figure, the light mage who had retreated earlier, had returned.

The sudden brilliance momentarily blinded Linus, forcing him to retreat as a searing blast of light hurtled toward him.

The light mage raised their hands, a searing orb of energy coalescing between their fingers. Linus reacted on instinct, slamming his palm to the ground. Darkness surged outward, forming a protective dome just as the blast erupted. The alley was bathed in blinding light, the impact shaking the rocks and stones nearby as the magic clashed. Cracks spread through the shadowy shield, its edges flickering under the relentless assault. Linus gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of his will into holding it together.

But the mage's relentless barrage of light energy weakened the dome, cracks forming as the darkness struggled to hold against the onslaught. Realizing he was losing ground, Linus teleported to a nearby rooftop, hoping to attack from above and regain the advantage.

The light mage, however, anticipated his move. With a swift motion, they focused a concentrated beam of light at Linus’s perch, obliterating the rooftop and forcing him to leap down to the street below. Linus used the falling debris to his advantage, shadow-stepping closer to the mage under cover of dust and chaos and launching a surprise attack to end the fight quickly.

Linus lunged, his blade wreathed in pure darkness, slicing through the air toward the mage. They met him head-on, their own weapon shimmering with golden light. The clash sent shockwaves rippling through the alley, the opposing energies hissing as they collided. Linus ducked and pivoted, striking low—only for his blade to meet a radiant shield that flared to life at the last second. The mage retaliated, a lance of light streaking toward his chest. Linus twisted away, the searing heat brushing his skin as he countered with a jagged tendril of shadow aimed at their throat.

Realizing the fight was slipping out of control, the light mage gathered energy, channeling it into a blast. A powerful wave of light surged toward Linus, aiming to overwhelm him completely.

Darkness swirled around Linus, drawn to his outstretched hands as he gathered every ounce of power he had left. His muscles burned, his vision blurred, but he forced the magic into shape—a towering, pulsating wall of shadows, dense and suffocating. The light mage unleashed their attack, a blinding wave of raw energy crashing against the barrier. The impact sent tremors through the alley, cracks splintering the surrounding walls. Linus braced himself, sweat dripping down his temple as his magic strained under the sheer force of the onslaught.

The alley was bathed in an eerie glow as light and shadow collided. The clash created a shockwave that sent ripples through the air and cracked the surrounding walls.

Amidst the chaos, the light mage seized the opportunity to free Aria and her co-star, dispelling the shadow chains that had bound them. The three figures quickly regrouped, the mage’s return bolstering their resolve and turning the tide of the confrontation.

Linus, now heavily fatigued and outnumbered, felt the momentum shift against him. He gritted his teeth, knowing that continuing the fight would only lead to his capture or worse. Just then, he heard Aria’s urgent voice cut through the chaos. “He has both the map and the key!”

He flicked his gaze downward at the stolen items tucked into his belt. A slow smirk crept onto his lips. He had barely registered what he had taken in the chaos, but now? Now he knew. The final piece of the puzzle was his. Adrenaline flooded his veins, pushing aside the fatigue gnawing at his limbs. He was battered, bruised—but he had won.

"Well," he murmured, still smirking, "looks like I got lucky."

But as the three figures moved to close in on him, he knew it was time to exit. Linus melted into the shadows, the smile still playing on his lips as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving his adversaries scrambling to figure out where he had gone.

With a final burst of shadow magic, he created a smokescreen of darkness, concealing his movements as he slipped into the surrounding shadows. The alley fell silent, the lingering darkness slowly dissipating, revealing nothing but emptiness where Linus had been moments before.

As he retreated into the night, his body aching and his mind buzzing, Linus couldn’t help but feel frustration and exhilaration. He had underestimated the unchanneled light mage and their allies, but he had still managed to come away with what he needed.