High above the forests, Zoe rode upon Elysia's Water Dragon.
Cold wind rushed past her face as the dragon soared through the dark sky toward the kingdom.
Below, mountains and rivers blurred together.
The castle stood in the distance beneath a blanket of storm clouds.
For the first time since leaving Elysia, Zoe allowed herself to relax.
Then—
A sharp pain shot through her ankle.
Zoe flinched.
"Huh...?"
The pain spread rapidly.
From her ankle.
To her foot.
To her entire leg.
Her breathing became uneven.
Slowly, she looked down.
Her eyes widened.
The skin around her ankle had turned dark blue.
Thin veins spread upward like cracks through ice.
Poison.
A memory flashed through her mind.
During the battle...
Belni had briefly brushed past her.
At the time, Zoe had ignored it.
Now she remembered.
Something sharp.
A tiny needle.
A hidden blade.
It had pierced her ankle.
"That... girl..."
Zoe's vision suddenly blurred.
The sky twisted.
The clouds spun.
She reached toward her ankle, trying to activate her healing power.
But her fingers trembled.
The poison spreading too quickly.
"N-No..."
The Water Dragon beneath her became distant.
Its roar sounded muffled.
Her body felt heavy.
The world darkened.
Then—
Everything disappeared.
Zoe lost consciousness.
Her body slipped from the Water Dragon's back.
And fell.
Down through the storm.
Toward the endless forest below.
---
Far away...
Elysia suddenly felt something.
A strange disturbance.
A connection breaking.
Her eyes narrowed.
"The dragon..."
For a moment, she looked toward the distant kingdom.
Perhaps Zoe had already arrived.
Perhaps she had dismissed the dragon herself.
There was no time to think about it.
Because at that exact moment—
BOOM!
Belni slammed Elysia into a massive rock.
The boulder shattered instantly.
Stone fragments exploded across the battlefield.
Elysia rolled across the ground before regaining her balance.
Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
Belni stood opposite her.
Breathing heavily.
Covered in dirt and bruises.
Neither woman looked untouched.
The battle had pushed both of them to their limits.
Elysia wiped the blood from her lips.
Then raised her hand.
A gigantic wall of water formed behind her.
The surrounding river answered her call.
The earth trembled.
The wave continued growing.
Larger.
Higher.
Stronger.
Belni's eyes widened.
"Elysia—"
"Water Tsunami."
Elysia swung her arm downward.
The massive wave surged forward.
ROOOOOOOAR!
The water devoured everything in its path.
Hundreds of trees snapped apart.
The forest shook violently.
Belni tried to escape.
But the wave crashed into her.
BOOOOOOM!
Water swallowed her entirely.
When she emerged moments later, she was drenched.
Her clothes clung to her body.
Her movements slowed.
Sand powers became harder to control when soaked.
Belni immediately realized the problem.
"Damn it..."
Elysia didn't give her time.
Belni slammed her hands together.
Hundreds of miniature sand tornadoes erupted around the battlefield.
They spun wildly through the forest.
Each carried countless grains of sharpened sand.
Tiny particles.
Yet deadly.
Like thousands of invisible blades.
The storm swallowed everything.
Trees were sliced apart.
Branches exploded into splinters.
The ground was shredded.
Elysia narrowed her eyes.
Water gathered around her.
Several Water Clones emerged beside her.
The clones charged.
Their blades spun through the storm.
SHHHK!
SHHHK!
SHHHK!
One by one, the sand tornadoes were destroyed.
The battlefield cleared.
Only Elysia and Belni remained.
Elysia extended her hand.
Water gathered around her arm.
It condensed.
Compressed.
Sharpened.
A crystal-blue sword appeared.
Across the battlefield, Belni created her own weapon.
A long sword forged from compressed sand.
Both women stared at each other.
The storm raged around them.
Neither spoke.
Then—
They moved.
CLANG!
Their swords collided.
A shockwave rippled through the forest.
CLANG!
Another strike.
CLANG!
Another.
Water and sand exploded with every collision.
Belni swung downward.
Elysia blocked.
Elysia thrust forward.
Belni twisted aside.
The battle became a blur.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Until Elysia finally found an opening.
She grabbed Belni's wrist.
Belni's eyes widened.
Elysia whispered.
"Freezing Point."
Cold energy erupted from her hand.
Ice raced across Belni's body.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Half of Belni's body froze solid.
She cried out.
"AHHH!"
"My body!"
But even trapped, Belni refused to surrender.
Her remaining arm moved.
Dozens of sand chains erupted from the ground.
They wrapped around Elysia.
The sharpened chains tightened instantly.
SHHHK!
Blood splashed into the air.
The chains cut into Elysia's skin.
Her shoulder tore.
Part of her dress ripped apart.
Pain surged through her body.
A cough escaped her lips.
Blood stained the ground.
Yet Elysia didn't stop.
She stepped forward.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the wounds.
Ignoring everything.
Her sword flashed.
STAB!
The water blade pierced Belni's stomach.
Silence fell.
Belni stared downward.
Blood slowly flowed from her lips.
Her sword disappeared.
The chains crumbled.
The frozen sand shattered.
Then Belni collapsed onto the ground.
The battle was over.
---
Elysia remained standing for several seconds.
Barely.
Her legs trembled.
Her vision blurred.
Every part of her body ached.
She looked toward the distant kingdom.
The storm above the castle continued to rage.
"Yuki..."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
She raised her trembling hand.
Water gathered before her.
A final Water Dragon formed.
Smaller than before.
Weaker.
Yet still enough.
The dragon lowered its head.
Elysia climbed onto its back.
Every movement hurt.
The creature rose into the sky.
And together they flew toward the kingdom.
Toward the battle that would decide everything.