ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

The humongous tree trembled, its mighty branches shuddering under the sheer force of three powerful mana domains clashing in the sky.

Lila, Rafeala, and Aric—three titans of their generation—stood their ground, their aura burning fiercely as the atmosphere warped from their combined power. Not only that, but simultaneously, there mana domains were unleashed for the whole world to see.

Lila's 'Ice World' erupted, swallowing the battlefield in a blizzard of absolute frost. The air crackled with cold, and ice crystals formed midair, reflecting light like mirrors of death.

Rafeala's 'Moonlight Sanctuary' followed, a divine silver glow illuminating the frozen wasteland. Every inch of the battlefield became drenched in a lunar radiance, her presence commanding the terrain like a celestial goddess.

Aric's 'Sword Nova' crashed against both domains—violent, unyielding, and brimming with razor-sharp golden radiance. It wasn't just a domain—it was a declaration. The sheer sword pressure he unleashed shattered the ice, pierced through the moonlight, and sent both Lila and Rafeala staggering.

BOOM!

The shockwave blasted outward, uprooting entire sections of the tree's branches, forcing both Lila and Rafeala to reinforce their footing.

Aric stood unshaken, the Blade of Dawn in his grasp radiating a divine glow.

"You two are strong," he admitted, his tone steadier than before.

"But I—Aric Alexandria—will prove that I am worthy of the bloodline I carry!"

With a single step, he disappeared—

SLASH!

A golden arc split the battlefield, tearing through both the Ice World and Moonlight Sanctuary.

Lila barely dodged, the tip of her sleeve shredded by the sheer force of his strike. Rafeala's defense cracked as her lunar shields shattered under the raw power of Aric's relentless assault.

"Tch—he's too fast!" Rafeala cursed, rolling away before countering with a devastating lunar beam, but Aric's sword severed it in half midair.

"He's not just fast," Lila muttered to herself. "He's adapting… growing stronger mid-battle."

Aric's newfound drive made him overwhelming. Every movement was precise, every strike merciless, and every counter flawless.

The battle turned into a desperate clash—

Moonlight and Ice tried to cage him, but golden sword light kept tearing through their defenses.

Rafeala, gritting her teeth, pushed her Moonlight Sanctuary to its limits, trying to hold her ground.

Lila, however, remained cold—her mind clear as she muttered in a tone that Aric could hear.

"You think you are the only one whom has a reason to fight here?"

"Father…

He died protecting me.

And I won't let that be in vain."

"So this is the end of the road for you"

Her resolve crystallized, and in that moment—her Ice World expanded even further.

The battlefield froze solid, and time itself seemed to slow as Lila's mana surged beyond its previous limits.

"Your sword may burn brightly, Aric…"

"But even the brightest flames…"

"Will be extinguished in absolute frost."

She vanished—

And in the next instant—

SLASH!

A single razor-thin ice blade tore through Aric's chest.

His golden aura flickered, his knees buckled, and his grip on the Blade of Dawn weakened.

For the first time in the battle—

Aric Alexandria faltered.

And standing tall before him—was Lila.

"This is my vengeance."

And without a shred of hesitation, Lila let the frost spread frantically within Aric which ultimately put an end to his life.

And as Aric's body fell, a cold stillness overtook the battlefield. Lila did not hesitate—not for a second.

With one final slash, she ended him.

The Blade of Dawn slipped from his grip, the golden radiance it once carried flickering out like a dying ember. His eyes widened in disbelief, a silent gasp escaping his lips before his body crumbled into the frozen battlefield below.

The onlookers—both in the area of the tree and within the Valoria Coliseum—held their breath.

And immediately after....

All eyes turned toward the VIP section, toward King Alexandria—the man who should have reacted, who should have unleashed his fury over the death of his illegitimate son.

But he did nothing.

Instead, he sat there, calmly observing everything as though he were simply watching a play unfold before him.

Even Kael Dragonyx, who always carried himself with confidence, found this unsettling.

"Your Majesty," Kael spoke, his voice measured. "Your son… Aric… he's been slain before your very eyes. And yet, you remain unmoved?"

The entire VIP section tensed, waiting for the King's response.

But when King Alexandria finally spoke, his tone was devoid of any emotion—as if the death of his own flesh and blood meant nothing.

"And what would you have me do, Dragonyx?"

"Wail? Cry? Rage against the heavens?"

His cold gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.

"Fate moves as it must. Aric was weak. And weakness deserves no place in my kingdom."

His words sent a chill through the air—one that felt even colder than Lila's Ice World itself.

Kael, despite his usual composure, frowned.

"Hah…" He chuckled darkly. "What a heartless father you are."

But King Alexandria remained unfazed.

"Heartless?" He repeated, almost amused. "You still do not understand, Dragonyx."

"I never intended to groom Aric to be my heir. His failure only confirms that."

"Besides, didn't you also see your own daughter who should actually be your heir killed right in front of you? Why didn't you react then?"

"... Forgive me for the question then" after a brief moment of silence, Kael suddenly apologized before he remained silent.

But the revelation about the fate of Aric was shocking. Aric had never stood a chance from the very beginning.

And as the reality of the King's true nature sank in, the scene shifted back to the battlefield—

Standing over Aric's lifeless body, Lila's expression remained as frozen as her domain.

She slowly turned her gaze toward Rafeala, who had just witnessed the brutal execution of their former opponent.

"…You're next."

Her voice was calm, yet chilling—like the whisper of death itself.

Rafeala's grip on her weapon tightened, her usual confident aura wavering for the first time.

Lila did not wait for a reply.

She moved.

And the next phase of the battle began.

As Lila and Rafeala faced each other, the battlefield trembled beneath the overwhelming force of their unleashed mana domains.

Lila's Ice World coated the entire battlefield in a frozen wasteland, each breath turning into mist.

Rafeala's Moonlight Sanctuary bathed the field in a mystical, silver radiance, warping space with eerie, flickering glows.

And then—

Boom!!

They clashed.

Ice met Moonlight.

Spell after spell erupted between them.

Lila conjured jagged spears of permafrost, hurling them at blinding speeds.

Rafeala retaliated with crescent blades of lunar energy, slicing through the air like divine judgments.

Explosions of frost and silver radiance filled the battlefield, distorting the very space around them.

Each movement was precise, each spell delivered with intent to kill.

For a time, they remained in a stalemate—neither gaining ground, neither relenting.

But as the battle dragged on, Lila began to falter.

Her breathing grew heavy. Sweat trickled down her forehead, freezing instantly. Her stamina was running out.

Rafeala, noticing this, smirked.

"You're slowing down, Lila."

"I told you—being distracted in battle is a death sentence."

She raised her hand, forming a massive lunar scythe—a finishing move.

Lila had seconds to act.

'Seems like I have no choice'

Without hesitation, Lila made her move.

Instead of dodging, she unleashed a technique she hadn't perfected yet—

Ice Doppelgängers.

In an instant, six identical copies of Lila emerged from the ice.

Each of them moved in perfect sync, their mana signatures identical.

Rafeala's eyes narrowed as she swung her lunar scythe, slicing through one—only for it to shatter like glass.

"Tch—illusions? No—these are real!"

But it was too late.

The real Lila had already repositioned herself behind Rafeala.

"Checkmate."

A brilliant azure light flared—

And then—

BOOOOM!

A massive ice explosion engulfed Rafeala, sending her flying backward as countless frost chains wrapped around her body, sealing her movements completely.

She gasped, her limbs trembling, unable to break free.

Lila, breathing heavily, stood victorious.

Her cold, piercing gaze locked onto Rafeala.

"I told you that you will regret saying that."

And so, as Lila stood over Rafaela, preparing to end her, the air suddenly shifted.

Her battle instincts screamed at her— Danger!

But before she could react, a blur of movement streaked toward her from behind.

Pine Hughes.

His dual crescent blades gleamed ominously under the moonlit glow, cutting through the frozen battlefield like phantoms of death.

CLANG!

Lila barely managed to twist her body, blocking the attack with a wall of ice, but the force sent her skidding backward.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Hughes."

Pine smirked, twirling his crescent blades with ease.

"Tch, you're sharp. But not sharp enough."

Before Lila could even process the situation, Rafeala—who she had just defeated—broke free from her icy restraints, her eyes burning with renewed fury.

Now, two opponents stood before Lila—both after her life and the mana fruits in her possession.

Pine took a casual step forward, spinning his crescent blades in a mesmerizing arc.

"Hand over the fruits and maybe—just maybe—I won't kill you."

Rafaela's voice was cold.

"You won't leave this place alive, Lila."

Lila exhaled slowly, her grip on her weapon tightening.

"So that's how it is."

She took a stance, eyes filled with an unshakable resolve.

Two against one.

But that didn't matter.

She had already decided.

"Come, then."

And just like that—

The battle just took in a huge turn for the worse for Lila.