Rose in the Twilight

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Gardens of Eden, a world of endless natural beauty as many have described it. A vast forest spread across this giant landscape, seemingly endlessly. From this sea of green trees, one towered above the rest. A giant guardian tree, several times larger than your average one, easily having the same size as the biggest of skyscrapers. This was the very center of this world, and near it, a small clearing with a house. This was the home for one who was considered this world’s caretaker - Leila Vergious. As of right now, the girl was actually relaxing here, leaning over the railing on the lower flat roof.

A soft sigh would escape her mouth as she looked at the world she created, its beauty and the life that could be found within. She had gotten quite used to this view over the past few months, as she would spend every single day here. This was the case ever since her guild, Golden Phoenix, was destroyed. Due to the shock, she just had to retreat here in order to recover. Or, to be more precise, her spirits had dragged her to this place by force so that her wrath would not consume the Phoenix mountain. And at this point, she was grateful for that.

As much as she hated the fact that Savage Skull destroyed what she considered her family of Earthland for such a long time, it was not the fault of that world itself. Of course, that meant little to her emotions at the time. So she was just glad that things went down the way they did in order to minimize damage dealt. She was not even really harmed during that whole experience either, aside from her mental state. Everything was perfectly fine with her body, she just needed some time before she would be able to return to that world once more.

Not only time to recover, this place also gave her the opportunity to hone her skills, improve the new version of her magic she had obtained only hours prior to her finding out what had happened to Golden Phoenix. It all went down so fast… one moment she was in a rented room in Earthland, looking for information on a certain magical stone when her friend, Jiyu Kazehime appeared out of thin air. She had revealed that something was wrong with her body and after a quick examination, Leila swiftly discovered that she was cursed with dark magic. Her art of controlling the wind, it was actually a form of black magic.

There was nothing they could do at that point, as the wind wished to claim its prize. And so, the girl’s body dissolved and vanished completely. Leila herself was a very special being, as she could be quite literally be considered to be a form of magic that possessed a physical body. With that, she knew that her friend could survive if she here to realize this. She would be different, but there was a definite chance for her to be reborn. It went without saying that this had brought about some rather strong feelings. And the fact that Jiyu admitted to possibly using Leila for her power alone did not help with it either.

In order to distract herself, the Wizard Saint would then promptly accept an invitation from the magic council. One that had turned out into a rather dire situation, where she was to visit Dreamland, a world sitting next to Earthland on the dimensional plane, in order to stop the dream king from consuming the entirety of Earthland in a nightmare. She had no option but to accept, not that she would ever really refuse. In Dreamland, she actually met a curious little girl that helped her with her dreaming magic. In the end, she turned out to be Jiyu’s little sister and even let Leila know of Jiyu’s real name - Mikka.

It was another stab in her gut, as she was unable to escape the pain haunting her heart even on such a crucial mission. And yet, she was able to somehow defeat the Dream King with the help of a miracle demon calling himself Unknown. He was a demon that was making her life problematic even before she was really born. But this time, he would help her. Because he wished to finally end it all… he wished to throw away his immortality and finally find peace. She helped him achieve this and he rewarded her by releasing the seal he placed on her, revealing the new form of her magic she possessed and trained now.

After the king’s defeat, the girl was tossed back into Earthland and found out about her guild’s destruction. All of that in the span of one or two days only. It was just far too much and it broke the girl for a good while. Now she was fine, but still afraid and not ready to face that world again. Thankfully, some of her new spirits that came to be thanks to this ascended version of her magic were actually able to roam Earthland freely without their summoner. As such, they were able to somewhat keep her informed of what was happening in the world she loved oh so much.

Much to her relief, most of the remaining members of Golden Phoenix fled and survived, joining a newly formed guild called Crystal Swan. Though the girl could not quite help but feel slight distance toward her old Guild Master, Astrid Foss who was absent during the attack and allowed for this destruction. None of that mattered anymore, however. She had to put it all behind. With no news of Jiyu Kazehime, nor Mikka Ambrose, there was nothing that really tied her to that place anymore aside from her Saint title. But that too was secured, as she was able to contact Magus Opus.

A member of the council, though not part of the main body, he was still a good ally to her. And her understood her situation and pain perfectly, assuring her that remaining in the Gardens of Eden for an extended period of time without doing any mage work would be perfectly alright. With all of that, she could rest easy. Naturally, there were moments when boredom would start grabbing onto her, but there were always her spirits to keep her company. Speaking of which, one just entered the rooftop in order to check on the girl.

1,079 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

A fairly tall woman, her skin pale and hair pure white. She also possessed pure white fox ears and tail, along with beautiful blue eyes. This was Shiro, a spirit that almost played the role of a mother to the summoner. A kind and understanding individual that always had only the girl’s best interests in mind. “Are you doing well, Leila?” “Yes, I’m fine. There’s no need to-” Before she could even finish her sentence, she felt the spirit press her body against her own from behind, hugging her tightly.

Whenever something like this happened, Leila would nearly jump out of her skin. And locked in the loving embrace, her cheeks would also quickly change in color, taking on the red shade in mere moments. She simply wasn’t used to this kind of close contact with anyone, as she had always kept her distance from all other beings and creatures. But with this new magic, she decided that such attitude should be thrown away. While it was smart to keep her distance from strangers that could use her in any number of ways, it was no way to treat those that were close to her.

And she had found out that this physical contact helped her immensely as well. She would be much more cheerful and noticed the number of her negative thoughts drop greatly. All because her spirits would showcase their love toward her in a much more direct way than just words. “At least warn me when you’re going to do something like this…” Words to which Shiro replied by tightening the hug from behind, as well as twitching her vixen ears and waggling her fluffy tail. Well, at least she was excited about it as well, even if her expression appeared deadly serious.

Not only that, yet another spirit would soon nearly kick the doors down as she sprinted up to the roof. “Yooo! How’s all y’all li- ooh~” It was Aria, one of the most powerful spirits Leila had access to. This was quite surprising, considering that she was of the second generation of spirits, created with the ascension of the Gardens. She was probably the most energetic of the elite spirits of this world, as well as beautiful. Unlike pretty much all the other spirits, she had a dark skin along with a fairly lengthy dirty blond hair.

Her clothing was not exactly humble either, as she wore a pretty bold leotard and nothing more to cover her entire body. Well, there was the rather colorful cloth she had tied around her waist, but she never actually put that on properly, so it hardly counted. She also possessed an animal tail and ears much like Shiro and Leila herself, a pretty consistent trend among a lot of spirits in this world, one that also very clearly pointed toward what kind of style the summoner liked and appreciated in herself as well as others.

“Aria..?” “I spy a group hug!” Not giving anyone any chance to correct her or stop her, she would hop right to the summoner and Shire, quickly embracing them both from the side. Her enhanced strength in comparison to Shiro and even Leila allowed for this rather easily. And the fact that she was grinning through the whole motion of it all spoke of how much she enjoyed this. Well, who really was Leila to deprive her of this. It was not like it was unpleasant, being surrounded by her spirits like this…

Eventually, it would all come to an end, some distance formed between the three girls. Though Shiro naturally remained very close to her mistress, very easily breaking her personal space. “So… why did you nearly break down the door when coming here again?” Bringing back the attention to how Aria arrived, the dark-skinned spirit suddenly slammed her fist into her palm, as if she recalled something or just figured something out. “Oh, right! I just returned from another expedition and you wouldn’t believe what I found out!”

Yes, Aria was the spirit that was roaming Earthland for the purpose of gathering information Leila needed to get some peace for herself. Though now that the silver-haired maiden actually knew everything that she had to know, this little mischievous spirit was exploring different worlds to satisfy her own curiosity. It was fine, since even if she got attacked by something, her defeated body would just return to this place to recover. So as long as she wasn’t anything too risky, Leila had absolutely no problem letting her do whatever she wanted. She was a free spirit, after all.

“What is it?” “There’s a dragon! Like a really awesome one!” Leila could only blink few times at her spirit when she blurred those words out. Dragons were amazing creatures, but she wasn’t actually quite sure why she was informed of this in such manner. But thinking about it for at least few seconds, she had realized that Aria had never actually seen a dragon, which would make sense as to why she seemed so excited about it. It actually brought a faint smile to show.

“Ah, have you enjoyed watching it? If you want to go back out to study it, then go ahead. But do be respectful about it, dragons are very intelligent creatures! If you want, I can share my research with you as well, I’ve been trying to get along with dragons for quite a while.” While her mannerism and expression appeared perfectly calm and neutral when speaking, her voice had a very clear excited tone to it, showing that she really did see dragons as truly amazing creatures worth observing and interacting with, provided they were peaceful.

2,028 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

She didn’t quite know what it was about them that she adored, much like when one falls in love with another and cannot quite explain why, other than the person they love is just the right one for them. Though, of course, Leila’s relationship was much less intimate than that. Regardless, she was rather pleased that one of her spirits took liking to the same thing as herself. It meant that she would have a fellow being interested in the very same subject when trying to pursue it. And the girl did often lack someone who she could freely talk with about her hobbies and interests.

But somehow, Aria was frowning instead. Did she not like the proposition? Even if she did not, there was no reason for her to look this frustrated, was there? In the end, this situation was about something completely different. And the spirit was just about to explain it all. Words that would lead to another small adventure of Leila’s, one that would have rather interesting consequences on her life and power as a whole. It was not every day that something like this would happen.

“I didn’t see the dragon yet! Apparently, it’s flying through Sukai, that one world covered mostly in clouds. But that’s not what’s important! The news has already spread throughout Fiore and into hunting guilds. Apparently, there is a group of really skilled magical hunters that are heading into that world in order to capture the dragon, or kill it even!” That was troubling news indeed. In the world of magic, there was much more than guilds for mages. Ones for assassins, hunters, builders and much more.

From her past adventures, Leila also knew just how mighty some of these hunters can be, even when not wielding magic. But if these ones had powers like that, then it would certainly pose a problem. And it wasn’t like dragons were weak creatures that could be just hunted down. However, the silver-haired maiden still had a bad feeling about all of this. So a frown formed on her face as well, as she dove deep into her thoughts about this. In the first place, why should she even interfere in something like that? She did not know this dragon, so there was no reason to.

No… she was just lying to herself at this point. She didn’t want to leave Gardens of Eden because she was scared of the outside worlds still. Or perhaps scared was not the right word. She still hadn’t fully recovered from what happened to her and Golden Phoenix, so it was only natural. But she desired to see this dragon safe! Clenching her fists and grinding her teeth, she looked furious for but a mere moment. Of course, humans of Fiore would try to hunt down something as beautiful as a dragon.

After all, they were not above falling into darkness and joining a war that destroyed a home for so many mages, Leila included! No, she shouldn’t think like this. Putting all of humanity into one basket just because of a few bad apples was wrong of her. She knew this. After all, there was a very clear darkness resting inside of her as well, the influence of Void that would never leave her. She had to take a moment, stabilize her irregular breathing and relax her muscles at least a little bit.

“I see… Aria, do you know what type of dragon it is?” It was an important piece of information, as certain types of dragons had strangely specific personalities and traits. She also needed to know what type of dragon they were looking for. Not that there would be multiple, she would not be that lucky. But it was still good to know beforehand, considering some types of dragons have evolved in the strangest of ways and could be mistaken for other creatures at first glance.

She watched as her spirit placed her fingers on her temples, trying to recall the details she had heard in Earthland before coming back to this place. “Only one group of tourists saw it, but I think they described a dragon covered in roses and thorns?” Hearing that little piece of information, Leila’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. A rose dragon? Did she really just heard that right? This… if that was through, then she couldn’t even fathom what kind of a chance it was for her! Nature-related dragons were extremely rare, making it so that Leila did not even see one yet.

Not only that, Rose dragons were extremely rare, nearly extinct sub-species of dragons. If these tourists were not mistaken… then there were no more doubts about what the Eden’s guardian should do. She had to go out there and prevent those hunters from capturing it. And after that, she had to see this dragon from up close herself! Yes, it seemed like her motives were not that much different from the hunters… but she did not have any intentions of actually harming the beautiful creature, even if she were to be attacked by it.

Even when the Hargeon down was attacked by a golden dragon that one time, she had found a way to chase it away without hurting it too much. She despised killing of intelligent creatures in the first place, but she would never destroy something she admired so much. Or at least she hoped that she would never have to do so. Dragons could differ from one another greatly, much like humans. Which also meant that there were good and bad ones. She did not yet had the misfortune of facing an evil dragon, and she hoped she would never have to.

2,978 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

But what would the future bring was uncertain at this point in time. The only thing that was certain was the fact that Leila would not waste any more time. Taking a step closer, she would think again. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention… but there is a problem. Sukai is a large world. Hunters usually have ways of tracking beasts, but how do we find it?” Aria who brought these news was also invested in this manner. And so she wanted to help anyway she could all the same. It did not take her too long to realize a good starting point, either.

“Well, it was a group of tourists who saw the dragon. Provided they were not making it all up, wouldn’t that mean they had to be close to the Wakusei portal that allows people to get back to Earthland?” What Aria said did indeed make sense. Sukai was a world covered in clouds. Yes, there was a normal land beneath this white blanket. But those who visited usually did not go exploring that area. Instead, they would stay on the massive pieces of land that would tower above the clouds.

This also meant that it is extremely difficult and nearly impossible to explore this world without some means of flight. Something that regular people usually don’t have. So assuming they did not leave the very first land mass on which the portal lies, it must have been around there. It was a long shot, but better than nothing. Perhaps it would even turn out that there was no dragon in the first place and that the tourists only made it up to have an interesting story from their little adventure.

Perhaps that would be the best possible outcome after all, even if Leila really did want to see this majestic creature with her very own eyes. But better have the poor dragons stay safe rather than actively hunted at this very moment. Letting out a soft sigh, the girl would mentally prepare herself and look sharply at the second spirit by her side. “Sorry to cut this short, Shiro… I’ll be going now.” But the spirit was not mad.

In fact, she nodded with what appeared to be a faint smile on her face, something pretty unexpected for how stoic of a spirit she was. “If something goes awry, don’t be afraid to summon me. I’m always ready to jump in and help you.” “Thank you.” Answering with a reassured smile as well, Leila felt the courage inside of her rising, the support of her spirits reinforcing her determination as she started forming a portal next to her.

The swirl of ethernano was rather pretty as always, almost like the tiniest of blue fireflies creating a circular gate with a black inside, reminiscent of a black hole. But in reality, this was nothing more than a direct connection between two places in time and space. If one were to peer inside of the portal long enough, they would see the world covered in clouds as well. She was in that world once before, hunting for certain runes with an adorable young girl at her side. But that was a long time ago now.

Without a spec of hesitation, she leaped through the gate of her own making and found herself in the air, several meters above the solid ground. This allowed her to make an elegant flip in the air while also putting on her mask before landing in a crouched position. For some reason, she was always better at the landing when falling from a greater height. Half the times she made the portal just above the ground, she managed to somehow trip herself up and faceplant on the ground. Thankfully she avoided that this time.

Or so she thought before she felt a sudden increase in weight on her back. One that was so forceful that her face, and indeed a whole body, was once again forced into the ground, accompanied by a shriek of surprise and pain. Aria had followed her summoner into this world, pretty much abusing her great powers to once again keep her gate open even without the consent of the girl beneath her. “Whopsie~ You should really move when leaving the portal, you know?”

Forcing her face from the ground, Leila would spit out dirt and look rather unpleased with this predicament. “Oh really? And who exactly allowed you to follow me through my own portal?!” Laughing, Aria would quickly stand up, rather than continuing to sit on her summoner’s back, and helped the silver-haired girl get up. “After bringing you all of that info, there’s no way I’m just gotta stay in the Gardens and watch you from afar! I wanna see the dragon as well!”

Well, there was no way Leila could just deny her spirit’s request like that. She was still extremely happy that Aria seemed to share her passion when it came to dragons. They were both up now, anyway. And looking around, this world looked exactly the same as it was in the past. The fluffy white clouds adored everything beyond the edge of the flat mountain they were on top of, only pure blue skies above them. It was honestly quite pretty if one were to forget why they were here in the first place.

3,872 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Looking around did not quite reveal any signs of a dragon, either. But that was to be expected, while the information about it was still pretty fresh, living creatures were always moving. By this point, it must have been someplace completely different. However, not far enough to not be trackable anymore. Thankfully, Leila was fairly capable tracker. While not a hunter herself, she had to survive somehow during her travels across the world with her mechanical father. And he had taught her much.

And right now, she was quite in luck. Dragons very extremely magical creatures by their very nature. Born with magic already present in their bodies, it made them some of the most powerful living beings ever. But right now, it would become a weakness of if it. Because everything that had any magic at all inside of its body would leave a magical signature in places it was. And something as powerful as a dragon, well… it would not that all that much work to catch its track near where they were.

A strangely good feeling magical signature of a dragon. Well, it was a rose dragon. Of course, its magic would feel like that to Leila, a girl that was very strongly connected to nature. And even if she was not, she would still probably think so. Roses were accepted by most individuals as something beautiful and this magic reflected that very well. Though there was not too much space left and allowing them to daydream about this. With this mark in her mind, the silver-haired maiden knew exactly where to go.

Looking toward what appeared to be South, she nodded to her spirit and started sprinting. Naturally, Aria followed. The dragon was not visible, which meant that they had to catch up to it as soon as possible. It took only mere seconds for the girls to reach the edge of the mountain they were on top of, jumping off into the fluffy looking clouds beneath them. From Leila’s back, several sturdy branches sprouted and started growing many flowers and bright green leaves.

And before she would lose too much of altitude, she had a pair of beautiful natural wings that allowed her to fly much like a dragon would. Aria had no such ability, but what she had also allowed her to do something similar. The ability to control all which was no living in the near surrounding area. The moment she touched the clouds, they would start swirling all around her and create a puffy blanket on which she sat, floating swiftly by her summoner’s side.

It looked… a bit strange, Leila had to admit. How exactly were clouds capable of supporting the spirit’s right? And how did she control them, having the float so quickly as to stay next to herself? Well… it was all magic, so there was probably no point in trying to figure out the answers to her questions. She just accepted the tanned girl’s grin and started focusing on the magical trail left behind by the dragon again. It appeared to be a long one indeed, so they would fly for a while.

Yet another perk of having a summoning magic was also the fact that Leila had constant company. The two girls could talk and kill some time while they were closing onto their target, which was mighty nice. Honestly, the Eden’s guardian was used to traveling completely alone from her past. And during those times, it really was kinda lonely, just her and her horse trying to move between nations. Traveling now was completely different for her. Much… better, she would say. It was nice.

However, this did not have to be kept up for too long. They actually managed to catch up to the dragon rather swiftly, soon able to see it in the distance as a black and red dot. At that moment, Leila started pouring even more magical energy into her body and wings, trying to catch up. And once she did, her eyes lit up like candles in the dark. It was… beautiful. This dragon, whose body appeared to be covered in petals of roses rather than scales. A creature more majestic than anything.

She had heard about these dragons. They were much more peaceful than most dragon breeds, kind and caring for nature. They acted as gardeners or caretakers for forests, similar to how Leila was for the Gardens of Eden. This was also reflected in these bodies of theirs. Beauty aside, the fact that they had no scales meant they were very vulnerable. They also had little options in terms of offensive power. Peaceful creatures like that, hunted by greedy humans… it was almost disgusting.

And speaking of which, Leila was not able to remain in the air for long. From beneath, through the white clouds, a spear of flames flew out at incredibly fast speed. It must have been at least an S-ranked spell, leaving the girl little to no time to react. And so, one of her wings was pierced by it, tearing the leaves and flowers into pieces and making her descend rapidly. Aria quickly noticed this herself, jumping off her little magical cloud and followed her summoner down through the thin natural blanket.

4,749 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Despite the almost inconceivable height, they both managed to land safely. Leila thanks to her ability to be almost one with all around her, using the air itself to slow down and land the same as if she had jumped only from few feet of height and Aria thanks to her ability, changing the ground beneath her into one that was able to slowly catch her and absorb the force without making her body splat into a puddle of celestial energy. It would be somewhat unfortunate if her expedition ended like that.

“Ugh… what was that?!” “An attack. Stay on your guard, we’re clearly not alone here!” The hunters, they must have been keeping up with the dragon as well. And at least one of them was a fire mage, made sense. A dragon with an element like roses was very vulnerable to flames, much like Leila herself. A problematic situation indeed. She was getting ready to summon Yuki in, let her handle all incoming fire attacks with her ability to control and generate frost.

But even as they waited for a full minute, nothing came. The forest around them was quiet. “Must have been a warning shot… I guess they want the dragon for themselves, whoever these hunters are.” Relaxing a little bit after not sensing anyone else around them, Leila looked around. It seemed that they managed to land in some kind of dense forest. “How rude. If they’re telling us to stay away, of course, we will only want to come closer!”

Of course, Aria would be childish and rebellious like that… but she also quickly changed her expression to one of surprise. Perhaps she did not expect to see what she saw all around them. “Huh… I didn’t know there was regular landscape beneath the clouds of this world. Looks like a pretty normal forest.” “Yes, the lower part of this world is pretty much identical to Earthland. But not many people come down here, since it’s a pain to climb back up to where the portals are.”

Thankfully Leila had the ability to warp away at will. And Aria, as a spirit, could return back to Eden at any point in time as well. So climbing back up the mountains was not something they had to concern themselves with just yet. Though the dragon was flying up there, so they would have to fly back up once they dealt with the hunters regardless. With a faint smile, the girl would start walking forward. It was not a good idea to just idly stay around for too long, else they could lose the dragon.

“We should be careful, too. Aside from the hunters, it will be little hard to tell in which direction we are going in without the ability to see the Sun. The clouds up above hide the skies completely. Thankfully, the light is going through so we can still see.” It was actually kinda fascinating to think about how this world worked. The fact that an entire layer beneath the clouds existed while those who came here only ever stayed on the tops of the mountains.

It piqued Leila’s interest when she came here first. But neither then, nor now did she have enough time to stay here and explore. Doing research always took a good while, so it was not something she could do all that often. But perhaps some other day, after she would be done examining the rose dragon? Thinking about the creature formed a tingling feeling inside of the girl. She really was quite excited to meet it, wasn’t she? She could only hope to be able to meet it soon!

But as one would have it, that just wasn’t in the cards. Something started moving between the shadows, quickly. Was it one of the hunters? Both Leila and Aria quickly assumed their respective defensive stances as they were about to find out. From between the trees came out a humanoid figure draped in cloth and wielding a sword in hand. The Eden’s guardian already had her hand on her own blade that was on her back, unsheathing it and blocking the attack without too much effort.

During the clash, some of the cloth fell out of the figure, revealing what was beneath. “A puppet?!” It was definitely not a human, unless there was a new kind of humans with wood instead of skin. As this doll started pushing stronger on the sword, a dark-skinned leg suddenly appeared in front of its head, pushing into it as Aria jumped into the air and kicked the poor thing, sending it flying back and into a nearby tree that shattered on impact, letting the wooden doll fall to the ground.

“Thanks…” “Hehe, it’s nothing! But I guess we’re facing a puppeteer, huh? There’ll be more of these.” “Right, we should-” Suddenly noticing something behind her, Leila leapt forward while turning and swinging her blade, managing to cup away what appeared to be a scarf-like piece of cloth. One extending several meters from a floating figure that somehow appeared behind them without revealing its presence.

5,602 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

And this clearly was no ordinary enemy either. A long pale black cloak over whatever this floating creature was, at least few centimeters separating it from the ground. No an inch of it’s skin was visible, the red scarf around where its stomach should be, a pure white mask of a child covering its face beneath the hood. If the girls did not knew any better, they would say this was a personification of a reaper. Though there were no visible hands or even feet. Just a long, covered body and a mask.

“Are you one of the hunters? Or perhaps just a beast of this world…?” It was unwise to be losing time, fighting something other than a hunter. But instead of an immediate reply, the doll they have damaged before got up and with unnatural speed moved around them to position itself next to this reaper-like being. A second doll also emerged from the woods, stopping on the other side of their enemy. And then, a muffled sigh escaped from behind the mask, one belonging to a male.

“Originally, I figured it would be best to just defeat you while staying silent. But now I see that it will not be so simple for me. I am Raven, member of an elite hunting force. Our target is that dragon. Leave now or we will be forced to remove you as well. No one is allowed to take down our target, after all.”

This Raven, his voice was rather gravely and ghastly, having a slight echo to it. It might have been an effect created by the mask he was wearing, but along with that strange body, it was clear that this individual was no human, or even species that Leila had ever encountered. Perhaps something warped by magic beyond recognition? There was far too little information to make a clear deduction just yet. But before she was even able to answer, Aria took a step forward and spoke out instead.

“Sorry, buddy. But I and my master really want to talk to the dragon, so we will have to deal with you now~.” In the end, the spirit wanted to see the dragon just as much as Leila did. And she would not allow anyone to stop them like that. She was determined and had the power to break down obstacles that could stand in their way. It was one of the many things the silver-haired maiden was quite proud of when it came to her spirits. They certainly had the will they needed to survive.

“That is most unfortunate. I did not think we would have to hunt down humans as well today, but so be it!”

And just like that, the negotiations ended. Aria was the one to make it so, but ultimately, Leila would probably react the exact same way. Or rather, she would end up with the same decision. She would not let these hunters just go on and kill something as rare as a Rose dragon just so they could have a pretty trophy to show off. Life had more value than just that! Raven, as one could expect from what appeared to be his magic, started slowly moving away from them while the two dolls charge forward.

Puppeteers and summoners had one thing in common - they were not very good fighters when it came down to direct melee. Leila was a bit of a special case, of course. But Raven probably wasn’t, judging by his actions, even though he did not show them much yet. Aria charged forward as well, clashing with the doll as she managed to strike the side of its sword and throw it off balance. The other doll had a spear and aimed straight at the silver-haired maiden, though even that was stopped by a tree that grew in front of it.

Leila would merely smirk as she made sure that the spear’s tip was properly buried in her creation and moved into spring, getting to the right of the doll and gave it a powerful kick to the stomach. Her plan was to send the enemy flying with enough force that the spear would be left behind in the tree she grew, disarming the doll completely. And it went through just fine, as she now quickly faced an opponent who only had their bare hands as far as weapons went. Despite that, the doll got up.

But as the girl faced it, she felt something sinister, creeping up behind her, quickly dashing forward, she waved her hand behind her as a bunch of spike-like roots shot out of the ground. They did not hit, but they certainly made whatever was behind her retreat. And that something was Raven. He clearly had some kind of ability that made him rather difficult to sense, which was a problem. But thankfully, Leila managed to get a pretty good grasp on his abilities now.

He was capable of controlling puppets which would distract his enemy while he got behind them and attacked from a blind spot with some kind of powerful sneak attack. It was a good strategy, really. But against someone like Leila, who was a skilled mage and could sense even the smallest magical signatures, it was far less effective. That was good, as it would give the duo an advantage they needed to beat this weird guy. “Your tricks don’t seem to be working. Why not give up?”

“Please, do not think I am some kind of one-trick pony. As I said, we are the elite hunting force. And one has to earn a title of an elite!”

Saying that, several copies of Raven suddenly started manifesting around him. But they were not clones that one was used to, as they were created by some shadowy dark energy, partly transparent and radiating a proper blood-lust. The unarmed doll also tried to attack Leila from behind while she was watching this happen, though it only received another kick into the stomach. It was far too loud to be able to sneak up on the girl, who was not only listening herself, but was also listening to the nature all around them.

6,635 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Looking in that direction, it was also clear that Aria was handling herself just fine against the second doll as well. She had already started pulling from the environment around them, using this forest as her own weapon. Trees would bend and stones would break, only so that a puppet of her own could be formed. A Golem standing much taller than these simple wooden dolls and able to deal much more damage. Even though the enemy had a sword as weapon, it was not able to get to Aria now.

With that, she also swept the second doll and kept it away, which meant Leila could easily focus on the puppeteer alone. By now, he had managed to manifest three shadow copies that were floating around. Clenching her fist as the skin on it slowly transformed into a bark, the girl prepared herself. She was ready to knock this man out in order to go further into this forest. With what magic this one was using, it was clear that he did not toss that fire spear, which meant she still had a lot ahead of her.

However, before she could charge forward, a magical circle appeared beneath her. And one of the shadows transported behind her pretty much instantly. In that very moment, its body also started bloating and it expanded and created numerous needles jutting out forward and trying to pierce the silver-haired girl. Thankfully, she was much faster than her opponent due to her actual focus on melee combat. This allowed her to fall toward the ground while also moving forward.

Most of the needles went above her as a result, though a couple managed to graze her legs. They were just small surface wounds that tore at her thigh-highs. Quickly getting back up, her hand transformed further into something akin to a blade, swiping at the shadow. But it just kinda went through without dealing any damage. So that was this thing’s deal, was it? Shadows that could not be harmed unless they were in the middle of attacking and gaining physical matter?

Normally that would complicate the situation even further, but thankfully, the original enemy was standing right there, which meant she just had to beat him first and as soon as she could to disperse the shadows. Taking a deep breath, she would put all her force into her legs and leap forward as fast as she could. Her speed probably surprised Raven, considering his reaction of suddenly trying to float back while two other shadows moved in front of him to act as a shield.

But Leila only grinned as she got close enough. More needles started heading her way, but before they could pierce her, the girl’s entire form just vanished. Clearly confused, Raven started looking around, but it was little too late. She had used the Eden’s gate to warp behind him, her hand already morphed again. Her fist, covered in a rough bark and much heavier than it would normally be was already heading toward his body and as he tried to float back, he would run into his own shadows.

“Why you- Gyah!!”

She would not let him speak any further. Considering time was something they did not have a whole lot of right now, the fist was slammed right into that baby mask of his, causing several cracks to appear on its surface as the creature’s body reacted by flying right through his own shadows and slamming into a nearby tree. With a harrowing screech, he would collapse and fall to the ground, presumably unconscious. With few heavier breaths, Leila calmed herself and looked around.

Aria was already heading toward her, as she managed to break apart the dolls just a moment before Raven was defeated. “Ah! You already defeated him! I was hoping to get a punch or two in as well…” With a smile, the summoner would narrow her posture and crack her knuckles. “Sorry, but he didn’t last even a single strike. Though I have a feeling the other hunters will be much more resilient…” After all, it was very unlikely for them all to be summoners or puppeteers like this.

Offering the strange man on the floor one last look, the duo then quickly took off, heading in the direction from which he came at them. Leila was also trying to prepare herself for anything to come out at them. She could only expect stronger foes to appear from now on, as the group of hunters most likely sent out their weakest to take care of the tourists that had accidentally wandered in here. So now they would most likely be facing off with actual proper hunters trained to kill.

And if they were ambitious enough to hunt a dragon, even though this one was basically defenseless, then they surely had a lot skills that would make fighting them rather annoying. The only respite the girl had were her spirits. A small army of summons that she could use as well, ones that could always watch her back. It gave her enough confidence to push forward in many different situations. Today seemed to be one of those situations as well, especially considering the flaming spear from before.

7,509 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Several minutes of running revealed nothing special happening at all, instilling a bit of a worry into the duo that they might have gone in a wrong direction. It was difficult to really tell. And no magical energy could really be sensed in this dense forest either for some reason. Of course, there was still an option to fly up into the skies again, but then they risked getting hit by whoever shot the spear at them the first time. And from this close to the ground, it would be much more difficult to dodge.

Thankfully, the uncertainty did not last all that long afterward. Finally catching a glimpse of another magical energy in the distance, the duo slowed down carefully. It felt like another hunter, possibly one that was waiting for them to approach. “Think we can sneak up on them?” For once, Aria seemed to be thinking logically as she asked her summoner quietly. “We should try, it will give us an advanta-” But she did not finish.

For a sword flew out of the darkness that surrounded them, formed by the tall trees everywhere, only narrowly missing the girl. “My bad, stealth is out of the window!” Leila quickly exclaimed as she took several quick steps back and started focusing in the direction from which the sword flew. Another one of the hunters, was it? Well, she was ready to deal with them the same way she dealt with the previous one. Definitely wasn’t gonna go easy on them.

“You have dodged. Perhaps you are worthy of facing me eye to eye then, after all.” But in the end, the enemy reveal herself right away. That meant this specific hunter had enough faith in herself that she could defeat Leila head on. And looking at her, this one probably was really no joke. Short green hair, face covered in what appeared to be a ram mask with horns, wearing a battle kimono and several swords both by her side and on her back. She was ready to engage.

“Care to share who you are first?” There was a moment of silence. The two girls would stare at each other, the silver-haired maiden now noticing that her opponent’s eyes were also green beneath that mask of hers. It seemed that these masks were also something that these hunters had in common, perhaps their signature piece of equipment or something. Or she just got unlucky and ran into the two weirdos of the group who were not willing to reveal their face.

Then again, Leila herself was wearing a mask right now, one of black Phoenix. Though she did not wear it to hide her identity, at least not primarily. It was a memento more than anything else, a personal treasure that would tie her to her past. As long as she was alive, she was determined to keep it safe and with her pretty much at all times. Yes, it was that important to her. The last thing she had from an old age, her old home, a guild that was no more, but accepted her as a family member.

The silence was finally broken, as the ram-themed lady sighed. “There is no place for formalities on the battlefield. But you with that dress and top hat of yours look just fancy enough to convince me. I’m gonna consider it your last wish. My name is Adol, an elite ReQuip user, and a hunter. Now, prepare your blade!” She did the same as she finished, unsheathing one of her swords and gripping it tightly. Leila had already returned her weapon back from last fight.

Since back then, she only used it to defend herself against the first puppet and then the weapon was no longer required to win the fight. But this time, it would probably be ever so slightly different. A vital piece of information was released into the air, her opponent’s magic. Either her opponent was really confident in her abilities, or she wasn’t a very tactical type. After all, keeping your powers secret as long as possible is a good strategy to gain advantage and keep your opponent guessing.

While this exchange was happening, Aria was just kinda looking at it from the side, unsure whether she should introduce herself as well or not. It almost seemed as if Adol did not notice her in the slightest. If that was actually the case, then that would surely be serving to their advantage as well. But there was enough talking by now. Leila had unsheathed her weapon and Adol dashed forward, performing a powerful vertical strike. It was simple enough to block for Leila, but that was not all.

The force behind that one swing was enough to have the girl’s feet dig into the dirt beneath them all, bending her knees ever so slightly. Her opponent’s physical strength was very clearly completely inhuman. Probably should have expected as much from a ReQuip user, an expert in the field of melee combat. She had also quickly changed into a stance where she was holding the sword with only one hand while the other one extended to the side, a magical circle appearing at the end of her palm.

8,381 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

And from within it, a new blade arrive. It looked ordinary enough, but still very much capable of making her bleed. So as she tried to swing at Leila from the side, the girl quickly shifted around her body to be able to stand on only one leg as her other one kicked to the side, stopping her opponent’s arm mid swing. It also nearly knocked the blade out of her hand, but no such luck. As they locked like this, Aria decided that it was probably a good time to get herself involved as well.

But the moment she got close, Adol finally noticed her and jumped away while managing to push Leila back. “Reinforcements?! I see… now I understand how Raven lost so fast. He might have been the weakest one of us, but he still wasn’t a complete pushover. However, if his puppetry was countered by a second mage… hrm, cowardly women!” “Hey, wasn’t it you who said there are no rules on the battlefield? There is no cowardliness involved, only a grand strategy!”

The spirit retorted while her summoner could only sigh. Was it just her, or was there more talking in this fight than actual fighting? Perhaps this was a type of strategy that the enemy employed to buy the rest of the hunters more time? “Enough. It is time to fight, dammit!” Rising her sword toward the skies, a giant magical circle suddenly appeared, large enough to be above both Leila and her spirit. And without any warning, a number of weapons started shooting down.

While dodging and trying not to get impaled by any of them, Leila noticed only too late that Adol was no longer standing where she was a moment ago. Instead, she was right behind the summoner. It might have been the realization that saved Leila from a major wound right there, as she pulled her Lumen Victoria in front of the opponent and soon felt a powerful impact that sent her flying further into the forest. She just barely managed to block an attack that was headed her way there.

So not only was their enemy ridiculously strong, but also very fast. This was getting problematic. And while Leila was trying to get back up and gather her bearings, Aria received few vertical cuts from the weapons raining down from above. Thankfully all of these wounds were too shallow to be considered serious. However, that could easily change any moment. And it was much worse with the green-haired woman now dashing with that nearly uncrackable speed right toward the spirit.

Thankfully, Aria was a high-ranked spirit. Her own power and speed were far above the average. And what she lacked in those areas, she made up in magical power and instinct. Despite Adol moving so fast, the dark-skinned girl was able to predict her path, since she was moving in a straight line, and act accordingly. The ability to be able to bend just about anything around her to her will proved useful once more as well, as the attacker came to an abrupt end and suddenly face-planted on the ground.

Aria had managed to create a hand from packed dirt and have it grab one of her opponent’s legs mid-dash. It was a pretty clever move that not only stopped her opponent, but also humiliated her ever so slightly while allowing the spirit to form some more distance and get away from that magical circle of doom. It was now that she had noticed her summoner was no longer quite around. She wasn’t kicked that far away, so where was she? Regardless of what the answer would be, Aria trusted her master.

If Leila wasn’t around, then it meant she had some kind of plan and was probably planning to attack from a blind spot. So for now, Aria would have to keep on fighting and distracting Adol as much as she possibly could. A nervous smirk spread across her face as she watched the enemy slowly get back up, anger almost physically visible on her despite the ram mask. “You… not only did you invade my fight, but now you are making a complete fool of me! How dare you…”

Gripping her sword with both hands, Adol would narrow her back and let out an angered grunt. At the same time, Aria started working her magic again as she secretly reanimated some of the nearby trees as her personal puppets. But they would prove to be equal to nothing, as the spirit felt every fiber of her being screaming to get down. And so she did, only a second later noticing that all the trees behind her had been cut down. The enemy in front of her performed but a single horizontal swipe.

But that one attack was enough to apparently send a wave that cut down everything in front of her. And if Aria had not crouched down the moment she did, her body would have been severed in half as well. A rather uncomfortable thought, wasn’t it? Perhaps it was time to bring out the big guns then. Slamming her hands into the ground, she increased the output of her magic to its absolute maximum as the soil and stones within it started moving, almost as if on their own.

9,266 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

And in the very next moment, a giant Golem had risen up in front of her, made out of densely packed dirt and stone. From that attacked just moments ago, she knew very well this would do barely anything to stop the monster in front of her. But she still had to fight back somehow, right? Swallowing audible, she prepared herself. And the next few moments, all hell broke loose. Adol would charge forward and start slashing at the animated earth, easily cutting it apart.

At the same time, Aria focused her magic on repairing it to give herself as much time as she possibly could have. But in the end, it was not enough. Adol had completely obliterated the magical doll and used her speed to nearly teleport right in front of the spirit. With that giant sword in her hand, the poor girl could have sworn that she saw her end. But as the sharp blade bore down on her, it suddenly shattered as a straight line of light pierced it out of nowhere. A moment of chance.

So, what exactly was doing Leila while all of this was happening? When she was knocked back so far out of the ring, she decided to use it to her advantage. Since Aria managed to grab their opponent’s attention, she managed to run off in a search for an elevated platform. It took her a moment, but while listening to the whispers of nature all around her, she managed to find a rock tall enough for what she wanted to do. Hopping on top of it, she had assumed a kneeling position and started focusing.

“My help is needed, yes? Of course, you may have it! Be safe out there, Leila.” It was the voice of Harpae, one of Leila’s spirits. A blind girl that was a deadly bow user despite her condition. And through the Eden’s origin, Leila had asked her for that power. Combining their very beings inside of the physical shell that was the maiden’s body, numerous angelic runes had shown on her skin, glowing ethereal blue. And in her hand, a mighty silver bow.

From this distance and with her senses enhanced to their peak, she was able to grasp Adol’s movement without any problems at all. And so she formed several arrows out of pure ethernano in her hand, taking aim. She managed to do so just in time, too. For her first shot pierced the green-haired huntress’ sword as she was about to cleave Aria’s body in half. The shot even managed to shatter the weapon completely. And that was the start of their counterattack, a decisive moment!

Having the remains of her doll wrap around her hands, Aria had formed a pair of earth gauntlets that she used to punch Adol straight in the stomach, sending her back slightly. “Don’t think… that it’s over yet..!” Even as the pain of the attack was pulsing through her body, Adol started summoning two more weapons, one into each of her hands. Her magic was ReQuip, after all. But the moment those weapons formed, more arrows hit them and shattered them into pieces in an instant.

Unable to attack back, their enemy was left to Aria’s mercy. And she had little of it at the moment, as she focused all of her enhanced spirit strength into her arms and started punching away, while screaming “Ora!” over and over again for some reason. Eventually, she tired herself out and finally stopped, letting Adol’s body fall to the ground. She was alive, but most definitely knocked out from being punched few dozens of times by heavy gauntlets made of stone.

A good time for the spirit to sit down and take a small breather while her summoner made her way back, releasing the Origin state while she was at it. “Good job. I honestly wasn’t sure if we would be able to overpower her like this after what she showed, but it seems luck was on our side.” “No… luck… I’m just… awesome!” Aria tried to exclaim while still catching her breath. They had a moment, for now. But they definitely shouldn’t stall for too long.

“We managed to defeat two of the hunters, but we still don’t know how many of them are there overall. And if they’re all this strong…” Finally recovering, the earthen spirit got up and stretched a little. “Then we’ll just have to call the rest of the crew over, right? I mean, they call themselves hunting elites, so I’m sure our own elites are also just trembling to fight, right?” She had a good point. So far, only her own and Harpae’s powers were used.

Leila still had a good number of spirits in reserve if things were to get dodgy. Aria was one of her elites, which explained her durability and strength, as well how she was able to stay summoned for so long compared to regular spirits. But she still had three other spirits that she called elites, ones that were equally as strong as Aria, if not stronger in certain areas. So even if more powerful hunters were to show up, the girl remained confident and positive, smiling as she nodded.

10,138 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

“Alright, let’s go. I’d love to stay and recover a bit longer as well, but they’ll hunt down our dragon if we’re not fast enough.” That was something they could mutually agree on. They had to get to that Rose dragon first, that was the whole point of this adventure! And so they waited no further, using the newly found strength and determination in their bodies to sprint further into the woods. They had no idea what to expect next, but it definitely wasn’t what they found.

Flames. But ones that were much different from the ones that formed the spear that shot Leila down from the skies. They were shades of purple, blazing all around as they slowly started devouring the forest. Did these hunters really lack so much respect toward this place that they were willing to burn it down just to slow the duo down? The answer was clearly a positive one, which did not bode well for them, and this place. It was no surprise that someone like Leila loved nature.

So seeing this was, well… not great for her. They didn’t even have to search for the one who did this too long. Only a few more steps forward would get them to a clearly formed by ashes from already burned down trees and small animals. Amidst it, all was sitting a somewhat strange creature. A male with his legs crossed, his hands connected in his lap as if he was meditating. His face was once again covered by a mask, this one similar to a wolf, or a jackal perhaps.

But it did a poor job of hiding that he was not a human, much like Raven. While very humanoid in shape, he was more like a, well… a jackal, just like his mask. His hair gray and standing upright, almost looking like a still flame of a bonfire. He was dressed in a simple tattered blue fighting outfit, one you could see on those who practiced martial arts. And by each of his sides, a katana hidden in a blue sheath. As far as first impressions went, he appeared pretty similar to Adol.

Then he spoke, his voice pretty deep and gravely. “Adol really did fail, did she? How interesting… I was put here to keep guard, but I truly expected her to return with a head in her hand. But instead, you came.” Despite the surprise he described, his body and speech were perfectly calm. It was obvious that he was not bothered by his friend’s defeat. Or perhaps they were not friends at all. Only fellow hunters, or perhaps even rivals that would compete with who would hunt the dragon down first.

It made Leila feel strange… upset. But she would not let it show, especially with the mask on her face, the blue shining dots in place of her eyes piercing the individual in front of them. His own eyes were closed this whole time, but he would finally open them now. Deep purple. He would snicker. “You’re upset, I can tell. I don’t worry, I will put an end to that soon enough.” And just like that, he would slowly start getting up, as if he was an elderly man.

During his motion, he would also pick his weapons up, holding one katana in each of his hands. “I am Garou, right hand to the leader of this expedition and his disciple. Remember it, as it is the last new name you will ever hear.” He said calmly, announcing that he was planning to kill the silver-haired girl. But she paid that undisguised threat no mind at all. “Leila Vergious. I will make you pay for what you did to this place. Prepare yourself, Garou!”

For a moment, he would stop. He recognized the name. “A wizard saint… haha, lucky. Making a trophy out of you will be truly beneficial. Might even reconsider the whole killing you part, I’m sure there are many who would pay us handsomely for a new lovely p-” Aria made sure to cut him off, as she charged forward and created a blade of stone in her hand, slashing it right at the jackal. As one could expect, her blow was swiftly blocked and she was sent back with ease.

No more words were necessary, they were all ready to battle. The purple of Garou’s eyes started sparkling, almost like two small flames. Taking a stance, a purple fire would start whirling around his entire body, creating a thin layer, a protective wall all around him. “Aah, that’s bad! That’s not a shield, but an offensive wall! If we attack him like this, we’ll get damaged as well!” Despite the spirit’s warning, Leila still tried to take the initiative.

Extending her hand forward, a thick root shot out from the ground and tried to coil around their opponent. But the moment the wood touched the layer of transparent purple flames, the entire root would turn into ashes. In response, the anthropomorphic jackal jumped high into the air as the same flames surrounded one of his blades. Performing a single swing mid-air, he sent out a fairly small ball of flames plummeting down to where the duo of girls were standing.

11,014 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Dodging fast enough, they were quickly separated by a large explosion of hot, hot purple that was created by the ball, demonstrating that this fellow clearly was the more destructive type. And what more, it was a poor match for Leila. Her element was one of nature, at least primarily. It was losing hard against fire like this. What more, his words made her fear what else they would have to face. As he mentioned, he was a disciple to the leader of this expedition.

Recalling the flaming spear from the very beginning, it was logical to conclude that the last boss they would have to face would be another fire mage, even more powerful than this one. And that was a bit of a problem. Gritting her teeth behind the mask, Leila would start sending out more roots toward the jackal the moment he landed, but they were all quickly burned away by the flaming wall. Aria also started creating a new Golem out of the ashes and dirt, but it was of no use against this man.

The moment the Golem tried to attack, it would be cut apart by the enemy’s swords. What was not burned away by this wall of flames was quickly dealt with by his speed and ferocious power, all the while he was trying to close the distance. Continuing like this was really of no use and could only eventually lead to the defeat of the two girls. And so, a decision was made. “If the enemy has flames like this… then it’s your time to shine. Come out, Yuki!”

Shouting into the heavens, Garou was clearly surprised and took a step back. Much like their previous opponents, he had most likely concluded that Aria was another mage, rather than a spirit. After all, none of them were present for her summoning, that did not even really happen in the first place. And now, Leila was bringing forth the most powerful spirit she had access to right now. Yuki, the frost dragon of Eden and a guardian to the goddess and caretaker of their land.

The funny thing was, Leila didn’t actually perform the summoning there. She only called out for help. While she could have just opened the gate, she knew full well that Yuki was powerful enough to open her own gate just fine. In fact, the spirit seemed to prefer doing that over being brought in forcefully. And so, a brilliant blue light would start shining between the summoner and Garou, young girl quickly emerging from it and onto the battlefield, but not before a blast of ice headed toward the jackal.

His wall of fire managed to block the attack, though the flames were now torn apart, forming a hole in his offensive defense. As for the spirit, it was a young girl. One that could be estimated to be about 13 years old maybe. Though her real age was greater than that. Her skin pale as snow, even whiter hair from which two small horns were sticking out. Her pair of crimson eyes was staring at the enemy as she adjusted her kimono slightly. It seemed that a lot of people were wearing oriental outfits during this adventure.

“Against him? Well, I can see why you would have some trouble.” Her voice was quite soft, calming, but also cold and freezing. Garou narrowed his eyes behind the mask as he gripped his blades tighter, the purple flames around him growing gradually. “I’ll make sure to defeat him, so you two can go on ahead.” In the end, Yuki figured she alone would be enough to take on this man. After all, her element was opposite to his.

It was a claim that clearly did not make him happy. “I’ll burn you all the same!” He would yell as flames gathered around both of his weapons held above his head, a quick vertical slam sending the blades into the ground and forming a wave of purple fire that quickly headed for Yuki, who in response formed a slope of ice in front of her. The two attacks collided and destroyed one another, causing a blanket of steam to shroud the area rather quickly. A new element the jackal wished to use.

His black silhouette would move swiftly through it, weaving from side to side to make him difficult to pin down. Sure enough, he was able to get all the way behind Leila this way. Bearing both blades, he was ready to cut her down from behind, clearly wanting to take care of the weakest one around first. But as he swung, another wall of ice would separate him from the summoner, forcing an angry grunt from him as he slashed the wall apart, now again facing Yuki who shielded the Eden’s caretaker.

It made Leila hesitate for a second, but she always trusted all of her spirits, Yuki even more. With a simple nod toward the dragoness, she took off and headed toward one of the giant mountains of this world, one on which there seemed to be some kind of contraption set up by these hunters. Aria followed her summoner as well, sure that Yuki could handle the situation here. “Wait! I’m not done with you!” Shouting again, Garou tried to pursue the duo, but only opened himself up for an attack from the side.

11,912 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Yuki quickly approached and as frost covered her entire body, the rest of the flaming layer around him was completely dissipated. Not to mention that he was unable to dodge perfectly from this close up. Dashing back, he would find one of his arms completely encased in ice, forced to drop the sword he was holding as he glared at the spirit that did this to him. “I’ll be taking care of you, not them. Prepare yourself.” She wanted to end him quickly.

“Is that so… perhaps you will just be able to do so. Not that it will be a whole lot of use to those two, hahaha. If that summoner called for you specifically, then I doubt she has another ice-type stored up. I know from Raven, her type tries to be as versatile as possible. But that leaves no room for duplicates. And my master ahead, well… his flames are nothing like mine. I could never compare, that is why I became his disciple. Those two will be charred corpses before you can get to them!”

Narrowing her eyes, Yuki planned to listen to him no longer. After all, he did just urge her to hurry up himself, did he not? Charging forward again, a path of ice would form behind her small form, the jackal regaining his posture and aiming the second sword at her. Even with one of his arms completely frozen, he was clearly still planning on fighting. So much had to be expected. Every single one of these hunters was unwilling to just end things. The only way to get them was to knock them out or kill them.

And although the dragon girl had no issues with taking another’s life, she did usually try to follow the path of her summoner. That meant she would at least try to be as safe as possible when pacifying her enemy. Garou would charge forth as well, purple flames gathering from the area, from the ashes, surrounding him and empowering him. Their attacks would clash, ice and charred earth flying through the air. Ice and frost was clearly the jackal’s weakness. But he still tried.

Even getting behind the girl, he would attempt to behead her from behind, only for his blade to be stopped by a slope of ice emerging from the ground, quickly encasing the weapon within itself. The fight drew to a close as Yuki promptly sealed Garou’s feet in ice as well, immobilizing him. Without his weapons and the ability to move, he stood no chance. And still, he would not give up easily. Flames erupting from his body, trying to free him by melting the ice to the melody of his vicious scream.

One soon sealed by the spirit as well, as she performed a stellar roundhouse kick followed by several strikes to the stomach and a final blow square in the masked face, breaking apart the signature piece of equipment of these hunters and sending Garou from the ice on the ground. He was out cold, quite literally now. Letting out a sigh of relief, Yuki looked at her trembling hands. It sure looked like a one-sided battle, but the truth was that his flames were starting to get to her.

If the enemy ahead truly wielded even more powerful fire magic, then she had to hurry back to Leila, as fast as possible. While this fight was happening, said summoner and Aria managed to cover a good bit of ground, now at the contraption that scaled the mountain. The leader of the hunters must have gone up above the clouds again to ensure he was still at the dragon’s tail. The device set up here appeared to be some sort of magical generated that was created a vertical line on the side of the mountain, too.

A magical line that would infuse anyone who touched it. Leila actually knew this, or something similar to it. She was quickly reminded of Libra who controlled gravity itself. It was a bit unfortunate that she was unable to summon her Zodiac spirit at the moment. That aside, she figured out what it did pretty quickly. Planting her feet directly against the wall, she was able to stick to it. In other words, the device would help anyone with magic inside of them to scale a mountain without any equipment at all.

Aria mimicked the same action with surprise written all over her, as it was clearly the first time she was something like this. And as seemed to be the trend with this adventure of theirs, yet another cool things they did not have the time to admire. With their feet planted firmly against the wall, however, they were able to just sprint up the vertical side of the mountain as if they were moving on the ground. It was a device convenient enough that it made Leila wonder if she could get one for herself.

With how unbelievably tall these mountains were, it took a little bit before they reached the summit. But as they did, a scenery most unfortunate greeted them. Jumping over the edge and onto the solid ground at the top, the Rose dragon was perfectly visible and far closer than ever before. But that also meant another thing. Just as the summoner’s feet touched the ground, a grand flaming lance flew up from a spot in front of them, quickly approaching the dragon who was now close enough to be hit.

12,827 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

And it certainly was, the spear going not only through one of its wings, but through its chest as well. The air filled with a horrific pain-filled screech as the poor creature fell to the ground and disappeared in a natural dome-like structure at the center of the mountain. The two girls watched the scene in disbelief, the realization that they failed quickly creeping up their minds. It was an overjoyed voice that snapped them back. “Aaah, finally! The beast… has fallen!”

A man in a ragged leather outfit and a coat was standing not too far from them. He was the one who killed the dragon. His hair was long and black, his eyes orange and glowing with hatred of dragons. After what he had done… he wore a smile wider than any sane man would manage. And now, those eyes rested upon those two. “Huh? Don’t tell you not only got through Adol but also Garou? Sheesh, those guys really are useless! Even had to kill the dragon all by my lonesome.”

His comments went unheard by Leila, who was almost paralyzed in place, her mind completely dark. Aria, on the other hand, was simply furious. Walking toward the man, she shouted. “You… how dare you do something like that!” The ground around her was slowly rising, the effects of her magic taking place. However, she did not get to attack. The man was now right in front of her, faster than any opponent from today. “Like so - Fire dragon’s iron fist!”

Punching her right in the stomach, he sent the spirit flying. Her shoulder collided with her summoner along the way, but continued beyond the edge of the mountain and disappeared in the blanket of clouds. That contact finally managed to wake Leila up as she fell on her behind. “Huh, easy enough. Guess you’re the stronger one then.” Walking toward her, the girl stood up, her eyes dark and hidden in the shadow. She understood the situation perfectly now. He was a dragon slayer. A fire dragon slayer…

That was how he killed a Rose dragon with a single attack, piercing its chest. He took that life as if it was nothing. Now he was going toward her, probably wanting to kill her all the same. But she would not let that happened. The same emotion as when she saw Golden Phoenix destroyed was swirling inside of her. Anger. Rage. Wrath. It didn’t matter how she would name it, it desired blood! And so the girl would scream, the wind suddenly creating a vortex around the mountain’s peak.

“Whoa, better deal with you quick!” The man commented as he watched the magic gather in this area. He clearly didn’t want to take any chances now that he got the dragon. Charging forward, dragon-slaying flames would appear around his leg. He delivered his crushing kick, but nothing seemed to happen. Leila blocked it with her hands and the heat only burned away her sleeves to reveal bark-like skin. Only, it was gray with black marks appearing on the surface.

Not only that, her entire body started changing rapidly as the ground beneath their feet started being torn into pieces, roots, and trees raging all around as if they were monsters rather than parts of the peaceful nature. Wind cutting at his body, the man was forced to take few steps back, annoyed grunts showing that he was not happy with the situation at all. Gathering magic in his body, he caused an explosion in every direction, giving himself a moment of respite.

However, at that very moment, he saw what happened to his opponent. Leila Vergious, the Saint of Eden, had transformed into a monster herself. Her body at least twice as large as it was until now and looking almost like a werewolf with skin made out of gray wood. The beast roared as a giant forest started growing all around them. “Stop fucking with me already… take my flaming inferno and turn into ashes!” The hunter would scream and start generating a true inferno.

But the flames, no matter how hot and dangerous, would not injure the Eden’s beast. Instead, they were almost absorbed. The forming forest erupted into flames, all of the wooden turning black with crimson embers shining within it. And so did the monster itself. But that only seemed to give it more power. This was the wrath of the burning forest. And the man caused it himself. “What the hell…” Questioning what his eyes were witnessing, he wasn’t even able to block in time.

The beast got in front of him, its giant clawed hand bearing down on him, striking him in the face and forming a large claw mark over the right side of his face. It wasn’t too deep, but still bleeding. The second attack he tried to block, a fist headed straight at his nose. And while he did managed to have his hand take the hit instead, the bone inside of him shattered that very instant, making hims cream out in pain. Another strike to hit him in the face again, sending him into the ground.

13,687 / 15,000 WC 

Leila Vergious  ❃  S-rank  ❃  Guildless

Still, the beast was not satisfied as it would mount him, pin him to the ground. And its giant fists started smashing at his head without pause, each strike having more force than the previous one until the very ground beneath his skull started cracking. Thankfully for him, as a high-ranked mage, he was very resilient. And through the attacks, he managed to extend his hands toward the beast’s head as well, unleashing another devastating wave of flames that were meant to turn his enemy into nothingness.

Yet again, it did not work. “How…? My element is superior! The grand dragon-slaying magic! Ho-” Another slam. And another, and another. He tried several more times, unleashing one flaming attack after another as he tried to keep his consciousness. But nothing seemed to be working. And finally, he became unresponsive, his will lost. He was knocked out, his face nearly completely purple and bloody, swollen all over. But he was not dead. Not yet. His heart was still beating, albeit weakly.

The beast hesitated, despite being in a ready position for another strike. It could have ended this man’s life, just like how he ended the dragon’s. But it did not. Slowly but surely, it started transforming back into the girl that it was before. Regaining her own will, Leila was once again herself as she fell to the side, resting next to the defeated man. What just happened? She was unsure. But she knew that her body was hurting all over, it was really hot and her magic supply ran dry.

Whatever she did in that moment of blind rage where she lost herself, it clearly worked. Almost too good, looking at the man afterward. She did not even remember that this was her all along. The demon of jealousy, while Aurora who resided within her, within the Gardens of Eden was the demon of wrath. They were still cursed beings, even after everything that they have done to purify themselves. Such was the way of the universe, it seemed. Always having to throw more obstacles at them.

Even though it helped her this time, if something like this was to happen again, then surely the consequences would be much direr. She even almost killed her opponent just now, something she vowed to never do again. But he was alive. And so, all of that was of no concern right now. The moment the girl regained enough energy to stand back up and walk again, she headed right for the dome structure, still left intact. She just had to see. Limping her way over there took her a moment, but she eventually found an entrance and headed to the center. There, she saw it from the distance.

The body of a Rose dragon, laying in the tall grass, as if it was merely breathing. But from the hole through its wing and chest, it was clear that the beast was done for. But it was not completely dead yet, as it opened its eyes and gazed at Leila. “You. You are different from them. I no longer sense any malice at all. Approach, child… please.” The dragon’s voice was soft, feminine… and above all, calming. It echoed, yet almost seemed as if it was directly in the girl’s head.

She did as she was asked, approaching the dying creature with bathed breath, kneeling down in front of it. “I do not know who you are. But the Roses are whispering your name. They like you. You tried to save us, did you not? Defeated the hunter that did this to us.” Leila was unable to speak in this situation, but she nodded to confirm the dragon’s words regardless. Even though it was not part of her plan originally, she defeated them all just to see this creature.

Was it worth it in the end? It was truly beautiful, beyond words. Its entire body, playing in black and red colors, its scales appearing almost like petals of a blooming rose. It made Leila unable to remember if she actually saw anything more beautiful than this very creature in her entire life. Even when dying, it did not cease to amaze her. Dragons truly were special creatures, beautiful ones and often full of wisdom. But because of the actions of few, their entire kind was often hated by the likes of the man she just defeated. In that aspect, they were almost like humans themselves.

“I thank you for this. My body will not last, but I may at least rest knowing that someone was willing to go that far for me. I wish to thank you for this. Please, accept this.” Trying to extend its wings, the dragon started doing something with its magic. It all started moving toward her heart, where it started crystallizing. A process most curious, and saddening in this situation. Finally, the dragon’s chest would slowly start opening, almost like a flower blooming.

This revealed a shining, beautiful red crystal inside of it. “This is all of my magic, turned into a crystal. Take it, and do as you will with it. It is the most I can offer you before I meet my end.” Her hand was shaking, but the silver-haired girl did indeed reach inside of the dragon’s chest. The crystal was warm to the touch, perfectly formed and radiating powerful magic. The ultimate gift that ends the giver’s very life, a dragon’s heart.

With no idea what to say, she remained silent while gazing at the jewel in her hands. And that was fine, the dragon understood perfectly. In the end, it seemed almost as if it was smiling at the moment of its own end. “And now, I finally may return to the earth from which all life came. I bid you farewell, friend.” The creature’s final words. Clutching its crystallized heart, she would get up and watch as its body became covered in small roses all over.

Walking out of the structure, she had noticed Aria and Yuki already waiting outside together. “Leila! That bastard got me good, managed to toss me all the way down so I had to climb back up! But there was some weird wind hurricane happening, so I wasn’t really able to get up until it disappeared. Oh, and I met Yuki on the way!” “She told me about the dragon slayer. You managed to defeat him.” All three of them looked behind at the still unconscious hunter.

“Err, yeah! We took the liberty to restrain him, just in case he comes to. How did you mess him up that bad?!” The summoner was unsure how to respond, so she just shook her head sadly. It was Yuki who noticed the crimson jewel in her hands. “The dragon… I see. You got to talk to it. I’m happy for you.” Aria’s eyes shifted between Leila and her ice summon several times when she heard that. Despite not understanding, she knew that it would be best to ask later, rather than now.

“Let’s go home. I’m… tired. Sorry, Aria. I promise to take you out again, so you can talk to a dragon yet.” The dark-skinned girl nodded with a smile. While she was sad that the Rose dragon lost its life because of the hunters, but she recognized that the ending was at least a bittersweet one, rather than just a sad one. It must have had something to do with the crystal her summoner had, but she would poke her about it once everyone calmed down.

So for now, while the Eden’s guardian would return back to her world, Aria and Yuki would spent the rest of their magical energy by transporting all the knocked out hunters back to Earthland and handing them over to the Magic Council. After all they did to one of the Wizard Saints, they would not escape some kind of punishment. And it was only fair in the eyes of the spirits, who valued their summoner above all else. In the end, the dragon did not survive. But an adventure was still had and Leila managed to learn a bit more about her powers. And what’s more, she not had a usable lacrima with dragon’s magic inside of it. Such tale would surely not be forgotten for a good while.

15,075 / 15,000 WC