The battlefield was silent for a beat—just long enough for the wind to whistle through the destroyed village. Four hundred and twenty-seven of them, Lisa thought as she counted the figures emerging from the shadows. *So this is the army he bragged about.* Some were armed with spears like the one thrown moments ago. Others wielded bows and arrows, no doubt enchanted, while some possessed abilities unknown to her. Their eyes glinted with cold determination, but Lisa showed no fear. She kept her chain coiled tightly, its blade gleaming as it reflected the flicker of lightning still hovering in the air.
"Hey, is this the army you bragged about earlier?" she shouted, her voice ringing through the chaos. "Because this can't seriously be it. Either you're severely underestimating me, or you're still hiding something up your sleeves."
The young man smirked from the ground. "Old lady, you seem overly confident. What makes you think you can take down everyone here?"
She huffed, narrowing her eyes. "I warned you to stop calling me an old lady. And if this is the so-called army... well, it's too bad."
Lisa shifted her stance, as steady in the air as if she stood on solid ground. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "You know," she began, rolling her shoulders as though she were warming up, "it's been a long time since I've had to try. You almost got me excited at the mention of an 'army,' but this? This isn't even enough for a warm-up." Her voice was calm, almost playful, though her blazing eyes told another story. She spun the blade at the end of her chain with precision, the sound of it cutting through the air enough to make a few of the soldiers clad in black armor hesitate.
The leader of the enemy forces, the one who had summoned the lightning pillars, scoffed. "Such arrogance for someone standing at death's doorstep." He clenched his fist, and the pillars of lightning brightened, their energy rippling outward in waves.
Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Death's doorstep? Sweetheart, you must be new to this game."
Suddenly, she flicked her wrist, and the chain lashed out like a serpent. Its sharp blade struck the base of one of the pillars, absorbing the lightning. The energy imploded, distorting the leader's aether distribution and creating an imbalance that culminated in a brilliant explosion of light. Soldiers were sent flying as Lisa's eyes shone with purple brilliance and a grin spread across her face.
She gave them no time to recover. Surging forward, the chain followed her movements like an extension of her body. Her attacks were precise, controlled, and devastating. One soldier was sliced in half at the waist, while another shot a high-speed fireball toward her—only for it to dissipate as Lisa released a burst of her aether into the surroundings. She tore through their chaotic, crumbling formation, leaving them scrambling.
The leader snarled, his confidence faltering. "Don't just stand there! Surround her!"
The army surged forward, their weapons glinting in the dim light. Lisa didn't flinch. With a sharp pull, she retracted her chain, its spinning blade forming a deadly arc that killed the unlucky ones on the front lines before they could even unleash their abilities. She grinned as her stance widened, preparing for the next wave.
As the soldiers regrouped and surrounded her, Lisa shot upward, soaring higher into the air. "Running away, are we, old hag?" the leader taunted, watching her ascend.
She chuckled. "Oh, aren't you just jealous because you can't fly?"
His eyes narrowed. "I don't need to fly to kill you." Summoning a bow made of lightning, he aimed at her, but his expression turned pale as he glanced upward.
The remaining soldiers froze as they saw it—a colossal crossbow made of aether forming in the sky, holding an enormous lightning bolt ready to fire. The leader's voice cracked as he yelled, "Disperse! Everyone, get out of here!"
But it was too late.
Lisa grinned, high in the air. "Let's see how fast you guys can run." With that, she released the bolt. A deafening sonic boom shattered the air as the bolt struck the center of their ranks, forming a massive crater and killing three hundred soldiers in an instant.
The survivors, fewer than a hundred now, were left injured and terrified. The leader staggered to his feet, his body trembling as he realized she had kept him alive on purpose. He looked up, startled to find her standing right in front of him. He stumbled back, falling onto the ground in fear. Lisa's laughter rang out as she glanced around the battlefield.
"Not much of an army now, eh?" she taunted.
Gritting his teeth, the leader yelled, "Argh! You old hag!" With fury, he unleashed a powerful lightning blast, illuminating the battlefield and momentarily bathing Lisa in its searing light. Smoke engulfed the area, but then, through the haze, her glowing purple eyes shone like twin stars.
"So foolish," she muttered, before ripping out his throat in a single motion. She stepped over his lifeless body, muttering to herself, "Making me waste that awesome line for this pitiful excuse of an army."
Turning her gaze to the remaining soldiers, their terror was palpable. She didn't give them the chance to flee. With a simple wave of her hand, they ignited—flesh and bone reduced to ash within seconds.
"Maybe I should've let them use their abilities," she mused, disappointed at the lackluster battle. "What a waste." Despite the outcome, she knew it wasn't over—it was barely beginning. Catching another arrow mid-flight, this one exploding upon impact and pushing her back slightly, she scowled. "Again with the arrows?"
Meanwhile, high in the sky, Enel clung tightly to the wyvern's back as the wind whipped around him. His knuckles were white, and his heart pounded against his ribcage. "What's happening back there?" he shouted over the rush of air, glancing back at the village, which was rapidly disappearing from view. Smoke continued to rise, darkening the horizon.
Gerard's jaw was set, his gaze fixed forward. When he finally spoke, his tone was grim. "Don't worry about her. It'll take more than that to bring harm to her."
Enel's stomach churned. "Bring harm? What the hell are you talking about? We can't just leave her behind!"
Gerard turned sharply, his dark eyes locking onto Enel's. "That is exactly why I need to deliver you to General Lucius quickly and then return to assist her."
Enel clenched his teeth, frustration and helplessness swirling within him. He looked down at the vast landscape below—the rolling hills and dense forests seemed so far removed from the chaos they had fled. For a brief moment, he wondered why he was so important—why Lisa and Gerard were risking everything for him.
But now wasn't the time for questions. Now was the time for survival. As Enel was lost in thought, massive ice pillars erupted in front of the wyvern, startling it. The creature let out a piercing scream, thrashing mid-air as though assaulted by an invisible force. Gerard gritted his teeth, yelling at it, "Leca, calm down!" But the wyvern didn't listen, flailing and shrieking.
Gerard's sharp eyes darted to the top of the ice pillar. A female figure stood there, smirking, her presence radiating menace. Naturally, Gerard knew she was the reason his wyvern was behaving so erratically. Gritting his teeth, he turned to Enel. "Cover your ears!" he commanded. Without hesitation, Gerard plunged his hands into the back of the wyvern. The creature howled in agony, its body convulsing. Enel clung to Gerard, trembling, as the older man whispered, "Leca, I'm sorry it has to be like this."
A surge of aether flowed from Gerard's body into the wyvern, forming a pseudo-resonance. The transferred energy shielded the creature from the mental attack, stabilizing it. The wyvern stilled, its distressed cries subsiding into heavy breaths. Gerard glared at the woman atop the ice pillar. "Fighting her is not priority," he muttered to himself. His top concern was escaping with Enel, but the challenge was apparent—those pillars weren't just markers; they were extensions of a barrier meant to trap them.
The woman remained atop the pillar, her smirk never faltering. She watched him with cold amusement, clearly confident in her advantage.
Back on the battlefield, Lisa exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders as she surveyed the approaching soldiers. "Now this," she muttered with a hint of admiration, "this is an army worth my respect." The advancing force numbered over a thousand—not just fodder, but skilled aether users, each capable of holding their own against her.
"He really pulled out the big ones with this bunch. Now *this* is more of a warm-up," Lisa said with a crooked grin. Her gaze flickered to the corpses littering the ground, remnants of the earlier skirmish. The new leader of the enemy forces approached, her expression dark as she surveyed the battlefield.
"Sorry, forgot to clean up. My bad, I guess," Lisa said, rubbing the back of her head, her casual tone a stark contrast to the blood-stained ground around her.
"You're putting up more of a fight than I expected," the leader remarked, her voice cold. She raised a hand, summoning a massive orb of light between his palms. The sheer power of it caused the air to buzz and crackle, sending tremors through the ground.
Lisa flicked the blood from her chain blade with a smirk. "Please don't flatter me." Her tone shifted slightly, and the leader replied, "Though I'm not surprised. That was barely a warm-up for you. But if you're already tired, I have to say I'm disappointed. Village head and Serpent Queen, huh? That title might not suit you after all."
The leader snarled, launching the orb into the air as a signal. At once, countless arrows rained down upon Lisa. Chains flashed around her, deflecting arrows in rapid arcs, each deflection triggering small explosions in the air. Lisa dodged gracefully, each explosion roaring just behind where she stood moments before. Her focus was relentless as she struck one of the arrows mid-flight, causing it to explode harmlessly.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lisa noticed Gerard and Enel still trapped in the distance. Her sharp gaze quickly assessed the massive pillars creating the barrier. *Damn, so that's the problem,* she thought, her mind racing. Her split-second observation cost her. An arrow materialized in her blind spot, inches from piercing her eye. Thanks to her superior reflexes, she caught it—but it exploded in her hand at point-blank range.
"Can't you cut this old lady some slack?" she muttered, standing and dusting herself off. The explosion left her with a few bruises marring her otherwise flawless face.
"Never take your eyes off your enemies," the new leader said coldly. "That split-second distraction nearly cost you your life."
Lisa gritted her teeth. *She's good. Gerard won't be able to move with his position locked. I have to help him.* Pouring aether into her right index finger, she slashed into her left palm, her movements blurring as she traced a symbol in the air. The ground trembled as massive lightning spears formed behind her, rotating with deadly speed. One by one, she sent the spears hurtling toward the enemy.
"Cheap tricks won't save you," the leader snapped. Yet a flicker of doubt crossed her face as the spears absorbed the aether from their surroundings. "It absorbs aether!" she exclaimed in surprise.
The spears tore into their front lines with sonic booms, shattering defensive formations. Explosions erupted across the battlefield, and chaos reigned. Seizing the opportunity, Lisa turned her attention to the eastern barrier. She began channeling a massive lightning bolt, aimed at the barrier's weak point—but another arrow struck her hands mid-cast. The bolt veered off course, shattering a different section of the barrier.
Gerard noticed instantly. "Leca, go!" he commanded, pushing his wyvern to its limits. The creature surged toward the weakened section, cutting through the wind. Behind them, the woman leapt from her ice pillar, landing with thunderous force before pursuing them at a blinding speed. Her determined strides almost matched the wyvern's pace, but Gerard urged Leca forward, cutting through the barrier and diving into the dense jungle beyond.
Gerard steadied himself as his wyvern crash-landed deep within the jungle, shielding Enel with his body. Leca growled in pain, severely injured. Gerard immediately knelt beside it, transferring aether to heal its wounds. Slowly, the creature's trembling subsided, and its flesh began to knit itself together.
"Get on," Gerard instructed, gesturing to Enel. But before they could take flight, the wyvern screamed again. It recoiled, its mind under attack once more.
Gerard turned to the source, his eyes narrowing as the woman emerged from the shadows of the trees. "You really thought you'd escape," she sneered, mockery dripping from her voice. Her gaze shifted to Enel, and for the first time, she faltered, a flicker of sweat glinting on her brow. "Damn... almost forgot."
Her smirk returned as she addressed Gerard. "I guess a battle is inevitable."
Gerard's grip tightened on his sword. Slowly, countless beasts emerged from behind the trees, their glowing eyes locked onto him. Each one radiated the same strange, oppressive energy as the woman. They were under her control.
As the dust settled back on the battlefield, Lisa emerged from the chaos, blood running down her face from a wound on her temple. A deep gash on her forearm burned, but she barely noticed. Wrapping her chain loosely around her arm, she locked eyes with the leader.
"I guess I'll have to change titles then," she said with a wicked grin.