The sky looms black over the kingdom of Kristalia, in the world of N'Raeth.
Heavy clouds smother the moonlight, deepening the night's darkness.
Rocky mines surrounding the area glimmer faintly under the gloom.
A storm could break out any second.
«Isabelle Shurzil… you don't let me rest, not even at night. Have you come to give me my sixteenth birthday gift?» Kajetan Leviantis asks.
His voice mixes annoyance and nostalgia, like he's meeting an unwelcome old acquaintance.
He's cloaked in black from head to toe, his face completely hidden.
His hair, on the other hand, is pure white.
Like snow.
Two violet irises shine from under the hood.
«Money never sleeps, my dear Possessed. Nothing personal—just business,» Isabelle Shurzil replies with a smirk.
She's a charming woman in her thirties, with thick blonde hair waving in the wind.
She wears a tight brown leather bodysuit that highlights her ample chest and curvy hips, along with matching boots.
She stands about thirty meters away, arms crossed, emerald eyes locked threateningly on Kajetan.
Around her, a liquid substance spirals—watery in motion, but metallic blue in appearance.
Kajetan stretches his arm to the side—hand open, palm facing downward.
From the ground, a trail of pure black smoke rises and floats toward his hand.
The smoke thickens, forming a pitch-black weapon—a long, thin, sharp spike born from the shadows.
The same grin of challenge forms on both their faces.
Kajetan takes a step forward. Then another. And—
-CLANG!
A violent metallic clash shatters the silence of the night.
Before his third step touches the ground, he vanishes into nothingness, as if swallowed by the darkness.
He reappears behind Isabelle.
His dark weapon is just a step away from piercing her back, but she intercepts it in time.
A metallic blue sword forms instantly from the fluid swirling around her.
«Did no one ever teach you it's cowardly to attack from behind?»
Isabelle's question sounds like a real scolding.
Kajetan just sneers at her.
«No.»
Then he steps back and melts into the darkness once more.
An instant later, a mass of shadows forms above her head.
Kajetan is already there.
His dark spike is ready to pierce her skull.
But with a quick backward leap, she dodges his attack again.
Kajetan hits the ground hard.
His blade stabs into the rocky terrain like it's soft earth.
The impact causes a violent explosion, and a crater opens where he landed.
As soon as Isabelle's feet touch the ground, the blue metal shoots into the air like a swarm of hungry snakes.
Kajetan leaps upward just in time, barely dodging the sudden assault.
But Isabelle is already on him.
She slams down on him with a slash from above.
At the same time, the fluid beneath him transforms into sharp columns that strike from below.
He blocks Isabelle's slash, but the sharp columns catch him off guard.
Metallic spikes pierce him from all directions.
His resistance crumbles.
Isabelle's blade breaks through his defense.
A sharp hiss cuts the air, slicing him cleanly in two.
His black cloak is completely shredded, but there's no trace of him.
Isabelle knows the fight is far from over.
She turns.
Kajetan stands at a safe distance.
The black cloak is gone—he now wears worn commoner's clothes.
He uses the long spike to keep himself standing.
His body is covered in shallow wounds that won't stop bleeding.
«Not bad at all, rookie. You used a shadow clone to escape my double attack—it should've killed you, but you got away with just some scratches. You've improved since last time.»
Isabelle's voice holds no scorn, no arrogance.
She speaks with respect, like to a worthy rival—not an enemy.
«You've gotten pretty strong yourself… maybe even too strong,» Kajetan replies.
His voice is low, pained.
Isabelle points her sword at him.
«I've trained a lot since our last fight,» she retorts proudly. «Don't you think I've earned the right to see your true strength? Come on—draw from the demon inside you!»
«It'd be better for both of us if I didn't… you know, I'm starting to enjoy fighting you. Is this our third clash? Or the fourth? I'd hate for this little routine to end tonight.»
«You little insolent brat, what do you take me for?!»
The metallic liquid under Isabelle's control starts to float menacingly above their heads.
Her body begins to glow with a faint blue light.
Isabelle dashes toward Kajetan at lightning speed, skimming the ground.
The terrain cracks beneath her feet as she passes.
The metallic fluid follows her lead, diving from the sky like a rain of needles aimed at him.
But Kajetan doesn't move.
He lowers his gaze, head bowed.
His shadow weapon dissolves.
Isabelle hesitates for a moment.
~Has he given up? Would he rather die than use that power? Idiot!~
For a second, she almost stops her assault.
But the bounty on his head is tempting—stronger than the respect and rivalry she feels toward him.
Her sword is a breath away from striking Kajetan's defenseless body—just like the rain of blades—when…
He blocks her sword.
With his bare hand.
His fingers close around the blade.
His body now radiates a sinister purple aura.
Purple, like his eyes.
The metal rain dissolves before even touching that energy.
Isabelle tries to pull her sword back, but it's useless.
Kajetan's grip is like iron. Unshakable.
Then he lifts his gaze to her.
A terrifying look that freezes Isabelle's blood.
And then—
-CRACK!
Isabelle's blade shatters under Kajetan's grip.
A malicious smile spreads across his face.
A burst of purple light erupts.
Isabelle's body is thrown back with devastating force.
She flies dozens of meters through the air, launched by the sudden wave of purple energy—but manages to land on her feet.
A new sword forms in her hands—bigger than the last.
She's ready to continue the fight.
But as the purple light fades, Kajetan is nowhere to be seen.