Aria stood over her defeated sister, her heart heavy.
"We weren't always like this, Perena," she began, her voice trembling with unsaid words and raw emotions. "We used to laugh, train, play...together."
Perena scoffed, pushing herself up to a kneeling position. Her icy gaze met Aria's.
"That was before I knew the truth. Before I knew you were nothing but a hindrance. A barrier between me and the respect I deserved."
Aria's eyes softened. "Strength isn't just about power, Perena. You were always stronger in so many ways. I looked up to you...I still do."
Perena's laughter echoed hollowly around them, her expression twisted in bitter mockery.
"That's rich coming from you, Aria. You, who always held the advantage. I won't concede to you. I'll never accept you as the stronger one."
In Aria's moment of guilt-ridden hesitation, Perena seized her chance.
With a swift move, she activated a small magical device that suddenly manifested in her hand.
"W-wha-?!" A paralyzing shockwave hit Aria, immobilizing her.
"Haha..." Perena's triumphant grin seemed to illuminate the ruins as she rose, her sword poised for the final blow.
"Die!" With bloodshot eyes and a maniacal grin, Perena brandished her blade to mercilessly end her half-sister's life.
However...
~SQUELCH!~
The shocked gasp never left Aria's lips, as Perena suddenly jerked forward, her wide eyes mirroring Aria's disbelief.
Standing behind Perena was Lewis, his sword impaled through her.
"H-haa...?"
Blood splattered on the ground as all three were locked in the silence of the surprising outcome of the battle.
"I had to do it," Lewis whispered coldly, withdrawing his blade as Perena staggered.
"It was her or us."
Perena's body swayed, her gaze flickering between Lewis and Aria.
"How..." she choked out, blood trickling from her lips. "How did you...?"
How had he managed to escape the detection of both of the strongest Magic Swordsmen in the world? Wasn't he just an ordinary man?
It... it didn't make any sense!
Perena's question hung in the air as she collapsed onto the ground, her life extinguished like a candle in the wind.
"Perena!" Aria's scream tore through the silence, her tears falling onto the ruined earth.
Paralysis wore off, and she crawled towards her sister's still form, her heart shattering with each labored breath she took.
As Aria grieved, her gaze swept across the battlefield.
"W-what? N-no... no way..." Her heart clenched as she recognized the faces of her fallen siblings among the carnage.
Fourteen figures laid lifeless, each a harsh reminder of the battle that had just happened.
"T-they're all..."
All dead. All gone. The silent witnesses to a familial battle that ended in nothing but despair.
The reality of it all threatened to swallow Aria whole, the weight of their loss a crushing burden she witnessed with near disbelief.
"You killed all of them...?"
"Yes." Lewis replied calmly, almost as if he had not done anything worthy of address.
"There wasn't enough time to take care of them without going to the extreme. Trust me, I tried."
"What are you saying? That it was easier for you to kill them than to let them live?"
"Precisely." Lewis' voice echoed within her ears like a hollow tune. "And it's a good thing I ended them quickly. If I didn't..."
Both their gazes fell on the lifeless body of Perena.
"... It would have been your corpse on the ground."
*********
[Moments Earlier]
"Filthy human!"
"Give up now!"
"Die!"
The fourteen Elves encircled me, a relentless wave of power emanating from each one as they launched Spell after Spell toward me.
~BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!~
My mind raced, piecing together possible strategies. I erected a barrier around me, barely having the time to strengthen it before the volley of spells came crashing down.
My barrier shuddered under the relentless assault, fracturing at the seams. The Elves' power was extraordinary.
'The barrier can't hold forever...'
The realization dawned on me. This wasn't a battle I could win by holding back. It was kill or be killed.
"Time to get serious," I muttered to myself. Reaching into my satchel, I felt the cool touch of the glass vial that held my trump card - Aether Poisoning.
Unleashing the gas version of the lethal substance, the air around us swirled in a haze of dangerous potency.
"W-what is... thissss...?!" The Elves, their eyes widening in alarm, began to falter.
"GUAAAARRCKKK!!!"
They clutched their throats, their bodies convulsing as the Aether invaded their systems.
"In the Nether Realm, Aether is your worst nightmare," I whispered, watching as the Elves fell one by one.
They crumbled to the ground, their eyes filled with fear and confusion. The lethal potency of Aether was merciless.
"You should've considered that before threatening us."
As the last Elf succumbed to the poison, I looked beyond my area of combat.
Aria was caught up in a conversation with Perena. I could feel the tension radiating off of them, an ominous sign. I decided to draw closer.
Pulling a ring off my finger, I activated its enchantment. My form was immediately shrouded in an invisible cloud of Aether energy, masking my presence from the Nether beings.
It was my secret advantage. I crept closer, my movements undetectable.
Perena had Aria paralyzed, and her victorious grin turned my blood cold.
Not wasting any time, I lunged forward, driving my sword through Perena's back and out through her chest.
No remorse filled me as her body slumped to the ground, my only thought being Aria's safety.
As her sister, as Perena breathed her last, I knew then that we had done what we had to, regardless of the cost.
After all, it was them or us.
