The frigid night crackled with an ominous atmosphere, shrouded in a crimson haze as the bloody scent ran rampant.
This moonless night bore witness to the loss of many lives. The once-mighty Layos army base lay in utter ruins, transformed into a grim tableau of devastation.
This chilling scene was the dire consequence of Arthur's unexpected assault on the Layos army base. It was a meticulously executed operation that swiftly eradicated Layos' foothold in the neighboring regions, leaving no trace of their presence, all within a single night.
Surviving Rankers on both sides silently reached an unspoken consensus: they needed to vacate the area, and quickly. As the two Grandmaster Rankers squared off, an unrelenting atmosphere of elemental power enveloped them.
Rankers from both sides retreated, wisely choosing to shift their battles away from the decimated Layos army base. Nobody dared to intervene when two Grandmaster Rankers harnessed the full might of their Elemental Attainments, wielding potent A-Rank Mana in their lethal duel.
The battlefield where Layos army base once stood was an elemental maelstrom, a battleground of fury where two Grandmaster Rankers clashed with murderous intent. The very air crackled with power as they summoned their elemental spells.
A whirlwind of water and wind surged forth as Arthur and Saisha faced each other. Arthur's spear, an extension of his will, glowed with the ethereal blue of water, and the gusts howled in chorus with his fierce determination.
"Hmph! That's what you get for helping Isen and sending spies my way to tarnish my name, Saisha Goren," Arthur's voice cut through the chaos.
Saisha's response was immediate. Flames erupted from his fingertips, forming a fiery barrier before him. The clash of elements created a tempestuous cyclone of steam and scorching mist.
"Arthur! You old fool. You have gone and done it now. Anfang Alliance will never let this go. Your entire kingdom will face the wrath for your impulsive action," Saisha roared, his eyes aflame with deadly resolve.
Their power raged against each other, but neither gave an inch.
The night sky quivered as their fusion of elements began. Arthur's water swirled with Saisha's flames, creating a volatile mix of steam and scalding rain. Whirlwinds of fire and wind intertwined, spiraling upward like a towering inferno.
The battlefield around them vanished in a cascade of mist and embers. Their fusion of elements had created a deadly dance of steam and flames, shrouding them from prying eyes. Expert Rankers and below could only watch in awe and shock as the battlefield seemed to warp around these two Grandmasters.
"Hahaha! No need to worry about the Alliance. I have already sent them enough proof to justify my actions. They'll get it in a few days. However, you and that fucking bastard Jaime won't be here in Anfang to see what I'm talking about," Arthur said to Saisha, a deadly edge to his words.
"You… I had heard that the Duke of Edinburgh had become eccentric after his son Jason's death. Turns out it's the truth. Since it's the battle you want, it's the fucking battle you shall get, Arthur. Don't think Layos elves are easy to bully. We are not your subjects," Saisha responded, his voice seething with murderous intent.
The Elemental Fusion and Aspect Fusion of both the Grandmasters' spells reached their zenith. A colossal waterspout of fire and wind erupted from their location, a devastating pillar of elemental destruction that reached toward the heavens. The very ground quaked as their power coursed through it.
At that moment, Arthur and Saisha were no longer individuals but living embodiments of their respective elements. Their combined might shook the battlefield, leaving an indelible mark on the night as they fought as one, masters of their elements, both determined to kill the other.
***
As the two Grandmasters clashed in a fierce battle, Rankers from both sides were engaged in their own skirmishes, periodically glancing towards the ruin of Layos army base to keep tabs on the titanic struggle between Arthur and Saisha.
Nysa, nearing the end of her duel with a Layos Ranker, suddenly found herself facing a reinforced enemy as another female Layos Ranker joined the fray. Nysa, far from intimidated, donned a confident smile as she readied herself to unleash her spells.
Being a space-element Ranker, Nysa had an array of tactics to close in on her foes swiftly, catching them off guard. But before she or the enemy Rankers could make their next move, an enigmatic and imperceptible entity infiltrated their duel, simultaneously piercing both their hearts from behind.
Two nearly identical daggers protruded from the front of their chests, and in the blink of an eye, they lost their arms in a precise and lightning-fast strike, their dismembered limbs falling like a gruesome work of art. Their severed heads followed suit, rolling onto the ground in eerie unison, as if these acts of violence were all part of a single, orchestrated performance.
The entire sequence of attacks had transpired in the span of just a few seconds, leaving behind the lifeless husks of the enemy Rankers. An indistinct figure materialized behind the headless and limbless corpses, soon revealing itself to be none other than the Osan Woods' Butcher.
Eren removed Yuffie Loxley's beaked mask and greeted Nysa with a warm smile. "Come here, you," he beckoned, arms wide open. Nysa's own smile broadened upon recognizing Eren as her mysterious "savior". Without hesitation, she vanished from her previous spot and reappeared in Eren's embrace.
"I've done as you asked," Nysa whispered. Eren gently stroked her back before cradling her face in his hands, bringing her closer for a brief, passionate kiss. The exchange lasted a mere few seconds, but to Nysa, it felt like an eternity and a fleeting moment all at once.
"Hmm, a job well done, Nysa darling," Eren praised, his gaze turning serious the next second as he held her face tenderly. He spoke in a voice tinged with warning.
"Your part is finished now. From tomorrow onwards, you need to distance yourself from Edinburgh's forces.
The real show is about to begin, and things are going to take a serious turn. You need to leave this place as soon as you can along with the rest of the White Raven guild members."
The butcher cast his eyes towards the distant battle between the two Grandmaster Rankers, a storm of elemental power raging around them.
