A blurry object got catapulted towards a stack of crates and a crashing sound followed. "Gaaah! Fumiko! Why didn't you save me! You could’ve easily used your Paper Art to break my fall you know!" Ophelia yelled at her Mirage who appeared at her side after a few seconds. The Spirit merely looked away with indifference. "Oy oy! I'm your master remember! You should be—“ Her mouth remained open in mid-sentence, her attention totally drawn in by the spectacular scene unfolding before her eyes. Everyone in Phracea stopped moving. The cause of their action was the sound that resonated all over the city. Everyone stood open-mouthed as they beheld the changes in the skies.

The heavens parted, and an immense serpent, which was equally big as the first dragon, came flying down. It had a simple white colored motif which made it appear both noble and divine. Just below its magnificent head were two white wings that spanned about a fourth of its body size. The wing frame was made of bones and connected by a clear colored membrane. White glittering scales also covered the whole length of its body. Both the wings and the scales shifted colors as the light got reflected, producing rainbow sparkling lights. Its underbelly had a bluish and greenish tinge which swished around, creating an illusion of moving waters.

The dragons clashed in the air, their agile bodies somewhat dancing to a tune as they moved gracefully around. Poisonous breath was met by water breath, two forces clashing and ending in a stalemate as the attacks both dissipated. It was quite clear that both Divinities were closely matched.

"We shouldn't fall behind just because help arrived! Let's go!" Ophelia intoned, hands on her hips as she disappeared with Fumiko into thin air. They reappeared above Ouroboros and together initiated their own attack. Lia concentrated her energy on her chakram, the weapon’s entirety being engulfed by a pink aura. It sizzled with energy, arcs of light flashing every few seconds. Fumiko, on the other hand, slashed her paper sword in the air and about fifty paper cranes appeared in puffs of smoke all around them. Lia let her energy flow towards her Mythic as she chanted the words to activate their ultimate skill.

“[First Act: Requiem of the Flying Cranes!]"

Lia and Fumiko yelled in sync as they both unleashed an attack. The chakram grew almost five times its original size as it soared towards the body of the monster and made huge gashes of wounds on the scales of the dark serpent, Ouroboros. In concert with her attacks, the flying cranes that are wrapped with pink energy collided and exploded in the same place where Lia’s attacks landed. The attack made the dragon roar in both anger and agony. Temporary losing its focus for a moment before facing off with its main adversary, Tiamat.

"Don't leave us out of the battle yet!" Kristov yelled as he suddenly appeared on air, seated on Regulus’ back. “It’s all up to you now buddy!” With that, his body glowed red-orange as his spiritual energy spiked up. Cold sweat started appearing on his forehead as he struggled to control the outflow of energy. It had only been six months since he summoned Regulus. And although it took him far longer to master controlling his spiritual energy, using it to supply his Mythic was a different thing. It required not just focus but also precise control.

The winged lion roared proudly and opened its mouth. The air all around them grew hot as a reddish orange ball of energy formed in front of the Mythic’s mouth. The ball combusted, caught fire and grew bigger. The size became almost half as big as Regulus.

[Flaming Red Nova!]

Taking damage after damage, the dark dragon finally took notice of the other enemies around it.

~*~

"Lu Yin! Lu Yang! Please protect them with your water barrier!" Miranda who was on the ground following the scene happening in the skies appealed to the two dragon kids standing beside her.

"Alright, mama! Leave it to us!" answered Lu Yin, preparing to cast the spell. "Lu Yang! Help me…hurry!" the girl stopped chanting, the runic circle on her hands disappearing. She made a move to pull the sleeves on the boy’s clothes but the boy wouldn’t budge. “Come on! Mama’s depending on us!” the little girl intoned, waving her little arms in the air, her eyes closed in frustration. The girl had a black ensemble, the top she wore had very long sleeves that it extended over the length of her arms. Her trousers ended in a balloon style, complimented by knee high socks. On her head was a lavender beret with a curious almost teardrop-shaped brooch with a crack in the middle.

Lu Yang didn’t budge, the defiance clearly etched on his youthful features. Instead of agreeing, he crossed his tiny arms on his chest and abruptly turned his head to the side. Unlike his twin sister, Yang didn’t like it when the “old woman” ordered them around. He wasn’t a kid anymore and yet Miranda treated them as such. That’s why he’s making a stand and always made it to a point where he defied her and didn’t follow her requests. The boy had clothes that were almost identical to Lu Yin but the ensemble was in white. The lavender beret he had on had a white brooch with an identical shape as well except it didn’t have a crack on its design.

Miranda owed a lot of things from the twins. Contrary to what people thought, she didn’t get the position of Templar Knight Commander because the general of the Holy Army was her father. Her prowess in battle, attitude as a knight and her unique Mirages gave her rightful claim to it. Before Reinhardt’s Incarnation, hers was one of the unique Mirages to have been discovered. Two spiritual beings who symbolized two facets, totally different parts that embodied different powers and two opposite sides that contradicted yet complimented each other.

Her Mirages may not be Divinities or Incarnations but at their category, they’re on top of the power metrics. Lu Yang is the male Mythic who represented Light, Wind, and Fire. Lu Yin is the female Mythic who embodied Darkness, Earth, and Water. If we consider the fact that each of her Mirages could control three kinds of elements, it would tantamount to Miranda being able to control all primary elements. Having all the requirements necessary for the part, Miranda bagged the role and became one of the youngest captain commanders in history.

To the untrained eye, you would mistake the twins as toddlers, weak and defenseless. Well, except for the curious dragon horns that protruded on their heads. It was an error in judgment that countless enemies have made. But it was a different story where Miranda was concerned. For her, they will always be kids.

Miranda crouched down so her eyes were level with those of the twins’. Once she was settled in nicely, she turned to face the little boy. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a wrapped candy, and offered it to Lu Yang. From the side of his face, Miranda knew that the boy had seen her actions through his peripheral vision. Candies and sweets were especially the weakness of the little boy, on the contrary, his sister had a penchant for picture books and art materials. It was a thing of wonder how spiritual manifestations even had their own personalities. It was even more surprising that the spirits could ingest food.

The faint blush turned crimson as the little guy tried his utmost to resist the temptation. With a sudden blur, the candy disappeared on Mira’s outstretched palm. Yet, the boy didn’t make any move to fulfill his end of the bargain.

Miranda sighed while scratching her head, not understanding why Lu Yang had this defiant personality. It often made her wonder if she was like this in person. Since these spiritual manifestations were said to be a reflection of the soul, most Mirages had a facet of their personality taken from their awakened’s persona. ‘Am I really this stubborn?’ she could only smile sheepishly, mocking herself inwardly.

“Lu Yang, I know you don’t want to grant my request. But, look up there. You see father’s Mirage, Tiamat fighting right? Don’t you want to grow up real fast and be a full-fledged dragon too?” This finally had the intended effect as the little dragonling looked up at the sky with interest. Capitalizing on the idea that her Mythics liked Miranda’s father as if he was their own, she tried a different approach. The feelings were reciprocated by her father since he thought of the Mythics as if they were his children. Technically speaking, they were his daughter’s spirit manifestation.

Miranda knew she was getting close, she just needed a little more push. To seal the deal, she chose to play the trump card she had which worked great in combination with her previous card. “I know you want to get stronger so you can protect your little sister. If you help them, then it will be like training. And someday you’ll become just like Tiamat. Maybe even stronger!” By the end of her musings, Lu Yang was staring in wonder at the skies. Lost in his own little world, his eyes literally sparkled like stars, his mouth agape. It was not a secret that the kids idolized Tiamat, wanting to become like her someday. Especially the little boy, who always acted tough, always trying to protect his sister. An overly protective brother, that was the best description for Lu Yang. Something that puzzled Miranda until this day.

Once the little boy’s disillusionment passed, his eyebrows knitted together in determination. Nodding to his twin sister, the two moved in sync. Their little arms moving in circular motion as small octagon-shaped runic circles appeared in front of them. Feet moving in tandem, they performed complex movements that would make famous dancers proud.

The two made use of their skills and since they were about to cast a water element spell, Lu Yin took the reins while Lu Yang provided support. It was part of the “unique skill” that they possessed called Gemini. One of the uses it had was that one can provide support to the other to boost the potential of the spells being cast or skills being executed. Individually, their powers already packed a serious punch, but through Gemini wherein the one who supports channels energy to the other, the resulting spell is magnified twice.

As the twins reached the climax of their spell, Lu Yin stood in front of her brother. She stood on one foot before somersaulting backward and landing on top Lu Yang’s shoulders. Their small runic circle drifted towards each other, joined and became a larger version. This ritual wasn’t usually needed. The twins usually just had to have close proximity or had some form of contact to use their spells. But since the magnitude of the spell that Miranda requested was of this caliber, they resulted to performing this dance.

[“Azure Water Barrier!”]

Bluish light shot out of their outstretched palms, it soared through the skies at incredible speeds and burst into three directions. The spell protected Ophelia and Fumiko individually while it treated Kristov and Regulus as a single unit and erected a bigger barrier for them.

Miranda contented herself with making sure that none of the citizens or soldiers were caught in the crossfire. Casting a support magic here, curing an injured person with heal there. There was just so much to do that she could only sigh in exasperation. Her time was wasted, instead of directly assisting with the battle, she was stuck down here to help the citizens. Not that she didn’t consider helping the needy not a priority. But her time could’ve been put to good use if she did her real job. And it was all that old fool’s fault. Taking a mental note to bring down hell on that bumbling idiot, Miranda looked around to confirm if all civilians have been evacuated.

‘Where could Erina be?’ Miranda thought to herself, a bit worried that the researcher was nowhere in sight when they arrived together at the scene. ‘I hope she’s alright.’

~*~

The battle raged on for almost an hour. The effects of the conflict could be seen clearly from the state of the participants. The commander, who unleashed Tiamat, was on his knees and breathing heavily. Both hands perched on the orbed-cane to support his weight and to avoid falling on the ground. With one eye closed, he stared at the skies, watching as the two sides swapped blows. From the eyes of an untrained citizen, you would think that the battle had come to a stalemate. But he was different, and the people fighting by his side probably knew as well, that they were slowly losing the fight.

The powers loaned by the darkness aren’t just strong. It can also be said to be self-sufficient since it draws its power from the negative emotions from its surroundings. It mainly feeds off of the fear to sustain itself.

‘I’m sorry Mira, father won’t be returning for dinner again…’ Graham had a lot more he wanted to say. After what happened to his daughter when she was still a child, he vowed to himself that things would change. He promised to spend more time with her, to dote on her and give her all that she ever wanted. It was his guilt that finally opened his eyes to the truth. That he wasn’t alone, even if his wife passed away, she left him a part of her. His only wish was that he could’ve prevented what happened to Miranda, if only he’d realized his misgivings as a father sooner. It wouldn’t have had to end this way.

Things have gone pretty well after that dark time in their lives. Mira grew up to be strong, compassionate and bright. Graham was even prouder when his daughter became the Templar Knights Commander. And he can say with head held up high that he didn’t pull any strings nor raise a finger for her to get the post.

In terms of physical abilities, Mira could easily take down a well-grown man. No, she wasn’t that strong. Instead, what she lacked in height and strength, she made up with her agility. His daughter was also skilled in the use of weapons, inheriting the sword saint style from her mother’s side of the family. During her knighting ceremony, it was made official when the knighthood officially awarded her with the title of Sword Saint.

Miranda’s swiftness and dual-wielding cutlass style also earned her the title of Crimson Lotus of the Battlefield. She had also graduated top of her class in one of the most prestigious universities in Infinitia, found in the Einheid Dukedom. Any father would be proud at all those accomplishments.

Graham didn’t want to worry Miranda so he kept her in the dark about what he felt for Lu Yin and Lu Yang. Yes, they were like his children since they were reflections of Miranda’s soul. And he truly did feel happy whenever he saw them. What Miranda did not know was that Lu Yang looked like her when she was still a child, hauntingly so. The very memory of Miranda as a child brought stabs of pain, slowly gnawing at his heart. It must have been fate’s twisted sense of humor that made Lu Yang that way. It was the karma he couldn’t run away from. It wasn’t just guilt, it was shame, for what kind of father would feel that way when remembering their daughter as a child.

~*~

Kristov’s shoulders heaved, soot and gashes all over his face. “Not yet, not just yet!” He screamed as he and Regulus dove down towards the enemy. He jumped from Regulus’ back and landed on the dragon’s back, he thrust the sword into the hard scales, and used the momentum of his dash to widen the laceration as far as he could. Regulus unleashed a torrent of fire as the Mythic flew side by side Kristov. The dragon wiggled its body, dislodging Kristov’s sword and flinging him away as if he were just some parasite.

“Damn it! Where is this thing getting its strength?” Kristov yelled as he saw the newly created wounds close up. Their attacks were completely useless as the dragon kept regenerating and if at all possible, it grew stronger and became more resilient. If he only kept his composure and didn’t let his emotions get the best of him. He’d remember from the lectures and the books he read about Mirages that those which were summoned from Nifleheim were tough to beat. You had to concentrate your energy and use it in its rawest form. Or better yet, use all the energy you can expend to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. Meaning you had to overwhelm it with power, nuke it so much that it doesn’t get the chance to regenerate.

Regulus sliced through the air as he retrieved Kristov on his back. “Maybe we should try a different tactic?” A disembodied yet calm and gentle baritone rang inside Kristov’s head, the kind that could sooth ones nerves. The Mythic seemed to have sensed the turmoil in his awakened’s emotions as their soul synchronization fluctuated. “You have to calm down Kristov. Think, what could we do in a situation like this?” Although sentient beings, the Mirages only possessed the knowledge their awakened’s had. Most of the time, they possessed superior wisdom and judgment but they never knew more than what their partner’s knew.

“The miasma…this, this is a Mirage from Nifleheim!” Kristov almost lost his composure, if it were true that Reinhardt was responsible for this creature, then it might be too late already. “No! I’m not going to allow this to happen! Regulus! The only way to defeat it is by using pure spiritual energy!” They may be unable to vanquish it but at least they can inflict a wound that doesn’t regenerate as fast as the ones they previously dealt. It will buy the captain enough time to deal a lethal attack on it.

“Hey you!” Kristov yelled at the two women fighting alongside him. “Use your spiritual energy on it! Don’t use elements!” The more help he could get the better. After all, they were fighting a monster far beyond their expectations. “Kristov watch ou-!!” Regulus tried to dodge the oncoming attack but he was too late. The damage would’ve proven fatal. Thankfully, a blue barrier got erected between them in time. Kristov didn’t have to think who casted the spell, he knew from their battle simulations who was capable of producing a strong water barrier of that kind.

Muttering his thanks, Kristov focused his attention on the monster. “Do it now Regulus!” He ordered. The winged lion roaring as it soared towards the dragon. Kristov coated his sword with pure spiritual energy. The blade hummed to life as red orange energy surrounded the blade. Regulus also created a red orange ball of pure energy. “Take this! [Spiritual Slash!]” Kristov switched to a backhand grip and using his free hand, put pressure on the pommel and thrust it towards the ball of energy Regulus created. The effect was instantaneous, the blade burst through the ball and a stream of energy shot towards the dragon. The energy which pierced through it appeared like a spear.

The attack succeeded as the monstrous enemy flinched. On cue, the general seemed to have decided on a last resort attack. Since doing the usual wasn’t wilting away the enemy’s energy, the last ditch effort was to give it all they’ve got. Kristov looked down and saw the bright flashing lights on a hill, at the same time, the general’s Divinity emitted a strong light that almost blinded him.

~*~

Graham refocused his attention to the task at hand and took a deep calming breath. He tried to make peace with himself. Apologizing to both his late wife and daughter for being a horrible husband and a lacking father, he closed his eyes and focused his spiritual energy. "I will not let you do any more harm!”

[“True summoning! Go forth! Primordial Mother Tiamat!"]

A bluish aura appeared beneath Graham, it formed a small circle with the edges moving like ocean waves. His body underwent changes, glistening bluish scales appeared sporadically all over his body. Fins materialized behind his ears and on his elbows. His eyes shone an unnatural blue color. All around him, water and snow raged.

The forbidden spell got invoked, bright blue lights engulfing the body of the great white serpent. While blanketed by the radiance, its length and size grew further. On its head, a horn composed of a bluish crystal protruded. As the changes were ongoing, Tiamat kept on roaring, its melodic voice permeating the thick fog covered air.

‘I know Tiamat. I’m sorry I had to do this. This will be our last battle together. So please, drive back the evil threatening the safety of Feria. We’ve had a good run, thank you for always standing by me.’ Graham answered in response to Tiamat’s wail. His face was resolute with determination, his eyes raw with emotion.

The general knew what was at stake, he knew that after the true summoning he performed, the great Tiamat will take his life force in exchange. The Mirage didn’t have a choice either as it was part of the covenant made when an awakened gains this power. People always wondered why Mirages “devoured” the souls of their awakened after a true summoning. No one knew the answer. Not the scholars or researchers. Not even the Mirage themselves. Eventually it became an accepted fact that if you wanted greater power, you’d have to be ready to face the consequences.

Graham had no other choice, he knew that as Reinhardt's mentor, it was his duty to correct the wrongs of his student. Surrounded by bluish lights, he disappeared from where stood on the hill and reappeared at the top of Tiamats's head. "This is my last lesson for you Reinhardt!”

Repent and confess thy sins!

Quell thy anger oh great mother of the seas!

[“Ultimate Skill! Raging Waters! Flurry of Snow and Ice!"]

Tiamat’s crystal horn glowed, energy being gathered at its tip. When the energy receded, the great dragon opened its mouth and a blue ball of energy started growing. A beam of pure blue energy was then shot out, leaving water, snow, and ice on its wake. The dark dragon Ouroboros not having a chance to shield itself from the oncoming onslaught, received the full brunt of the attack. It let out a screeching roar before the ice totally engulfed its body.

When Kristov realized what was happening, his eyes widened. “Oh shit! Regulus let’s get away from here!” And good thing he sensed what was about to take place, had he not they would’ve turned into that crystal block as well. Checking around the skies to make sure the two women didn’t become an ice cube, he found himself staring at a ball made of some sort of material.

‘Is that paper?’ Kristov thought distractedly. “Don’t lose focus! What do you think will happen to the city if that ice statue drops on it?” Regulus’ words snapped Kristov back to reality. “Hey! Pink-haired girl! Give it your all! We have to smash this thing to smithereens!” The girl seemed to have gotten it as both women got enveloped in pink energy. “I need your help on this one Regulus!”

In response to Kristov’s request, the winged lion’s body glowed red orange. An orb of the same color enveloped both him and his Mirage. He closed his eyes, and concentrated all the remaining energy he had left. The ball grew further, the energy growing thicker and more condensed that it covered the two of them entirely.

“Herald of Victory! Harbinger of Light!

Purify them with your holy flames!

[Ultimate Attack! Dash of the Holy Lion!]”

Kristov and Regulus charged forward, plowing through the ice, wrapped in blazing hot fire. They smashed through the frozen body of the monster, leaving thousands of ice chunks.

“That’s not going to be enough!” yelled Ophelia as she unleashed her own ultimate attack. The enlarged spiritually charged chakram whizzed through the air and sliced the chunks of ice into smaller pieces. Hundreds of paper cranes also appeared in the sky and exploded one after the other creating an almost domino effect, decimating what was left of the debris. Once the barrage of attacks were finished, the once frozen huge body of the monster was nothing more than shaved ice pouring from the sky producing tiny glittering diamonds.

Graham got teleported back on the hill where he once stood. Tiamat’s head turned to his direction before slowly fading away into nothingness. He fell down on his knees, body bloodied all over due to the strain of using such power. “It has been done..." he said before collapsing on the ground.

“General!” Simultaneous screams of worry came from the general’s men as they saw their leader on the ground, blood seeping out of his wounds. A mere second ago, they were all in awe with eyes wide and mouth gaping. But now, they were all gathered around, while the Lieutenant General shouted orders towards their subordinates.

“Go get a healer immediately!” It was to be expected, to the country of Feria, General Graham was considered as a national treasure. He was a legend in terms of his accomplishments in war. His power so immeasurable and vastly superior compared to others that he was considered as the strongest force of the country. The loss of such talent would deal a large blow to their military power. Not only that, since the general was an honorary bishop, he had exerted his power in making sure that the military received proper subsidiary to maintain it. Without him, the Lieutenant General didn’t know how they would be able to cope.

“Please…” The Lieutenant General, looked down in haste, startled that the General still had energy to talk. The old man’s hand reached up and grasped his subordinates shoulder so that he would hear him. “Tell my daughter…I’m sorry. Take care of…Ophelia…” And with that, his hand dropped down, life undoubtedly escaping him.