“GODDAMMIT!” Embren’s thunderous roar shocked Marianne and Viran to their cores, his sword falls.

Viran’s vision becomes filled with steel and he quickly rolls out of the way, he can feel the ground under him jump just as the sword impacts the ground. Viran jumps to his feet and rips the dagger out from under his clothing. Yet it was to no avail, Viran felt mana start to concentrate in Embren’s hand as he yelled out.

“YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!” Embren yells out.

The mana that was once dormant within EMbren blasts out and Viran can feel himself be pushed directly onto the ground again, blood begins to drip from his mouth. Viran can feel a strong crack within him just as he falls. All Viran could do was swallow the blood within his mouth and resist the pain he felt. The sheer impact of Viran created a crater in the middle of the grain that surrounded them.

‘I see… Embren is a Mage.’ Viran thought as he struggled to his feet.

Right now Viran was at a severe disadvantage, and in all likelihood he would die. Viran’s gaze turns towards the stunned Marianne who was still in a stupor, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Her gaze meets Viran and she slowly walks towards Embren.

“E-Embren you must be confused, or a curse was put upon you. It’s ok, just lower your sword down!” Marianne said slowly with her hands extended outward. Marianne was only wearing the leather armor she always had while her satchel and sword were lying numerous feet beyond her, and Embren stood in the way.

“Marianne…” Embren said with emotion. “Do you really think Lord Idicium cares about us? The work we do for him? Does he even care about what others think of him, or how he governs Arx? He doesn’t at all… He’s a self-centered prick!”

Embren’s words were filled with a fury that made Viran’s heart leap.

“Embren I don’t understand what you mean? What does Lord Idicium have anything to do with this? You just used magic on Lord Viran!” Marianne’s feet slowly inched ever closer to Embren.

“Marianne just listen to me! Without me Lord Idicium wouldn’t have let you become a Knight… All because of what happened with your ancestor! But I never cared about any of that, I only cared about the you in front of me! So please just… Don’t stop me.”

“Embren what are you going to do…” Marianne said doubtfully, her eyes repeatedly shifting to the sword.

“I-I have to do what needs to be done, for the next Lord. Lord Gregory will help me repair my House! The name Gen will not be gone yet! I will save it all!” Gregory begins to walk towards Viran with his sword outstretched.

Viran slowly walked backwards as Embren slowly started to encroach upon him, the situation was dire. Marianne was still hesitant, the only thing she can see is the cloudy mist of fear in the air originating from Viran.

Viran's eyes trembled as they stared directly at the sword in Embren’s hands, he knew his chances were dim. He will likely die if he does nothing. The pain slowly evaporates from Viran’s body as it is engulfed by the warm feeling of mana engulfing his entire body. Though his prowess in magic and swordsmanship had lagged behind due to the constant changes in his life, the one thing that had increased tremendously was his mana supply.

Viran jumps high into the ground and lands with a large thud breaking apart the grain and soil from around him, dust fills the eyes of everyone present. Just as this happens Marianne jumps towards her sword while Embren stabs directly at Viran’s position with the full intention to kill- yet a strong blow renders the attack incomplete as Embren readjusts himself. Viran’s body was filled with more energy than he had ever felt before as he kicked once more towards the flat side of Embren’s sword, knocking it back once more.

Viran was moving constantly on his feet, if he slowed down now he would be skewered in half. With every slash, every stab that Embren threw towards Viran the speed would only increase and Viran became an inch closer to death.

Again, a sudden push knocks Viran back down to the ground. With a simple wave of his hand Embren was able to immediately make Viran’s defenses falter. The mana within him surged like a wildfire as he walked towards Viran’s body, a grin written on his face.

A sudden slash from behind forces Embren to meet a new foe, Marianne.

“Marianne! Don’t do this!” Embren yells as a golden light envelops his entire body- he was unable to move a muscle.

Marianne was using her own magic on Embren, a spell that easily stopped all movement from him. A costly yet effective spell.

“I’m sorry… This isn’t like you… Why would you do this?” Marianne said with tears dripping from her eyes, her sword pierces Embren’s side.

It was a clean stab, something Embren wouldn’t die from yet the cry of anguish from him still freezed Marianne’s breath. She never thought Embren could do something like this, her view of him was always positive. Embren was always a kind and steadfast Knight, yet that was gone now. The Embren of the past wouldn’t kill a child like Viran, it wasn’t something he could do.

“Why..? Why do YOU do so much for him? You barely know the kid and yet you’re doing this for him?” Embren yells as the golden light falls from his body, blood drips from his body.

“Because he is my redemption, Embren. You may not understand this at all, but it’s all an endless cycle for someone of the Kieller name.” A deep agony is seen in the eyes of Marianne, ones never seen before by Embren. Were those eyes always there? Did they appear because of his actions? Or did he simply ignore them before, only focusing upon the kindness that Marianne exhibited.

Embren felt that Marianne would always be special in his heart, but even now he doubted himself. If he did not even understand the pain and agony within her eyes did he deserve to place her into his heart? He wanted to know many more things about Marianne, even just a little. He only understood that Viran was already someone embedded in the heart of the woman in front of him, a space he coveted.

His decision was already made.

“Marianne, I will kill that boy! I don’t want to but I have to… Why must he be your redemption? You should live for yourself!” Embren called out as he stood out.

In a grizzly fashion, Embren shoves his fingers directly into the wound into his side. His teeth bite together as his courage begins to grow, the smell of burnt flesh begins to linger in the air. Embren had used a simple spell to burn his own wound, cauterizing.

“You wouldn’t understand Embren… I am only a nameless link in the endless cycle. Even if I die, I will take you with me.” Marianne softly says with a smile, pointing her sword directly at Embren’s throat.

Nothing could any longer sustain Embren’s wrath, he knew if he killed Marianne he would regret it for the rest of his life. He may die, but killing Viran was what he needed to do. To release Marianne from her pain, her agony. Viran must die, and Embren would replace Viran’s place in Marianne’s heart.

Sparks fly once more. The sword within Marianne’s hands were unflinching stabbing and slashing towards Embren. He could feel the burning flesh in his side sear in pain repeatedly. He was constantly on the defense, all he needed was a chance. A single strike would kill the docile Viran on the ground, that was all he needed! To free Marianne he needed to remove him.

The grain surrounded them were trampled on, craters formed. The dormant mana in the air spurned in a frenzy, their fight was one of true experts. Constantly Embren would blast a gust of air towards Marianne, his hand engulfed in his green mana. Opposite of him Marianne would spurn her mana into a shield to protect herself, her own golden mana becoming increasingly aggressive.

“I won’t kill you Marianne!” Embren yells, resolving himself.

The mana begins to blast out, engulfing Embren’s very soul. His heart thumps as his hands release his own sword, and Marianne jumps forward with the full intent to kill. Her legs stamp onto the ground, caving the ground underneath her feet.

Marianne could not be blind to the treachery Embren showed, and his intent to kill Viran. She had to protect Viran as it was her duty now, her curse. Her redemption.

Her sword stops only inches away from Embren, a sad visage grows on his face. His entire body was blurred by enormous winds that created a seemingly impenetrable shield around him, something the weakened Marianne could not hope to puncture. She had been given a chance to kill Embren earlier, only she hadn’t taken the chance.

Embren lightly throws his hand towards Marianne’s blade, crushing it in half within a second. Another strike hits the side of Marianne, and she is sent flying feet away. Embren’s wrath was only moments away from being unleashed upon Viran.

He releases the spell, and his body is now seen clearly by all. The wind storm he had created was too strong for Marianne to puncture, and she was already unable to muster any more spells to use against him. Yet his body clearly showed to what extent the spell had hurt himself, blood gushed through the many cuts around his entire body. But he was numb to it all.

“You have no one to blame except yourself, Marianne. I’m doing this for you too… You’ll thank me later I’m sure.” Embren says lazily, his eyes having changed crimson.

“Yo-you don’t understand Embren.” Marianne could barely speak, blood gushed through her mouth in an endless wave. “The Kieller Family is different from you all! We are not fueled by lust, despair, rage- no! We are different!”

“We’re fueled by the shame that has dwelt upon us for centuries!”

A colossal scream is released from Marianne as she lunges at the feet of the already weakened Embren, and a dagger plunges directly into his gut. Viran stared directly into his eyes as he felt the dagger go through his flesh, unwavering.

The spells Embren had used were taxing on his body, and even more so on his flesh and body. An imperfect spell, by any means. His body staggers backwards, directly into the ground. A puddle of blood begins to coalesce around his body.

“Marianne!” Viran ran towards her body, only a soft smile was received in response.

“How are you smiling right now?”

Tears fall from Viran’s eyes directly onto Marianne, her soft voice is raspy and the scent of blood lingers around her body.

“I- I don’t smile just because I want to, Viran. I smile by habit, not by choice.” Marianne’s weak body is barely able to stand. “If you cannot smile, the shame overwhelms you.”

“We- we need to get you back to the Knights at the convoy!”

Marianne’s body leans onto Viran’s to stand up, yet she does not move.

“No. I won’t die from this much, there’s more people trying to kill you. Right? It would be shameful for me to die at this moment anyways.”

“What do you mean? Shame? There’s nothing you could be shameful about!” Viran yelled as he carried Marianne away.

“It would be shameful Viran, death and atonement do not travel hand in hand. Atonement only comes in the form of dying for something, after living a life of shame.” Marianne stiffly says, releasing most of her weight onto Viran.

“Dammit Marianne!” Viran yelled in anger, he couldn’t understand just what she was saying. Her attitude took a firm shift into something fantastical.

Viran’s hands quickly grabbed the satchel that laid on the ground and he continued moving Marianne away from the area. The entire time it took for them to fight was only six minutes, yet enough carnage was done to render both sides maimed.

“G-go towards the Forest… There’s a- there’s a research team there. Your Father wouldn’t let us go through the Forest… Otherwise….” Marianne heaved in pain.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Viran murmured in anguish, he could feel the warm blood fall from Marianne and onto him.

A day trek was needed to reach the forest, Viran’s original plan was shattered. The two could only rely on their luck from here on out.