Mia warned her subordinates. “Be on your guard. They might no longer be the Keepers of the Skies, but they’re still a Deidirious Noble Clan.”

“Yes, Captain,” they responded together.

As they neared the battlefield, she heard a whirring sound. That sound. Her eyes widened. “Get out of the way.”

The woods in front disintegrated into ashes revealing a great black wave. The group jumped and it travelled deep into the forest destroying everything in its wake.

“What in the name of Eve?” Mia searched for the source of the destruction.

A woman wearing a black robe was crying in the middle of the battlefield. Standing a few yards behind her was another woman wielding a great sword.

“I don’t believe this, that’s Elizabeth Raven,” said Abela, one of the junior officers. “She looks exactly like the picture we have of her in our Memory Moons. And the sword in her hands, it’s the Legendary Winged Blade of Raven Leviathan.”

“Really? You sure?” one of the other officers asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. That black wave, it was the Draikas Luna, Breath of the Dark Moon, wasn’t it, Captain?

Mia’s eyes fluttered. Why is Elizabeth Raven here?

Elizabeth lifted the Winged Blade and swung it at a group of attackers in front of her. The earth overturned as hundreds of light waves flashed at them from behind a cloud of dust. Piercing into the bodies, the waves dematerialized the soldiers into nothing within seconds.

“And that’s Anglos Sol!” Abela squealed. “The Light of the Bright Sun, it deconstructs all matter it touches to its original form.”

“Abela, stop that excitement. Get ready. We need to stop her,” Mia bellowed. Honestly, this child and her love of the Great Raven. Was it a mistake to bring her along?

“Everyone attack her at once. She can’t kill us all,” someone from the battlefield shouted.

“No, don’t,” Mia screamed.

Elizabeth swung her blade again. There was no Aura wrapped around it but the slash of the blade created a wind storm, cutting through the soldiers’ skin like a sharp knife. A red-mist scattered around the silhouette of Elizabeth. Her eyes, a smoldering red, the veins in her face, all too visible. Her right hand which clasped the giant sword was draped in a Dark Aura.

Abela collapsed to the ground. “The last of the three strikes, Karasu Toargande, the King’s Curse. I can’t believe she used all three, it’ll take a while for the sword to gather enough Aura again but…”–she inhaled deeply and let it out–“truly the embodiment of the Great King, Raven Leviathan.”

“Abela.” Mia glared at her junior.

Abela froze. “I-I’m sorry. I fu-furr-gat my place, Cap-captain,” she stuttered.

Elizabeth raised her blade for another strike. The Deep Forest soldiers in front of her scampered away. “Damn You. Damn all of you,” she cried bringing down her sword. A boulder rose from the ground and took the full brunt of the blade’s impact, creating a vibration. Elizabeth let go of the blade and clutched her hands. Then a branch from a nearby tree smashed into Elizabeth’s chest and knocked her away.

Gasps escaped the lips of the Deep Foresters.

“It’s Captain Mia!”

“She’s here,” one of them echoed.

“Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia.” The Deep Forest soldiers roared Mia’s name together in a frenzy.

Elizabeth spat out some blood and peered up. “Who the hell…?”

Mia Yuuki jumped down from a tree’s branch and landed before Elizabeth. Mia’s attire radiated the blue of the sea. Her hair, the color of the night sky, was tied up into a bun with a white flower clip. She appeared very calm, but behind the calmness lurked a pair of dark blue eyes that resembled the ocean’s abyss.

“Captain, thank goodness you’re here. That’s Elizabeth Raven. She killed Jacobi and Miander with one hit. She’s dangerous. Be careful,” said one of the Deep Forest warriors.

“You did well, all of you. Now stand back,” Mia commanded.

Mia’s eyes were cold. “So, you are the Berserker’s Blade. I have to say, I’m disappointed.”

Elizabeth rose to her feet. “What do you mean?”

“I expected you to be a woman of honor.”

“Honor…Honor? How dare you speak of honor! You launched an unprovoked attack on many of my comrades.”

“I was told you are the Leader of your Clan right now and that you’re the daughter of the previous chief. Have you forgotten about the agreement between your clan and mine? You stay out of the Deep Forest, and we stay away from you. Wasn’t it something like that? The moment you stepped into these woods, you broke that pact.”

“We were just trying to go home, and this path through the woods was safer and faster,” Elizabeth snapped back. “Surely you guys aren’t so dense as to not realize this. We were staying away from the deeper parts, so you wouldn’t think we were attacking you. Instead of fighting us head-on, why didn’t you just come and ask us why we were here? I may not have been around when the agreement was signed by my father and your Clan Leader, but even I know that there should be an unwritten rule that common courtesy would be shown in situations like this.”

Mia narrowed her eyes. “Really? Then why did one of you attack my party that was coming to greet you?”

Elizabeth’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“I’m talking about the dark Amazon with blond hair. Don’t act all innocent with me. I know she is one of you,” Mia thundered.

Freedo backed away.

Mia noticed both their expressions. “Oh? Now, I’m terribly disappointed. What sort of leader are you that you aren’t even aware of what your own people are doing?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No, it can’t be.” She stared at Freedo. “What did you do?”

“I only did it for the good of the clan, Elizabeth, my child...I...,” Freedo stuttered.

“What did you do, Uncle Freedo?”

“Pcht!” he cursed and ran back the way they came.

“Uncle Freedo!”

He was almost out of the battlefield when a dart hit him in the neck.

Elizabeth gasped.

Freedo held his throat for a few seconds, then collapsed as blood spurted from his mouth. He lifted a hand up to the skies. “No…” His face rapidly became pale.

Mia watched his head hit the earth and stop moving. Her eyes returned to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth covered her mouth. “Oh, Uncle Freedo…why?”

“Tanya, you caught up. Has the assailant been taken back to the village?” Mia asked out loud.

“Yes, but it’s a good thing you were there, Mia.” Tanya Hellstorm, Mia’s Second-in-Command, moved out of the shadows carrying a blow-dart pipe. She was also dressed like Mia in the same type of clothing but in red. Compared to Mia, Tanya was shorter, more slender. Her dark red hair and eyes flashed against the high sun, giving them a fierce look. “That’s the first time I’ve fought an Amazon, never knew they were this battle-crazy.”

Mia shifted her attention to Elizabeth. “Your friend killed many of my comrades. I should have done the same to her. But she deserves a more-fitting punishment for her actions, same as all of you.”

Elizabeth held up her hands. “Wait, something’s not right here. I wasn’t aware of their actions. The rest of us had nothing to do with it.”

“Nothing to do with it?” Mia’s eyes flared up. “How dare you say that. Look around you and see how many of my brethren have fallen by your blades.”

“And many of mine have fallen by yours.”

“After you attacked us,” Mia retorted.

“I don’t know who drew the first blood, but you need to stop this mayhem.”

Mia began moving to Elizabeth. “Stop this? You kill and kill, then tell me we need to stop?”

“I’m sorry for what has happened. But…”–Elizabeth wiped her forehead–“I killed them because they took my family’s life.”

Mia froze. “Family?”

“Yes, we were just passing-through when your forces attacked. They bombed most of our wagons. My two-year old niece, my sister and…my ward were on one of them. My blood had been shed and I avenged its pain.”

The wind grew strong as leaves rained around them.

“I see,” Mia responded. “So you’re telling me, you only delivered retribution. And hence you will not surrender?”

“I can’t do that. What those two did happened outside my knowledge.”

Tanya stepped forward but Mia raised a hand, blocking her path.

“I understand.” Mia flexed her right hand. “A Noble of the Empire cannot bow down to the Deep Forest even if they’re in the wrong.”

Tanya’s hands fell to her sides. “Mia, what does that mean?”

“It means that if she surrenders, then it would create all sorts of problems with the Empire, not only for herself but her entire clan. She knows this, that’s why she’s denying the truth.”

Elizabeth’s eyes flickered. “I’m not denying anything. Your forces attacked us first.”

Roots sprouted out of the ground, lifting Elizabeth’s blade. They dropped it into her hands and returned to the earth.

Elizabeth grasped the sword tightly. “Why?”

Mia drew out her kunai from her utility belt. “You fight for your blind pride with that blade. I will destroy both it and you for my fallen comrades. That is my retribution.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“You’re wrong. It is the only way.”

Mia hurled her kunai at Elizabeth who jumped out of the way. The blades combusted into flames upon impact with the ground. Elizabeth Zeored above the trees with nimble steps before a hand caught her right leg.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Mia snarled.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “You can Zeor too? How—Unghhh!”

Mia whirled Elizabeth around in mid-air before releasing’s her leg, sending. Elizabeth across the battlefield above a river. Mia Zeored once again to Elizabeth’s side, with her right arm outstretched, revealing a kunai.

“I don’t believe this, mid-air Zeoring as well,” Elizabeth exclaimed.

“The fact that I can use magic should’ve been a dead give-away, Elizabeth,” Mia muttered.

Elizabeth tightened her hands around the hilt of her blade and slashed at the river below. A blade of wind crashed into the stream, forcing a wall of water to rise between them and block Mia.

Mia gritted her teeth. A coward’s tactics. But seeing a glint in the water, she dove backwards as the Winged Blade cut threw the wall and clipped a little of her hair. “Nice try, Elizabeth.”

“I’m not done yet,” Elizabeth whispered from below, facing the opposite direction from her.

Mia’s jaw dropped. “You…”

“You’re not the only one who knows mid-air Zeoring.”

Elizabeth grabbed Mia’s neck from behind and pulled her down to the ground. Mia somersaulted and kicked Elizabeth in the chest. Then pulling out two kunai, Mia tried to jab them into Elizabeth’s hands. Elizabeth caught Mia’s hands as they landed on solid dirt.

Sweat trickled down Mia’s forehead. “It’s rare to find someone who’s my equal in aerial combat.”

The vein’s on Elizabeth’s arms became visible. “Who said we’re equals?”

A shadow appeared above Mia’s head. Raising her eyes, she saw the Winged Blade descending. “You calculated it’s trajectory before attacking me?”

“Farewell, Mia.”

“Really?” Mia stomped her right foot. The earth rumbled before a stone wall rose to the skies, deflecting the weapon. “Have you forgotten what I can do on land?” A tree slammed its branch into Elizabeth’s shoulder blade from behind. Elizabeth was thrown off by the impact and landed four yards away.

Mia Zeored behind the groaning Elizabeth and forced her down on one knee. Abela and Tanya paced toward them.

Abela waved at Mia. “She’s a direct descendant of Raven Leviathan. Do we really need to kill her?”

Tanya blocked Abela. “We have no choice. She’s dangerous.”

Mia’s voice rose. “Tanya’s right. I told you to leave your personal preferences behind, Abela. Stay alert.”

Abela saluted. “Yes, ma’am.” Her right hand was trembling.

Mia slammed Elizabeth’s face to the earth. “I wanted to break that blade and then your head.” Her hands tightened around Elizabeth’s skull. “But it’s okay, we can do it like this.”

“Aaargh,” Elizabeth shrieked.

Mia heard a twig snapping from above and tilted her head. “What’s that?”

A man jumped down and threw a vial into the dirt. A momentary flash illuminated the Forest blinding everyone. Mia loosened her grip on Elizabeth and covered her eyes.

“Elizabeth, here.”

Who’s that? Mia squinted. The man grabbed Elizabeth before pulling her to the ground. “Why did he---”

A Black Aura hit Mia from behind and she crashed into a nearby tree.

“Mia,” Tanya cried.

The air left Mia’s lungs. Who the hell? She rubbed her back and coughed. Oh, that hurts so much. A green light traced her back and she sighed. That’s it, go away. She focused her eyes on the man. “Who are you?”

Elizabeth groaned and glanced sideways. Mia saw Elizabeth’s eyes widening.

“Leo,” said Elizabeth. “You’re alive? How? I saw the cart exploding.”

Cart exploding? Is he that ward then? No, he looks too old to be a ward.

Leo clasped Elizabeth’s hand. “I-I-I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

Mia noted that his hands were trembling. What’s wrong with him?

Leo continued, “She was waiting for the right moment to strike.”

She?

Mia heard a child’s cry and spotted a toddler in the black robed woman’s arms.

The woman kept murmuring, “Oh, Konan, I thought I lost you. Oh, my little one.” Next to her stood another person whom Mia had no difficulty in identifying.

Jenny Raven, the Second-in-Command?

“Jenny,” Elizabeth cheered. “I didn’t see you after the blast, so I thought…”

Jenny faintly smiled at Elizabeth. “Sorry about that. Zeoring in that explosion would have been risky. I had to teleport. Ended up a little too far away.”

Mia gritted her teeth. “Teleport? So it’s true. You really are a Tai Rasse related to the Fyona Firefly Clan.”

Jenny narrowed her eyes. “You seem to know me well.”

“Of course, I know you. Who doesn’t?” Mia scoffed. “The ‘Violet Raven’ who flickers past her opponents like a mirage as they fall down. At first, when I heard the rumours about your blood, I dismissed them. The Fyona are a proud race that believes in racial superiority. They would never fraternize with a Hellbrid, even a Noble. But now, I see I’m wrong.”

Jenny unsheathed her blade. “I’m glad you learned something in your final moments, Mia. That is your name, isn’t it? Your friend was screaming it when I sent you flying earlier.”

“Final?” Mia’s lips curled down. “Is being arrogant a Raven trait? I so wish to repay you for that Aura Blast, unfortunately, I’m not your opponent.”

Tanya stepped in front of Jenny.

“Oh? So you want to die first?” Jenny asked.

Tanya scowled. “Let’s see who’s dying after a few minutes.”

Mia caught Abela’s attention and pointed to the ground with her pinkie finger. This is going to get ugly. I’ll create a distraction. Retreat in that time and warn the Head.

Abela nodded.

I’m so glad I taught her the signals. Mia touched the ground and began chanting.

A faint rumbling came from underneath. The earth rose while parts of its crust crumbled apart causing seismic tremors on the battlefield. Horses keeled over their riders and the ground split in two.

She heard Elizabeth screaming. “Everyone, stay together.”

Unfortunately, I can’t let you do that. The landscape restructured itself as trees collapsed over the Raven horses and their riders. From all around her, Mia heard cries of death. I’m sorry, but you started this. After seven to ten minutes, the earth stopped shaking.

Mia coughed. “I hope Abela got away. Now for Elizabeth Raven.” She pulled out a kunai and headed toward Elizabeth. In the dusty atmosphere, she made out the outline of a person and stopped moving. That, that’s not Elizabeth. The dust cleared and Mia stared at Leo’s back.

It’s him.

“Who created this…?” Leo muttered. In front of him, stretching from the left to right was a giant stone wall higher than the trees.

“I was hoping to separate the Berserker from her comrades.” Mia kicked away the rubble blocking her path. “But it seems all I did was end up catching a mouse.”

He swiveled around.

Mia gave him a once-over. “Who are you?”

“No one in particular,” Leo replied. “Just a bystander.”

Mia wagged her katana at him. “Really? Then why did you try to risk his life to save the Leader of the Raven Clan herself?”

Leo’s face paled. “Please, don’t.” He took a few steps back.

Mia closed the gap between them and slashed him with her blade.

He cried and grabbed his injured hand. “Go away,” he shouted and ran toward the wall.

Mia rolled her eyes up. Why do they always want to do it the hard way?

Leo screamed again as Mia struck his ankles with her shurikens.

He fell down whimpering. “Please…don’t...”

“I hope all of you rot in hell for what you’ve done to my comrades.”

A rock hit her in the back of the head. She turned around with a wild expression and snarled at the black robed woman.

“Mizaki.” Leo cried. “Help…”

Behind Mizaki, hidden in the leaves of a bush, was little Konan. For a moment, when Mia saw the face of young Konan, scared and petrified, something heavy entered her heart. Something telling her that this was wrong.

Mizaki took out a dagger and pointed it at Mia with her shaking hands. Mia grunted and charged at Mizaki. A game of cat and mouse followed as Mizaki escaped Mia’s vicious punches by a hair’s breadth.

She doesn’t look very athletic. How is she dodging my attacks? A witch perhaps? Mia put her hands to the ground and muttered something. A giant parasitic plant sprouted from the ground.

The plant showed Mizaki its carnivorous teeth as it descended on her. She jumped out of the way but her movements stopped as soon as she touched the ground.

Mizaki’s eyes widened. “Oh no…” Her legs were snared in a sea of vines.

Mia smirked. “This is the end of the line.”

Mizaki locked eyes with her. “I don’t think so.” She placed her hands together and Mia was blinded by a light.

What the…No wait. This is bad! Mia immediately jumped back as a gray fire engulfed the plant and a small portion of her left hand. She grimaced as the pain seared through her body. No, she isn’t just a witch. “You…You’re one of the Priestesses of the Raven Shrine, aren’t you?”

Mizaki didn’t answer.

I should have known. Her dress is similar to the ones those priestesses wear; the only ones in their damned clan who can still use the ancient Gray Inferno of Raven Leviathan.

Mia gritted her teeth. “All of that dodging. It was just a diversion, wasn’t it? You used it to set up that Inferno spell.”

Mizaki pointed her dagger at Mia. “I’m warning you. Leave us alone and go away.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that,” said Mia. She closed her eyes and breathed in.

The knife nearly fell from Mizaki’s grasp. “It can’t be.”

The veins in Mia’s hands slowly became visible. She felt the beating of her heart and her veins dancing to its rhythm. She let out her breath and a green light raced over the injuries in her hand.

Mizaki fell to her knees. “No, I hit you with the Gray Inferno. So how? You’re alright even without a Healing Moon? It’s impossible. Such magic doesn’t exist.”

Mia opened her eyes and saw Mizaki’s frightened face. “That’s a bad habit. I wouldn’t encourage it. After all,” with one step, she was inches away from Mizaki, “Confusing the improbable with the impossible will get you killed someday.”

The priestess swung her knife wildly. Mia knocked it out of her hand and backhanded her. Mizaki yelped and fell to the ground. Mia followed the back-hand with a spinning over-head kick.

Mizaki danced back a few steps and pointed her left hand toward Mia’s flying figure. “Raven Clan Demon Art, Incendian!” A gray spiraling fire came out of her hand and tightened around Mia.

“How annoying.” Mia destroyed the circle from the inside with sheer strength creating a great explosion.

Mizaki coughed as smoke appeared around them. She jumped away as Mia threw a volley of shurikens at her.

“I wonder how long you can keep dodging me,” Mia pondered out loud.

Mizaki was struggling to breathe as she continued dodging.

“Reached our limit, have we?” Mia asked. Looks like the Gray Inferno comes with a price for the Wingless Ravens.

The smoke around Mizaki dispersed into the air. Mia saw the Sound Moon in Mizaki’s hands before it crumbled away.

Mia laughed. “A Priestess of the Twelve Shrines resorting to Moon magic? Too bad there’s no one around to witness this.” But she stopped laughing when she heard little Konan coughing behind Mizaki. For her daughter? The uneasiness returned to Mia’s heart.

Mizaki cast another Gray Inferno around Mia and her eyes darted to the giant wall.

Mia understood. “Wait…Are you trying to buy time for your friends to arrive?”

Mizaki gaped.

“I admire the quick decision you made. But it’s hopeless,” said Mia.

“What?”

Mia walked over the Gray Fire with no change in expression. Seeing this, Mizaki’s eyes twitched. A cloud passed over their heads.

Mia tugged her hair behind her ear. “Your friends will die.”

Mizaki stared at her. “No, Elizabeth and Jenny are…”

“Dead,” Mia replied quietly.

Mizaki shook her head. “No…No, yo-you’re ly…lying. You’re lying.”

A small wind came and played with the leaves around them. Mia lowered her eyes as the wind blew leaves into the sky. “Not just them. All of you were dead the moment you came into this Forest.”