The Moonlight Swordsman



"CATCH THEM...

"THEY ARE SO FUCKING FAST..

"THAT BITCH MAGIC IS WEIRD...

Soren and Zareena ran with unwavering resolve through the thick underbrush, their feet hammering the forest floor. 

Hot on their heels were the relentless pursuers, cursed magi followers comprised primarily of seafolk. 

Only a few of them were humans in the group.

Zareena's mastery of wind magic proved to be their saving grace. She created winds with a flick of her wrist, and they carried them forward, keeping just out of reach of their pursuers. 

The wind carried them with effortless grace, enabling them to navigate through the labyrinthine forest with uncanny swiftness.

Aizel, Daisy, Edumont, and Raven hid in the underbrush as they made their way to the agreed-upon meeting place, a mud swamp in the very center of the forest.

Every rustle of leaves and crack of branches set their hearts racing in anticipation.

They awaited Soren and Zareena's arrival with bated breath, their eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of their approaching allies.

"They are here," Daisy said.

Aizel's natural instincts kicked in. He sensed the approaching danger, knowing that Daisy's heightened perception had likely detected their allies' imminent arrival. 

He had no second thoughts about getting ready for the confrontation.

Moments later, as if in perfect sync with Daisy's foresight, Soren and Zareena burst into Aizel's line of sight. 

A swarm of Cursed Magi followers followed closely behind, their steps quick and their aims sinister.

With a swift motion, Aizel called Sekki, his trusted weapon. The air crackled with energy as the blade began its transformation. 

The weapon's grip was unexpectedly enhanced when chains formed and coiled around the handle. Simultaneously, the blade itself shattered into two separate daggers, each of which was tipped with swirling flames that licked hungrily at the air around it.  [GoW's blade of chaos]

"MOVE!" Aizel yelled.

When Zareena and Soren saw Aizel's blade morph so quickly, their battle-honed instincts kicked in and they leaped into action. Almost in unison, they suddenly went in different directions, each figuring out how to deal with the mayhem on the ground.

"Hey, another person..

"So they have allies...

"Let's kill him first...

Aizel's hands clenched tighter around the chain, and he swung it with precise accuracy, sending metallic links screeching through the air. 

The dual blades at the end spun in a mesmerizing display of deadly grace, their fiery aura growing with every rotation. 

With a burst of raw power, Aizel propelled himself forward, defying gravity as he leaped into the heart of the encroaching group.

Time seemed to slow as Aizel's descent brought him crashing down with an impact that resonated through the battlefield.

*BOOOOOM*

Sekki, enveloped in raging flames, slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact, setting off a catastrophic explosion that consumed everything in its path.

The force of the explosion caused the ground to shake, carving a deep crater in its wake.

Followers were engulfed in a wave of heat and destruction as the raging firestorm scorched the air. People were thrown in all directions as the flames danced like crazed ghosts, engulfing anything in their path. 

As the rumble of the fiery explosion died down, the group huddled close to Aizel. 

The aftermath of his powerful display lay scattered before them—followers of the Cursed Magi sprawled across the ground, their bodies battered and broken.

"I knew this would be an easy task, but I didn't expect something like that," Raven commented.

"That was well done. Fast and swift, but from now on, inform us first if you are trying to pull something like this," Edumont said.

Daisy's eyes shimmered with newfound admiration as she witnessed Aizel's power for the first time.

Zareena dragged three injured and broken followers to the ground as she came closer

Miraculously, they had managed to survive the intense battle while their companions met a different fate. 

Two were the seafolk while the last one was the human. 

"Let's take them back to the cave and wait for them to wake up," she said.

The rest of them nodded and headed back to the cave. 

As the group ventured further, their footsteps echoing in the dimly lit cave, they finally reached their destination after an hour of travel.

The pitch blackness of the cave seemed to come alive with the arrival of morning light. Golden sunlight peered through the trees and illuminated the cave mouth with a soft, ethereal light. 

Zareena gently lowered the three surviving followers to the ground, their tired bodies finding temporary respite. 

Exhausted from their arduous journey, the group settled down, one by one, finding spots to rest within the cave.

Zareena, feeling the weight of fatigue, took a seat and closed her eyes, seeking a moment of reprieve. The others followed suit, summoning small containers of water with their magic.

This guy—did he understand my magic just by seeing it? The way he applied that fire blast to his sword was similar. And how that low-level spirit sword can change its form," Zareena thought.

It's impossible. It took me 10 years to get down to the basics and perfect it. There's no way he can do it in just 3–4 days. He didn't even practice it."

"Princess,"

"Yes, Raven,"

"I have covered the whole cave with my spell. Until tomorrow, no one will be able to find us,"

"Good job, Raven."

"So when are we going to wake them up?" Soren asked.

"Let them wake up on their own. There is no need to rush." Zareen replied.

[It's good that you held back Master or every one of them would have died]

Hehe, guess I was just way too excited."

[Master, did you see that look on the princess's face? She was struggling to hide the shocked expression fufu]

I will wait patiently for the tournament. I will make her regret making a bet with me,"

[Master, you won't do something Korean manhwa mob-like things, right?]

Stop spouting rubbish again,"

"Aizel,'

"Yes, Daisy,"

"I didn't know you would be that strong. I mean, I knew you were, but when I sensed your power, it was on a whole other level.

"Hehe, what can I say? I guess I am not bad, huh?"

[Look at you]