Venigquara, The Origin

The battle between the Dragonkin and the skeleton soldiers still raged on. I had expected the undead army to crumble once I defeated Razel. Yet, they continued to move with free will like zombies after brains.

From above, I could see the Dragonkin struggling against the overwhelming numbers of the skeletons. Yet, despite the odds, they fought relentlessly. Some fell, but others pressed on, swinging their swords and thrusting their spears with unwavering determination.

It was truly a beautiful sight—the will to never give up. For a moment, I even considered lending them a hand. But my mana was still recovering.

Then why not remove my sealing ornaments?

A fleeting thought, quickly dismissed. Sealing ornaments could only be undone by someone other then yourself.

So, I chose to watch. Excitement bubbled within me as the battle unfolded.

***

Liana Flammé had always been strong. From a young age, she could overpower most grown men. With her skill [Mastered Strike], which allowed her to strike a target with perfect accuracy—shattering any armor—it was no surprise she had earned the position of Vice-Commander at just ten years old.

And yet, this genius now faced skeletons that completely negated her skill.

How?!

She slashed and slashed, but no matter how many times she tried, her skill didn't shatter their shadow armor.

"Lia! Fall back!" Weiz commanded.

Gritting her teeth, Lia retreated, leaving behind the fallen. She stood beside Weiz, her fists clenched.

"Lia, listen carefully. Under no circumstances should you use 'that' skill."

His voice was firm, unwavering.

Lia snapped back. "But—"

"Lia! Listen! Do you want to throw your life away?!"

She fell silent, her gaze fixed on the approaching army. At this rate, the skeletons would reach their ruined village, destroying what little remained—along with the people. She couldn’t let that happen. She had a way to stop it.

For the first time in her life, Lia disregarded an order from a superior.

"Forgive me, Weiz. I’ll take any punishment later, but…"

"No! Lia! Sto—"

"[>Master of Spirits<]"

A blinding light erupted from Lia’s body as a gust of mana surged across the battlefield. Even Alice, miles away, felt its force.

Lia’s body began to change. Her three horns became seven, forming a crown around her head.

When the transformation ended, silence fell—so still it was as if time itself had stopped.

Then, with a single breath, she spoke.

"Spirit of Water, Spirit of Air, Spirit of Fire, Spirit of Earth… Appear and become thy origin—Venigquara."

Four small creatures materialized, each composed of a different element. Water. Wind. Fire. Earth. They drifted toward one another, merging into a brilliant sphere of light.

A feminine figure emerged from the radiance, her body composed entirely of shimmering energy, her hair flowing like liquid starlight.

Weiz’s voice trembled. "Lia… what have you done?!"

Before he could finish, the being released a deafening, distorted screech. A shockwave of power rippled through the air.

Without warning, Weiz and the other Dragonkin collapsed, falling into a deep slumber. This being must not be let free. That was Weiz’s last thought before darkness took him.

Venigquara raised a claw-like hand, its fingers wreathed in light. With a single swipe, a gale powerful enough to slice clean through the skeletons tore across the battlefield, wiping out half the army.

Then, it spread its radiant wings and ascended. Raising one hand, it spoke.

"Ignis."

Its voice was both elegant and otherworldly, layered with eerie distortions.

Above its palm, a massive sphere of raging flames took shape—larger than the being itself.

With a slow, deliberate motion, it lowered its hand.

The fireball obeyed.

It plummeted like a meteor, striking the earth with a force that sent tremors through the battlefield. The explosion that followed devoured everything in its path, its blast powerful enough to send even Lia stumbling.

But she stood her ground.

The being let out another earsplitting screech. This time, its sights were set on Lia. It descended slowly, the crater behind it still smoldering from the flames.

Lia’s body refused to move. Blood gushed from her eyes, golden rings glowing in her irises.

She was weakening.

The [>Master of Spirits<] skill had summoned the four Spirit Kings, fusing them into a single being—Venigquara, the Spirit of Origin. The cost? A staggering amount of mana. Mana that Lia did not possess.

And so, it consumed something else.

Her life force.

Venigquara had a will of its own and could move without a command from its master.

Raising a single finger, it spoke once more.

"Aqua."

A sphere of swirling water formed at its fingertip.

Again, that unnatural, distorted screech filled the air.

Then, it fired.

The water shot forward like a bullet—so fast that even at peak condition, Lia wouldn’t have been able to dodge.

It struck.

The impact tore a gaping hole through her chest. Blood dripped from the wound, but she couldn’t even scream. It burned. It froze. Her voice failed her. Her vision blurred.

Her legs gave out.

She collapsed. Yet, even as she lay there, Venigquara continued to drain her life force.

Her thoughts were the only thing left within her control.

(Is this the end…? I always knew this day would come. That I would sacrifice my life for the village. But… I don’t want to die.)

Tears streamed down her face. She still had so much left to do. Her dream of becoming a general…

Her vision darkened.

The last thing she saw was death approaching—

—Until a gust of wind rushed from above, accompanied by a soft, almost too beautiful voice.

"Oh? Lia, you're making such a beautiful expression again."

With the last of her strength, she forced her eyes open.

An angel? No… a girl. A beautiful girl with a smile that sent chills down her spine. Wings white as snow. A face so flawless it felt like a sin to describe.

Yet, that breathtaking appearance hid something far more sinister.

Alice.

A faint smile formed on Lia’s lips—not because she expected Alice to save her, but because… at least someone would remember her last moments.

Her eyes fell shut. Darkness swallowed her.

***

I looked down at the radiant being standing before me.

With only a few moves, it had wiped out the entire skeleton army.

And the mana it held… was far greater than mine.

My wounds had long healed from my earlier battle, and excitement burned within me at the thought of facing something that could actually kill me.

But irritation crept in. Lia was losing something far more precious than mana.

(To think she also possessed a Lost Skill… Why didn’t she use it sooner? Was it because it took that unknown energy?)

But now wasn’t the time to be selfish.

Lia was losing something far more precious than mana.

To think she also possessed a Lost Skill…

I narrowed my eyes.

Something—no, someone—stood behind me.

I frowned.

"Razel. Didn’t I tell you to stay behind?"

Razel stood there, fully healed.

"Hmph. Why should I? If you die, how will I ever repay my debt?"

I sighed. "Fine. But I won’t save you a second time, weakling."

"Wha—"

Before he could snap back, I shot forward with a burst of wind, cutting him off.

Behind me, I heard him mutter.

"I can’t believe I lost to some little brat."

With a sigh, he followed.

Our focus was now on the being of light before us.