The Ambush of the Four Kingdoms

The twilight sky over Eirenthal’s border burned crimson, as if staining the horizon with blood. A cold wind swept through, carrying the scent of iron and parched soil, as though the land itself was holding its breath in anticipation of something monumental. A long stone road stretched ahead, flanked by thin forests shivering under the breeze. Upon it walked Lyselle and Caelan, accompanied only by the clatter of hooves and an unnatural silence.

“…Do you feel that?” Lyselle glanced sideways at Caelan. Her long High Elf ears twitched, picking up faint footsteps hidden within the forest.

Caelan’s sharp gaze—half human, half shadow—had already fallen upon his black blade. “Yes. Not one or two. Hundreds.” His voice was deep, calm, yet heavy with tension.

Lyselle held her breath. Magic pressure seeped in from all sides, mingling with the clinking of chainmail, the stamping of hooves, and the faint creak of arrows being drawn.

This was no coincidence. They had been waiting here.

In an instant, a surge of black magic erupted from the trees. Arrows tipped with sorcery shot out from every direction, like a rain of falling stars. Lyselle raised her staff high, silver-blue light enveloping her body.

“《Aegis Lunaris》!”

A crescent-shaped shield of layered light appeared, deflecting the storm of arrows crashing down upon them. The sound of impact and shattering magic shook the air.

“Hah! You think you can trap us with such cheap tricks?” Caelan cleaved through two stray magic arrows, his sword releasing a surge of shadow that swallowed the light.

From deep within the forest, war horns blared. Four armies advanced at once, each bearing a different banner. The crimson of Drezhen, the gold-and-blue of Virelion, the white cross of Selvaria, and the cracked sword in black of Ardellon.

Each brought with them hundreds of soldiers, mages, and elite knights.

They had united for a single purpose—to erase Lyselle.

“So… they really conspired together.” Lyselle muttered softly, her chest tightening. Four kingdoms, normally at each other’s throats, had set aside their differences just to eliminate her. Proof of how great a threat she had become.

From the front lines, a Selvarian commander lifted his spear and roared, “LYSELLE ALTHARIEL! IN THE NAME OF THE FOUR CROWNS, YOUR JUDGMENT IS HERE!”

His cry was met with a thunderous chorus of soldiers. The pounding of hooves, the clash of steel, and the chanting of magic rippled through the battlefield.

Caelan smirked faintly, his eyes wild like a beast unleashed. “Heh. Finally, a real fight. Lyselle, ready?”

Lyselle drew a deep breath. Blue light gathered around her body, her silver hair whipping in the storm of mana. “I have no other choice. If they wish to make me their common enemy—then I’ll show them why they should be afraid.”

In an instant, the armies charged from four directions at once. Arrows of flame, spears of ice, blades, and elemental sorcery rained down upon them.

Caelan leapt forward, his blade tearing through the ground and releasing an explosion of shadow that devoured dozens of soldiers in one strike.

“《Shadow Break》!”

The ground split apart, tearing through the eastern formation. Meanwhile, Lyselle raised her hand skyward.

“《Starlight Nova》!”

Starlight cascaded down in silver beams, exploding in the midst of Drezhen’s archers. Screams and bursts of flame rang out, the battlefield lit like fireworks.

But the numbers were overwhelming. From the rear, Selvarian priests began chanting holy incantations powerful enough to pierce through ordinary barriers.

Seeing this, Lyselle leapt back, pressing her staff against the ground. Layer upon layer of magic circles spread beneath her feet.

“Caelan! Cover the right flank!”

“Leave it to me!” Caelan slashed at Ardellon knights who tried to encircle them, shadows forming into long spears that skewered scores of enemies.

Lyselle closed her eyes briefly. Her mana gathered. She couldn’t hold back such numbers with defense alone. She had to fight back—with everything she had.

A surge of blue radiance exploded, flooding the battlefield. Soldiers froze in place, trembling at the sight of the High Elf standing like a goddess of war.

“If this is my fate…” Lyselle whispered. “Then I’ll face it with my own hands!”

And the great battle began.

Steel clashed against steel, ringing endlessly in the night. The heat of torches mingled with torrents of magic, casting dancing silhouettes amidst smoke and blood.

Lyselle drew a deep breath, then charged. Her staff flashed, silver-blue lines carving the ground with each spell she unleashed.

“Lux Revalia!”

A blast of light erupted like a falling star. Dozens of Ardellon soldiers were hurled back, their bodies smashed against the city gate’s wall.

But the enemy pressed on. From the smoke emerged a black-armored knight—Ardellon’s commander—his massive blood-red sword gleaming.

“High Elf… finally, I’ve found you. Do you think your magic can withstand the hunger of men driven to slaughter?”

Lyselle’s eyes turned cold. “If hunger drives you to massacre the innocent, then your blade is nothing more than an executioner’s knife.”

The commander growled and charged. Each swing split the air, sparks flying as his strikes hammered against Lyselle’s shields. The ground beneath them cracked with every blow.

Meanwhile, on another side of the battlefield, Caelan was surrounded by twenty spear-wielding soldiers.

“Damn demon spawn! Capture him!”

Caelan vaulted into the air, his crimson eyes glowing. His twin blades cut swiftly, leaving trails of dark red light. Two heads flew in one strike.

But more came. Spears thrust from every angle, forcing him to twist his body with inhuman speed. Blood sprayed like rain.

“No one can stop my advance…!” he roared, slamming his blade into the ground.

A wave of dark energy exploded outward, the earth shattering as enemies were flung like broken dolls. From afar, Ardellon’s soldiers’ cheers twisted into screams of fear.

Yet they kept charging.

Lyselle’s gaze flickered toward Caelan, tension etched on her face.

“Caelan! Don’t burn through your strength too fast!”

“I can handle this! Focus on the commander!” he shouted back, parrying a spear aimed at his chest.

The Ardellon commander laughed darkly. “So busy protecting your lover? Good. I’ll cut him down before your eyes!”

His runed blade flared red, humming with power. The air trembled—

BOOOOM!!

The shockwave slammed into Lyselle, throwing her against the gate’s stone pillar, crumbling it into rubble. Dust filled the air.

“Lyselle!” Caelan roared, trying to reach her.

But five soldiers barred his path, spears thrusting in unison, holding him back.

Blood trickled from Lyselle’s lips as she rose unsteadily. Her white robe was torn, her shoulder bleeding.

“…Strong, aren’t you.” She gave a faint, defiant smile and raised her staff high. Moonlight reflected in her blazing blue eyes.

“Then I’ll stop holding back.”

Ancient words spilled from her lips—syllables even the heavens themselves dreaded to hear. Clouds churned, lightning flared wildly.

“Arclight Eternum!”

The heavens split. A colossal bolt of lightning struck down, smashing into Ardellon’s commander. The ground shook, the gate walls trembled. Soldiers too close were reduced to ash.

But through the blinding glare, the commander still stood. His body scorched, yet his eyes burned madly. With a monstrous roar, he raised his blade, forcing the lightning back.

“You think that’s enough to stop me?!”

Lyselle gritted her teeth. He’s still standing…?

Meanwhile, Caelan finally broke through the last soldiers. Blood covered his body—whether his own or his enemies’, it was unclear.

“We have to bring him down now, before he destroys the gate entirely!”

Lyselle nodded. “Then, a joint strike.”

Their eyes met for a brief moment—no further words needed.

Caelan leapt high, his blade cloaked in dense shadow. Below him, Lyselle raised her staff, focusing blinding holy light.

“Dark Rend!”

“Lumina Breaker!”

Light and darkness collided at a single point, crashing down upon the commander.

The explosion shook the western gate. Fire surged like a dragon, light seared the air, and the commander’s final scream was drowned in destruction.

When the smoke cleared, only charred earth and a burnt corpse remained.

Lyselle panted heavily. Caelan landed beside her, knees trembling.

But there was no time for relief. In the distance, Ardellon’s forces still rallied, their war cries unbroken.

The battle was far from over.

Screams mingled with explosions of magic across the field. Dust blanketed the sky as if the world itself had been swallowed by a storm. Lyselle spun, her silver hair gleaming amidst the fiery twilight, unleashing a bolt of lightning into advancing demons.

Behind her came ragged breaths. Caelan emerged through the chaos, armor tattered, shoulders slashed open, yet his eyes remained sharp. His blade rose high, wreathed in crimson-golden aura like unyielding embers.

“Lyselle! You’re not fighting alone!” he shouted hoarsely, but firmly.

Without waiting for an answer, he charged, his strike detonating like a shockwave. The ground split, demons hurled aside. Lyselle turned briefly, seeing him—and an unfamiliar warmth swelled inside her chest. Though they had only just met in this shattered world, his presence felt like an anchor.

“Caelan…” she whispered, then lifted her hand. A spell of light wrapped around Caelan’s blade, igniting it like a divine torch. Their souls resonated—High Elf sorceress and cursed warrior, fighting as one.

The battlefield turned into a deadly dance.

Lyselle’s lightning engulfed squads of demons, reducing them to ash. Caelan struck through the gaps, cleaving commanders in brutal swings. Together, they moved in perfect rhythm, as if the battlefield itself bent to their steps.

From afar, Ardellon’s faltering soldiers raised cheers again, chanting their names as if they were gods’ chosen.

But the enemy was not done. From the demon ranks emerged a towering behemoth—black-skinned, horn cracked, eyes blazing red. Its roar thundered, each step crushing dozens beneath it.

Caelan gritted his teeth.

“This one… we face together.”

Lyselle met his gaze, then nodded softly.

“If you fall, I’ll fall too. So don’t be stupid.”

The words cut deep, simple yet binding—an oath forged only in the heart of battle.

The behemoth roared and charged. Caelan leapt, his sword clashing against its horn in a deafening metallic shriek. Lyselle’s runes glowed, chains of light binding the monster’s legs.

“Now, Caelan!”

Caelan roared, channeling every last ounce of strength, his muscles straining to the breaking point. His blade carved into its neck, cracks of light spreading—CRRAAANG! The beast’s head flew, black blood raining down.

The massive body toppled with an earthshaking crash.

Lyselle gasped for breath. Caelan stood beside her, blade dripping with thick blood. Their eyes met—wounded, furious, yet sharing the same fragile relief.

No words were needed. Both knew—the war was far from finished.

Screams and blasts of magic tore through the night. The ground beneath Ardellon’s ruins quaked, as if the world itself rejected the battle’s existence. Black smoke coiled, carrying the stench of blood, scorched earth, and shattered stone.

Lyselle stood within a massive rune circle, her body battered. Blue light radiated from her, though her shoulders trembled with exhaustion. Around her lay dozens of fallen demons, charred or blasted apart like meteors striking the ground. Yet more surged forward.

Elsewhere, Caelan knelt on one knee, his black sword buried in the dirt. Blood ran from his temple down his jaw, yet his eyes still blazed with fury. With each breath, the demon within him pressed harder for release—a threat to both ally and enemy alike.

Lyselle’s gaze fell upon him, and for a fleeting moment, the rest of the world vanished.

“Caelan… hold on!” she cried, struggling to contain the unstable rune beneath her.

Caelan lifted his head, meeting her eyes. A bloody smile curved his lips.

“I’m still here. Don’t fall, Lyselle… you’re not the type to give up before I do.”

A roar thundered from the abyss. The demon general emerged—colossal, with broken wings and burning red eyes. His voice shook the air as he raised a massive sword wreathed in violet fire. One swing split the ruins behind Lyselle into rubble.

The explosion hurled her down. Caelan dashed forward, shielding her with his body. Dust billowed, his blood splattering.

“You fool! Why would you—” Lyselle started.

But Caelan locked eyes with her, his voice hoarse yet unwavering. “Because I won’t let you break before me.”

He shoved her back, rising to face the demon alone. His blade quivered, demonic aura leaking and cracking the earth beneath him. His dark hair whipped in the cursed wind, his eyes burning darker still.

“If it’s her you want…” Caelan raised his sword with both hands, blood dripping from his arms. “Then you’ll have to go through me first!”

The clash resounded. Steel met steel in a storm of violet sparks. Caelan was thrown back into a wall, yet he surged forward again, faster, his movements blurring into shadows.

Lyselle, trembling, began to carve her final rune. Tears welled—not from pain, but from fear of loss.

“Caelan… don’t die. Don’t leave me.”

Her tears fell onto the rune, fusing with her blood. The circle expanded, forming radiant wings upon her back. Golden-white light blazed, banishing the darkness.

The demon general lifted his sword to finish Caelan, who had collapsed to one knee.

Before the blade could fall, light engulfed the battlefield. Lyselle appeared before him, wings outstretched, a colossal shield of radiance clashing against the demon’s strike. Cracks split the air, as if the world’s glass was shattering.

“Don’t… touch him!” she screamed, her voice breaking with fury and fear.

Thousands of runes detonated, unleashing a storm of spears of light. The demon roared as his body was pierced, scorched, and finally collapsed, splitting the ruins apart.

Silence fell.

Lyselle sank to her knees, her wings shattering into fragments of light. Her breath ragged, her body trembling. Caelan crawled toward her, face drenched in blood, hand shaking as it touched her shoulder.

“You… you saved me,” he whispered.

Lyselle’s tear-filled eyes met his. A faint, bloody smile curved her lips.

“Idiot. Didn’t I say… I won’t let you walk alone?”

They collapsed side by side amidst corpses, blood, and fading light. The battle had ended… but the wounds they bore—in body and in heart—had only just begun.