Silvia's eyes widened, reflecting the incoming attack from the dragon. Its blue light devastated everything in its path, yet the girl's gaze was firm, unwavering.
An unruly power that awoke from its slumber thrashed away before it dwindled down, following the path that had been opened.
Around Silvia's body, a feral and ancient blue aura burst forth. Her thin armor solidified and encased her in a complete battle outfit with a halo circle made from swirling water and shards of ice and a majestic crown made from ice on top.
Her azure eyes flashed with a tint of platinum color mixed in, transforming her into a figure rivaling a Goddess.
Silvia's appearance brought a calm, flowing nature as if the world had returned to how it was supposed to be. She tightly grasped the sword and stabbed it to the ground.
The ground trembled and the world seemed to rejoice. A great spirit that holds the balance in the world has manifested.
"Manifest, Aegis".
Silvia's voice was soft, yet it carried a mountain of weight and mana in the surrounding area, blended and swirling in, creating a gigantic Shield towering over her body and Jin behind.
{Master, your body}
The water dragon that had a small appearance now grew as big as Silvia's arm. It swam around Silvia, its voice gentle like a mother worried about her child.
"...I'm okay". Silvia paused momentarily, but the water dragon noticed the furrowed brows.
It looked downward and saw the cold that seeped through the skin and flesh, freezing the girl's hand beyond repair. A crimson crack spread as Silvia tightened the grip on her sword hilt.
The jolt and searing agony assaulted her nerves, tormenting her consciousness, but she had no leeway to have unnecessary thoughts.
Silvia straightened her spine and faced the attack with the blue shield before her. The clash sent a shockwave that parted the clouds, making the earth scream in mercy.
Her expression twisted in excruciating pain, but she gritted her teeth, clenched her hands and roared from her depths.
"Haaaa!".
The crimson crack slowly crawled on her hand, yet she didn't falter. What she guarded behind meant something more valuable than her own.
"I will not break down!". Blood dripped from her lips, staining her pristine figure and armor.
[Mind Sword skill activated]
A sudden surge of power caressed her wounded limbs, erasing away the pain and squeezing out the bountiful will that tremendously shot upward like a pillar from Silvia's body.
Silvia was unaware of the event, yet she took the change for granted and charged forward, challenging her own fate.
Two colossal forces clashed, shattering the earth and parting the black sky above them. A gentle moonlight cascaded down, and the dragon's eyes shrank.
'This is strange? Why didn't the mortal still resist?'. The dragon, who had lived with nature for millennia, knew itself better and what power it possessed.
However, the dragon also forgot an important fact that its enemy before it had the same elemental aptitude, the bringer of water and ice.
Both had the same elemental aptitude, so instead of getting pushed back, the power was negated by each other.
'I see, so this has turned into a battle of attrition'. The dragon smirked, revealing its sharp teeth and kept its power steady and waited for the mortal faltering first.
Something happened, and the dragon's eyes knitted, seeing the shield bloom like a flower, spreading its shield reach on each side.
'Hooh, finally getting desperate, let's increase the power!'. The mana in its body glowed ferociously before it flowed into its mouth and enhanced its breath.
'Disappear, mortals!'.
***
As the major conflict happened near him, Jin's consciousness wandered around the darkness. It was deep in a black where he couldn't see its end nor knew he existed.
He felt empty and endless desolation enveloping him like a hungry storm that sucked him deeper into the abyss.
'Where is this?'. Jin's voice is soft, like an echo in his mind.
There was no reply, and nothing welcomed him; only endless darkness clouded his thoughts further.
'Jin'. A female voice echoed in the place, blasting his closed heart. The voice brought a warmth to his cold existence, and the distinctive voice left a deep impression that stirred something in his heart.
The void that clawed its way from his heart flooded his body, and a memory resurfaced.
Jin clutched his throbbing head. He felt his head splitting apart, yet his eyes were straight toward the image of a woman whose face was hidden beneath a thick black fog.
His vision blurred with tears streamed down his cheeks, recalling the desolation and throbbing in his chest. He reached out and saw a golden light emerge, blinding his sight with a letter that gave him a choice.
[String of Fate active]
Would you use Anima inside your body to break through this Fate?
Yes or No
'Fate?'. Jin eyes widened. A floating panel shimmered into view. On it was the image of Silvia standing against a dragon.
'Silvia, what are you doing?'. The girl who should have been gone from his side stood near him and fought the dragon while protecting him.
Jin blinked, his brows furrowed together, and the desolation from earlier was gone like it had never happened.
He shifted toward the hovering panel beside him and thought, 'Anima? What was that?'. Jin swallowed his own question, but his decision was certain. 'Yes'.
When he chose yes, the panel glowed in platinum, and he heard something inside him crack, which shattered like glass.
'This!?'. Jin flinched, standing still while gazing at an empty space.
His body was enveloped in faint gold. A tremendous raw power surged out, filling his entire veins and repairing his damaged body.
But that was not the reason Jin was in a daze. In his brain, a fragment of memories replicated as the figure of a golden-haired beauty shared her charming laugh, dining together with him, and the last exchange when they would separate.
Her weak, trembling voice and tears that stained her beauty pierced his heart with guilt.
'Athena…'.
The world around him broke like a mirror, intense light swallowed his being who had just recalled his dear lost partner.
***
An intense blizzard returned toward the field, bringing along chaotic winds that pushed away the two entities who kept the battle stalemate for minutes.
Silvia, her face pale and the red crack on her palm had crawled to her elbow, leaving hideous scars that would make people scrunch their faces when they saw it.
However, with blood smeared on her lower lips, the girl kept steady.
{...Master} The water dragon who floated behind the girl looked at her with a crumpled expression.
As a spirit, it can only help its Master to harness its true power but couldn't directly involve itself with the matter of the world, just like what had been ingrained in each great spirit's heart by its creator.
The water dragon felt a chill creep up. Its body shuddered, and it turned to the source. The boy regained his firm foot, standing still with ragged breath.
His condition was critical, hovering in between life and death, but his emerald eyes glowed in golden radiance, which made its existence feel insignificant before him.
"Kuh, I will not break!". Silvia's weakened voice gently lifted the corner of the boy's lips as he opened his mouth.
"You have grown, Silvia".
Jin's hoarse voice broke the tension in the area, and the girl's eyes widened to see a reflection of Jin's image in the shield before her.
"J-Jin?".
Silvia's eyes sharpened when she saw an insignia on Jin's forehead. It was a golden emblem pulsating like a heartbeat, closing the wound around his tattered body.
His figure took a first step and approached her side, her heart pounded like crazy, and tears that she thought had empty flooded her cheek once more.
Jin was standing beside her, all fine. The only concern that clamped her was the golden aura that calmly embraced the boy's body.
"Are you okay, Jin?". She held back her question and opened her lips.
The boy spread his lips and shook his head softly, "Not particularly".
"What? Kuh!?". Silvia's legs turned soft as she was dropped on her knees.
At the same time, cracks start to crawl along the massive shield in front of them, and in a final moment, it shatters, scattering glittering shards of ice in the atmosphere.
They both closed their eyes, but the impending death never came, so Silvia slightly pried her eyes open to see the dragon was stiffened, its predatory eyes glaring at the boy beside her.
"You? How can you still stand?". The dragon snarled, sending a shock that pushed away the blizzard that hit them like a storm.
"I don't know. Luck maybe?".
Jin moved his feet forward, passing over Silvia, whose body had turned soft and couldn't even lift a finger.
The armor around her body dissipated into mist along with the figure of the water dragon who left a lingering whisper in her ears, {Master, please be careful}
Silvia nodded and looked toward both the boy and the dragon.
The snow that falls over them feels like a small breeze as murderous intent leaks from both their eyes, sending an oppressive pressure that jolts the air.
"Jin, those powers". Her eyes widened. She saw the green aura mixed with a golden swirl around his body.
Jin didn't utter a single word. He exhaled softly and lowered his posture, posing in his Iai posture.
"You mongrel, persistent bug. I will erase you from existence".
A thunderous rage burst apart, followed by a colossal blue aura covering the entire land and sky, a testament to an ancient dragon might.
In a flash, the dragon compressed its breath and turned it into a massive destruction attack that would decimate them with no shield from Silvia.
However, Silvia loosened the tension in her body and exhaled sharply as she stared at Jin's figure.
'Jin, I believe in you'. Silvia's lips parted in a warm smile. She stood firmly on her belief in the boy.
The dragon shot its breath, traveling in a straight line in order to swallow both of them.
On the other hand, Jin tightly clenched his katana hilt and slowly drew his silver blade out. Its gleaming light, mixed with the green and gold, turned into a sharpened slash that cut through the dragon's breath and severed its neck, letting its huge head fall to the ground with a dull thud.
[Black Heaven Style Swordsmanship - Wind God]
#####
[Character Quest Complete]
Reward: Rainbow key stored inside the Item Box
#####