"Mm, so you're a celestial mage… capable of using light and gravitational magic." Wyrnn spoke out, addressing Valea.
"...What a fool."
"A fool?"
"You and your companion have leapt into my domain, the land of the dead… and believe you will be able to accomplish your goal of defeating me?...I am the Father of the Hollow Choir and Lord of the Flesh Trade."
"Eradicate that woman." Wyrnn commanded the abomination that continued to echo with the voices of the dead. The voices themselves would be enough to paralyze someone or cause hallucinations but Valea's equipment defended against the magic effects.
The abomination launched forward, as it bared over her. It used one of its hands to strike down at her location, as Valea quickly used spatial magic to stop its attack, halting it.
She then summoned hundreds of light arrows that pierced through the abomination's body, striking true as the divine magic caused the abomination to scream in agony before returning to dust. The voices were silenced and the dead released from their captivity.
"...W-who are you…" Wyrnn was shocked that she easily defeated his entity with ease.
"You must be an A-Rank mercenary…unbelievable."
"Pathetic. That lower life form was barely a challenge." She said as she whipped her hair with elegance.
"...You bitch…"
"Choir Convergence!"
Wyrnn's Choir Convergence allowed him to summon spectral fragments of past Hollow Choir members to manifest and strike with coordinated magical attacks. There were three.
One of the spectrals then swung chains of black flames, leaping forward and attempting to engage Valea in a close-quarters-battle.
Valea attempted to utilize gravity magic to halt its advance, but had no effect as the specter was not physical, the magic just pressing down on the stones beneath and around the specter.
One of the spectrals then cried out, as the cries had emitted sonic waves that were capable of shattering many types of armor with ease, but the runes embedded onto her armor protected against the sonic wavelengths.
The last spectral was capable of casting phantom blades that passed through physical objects and disintegrated any living object. Valea felt the danger behind the blades as they were hurled toward her, casting light arrows to counter the incoming blades.
The specter with the chains quickly whipped them around, deflecting some of the light arrows that were sent its way, as the black flames countered and broke down the divine light. Black flames were the unnatural counter to divinity, representing infernality.
"...What a pain… she's even doing this well against three of my spectrals…" Wyrnn sucked his teeth.
Valea then quickly tried to cast a light arrow that broke through the spectre's lines and aimed toward Wyrnn, as his Bloodless Wards deflected the arrow. Black threads coiling from his robes that ignited in infernal flames. When coming in contact with the arrow, they whispered and screamed, as if a soul was destroyed.
"I am the one in annoyance, worm."
"Why don't you stop hiding behind your spells and come out like the insect you are."
"You must think I'm a fool!"
Two spectrals then engaged Valea once more, the one with the black flames and the other with the phantom blades. The last spectral was deemed useless and summoned away.
"...Urgh, it seems I'm using up all of my magic capacity just maintaining these spectrals…"
"After I kill you, celestial mage, and bring death to this city, I will recover my power with the deaths of the citizens you protect."
Staying long-range did not help Valea in this situation, as she launched forward toward the spectral with the black flames, as that was her biggest threat.
As she clashed with the chains with her staff-blade covered in a light aura, preventing the flames from disintegrating her staff, phantom blades were seen coming toward her flank. She quickly raised a shield of light that disintegrated the blades, but blocked her focus as the other spectral launched its counterattack.
She managed to parry the counterattack with quick ease as she then deflected the chains that recoiled toward the spectral.
"...Who the hell are you… how are you able to react to the spectrals with such ease?!"
"I was trained by individuals that can even surpass the strength of God in this world."
"...Now you're mocking me… arrogant woman."
"It is not arrogance, it is the truth. It seems you are a fool."
*
Valen placed his Aegis Judicium into the ground, as he relied solely on his physical strength and martial prowess.
He kept Veyra at bay as his mere punches sent large amounts of wind pressure around him and his fist hitting the ground broke the ground beneath them, as if small earthquakes occurred around them.
Veyra leapt back each time, evading his strikes, as Valen stood there, unphased and did not move an inch from where he stood.
She sighed. "Now I'm tired…"
"Just from the devastation alone, you sure do have a lot of physical strength. Like an ogre from mythology with the amount of power behind your fists. I'm not surprised you are boasting about it."
"...But, you know… that's all you seem to have reduced yourself to. A meathead that just uses his strength and no skill. Are you insulting martial artists?"
"What words, but no action to back them. All bark and no bite."
"...Of course I'd love to prove you wrong and carve your skull with my blade."
"Then what happened to that confidence of yours?"
Veyra had a stern look on her face, as she sucked her teeth in response, gripping both of her daggers. They both had gotten back into their combat stances.
"I would love to see how you plan to shorten the distance between us."
"...Who knows?"
She then extended herself back with her legs, then rushed forward at hurling speed. Valen then balled his fist and prepared to meet her face, as she swiftly dodged.
He held his ground, as he prepared to punch her again with his other hand. Veyra quickly casted strengthening magic and used her Mourner's Ribbon and temporarily stopped his arm as the garrote prevented him from moving.
She then prepared to strike his armor, but her dagger did not penetrate it, revealing how tough his Lamenhart armor was, despite seeming so light and maneuverable. She was bewildered, as she then leapt backward after Valen sent out another punch that let out strong wind pressure.
"...So hard… that just means I change my approach…"
"For how much you made me exhaust myself, I just wanted to be able to slice you up… little by little… until you begged for mercy."
"What disgusting behavior."
"Well, here I come, oh great hero."
She propelled herself again using strengthening magic, as Valen then attempted to punch her again. She quickly dodged by flipping over his arm, but Valen swiftly angled himself to send out a kick, his leg almost meeting her face.
She twisted her body midair and landed on his leg gracefully. She then attempted to stab into his helmet where his eyes were, but he managed to grab the dagger before it reached his helmet as he then punched her backward with force, sending her spiraling into the ground. He purposefully prevented the circlet of light from activating his divine shield.
Veyra began coughing as she got up, her strengthening magic managing to save her life.
"...I can tell you're still holding back… stop trying to give me a handicap when I was nearly able to severely wound you, idiot."
"I stand corrected. You are starting to show me you do have a bite after all."
"As much as I would love to improve my martial skills and continue to play around with you, it seems we are short on time."
Valen then telepathically spoke with Valea. "You have my permission to reveal yourself."
"Huh?"
"Attack me, Veyra the Smileless, with the full intent of meeting your untimely death."
*
"Yes, Your Majesty." Valea spoke back to Valen, as she then breathed in and out.
"It seems you are out of breath, celestial mage. If you surrender, I might just spare your life." He chuckled to himself, seeing as his two spectrals remained.
"You filth."
"What?"
"Don't be so cocky, you mere necromancer."
"Crush her, spectrals!"
"I will now fight as Lady Naerith Valewyn, the Tenet of Virtuous Ceremony."
Her alias as Valea had disappeared, as her entire appearance shifted as the runes embedded on her equipment and hair ignited in blue.
She was now abnormally pale with long, flowing hair of deepest black, worn partially up in intricate braids pinned with silver combs, allowing some locks to cascade down her back elegantly. Piercing storm-grey eyes with subtle flecks of sapphire, conveying both sharp intelligence and mystery. Slender and tall, moving with a dancer's grace — effortless, poised, and lethal in motion.
She wore the standard white and indigo tunic and cloak of the Valiant Hand of Virtue, but her silver embroidery features woven sigils and glyphs, representing her mastery of magic. Thin silver rings engraved with binding wards on each hand. A small, crescent-shaped brooch of polished sapphire at her throat — a personal token of her first great victory in service to the Empire.
A beautifully crafted silverwood staff, capped at both ends with violet-crystal tips, replaced the Solstice Veil as it disappeared into a pocket realm. The staff is both a focus for her battle magic and a blunt weapon, designed for parrying as well as spellcasting.
Naerith was known for her role as a master of ceremonial rites, magical protection, and battlefield morale; also led high-profile diplomatic missions where both grace and power must blend seamlessly.
She then casted several barrier wards mixed with arcane resistance, with her innate defensive magic, that allowed her to easily defend against the chains of black flames. The chains were deflected off with ease, despite the black flames initially challenging her. While the infernality of the flames were an adversary in itself, it was created through magic.
"...What just happened… could she use true defensive magic this entire time?"
"...She looks like a highly dignified servant… a maid?"
She then casted one of her offensive magic spells, a hurling bolt of condensed arcane energy, that was sent towards Father Wyrnn. His Bloodless Wards attempted to protect him, but the energy emanating from the bolt deflected the wards as it struck Wyrnn's right shoulder.
He yelled out in pain as he held his shoulder.
"Does it really hurt that badly?"
"...You've been hiding your true strength this entire time?!"
"I am merely showing you that I could've killed you at any time."
"...Are you insane?!…"
"What kind of response is that?"
"Use your head a little bit more. Or maybe you necromancers are filled with the pride that because you control death, you control reality as well."
"Let us end this, you failure. It would be rude to keep my master waiting any longer."
"It is time to teach you a lesson. The lesson fee is paid with your life!"
"SPECTRALS!"
The spectrals immediately charged toward Naerith, as she quickly casted more of her offensive magic that summoned weaved chains of binding light that latched onto the spectrals and prevented them from moving.
"H-how…. How is this possible?!"
"...Why?!... all of my concentrated efforts all of these years… it's going to end in this short span of time?!"
The chains of binding light also attached to the chains of black flames as they fought: divinity and infernality, as the light conquered the dark. The chains were then extinguished, as Naerith then casted several more bolts of arcane energy that struck the spectrals until they disappeared from reality, held down by her magical chains.
"I thank you, on behalf of my master, for being a stepping stone upon his eventual rule of this world."
Father Wyrnn watched as his spectrals disappeared from reality, followed by Naerith's next cast of a forceful shockwave that was sent hurling down at his position, as his body was crushed and compressed into the ground by the intense blast pressure that is often used to break apart heavy enemy formations.
"That is the death upon which you do not deserve."
A realm gate then opened, revealing a Covenant from the Legion of Viscera. The Covenants were a military brigade of necromancers and bone-adepts who followed in the wake of battles to raise the fallen as revenant forces. They considered death as utility; reverence for decay and reclamation. The Covenant wore deep crimson lacquered armor, left exposed to show living veins of blood magic. A helmet molded like a skull and a cloak of crimson silk, embroidered with arcane sigils and the symbol of his brigade, a three-eyed vulture perched atop a skull.
The Covenant began his work as he began to resurrect Father Wyrnn as a strong reanimate: revenant troops — formerly fallen warriors of the legion or enemy soldiers, raised by necromantic rites and enhanced with metal implants and alchemical sinews.
*
"...Did you suddenly give up?" Veyra was a bit bewildered by his proclamation.
"Since I gave Lady Naerith permission to reveal herself, I should finish up my playtime with you." He briefly shrugged.
"...You still think this is playtime, you bastard?!"
"You seem to have no real skill and rely solely on your rune embedded armor and still believe that you can beat me, Veyra the Smileless?!"
"It sure is impressive when the weak truly rave to this degree. It is music to my ears as they fail to realize the danger they are in."
"...I do agree we should finish this up…"
She quickly casted several layers of strengthening magic, a greater amount at which he had never seen in this world yet, at a much better proficiency then Sir Garran.
She then launched forward, at a much more overwhelming speed than before. Valen stood there, waiting to meet her attack.
"...You're not doing anything?!" She was enraged, as she prepared to strike his helmet once more through the same spot.
"DIE!"
His circlet of light then activated, as his divine shield briefly deflected the two daggers out of her hands with ease, as he then grabbed her neck with his hand, grasping it tightly.
"You've shown me not to truly underestimate anyone in this world. And I've gotten good practice out of this exercise, so I thank you."
"...No way… this is…"
"How does it feel? To truly fight at your hardest and lose so distastefully?"
"...Don't… underestimate… me!"
She tried to break free of his grip by grabbing his wrist and hand, but to no avail. He was much too strong for her, even with her layered strengthening magic.
"...W-why… w-why are you this strong?!"
"This is why I gave you a handicap. There was no need for me to fight seriously against someone of your level, filth."
"You were not even an enemy I deemed worthy enough to use my spear. I did not want to disgrace that weapon with the blood of your tainted body."
"...YOU… DAMN… BASTARD!..."
"Shit… you've… got to be… kidding me!"
"Now, let us begin."
Valen slowly choked the life out of her with his strengthened grip, slowly tightening his hand around her neck as she tried to break free.
"...N-no…. W-way…. Y-you…. B-b… b-bastard!..." She could hardly get her words out as her lungs gasped for air inside of her body.
"Death by strangulation. An ironic end, wouldn't you say?"
She felt his full intent of ending her life, as the fear finally reached the deepest etches of her subconscious and consciousness.
"Why are you flailing so much? I thought you would love to die the way you kill others."
She continuously gagged, now unable to speak, as the very bones within her neck were crushed. Her cervical spine began to crack.
"You took your time killing every single one of them, didn't you?"
"Especially the youngest of the group. Valien."
"So, for their vengeful souls to finally rest, I will take my time with you as well. Slowly as your eyes flash white and black, peering into the realm of life and death."
"P… l….e…..a…...s...e….."
Her entire neck was crushed to atoms inside of his hand, blood spiraling out as her entire body dropped to the floor. The blood that stained his armor immediately burned off, as if the armor recognized the blood as a foreign substance.
*
"I take it the Covenants have arrived and the Starborne Infantry have evacuated."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Have the Seerblades and the Covenants work together to create an illusionary dummy body for both Wyrnn and Veyra. They will be used, but we need to ensure they are shown to be the culprits behind this incursion."
"The rest of the Hollow Choir does not concern me at the moment. Without a leader, they will scatter back to the Gravemarket."
"Understood. The Starborne Infantry have cleared out the Hollow Narthex and left behind Thennel the Mireleaf for your inspection."
"Then let us go."
*
Valen and Naerith, now camouflaged as Valea, entered the Hollow Narthex, where the bodies of the Hollow Choir were seen throughout the underground structure, seemingly pierced or slashed by the Starborne's spears.
It was shown that Thennel was shown on a rock formation within the underground outpost, in the middle of a ritual magic circle that was disrupted by the anti-magic properties of the Starborne. He was lying on the floor with the Crown of Puppets covering his entire upper half of his face, as he was unconscious and seemingly lost of life.
"...Hmm, it seems his mind has vanished into the crown itself, like it has been sucked into a void…"
"...As much as I'd love to take him to Viscera's End and experiment with Thennel, failing this job quest would defeat the purpose of me coming out here in the first place…"
Valen then casted several counter magic spells, as well as wrote magic runes upon Thennel's face, that removed the Crown of Puppets. Thennel was severed from the clutches of the magic effects of the crown, as Valen had it disappear into a pocket realm leading into the dukedom of Viscera's End.
"It is time to return. Let this Kingdom rejoice in our victory…"
"...And let our goal of ruling this kingdom come successfully."