In the mountains of the Eastern Empire, a silhouette appeared.
Branches cracked.
It slipped between the trunks, bounced, slid, and leapt again.
Leaves whirled in its wake, the landscape rushing past at dizzying speed.
It landed on a branch, drew a dagger, and tossed it into the air.
A fireball erupted and struck the blade almost instantly. Explosion.
The shockwave threw it backward.
But it regained balance, landed on the ground, and shot forward like an arrow.
Gusts of wind whistled around it, branches snapping behind like a frenzied melody.
In a flash, it moved through acrobatics on the ground and through the trees.
Finally, it emerged from the forest into a lush, green meadow.
It barely had time to catch its breath.
A chain of thorns cut through the air, lightning-fast, heading straight for it.
With a swift, fluid motion, it extended its hand, forming a red energy barrier that blocked the attack.
But an enemy appeared from the left, claws sharp as razors, piercing the silhouette.
Fabric.
It was only a veil.
Before the attacker realized, a violent kick hit him full force, spinning him like a top.
He regained his footing and glimpsed the body hidden beneath the veil.
She revealed herself.
A young girl of about fifteen, dressed in black.
Her blue hair whipped in the wind.
She barely had time to catch her breath when a massive man appeared behind her, a huge hammer raised high above his head.
She slowly turned her gaze toward him.
Her eyes glowed like embers.
The hammer fell.
The impact was colossal.
Yet, she was not destroyed.
She stood atop the man's head, dominating the scene as if to assert her superiority.
The man wearing a mask with three vertical slits rose.
He extended his legs and leapt toward her, claws exposed, moving at blinding speed.
At the same time, the hammer-wielding man charged again.
The battle shifted.
One against two.
She dodged. Again. And again.
Attacks rained down, yet none struck her.
Suddenly, she pivoted, delivering a brutal kick to the face of the hammer-wielder, sending him flying back.
In the same motion, she grabbed the masked man and threw him through the environment.
But he charged again immediately.
She deployed a red energy shield.
The assault was blocked.
Too late.
The hammer struck.
The shield cracked, then shattered under the impact.
The young girl dodged once more.
But this time, her movements were slower.
She was visibly weakened.
Before she could recover, another attack came… from below.
Spiked chains erupted from the ground, attempting to coil around her.
Her red aura flared in the palm of her hand.
A blinding light burst forth.
Then… an explosion.
A torrent of flames rained down on her enemies, breaking their chains and devastating the battlefield.
Amid the inferno, a silhouette remained still.
Within the scorching flames, the young girl stood calmly, as if the fire did not touch her. Her figure etched clearly in the blaze, as she slowly raised her hand to her mouth.
But another enemy struck from the air.
Sword raised, descending, ready to strike.
She reacted instinctively.
A blade of energy formed in her hand and blocked the blow in a flash.
— Already out of strength, princess ?!
The newcomer immediately followed with a spinning kick.
The girl raised her arm and blocked the strike, teeth gritted.
The hit sent her rolling away, while the hammer-wielder charged again, Saint-Martin enveloped in intense blue energy.
— No, wait !
The voice of the man with the three-slit mask rang out.
Too late.
The hammer fell.
The impact devastated the region.
The ground exploded, titanic shockwaves sweeping across the battlefield, consuming everything in their path.
Growls echoed through the thick smoke.
Arcs of energy still crackled through the air, briefly illuminating the silhouettes standing amid the chaos.
A metallic whistle suddenly pierced the haze.
The smoke split in two.
The sword-wielder calmly sheathed his weapon, then let out a long sigh, turning toward the hammer-wielder.
— Hey, Zep… care to explain what you were thinking, damn it ?
His voice was tired, irritated.
— I remind you, we were ordered to bring her back alive.
The man with the three-slit mask emerged from the debris, dusting off his shoulders.
— You have some nerve talking like that, Kay.
— You also tried to cut her in half.
Kay displayed an arrogant, almost mocking smile.
— Perhaps.
— But at least I wasn't trampled by a fifteen-year-old girl, Zod.
A tense silence fell.
Footsteps echoed.
A fourth silhouette slowly emerged from the dust.
Their clothes were torn, a scarf covering the lower half of their face.
A bandage concealed their right eye, while the other glowed a crimson, feline light.
— Stop bickering like children.
Their voice was calm. Sharp.
— You all failed.
— No need to argue over who was the least pathetic among you.
Zod and Kay immediately fell silent.
The wind carried away the last clouds of dust surrounding them.
— Good.
The figure paused, scanning the surroundings.
— Does anyone know where she went ?
Kay shrugged, feigning indifference.
The leader crouched, pressing two fingers into a dark puddle on the ground.
Blood.
A greenish tint mixed in.
— In her condition…
He slowly stood.
— She couldn't have gone far.
At these words, a crow perched on a smoking rock from the explosion, as if observing the scene unfolding before it.