Edenteric

The End of Festival II

The battle is still going on, the Vanor festival ends in chaos. Some of the charred buildings were devoured by fire, the night wind blew making it even bigger. Once the situation was under control, the Undead had been repulsed, most of it being thrown into dust. The great help of the Voids changed the situation. Meanwhile the Atrium had been free from the invasion of the undead which a while ago became a big problem.

Jrash!!

Dimas thrust his sword into the ground, piercing through the head of the Undead who was then scattered by light magic from one of the Nine Divisions who came as reinforcements. Dimas dropped down later, sitting limp next to the main bordes of the Atrium that were no longer shaped, gasping for fatigue.

Zayn folded back his silver bow, kept it under his cloak and then stepped towards Dimas with a mocking look.

"What the fuck are you? come late, and fall first"

Dimas squinted an annoyed look at Zayn.

"HAVE YOU EVER CONTROLLED HUNDREDS OF VOIDS AT ONCE!!??" his shout was annoyed as he pointed at Zayn's face with his sword. Instead Zayn simply rolled his eyes bored, he chuckled and then took his place next to Dimas.

"Yes yes, I know" he said, leaning beside Dimas. He looked at the damage that was happening around him.

"How are things?"

Dimas took his breath back.

"Everything is under control, and I won't move from this place anymore" Dimas said in a lethargic tone.

"I've finished my Cloe, but I've just had a taste of how much fun it is to sleep after a long trip yesterday"

Zayn laughed. Then Syifa came over to the two of them, reporting that the perimeter of the Atrium had cleared from the Undead. Zayn got up from his sitting position, somewhat losing his balance so tired.

"You okay?" ask Syifa. The water girl asked without a tone, making it sound as if she was not worried about anything at all. Zayn shook his head, although it was undeniable that he had also run out of energy, but he still tried to stand.

"We better get to the main gate right away" he said, his eyes almost losing focus, making him once again stagger almost to fall, Syifa helping him to his feet. Dimas looked at his friend.

"No need to force myself, I know the situation over there seems quite dire.." Dimas coughed for a bit, hoping that all this would be done quickly so that he could go back to sleep. And then restless when he realized that his sleeping cap was in the hands of a stranger.

"But leave it to the fool" he said again with the remnants of his strength. He breathed deeply. The four deputies faced, Rough reporting that the situation in each place had been brought under control, but he asked permission to check in person. Dimas.

"Immediately tell me if everything is okay, I can't hold on to the Voids any longer" the four representatives nodded in understanding, then dispersed in all directions.

***

The hospital ward also celebrated his victory. The arrival of the Voids as reinforcements made them manage to win over their perimeter, although damage was inevitable. Some parts of the hospital have been burned, leaving a scorched rock in the corner, some people from the Lima Division helping some of the injured troops, bringing them into the hospital, or just provide first aid, while Division Nine has been spread all over the place, leaving a little group of them.

Around dozens of Void dressed servants came to help. Some of those who were large in stature tried to move some of the rubble marks that blocked the road, some were still on standby with their creepy weapons, double-edged swords, and others were still on standby, super large axes and some that look like feathers with copper spines.

Iqbal and some of his Division were standing guard at the hospital gate enjoying a pot of Apricot juice as Rouge and Violet arrived.

"Ha any more help?" Iqbal asked, raising his glass of juice. He offers the two girls juice, but Rough refuses even though Violet looks at the glass in Iqbal's hand with interest.

"We're here just to make sure things go" Rough said, looking around, while Violet welcomed a glass of juice from one of the Five Division men.

"But there seems to be nothing to worry about" he said again, shrugging his shoulders.

Then Lian came towards them from the hospital accompanied by a female Void who was carrying a large thorny mace on her back without difficulty, she stepped towards Iqbal at the hospital gate.

Iqbal offered the third Aldrich a glass of juice, Lian refused, instead staring at Rough, the girl in red.

"It's all done, sister Mei is working hard to care for those who are injured" he said in response to Rough's questions. He then turned to Iqbal who was still sitting leaning beside the hospital fence.

"It's good if we tell Kevin about the current situation" he said, who later got a thumb force from Iqbal. Lian threw a square-shaped bluish Candellion towards Iqbal.

"Say also to send Kiruru here as soon as she's done there, I think Mei's sister needs a little help"

Iqbal grasped the modified Candellion until it shimmered. Candellipvon, an Alvian communication tool capable of transmitting the user's Cloe flow to other Candellipvon users within a radius of 5 km. Soon Iqbal was connected to Kevin.

Lian turned towards Rough.

"Oh yeah, tell Dimas too, he can take off his nurse, I think he's tired enough to control them at once" he said, glancing at Void beside him, while the Void girl did not react, he just stood next to Lian with the security protocol Dimas ordered.

"Sometimes it scares me a little, they work like machines" he said. Rough nodded in understanding.

Iqbal interrupts, informing him that he has delivered everything.

"Kiruru will be here soon" he said, Lian nodding. He stared far away at the main gate without a sound. Iqbal followed Lian's gaze.

"I feel it too." said Iqbal who made Lian sober.

"A moment ago, just for a moment, I felt Cloe quite terrible there, honestly I was a little surprised, I got this wound" he pointed at his own shoulder which had now been bandaged.

"It's funny, no, I'm off guard and that ugly corpse carries a big axe, yes that's how it ends"

Iqbal breathed. He twisted his unharmed shoulders, trying to stretch his body after the fight. Then drink the juice of the forest Apricot glassed.

"But not to worry, right? Udzaa will take care of that part, there will be no problem except.." he hung his sentence while staring at the night sky.

"It looks like we need a major renovation at the main gate this week" he said with a chuckle. Lian also smiled a little, inevitably he agreed to Iqbal's words.

Rough nodded in agreement, whereas Violet had already finished her third glass of Apricot juice when something happened. They all felt it, even Violet to the point of dropping her fourth glass.

"!!" Iqbal exchanged glances with Lian. So did Rough and Violet.

"What's this!??" Lian looked towards the main gate. For a moment, the four of them felt Noey's Cloe flow stop. That was not a good sign, Iqbal immediately grabbed his sword which he had leaned beside the hospital gate, but his shoulder was painful.

"You stay here, I'll check it out" Lian turned to Rough and Violet.

"You two come with me" he said again, then darted to the main gate, followed by Rough and Violet behind him.

***

Duarr!!

For the umpteenth time tonight, a huge explosion occurred at the main gate. Zach was knocked back by the blast, the dust thinning, revealing the figure of Udzaa standing firmly grasping his greatsword, staring with fury at the man in front of him.

Frans was quite surprised by the arrival of his brother, he himself could not move much, although he still felt a strong anger in him. He did not even feel the arrival of Udzaa before, until his brother was standing in front of him now.

"Calm yourself.." Udzaa said without looking. Those words were like bewitching Frans, relaxing her muscles so easily that she could not even stand up. His knees faltered, he fell sitting on the stone floor with sweat running from his forehead. His breath was severed, he could feel pain in his chest, just above his broken ribs.

Errol floated low in the air, then slid down right beside Frans. Frans looked at the black-gray frog who had folded its wings behind his back, trying to smile a little at him.

"You're okay gero~" asked Errol in his frog-typical voice. Frans shook his head weakly.

Then Iro and Dinda appeared right-left Udzaa with wounds on her body, Iro turned his head back, thanking Errol who had helped them both before. Udzaa was aware of the presence of both. Iro with short breath, full of wounds and fatigue, on the contrary Dinda, although the wound is as much as Iro, the little girl looks full of energy, growling small with half of her body turned dark, and the little girl looks full of energy, his right eye was injured until it could not be opened while his left eye was completely blackened without a pupil.

Udzaa glanced at the figure of Dinda beside him, who was half-turned into a monstrous form. He was quite surprised to see the current state of Dinda, the little girl still looks excellent due to the coercion of other forms. Udzaa patted the tense shoulder of the little girl, who then squeezed out instantly. With that one touch, Dinda regained her normal existence, the porcelain-skinned little girl now full of sweat and fatigue.

"Huff, thanks for that, I feel a little better" he said with a heavy breath.

"Rest, let me take over from here" Udzaa said, taking one step forward. Iro pushed forward, aligning himself with the fourth Aldrich.

"I'll help." said Iro. Udzaa.

"If you still have the strength to stand up, better immediately take Brother Noey away from here" said Udzaa later. Iro denied any desire to remain there, but that provoked Aldrich's fourth anger.

"What I'm saying is less clear!" Iro immediately silenced his own mouth, then nodded obediently. He looked towards Frans who was trying to stand up. Frans gave a look if they should immediately take Noey to the hospital.

With his remaining strength, Frans refutes Noey's unconscious body, while Iro lifts up the unconscious Mou. They were preparing to leave, their bodies slowly pounding, billowing gently, blurring into the thick white mist just as Udzaa was flinging down the pressure of his Cloe, Errol followed.

Meanwhile, Zach stared intently at them. With his creepy grin, he darted off to attack. Udzaa swung his greatsword towards Zach who easily twisted past Udzaa without any desire to fight him. He preferred to attack the five girls behind him who were trying to leave.

"You think you can just walk away hahhh!!!!" his roar as it darted past Udzaa, preparing to jump towards them, intending to kill all the girls, with a crazy gaze he clasped the silver dagger firmly until it trembled in his hand.

Udzaa blocked Zach quickly, he swung his sword horizontally, trying to slash his opponent's body. But Zach moves too fast, he manages to dodge the attack. Udzaa did not want to budge, he aimed his kick at the back of Zach who managed to be deflected with his feet. Udzaa again raised his sword towards the man who was then deflected easily with his dagger blade.

"I am your opponent" Udzaa said furiously.

Zach chuckled, staring back at the Onyx Udzaa bead contemptuously. Zach's silver bar managed to hold off Udzaa's greatsword, trembling with forced force.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not interested in you, I have other business, I want to kill that blonde girl, so excuse me for a minute?" he said that then kicked Udzaa right in the stomach, making him bounce.

Without waiting any longer, Zach darted towards Frans who looked back at him sharply on the sidelines of the fog that enveloped his body. But his movements suddenly stopped, he could not move his body. Zach realized that he was standing in a large shadow, forming an area of dark circles with a strong gravitational pressure that forced him to kneel. Zach looked back with great difficulty and found that the fourth Aldrich had cast the magic.

Zach sighed in annoyance, staring intently at Udzaa. He tried to move his body, then squinted his eyes at Udzaa who inexplicably made the fourth Aldrich's magic disappear. Zach who had managed to escape immediately turned away, throwing his silver dagger which then shot right towards the group of Iro and the others when their transfer magic was ready. Iro and Dinda managed to fuse with the fog, and slid away as a white mist into space.

Frans followed later, but as he managed to fuse with the fog and was about to dart away, the mist fell from him quickly, disappearing, revealing himself with a silver dagger stuck in his back. Zach grinned triumphantly.

"!!" Frans gasped, he collapsed just like that with Noey's unconscious body.

Zach tries to dart towards him with a murderous lust, but Lian arrives just in time to confront him. Zach was knocked back, bouncing from Lian's attack to hit the stone wall.

"It looks like I came on time" Lian said with a gasp, looking as though she was trying so hard to come quickly. Rough and Violet appeared after, the two of them immediately put up fighting horses.

Lian immediately analyzed the situation as quickly as possible. The walls of the main gate were almost destroyed, the lifeless bodies of the guard soldiers were everywhere, the branches of large trees that burst out from the stone floor, making it the largest hedgerow he had ever seen. A second later Lian recalled Iqbal's words about the massive renovation, but she immediately put the thought aside, something more important.

Rough and Violet move towards Frans who is unconscious, as well as Lian who is quite worried about Noey. But he had not had time to speak, Cloe's enormous pressure jolted his body. At the end he saw Udzaa standing with a black fog that was strong, making the air painful.

"Rough, Violet, get Frans and Brother Noey out of here!" his orders were immediately obeyed by the two girls.

Rough and Violet then leave to take Frans and Noey immediately, and an explosion occurs. Lian looked towards the direction the explosion came from. Udzaa blew up nearly half of the main gate, sending shards of rocks flung in all directions.

The dust thinned until Lian could see a completely different Udzaa. The other figure was a brown-haired man who was thrown out 50 meters from the main gate, stumbling with a body full of wounds. The man tried to stand up, but the wound on his body was quite severe.

Lian drew closer to Udzaa, stood right beside him, and realized that the fourth Aldrich was really on a rampage. From such a close distance, Udzaa's solid elements felt strong. A dark-colored fog revolved around his body like a small tornado, the wind that blew felt slashing against the skin. Even for himself, the darkness made him tremble slightly.

"It's been a long time to see you like this" Lian said in a relaxed tone, trying to stay calm.

Udzaa turned his head without responding to Lian's words. Then immediately turned towards his enemy, the man who now managed to survive his attack just now.

On the other hand, Zach stood with the rest of his strength. Even so, he fell back to his knees. His body was filled with wounds, blood splashed from within his mouth as he coughed. His brown hair was more disheveled than ever before. He looked ahead, right at the two men standing on the wall of the main gate that had been destroyed, moreover the figure with the aura of darkness that had just attacked him.

He did not understand, the man attacked him with the same element of darkness as his. Why is the damage done so great. Basically the attack of the dark element will not have much effect on the user of the dark element like himself. But the truth is that right now, he's hurt pretty badly. It's worse than all the injuries he's had tonight.

"Who are you really?"

Udzaa looked at the man sharply. He heard Lian saying to arrest the man, but somehow he disagreed. He wants to kill her. Eliminate the man who destroyed his home, hurt his friends. He wanted to destroy it, to throw it to ashes. Udzaa could no longer think clearly, because all he remembered was his speeding self crashing at the man while swinging his great sword.

"I'm the one who's gonna kill you!"

***

Lian couldn't believe what she saw. As he recalled, he had said that the man should be captured alive with the intention of interrogating him, asking the reason for his assault tonight. But now what happened was Udzaa darting while swinging his sword madly. Up ahead the explosion occurred again where Udzaa slammed his greatsword, a tree was destroyed instantly due to the impact of the explosion.

On the other hand, Lian could see that their enemies had managed to dodge Udzaa's crazy attacks. Although having to sacrifice one hand was destroyed by the sword Udzaa now glows dark instead of bluish.

Lian immediately approached Udzaa in annoyance.

"Didn't you listen to me? We have to catch him alive"

"Now it's too late." reply Udzaa quietly. His voice sounded more grim than usual. Lian understood that, because compared to the solid elements of light, darkness is harder to control. And as far as he knows, there is no user of the element of darkness as strong as Udzaa in Edenteria.

"Do you see what he's done tonight? let him live while many innocent people he killed?" Udzaa turned his head towards Lian, he said in a heavy voice, his Onyx bead gleaming sharply.

Lian patted his friend's back. Which inexplicably made his hand feel like it was frozen, but he did not mind it. Lian sighed, trying to calm herself down.

"I told you repeatedly no, killing the guilty will never solve the problem" he said. Deep inside him, Lian was a bit anxious if she did not manage to make Udzaa calm because the fourth Aldrich rampaging can only be stopped by Noey. But he was a little relieved when he saw the face of his friend was slightly softened.

"Ceh, I never understood your way of thinking" said Udzaa, whose voice is now back to normal.

"So we agreed to arrest him?"

"As far as you are" Udzaa replied at once while swinging his great sword which had now returned to bluish circulation. Lian chuckled next to him, then looked at their waiting opponents.

On the other hand, Zach squeezed his left arm firmly because that was all that was left there. Instead blood flowed out, dripping from the base of his left elbow. He was really exhausted for now, moreover he still had to fight with two people in front of him. In addition, he also felt that his Undead army had been defeated.

"It looks like it will be a little difficult from now on" he thought as he knelt on the ground. Then he chuckles.

"When I was sure I was happy enough against the girls, never once did I get a tough opponent like them, it turned out I was wrong, it would seem more interesting if I fought with you in the first place.."

Zach, with his glassy appearance laughed like a man who lost his sanity. He stared at Udzaa sharply, his passion killing him back, making his body tremble withstanding the turbulent taste within his body.

"I'll, will, kill you." he said raucously.

"Close your mouth, and disappear" Zach stared wide as if his eyeballs were being forced out of their sockets. Staring at the direction where Udzaa a second ago stood, but now only left the figure of Lian. He looked slowly back, then a bluish glow reflected in his eyeballs.

Udzaa swung his greatsword swiftly, right at Zach's face which was immediately shattered by the blue crystal blade.

Lian was surprised to see it, now Zach's body was standing stiff without a head. But instead of blood, the head was scattered into dust. Udzaa kicked the headless body that also melted like sand.

"I don't think you're swapping your body for the Undead in such a short amount of time." Udzaa said, looking back.

Right behind him, Zach leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. He looked at Udzaa doubtfully.

'What's this? I don't even feel his presence? Who is this guy?' Zach fights with his own mind trying to analyze the man in front of him. He couldn't believe that anyone could get him cornered like this.

"Who are you really?"

Zach didn't answer. He was completely cornered, the body exchange technique would not work a second time, dangerous for his current condition. He had to give up his right hand as payment. And now without both hands, it would be difficult to summon another Undead. Zach swore, he really lost.

"A trade that's not profitable, is it?" udzaa said as she looked at Zach's right hand, which had now disappeared, leaving blood flowing profusely from the open wound on his shoulder.

"This time you won't be able to dodge" Udzaa again let out a large Cloe flow, the night wind stopped blowing, the air as if suffocating. His great sword condensed in such a way, shrinking to the size of an ordinary Rapier with a blackish blade.

But before he could launch an attack, two swords hit Zach's body. Penetrating his body from the shoulder, crossing his chest, locked to the ground with a magic seal that looked complicated. Lian stepped forward.

"I told you, we need him alive" Lian looked at Udzaa angrily making the fourth Aldrich chuckle in annoyance, cancelling his attack, turning his sword back into its original form.

"I take care of it from here" said Lian again as she stepped closer to Zach who was now unable to move.

Udzaa snorted in annoyance, he stuck his sword on the ground and stepped closer to Zach. Zach could not move, his body locked two swords that pierced his shoulders to the ground. Lian looked at him fixedly.

"I promise I won't kill you" he said, as an insult to Zach's ear.

"You said as if you could kill me at any moment." scorned Zach while returning Lian's stern gaze, challenging the third Aldrich.

Lian did not say much, but the two swords stuck on Zach's shoulders moved slowly, as if a hand was pushing him to penetrate his body deeper. Zach frowned in pain.

"You understand that, don't you?" said Lian.

"I'm not the type of person who likes to finish off opponents directly like most other people." said Lian again, behind him Udzaa grieved annoyance.

"I'd rather try to find information that might be valuable to my opponent.."

"So tell me, who are you and why are you attacking us?" lian's eyes turned sharp instantly, which suddenly made Zach feel a great power as if pressing him down. But then he got hold of himself.

"Then, you're wasting your time, it's better to kill me quickly" Zach challenged with a dismissive grin on his face.

Lian did not reply, she fell silent, arranged for a strategy to extract information from the man in front of her, until her eyes stopped at one point, a reddish black mark on Zach's chest.

"This sign.." Lian hung up her words. He saw a figure with a reddish black bat shape and a horizontal line on it. He hadn't noticed it all this time, because his blood-stained body was disguising the tattoo.

"You're Battojairu's prisoner?"

"What?" Udzaa raised his eyebrows in surprise, he stepped closer, staring at the sign Lian saw.

"Red bat tattoo and a line, that means you're a first-class prisoner!!??"

Lian strangled Zach suddenly, not too strong but enough to make it difficult for the man to breathe. Lian urged him by sticking the sword deeper with her own hands.

"Tell me why are you here!?? What are you planning?"

Hard enough, Zach grinned again and then replied.

"What makes you so sure I'll answer your question?" zach's grin gets even crazier, leaving Lian desperate to let go of her giggling.

"As for you, but you'll come with me, I'll send you to jail soon" Lian said, but she saw the moves Udzaa made beside her.

"No need, no more information that we can get, just finish him now" Udzaa said as he finished the magic circle in his hand which now shimmered black.

"First class prisoners are always put to death anyway, so it's not a problem I guess.."

"Udzaa!! Hey stop.." but Lian was late, Udzaa's magic was done, a black energy ball emerged from her fingertips then shot right towards Zach who could not move at all.

A huge explosion from the magic occurred, black smoke billowing high, leaving a niche in the ground that extended for half a kilometer away from them. There's nothing left of Zach, not even a hair.

Lian blinked as she coughed from the blast, she was unharmed despite being within the radius of the attack, Udzaa had cast a protective spell around her. Lian familiarizes her eyes with the flying dust, she sees no sign of Zach's whereabouts, nor does her Cloe disappear. Lian found the figure of Udzaa still standing in his place, still sticking out his right hand for the previous magic.

Lian looked around, the ground gouged out in front of her, a huge niche was created where Zach had locked up before. Some trees around there were uprooted, slammed away from where he stood. Lian turned towards Udzaa.

"Are you crazy!!? Your Cero could have destroyed some of the Edenteria!!" Lian shouted at Udzaa who was now looking at her friend.

"Yes, but it's not, is it? After all it was the only thing that came into my head" Udzaa said in an innocent tone.

"I haven't used it for a long time, but seeing the results I think is quite good" he said again, then Lian scolded him all out.

Udzaa did not care about Lian who was now shouting at him, since the beginning he had been allowed to rampage by Nia, besides he could not bear to see the disgusting grin of the man as well as his actions tonight.

"Alright well I understand" he said when he thought Lian had gone too far to scold him.

"I only eliminated one person, and that person's actions killed dozens of people, do you remember?"

"Not all things can you reply in the same way." said Lian sharply.

Udzaa tried to retaliate but a voice interrupted them. A deep voice that came from nowhere, it was like an echo from somewhere far away.

"Unfortunately nothing's avenged tonight, Aldrich's third.."

Udzaa and Lian looked around, looking for the source of the sound, but moments later something materialized in front of them.

A black shadow emerged from nothingness, manifesting as a time vortex, condensing rapidly to form a black-robed figure along with Zach's figure who, though seemingly helpless, was still alive.

Surprise was evident on each of Aldrich's faces. They did not feel the presence of the figure at all until the last second, as did Zach whose Cloe flow disappeared just a moment ago, signifying his death. But what the two of them saw at this moment, they never expected.

"What's going on? he should be dead" Udzaa said, wondering he could not digest the incident.

Likewise with Lian, although he did not say, but his face clearly illustrates the same confusion as Udzaa. He never saw anyone who could dodge Udzaa's Cero, not to mention Cero being fired from such a close distance. Then what about his lock magic that clearly makes Zach unable to move in the slightest.

Lian stared at the cloaked figure who seemed to have managed to save Zach at the last second. Although he could not confirm how the man escaped from Udzaa's Cero.

"Who are you? how could you possibly escape Cero's.." Unknowingly that's what Lian said.

"That's the kind of magic that should be trained, its great power requires great control as well, just a little mistake, avoiding it is not a difficult matter" the cloaked figure said in a deep voice, his face was not visible under the hood of his robe, but Lian was sure the figure was grinning triumphantly.

"How do you know about Cero, I'm the.." said Udzaa who was cut by the cloaked figure.

".. created it? You ask how I know? You should have told yourself not to easily teach others your magic" the figure said.

Lian turned to look at Udzaa.

"Do you know this guy?" Udzaa shook his head, his eyes staring blankly at the cloaked figure in front of him.

"I. I don't know" Udzaa felt the figure smiling under her hood. He felt something bad was happening.

Lian also sensed that, without showing any meaningful movement, Lian launched her attack, two swords emerged from the air, Lian's locking magic had been activated. The two swords slid right down towards the cloaked figure, yet something shattered his magic.

"I've seen your magic is of no use" he said, the two swords being scattered into dust spots and then falling to the ground, joining the other dust.

'This man is dangerous' thought Lian, he glanced at Udzaa who was completely unprepared to attack, therefore he took his own steps.

Lian darted quickly towards the figure, launching her attack directly which unfortunately was broken easily. But Lian continued to hunt him down, calling a sword out of nothing, releasing it right at his enemy who again managed to dodge.

"People like you, become one of the leaders of this kingdom? it's ridiculous" he said disparagingly.

Lian attacked again, now he again called out a sword in his free left hand. With two swords he launched a cross attack right into the figure's head, and again avoided it easily. Lian was thrown back by a pressure that he did not know where it came from, but he tried to survive even though the pressure was getting stronger to hit him. He threw both his swords straight at his enemy, which made him a futile attack.

"Don't make me laugh." the figure flicked his hand, causing a huge blow that sent Lian bouncing away.

However, Lian's figure evaporated into a white mist, turning into a sword. Instead Lian stood right behind the cloaked figure, sticking out her right hand straight onto the figure's back.

"Body replacement technique, very clever"

"Don't underestimate Aldrich Edenteria." along with his words, Lian cast a spell with incredible speed. A magic circle formed in his hand, from the tip of his finger a ball of reddish-shimmered energy which then shot straight at incredible speed struck the back of the cloaked figure.

But something happened, the figure flicked his robe, making a black aura waft out from it, deflecting Lian's Cero.

"!!" Udzaa was surprised to see him, as was Lian. Lian's Cero turned right into the city, Lian immediately canceled it until her Cero just hit the barrier wall, bursting out powerfully.

"What are you." Lian's words were cut off, a hand strangled her neck, lifting her up to her feet away from the ground.

"!!" Lian can't move.

Udzaa who saw that immediately moved, her Cloe burned into a powerful dark aura. He darted over, attacking the hand of the figure who was suffocating Lian. The figure took off his strangulation, throwing Lian at Udzaa who was darting towards him. Lian was thrown into Udzaa's body which was thrown backwards.

"Pathetic.."

Udzaa coughed, his back hurt from hitting a tree. Lian was no better than him either, the third Aldrich gasping for breath. Udzaa helped him stand up.

"That sign in your hand.." Udzaa stared intently at the black-robed figure. Lian who was still exhausted, saw the sign that Udzaa meant. A red figure, shaped like two dragon heads crossed in the hands of the figure.

"Hoo, sorry about this, I tried to eliminate it but as you know." he said in a voice that seemed to underestimate. Udzaa looked at him sharply with hatred.

"The fire of the Anthera clan.." Udzaa clenched his hands tightly.

"It's not easy to get rid of, even.." Udzaa again let out his dark aura again, the air pressure was painful.

"After he died.." Lian swore to see a grin under the hood.

Without cue, Udzaa darted wildly, he roared ferociously. His sword that had originally stuck into the ground, shot flying into his hand, changing its shape to Rapier with a bluish blade. Udzaa slapped his sword right into the hood of the figure, who did not move in the slightest as if receiving Udzaa's attack just like that.

Sraatts!!

Udzaa's attack tore off the hood, and slightly incised a wound on the figure's pale cheek. Udzaa landed smoothly behind him. The hood of the figure was torn, then descended, revealing a face behind it. The face of a man with an Obsidian bead that was darker than the night sky.

***

Lian didn't understand what was going on. The night felt very long, the sky that covered the night looked so dark without the presence of stars, even though he could not match the darkness below.

Udzaa fought wildly, spreading a dark aura around him. On the other hand, the aura of another figure who was fighting with him was no less dark. Never had he seen a figure that could be balanced fighting with Udzaa, the solid element of the figure was similar to Udzaa's, making the fight look creepy.

Lian herself was still exhausted due to the previous attack. The figure's hand felt absorbing its power, sucking it into an icy darkness. On the other hand, Lian found Zach also helpless in front of there, rubbed limp with both hands that had been lost. For a moment Lian was grateful enough that she did not have to fight him while Udzaa fought the cloaked figure, as she was unsure if she could still stand.

Instead, Lian turned her attention to the cloaked figure. The veil that hid his face was already removed, now he could see the figure of the black-bladed man with the pale skin. Judging from his posture, the man was no older than him, perhaps even younger. Even so, the fact that he was able to balance Udzaa is enough to prove that he is not an ordinary man.

More worrying than that was his eyes. Obsidian's bead was darker than the darkness itself, Lian could not see any reflection of light from her eyes, as if they were just looking into the darkness. He did not even show any expression, as if the man was a perfect undead.

The explosion happened again, forcing the two to take some distance. Udzaa gasped, he looked exhausted. On the other hand, the man looked not tired at all, not even a single sweaty hair on his face.

"You fought great as always, but it wasn't enough" said the man, his voice completely changed. Now he sounds like a teenage boy.

"Is this what they call the black devil Jeanne Light Cracker? How disappointing.."

Udzaa was still panting. He has already taken out too much Cloe, although Lian knows the number of Cloe belonging to Aldrich fourth is quite large among them, but Udzaa also has a limit.

Udzaa raised his sword which is now in the shape of a rapier, but a second later the sword returned to its original form. The dark aura that had been circling around his body also disappeared. He fell to his knees in his place.

"It's over I guess?" say that figure who then turned to another direction. He stepped towards Zach.

"I'm quite surprised to see you overwhelmed, Zach." he said. Zach looked up at him weakly. He answered, but the man interrupted him.

"No need to talk, save your strength, you need to explain something to me, but right now we have to go"

Udzaa rose again, though it was seen once he had run out of Cloe. He stood by supporting his body with his great sword.

"You're not going anywhere." said Udzaa with an irregular breath.

The man glanced at him.

"Look at yourself, you're worthless at all at this time.I've never been interested in you since.." said the man, he touched Zach's chest which had the strength to stand up.

Zach stood beside the man, though his face still showed how weak he was right now.

"I won't let you.." Udzaa with the remnants of his strength cast a spell, a ball of black energy solidified at his fingertips.

"Udzaa!! Stop it!!.." Lian shouted a warning. With such conditions Udzaa forced himself to rake Cero. Lian tried to stand up.

"Listen to your friend, isn't that what he always taught?" said the man whose body began to dissolve into a blackish mist, as well as Zach.

Lian stared in surprise at the change towards that fog. The man used the same technique as them, Lian did not understand why at all, but she could not think about it now, Udzaa was almost done with his Cero.

Lian caught Udzaa's movements afterwards, raised her left hand, aligned with her right hand forward.

'Cero with both hands?'

"Corocial Cero.." a second later the black energy sphere shot out at an incredible speed, leaving a trace of a niche in the ground it passed through, darting towards the figure of its enemy. But unfortunately, the man managed to reach the change of fog, Udzaa's Cero pierced through the black fog, darted past it, then turned into the sky, and then turned into the sky, exploding up there made the black sky sparkle with the light from the explosion, like daylight in a split second, then back into a dark blanket of night.

"We will meet again, see you the fourth Aldrich." the voice of the man echoed in the sky of the night, then the black fog darted and disappeared.

Udzaa was glued to his place standing, staring blankly until his body fell to the ground and his consciousness disappeared

***