Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player



Kaizen's fingers trembled as he carefully removed the sheet covering the thing in the center of the room. A soft, almost ethereal light shone through the thin fabric, and when the sheet finally slid to the floor, the crystal's glow illuminated Kaizen's face with magical blue hues.

After a few moments of surprise, Kaizen, his voice barely audible, whispered:

"That's it... a Mana Crystal."

The object under the sheet was a large crystal, with several points, but with a unique glow, which illuminated the entire dark chamber the second it was discovered. This object seemed to hold within it unfathomable secrets, as if each shining facet held a millennia-old story. Kaizen, in a trance, reached out to touch it, hesitantly at first, but then with determination. When his fingers came into contact with the smooth, cool surface of the crystal, a wave of warmth and knowledge enveloped him.

Without a doubt, this was the same and only Mana Crystal he had seen in the past, the Mana Crystal that was at the end of the Minotaur's Labyrinth, one room before where Lord Varkin, the Guardian of the Gates of Niflheim, stood before being defeated by Kaizen.

The others remained silent, staring wide-eyed at the legendary relic they had discovered. 

Andrew, normally fearless, seemed humbled by the presence of the artifact. 

Jayaa, with her keen intuition, could feel the pulse of energy emanating from him. 

Finally, Xisrith could barely contain her excitement. In her mind, the crystal seemed to whisper, but it was only the singular hum it emitted.

"This crystal..." murmured Kaizen, struggling to find the words to describe the depth of her discovery. "It's more than just a source of magic."

Andrew looked at Kaizen, his eyes shining with new understanding. "What do you mean?"

"Some time ago, I was helping a man and he led me to a Labyrinth. Xisrith, you remember, don't you? When we fought Lord Varkin?" Kaizen said.

Without delay, Xisrith nodded, although she still seemed a little confused by it all. "Yes, of course we did. That was the hardest battle I've ever had to go through."

"So, in that place, well, the first time I was there, that crystal was in one of the ones we passed and the man who was with me said that he would take care of the crystal, because it was too important and it couldn't fall into his hands..." The Psyker was telling the story, but as he remembered something, he stopped in mid-sentence.

"... Whose hands, Kaizen?" Andrew asked.

"In the hands of The Eye of Hermodr... This couldn't fall into their hands, otherwise it would be devastating." Kaizen finished the sentence he had started earlier.

For a moment, silence pervaded the chamber, as if the very air were suspended in anticipation. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the Mana Crystal, its magical glow illuminating not only the room, but also the minds of those present. The forbidden name, 'The Eye of Hermodr', hung in the air like an echo of imminent danger.

Then, as the whole room seemed to hold its breath, a soft, rhythmic sound broke the silence. Clapping echoed off the walls of the dark chamber, as if the room itself was applauding. The players' gazes quickly turned to where the clapping was coming from, and from behind the crystal emerged a figure: Linus Farwynn.

Linus was a tall man, with very dark and usually dirty blond hair. He usually wore a long beige overcoat, but now he had on a cloak that seemed to be made of shadows. His deep yellow eyes were hidden under his glasses, and as always, he smiled, a smile that seemed to carry a lot of weight. 

However, although this was a reunion of former mission colleagues, Kaizen didn't smile, in fact, he promptly put his hand on the hilt of his sword for safety's sake. His group, seeing Kaizen's reaction, immediately imitated him and also prepared for the fight.

"We've finally met again, Kaizen..." said Linus, walking forward nonchalantly. "I was beginning to think that my little 'apprentice' had been lost in Niflheim forever. By the way, thank you for trusting it here to me, I knew it would be very useful."

Kaizen's heart was pounding in his chest as he maintained a defensive posture, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword. The look of suspicion he cast towards Linus did not escape the other members of the group. 

"What's going on here, Linus?" Kaizen asked, a little tense. "Why are you here? And why is the Mana Crystal you said you were going to protect here?"

Linus let out a soft laugh, a laugh that echoed off the walls of the dark chamber, creating an even more sinister atmosphere.

"Wow, my dear Kaizen, you've always been so suspicious. Why do you look so nervous?" He paused dramatically, his yellow eyes gleaming mischievously from behind his glasses. "Don't you trust me?"

"Not at the moment. Come on, explain yourself!" Kaizen exclaimed.

Linus took a deep breath, relaxed his muscles and, at that moment, Kaizen advanced towards him with the Sword of the Dawn. With a quick, sudden but fluid movement, Linus raised his hand and the cloak of shadows that enveloped him transformed into a sharp blade, with which he defended himself against Kaizen's attack. 

"You betrayed me, didn't you?" shouted Kaizen, his eyes blazing with rage, as the two swords clashed.

Then Linus smiled and forced his way out, putting more force into the clash of swords and forcing the two of them apart. That was all the answer Kaizen needed.

The two of them dragged the soles of their boots on the ground as they moved away, but Kaizen was so angry at having been tricked by someone he trusted that he didn't even think to communicate with the other members of his group, he just moved forward once more.

Kaizen's muscles tightened as he advanced, his sword following him with a sharp hiss. 

Linus, with one fluid movement, slid to the side, evading Kaizen's blow by centimeters. The metallic sound resounded through the dark chamber as their swords met in a sparkling clash once again. However, Kaizen's group wasn't the type to wait for orders before taking action. Because he was following Kaizen, Andrew turned his sword in a controlled arc, aiming straight for Linus' flank. However, the traitor was quick. He leapt backwards, his feet touching the ground for a brief moment before propelling himself to the side, avoiding Andrew's blow by a fraction of a second. A cold sweat covered Andrew's forehead as he regained his balance, ready for the next attack.

Jayaa, her eyes fixed on Linus' movement, began to chant a fast, complex melody. The magical sound filled the air, giving the fight a sense of urgency, and because of this song a blue glow enveloped Andrew's sword, infusing it with magical power. With a cry of determination, Andrew advanced again, his sword slicing through space. Linus defended himself skillfully, his elegant movements turning each attack into a deadly dance.

Xisrith launched himself forward too, his red katana glowing like a flame. His red eyes sparked with intensity. Linus turned in time to see the glow of her sword aura, so he was able to block her attack with his shadow blade. The force of the shock knocked Xisrith back a few steps, but he maintained his stance.

Linus seemed to be everywhere at once, his attacks coming from unexpected angles. Kaizen, Andrew, Jayaa and Xisrith adjusted quickly, defending and counterattacking with surprising skill.

Kaizen charged in with a downward blow, his sword slicing vertically. Linus leaned back again, avoiding the blow, and quickly countered, his shadow blade slashing horizontally towards Kaizen's chest. With quick reflexes, Kaizen spun around, his body moving like a snake, easily dodging the blow.

At the same time, Andrew advanced with a series of quick, controlled blows. Each attack was blocked by Linus, but Andrew's constant pressure was forcing him on.

Jayaa continued her melody, her magical power infusing each blow from her companions with additional force. 

Xisrith attacked from the side, his red katana glowing with an intense light. Linus barely had time to defend himself, being forced to retreat even further.

In a moment of audacity, Kaizen stepped forward, his eyes locked on Linus'. With a war cry, he struck a powerful blow, his sword glowing with a purple light. 

Linus tried to dodge, but he couldn't completely avoid the blow, so he tried to defend himself. However, Kaizen moved the blade a little and cut Linus' arm, causing him to cry out in pain. Linus' split-second hesitation was all Andrew needed. With one swift movement, he disarmed Linus, sending the shadow blade flying away. 

Now disarmed, surrounded and weakened, Linus had nowhere to run, or so Kaizen and the others thought. 

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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