The Moonlight Swordsman



Successively, Seraphine's frosty slashes cleaved through the oncoming torrent of molten boulders, obliterating them before they could pose a threat.

After a few more rounds, the volcano stopped throwing molten boulders at Seraphine and Zareena, giving them a short break.

"Is this their doing, or was it natural?" Zareena asked.

Seraphine simply glared at the volcano, trying to figure out something. 

"It's coming," She murmured.

With a swift turn, Zareena fixed her attention on the gaping maw of the volcano. Once more, the caldron of activity within roared to life, spewing forth torrents of lava and flames in a wild dance.

Emerging from the abyssal depths of the volcano's mouth, a gigantic serpent of molten fire and rock took to the skies. 

Its wings, which are also made of molten lava, beat in a fiery way, sending streams of hot liquid toward the ground with each powerful flap.

As it went up into the clouds, the huge snake made of molten elements spread its wings, making a beautiful picture of its shape against the sky. 

But it quickly turned its attention to Seraphine and Zareena with its fiery eyes. With a powerful push from its fiery wings, it flew forward and hurtled toward them.

"I don't know what they're trying to do, but let me handle this one," Zareena said as she slowly started to walk.

A cascade of shimmering golden leaves emerged, dotting the air around her like ethereal confetti.

Over time, their numbers grew, and each leaf sharpened its edge until it was as sharp as a knife. 

Then, these leaves started to come together in a way that looked like a Chinese fan hanging elegantly above Zareena's head.

Zareena's golden-leafed fan shot forward at incredible speed as the molten serpent's gaping maw prepared to release its searing blast.

The fan's edges gleamed with a deadly brilliance as they sliced through the air like quick, glistening meteors, as if under the control of an invisible force. 

The fan was aimed precisely at the snake's open maw, and its deadly edges slashed through the molten flesh and burning serpent.

The fan's trajectory remained unwavering, bisecting the serpent with ruthless efficiency. 

Having made it to the conclusion of its perilous journey, the golden leaf fan burst into a beautiful constellation of smaller, glistening leaves in a spectacular crescendo of strength. 

These newfound heavenly dancers were spread out across the vastness like a group of razor-sharp glimmers.

Each leaf moved with a purpose, like a ballet of accuracy and purpose. They descended upon the disintegrated molten serpent, each cut and strike further deconstructing its once-fearsome form.

The molten serpent's rule came to an end with a ghostly rain of fiery droplets, and the unwavering grace of the golden leaves extinguished its power as if nature had planned its demise. 

In an instinctive response, Seraphine surged forward, her determination manifesting in a potent exhalation.

Her breath came out in a deluge, cold and freezing, like an embrace for the hot, molten showers. Each molten droplet, suspended in time, underwent a miraculous transformation. 

It surrendered its infernal nature, crystallizing into an ethereal dance of ice, its fierce origins tempered by Seraphine's resolute command over the chill.

"Are they trying to drain our core energy like this?" Zareena asked as she walked in between the frozen molten droplets.

Meanwhile, Seraphine let out a sigh and panted a little.

"I think it's different," Seraphine said, as she tried to conjure a small ice cube in her hands.

"The environment is affecting me," She said.

Zareena quickly realized what she was trying to say.

As they talked in seriousness, they lost track of the magic and mana flowing around them. All of these powerful energies came together, hiding the approaching danger until it was too close to be safe. 

A mage from the Kingsley family appeared out of a crack that was filled with fire and chaos and exuded a molten fury. 

Flames danced and flickered at his command, lending him an air of formidable power.

Swiftly, he directed a cube-like object toward the princess. The cube opened up with a subtle process, and as it did, a complicated barrier began to take shape. 

The barrier, swift and unyielding, encased the princess within its confines before she could muster a response, entrapping her in its magical grasp.

The mage summoned his blade with a deft move. In that split second, Seraphine's sharp reflexes told her that another mage with a sword was coming at her from behind.

Their plan seemed to be to trap the princess, use the chaos around Seraphine to take advantage of her weakness, and then capitalize on the situation to neutralize her.

"Damn it, they really mix well with mana and the environment," Zareena murmured, trying to cut the barrier with golden leaves. 

The fire-wielding mage swiftly unleashed a searing arc of flames toward Seraphine. Without hesitation, her reflexes guided her to intercept the assault with her spear, the clash of elements resulted in a fierce collision of fire and water, creating billowing clouds of steam that veiled the scene.

But her keen senses made her aware of a new danger coming from the ground below. She quickly moved to the side and just missed a sharp metal spike that stuck out of the ground.

In preparation for the earth mage's arrival, she expertly tapped her spear on the ground. In response, a vibrant, swirling water shield materialized around her, obscuring her from view.

This sudden move led both mages to stop suddenly, making it harder for them to see. Out of the rotating water cover came a barrage of razor-sharp ice spikes that kept coming at them in a steady stream.

"We need to get rid of her quickly before the princess breaks out, we aren't strong enough to handle both of them," The fire mage said.

Reacting swiftly, they skillfully maneuvered to deflect and evade the onslaught of ice spikes hurtling toward them with unrelenting speed. 

The earth mage used his skills to build strong walls of earth around him and his companion to protect them. 

Simultaneously, the fire mage's attention shifted to his surroundings, channeling his energy to gather flames and molten lava. 

Over time, these fiery parts came together to make a huge ball that looked like a smaller sun.

With a wave of his hand, he directed the radiant orb hurtling in Seraphine's direction. 

Despite her attempts to divert the barrage of ice spikes toward the incandescent sun, its scorching intensity proved overwhelming, causing the ice projectiles to dissolve into vaporous wisps before they could even draw near.

The water barrier that had been protecting Seraphine suddenly activated. The area responded quickly as a cold aura surrounded it and caused the temperature to drop instantly. 

Then, as if in a blink, an icy surge radiated outward, transforming the once-blazing miniature sun and its surroundings into a frozen tableau.

Amid the icy atmosphere, Seraphine stood, her breath escaping in frosty plumes as she panted, the cold clinging to her every exhale.

"Why is she breathing so heavily? Is she already tired?" Aizel asked.

"The fire mage has been doing a great job keeping her in check," Ashlyn replied.

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion. 

"If you have water and ice-related cores, even you will be dominated in this environment. He is using the environment, along with powering it with his own core.

"The constant heat and temperature are dominating her and draining her core energy more," Ashlyn explained.

"So this way they can easily get rid of her," Aizel replied.

"Exactly,"

"Can the princess break out of the barrier?" Hazel asked.

"Hmmm... the artifact doesn't seem strong. If Princess can find a way, she can easily break it," Ashlyn replied.

[Master, if we were trapped inside the barrier, we could have just slashed it to cut it in half, fufu]

No, the barrier won't break like that, or else the princess would have already slashed it with her leaves magic. But we could have drilled our way out of it, hehe," Aizel thought.

Simultaneously, the two mages caught sight of Seraphine and recognized the opportune moment to seize the advantage.

But just as they were about to take advantage of the situation, Seraphine created a big wave of water and quickly surfed away in the other direction.

"Quick, we need to get rid of her now," The fire mage yelled.

In tandem, both mages initiated the pursuit of Seraphine. 

Inside the barrier, the princess watched the progress of the event while her mind worked hard to come up with a way to get out of the situation.

"If Soren was trapped here, he would have simply smashed it with his gravity. What can I do to get out of it,"

"What about Aizel? How would that guy have escaped from this?" Zareena began to ponder. 

With graceful manipulation, she coerced the golden leaves into a fluid dance, shaping them into a sword that she wielded with determination.

Every time she swung the fleeting blade, it hit the barrier's edges, but despite her best efforts, the barrier didn't move.