Lunaria stood motionless.
His emerald blade rested at his side.
For a long moment—
he simply watched the two vampires.
Then—
he slowly raised his sword.
"...I should end this quickly."
The blade descended.
Silently.
The forest answered.
The air folded inward before erupting outward into countless invisible crescents.
Only when they tore through the trees did their outlines become visible.
**SHHHHHHK!!**
A storm of compressed wind surged across the battlefield.
Not ordinary blades—
but razor-thin arcs of condensed atmosphere that sliced through everything they touched.
Ancient trees were severed without resistance.
Massive boulders split cleanly in half.
Even the earth peeled apart beneath their passage.
Aldric stepped forward.
"...Behind me."
He planted one foot firmly into the ground.
Crimson mana flooded into the massive poleaxe.
With a roar—
he swung.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
A crimson wave crashed against the incoming storm.
The first wind arcs shattered.
The next forced their way through.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
The remaining attacks engulfed them.
**BOOM!!**
The surrounding forest vanished beneath a storm of destruction.
Deep cuts opened across Aldric's chest and shoulders.
Several sliced through his wings.
Behind him—
Draven wasn't spared.
Thin crimson lines appeared across his arms, torso, and face.
Blood splashed onto the broken ground.
Yet—
before it could even drip—
the wounds were already closing.
Muscle reformed.
Skin knitted together.
Within moments—
only torn clothing remained.
The last wind blade finally passed.
Silence returned.
Draven stepped out from behind Aldric.
Both stared toward Lunaria.
Aldric rolled one shoulder.
"...That all?"
He spun the poleaxe once before resting it upon the ground.
Across the battlefield—
Lunaria slowly lifted his gaze.
"...Sylph."
The spirit smiled softly.
"...Hmm."
She floated closer.
"...I suppose..."
"...it's about time we brought this to an end."
She gently placed one hand upon his shoulder.
Emerald mana flooded outward.
A crown of living wind slowly formed above Lunaria's head.
It resembled intertwined branches woven entirely from compressed air.
The surrounding wind instantly changed.
The entire forest began to tremble.
Leaves rose from the ground.
Broken stones floated.
Dust spiraled endlessly around him.
Behind Lunaria—
two vast wings of emerald wind unfolded.
Not feathers.
Not mana.
They were storms given form.
Each slow movement sent hurricanes rolling across the shattered battlefield.
The pressure alone forced nearby trees to bend.
Sylph raised both arms.
Her emerald eyes glowed brilliantly.
"...Let's begin."
At that same instant—
everyone moved.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
Draven exploded forward.
Aldric vanished in a burst of crimson.
Lunaria descended like a falling star.
Sylph swept both hands outward.
The battlefield erupted once more—
descending into complete chaos.
**BOOM!!**
**BOOM!!**
**BOOOOM!!**
The forest disappeared beneath endless explosions.
Draven and Aldric attacked without pause.
One from the front.
One from the side.
Perfect coordination.
Yet—
it accomplished almost nothing.
The battle had become completely one-sided.
Before their attacks could even reach Lunaria—
the surrounding wind distorted.
Every strike was diverted.
Draven's blade twisted away from its target.
Aldric's poleaxe veered just enough to miss.
Every attack changed course moments before impact.
Lunaria never needed to evade.
He simply attacked.
The wind fought for him.
**CLANG!!**
Draven's sword was pushed aside once again.
A heartbeat later—
Lunaria's emerald blade flashed.
**SHHK!**
Aldric's right arm spun into the air.
Blood scattered across the battlefield.
Before it even touched the ground—
fresh bone burst from the shoulder.
Muscle wrapped around it.
Veins.
Skin.
A new arm had already formed.
Aldric didn't even glance at it.
Instead—
he stepped directly into Lunaria's path.
Blocking him.
No words were needed.
Draven was already moving.
He slipped through the opening Aldric had created.
The black blade thrust toward Lunaria's heart.
The wind bent it away.
Lunaria answered with a single slash.
**SHHK!**
Aldric's newly regenerated arm was severed again.
Another kick followed.
**BOOM!!**
Aldric took the blow head-on.
His ribs caved inward.
He slid backward—
then immediately forced himself forward once more.
Regeneration repaired the damage almost instantly.
Again—
he deliberately threw himself into Lunaria's attacks.
Again and again.
Each injury created the smallest opening.
Each opening allowed Draven another chance to attack.
An arm.
A shoulder.
Half a wing.
Pieces of Aldric's body were carved away repeatedly.
Yet each time—
they regenerated before the blood had even finished falling.
The battlefield had become strangely repetitive.
Aldric endured.
Draven struck.
The wind deflected.
Lunaria countered.
Over and over.
High above—
Sylph watched quietly.
"...Remarkable."
Her emerald eyes lingered on Aldric.
"...A vampire's regeneration is as extraordinary as always."
Then they shifted toward Draven.
"...But..."
She smiled faintly.
"...No matter how many times they attack..."
"...they cannot reach him."
Below—
Draven's breathing remained perfectly steady.
His crimson eyes never left Lunaria.
Even after dozens of failed attacks—
his expression hadn't changed.
He simply continued advancing.
Searching.
Waiting.
For the slightest mistake.
For the smallest opening.
Even if it lasted only a fraction of a second.