At Selvana and Omiria's side…
"Assassin's Art: Blood Dagger."
Omiria charged forward, daggers in hand. Behind her, five blood-colored daggers formed from condensed mana and launched toward Selvana like hunting beasts.
"Petty tricks," Selvana smirked.
She drew her own dagger in one fluid motion, deflecting each blood dagger with precise, controlled movements. The crimson blades shattered and dissolved into mist.
"Not running away from them, I see," Omiria laughed.
She lunged, aiming straight for Selvana's chest. Selvana was ready counter it.
But in the next heartbeat, Omiria vanished.
Selvana's eyes widened.
"Assassin's Art: Silent Step."
Omiria reappeared behind her, blade flashing toward Selvana's back.
Selvana twisted at the last second, forcefully deflecting the strike. The impact sent Omiria skidding backward several steps across the ground.
"Assassin's Art: Silent Dagger."
In an instant, Selvana appeared behind Omiria.
"When did she—?" Omiria thought.
Selvana drove her dagger forward.
Clang.
The blade shattered.
Fragments scattered across the ground as Selvana stared at the broken hilt in disbelief.
"My flesh is as strong as obsidian," Omiria laughed, spreading her arms mockingly.
"How much more hideous can you become?" Selvana spat.
"Jealous?" Omiria grinned. "Because I'm stronger than you?"
"I would never be jealous of a petty criminal," Selvana replied coldly.
"I was hoping to give you a fast, painless death," Omiria said, her smile twisting. "But now… I think I'll play with you a little longer."
"Let's see about that." Selvana pulled out two new daggers.
She charged, slashing toward Omiria's neck with her right blade. Omiria blocked it with her own. Selvana followed with a kick aimed at Omiria's ribs — Omiria caught her leg mid-air.
Without hesitation, Selvana leapt, twisting her body and striking with her left leg toward Omiria's opposite side. Omiria shoved her away, creating distance between them.
Both of them skidded back, caught themselves — and charged again.
"Assassin's Art: Silent Stab." Selvana lunged.
"Assassin's Art: Blind Vision." Smoke erupted around Omiria, swallowing her form completely.
"Why are you hiding like a coward now?" Selvana shouted.
"Did you forget?" Omiria's voice echoed from the shadows. "An assassin fights from the shadows."
Shurikens burst from the smoke. Selvana jumped backward, narrowly dodging them as they embedded into the ground.
"Come out, you coward!" Selvana growled.
"Why don't you find me?" Omiria taunted.
"Assassin's Art: Vision." A translucent map formed in Selvana's mind — the terrain, the trees, the shifting air.
"There you are." Selvana hurled a dagger.
Omiria leapt from one branch to another, barely avoiding the strike.
"Not bad," Omiria admitted.
"But let's see you block this."
"Assassin's Art: Dagger Mirage." Omiria's presence multiplied — attacks came from every direction at once.
Selvana blocked again and again, steel clashing nonstop. But with each moment, the strikes grew faster… heavier… more brutal.
"This is all you can do?" Omiria scoffed. "How boring."
"Enough!" Selvana roared.
"Assassin's Art: Blade of Silence." Two twin blades materialized in her hands — silver mixed with deep dark blue. She spun them effortlessly, the air vibrating with lethal intent.
"I knew you were holding back this whole time," Omiria said, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Is that your last word?" Selvana asked — and vanished.
She attacked, her blades spinning in unpredictable arcs, striking from impossible angles.
Omiria blocked every blow with her twin daggers.
"Yes… that's it!" Omiria laughed breathlessly. "I'm enjoying this!"
"Fine," Selvana said coldly. "Have it your way."
"Assassin's Art: Twinblade Execution." A shadowy figure of Selvana appeared behind Omiria.
In the same instant, Selvana charged forward — she and her shadow swapped places.
Her blades passed through Omiria's body.
Blood sprayed into the air.
"That was… an interesting attack," Omiria said calmly.
Selvana froze. She looked again.
Only a shallow scratch marked Omiria's body. No fatal wound.
Her strongest attack… had failed.
As Selvana's eyes followed the motion, she noticed Omiria's clothes torn open at the back. Her skin was exposed.
There — engraved into her flesh — was a mark. Two crossed daggers. And above them… the number 12.
"That mark on your back…" Selvana whispered. "You're—"
"You know my identity now," Omiria said, her smile vanishing. Her voice turned cold. "I can't let you live anymore."
At Ysera, Arcel and Miren's side…
Fury's sword stretched and warped into a long, writhing whip of blade, lashing out toward the fleeing civilians.
"Shield!" Ysera slammed up a barrier just in time. The whip struck and cracked the shield — it slowed the blow, but the barrier splintered under the force.
"Shield!" Miren copied Ysera's spell. His barrier wasn't as strong, but it held, stopping the whip from cutting through.
Fury lashed his whip again, aiming for Miren's neck — he dodged at the nick of time.
"We have to make sure the civilians are safe," Arcel shouted, eyes fixed on the crowd.
"Worrying about them before yourself, I see," Fury laughed, and then hurled the whip toward Arcel.
"Shield!" Ysera slapped another barrier in front of Arcel. This time the shield held firm.
"You're used to my whip, I see," Fury taunted.
"You messed with the wrong people," Ysera growled.
"Too cocky," Fury sneered.
"Wind Burst!" Miren called, sending a slicing gust of wind at Fury.
He blocked it with the whip, smirking. "Too easy." Fury lunged, charging the whip straight at Miren.
"Shield!" Ysera summoned protection before him — but the whip shattered through that shield and sliced into Miren's chest.
"Miren!!!" Ysera and Arcel screamed as he collapsed to the ground.
"Used to my whip, I see," Fury laughed, stepping forward like a predator.
"You bastard!" Ysera roared, fury burning in his eyes.
"Angry? What are you going to do?" Fury taunted. "A girl who only casts shield magic, and a boy who only sees the future. How will you stop me?"
"They are not alone," a voice said.
Fury looked up and saw one of the civilians who had been running—he had stopped, planted his feet, and stared at Fury with an expression of iron. No fear remained on his face.
"We're with them," another civilian called.
"You mere insects are going to stop me?" Fury sneered. "Don't make me laugh."
"They are our hope," a woman said.
"We'll stand with them," another voice answered.
"Even if it means we have to sacrifice our lives," someone else declared.
"Because we have the Spirit of Everdawn," another cried.
One after another, the terrified civilians who had fled a moment ago now squared their shoulders and stepped forward to face Fury.
"If you wish to die so badly, then I'll grant your wish," Fury snarled.
He lashed his whip at the civilians.
"Divine Shield!" Ysera shouted, erecting a far stronger barrier this time.
"How long can you hold it?" Fury taunted as his whip beat against the shield. Then the civilians struck back — one by one, they unleashed whatever small magics they could muster:
"Fireball!"
"Water Blast!"
"Gust of Wind!"
"Stone Bullets!"
"Dust Storm!"
Blades, spells, and thrown stones — a continuous barrage slammed into Fury. For the first time in the fight, he had to step back. The relentless attacks forced him onto the defensive.
"Tsk." Fury charged his whip again toward the civilians. Ysera's shield blocked the blow.
"Enough!" Fury snarled, enraged. He called forth darker power. "Whip blade technique: Crimson Whip." The blade ignited with black-red flames and tore through Ysera's shield.
As the flaming whip arced to strike the civilians, something struck it — a thrown dagger hooked the whip and redirected its path.
"Who the—" Fury spluttered, turning to see who had thrown the blade.
It was Allesio.
"When did you get here?" Ysera demanded, breathless.
"Did you find him?" Arcel asked urgently.
"No. I'll fill you in later," Allesio replied, breathing hard. "First we need to take down this guy."