Divia, still masquerading as Celestia, stood at the entrance of the store that she had knocked the real Celestia through. "It's over, Princess." She narrowed her eyes slightly at her. "Everything you fought for, tried to save. It all ends here. In a pile of ashes, just like the kingdom."
Celestia's sight blurred, and her body ached intensely as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. Blood dripped from her lips, staining the dusty floor beneath her. She felt a sharp pain in her ribs with every breath, and her arms trembled from the exertion of staying upright.
"…No…" Celestia's voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. She pressed her palm against the floor, finally pulling herself up, glaring at the twisted version of herself.
Divia tilted her head, her cold smile unwavering. "No? Is that all you have left after that pitiful display? A single word of defiance?" She stepped closer, looking down on Celestia. "How disappointing. I expected more from the great Celestia. The daughter meant to rule, but was barely able to stand when confronted with her true nature."
The blonde elf's fingers curled into a fist as she regained control of her breathing. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she briefly looked down at the floor, then looked back up, meeting her own gaze directly. "You're right…" She steadied herself. "I was a lot of things…Cold. Merciless. A past that I've yet to atone for and something that still haunts my thoughts till this very day." She stood up straight, getting back into her own fighting stance.
"But that doesn't mean I'll let you use it against me." Her palms began to glow. "And besides, just because you look like me…Doesn't mean you could wield a blade like me."
Divia's smirk faltered for just a fraction of a second. "Oh? Bold words from a fallen royal." She aimed the fake blade at Celestia. "Then show me." She spoke as she pressed forward, performing an overhead slash, trying to cut Celestia down her chest, but Celestia quickly dodged left and countered with an elbow to Divia's side.
Divia grunted as she was hit, but she quickly regained her balance and attempted a horizontal counter-attack. Celestia, however, rapidly countered the incoming blow by halting her wrist with her own. She then delivered an open-handed strike to Divia's jaw, followed by two more open-handed hits to Divia's chest, swiftly finishing her combination with a rapid side kick, which sent her twisted doppelganger sliding along the hardwood floor.
Divia, grumbling to herself, rose and lunged, her swordplay skillful but far less refined than Celestia's. Each of Divia's strikes was parried, evaded, or answered by Celestia. She seized every chance to strike, delivering a final, radiant palm strike to Divia's chest that sent her reeling into some hanging shelves.
The sound of shelves collapsing reverberated as jars and cans tumbled down onto Divia. The shapeshifting elf, now on one knee, glared up at Celestia, who stood a few meters away, looking down at her.
"You can wear my face, Divia. You can imitate my voice. You can wear my armor and even copy the blade that I used. However, you're only copying what you've seen. You do not have my memories, nor my intuition. You did not undergo the training I did. You…Are…Not…Me."
Divia's eyes flashed for a moment as she shoved some debris aside, rising slowly. The illusion flickered—Celestia's face wavering before solidifying again. "You think you've won something here?" Divia spoke with a venomous tone. "You're still the same cold, heartless princess your father molded you to be. You're still the same person, Princess. Just wearing a different mask."
"Call it whatever you want, Divia," Celestia responded. "But at least I chose this mask myself." Her hands glow brighter. "Unlike you, who makes a living out of wearing the masks of other people. Consuming their memories and mimicking the actions of every person you've come across." Divia, still wearing Celestia's face, growled slowly. "How many masks will you wear, Divia? How many masks will you wear until you have none left to hide behind?"
The two stared at each other for a moment. A further drawn-out pause ensued before a low, dark laugh was heard from Divia.
The laugh built slowly, starting as a chuckle before growing into something more unsettling. Divia's shoulders shook; her head bowed as the sound echoed through the ruined store.
"Masks…" Divia murmured, lifting her head. The illusion of Celestia's face began to crack like porcelain, pieces falling away to reveal glimpses of something darker beneath. "You think I wear these faces to hide behind?" Another piece crumbled. "No, Princess. I wear them because they're useful. They all serve a purpose." The illusion shattered completely, revealing Divia's true form—or at least, the closest thing to it. Her long silver hair flows once again, along with her grey skin.
"But you're right about one thing…" She dusted off her shoulder casually, as if the previous exchange hadn't just happened. "Copying you was a waste of time…Disappointing, even." Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "So, let's try something different."
Celestia's gaze sharpened, her posture steady as she observed Divia's form transform again. The air around them grew heavier as Divia's pupils began to glow with the Order's signature sigils in her eyes.
Watching the change take place, Celestia's breath hitched in her chest. Divia's form stretched and shifted, bones cracking audibly as her silhouette grew taller, broader. The grey skin darkened further, taking on an almost dark grey metallic sheen.
"Let me show you what you're really facing." Another chuckle escaped her as her voice distorted, deepening into something that was no longer elven. "This is what happens when you take the Order's blessings."
The symbols in Divia's eyes intensified, radiating outwards onto her skin as if bursting through a dam. Her fingers stretched and curved into sharp claws, while her teeth transformed into piercing fangs. Her back split open with the sudden emergence of leathery, bat-like wings, causing a whirlwind of debris.
Celestia's heart pounded as she watched the grotesque transformation unfold. The creature before her bore no resemblance to the elf she had been fighting moments ago. What stood in Divia's place now was something…monstrous. A twisted amalgamation of flesh and dark magic that made the air itself feel heavy.
"A Gar…A Gargoyle?!" The words left Celestia's lips before she could stop them. "Divia, you didn't!" Her eyes couldn't help but stare up in horror at the Gargoyle mixed with elven features. "Divia…This can't be…" Celestia was stunned into silence by Divia's imposing new stature, now standing at approximately eight feet tall, now towering over the blonde-haired elf.
Looming over her, Divia's new wings stretched wide enough to block out the light that entered through the entrance of the store. Her claws scraped against the wooden floorboards as she took a step forward, each movement accompanied by the groan of the stressed timber holding up the small building.
"Surprised, Princess?" The voice that emerged was a grating mixture of Divia's and something else. Something that Celestia couldn't quite put her finger on. "Take a good look." She breathed. "Take a good look at what the Order's enhancements really look like!"
With evident pleasure, her tail thudded against the ground and swept through its surroundings, demolishing anything in its path.
Celestia stumbled backward, her sandals scraping against the floor as she struggled to process what stood before her. "You…" Celestia's voice wavered despite herself. "You let them do this to you?"
"Let them?" Divia took another step forward, the floor groaning underneath her weight. "Princess, I didn't let them do this to me." Her smile became unnervingly larger. "I begged them to do it. To take me from my pitiful Elven limits into a power that far outweighs what anyone in that pitiful kingdom could imagine. Even that pitiful excuse you call a father!" With astonishing speed, Divia's extended arm lashed out at Celestia, completely surprising her with the swift, basic maneuver. The powerful blow sent Celestia tumbling back into the street of the square.
Celestia's body skidded across the ground, dust and debris trailing behind her. Pain shot through her back as she collided with an overturned cart, causing it to collapse beneath her weight. Through her blurred vision, she saw Divia emerge from the ruined storefront, her massive form barely fitting through the hole she'd created.
"Amazed, Princess? Am I strong enough to sit at that round table now?!" Divia questioned as she slowly made her way towards Celestia, who picked herself up but still stumbled over her own two feet as she continued to stare at the monstrous being in front of her.
"Divia…" Her voice came out ragged. "This isn't strength at all. This is…Why would you…" She pressed her palm against the ground, forcing herself upright. "This is corruption. The Order didn't give you power—they corrupted everything that made you who you are!"
"Blasphemy!"With a swipe of her arm, Divia sent a gust of wind toward Celestia, who instinctively crossed her arms to guard her face. "The Order showed me who I really am!" Divia retaliated. "They amplified my power. Showed me how to take what I want—memories, faces, lives! All of it, now no elf can look down upon me! Not that cursed kingdom, or your false king!"
"And what did that cost you?!" Celestia asks. "You lost everything! Your dignity! Your soul! Everything that you were!"
Divia lowered her gaze and stared at Celestia for a moment before speaking. "Such outdated concepts." She sneers, her wings slightly expanding. "Power is the only currency that matters in this world. Something you will never understand." The half-elf, half-gargoyle took a step forward, creating a dent in the ground with each step. "You will never understand what it was like to be a dark elf. Never understand the scrutiny we endured, regardless of what we were to your father."
Divia's large form suddenly disappeared and reappeared before Celestia with astonishing speed, making Celestia gasp silently.
Showing no emotion, Divia slapped Celestia with the back of her hand, propelling the high-elf princess through multiple buildings like a projectile. She came to rest at the third house, slumping to the floor and leaning against the wall she had collided with.
As Celestia's vision began to waver, a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth. The pain in her body was immense, and her ribs felt like they were on fire with every attempt to breathe. Her shoulders were showered with plaster as the wall behind her splintered from the force of the impact, leaving her struggling to grasp what had hit her.
"Such…Power…" She managed to say as she slowly lifted her head to see Divia's silhouette calmly walking towards her. "Get. Up…" Her thoughts raced. "You have to…Get up…Come on, body…Move."
The sound of Divia's footsteps could be heard as she got closer. "You see now, don't you?" In an instant, she was gone and then back again, standing over Celestia's collapsed body. "The power that separates you and me. The difference between what I've become and what you'll always be?" Celestia slowly rolled from her sitting position to her hands and knees, trying to get up. "Look at you." Divia scoffed. "All that talk about dignity, morals, selling my soul for something greater…And now you, on your hands and knees in front of the very servants your father had at his beck and call." Suddenly, Divia's long tail quickly swung loosely before quickly smashing down into Celestia's back, forcing her to the floor.
The impact drove the air from Celestia's lungs into a violent gasp. Her fingers clawed uselessly at the floorboards as Divia's tail pressed down harder. "Pathetic." Divia's voice echoed above her as her tail slowly lifted, only to slam down again, pinning Celestia's in place. "This is what your precious kingdom produced? This is the heir to Vel'Andria? "A mocking laugh escaped her. "Such a waste." Her tail slowly slithered around her neck as it lifted her body to face her.
"Di..Via" Celestia gasped as her hands instantly went up to grab the tail that was holding her up. "The…Order…They poisoned your mind. This isn't who you are…This isn't—"
"As if you know who I am!" Divia yelled at her as she drove her fist into Celestia's stomach, causing her eyes to nearly pop out of her head. "You never knew me! None of you did!" She continued as her tail slung her against the wall. "Me! A prominent figure who sat at the round table of Elves! A high accolade for a Dark Elf like myself, but did your father see it that way? No!" She advanced with a heavy tread while Celestia struggled to raise her head.
"We, the Jaegers! Who carried out all the dirty work that your father wasn't man enough to do on his own!" Divia began circling Celestia's prone form. "But still, your father looked at us with contempt! Dark elves at his precious table—what a joke!" She growled. "I served loyally for decades while he whispered with his advisors about my 'questionable heritage.' And you?" She grabbed Celestia by the throat, lifting her off the ground, her legs dangling in the air. "You with your perfect light magic and your damn bloodline—you never once spoke against him! And you had a dark elf for a mother!" She threw her against another wall, her body slamming against it before falling to the ground with a hard thud.
"You're not even perfect. You're an abomination. You and your damn sister." She took a few steps forward, standing over Celestia's body. "A High-Elf Father. A Dark-Elf Mother. A discrepancy that should have been eliminated the second you drew breath."
Fighting for each breath, Celestia's hands gripped her ribs while she forced herself to look at Divia's monstrously mutated features.
"I…Didn't…Know," She gasps, golden light flickering weakly around her fingers. "I…Didn't—"
"LIAR!" Divia attempted to strike Celestia with her fist, but Celestia narrowly evaded the blow, assuming a kneeling position while gasping for air, her body throbbing from Divia's earlier attacks. "You knew! You all knew! You couldn't have possibly been that naïve to believe that everything your father was doing was for the kingdom!"
Slightly looking away, Celestia's expression showed Divia's words had an impact as she met her eyes again. "Perhaps I was too naïve to admit, Divia. Even so, siding with the Order is no better. You're still being treated like a weapon; all you've done is swapped the hand that carries you." Celestia slowly managed to stand up, her legs trembling slightly as she finally found her balance. "The Order is using you, Divia. They're using you…Just as they use everyone else."
Divia's eyes narrowed, the sigils in her pupils still glowing. "At least The Order gave me power to choose my own path." Her wings spread wide, casting shadows across the ruined room. "Your father never gave me that choice—He just expected obedience."
"And what choice do you have now?" Celestia's voice grew stronger despite her injuries. "You've become their weapon now. Their monster. Their heartless cruelty of taking lives without reason." She steadied herself against the wall. "Look at yourself, Divia…Is this really what you wanted? Or is this just another mask you're wearing?"
For a brief moment, the words resonated. Divia's expression shifted; she then looked down and reappeared before Celestia. "You know nothing of what they've done for me." She hisses lowly. "I was nothing but a mere Dark elf before. A shadow in your glorious kingdom. Now I am power incarnate." She drew her hand back and tried to punch Celestia's head off, but Celestia ducked just in time and charged forward the best she could. With her palms glowing, Celestia delivered several palm strikes to Divia's chest, but they were largely ineffective. Divia retaliated by swinging her arm towards Celestia's face, which Celestia ducked. Divia then twisted her lower body, smacking Celestia with her tail. This sent Celestia spiraling through a door and tumbling to the ground.
After rolling across the ground, Celestia's body came to rest in the room that seemed to be the living room. Furniture lay overturned, personal belongings scattered, evidence of a family that had already fled. She coughed, tasting blood as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.
"Still fighting?' Divia said nonchalantly, examining her hands as she looked down at herself, and then back up at Celestia. "Your light magic can't even scratch me now, and your strength is pitiful compared to mine. It's almost like I'm smacking a child around."
Celestia's ragged breaths punctuated the sound of blood hitting the floor as she crawled onto her hands and knees. "Then…Then why haven't you…killed me yet?" She managed, her voice strained but defiant.
Divis's smirk extended, her tail swaying behind her like a serpent. "Because I want you to understand first. I want you to feel what it's like—to be powerless. To realize all your ideals, all that mercy and compassion. Your precious morality…" She paused, looking at her clawed hand. "…means nothing in the face of true power."
"You're wrong…" Celestia corrected. "Power without purpose is just destruction, Divia. And destruction…" She slowly pushed herself up to one knee. "…always consumes itself in the end. You're no different than the Order who parade around claiming purification, when it's nothing but pointless homicides to deliver a message."
"The same as Vel'Andria then…" Divia replied, slightly crossing her arms as she looked down at Celestia. "Your mother was the only hope the kingdom had left." She closed her eyes. "Such a shame she couldn't bring herself to rip it from your father's hands."
With the sudden mention of her mother, Celestia forced herself up to strike, but before she could make it to her feet, Divia's foot slammed down, kicking her back to the ground. With a thud, Celestia met the floor again, pain escaping her lips in a grunt. She lay there, chest heaving, as she tried to control her breath.
"Struck a nerve, did I?" Divia responded, looking down on the fallen princess. "Such a shame indeed. What would she say now? You on the ground in the pitiful mess that you are?" She reached down and grabbed the half-conscious Celestia by the leg, giving her a look of disdain before standing up to her full 8-foot-tall height, dangling Celestia upside down. "Tell me something, Princess," Divia spoke. "With all that bravado about doing the right thing. Where do you think that's getting your sister and the human?" She smirked evilly, causing Celestia's eyes to widen, blood rushing to her head as she dangled helplessly, only able to utter a single word.
"…no…"
Across the square, Sylvanie found herself in a difficult match with her opponent. With irises identical to Divia's, Yvonne was now effortlessly dancing around Sylvanie. Not even trying to hit her with her wheel blades, but using them to either block or parry. Sylvanie attempted to cut Yvonne in half with her scythe, but Yvonne dodged the attack and delivered a knee to Sylvanie's side, making her stumble. However, the dark elf launched another flurry of attacks. Yvonne deftly evaded them by leaping backward, putting herself out of Sylvanie's range. Yvonne then surged forward, unleashing her own sequence of strikes, which Sylvanie desperately parried with the intensity of someone fighting for their very life.
"What's wrong?" Yvonne taunted, her voice eerily calm as she spun her wheel blades in a deadly arc. "I thought you were going to fix this mistake." She feinted left, then struck right, forcing Sylvanie to stumble backward. "Where's all that fire now?" She swiftly moved to Sylvanie's left, airborne before Sylvanie could respond, and kneed her in the side of the face, driving the dark elf to the ground.
Sylvanie's body hit the cobblestones hard, her scythe clattering from her grip. Still, she rolled instinctively, narrowly avoiding Yvonne's follow-up strike that sent sparks flying where her head had been moments before. A slight bruise appeared from where she was hit as she scrambled to her feet, snatching up her weapon and already taking a defensive stance.
"Don't…Don't get cocky, you traitor." She returned. "I'm just…getting started."
Yvonne smirked at the remark. "Show me something then." She stated as they both charged at each other again. Yvonne executes an airborne 360-degree twist, her wheel blades descending towards Sylvanie. Using her speed to counter, Sylvanie phased through the assault, aiming a horizontal scythe slash at Yvonne. Yvonne responded in kind, reappearing behind Sylvanie and sending her crashing back to the earth with another hard kick.
"Grr…Damn it…" Sylvanie pushed herself up and charged in again, slashing at Yvonne relentlessly.
Yvonne's movements were fluid, almost graceful, as if she practiced this in her head a thousand times. She was dodging and parrying Sylvanie's attacks with ease. She wasn't even fighting anymore; she was toying with her.
"You're slowing down, Sylvie," Yvonne observed, tilting her head slightly as she blocked another strike, moving her face closer to Sylvanie so that it was only a few inches away from hers. "I never took you to be this weak."
Sylvanie's eyes flared with fury as she jerked her head back, then slammed her forehead forward in a vicious headbutt. The impact connected with Yvonne's face, causing the other dark elf to stumble backward for the first time in their exchange.
"Weak?! I'll show you weak!" Sylvanie snarled as she leaped in the air. "Die! You Traitorous—"
But Yvonne had already recovered and quickly appeared in front of Sylvanie, the same smirk on her face that caught Sylvanie by surprise as time seemed to slow down, their eyes locking for a moment. "Still too slow, Sylvie. You're going to have to do better than that." With that, she drove into Sylvanie's gut hard, before twisting her body again and delivering a roundhouse kick, sending Sylvanie crashing into the ground.
The impact created a small crater where Sylvanie landed, dust and debris exploding outward. For a brief period, she remained there, experiencing intense coughing fits while attempting to inhale air back into her lungs.
"…This damn…" Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she growled, slightly faltering as she stood up.
Yvonne landed gracefully a few feet away, her wheel blades spinning lazily at her sides. "You know what your problem is, Sylvie?" She began walking toward the struggling dark elf. "You fight with all this emotion. This rage. Hatred. Just swinging your scythe around like a baby elf throwing a tantrum. How do you ever expect to save anyone fighting like that is beyond me."
"Go screw yourself." With her footing secured, Sylvanie retaliated and fixed Yvonne with a glare. "The last thing I need is some traitor grilling me about how to fight." She snarled.
"You're only saying that because you're losing," Yvonne responded. "Pretty badly, I might add." She placed her left hand on her hip, her wheel blade dangling from her fingers. "Honestly, you really should rethink this whole thing, Sylvie. Vel'Andria is gone; nothing you can do will ever change that. Even if you somehow manage to beat me here. You still have the rest of the Jaegers and the Order to go through. Not to mention the elves that once lived there are either dead or scattered around, hiding like roaches." She continued to smirk at her former best friend. "Offers still open, Sylvie. Join us, and you can keep your sister. All you have to do is say yes."
Sylvanie clutched her scythe tightly. "Why would you even ask that?" Sylvanie questioned, narrowing her eyes. "Join the bastards that killed my people?" She spat to her side and glared at Yvonne. "I'd rather die fighting than become a monster like you."
"Monster like—Sylvie, I'm trying to save you. We don't have to do this. I'm giving you a chance. You and your sister." Yvonne gestured with one hand. "Come, join us, forget all this. Forget the human and stand with me. Just like we used to."
Silence followed. "Stand with you? Like we used to?" She shook her head slowly. "We used to stand against people like the Order, Yvonne. We used to protect our people—not slaughter them."
"Things change, Sylvie." Yvonne's expression remained calm, almost pitying. "The world isn't what we thought it was. The Order showed me that. They gave me power—real power. Not the scraps your precious Kingdom threw at us." She took a step closer. "Your sister's ideals? They're beautiful, sure. But they're fantasies. The strong survive. The weak perish. That's reality."
"No, Yvonne. The reality is you made a choice." Sylvanie stood. "A choice to stand by those who would rather see us dead, no matter what we do."
"I made the choice to survive, Sylvanie." Yvonne fought back. "And you can too, you and your sister. You both can survive this. Ditch the human and come with us." She asked again, almost pleading.
Sylvanie's expression hardened. "Survive?" She let out a bitter laugh. "You call that surviving? Being their pet? Their weapon?"
She straightened herself, using her scythe as support. "I told you I'd rather die. Die on my feet fighting for something real than live on my knees serving the bastards who destroyed everything we loved." Her voice dropped lower, more dangerous. "And you want me to abandon the human? The one person who actually helped us when everyone else turned their backs?"
Yvonne's jaw tightened slightly, the first real crack in her composed facade. "He's using you, Sylvie. Can't you see that? Humans always do. They take what they need and—"
"No." Sylvanie interrupted, her voice sharp as a blade. "You're projecting, Yvonne. The Order is using you. They've twisted you into something unrecognizable, and now you're trying to drag me down with you to make yourself feel better about the choice you made."
The words stung. Yvonne's smirk finally faded completely. "You hate humans, Sylvie. You always did. It's only been a few days since he broke you out. You can't tell me you can't turn your back on him. You owe him nothing." She added. "Why are you standing by him?"
Sylvanie didn't respond immediately. "…You're right." She finally said, her voice low. "I do hate humans. I hate what they've done to us. What they've taken from us." She shifted her stance, gripping her scythe tighter. "But you know what I hate more? Traitors who abandon their own people for scraps of power."
She took a step forward. "That insufferable human that you're talking about. He didn't ask for anything in return when he helped us. He didn't demand loyalty or servitude. He just…helped." A bitter smile crossed her lips. "Which is more than I can say for the Order you're so desperate to defend."
Yvonne's eyes narrowed in frustration. "Sylvie, I'm—I'm really trying here. I don't want you to die, and that foolish human is going to get you killed. You and your sister. What are you even fighting for now? Come on…Just please, come with me and leave all this."
Sylvanie's expression softened—a flicker of the friendship they once shared passing between them. Then it hardened again, resolute.
"What am I fighting for?" She repeated quietly, almost to herself. "I'm fighting because someone has to. Because if I don't, then everything we lost—everyone we lost—it all becomes meaningless." Her eyes met Yvonne's directly. "I'm fighting because my sister still believes in something better. And maybe…maybe she's right."
She raised her scythe, shadows beginning to coil around the blade. "I'm fighting because that stupid human showed me that not everyone in this world is a monster. And I refuse to become one just to survive."
Anger and grief warred on Yvonne's face. "Then you're a fool, Sylvie." Her wheel blades began to spin faster, the sigils in her eyes glowing brighter. "And I can't save fools."
"I never asked you to save me." Sylvanie's voice was icy now, final. "I asked you to stand with me. But you chose them instead." The shadows around her scythe intensified, dark energy cackling through the air. "So, if you want to stop me, Yvonne…you're going to have to kill me."
Yvonne's expression shifted; the soft side she held for Sylvanie pushed to the side for a colder, but aggravated look. "…So be it." She moved first. "All that means is I'll just have to beat some sense into you!"
The two dark elves slammed into each other with a powerful impact, their weapons clashing in a dazzling display of sparks and darkness. As the two combatants exchanged blows, a purple aura surrounded them, causing them to rebound across the town square.
However, the clash was still one-sided. Yvonne pressed harder, further showcasing her enhancements as she came off faster than before, forcing Sylvanie on the defensive.
Whenever Sylvanie swung, she was hit by an elbow or a kick and narrowly avoided being cut, yet she always fought back. Yvonne's movements became a blur of violence. She feinted high, then swept low with her wheel blade, forcing Sylvanie to leap backward. But the moment Sylvanie's feet left the ground, Yvonne was already there—appearing mid-air with impossible speed.
"I already told you! You're too slow!" Yvonne drove her knee into Sylvanie's ribs with force.
The impact sent Sylvanie spinning through the air. She crashed into a market stall with wood splintering around her. But Sylvanie wasn't one to stay down. With her on one knee, she growled as she placed her palm on the ground once again, causing three shadow tendrils to erupt towards Yvonne, who only saw the attack as a minor inconvenience.
"Tsk…" Yvonne spat as she charged forward towards the tendrils, slicing the first two with ease as the third tried to strike through her, but she calmly spun in a 360 twist and slashed the third tendril as it got close, finally causing all three to dissipate as she continued her charge towards the falling dark elf, who barely pulled herself up.
Sylvanie barely had time to raise her scythe before Yvonne was upon her again. The wheel blades came down in a vicious overhead strike that Sylvanie blocked—but Yvonne used that as a diversion as she spun again, kicking Sylvanie in the side, sending her shooting through more stalls that were stationed outside in the square.
"Stay down, Sylvie," Yvonne spoke calmly, placing her boot on her back, keeping her pinned down. "Stay down and let Vexes and others finish the human." She spoke as Sylvanie groaned out a grunt as Yvonne pressed down to keep her pressure constant. "It'll be over soon, Sylvie. Just let the human fall." She bent down and pressed her knee on the back of Sylvanie's shoulder blade and neck, grabbing the back of her head and lifting it slowly. "Let's watch the human fall together." She added, leaning her head closer to Sylvanie's face as they both watched the battle between Oreon and Grunk continue.
"I see you finished up on your end," Divia said from behind Yvonne as she lazily tossed the beaten Celestia to the ground beside them. "I see it didn't take you long at all."
Yvonne glanced over her shoulder, a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips. "She fought harder than I expected…but not hard enough." She pressed down slightly on Sylvanie's neck, feeling the dark elf struggle weakly beneath her. "What about you? The Queen give you any trouble?"
Divia scoffed, nudging Celestia's limp form with her boot, back into her regular form…or the form she assumed was her regular form. "Hardly. The nonsense of compassion and mercy, truly, a sheltered child. In the end, this is what it amounted to."
Celestia lay motionless for a moment, her pale blonde hair splayed across the ground. Her breathing was shallow, labored—each rise and fall of her chest a small victory against the pain radiating through her body.
"Sis..ter…" Sylvanie's voice was barely a whisper, strained and broken as Yvonne's knee dug deeper into her shoulder blade. She tried to reach out, fingers clawing uselessly at the ground, but Yvonne's grip on her head tightened.
"Nah-ah-ah…Watch, Sylvie…It'll be over soon." Yvonne said as all four of them looked ahead, as Oreon was sent out of another window into a wooden cart, which crashed into another stall. He was breathing heavily as he was bleeding from his head as well.
"This is insane…" Oreon exhaled, his gaze rising to meet Grunk, who was gradually exiting another structure and advancing in his direction. "How the hell do you beat someone like this?" He questioned.
"You don't," Eilist commented, remaining near Vexes, who stood with his arms folded, as the two corrupted dark elves observed Oreon's struggle against the bigger dark elf. "You can't beat what you're incapable of understanding. However, I will give credit where credit is due. You're pretty durable for a human. Dare I say, the only human or any species of that matter last this long against an enhanced dark elf like Grunk here. It's intriguing to say the least. No doubt it's more than likely because you're our almighty purifier's son, but regrettably…You're still just a human. A human who was not deemed worthy to be blessed by the purifier."
Oreon forced himself to his feet, leaning against the destroyed cart as he managed to glare at Eilist. "Yeah, well, guess what, asshole…I'm still alive, and not being blessed by that pompous jerk hasn't stopped me yet." He readied himself again, daggers in hand.
Vexes stayed motionless, his face giving nothing away as he observed the unfolding events. "Useless words, human. Regardless of your banter, the result doesn't change. You will fall today and be brought to the purifier for your actions against the order. You and the Dragon Shard."
Grunk didn't wait for the conversation to continue. The massive dark elf charged forward, his footfalls shaking the ground beneath him. Oreon barely had time to roll out of the way as Grunk's fist came crashing down where he'd been standing—obliterating what remained of the wooden cart in a single devastating blow.
"Shit--!" Oreon scrambled backward, his daggers raised defensively. But Grunk was relentless. The enhanced dark elf moved with terrifying speed for someone his size, appearing right in front of Oreon. "What the…Did he just get faster!" His mind raced.
Grunk's massive fist came down like a hammer. Oreon barely managed to cross his daggers in an X-formation to block, but the sheer force of the blow sent shockwaves through his arms. His feet skidded backward across the ground.
"Gah--!" Oreon dropped down to one knee, his wrists and arms screaming in pain, but Grunk didn't give him a moment to recover. Another punch came—this time aimed at Oreon's midsection. Oreon twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow, but Grunk's follow-up was already there. A backhanded strike caught Oreon across the chest, sending him tumbling across the square.
He crashed into a stone fountain, the structure cracking under the impact. Water sprayed everywhere as Oreon gasped for air.
"Cough…cough…cough."
Blood dripped from his mouth as he struggled to move, but his body wouldn't react. His eyes slightly glazed over as he tried to remain conscious.
"See, Sylvie, look," Yvonne announced with dark glee, making sure Sylvanie kept her gaze fixed on Oreon's battle.
Sylvanie's crimson eyes burned with frustration and helplessness as she watched Oreon struggle. Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath her, shadows flickering weakly around her hands—but Yvonne's knee pressed down harder, forcing the air from her lungs.
"Stop…fighting it," Yvonne whispered. "Just watch. It'll be over soon." She added, as if she were comforting a friend. "This is how it ends, Sylvie. How it always ends. The weak fall…And the strong survive."
Grunk lumbered forward, each step shaking the ground beneath him. His massive frame cast a shadow over Oreon, who was still struggling to push himself up from the broken fountain.
"…No…" Celestia's voice was barely audible as she used her arm to slightly crawl forward. But, unfortunately for her, she wasn't going anywhere and wasn't going to make it to Oreon in time. "We…Have to….do…Something." She said to herself.
Divia crouched down beside Celestia, looking onward as Celestia's body stopped crawling, too tired to continue. "This is what happens, Princess." She spoke slowly as she watched Grunk, standing over Oreon's prone form. "And to think, this isn't even the start of it. Tomorrow. More people who stand against the Order's vision will be snuffed out without a second thought." She slowly turned her head down to look at Celestia. "And today, you're lucky enough to get a front row seat."
Meanwhile, Grunk continued to stare at the fallen human, as Oreon had turned his body, now lying on his stomach.
Grunk's body loomed over him like a death sentence, his cold stare not wavering until he swiftly shot his foot forward, kicking Oreon in the midsection, causing Oreon's eyes to nearly shoot out of his head as his body lifted off the ground.
Oreon's body flew, crashing through a wooden fence before slamming into the side of a building. The impact left a crater in the stone wall as he crumpled to the ground.
"Frail…human." Grunk calmly walked towards the fallen Oreon. "Come to Grunk." Oreon's body wasn't moving, just trying to breathe as his daggers lay at his side.
"How disappointing," Vexes commented from his position. "The son of the Purifier is nothing but a broken human."
Eilist chuckled darkly. "Well, what did you expect? That's all he is after all. No divine blessing, no holy power…just flesh and bone." He tilted his head. "Just a stubborn little meat sack." He continued watching as Grunk stood over Oreon once again. "And it looks like it's about time to wrap this up."
Grunk reached down with one massive hand, his fingers wrapping around Oreon's throat as he lifted him effortlessly off the ground. Oreon's feet dangled in the air, his hands weakly grasping at Grunk's wrist as he struggled to breathe.
"Grunk…bring the human…It's time we deliver the human to the purifier." Eilist spoke as he smirked at Grunk's work.
Grunk's grip tightened slightly, eliciting a strangled gasp from Oreon. The enhanced dark elf was slowly beginning to walk back toward where Vexes and Eilist stood.
"Well done, Grunk," Vexes remarked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Secure him properly. It's time we head back."
Sylvanie's body trembled as she tried to claw frantically towards the battle. "No, no, no…Move, you stupid human! Do something! Kick, punch, something!"
Yvonne pressed her knee down harder, grinding Sylvanie's face against the dirt. "Stop struggling, Sylvie. It's over." Her voice carried a twisted mix of satisfaction and sadness. "You chose the wrong side…And you lost."
Celestia's fingers tried to crawl forward more, but her body resisted. She trembled on the ground, feeling just as powerless as she did the day her kingdom fell. "…No…By the gods, this…can't be how it ends…We can't…Not again."
Grunk continued to calmly make his way back towards his ground, Oreon still dangling loosely in his grip.
"I…I can't move." Oreon thought to himself. "My body…It won't…I can't…It hurts…Everything hurts." His mind continued to wander as his body refused to exert any more energy than it already had. "Why…I…tried…I tried…so hard…how…why do I…keep…"
His vision blurred, the world spinning around him. Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, fragmented memories flickered through his mind—moments of failure, the dreadful night his father attacked, the burning home of the elves in the eastern village. The faces of his mother and sister."
"…Why do I…Keep losing…" The thought echoed hollowly in his consciousness.
Grunk's grip tightened imperceptibly, cutting off what little air Oreon had left. His lungs burned, screaming for oxygen that wouldn't come. The edges of his vision darkened.
Celestia's fingers dug into the dirt, her entire body still trembling with the effort to move. "Please…" She spoke, her face in the dirt. "Someone…anyone…"
Sylvanie's eyes were wide with desperation, shadows flickering weakly around her pinned form. "Move! Move human! Do something! Dammit Move!" She screamed as she continued to desperately try to fight against Yvonne's strength.
"Shh…That's enough, Sylvie." Yvonne leaned closer before she closed her eyes, almost hating the look she saw on Sylvanie's face. "It's better this way. No more fighting. No more losing people…just…" She sighed. "Accept it, and the pain will go away."
Grunk continued his methodical approach toward Vexes and Eilist, each devastating footfall echoing through the devastated square.
"Finally," Eilist said with a satisfied smirk. "We can—"
"EKLCANOS!"
With a sudden flash, an arrow-shaped blast of light blazed towards Grunk, causing his eyes to widen in alarm as he was engulfed in its glow. Everyone could only stare in shock as the blast continued to make its way down towards the square, slowly enveloping Grunk and Oreon in its blinding light.