《Dawn of a Sage (Part 2.4) ~ Criminals of Dark Magic》


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    All material is copyright ? by the author of Dawn of a Sage (Part 2): Criminals of Dark Magic


    Dylan Frendo


    November 1, 2018This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    {Content Edited in November 2024}


    Official Revision Version: 09


    Royalty Free: The cover image was altered from a royalty free image.


    All rights reserved


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    This is book #7/19 of the official Leray Series.

 Chapter 33: When Two Makes Three

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    <01/28/1972 ¨C 12:02 | Medical Center, Lennith City, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    The sound of an oceanic wave crashed by near her. Jane managed to make out the distant static noise, but the details of her conclusion were off. She couldn''t see anything with her eyes shut, and the sound of the ocean wasn''t totally matching perfectly. It''s so cold! Jane wanted to shiver in response, but every fiber in her body was still aching. She was so tired, it was impossible to believe she got any real rest at all.


    Less than a few seconds; this is all it took for Jane to remember everything, to realize that she wasn''t supposed to be sleeping! The dark zone is where she was, still in danger, yet the warming heat was replaced with blasts of chills. Did she fall sleep? Jane needed to open her eyes to confirm her environment, shaking the powerful sensation of physical exhaustion. The light from above hurt so much, it was nearly impossible to make anything out at first, but that''s when the sound Jane heard earlier became recognizable. It was constant, a centripetal wave in perpetual motion instead of an oceanic wave. It had to be a nearby fan, or some kind of vent?


    Wherever Jane was, neither the ocean nor a medical facility would make any sense. She never got out of the dark zone in the first place. Who would come there to pick her up if anything happened to her? "Mmmnnn!" Jane moaned. The migraine Jane felt earlier disappeared entirely, but the other battle pains, bruises, cuts, scrapes, and burns were still persistent on chipping away her comfort. Even when lying down and doing nothing, everywhere hurt in so many different ways. Jane''s eyes finally adjusted through the blur, revealing with focus on the nearby space, confirming to her that she was indeed inside of a building, one made of metallic structure with machinery all around her. It wasn''t unfamiliar either.


    "Wha?" Jane exhaled. With much right to be confused, Jane deduced that she was in a medical facility, and not just any facility either. This is the same room she used after passing out on Route 96, after fighting Patrissa. It had the same design, same equipment, and the same beeping heart monitor to her side.


    "Well - you''re awake."


    Jane turned her head, putting a painful stress on her neck. She must have developed a neck-strain while she was out on top of everything else. Hidden in plain sight to her right, Jane noticed doctor Ashly standing before her, and she appeared to be staring at Jane with a peculiar suspenseful glint. Jane was pinned in her medical bed, several blankets covering her, and an ivy in her left arm. Jane struggled at first to get up, but her entire body was barely responsive just to her nervous system, forcing her to quit early.


    "Before you even ask me about anything," Ashly forewarned, "I would like you to answer just one question... Are you actually stupid, or do we need to transfer you to our mental institution bay?"


    What a one-sided question; Ashly was cynical if anything. "What kind of..." Jane stopped herself, still pondering what could have happened. This was almost like before. She woke up here in bad shape, but last time, someone carried her back. What was the case for it this time? By the moment Jane''s mind wandered to seek more questions from her medic, she soon realized where Ashly was going with her rhetorical insult. Ashly didn''t even want Jane to have any time to answer, continuing to lecture her like her mother would be doing right now if present.


    "Of all the places to go, of all the things you can do to live in the moment..." Ashly sounded so furious, Jane would have thought by now that she wasn''t able to continue the statement. "You knew not to enter Alpha Zero! The General Army would not just let some civilian slip by into a restricted zone, which meant you had to have snuck in."


    "God, I know!" Jane hated to sound like she had an attitude, but the gap in time bothered her so much. She didn''t remember making it back successfully, so how did she end up here?! "How did I get here?"


    "Look at yourself!" Ashly pointed with both arms. Waiting for Jane to examine her own body under the covers, Ashly continued to ignore the questions until after she got everything out. Jane was mostly wrapped up in medical bandages, but serious burns were visible underneath. "What possible excuse could you make to do that to yourself?! To run into a danger class five area, running around with lethal magic and dangerous creatures?!"


    Wasn''t Alpha Zero danger class four last week...? Not the point. Jane knew Ashly was upset deep down. It was strange to see a doctor care so much about a patient whom of which barely knew each other, but nobody was supposed to go into Alpha Zero, not one soul. Jane noticed after peeking under the thick sheets that her clothes had been changed. She was willing to live with the assumption that Ashly did this after arriving here in the medical center. That black and blue outfit was done for anyway, but the hint of anything other than that scenario was unacceptable right now. "Aah¡ª" Jane opened her mouth to answer, but showing Ashly the crest would not be a wise decision. Nobody else knew it existed, and it would be a great idea to keep it that way. Still, there wasn''t denying the truth that she was seeking out the man''s services. "I wanted to reverse a spell, from Brightworth... It wasn''t worth it¡ª" Jane''s throat burned and itched just enough to force her into a ray of coughing over and over - lasting for a good five seconds.


    Ashly raised her brows, glancing down for a moment and then nodding. "Yeah. I''ll say. Were you not aware that Brightworth is public enemy number one?! And all of that, all of this," she pointed at Jane again, "for a simple spell reversal?!"


    She turned her eyes, unwilling to look at Ashly anymore. Jane understood the illogical move she made while she was still in Alpha Zero, that and much more. Why did she have to hear it all over again?


    "I guess it''s stupidity then."


    She snapped her face in Ashly''s direction again. Jane hadn''t been this pissed off before by one of her own medics, and Ashly was being completely hostile. "Hey!" she snapped, Jane''s voice somehow managing to keep together after what had happened to her. "I know it was stupid, and I know I almost died back there, but I have no idea what the hell is going on. I don''t know how I got here or who dragged me back. The least you can do for me is tell me what happened after I passed out! Otherwise you can just leave." Jane''s heart was elevating, registered on the monitor behind her, but it wasn''t anger driving her for the moment.


    Dr. Ashly was bound by her obligations to tell her patients what happened to them if at all possible. Jane must have known to be in trouble based on where she was found. "As you can clearly tell, you''ve been brought back here." Her voice calmed quickly, explaining the reports in sequence how everything supposedly happened. "Carried and dragged, a couple of kids as careless as yourself went straight in and found your body, nearly dead in the middle of the fields. They went into the dark zone only about two miles of the way. And after they returned, we''ve sealed off that back route they supposedly used to get in."


    "Who? Who are they?" Jane couldn''t help but sound desperate for answers. Last time, it was a Leray agent, but Ashly was describing people in the plural sense. To give that kind of description, as carless as herself? It couldn''t be! Have they really caught up to what was going on, risking their very lives after all that happened?


    "I can''t disclose that information right now."


    "Why not?" she tested.


    Ashly answered, "Because you are still in such horrible shape, that you need to rest longer. At the very least, you shouldn''t get your stress raised anymore today, but they still want to visit you, so if you feel better in about an hour, I''ll think about it."


    "Visit me?"


    Ashly nodded. "The commissioner wants to see you too. Not that that''s surprising. A girl found alive from Alpha Zero brought back in rough shape, yet to be identified." Ashly had elaborated the last sentence to make it sound like a news bulletin. "You''re the talk of the city right now, and I won''t be letting you out of this facility at all until you have completely healed, physically and mentally."


    Jane wanted to ask more, but her head was spinning with too many thoughts at once. She has been trying to prepare herself for the very possibility that her friends might finally find her here, but not like this. Then again, it may not even be them. The thought of coming back alive from that evil place, it became her next long montrum; addicting Jane to her own thoughts of every battle she had there.


    She knew Jane wanted to ask. There wasn''t any harm in estimating. "You''re stats don''t even respond an inch with advanced healing orbs, so we have to use multiple treatments of Starlov Boosters for as long as it takes. One is average on a medical budget, but more than two will cost you."


    Starlov Boosters...? Jane vaguely remembered from what she learned in Fronas about such items. They are special drugs designed specifically for healing real time damage that is specifically inflicted by unusual magic. Even non-magic users who suffer some kind of accidents don''t get them, which meant they had to be expensive. They don''t work as instantly as medical orbs either. It can take days, sometimes weeks to heal form real time damage completely, and that''s with the boosters! Jane could agree with one thing; it would be impossible just to move out of this bed, all thanks to the damage she already suffered. It''s no wonder why they haven''t strapped her down to this unit. Jane knew she wasn''t physically capable of leaving here on her own power, but to be as awake and as alert as this, her MP stats had to be higher now after her first injection.


    "Second injection comes in two hours," Ashly reported. "I''ll be back to check on you every ten minutes. We can talk about the boring billing and time details later."


    Jane watched the doctor walk out of here in a firm manner. Jane let the silence slip in as she took a long moment to inhale and contemplate everything that happened. This would surely take some time, as she needed to come up with a few new plans on what to do next. The very first thing for sure is finding Danny and Taylor again, no matter how long that takes. But then what?


    Jane tried to steer her thoughts back to Alpha Zero again. While she was inside of that hell, there wasn''t really any time to think about how incredibly dangerous or scary it was. But now, looking back on it, everything just seemed like a nightmare, like a horror film playing in loop she could not shut down. The entire memory felt like it could swallow Jane up in one instant, trapping her inside of this room and killing her off once and for all. Over and over again did Jane play back what happened in there, stopping herself against her own control before she had all of the details straight.


    Then the rest finally caught up to her mind. It was at the moment Ashly left when Jane felt totally alone again, but that is what triggered the memory of her last chain of thought. She was about to die in there for other reasons. Jane became suicidal, and all because she''d been making poor decisions from the moment she had been marked. Coming back here to find Danny and Taylor and tell them the truth was her motivation then to make it back here, all in the hopes that she would suffer the worst of all criticism, hopefully from the people she cared most about. Jane did this to herself; nobody else could have. How could she ever make up for all of the terrible things she''s done?


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Reflected Moon ~ Star Ocean 3 OST</a>


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    Jane could hardly believe how little the high quality medicine was helping her. After dismissing the energy scope in front of her, Jane continued counting the minutes away. They have a wall clock right in front of her bed, reading to be 1:40 P.M. Ashly came back to check every now and then, and told her that Jane may be allowed to walk around with a longer leash after an hour if possible, but she forgot to track how much time passed since then. It felt like three hours for her, the silence sheering at her nerves.


    It also gave her more time to think about what to try next. Luckily for her, Jane had a much better plan that would all work out if executed correctly. There''s just more to this than trying to punish herself. Jane knew that her friends deserve the truth, and they deserve to do whatever they want to her. After all said and done, there is one more thing Jane would like to do in the meantime.


    "Morning." The sound of the creek from the door opening so quickly made Jane quiver. Dr. Seth disregarded his intrusion with a nod, carrying a blue case file to the counter near him. After the door shut by itself, he waited for Jane''s predetermined question.


    "Has it been an hour?" she asked. Jane didn''t need to worry that Seth was here instead of Ashly, since they often both work together on the same patients.


    Seth turned around to face Jane, while his expression carried a load of something else. "That it has. May I ask the reason for your desire to walk around town in such a depleted state?"


    Jane turned her head left and right. "No, no," she disagreed. "I don''t want to walk around town. I only want to go to the entrance. I need to see my visitors, and I''ll be fine to move on my own." Jane had several back pains and stomach sheering dominating the other sensations that would prefer to disagree with her confidence, but she kept quiet for now.


    "Well then," Seth analyzed. "That is something I can do. Lennith''s commissioner has placed sentries and gradyents all over each exit to prevent any idea of you leaving town anytime. Dr. Ashly has required that you remain in Lennith City until you are officially discharged by her care."


    A medical doctor arranged all of that? Such dedication. "But¡ª"


    "Furthermore," Seth interrupted, "You will not be taking part in any Leray related activity or extraneous physical exercise, and you will be required to return to this room no later than every six hours should you leave the facility. Meaning, you can have breaks to dwell outside of this facility, but you will require treatment and monitoring every six hours at a time, including that for resting. We will have the room prepared for you at all times should you decide to rest in early."


    "Seth?" Jane called. What is he saying? Ashly would wring this guy''s neck if she could hear him speak right now. Jane wasn''t even in terms with exiting from the medical center, but Seth is just going to let her try it, and for six hours at a time? What is the guy''s game?


    "Visiting privileges will be allowed for now, but during treatments or resting will those rights be restricted, unless stated otherwise by the attending medical officer or legal guardian. I want you back from this current walk - in less than two hours. The commissioner has Leray agents everywhere to make sure you don''t do anything else stupid. Should you fail to return to this room in exactly two hours, your rights to travel outside will be prohibited, and we will be required then to use physical restraints during your time of recovery."


    A long silence prevailed, indicating that his prepared legal speech was over with, though Seth was still not saying anything else. Jane knew from start that this was all really coming from Dr. Ashly. At first it seemed like Seth was extending an invitation, but he would never use the word physical restraints in the same sentence like that. It''s just not in his character. No, this was Ashly calming down and giving her a conditional long leash just as Jane wanted, but that''s not what''s important right now. "I know. I''m not going to pull anything stupid."


    Seth sighed at himself, wondering if anything was the right call anymore. Bobbing his head towards Jane, it signaled for her to gently get out of the bed, unhook the ivy of water from her arm, and take her bearings. Jane was still wearing the medical uniform, which was but a thin zip-up dress with the design of an apron. With the reminder, he had to ask, "Do you have a dress sphere that you can change into?"


    She wasn''t entirely sure, but Jane vaguely suspected that one of her classmates from Lennith might have given her a dress sphere as one of the parting gifts. It would be in her supply sphere, currently sitting on the shelf behind her.


    Seth allowed the rest of his judgment to give her the permission to leave, for she seemed healthy enough. "I''ll let you take it from here. Also, you''ll want to dress tightly, to hide the scars."


    Jane wasn''t certain why he cared enough to elaborate that last detail, but what Ashly said earlier had her a bit nervous just to leave this room, for good reason. Jane didn''t consider until now how horrifyingly damaged and banged up her body was. Most of her skin was charred and burned up with cuts, scrapes, deep wounds sealed by more burns, and nothing else but a total mess. Any stranger who sees her might actually call child services or the agents in confusion, and there was no telling without a mirror nearby how bad it was for her face. "Am I going to be bothered by everyone who sees my face?"


    "No," he guessed. "I wouldn''t say you''re that popular. Not everybody knows that the girl they brought back here is you, and the people who do know might not recognize you if they don''t see extensive skin damage. The agents stationed around here are the exemption however."


    "I almost look as bad as a corpse."


    "As one may expect for a first time survivor of Alpha Zero. Just heed caution. We''ll keep in touch." Holding the door, Dr. Seth confirmed that it was his time to leave, allowing Jane to change into a different outfit while approaching her ability to temporarily be discharged. That paperwork happens at the back desk.


    Jane took her chances, popping the dress sphere out of her supply sphere. She had been through the procedure of leaving here before. Her visitors are either going to be waiting right at the front desk, or just outside. Jane was preferring and hoping for the outer entrance, wishing to breathe all of that fresh air so close by. After the red hell she stepped into, Jane nearly forgot how to appreciate a normal morning of sunshine.


    The dress sphere she obtained was a simple kind; a long dress with a partway cut overskirt that gave the overall structure balance in a new wave of fashion that has gained popularity among most of the girls. It looks so elegant on those prepared to battle, and with this one colored with a dark yellow hue, Jane was happy to be wearing something new.


    By the time she got dressed and ready to walk outside past the main exit of the building, Jane could already feel a tension building up around her. Nobody she recognized was in sight, so they had to be standing outside, but Jane hoped so far that this circumstance would allow her to skip the long process of tracking down her friends. After all, it would be more difficult now as she isn''t allowed to leave Lennith City.


    The gust of cool fresh air pushed her back as she pulled the double doors open. Though it was much too bright to stare straight up despite how early in the morning it was, Jane could still tell by the glow of light that there was a total absence of clouds and bad weather. With her new dress sphere being a bright yellow dress with orange patterns and designs down the sides, Jane was lighting up more than she expected to.


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Vale of Li''Shen ~ Arvenas</a>


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    "My. Our big hero returns!" a woman called.


    The voice drew Jane''s attention quickly, initially thinking it to be a crowd of curious people wondering about what she had done, but the front entrance of the building was almost vacant of all other people but a few. Some civilians who didn''t know her were just passing by minding their own business. The girl pointing towards Jane was recognized as Taylor Feer. Excitement and thrill rushed Jane''s thoughts, as Danny was facing away from the building a few meters behind Taylor. It was nearly unbelievable how much luck Jane was receiving lately, her friends already here for her. Forgetting all about that heavy stuff, Jane was immediately overcome by a welcoming sense of joy and happiness forcing a smile to form.


    Taylor casually approached Jane Venn, making sure of her identity by every detail. Jane seemed to be happy just to see her with that smirk on her face. Taylor thus drew her arm, swiping her hand through the air to punch Jane''s right cheek hard enough to turn a few heads their way, much more sending Jane backwards off her feet.


    Jane cringed from that hard hit and covered her face, now burning with the vengeance Taylor suddenly let out. She then felt the shock of her entire rear body scrape against the rough short cut grass below her. Jane had to carefully find her way back onto her feet, but she took her time to get her mind straight, while Danny was just standing there expecting this to happen. Jane didn''t get upset though, realizing that this was to be expected after what she had done since Tilsit, no, since before their very separation. It would only be but another second before Taylor starts shouting at her for minutes without end. Jane met her eyes, daring to listen to every detail and word possible. Taylor has all the right in the world to scream at her and hate her. Jane knew she needed this!


    "I can''t believe you!" Taylor freaked. "Running to Lennith without us, acting like such a baby over what I can hardly call an emergency. You have any idea how much trouble you''ve caused us?"


    Jane lowered her gaze slightly, returning it a moment later. You have no idea Taylor. I''ve caused more trouble for you than I can ever be okay with. Keep it coming!


    Waiting for any sort of reply, Jane remained silent about it, showing Taylor that she had to have some shame left in her as she remained on the floor in defeat. "And to just find your body lying there in that hell hole, you could have died!"


    Jane interrupted with the surface of a new detail, standing back tall to figure it out. "Wait, you?" she said pointing. "You pulled me out of the dark zone?"


    "We both did," Danny hollered. He wasn''t even interested in turning around to face her. He stared in one direction only, listening to Taylor, making sure every single word or insult was let out.


    "All because you can''t accept a few natural losses in battles. Why are we even traveling together, after you just left us there in that mess?!"


    Jane was nearly speechless. She knew how to handle this before, but hearing it from Taylor directly was overwhelming. She really has a way of making this hurt more than expected. Then again, it should be hurting this much. Jane knew what she did from the moment she left Tilsit, and from the moment she decided to lie to them. Improvising for words, Jane began with a long exhale. "I''m sorry."


    "Oh - is that all?" Taylor snide with her voice filling the entire world.


    Jane never realized until now how pissed off and volatile Taylor could become. It''s so impressive! "The blame is all mine. I was acting like a kid, a complete and total idiot. I put myself before you two, and risked my own life senselessly over a stupid spell."


    "Are my ears working?" Danny turned around, finally able to face Jane. It was very rare to catch her in an apologetic mood, let alone admitting to causing so much trouble. Jane Venn of all people having any self-humility is about as rare as seeing the moon turn blue.


    Jane met his gaze, hoping to see his very emotion through his hazel eyes. In truth, Danny''s expression seemed quite monotone, which was scarier because it masked his every possible thought process, but Taylor was still furious. It would have been moronic to believe her anger would fade as quickly as that.


    "You should have tried to get back¡ª"


    "I know!" Jane repeated, approaching tears from everything she could regret. "I planned to find you after I was done, but my plan was both stupid and irresponsible. I never thought all these extra things were going to happen."


    "It doesn''t matter!" Taylor yelled. "You were supposed to take us to Junon with you, and you failed to uphold anything you said. What if something happened to us? How would you feel then?"


    "Taylor, I don''t know what else to say." Jane couldn''t imagine anything bad happening to either of them, which is why she erased the very possibility from her mind before.


    Danny watched them both, as their argument was attracting a few people left and right. They still wandered by without stopping, but the whole deal made him curious to know what was currently going on with Jane. Her face was also badly bruised and scared up from the damages of the dark zone, but it made him mildly nervous, since others would think Taylor drew that much physical damage from hitting her.


    Taylor reflected, "Would you? I didn''t think cowards were that bright, but thanks for proving my point."


    "Nothing I do can possibly make this right," Jane confessed. "I know I didn''t want to die in that place, but to come back here to this¡ª" Jane immediately referenced the very argument before her. "I deserve all of it. I made every mistake possible! I''ve destroyed my career, I lied to you both..." Unable to handle the process anymore, Jane sank to her knees in tears, but nobody else followed her down for her sympathy.


    Taylor let this endure for as long as she saw appropriate. "You can cry all you like, you disgusting excuse for a human being."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Taylor?"


    She turned directly to Danny, forcing him to stay on reminder for everything Jane has done. "Don''t you start forgiving her now."


    "It''s not about that." Danny''s words finally got Taylor to calm down just for a moment. There was something odd in the last thing Jane spoke of. "Did you hear what Jane just said? She said she''s lied to us both." Now facing the girl in tears directly, Danny reiterated his question. "I want to know what context this lie belongs to, because I don''t recall having you made that mistake."


    So Jane went even further to fib? Danny would be like this, since he is lately over-analytical, but that doesn''t matter. It isn''t worth the time to hear about it. Taylor turned around, resetting her mood towards the teenage boy. "I don''t care what it regards. You think what she did is ever going to be excusable? You think I''ll ever be okay with what she left for us back there?"


    "She doesn''t know Taylor!" His words silenced her immediately, but she kept staring.


    Jane on the other hand was moving her eyes around more rapidly after lifting her hands as their cover, confused by the sudden misunderstanding. She had to wipe the moisture away to clearly see their faces. "Know what? What am I missing now?"


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Calm ~ Aleksander Randjelovic (Genesis Rising OST)</a>


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    Danny turned to Jane, now ready to explain the situation better. Regarding what Jane was about to reveal earlier, that will just have to wait. "How would you describe exactly what went on at Tilsit Beach that day? Taylor and I will at least let you speak on this."


    "Oh, that..." Arching her eyes downward to remember, Jane leaned back on the concrete of the building behind her all balled up on the ground, preparing for the long version of her explanation. "Well you both know what happened before. I was in the study section of the library, researching on my condition with little luck. Then I walked outside. I was supposed to find you, but instead I was distracted."


    "The lighthouse?" he elaborated.


    Jane nodded curiously. "Yes, how did you know?" Danny didn''t answer back, so Jane had to just continue. "I saw something happening. It sort of looked like a commotion, but much more like some fight between two guards. I don''t know who those people were, but since I witnessed part of what happened, the tower guard threw fireballs at me. After what happened in the battle before that, I couldn''t bring myself to fight anyone, no matter what the reason was. So I just ran. I ran to the docks, hopped on the first clunker I saw, and messed up the navigation controls while heading out to sea."


    "You expect me to believe you got lost at sea because of bad navigation controls?" Taylor was already losing it again, but Danny allowed Jane to continue after a quick comparison of details.


    "Jane, do you know what that man was up to, or who he was?"


    "No," she replied. "I had no time to figure the details. I don''t even know why I ran away. There could have been a number of Leray agents there to help me, but I wasn''t in a mood to deal with any agents then."


    "Why?"


    Danny held his hand towards Taylor, telling Jane to ignore the question for now. "Keep explaining what happened next."


    "Well, after getting far out at sea, that''s when I decided to become stupid enough to head over to Monoc Port, site of Junon. I needed to reverse this spell, and there was only one way and place to do that."


    "The Den of Purity," Danny figured. Jane had told him about that place not too long ago, after Jane was fussing about her disabling spell.


    It''s like Danny was anticipating her very answers. Wait a second! Taylor backed up a pace, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! How did you get there with messed up navigation controls?"


    Danny wanted the answer too, and allowed Jane to fill in the rest of the unknowns. Jane didn''t understand why they were questioning her like this when she could just tell them. She can''t show them though, not out here with bystanders. "The engine was messed up too, in pretty bad shape. I had to use a lot of magical energy to get here, making use of the spell Water Blast as a primitive propulsion system. The currents did the rest. It took all night." They both nodded, accepting the explanation, but now it was Jane''s turn to learn about their adventures. "Now it''s my turn. I don''t have any idea what happened to you both there. What transpired after I was gone?"


    "Well your attacker," Danny prepared to spit out, "drew a large scene, which brought by the nearest Leray agent there, but he was only a lifeguard agent, carrying little training whatsoever. There was a lot more than just one enemy."


    "Who?" Jane repeated.


    Finally simmering down, Taylor chimed in to help Jane understand the mess she left behind. "The Scarlet Cult. They infiltrated the lighthouse. I wouldn''t have guessed that they have a digital information center below ground of that facility."


    "Wh¡ªwhat?!"


    Danny credited, "You heard right. The man chasing you like a lunatic was only defending his operation. They invaded the lighthouse system covertly, and stole a ton of sensitive data. We both only learned about what was going on from the Leray agents working there, but even I don''t understand the rest of it, neither do I understand their motives."


    "The Scarlet Cult?" Jane read back. "As in, the same group of thugs who jacked the crystal shards from Dakota?"


    "One and the same." Taylor crossed her arms, unwilling to put up with the patience required to speak with Jane even now. "That''s why I asked you what you would have done if we would have died. Scarlet soldiers were attacking civilians, just to defend what wasn''t even their own. We didn''t even know you were gone, until a few witnesses describing you told us that you stole a boat?"


    "I think I stole more than a boat," Jane confessed. "Truth is," she started, "I don''t think I will be able to make up for any of my mistakes. I''ve messed up far more than you''ve realized."


    Danny saw Jane''s eyes watering up. She was fighting back tears right now, but it couldn''t have been easy running around on her own. He wanted to tell Jane how happy was he was right now, glad to see her alive and safe. That was the only reason they were both so angry at her anyway. Taylor wouldn''t even admit that to him, should Jane be far away elsewhere. Still, something wasn''t fitting into this alibi. "Jane? Seriously, did you really cause all of this mayhem because of a spell bomb, because you wanted to have better odds in Leray battles?"


    This was it, Jane told herself. The time for secrets with these two is just over with now, as Danny is somehow catching on automatically. Holding her breath, Jane revealed her act of deception. "No." Taylor shivered in surprise, though Danny must have suspected as much. "There is actually more to this spell bomb thing than I''ve let on."


    "You''re kidding!" Taylor couldn''t believe that there were even more lies behind it all, but Jane didn''t seem like she was pretending to confess anything. Is this what Danny tried to warn her about earlier, about Jane lying to them?


    Nodding, Jane elaborated on the events that forever changed her life. "I''ve done so much to myself, and to both of you. I won''t let either of you forgive me. But first you must know..." Jane glanced around her immediate area, making sure that nobody was eaves dropping. If Danny and Taylor want to blow her secret out of the water afterwards, that''s just fine with her. "You both remember what happened to me the moment I activated that spell bomb, right?"


    "Nobody forgot that except for you," Danny corrected.


    "Remember the symbol that appeared in the sky?" she reminded. "I think one of you tried to show me its composition by drawing it after I got sick and all. I pretended not to fully understand what was going on. I pretended not to remember several extra details, and for a while, it didn''t really make much sense to me either, but there is a reason I was so urgent to rush to the Den of Purity. It''s not about my career at all anymore." Jane looked around, making sure that no other persons were hovering or close enough to make this out. The way Danny and Taylor were hovering in front of her made this part a little easier. Jane held out her right arm flat in front of both of them.


    Jane wasn''t normally capable of projecting her symbol at will, but after all of the physical experience brought back out of the dark zone, Jane was certain that she could invoke its very light in front of the next two witnesses. After waiting for only a second of time, the crest of light activated on the top of her hand with a pulsating sound, projecting the 3-D symbol that matched the same exact design and color of that seen in the sky the day the mark was given to her, and before they could even process what was going on, Jane began to feel the symbol grow even stronger, shining brightly enough to glimmer light from a great distance. It was certainly a very high risk considering Jane was sort of on watch from the nearby sentries, but nobody around her would be able to clearly make out what was happening now. She instinctively inhaled, immediately feeling three times better and stronger than before. Just by showing off this crest, Jane was powering up, probably accelerating the process of the Starlov Boosters currently attempting to heal all of her real time damage. She also felt much better because she cut off her last remaining chance to lie to her friends ever again. Finally, the truth comes out!


    Danny and Taylor were both at a loss for words, staring deeply into the magical crest holographically tattooed on Jane''s hand. "No way!" Taylor diffused. "Is that?"


    Danny want to grab her hand, try and see if the symbol was something he too could feel, but Jane pulled her arm back before then, covering up its light with her other free hand. She was suddenly trying to turn it back off while explaining as much as she could about the crest, and she seemed incredibly nervous trying as much. "They are the same symbols. Though nothing in the database matches what I was searching for."


    "What is that thing?" Danny demanded. The spell bomb did this? How did she hide it when she was sick?


    The light under her hand was gone now. Jane lifted her hand up again, revealing to her friends how easy it was to hide the symbol from plain sight. "It''s a magical symbol, a mark imbued onto the skin with a purpose of permanently enhancing one''s powers to a specific degree, depending on which symbol is used."


    "Symbols...? I¡ª I don''t understand." Taylor even reflected mental confusion on her expression. Why hide it at all, and what was the difference between an ordinary symbol and a glyphring?


    "Uh," What is this? Danny and Taylor have never heard of symbols or marks before? Even if they are new to Sprawn Valley, surely they have at least heard of the most formidable crime one could commit by having one! A pause endured... They don''t. They really don''t know! How stupid has she been this whole time? They''ll never hate her for this if they don''t have the context! Jane glanced around her again, making certain that no one else saw what she had tried to do. "I''m sorry, I forgot that you might not have known what that was at first glance. Symbol markings are not like glyphrings, though they can look alike. Remember how that thief in Fronas escaped with our crystal shards?"


    "He teleported?" Danny believed all along that he used that method to escape. Back then though, he was only fascinated by the existence of such power.


    "Right," Jane clarified. "In Leray battles, certain skills can make us teleport, but that''s not what we call it when it is used by a Leray ability. It''s called matter transference instead." Whence both Taylor and Danny were silent again, it was Jane''s cue to elaborate even further. "Matter transference is similar to teleportation in that it has similar effects, but there is no such Leray ability alone that allows for real teleportation at a distance. The difference is that teleportation often requires the assistance of an actual symbol, at least when used so quickly. Transference does not. Since transference cannot actually take you very far in distance, and because it is the only traceable form of the skill, actual teleportation is not legal for ordinary people here. Those who teleport without a symbol can only do so if authorized, but others can use symbols when teleporting to speed up the process. More or less, the faster version is illegal because it makes use of a symbol. Only agents that use special spells that create temporary and artificial symbols can teleport legally."


    "What does that have to do with the symbol you have?"


    Jane noticed how soothing Taylor''s voice became. She was so calm now, or at lease she sounded as much. Still, Jane felt as if she deserved more ridicule for the many mistakes she has made so far. "Don''t you get it? Not only are symbols usually permanent unless removed at the Den of Purity, but symbols in question are absolutely one hundred percent illegal and dangerous. The thing I just showed to you, should anybody else see it, let alone hear a rumor that I am marked, I''ll be hunted down by the General Army. At the very least, thrown in prison."


    Danny held two fingers to his forehead, getting the headache of a lifetime. "Let me get this going straight. You have a magic symbol in you, a mark that is considered illegal..." After what he just said, Danny suddenly froze, though not so noticeably. The reference he just called to mind clicked in with Jane''s entire behavior! A spell bomb blasts her from the sky, which gives her that mark on her hand, but if the mark is supposedly so illegal, then that means Jane is considered a super dangerous person, one that would never find relief if discovered by anyone else. She hid this all from everyone to protect herself, running to the one and only place to... Jane didn''t do this to remove a low endurance rating! She did this to make sure she could seal a secret that would forever have her locked away into prison for the rest of her days! Danny didn''t have any idea why they are illegal, but that reference isn''t important enough to put other pieces together. Realizing this, his breath escaped from him while Jane continued to elaborate.


    "Illegal on one of the highest levels," Jane corrected. "It would make my attempted use of the spell bomb seem like skipping school for a day with minimal punishment."


    Taylor nodded and continued, "And this symbol is part of your permanent spell?"


    "No, the symbol is the permanent spell." Jane remembered back to the moment it was inflicted upon her. "The spell bomb was a prototype, something not in any official manifest. That''s why I didn''t find any good results on what it was. And the man who gave it to me, I still don''t know enough about him, but he said it was dangerous. I wish I paid more attention to the warning. Spell bombs are not known to actually imbue magical symbols on people, making this one an illegal tool."


    "It''s dangerous?" Taylor requested.


    "Yes," she repeated. "You both saw what condition I was in just from trying to activate the damn thing, and how sick I got afterwards. I later found out that the illness was nothing more than a very painful overload of MP energy, as my capacity in the form of ME was elevated too high. In fact, the numbers are still probably climbing as we speak."


    "I knew it had to be related!" Taylor needed that, to admit that she was right all along. Even without knowing much about Leray magic and the general rules, something had been off about Jane physically since the day of that incident, but Taylor only thought something was odd about the illness in relation to the spell bomb. She had been clueless on everything else.


    "I only discovered my own symbol the first time I woke up from that mess, back in the Fronas medical center. All I knew was that I was marked with a symbol, something that would get me in a lot more trouble than what Eliza would have cared for. Taylor almost caught me with the crest on, so I had to hide it, and that''s the first time I lied to you two."


    No way! Does she think that we would just throw her under the bus for something like that? Whether it was made aware in the beginning or not, never in a million years would we rat you out to the agents. Jane! You should have trusted your friends. "I''m so sorry Jane. You didn''t have to hide that from us," Danny declared. "We would have helped you immediately."


    Jane spoke in a demoralizing tone. "I wish I was that certain earlier, but it doesn''t change anything. I kept it from you so that you wouldn''t go searching for something so dangerous." She heard Danny spout the word nonsense, but she continued to drop his flawed logic. "If the GA ever discovers that you two ever tried to help me hide this crest in the first place, you would be subject to equal punishment."


    Danny swept his arm back in anger. "But this is a different situation. They can''t just¡ª"


    "They can and they will!" Jane was firm and certain of that much. "The General Army doesn''t care about circumstances. They will put anyone down who is marked, and more who have helped such a person."


    Danny was frozen again for a few moments to further process it all, but his next thought process kicked in quickly. The fact of the matter is, having her very secret revealed somehow turns Jane into a national fugitive; that''s the way Jane just put it. But then why? What reason could there be for this? "What sick twisted world is this place?" Attracting her curiosity, Danny continued only in his thoughts. I knew something was up when Nyar told us to stay away from Leray magic. But this is totally not what he was expecting at all. Symbol wielders are dangerous and criminalized. That much can make sense because of the power it may draw for villains, but what happens in this situation? The innocent one gets penalized all the same? Has the whole world lost their ever-loving mind?!


    Screw the rules of Leray magic, the dangers of dark magic, and this symbol nonsense! Danny knew he couldn''t put up with it for much more, as this was crossing a line! How could the people in charge treat others this way with all other laws so loose? How could they have such a dangerous evil lair of deadly monsters in their own back yard, and to tarnish people and the reputation of those who are marked? Look at her! Look at Jane and everything she has done! Her very own fear of being prosecuted has made her lie to the only people she should have trusted most. Then it made her forget the value of her own life, while she tried to risk it all in hopes that some dangerous vile excuse of a person could help her reverse it! It''s twisted her very mind. Jane isn''t a bad person. She''s a victim of this bullshit that Sprawn Valley has been covering up for so long. The news never reported of this so-called Alpha Zero. If they did, it would be the talk in all regions, not just this small place in the Junon region. They would cover this up for what? To protect the reputation of Leray magic? Nyar might have been right all along, but where does it stop?


    Taylor backed away a step, folding her arms and tilting her view. "So that''s how it happened. You''ve been lying to us this entire time! All about a magic tattoo." She wasn''t trying to sound angry. Jane already appeared to be guilty, almost enough to look like she had killed a man.


    "I know!" Jane hated herself for doubting them, but that in turn just reminded her about something. "There is no excuse for it at all, but you both lied to me too ya know?"


    Danny replied, "We did?"


    Jane had some of it figured out. At the very least, she knew what was missing from their explanations. "I mean, come on. I know it can''t possibly be as bad as this, but while we''re all telling each other everything... You didn''t just want to travel with me to Junon for fun, right? That moment you had in the woods Sunday morning, your reluctances to tell me where you are from? I believe how you got here, and why you might be interested in Leray magic, but what about going back home? I thought you two said something about a trip to New York."


    "I wasn''t lying when I said we needed to leave," Taylor levied.


    Danny shook his head, revealing the truth. "We never said that at all Taylor. Jane was right to assume that you don''t want to leave here. Junon airport was the original plan and destination, but we''re working out a few kinks right now."


    Jane noticed how defeated Taylor suddenly looked, after shooting Danny an angry glance for ratting out the secret. "So, wait. You don''t want to leave, or you can''t?"


    "I still don''t want to talk about it right now," Taylor worded. "Let''s just say that my parents are really bad people, and leave it at that."


    Jane let it sink in for a moment, and then bobbed her head. "Fine. I can accept that it''s too personal to share." Still, what kind of parents does Taylor have?


    "Are you sure?" Danny had to be realistic. After all she has been through, Jane didn''t deserve any of this.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Shine Like Stars ~ Peter Vantine</a>


    <hr>


    "But I deserve all of this and more," she admitted. "Just go back to yelling at me, please." Jane sunk her face into her arms covering her knees, curling up more into a ball.


    "You deserve none of it," Danny corrected. But Jane wasn''t giving up into motivation so easily.


    "You''re wrong. I lied to both of you. You should hate me, more so now that I was able to somehow survive that place." Jane lifted her face for a moment, wishing to project her voice loudly. "I''m the one who made the mistakes! I''m the one who burned my morals down to nothing!"


    "The symbol on your hand did that to you."


    "No it didn''t." Jane knew that much. The crest didn''t change her state of mind or mentality. She is the same person she always was and worse. "The symbol doesn''t affect a person''s mind. Magic doesn''t work like that."


    Danny knew she wasn''t thinking clearly from other things. "But the fear of being persecuted will affect your judgment." Jane seemed so shocked suddenly, staring at Danny now, though her eyes never seemed this dark before. "You hated the very thought of that so much, and you considered how Taylor and I might be in trouble if we knew about it and tried to help you, and probably included your parents in the same thought too. You hate the idea of us being in trouble so much that you decided to cut us out of the equation. And in doing so, you came to drastic conclusions and measures to try and toughen yourself up for some sort of answer."


    Jane couldn''t speak right now. How was Danny saying all of these accurate things about her? Is he some sort of mind reader? No! That isn''t right! You can''t just say what is true and make it seem forgivable Danny! You can''t do that!


    "Jane!" Danny sounded so condescending right now. She didn''t want to answer. If anything, Jane has been wallowing in self-pity for so long, she wants to be punished by their hatred... But that''s too bad. There is none here Jane. You can''t have your way this time. "What happened to you is not fair. Even so, you and I are going to fix it somehow. Taylor will help, and I don''t give a damn how illegal it is to this place. If the entire world army has a problem with you being marked by accident, then they''ll be answering to all of us!"


    Taylor didn''t understand what was going on at first, but the way Danny jumped to the exact correct conclusion like that was so impressive, stunning at that. Now he was including all three of them to help her remove her symbol; the very thing that has messed her up so badly. Jane did all of the things she did out of fear from that glyph on her hand? And Taylor had no idea the entire time...


    How can this be happening right now? Even if they won''t hate her for this, how can they possible endanger their own lives, even after realizing the total risk involved with them? Why are they doing this? "H¡ª how? How can you say that? You know you''ll be locked up alongside me! Why would you be willing to risk that much?"


    "If that''s what it takes, I''ll risk everything!" Danny rose his voice further just to enforce that he was serious, but it began attracting a few turning heads again. Still, that didn''t matter to him now. "I don''t know why I would do that Jane, but we are still friends at the end of every day. I think that has everything to do our choices somehow."


    Friends? Jane couldn''t have expected or predicted this reaction in a million different scenarios. They''re still her friends after all this, after every time she has wronged them? Why is Taylor not as loud right now?


    "Fine," Taylor reluctantly agreed. "We are still friends Jane, but we''re still not completely even just yet. When I ask you of any specific favor I want, you have no choice but to fulfill it to me. And it can be anything I want."


    Smart. Taylor is her friend too, but in this case, it''s conditional to that one fact. At least she is still technically in debt to them. Jane can''t just be let off the hook like that no matter what. If Taylor asked her to stand in the central plaza at day light and perform a most embarrassing performance degrading her entire reputation before the whole city, Jane would gladly take that as punishment too. Please don''t make it something easy!


    Jane couldn''t describe exactly the right words for this current feeling, but everything from before had vanished in her sea of thoughts. What is this new sensation in its place? Jane felt somehow satisfied with the way this was right now, a moment she would want to last forever. She shouldn''t be forgiven at all, but this is just different. Danny and Taylor aren''t reacting in a negative way towards her either. Why though? Why is she suddenly okay with this? Jane could tell she was just barely smiling, but she couldn''t figure out why, let alone control this wave of emotion coming down on top of her for it. It''s a satisfying feeling that isn''t totally empty or full, but it''s desirable in a way that feels like home.


    "Still," Danny pondered. "If you wouldn''t mind giving us a little more information about Alpha Zero? It''s true that we went in there to find you, but I''ll need your explanation to help describe what we saw in there."


    "Actually, I''m surprised neither one of you got into any trouble rescuing me, much more from the commissioner." Jane backtracked everything that happened to her in there, trying to put it into words. "But since you don''t know about it, I''ll explain. A dark zone is a piece of land infused with dark magical energy. In such a field, Leray magic is weakened, and the veil stops protecting us completely from physical harm, tough it does not disable Leray magic in question. Even regular ordinary damages without magical assistance become inflicted as real time damage, while dark magic itself is easier to be used in a dark zone. Alpha Zero is a dark zone, just a thousand times larger than all other dark zones previously studied by mages. In fact, I only learned about it after coming to Lennith, and it''s an absolutely terrible place."


    "I thought the intense heat and red sky was weird..." Taylor wanted to try and compare, but Jane must have seen worse than she had.


    Jane guessed the situation as much. "You must have been even luckier not to run into any monsters. It''s a zone so intense in dark magical fields that unworldly creatures can spawn out of nowhere, monsters with the ability to use dark magic, all with the instinct to kill anything that moves. The Den of Purity was well outside of my reach, and after taking enough damage, I tried to turn around for my own life. I had so much time to think about things in there - all of the mistakes I''ve made, all of the things I''ve taken for granted..."


    "Huh," Danny hinted. "So it takes a near-death experience to snap you out of stupidity. I''ll have to remember that for next time."


    It was a bad attempt at a joke, but Jane had to be clear for one thing in particular. "There won''t be a next time," Jane clarified. "I really am sorry for all of this... By the way, how did you find me? I knew you would eventually, but how did you get by Route 96? I would have thought that all of the battling there would have slowed you down a lot."


    "Battling?" Danny questioned.


    Taylor remembered how easy it was to just walk on by. "All we did was activate our emergency mode on the license cards. Nobody questioned our reasons for declining battles afterwards. The commissioner agreed that searching for a friend likely in danger was good enough to validate the situation. Is that not what you did?"


    "You were chasing someone likely in danger. I was officially removing a spell bomb''s curse. Even if I fluffed that up enough to not sound so ridiculous, that doesn''t count as an emergency, so it was denied."


    Danny interrupted only momentarily to assert Jane''s reason for that. "Right. And because of your symbol being illegal, you couldn''t just use that explanation either. After all, you had not made it to the Den of Purity yet."


    "I had to plow my way through many battles just to reach Lennith City, and then train a whole bunch before heading into the dark zone."


    "That couldn''t have gone well." Danny knew that Jane was always telling the truth about her spell''s disabling effects on her endurance level. Any attack she took was amplified three times before actually receiving it, making Jane an easy target on a long road, but if anyone studies that in action, it isn''t easy to detect.


    "I only lost one battle. Technically, I won by default, but that bitch tried to jump me afterwards. And you guys thought I responded badly to failure."


    "You still do," Taylor insulted.


    "But how?" Danny felt baffled. "If you kept losing so many battles in a row, how did you suddenly start winning those battles after the Tilsit incident?"


    "With my first four battles with you guys," she retraced, "my crest was not actually activating at all, yet the spell''s effects were still holding me back. It is true that my defense is crap, even now, but the crest comes with some unique advantages that were not so easy to access before. I couldn''t actually invoke that symbol like I just showed you until one of the harder battles I got into on the road here."


    Danny shifted his feat, trying to block some of the sunlight from his eyes. "You mean to tell me that your symbol can power you up? Well that''s neat. Now I want one."


    "It''s not as glorious as it might seem," she protested. "My successful battles have not been won that fairly. With an illegal crest, how would my enhanced battle against another be fair? Of course, with lowered defenses, it somehow feels as if it is sometimes. But I learned much later and by accident that as one of the permanent effects of this symbol, all of my Leray powers don''t drain so much of my energy anymore. Anytime I use an attack spell, MP energy is conserved somehow. Additionally, I can learn new spells in only a tenth of the time it normally takes others to learn them, which is another side effect."


    "Unbelievable," Danny fantasized.


    Jane continued, "Before heading out on 96, I trained myself to use a large variety of new abilities to get an upper hand, and also bought a metal suit of armor for additional protection. That poor suit did not make it all the way through, but I battled much better on the road after I learned those new spells. Once I learned how to activate the crest at will, I noticed additional effects that only work when invoked. The crest can actually heal some of my damages, and charge up my magical energy back to the way it was before I run out. I''m becoming unstoppable in a battle now."


    "I''m not convinced, not with the condition I found you in," Taylor exclaimed.


    "So Jane thinks she is a badass now?"


    Taylor reassured Danny about their promised battle someday. "Don''t worry. You can''t honestly fight Jane with her symbol thingy that lets her cheat. Once it''s removed, then we''ll see who''s really better. But don''t forget that I want a match with her too."


    "Why am I so popular for getting battle offers?" It''s not just everyone she passed by, but even her own friends are crazy about fighting her in a solid Leray match. "Either way," Jane went on, "the mission to remove this tattoo has failed. I didn''t reach the Den of Purity, obviously, and nobody other than Brightworth is capable of removing that spell."


    "Brightworth?"


    Jane forgot that both of them have no clue who the man is. "The guy who works at the Den, and supposedly primary suspect number one when it comes to the responsibility for the creation of Alpha Zero. Even if I did make it, a criminal wouldn''t help someone like me unless I force them. Now I have to stay at this place until I heal."


    Brightworth. Danny didn''t learn of the criminal''s name, only his general existence as the guy who runs the Den of Purity and now Alpha Zero. "Right..." Danny remembered. "How long is that for?"


    "Don''t worry about it," she persisted. "The east exit is the one you want for the airport. I have to be in medical for healing. I don''t know how long, but I predict days. I''m only allowed to free roam for six hours at a time, not allowed to leave the city at all. Right now, I''m only on a two hour timer."


    "Uh, we''re not leaving," Taylor shifted. "We''ll deal with the airport thing when we deal with it, but for now, we want to stay here."


    "It will be dangerous," Jane forewarned.


    "Why...?" After pausing on giving anything away, Danny realized that Jane isn''t done just sitting around. She''s plotting something. It''s good that she hasn''t given up hope on herself, but removing a symbol by other means won''t be easy. "What are you going to do?"


    "Right," Taylor realized. "You can''t even fulfill your career with an illegal glyph-thing, can you?"


    "I can''t, but I do have plans." Jane had the thoughts collected on how to reverse the spawn of Alpha Zero, and after the report she heard of before seeing her friends today, it carried even more urgency... The zone is slowly growing bigger. It could swallow this city alive if left unchecked. "This dark zone, this Alpha Zero needs to be destroyed, or turned off somehow."


    "You''re not going back in there." Danny was making a firm order, not a suggestion.


    "I don''t have to," Jane explained. "The General Army has a job to do, and they''ve been slacking off. I have a plan to get the General Army to get the job done, a plan to help them infiltrate Alpha Zero, arrest Brightworth, and reverse the dark magical effects of the land all at the same time. It''s really a matter of motivation that the soldiers lack right now. There''s another way to restore it."


    Lack of motivation? Nobody wants to go in and get killed, but it might as well be worth hearing out another one of Jane''s terrible plans. "But why is that so important?" Danny figured that if one removes the Alpha Zero, the threat is eliminated, but the guys in charge need to fix this, not her or anyone else.


    "Because," Jane steadied. Her eyes have long since dried up, but her tone became quite serious upon her realization. "The Alpha Zero is growing in size slowly over time. I wasn''t aware of this until a few moments ago, but that means the entire nation here is under a threat."


    Taylor predictably reacted the way she should have. "What?!"


    "I see." Danny had an easy time lately figuring things out for himself, making quick deductions by investigating specific facts and reactions. He had to ever since that Tilsit incident, but Jane has the only answer for now. "That place is dangerous even in a safe zone, because eventually, there won''t be any safe zones. That''s really uncomforting, but the army should know this by now."


    "Even if they do," Jane picked up, "they''re too afraid to act on it. I know that the zone is growing based on what I heard earlier. First of all, when I woke up in medical, I found out that I was located about one mile inside of the official dark zone, two miles from Lennith City. But based on that location difference, I know based on my previous walk that I had to walk further than three miles in order to reach the official zone itself. That means that when you both found me, you had noticed the changes in the dark zone about a few minutes before I did on my first trip. Secondly, I noticed that the medical officer was declaring Alpha Zero as a danger level five hostile zone, but before I left, it was technically classified as a danger level four. That means that the General Army is suddenly aware that the zone is growing, or else there wouldn''t be any other reason to call it so dangerous like that by elevating the priority of the situation. Thirdly, since you didn''t run into any monsters in there, it means that you found me in a place where I would have been only a few minutes away from leaving the official boundary of the zone if the position and size of the field had entirely remained unchanged, but because you did see the sky turn red for further a time before locating me, the distance between normal space and Alpha Zero has been displaced by a factor higher than one from my first visit. The distance actually grew, despite how slow and slight it was."


    "That actually makes sense."


    Taylor held a confused expression towards Danny for his totally casual response. Jane just described so much at once that her head was spinning, but he kept up with all of it on the spot? Was he just bluffing that he understood how Jane knew the dark zone was growing? No, he''s been acting like this since the Tilsit incident. Danny is suddenly more analytical than what is considered normal, but the scary part is that it''s making him smarter. He didn''t used to be like this, not as far as she was aware of...


    "And because of that, I''ve changed my objective for now, to removing the threat of Alpha Zero completely. If we''re successful, I may even have a chance to go back to the way I was before."


    "But how do you intend to change the mind of the entire army for your very will?"


    Another male called her name from behind. Jane turned around, realizing that Dr. Seth was holding the front facility door open for her, but he was impressed that she behaved well enough to stay so close to the safety of the facility. "It''s time to start the next treatment again." Seth addressed the two new friends of Jane''s, realizing they are also her visitors from before. Must have caught up out here. "She needs her rest to continue recovery. You are free to visit any time Jane is awake."


    "Be right there," Jane announced. It was the rule she needed to follow anyway. Six hours is every treatment, but the very second one was actually two hours away from her first treatment. Has that much time passed already? No, they must want her to rest is all. The master plan did not really need much explaining anyway. Jane couldn''t enforce any of it yet, not until she is able to fight again. With that, Danny and Taylor will have to wait patiently and make themselves comfortable. "I''ll see you two later then. If you really want to help me, we all need more credits to fund the medicine. I can''t be in battles till I''m healed up."


    "We''ll talk after the next treatment then," Taylor agreed. Jane turned around, walking back into the facility while Danny and Taylor were left outside.


    Silence stuck between them for over a minute while the ambient noise and light from the people and places around them filled that void for now. There was so much to think about. Everything they planned to get Jane for earlier was all in vain. How could either of them realize what sort of situation Jane was in? Even if she was stupid enough to try and get herself killed over that symbol, there must be a method of making it legal here. "Well that was..." Danny failed to find the right word for the situation. It wasn''t perfect at all, not even close. Yet despite being more complicated than before, this somehow felt better, or at least less annoying.


    Taylor had the same sense for the situation. Getting involved in this complete mess was still an improvement from chasing a trail left by Jane, worried if she was even alive or dead, but she still wondered what it was Jane was going to do, more so about how she was going to do it. Jane must want to remove her symbol by removing the dark zone indirectly this time, which is something she could stand behind. Still, Taylor has never felt so simultaneously angry and relieved all at the same time. Now she would have to make do until Jane is done with a treatment. Jane wanted her and Danny to generate more credits? Finding a good method wasn''t easy before all of this started happening, and Lennith City is still so new to her. They have a great market for supplies and groceries, but an impossible to remember foundation of how things work here.


    Illegal symbols fused with skin, much like a tattoo of magic. Impossible odds of surviving great ordeals. An unsolved mystery behind the origin of Jane''s symbol, and a field of magic so purely evil that it endangers life all around, threatening to destroy everything in the radius of the entire continent? Taylor never could have guessed only days ago that her journey with Jane would have taken such a drastic twist. Taylor didn''t even know much about Leray magic, something that was more apparent after the things she has heard today. Much uncertainty lies with the practices in this crazy country. Taylor even began to compare how differently her life would be if she was back home instead, being forced to become a Banshee slave. It might have been much less dangerous and scary as this.

 Chapter 34: Chaos Rain

    <hr>


    <01/17/1972 ¨C 11:50 | Tilsit Port, Gulop Region, Sprawn Valley>


    A long fought breath, one deep and lasting as loud as the clash of one ocean wave. Danny could sense that both were one and the same given enough focus and concentration. If you shut out everything else but the sound, and keep your mouth closed with a long deep breath, the noise is quite similar. It''s as if the world itself has developed lungs the size of continents, and the ocean is its air. The thought of the Tidal Max was recalled immediately, since he could remember how it felt then.


    The time of day here was not the same though. As similar as he wished it, Danny knew that the beach and the cruise were entirely different. How long has he been standing here quiet and motionless? Calming as it was, he allowed another long awkward silence endure between himself and Taylor... Then again, after studying how much she was trying to relax in the same way he just was, perhaps she didn''t think this awkward at all... But this is getting boring regardless.


    Despite how much free time he had here at Tilsit Port, and despite how new the place was to him, boredom still caught up and worked out the kinks in his earlier disturbance. Going somewhere new for the very first time is in itself exciting, just as much as it is frightening. Fun as it can be, this day is already getting ridiculous!


    How long is Jane going to rot her day away in that library? Maybe he should have come along after all. Computer terminals here must be totally different than the ones he had back home; they must be a great opportunity of research. Still, he couldn''t help but feel rushed all the same. Jane made it to Tilsit in much less the time they planned out together before parting from Fronas. This would be a good thing regarding the availability of credits, thus how long they could span out their MRE supplies, but it doesn''t change how Jane has been acting strange. In some ways, she is still herself, more so when it comes down to battling, but outside of that, she''s just off lately. How could losing a few fights be that poisonous to someone''s mental state of mind?


    Great! Now he''s worrying for nothing too. Last time, Taylor was the one doing this. Why should it even matter? Jane will eventually find nothing and cool down, and that''s because there is nothing to find on that terminal.


    "Can''t decide what to do?" Taylor was bored too, but Danny seemed like he didn''t know what to do at a beach, despite all the fun they''ve had earlier. There really wasn''t much else they could do that was different from before. He recently announced that he would go track Jane down and tell her to get back into the sun, but instead, he ended up here. Taylor just followed him over to figure it out, and instead joined him in the relaxing serenity at this spot. There weren''t many people around, not this close to the shoreline near the lighthouse. Thus, the sound of the calming ocean and flying breezes seemed more dominant for the moment. "Didn''t you say you were going to get Jane?"


    "I did, but..." Why even bother at this point? Jane either refuses to have fun and relax, or she will only pretend to do so, and after her last defeat, Jane won''t likely be focused on anything but that stupid curse. Whether it''s real or not, there is no way to prove or disprove the very idea. Jane did some energy scan earlier, and it showed up negative, so there you go. Sadly, with a hard head like hers, that won''t mean anything.


    "Want me to go instead? I''ll make her come out if she doesn''t want to." She can pout later. There''s still so much Jane could be doing here, perhaps show everyone around to other places she might know about.


    "Well, if you insist, go on ahead then. It won''t take but two minutes, and I''m not going anywhere." Danny glanced Taylor in her blue eyes for assurance. "Promise."


    Taylor nodded with a smile and was off with little delay. As she went to fetch Jane, she glanced back at Danny to make sure he would stay put, which he did. Though if he was in a deep thought, what could it even be about?


    Danny waited for Taylor''s return, which seemed to last a bit longer than he wanted it to. In what felt like several minutes, Taylor finally returned to give Danny the short version of the news. Since Jane wasn''t with her right now, it meant that even Taylor couldn''t drag Jane from that place. Taylor thus delivered the response. Despite Jane looking somewhat down, she''ll be back out soon.


    Danny accepted the answer, but paraphrased one part in his mind. Coming from Jane, soon could last up to ten long minutes. "Let''s meet her by the other shore. I''m up for a walk."


    Taylor strutted by his side in agreement with her arms behind her. The sun had just gone behind several harmless clouds, easing off the heat and making the chilling wind feel that much better on her skin. "So what do you make of Gross City?"


    Interesting, Danny thought. Here we are at the beach, and she chooses to talk about the city we''ve already passed? "Well it was different, but we didn''t get to enjoy it all that much. As expected, Jane went and got herself into another battle, which was fine for a moment, but her passing out like that forced us to call it in. Then Jane wanted to speed up things again."


    Taylor figured one simple idea would lead back to Jane Venn. It always does. Everything they do these days is somehow directly linked to her. Nobody ever does anything on their own for some reason. Still, regarding the last thing he just said, there was some reason for concern. "Yeah, about that..."


    Danny noticed her discomfort immediately, and stepped in front of Taylor facing her to prevent her thoughts from going there. "Nothing to it." Danny grabbed both of her arms downward for comfort. "I told you, nothing bad is going to happen. Jane is speeding things up, but I''ll just think faster instead." After letting go of her arms, Danny noticed how entranced Taylor was. Did she believe in him that much without a solid plan? He was assuring her though. No way is she becoming a Banshee slave!


    "Listen, we can just¡ª"


    "Out of the way!"


    Nearly being pushed aside, Danny was bumped by some tall tan guy in white shorts and a green colored long sleeve, but stood out from the magic staff he was carrying. Spotting the guy instantly, Danny''s attention was diverted from Taylor, hers too towards the ill-mannered moron. "Watch where you''re going! Ahw!"


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Oath Brand ~ FFXIII-2 OST</a>


    <hr>


    Noticing the commotion further behind Taylor, Danny''s eyes lit up with alertness, forcing Taylor to read his expression and turn around to figure it out for herself as well. The guy who just passed them was running towards the lighthouse, but further off to the shore, a large and tall wall of fire separated the beach line from the pier. That fire was defiantly started by magic just based on how unordinary its physical properties seemed, and it soon died away too. Further on the pier, someone was suddenly taking off high speed on a motorized boat. And on the other side, another figure was shooting bolts of fire towards¡ª


    "Get down!" Danny ducked Taylor''s head and himself crouching, just as a bolt of fire slammed into the guy who passed them. He didn''t get very far, so that bolt of fire was very close to their own proximity. As Danny got to see, the mage in front of him actually deflected the magic Fire Bolt using the end of his crystal staff as if were an absorbent shield. There wasn''t much protection from that staff, but his aim with hitting that Fire Bolt away was impressive, and it saved himself and Taylor from any immediate harm. What the hell is going on here?!


    "We have more on the way! Surrender now, heathen!" The mage was calling out towards his opponent, but it didn''t sound like a battle cry, much more did it simulate actual distress in his voice. This isn''t good! An intruder is blocking the lighthouse, and there is no external communications from inside right now.


    Danny couldn''t be certain what was happening, but it didn''t look good. A Leray match here? No! The stance and situation are all wrong. No dome shield was in place, and these two were facing off without any intention to play nicely. "Taylor! Stay behind me!" Danny rushed up in front of Taylor, while cautiously bending his knees to prepare himself should he suddenly come under attack from magic too. The only logical thing to do right now is to help this guy. "Sir! I''m helping you!"


    What is this kid thinking? "No you''re not! Get away from here before you get hurt!" The unidentified mage wasn''t having a civilian help him out, not even a Leray wielder. This criminal in front of him is dangerous, and it hasn''t been confirmed yet if he can use dark magic as his source of energy.


    "This isn''t up for a debate," Danny argued. His stance prepared himself too, while the mage to his left didn''t do anything in particular to stop his intentions. How could he? Both of them would have to focus on this intruder.


    "You fools won''t stop us!" The obvious criminal calling himself out only made a stand between himself and that lighthouse structure behind him. "Shadow Wave!"


    Just as the enemy launched a Shadow Wave spell into the ground, Danny ended up reacting with a counterattack that was quick and well thought out, while his helper beside him just stood there waiting. "Hammer of Might!" While spawning the large magical hammer into his hands, Danny counted his strength and angle of projection, just as he threw his hammer from a sideways angle. The man beside him reacted with some surprise, but everyone just stopped then to see if his trick would work, whatever it turned out to be. Danny''s hammer had no possible way of traveling all the way to the other side of the field and hitting the attacker, but it didn''t have to.


    By the time the hammer hit the ground while spinning, the Shadow Wave aura plowed right into its path, creating a sudden obstacle in its wave. A metal hammer is normally not strong against a Shadow Wave aura, but this hammer is large from its generation while made of special metal material, and Danny threw it in the opposing direction, giving the device more force. Because of the properties of a normal Shadow Wave, it advances until the very moment it contacts another physical object or person. In this case, the hammer called out from phase just struck the Shadow Wave, and that just forced the spell to expand its wave and begin attacking with magical slashes at the hammer.


    Whether the hammer takes damage or not, it didn''t matter at that point. Once the Shadow Wave spell is done attacking, it explodes into a mist and disappears. This happened at quite a distance away from everyone, dispersing the immediate danger to himself and his mage partner.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Beautiful War Heroes ~ FFXIII-2 OST</a>


    <hr>


    The mage glared down at Danny, who had sharp focus on the criminal and his movements. He''s not just some random boy after all. Naturally, anyone would have to exert extra MP energy to throw something that heavy so far like that, but he aimed for the magical wave knowing what would happen to it on contact. Leray wielder and a heavy analyst! And the kid isn''t following instructions from his authority... It will have to do for now, since it cannot be helped. "Fine! I''ll back you up kid! We take him together, you hear?"


    Right as Danny was about to nod, a sharp piercing arrow zoomed by his right ear from behind, visually flying at a fast speed across the field until it struck the enemy on the other side, who panicked and yelled out in pain as a response. The enemy failing to dodge that arrow was justified; it''s still sunny out, and arrows in this world are very fine and thin like thread needles. But never mind that! Who fired the shot?


    "Don''t forget," Taylor added. "I''m fighting too!" She stood beside Danny now after stepping up, keeping her bow out and ready with another tip loaded and held back for potential energy. The bow is the same one she bought earlier, and she had been practicing a few additional spells related to this weapon too. Three against one won''t be so bad, and Danny isn''t fighting all by himself.


    "Surrender now or face three against one!" Another threat from the mage, but it of course wasn''t going to work.


    "Hahaha! Try blocking Hell Fire!" Just as the enemy invoked his spell of Hell Fire, several dozens of Fire Bolts shot out around him, all heading for the general vicinity of their location.


    Taylor reacted immediately by running up several paces, against the mage''s noticeable denial in his body language. "I got these. You both attack!"


    "Will do," Danny agreed. He already had a good enough idea in mind for hitting this enemy at such a long distance. Just because there are special spells that have properties of traveling through the ground, it doesn''t mean they have to start at the position of the user. However, making this work in his way would require more MP energy. So be it! "Earth Glave!"


    Before the effects of Earth Glave could begin to show up noticeably, Taylor released her stored magic, generating a vortex of visible wind around her, one that was wider than the usual size. "Whirlwind!" The generated wind became overbearingly louder than any other force around her, but the mage was standing just far away enough not to get caught up in its powerful vortex. For a simple Whirlwind attack, it was quite a powerful show, but Taylor wasn''t anywhere near the range to hit the enemy!


    His jaw dropped when realizing the intention behind Whirlwind. The mage suddenly spotted several dying bolts of fire being whipped around in the sand storm Taylor created around her. Since the Fire Bolts are homing, they chose her body since she was the closest target to reach, but in attracting them all here, Taylor''s Whirlwind was destroying the flight path of each Fire Bolt using the power of her magical gusts, while simultaneously diminishing the power of each bolt. Nothing as far as projectile attacks with a low power level can touch Taylor, and it simultaneously protects everyone at the same time. Such genius work for a young kid!If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Just as the Whirlwind spell faded away, the absence of Fire Bolts filled the air, while the ground began shooting up right before the enemy intruder, shoving rocks and boulders into his body hard enough to send him flying back. This was Danny''s specialty. With all eyes diverted to that Whirlwind gust, his Earth Glave would trigger in a location much closer towards the enemy unit, given that it normally has an effective range of 30 meters, but this guy was at least 110 meters away instead. By forcing the magical aura to spawn in another location further away, the spell''s range can be improved, but it was a big gamble, since Danny didn''t know if that would work. In doing so, it cost about three times the normal MP amount since he had to control the aura the entire time to make it happen. Still, his spell scored a direct hit!


    Who are these people? They fight so impressively for their age, and they know how to take full advantage of spells in ways I wouldn''t think of on the spot. These should be Tilsit''s agents!


    The man got himself back up, but his stance seemed to change quite a bit since being blasted with the last earth-based spell. "You think I care about fighting you filth? My objective has already been completed." While talking over his own voice, it filled the empty space enough to be heard by the others.


    Taylor nervously glanced at the mage for answers, since Danny couldn''t possibly have them. "What''s he talking about?"


    The stranger tensed his muscles and cringed at the immediate realization. "He''s after the data in the tower!"


    With that, the criminal suddenly created a strange glyphring on the ground below him, one attached vertically to his feet as it began to light up. Afar ten more seconds, the man totally disappeared into a bright pixilation effect along with the light show on the ground.


    The mage snapped in anger. "He just teleported away!"


    "What?" Danny faced forward again turning his eyes, making sure the bad guy wasn''t just hiding. "To where? He can just do that?" The only other person who supposedly tried this was that one criminal who stole crystal shards. They weren''t the same people, were they?


    The older male suddenly pulled out a radio communicator, and used the device to identify himself and the situation. "Kelly to all agents. You''re needed at the lighthouse eight minutes ago! Move it on the double!" He put the radio way, but lowered his staff and eased his muscles.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Parallel World ~ FFXIII-2 OST</a>


    <hr>


    Danny felt strangely at ease, but it was because his new partner suddenly was. Kelly, he wasn''t going to head towards the lighthouse? What was that he said about data in the tower? "Hey, Kelly? What''s happening here? What was all of that, and why aren''t we checking the lighthouse? He was guarding that spot, right?"


    "Calm down," he ordered. "They''re already gone. So feel free to relax. In fact, if you don''t want to spend all your day being questioned by agents, may want to stay away from here as well."


    Taylor put away her bow upon realizing that something odd has happened, likely something that the agents here failed to get right, but where was Jane in all of this? She''s usually the expert getting things done, especially non-official things like last time... Wait, she failed to stop the crystal thief too. Still, she should be here to know about this. "Come on," Taylor tugged at Danny''s shirt. "Let''s go find Jane."


    Danny turned around, finally agreeing with Taylor with certainty that it was better than staying here. Right now, his curiosity was burning his every senses, but if Taylor doesn''t want to be a part of that investigation, then that wish should come first! "Right. Good idea." Danny took off alongside of Taylor towards the research institute she visited earlier, hoping Jane would still be there in plain sight.


    But as they both searched the entire facility splitting up for over five minutes, Danny and Taylor checked just outside again. "Find her?"


    Taylor replied with a defeating answer. "No. I don''t know where she went."


    Danny crossed his arms and anchored his legs. "Well this is just a fine mess we''re in. Now Jane is somewhere else." Even if he can''t find her right now, this matter wasn''t going to will itself away. That mage is still over there now, accompanied by two new agents he had never seen before.


    Taylor noticed how threatened Danny suddenly seemed in his expression as he uncrossed his arms and side stepped closer to her. She turned around quickly to that side again, realizing that one of the agents in a white robe was heading straight for them. Are they going to be questioned? No, how would they know who they are?


    "You two," the agent projected. "Over here please."


    Danny didn''t even get a chance to protest, as the agent was turning around again while expecting himself and Taylor to follow. That sure didn''t take long. Did that mage give these guys a description of who they were? Danny sighed and held his tongue, deciding to walk forward and signaling Taylor to do the same. By the time he and Taylor were standing beside Kelly and the two unidentified agents, they were in for a long talk as it would seem.


    "These are the two suspects helping you?"


    The question came from the male agent, directed towards Kelly, but Danny answered before him. "Yes. We were both helping Kelly fight against that mad man, but we''re not suspects."


    "I''m asking mage Kelly a question young man. You will hold your tongue!"


    Why are they being like this? Do agents in Tilsit just harass everyone who tries to help? This isn''t Kelly''s fault! He didn''t do anything wrong!


    Kelly swallowed and gave him the full report. "They are the ones who assisted me in battle. Though it was very short-lived, these two youngsters insisted on joining that mess despite my warnings for them not to get involved."


    "And then you just let them walk away without any question?" The female agent was bombarding Mr. Kelly with a harsh rhetorical sounding question, though he still answered back.


    "They said they would be back with a friend of theirs. Naturally, I trusted they would return as they are here now."


    "Well, ya shouldn''t have!"


    What is wrong with this man? Danny could see both these agents lighting up with anger, but the reason behind it wasn''t clear at all. The adult male continued his insulting abrade for answers.


    "In a confusing situation, you don''t know who the enemy really is. These kids could have just been part of the show to buy the real enemy more time, and by letting them walk off, they''re free of investigation. You''ve broken several protocols in just under a few minutes. You''re lucky you still have a job."


    Danny twitched in the sudden realization he just felt. Now it does make sense as to why these agents are upset with Kelly. What that agent just surmised was intelligently accurate. Though he and Taylor are innocent, there would not have been any way for Kelly to know that. Whether he was powerless to stop himself and Taylor from entering the battle or not, by letting them leave his presence, it would make Kelly seem suspicious. Danny and Taylor are both unknowns right now, and if Danny were a criminal stalling for time to help that mage who teleported out, Kelly would have made a critical error in judgment. But that doesn''t mean this is his fault either!


    Kelly retorted, "And where were you two during all of that commotion, where I had to deal with that crazy wielder all by myself? Were you even made aware that one of your other agents got blasted away by an unknown teleportation symbol belonging to the primary suspect? Of all things, your security is what has failed here."


    Danny knew this would last forever if he didn''t blunder this charade down to the bone himself. He cleared his throat for attention, and changed the subject slightly. "I think we should at least introduce ourselves. I''m Danny Mason." Holding out his hand as a sign of good faith, the agent shook it reluctantly, while Taylor followed in his footsteps.


    "I''m Taylor Feer. Sorry about this."


    Shortly after shaking both of their hands, the silent agent then glared at Kelly again for more input. "You let kids take over the battle for you?"


    Kelly shook both his hands with a denying nod, defending his claim as best as he could. "I didn''t want them to, but they were actually quite skilled in helping out. They deflected most of the enemy''s powerful attacks and counterattacked all without taking any damage themselves. They are quite the skilled wielders, as far as my eyes tell me."


    The agent glanced back at Danny and Taylor again for a quick study, but the more he thought about it, the more mysterious they seemed to be. "I am agent Sarbone. And my partner," he pointed to the other female agent about the same age and height as himself, "is agent Reed." The girl Taylor - was looking a bit surprised or nervous as expected, but the boy had such focused eyes right now. "I''ll get right to the point. You will both be required to come down to the station to give us a testimony of what you saw and did, as it may help further our current investigation."


    "That won''t do," Danny denied. "Because I have questions for you as well. Neither one of us understand what is going on right now. I at least expect an explanation."


    "I don''t have to explain anything to you," Sarbone phrased.


    Danny commented back in solidarity. "And I don''t have to report the truth about what happened here at your station, nor will I, if I''m missing information. But I''m asking you directly instead, because it''s the most efficient way to figure out what happened and where our friend has gone."


    "Danny," Taylor interjected. "Jane might be somewhere on the beach still."


    "We''ll still search for her," he promised.


    Agent Sarbone interrupted between them, intrigued by Danny''s sudden behavior. "Why is it you want to make things difficult? Do you really think that you will achieve some sort of result with me that you wouldn''t with some other agent?"


    "Want to find out?" Danny tested. "I bet with your information and my own put together, it wouldn''t take you very long at all."


    "You really have a wish to be locked up, don''t you kid?"


    Sarbone ignored Reed''s comments for now with a silent sigh. So that''s how it is. This Danny character seems to have some sort of mystery solving complex, and a natural disposition towards unknown agents. Though his bravery is also something quite impressive given what just happened, and if he were serious about that transfer idea to the station, the investigation efficiency time would be cut into a fourth of what it could be now. Even though it goes against certain protocols... "Very well then."


    Reed winced at what that might have meant. "Sarbone? What are you going on about?"


    He replied swiftly. "I''ll share what I know with Danny and Taylor for now, but if I find their information in return inadequate, I''m calling your parents, and you will be in trouble for resisting to help us in the investigation."


    "Sarbone?"


    "Enough Reed. I''ll handle this from here."


    Checkmate! Danny didn''t bother mentioning that his parents were too far away to contact, nor would he be capable of getting sent home without a home to go to in this country. Still, he did have every intention of figuring this out, so now that there are no strings attached, "Deal."


    Even now is he so unchanged by the threat. These kids are stronger than they look. Sarbone quickly detailed the summary as he now understood the full situation. "First of all, what do you both understand about our lighthouse facility?"


    "Is there something to it?" Taylor questioned. Her response seemed to upset Sarbone rather quickly though.


    "You don''t even have any clue why you were fighting. How pathetic!"


    "We did what felt right," Danny defended. "Kelly looked like he could use the extra hand, and the criminal struck first from his distance."


    "Well since you don''t know this already, I''ll tell you because it is not classified knowledge anyway. The lighthouse we have here at Tilsit is not just a lighthouse." That much they should have already guessed. "It serves as Gulop''s primary source of information and data storage. At the same time, it remains the only primary selection of a communications center. All of these extra facilities are underneath the structure, and as I would hope you''ve already understood by that bit of summary, you should assume the facility to be highly secure, the data collected hidden from the public."


    A data storage facility underground? A communications center in the same system? Danny had never heard such an amazing thing in the Gulop region. Did Jane know about this? Not likely. If she did, wouldn''t she have made him and Taylor aware of it by now?


    "That facility, as restricted as it was, suddenly came under siege while numerous unauthorized suspects entered through the main gate, got full access to use the underground elevator, and held all of the workers there hostage."


    Danny felt like he was losing control of his thought process fast. The criminals were sieging the entire underground section? The short memory entered Danny''s mind from what Kelly yelled over earlier, about having data stolen. That must be it! "They were after the hidden data?"


    "My, you certainly catch on quick."


    Though Danny was being rewarded some praise from Ms. Reed, Taylor felt somewhat left out. Danny is doing that thing of his again. In his own way, he''s trying to figure this out as if he were some sort of detective, and now that he has the temporary trust of both agents on his side, it''s working!


    "What about the people still trapped inside," he concerned.


    Sarbone lifted the warning early. "By the time I got here, radio communications were restored by the workers. Apparently, all known criminals inside of the facility vanished using teleportation symbols. The structure is still in full lockdown until the situation is resolved."


    "Teleportation? And that guy did the same thing too. It''s just like before..."


    "What was that?"


    Danny forgot to mind his words, realizing that he just referenced another situation. Now, both of these agents would be demanding to know a little more about his past. It''s too late to deflect on that now, but he did have a deal to uphold in either case. "Some thief in Fronas apparently made off with crystal shards about a week ago. I''m sure you would already know about that, but I was unfortunately dragged into visual range of the incident. The person who got away did so by teleporting out."


    Danny was part of that incident? What has fate been doing these days? "Teleported? My word. I must ask if you have any information on¡ª"


    "I do not," Danny replied. It was true. Danny knew not the identity of that criminal, nor did the face of the last brute he saw ring a bell. Sarbone seemed defeated immediately, which would make sense if to assume solving that case would give him promotions. "All I know is that he used a teleportation symbol too, unexpectedly. Also, I think he belonged to some organization called Scarlet something."


    Noticeably, agent Sarbone and agent Reed froze up. Danny didn''t know what he said to set them off like that, but he had to wait for the sudden connection.


    "So that was their doing as well?"


    "Wait a minute..." Finally picking up the pace, Taylor figured that their testimony and Danny''s analysis could only mean one thing. "Are the ones who attacked the tower the same group?"


    Sarbone admitted, despite this being confidential information. "The Scarlet Syndicate. Those are indeed the parties that sieged our facility a few minutes ago. Their very intention was to steal an unknown source and amount of classified information from the underground facility, as they have done so successfully."


    "I can''t believe it!" Danny stamped. "The Scarlet Cult is behind this too? Who the hell are those people?"


    "Our workers have reported seeing special emblems and colors on the clothing and armor of those inside of the facility, while our suspect outside was wearing a close imitation to that of our normal tower guardian to blend in. That''s why we didn''t know who was behind this at first."


    A red crimson colored emblem, and a fiery outfit of passion. Taylor recalled very well that this was similar material or artwork that the crystal shard thief was wearing.


    Danny changed his stance immediately, though without proper prompt to do so. "Wait a minute! Who was that person running towards the pier?"


    "What are you talking about?" Sarbone requested. This might be the break in the case he needed. "Speak up boy!"


    Danny faced Taylor though when addressing the conflict, since it pertained to himself and her more than it did to the agents. "That guy was attacking one of the civilians while they tried to run away on the pier, and that wall of fire must have been started to help them get away. Then they took off on that motor boat. That''s when we were attacked next."


    "He swapped targets?" Taylor suggested.


    "When was this? We need to look into this last suspect as well as the whereabouts of the vessel that was taken." Reed didn''t expect this turn of events.


    Danny now faced Sarbone directly, hoping to maximize his concern. "Agent Sarbone? I need you to help us figure out who exactly it was that took that boat away. We might know her."


    "Her?" Taylor repeated. She sucked in air with shock. "You mean Jane? It couldn''t be her!"


    Danny nodded to agree with his own claim instead. "But we were facing away from the lighthouse when this all started. Jane was supposed to come back out for us. Given the physical location of the facility and its angle, the first thing Jane would have seen was the lighthouse, and if there was more of that commotion that we missed, maybe Jane was the one who was attacked. She could be the one on that boat going anywhere."


    Taylor lowered her expression and relaxed. "That doesn''t sound like her though."


    Sarbone inhaled while processing the bumbling of their words. "Well I can promise you that we will both be looking into that. Agent Reed? I''ll need a vessel out to sea. It may be possible that the civilian took one of the damaged vessels, and thus would be trapped out there. As for you two, we''ll need to question you some more officially, but I''ll let you both find a place here to change." It felt odd enough questioning civilians like this, but both Danny and Taylor knew a great deal about something else they missed, something Kelly missed as well.


    Still, it''s quite impressive the way he thinks. Danny considered the location of the building, the angle of the exit, the field of view opportunity, and the most likely reaction from their supposed friend in under a few seconds. His battling style is probably just as interesting. Such an analytical mind must explain his odd behavior, while giving the lad such a position towards solving out problems in his head. Why, Danny might even have the natural skill it could take to become a Leray agent of his own someday.


    Sarbone shook the thought away, realizing that he was just distracting himself now. "I''ll show you where we should meet up in several hours from now, the spot where we work on these details. Reed, I trust you to head inside of the lighthouse and resolve the situation there?"


    "Of course sir. I''ll be back soon." Reed began walking off already, heading towards the lighthouse structure to put everything back together there.


    Danny was left with his own silent thoughts in the meantime. He felt a little strange after all he got to talk about, and with Taylor''s concern noted, it would be that much harder to pinpoint Jane''s location. She could still be on the beach somewhere, totally oblivious to what just went down. If she was, then that would be a very long conversation to have later. Still, what the hell were the Scarlet criminals doing back here? What sort of data were they after anyway?


    Taylor could sense that Danny was now disturbed by all of this, as he should have been several minutes ago. "I just wish I knew what was going on," she flushed. Taylor could only think backwards now. That Whirlwind trick she pulled off seemed too automatic for her even now, but in thought, it was such a great defensive strategy she had been practicing. How well it worked out for her case! But then what about Danny? What is he thinking right now?


    This is what Kain meant about random dangers, wasn''t it? Do criminals in Sprawn Valley just run around doing these things all the time? It wouldn''t be that big a deal, unless they can actually use dark magic to fight. That means with enough energy, they can actually kill people. It had not occurred to him until now that he was in serious danger if that last guy had the capacity, but it looked all like normal Leray magic to his eyes. There would have to be a way to discern the difference... I''m hungry again.


    "Hey Danny?" Taylor called. When Danny found her attention again, she made her offering. "I think we should search the beach for Jane, and maybe get something to eat on the side?" Her stomach was lower than empty. After all, she only had a scoop of ice cream to eat earlier.


    Food sounds good, but searching for Jane on the beach would be paramount for answers. "You read my mind. Let''s go search for her."


    Sarbone noticed that both of them were about to take off in search for their friend, which he didn''t mind given the circumstance of missing data. "You two watch yourselves out there. And don''t forget our meeting!"


    Danny didn''t bother wasting time turning around. Instead, he lifted his right arm upward and open to wave from behind, then continued walking alongside Taylor to start the hunt. If Jane was that suspect taking the boat for her own safety though, it would be bad. They have to find her!

 Chapter 35: The Past and the Present

    <hr>


    <01/28/1972 ¨C 18:45 | Lennith City, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    The day grew older after Jane''s second and third treatment of Starlov Boosters. Falling asleep after the second injection, Jane managed to give herself a full six-hour rest before being waken for the third injection. Officially allowed to take a six-hour break from being in the medical facility, Jane only wanted a moment alone in her patient room to regain her energy and collect her thoughts. Despite the medical staff leaving her to her wish, Jane was in fact not alone.


    With the sound of the spinning nob on the white door, another person entered the room where Jane was stationed. With the same height and age as Jane, it was quickly evident that the teenager was not part of the medical team, nor did Jane recognize her at first through her peripheral. But after she turned her head in search for Jane while shutting the door behind her, the unforgetful face and jet-black hair immediately identified her.


    "Alyssa?"


    She perched her head around some more, taking in the small environment of this room. Jane was sitting up on the medical bed, though she has no ivies attached, and the medical equipment was currently switched off. "Surprised to see me?" Alyssa didn''t seem all that excited or focused on Jane, as if something else had been currently distracting her.


    "I thought I was going to visit you, but I won''t need to now." Everything snapped into focus for Jane. She had been viewing things with slight blurs or dark spots from the side effects with the previous injection. Though now her vision was crystal clear.


    Finally facing Jane directly, Alyssa partially squinted her eyes and responded, "Tell me why I should care?"


    Jane''s breath escaped her, shocked at how quickly the atmosphere deteriorated. Alyssa was angry at her? Jane knew that she had lied to her class as well, but she also revealed her secret to them days ago. Was it because she took advantage of Claudia''s training and still failed? No. Jane realized how close she came to death by heading into the dark zone, but didn''t Alyssa already know about that too? Left with one question too many to ask, Jane didn''t utter a sound, prompting Alyssa to do so instead.


    "Was anything you ever said true?" Alyssa glared into Jane''s confused eyes, raging at the woman in front of her who has done so wrong. Her arms were tense while her expression was more focused on Jane so suddenly.


    "What is this about?" Jane demanded. Nobody else was around right now, so the people outside would not hear the argument. Dr. Ashly and Seth have already given Jane the continued instructions for the rest of today.


    "Paying for classes under the table, false registrations, lies to the school council, the class, me?!" Alyssa''s voice was on the verge of collapse with the shrieking function of her aggressive tone. Jane suddenly seemed more ashamed than confused for the moment.


    Her eyes fell to the floor with a brief exhale, finally aware by those small hints the reason Alyssa was so upset. Jane had clearly forgotten by now. It was too vague to even remember clearly what she said to Alyssa and the others about herself and to Claudia, but Jane figured she had to tell many lies to get any real training and experience from the teacher to begin with. Even so, after showing her secret crest to her own class, it was hard to pinpoint exactly which lies Alyssa was so upset about.


    "I knew something was up with you since you arrived in our school, but you had to be lying to Claudia as well, because even she would not help out a total stranger out of the blue. You manipulated her for your own benefit."


    Alyssa sounded so sure of herself, and Jane struggled to figure out a proper way to apologize for all of this. Still, Alyssa already knew long ago that Jane lied her way to Claudia for admissions, so this fight didn''t seem justified. "Alyssa, I¡ª" Failing to chime in, Alyssa cut Jane off before she could begin to explain.


    "You''re a stranger, Jane! I don''t even know if that is your real name." Alyssa shifted in her stance, holding her face in the humility. "And to think of all the things I said about you, all of the faith I had that you were a good person! You couldn''t even keep the one promise we gave you, to turn around when things got tough!"


    So that''s what this is about. Jane came close enough to dying, all after promising that she wouldn''t. "Alyssa, I didn''t know what else to do," Jane argued back. At least she was quiet just for now. "I came to Lennith, knowing nothing, not even about the evil in our backyard. I didn''t know who to trust. The dark zone was tougher than I thought it would be."


    Alyssa sighed and glanced away from Jane, a clear gesture that she wasn''t listening anymore. "You must have said all kinds of things to our teacher just to get her to help you fight in the dark zone. She isn''t off the hook for this either."


    Jane elaborated on what she meant by her earlier claim. "I needed help, and I messed up! I''m sorry! I truly am a terrible person by all of this; I don''t need you remind me." Jane stopped herself there. Alyssa was already making it clear that she didn''t want anything to do with Jane anymore.


    Alyssa didn''t let it get to her, but at least Jane was self-aware. She could barely face Jane where she stood, crossing her arms and stamping her feet on the metal ground. "All I truly know is that you are no expert at anything. People who graduate only a week after basic don''t get to just strafe into our school and pretend to belong. I know that being marked must be a tough thing to deal with, but you''re also a liar and an idiot. I won''t associate myself with either of those things." Still unwilling to look Jane in the eye, Alyssa turned to the door and prepared to leave without another word. She dared it could not be so, but failed to accept the remote possibility that Jane is who she says she is.


    "Wha¡ª Alyssa!" Jane called. Standing on the floor from her bed wasn''t nearly a quick enough reaction to stop Alyssa from leaving, which is what she did next, not even bothering to slam the door. The argument was so short sided, Jane didn''t even get to explain who she really was and where she was really from. But with the thought so fresh on her mind, the memories of her words were much clearer to her now than they were before.


    It wasn''t the lie about where she was from, her identity, or even the symbol. Jane remembered only revealing the spell bomb secrets to Claudia, but Alyssa was hovering nearby as well, learning about this by mistake. Alyssa must have found out about the smaller details Jane left out, like the fact that she used a crazy spell bomb on herself that has yet to be identified, or the fact that Jane did so in a way that was also considered an illegal activity at the time. It''s probably the smaller things, such as every little thing that happened up to the point where the new teacher gave Jane the upgrade for her power unknowingly. Jane remembered coming to the same conclusion when she was close to passing out in the Alpha Zero, and now Alyssa must fully realize it herself. Claudia must have spoken to Alyssa about something, and some unattained information might have been given to her that way, but Jane had always thought that Alyssa knew as much as Claudia did. Or did her teacher find out some more news as well? Man! Why couldn''t she be any clearer?!


    "Who was that?" another female voice called.


    Jane didn''t expect Taylor to show up so soon, but Jane was still so deep in her thoughts that she didn''t understand the greeting. "Huh?"


    Taylor clarified after walking into the medical room, realizing that Jane was already on her feet again. She must be ready for a longer walk. "There was a girl with black hair, who came out of your room in tears."


    Jane was at first distracted by the fact that Taylor found the time and money to change into a new dress sphere, one that well suited her eyes and hair. It took a second to register what Taylor had been referencing. "Uh..." Alyssa was crying? Alyssa?! Jane never expected this. She isn''t exactly easy to read, but it was more than clear that Alyssa must really hate people who lie, even just the tiniest of all lies, but she is always walking around with a tough head, so Jane thought. Seeing her march out of the room with that heavy lecture was expected all the way around, but to add tears only meant she was more upset than anything. It wasn''t the same when Taylor decked Jane in the face earlier. Alyssa has a goal too right? It''s something they never shared with each other, but something about this must have messed her up more than Jane imagined. Still to her question, Jane needed to focus on Taylor right now. They had more catching up to do, and it didn''t seem like Danny was around. "Never mind that now. I still need a moment before I can leave."


    "Fine," Taylor allowed. "But I still want to hear about this big master plan thing you have for... What did you want to do again? Remove the symbol, right?" Taylor leaned against the cold wall, making herself comfortable in expecting this to drag on for a while.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Kamihama Polyphonic ~ Magia Record OST</a>


    <hr>


    Jane nodded to partially confirm Taylor''s theory. "That would be one of many objectives I need to complete, but first I need to hear more about what happened at Tilsit Port."


    "Oh, right. That big mess. You really didn''t know what went down when you left on that boat?"


    Jane nodded left and right calmly, sitting back on the medical bed to rest her legs. "All I knew was that the asshole who attacked me did so because I partially witnessed one of the Leray agents being teleported away. And when I tried to make my escape, I was lucky I got distance from the shore when I did. Then that''s when the boat broke down and¡ª"


    "I''m talking about after all of that. Why didn''t you come back or make a call from Monoc Port?"


    Jane had to give Taylor a few seconds. She had not considered using one of the phones the morning after she arrived to Monoc. The phone wouldn''t reach though when she first arrived there, which had something to do with invalid hours or something. The point is that she forgot that this was a way she could check it out, while the news failed to report anything about the incident. "I didn''t know what it was about, not until Danny summarized it up for me. I''m still fuzzy on those details too though. I couldn''t find it out on the news, the phone at Monoc didn''t work the way I wished it would, and I knew that I needed to make haste to the Den of Purity before it was too late."


    Taylor seemed somewhat smug in her expression, but it didn''t look to be as a response from anything Jane was saying. "You know, Danny was the one who figured it out. We both came to the conclusion together that you stole a broken water vehicle to make your escape. But when you weren''t at Monoc Port, he realized that your most likely destination would be to remove your imaginary curse using the Den of Purity in the Outback. If it weren''t for that, you actually would have died in there, because we didn''t know about Alpha Zero until arriving in Lennith City as well."


    "And again, I''m so sorry for leaving you two behind like that, to think that I could go and do this all by myself. Still... In truth, even if you were there with me the entire time, I wouldn''t have let either of you follow me into such a dangerous place."


    "I still debate why you let yourself try it," Taylor pointed out. "What made you think that you were going to make it there? That thing on your hand can''t possible have that much power, not going by the state I found you in."


    "I honestly let myself believe that I could make it there. I learned more about my symbol, and more about how to use some of those passive effects. But none of it matters now." Jane let her moping expression intensify in front of Taylor.


    "Hey," Taylor called. "You don''t have to be like that. I don''t care if you''ve been riddled with eight symbols. You''re alive! That''s what matters! If the General Army can''t accept this thing that''s happened is an accident, then they can go to hell!"


    Jane ptyalized through the crevices in her teeth in disagreement. "Good luck with that argument. They don''t care either way, and my career doesn''t stand a chance anymore. But I''ve still one important thing to do. Even if I can''t reverse this mark on me, I can do something about that dark zone problem."


    "You said something about that earlier, but I don''t know what you''ve meant by that."


    Jane had to try and explain it again, seeing as Taylor was as honest as she has ever been. "I''m talking about removing the entire zone itself from existence, and it remains more important to me than it did before. Seeing as the zone limits are actually growing in size, we can''t just ignore it. If we do, it could destroy our homes, our families... It''s possible that everyone in Sprawn Valley will be in danger."


    That sure sounded quite devastating, and grand to hear someone say it aloud. Jane is talking about this as if it referred to the very destruction of the entire continent; an end-of-the-world scenario. But it can''t be that bad, can it? "I still don''t get all of that," she confessed. "How do you destroy a non-physical zone of evil magic? I don''t understand how that evil magic can exist in the form of a zone, or..." The stress of not learning enough about Leray magic finally reached the level where she couldn''t even pretend to know what it was about.


    But Jane knew very well that this was dark magic they were dealing with, not the same thing as Leray magic. "The dark zone is like a field," Jane lectured. "A field in which the Leray veil of protection gets blocked out, amplifying the effectiveness of dark magic and reducing the effectiveness of Leray magic. But it''s still magic, and so is the field. This enables all magic to be used; it only dampens Leray magic, while canceling out the veil''s protection. For that reason, dark magic is most dangerous because it can be used to kill." Jane wished she could credit Claudia to some extent, since 80% of that explanation was learned from her.


    "But how?" Taylor barely recalled hearing this before from Eliza. There was something to that concept, that there is an evil force called dark magic, which is a derivative of Leray magic. Such a force can be used to kill while negating the effects of the natural veil here, but how does that work?This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "You know how every time a person passes unconscious when their HP status reaches zero?" she referenced.


    Taylor nodded carefully, "Yeah."


    "If you''re hit with enough dark magic, and your health reaches zero, you simply don''t wake up the next time. It''s possible to use dark magic outside of a dark magic zone, but obviously less preferred. If you infuse a specific area with a dark magic field, and then use dark magic in that same field, your power would be amplified tenfold. And without the field, dark magic is much more powerful than Leray magic with regards to damage potential on its own. The field, this particular one called the Alpha Zero is unique because of its large size, and the fact that it is much stronger than any other official dark zone in all of our history. Alpha Zero is recent too. What used to be a massive wild land called the Outback has been destroyed and replaced by this zone of dark magic."


    Taylor let silence prevail for several moments, processing it all in one gulp. She then sat on Jane''s bed beside her for comfort, continuing to figure this all out. "What was it like in there?"


    Jane let a stressful sigh escape her. How could she even begin to explain the horrible things she had to face there? All of the pain she felt, the fear instilled into her heart... "It''s, not even describable," she began. "You only saw the weather and color change slightly. It gets even worse the deeper in you go." Struggling for the right words, Jane''s voice was beginning to break up. Just thinking about what she faced had her fighting her body''s response to tremble in the fear it instated on her. "Beasts! Beasts the size of entire houses only wanted to eat me, and they very well could had I given them the chance. Monsters were spawning out of nowhere without the aid of any other creature there. I had to fight anything near me because I couldn''t run fast enough. Even the monsters could invoke dark magic, that and withstand brutal punishment. It was the scariest thing I think I ever faced." Jane could feel a buildup of fluid in her eyes, but she fought back the tears.


    "I..." Taylor could hardly believe that such terrible things could even exist in the real world, let alone the magical country she thought to be so peaceful all the time. But Jane was shaking right now, trying to hide it as it was barely noticeable. No matter how stupid Jane was being, Taylor had no idea what she went through during their absence. "I had no idea."


    Jane wasn''t done continuing her story, letting on about what happened next. "There were also turrets."


    "Turrets?" Taylor repeated.


    "Sentry guns, physical metal machinery built specifically by human hands, whom which none were around at the time. I suspect Brightworth had to build them himself, or who else knows? There could be many more people involved for destroying the Outback, but the turrets were even harder to fight. Automated defense systems shooting anything and everything at that was scanned as a potential intruder. They even activated powerful dome shields that prevented my very escape even though none of the battles there could invoke normal Siriean shields. I had to fight no matter how beat up I was, no matter how terrified or how much pain I faced."


    "I got it," Taylor interrupted.


    "Several piercing hits I took, burns, scrapes, sharp cuts that should have been fatal. I had to fight and win - or die otherwise."


    Taylor didn''t want to hear the rest anymore. Everything Jane was saying, Taylor still managed to visually imagine what it could have been like for her, even though she tried not to imagine anything. "That''s enough Jane."


    Jane didn''t slow down or pause for a moment. What she continued to describe flew to her tongue automatically, feeling obligating to share every horrifying detail. "Each time taking real time damage instead of normal damage, struggling just to stand up straight or overcome moments that completely incapacitated me for battle, just from how tired I was or how badly something hurt. The heat of the air rose the further in I went, scorching my skin even through a dress sphere, which is supposed to be impervious to all damage of all types."


    "I said that is enough," Taylor begged.


    Jane had to go along with Taylor''s wishes for now. It was hard to stop describing it, all of which were reasons to actually do something about it, but the worse bit of it all was that Jane remembered feeling so alone out there. The red fog and howling wind created a silence louder than anything she could remember, and from there, all of her negative emotions flooded the gate of her mind. "You wanted to know," Jane summarized. "And I only got maybe like forty percent inland to the original destination..." Jane was silent, contemplating how she might ever accomplish her task if she isn''t prepared to face those fears again. "It''s a completely messed up situation, but the dark zone bares an evil presence of which I''ve never experienced before then... I won''t allow anyone else to experience it either."


    "I don''t see how they can," Taylor retorted. "Doesn''t the General Army have that zone on lockdown? Nobody will enter it, so..."


    Jane stared at Taylor ominously, baring but the faintest crooked smiles from the thought of their plan. "Alpha Zero is growing, expanding in size." Taylor''s expression looked defeated just upon realizing this. "Eventually it will try and swallow this city up and destroy more than just wild lands, yet the General Army isn''t doing anything about it. They''ve stopped sending in the scouts or the cavalry."


    "But," her head obtained the speed of a worried bird. "Don''t they care that people will die?"


    "They don''t know what else to do." Jane sympathized with those in the army who were sent into that hell for nothing in return. "With scouts dying before being able to report anything in, how could an entire army be sacrificed for something that is too dangerous to even mess with? Despite this threat, they aren''t going to try and do anything physical about the issue."


    "Shouldn''t we be leaving here then?"


    Jane noticed much misplaced worry in Taylor, and did her best to ease the tension. "Relax. It''s not growing that fast. It might be on this city in a month or two? Maybe a little longer. If this city were in immediate danger, we would all be evacuating. The army''s soldiers are not monsters."


    "Still... A whole city sentenced to doom..." Despite being around mythical magic only thought of in her dreams as a child, and then invoking that magic with her own bare hands, Taylor still found things that were as impossible to believe. But what other choice did she have now?


    "Not if I can help it," Jane insisted.


    "You?" Taylor aimed at Jane with her head, mystified by the cryptic thought.


    Jane backed up to the wall, folding in her arms and her right knee inwards slightly since she had been sitting uncomfortably for too long. "The creatures inside of Alpha Zero can spawn randomly, and therefore endlessly, plus their hardware is quite lethal. But both of which are still not immune to damage by Leray attacks, not even physical damage for that matter. If the dark zone''s army is not invincible, and the bigwigs understand this, they might not think twice before finally sending in the big guns to take care of the situation. Now I don''t know if it is possible to actually destroy the Alpha Zero. I don''t even get how it works with the projection field, but at least it can be shut down; there must be a way. If Brightworth is the source, it means we don''t even have to fight all of the creatures. Instead, drill straight down the line to the Den of Purity, with the backing of elite soldiers and an army. It can''t be that hard with many more numbers, because I didn''t die."


    "You also didn''t get a holographic magical symbol turning you into a super soldier every time something pisses you off, not according to what the army knows."


    Taylor had a good point. Jane figured by that description that she borrowed some lines from Danny, being that he could be jealous of her cool crest, but it was beside the point. "Even so, I can''t risk the idea of confessing everything to a few soldiers in hopes they will do the right thing. I''m public enemy number two - or whatever if they discover that I''m marked before I can make this right. And then we''re really screwed."


    But Jane already said otherwise that she had some master plan. "So I ask again, what is the plan?" Taylor was obviously frustrated, after learning so much without knowing what Jane was really up to.


    "I need to be in charge of the General Army for at least a day."


    Taylor and Jane exchanged looks, with Taylor''s expense holding back a laugh in her expression. Was Jane joking, or pretending to be crazy? Taylor imagined her just walking up to their commander and asking if Jane could be in charge, a thought that made Taylor chuckle into her hands. It was too funny to not react to, and the chain reaction caused Taylor to laugh even harder. Jane naturally took it the wrong way.


    "Don''t mock what you don''t know." Jane was actually embarrassed that Taylor didn''t believe she stood a chance, but there was more to this that neither Taylor nor Danny would realize, being total outsiders. "Do you even know who is in charge?"


    "Hmhm, someone who would be laughing at the idea too?"


    Cute. I think I''m going to wait on showing these two my new abilities. Wait till they shit their pants and film their faces. "I think his name is Stanton or something like that, but he is otherwise known as the Leray champion, absolute best of the best in regards to Leray magical combat." Jane paused, allowing Taylor''s silly mood to fade with the eye opener. "Being a champion, one of his responsibilities is accepting high ranking challengers who make it to his front door. It''s a very long process with gruesome Leray fights in between, but whoever defeats the champion is blessed with their title, often demoting the rank and status of the original."


    "Okay..."


    Jane prepared the punch line, "The champion''s second duty is to protect all of Sprawn Valley, being chief in command for the General Army of this country. That also makes Alpha Zero his responsibility, though he has been ignoring the threat while allowing official battles to continue within Eldora Tower." Either Taylor was slow, or she didn''t know what to say at this point. "In other words, my plan is to enter the Eldora championship, and defeat the leader in order to become leader myself. That way, I will literally be in charge of the army, thus allowing all of us to rush into the dark zone together and fix everything at once."


    Instead of pretending it could have been a joke, Taylor seemed disappointed quickly, lowering her head to brace Jane for the big letdown. "I''m not even going to imagine you were serious about that. I know you''re gotten better, and that crest of yours might be a handy tool after all, but come on! The champion? League of Elites? Even if you win, they''re not just going to let you be in charge with..."


    "Continue," Jane ordered. "I want to hear from you what is so ridiculous about the plan, but do be specific. Is it because I''m marked? I don''t have to say anything to anyone about that. In fact, I''ve been told for some reason by Claudi that it can be legalized in certain circumstances. I don''t believe her yet, but..."


    "Who''s Claudi?"


    Jane ignored the question completely due to its irrelevance. "Or is it because you don''t have any faith in me? It might be a championship, and I do understand that it is no walk in the park, but even champions don''t fight with dark magic. It''s illegal to use and I never would if I could. I figure something has to be easier if you''re not directly facing that hell. Think of it; with all of the soldiers united together, it will be impossible for monsters to take us all out at once."


    "What about their schedule?"


    Jane cleared up the next question with ease. "They have these events every two to four weeks, depending on the demand for it. All I have to do is sign up and win five fights in a row."


    "Why is this suddenly so important to you?" Jane didn''t answer back immediately, something Taylor sort of expected, but it was a good question. Jane just decides to run off and get killed for a stupid crest that only this mastermind criminal can erase. Now Jane wants to apprehend and arrest this criminal to destroy the dark zone? Sure, it might expand and kill everyone, but Jane could easily survive this by fleeing the country, everyone could do this! Taylor felt bad about pinning Jane to be some sort of evil person for having ulterior motives about restoring the Outback when she thought about it before, but was it so ridiculously different from what she has already done before?


    "Because..." Jane answered with reluctancey. "After staying in there for a few hours, I won''t rest until I see it destroyed or removed. I might even have to go back in there with a unit in the process. I don''t ever want to go back again, but I have to do something. I didn''t know the dark zone was growing until after waking up in this room, but I won''t condone it any longer. I can''t go on living knowing that something like that place exists in my own country! Maybe I can never practice magic again once I''m found out, but I won''t let other people suffer for it."


    Taylor nodded quietly, satisfied with the answer. Still, she never took Jane to be such a nationalist. As dangerous as it could be, that still classifies as a master plan, no matter how bad or weak it is. Just so long as Jane doesn''t go back into the Alpha Zero, it''s not the worse idea. Additionally Jane''s crest cannot stay hidden forever.


    "And while I''m at it," Jane expanded, "Maybe I''ll complain about the champion''s rules about only having just one guy in one place being the only capable person to remove permanent spells. I mean that''s just messed up. I don''t think I''ll be able to remove my symbol. I don''t know what will happen with me after this business with Alpha Zero is over, but I don''t want to stay champion after defeating the existing one. It wouldn''t be right for a marked one to take ownership of something forever, nor would the battle be that fair anyway."


    "Jane?"


    "Yes?" Jane waited for something else, but Taylor didn''t say anything so soon, leaving her to believe that there was another heavy question on her mind. It almost took forever to hear another word.


    "I''m coming with."


    "Out of the question," Jane denied. She knew being alone sucked, but this official business itself would have some serious risks involved. Protecting Danny and Taylor is paramount, and it goes double now since they realize what is at stake. Wait, she must be referencing going to the dark zone on the second run. Totally out of the question!


    "But¡ª"


    "Not even going to think about it. Carrying you two all the way to Eldora may be beneficial, since you need to be there for the airport. It''s in a small area just southeast of Eldora. But no way in hell am I going to take you and Danny with me back into the dark zone. Not even sure if I will be going myself, but if I do, I won''t risk your lives for this!"


    "Danny and I can fend for ourselves though. We have gotten a little better with magic and¡ª"


    "A little?" Jane repeated with enthusiasm, "A little? You have any idea what that means in there? My skills probably rank on level four of official training by guesses, but I''d say that you and Danny put together barely come near level two. You''re still just basic Leray wielders, so I won''t sentence you to certain deaths, all while you should be on a plane back home right now."


    "I''m in no rush to get home," Taylor reminded. "And I happen to like it here in Sprawn Valley. You get to use magic, something you can''t do in any other part of the world, but more importantly, I found you alive in there, barely breathing. Ever since you graduated from Dakota, you''ve always been trying to go about things on your own."


    "You''re really using a speech to¡ª"


    "I''ll speak as long as I need for you to shut up and listen!" Taylor hissed. "Look where this has gotten you. First you think it to be a good idea to activate a legendary symbol without even letting either of us know about it ahead of time. Then, you somehow convince yourself that hiding that dangerous thing in your hand from us was an even safer choice. And after what happened at Tilsit put you so far away from us, you''ve been in fear of discovery ever since that moment. Then there are the potential lies you told just to make contacts here in Lennith, and then the fact that we all found you almost a moment too late!"


    Jane still wasn''t condoning this, but she couldn''t fight her back with logic. There wasn''t any grounds on which Taylor was wrong. Jane did do all of that. Taylor even guessed correctly about her lying to Lennith about things to get in deeper to train more. Everything she did solo ended up crumbling under her fingers. Still, at least once it is time to storm Alpha Zero, they can''t be a part of that.


    "I don''t want this to sound like some excuse I am using because I''m worried for your safety. I''ve long since crossed that road." Taylor tried to remember her real motivation again. Ever since their arrival in Sprawn Valley, things were interesting, but not fun, not until they found Jane for that matter. Such a wonderful person, if not so hard headed and childish about reaching her own goals. Now Jane is all adult like and taking on responsibilities that are not even officially her own. But it''s my turn to do this for her. "Are we not friends Jane? Whatever your problems are also belong to me and vice versa?"


    Damn! Jane cursed. Taylor''s playing the friends card, although she had no idea what vice versa means. Must be a foreign saying. "It''s-too-dangerous."


    "We''ll both train on your way to Eldora Tower. Trust me," Taylor breathed. "I wouldn''t dare head into danger if I thought it was too much for me to handle. Danny will train as much as I do too."


    Jane heard that line before from herself! But she focused more on the way she was speaking for Danny so suddenly, who isn''t even here right now. "And what you do he does, huh?" Jane believed that Taylor had a funny way of seeing his choices for him. What logic! Then again, they do love each other and all, or is Danny still in the dark about that? "You really have this bossy wife thing down on Danny don''t you?"


    "We''re not married!"


    "Oh, but doesn''t he know about your decisions?" Jane teased.


    "He will after I tell him." It wasn''t the best comeback, but Taylor would get Danny to come with as well. Or else...


    "Maybe while you''re at it you can also remind him why he would risk his life over something you want to do? If he doesn''t know that he loves you, then why would he follow us into death valley?"


    Taylor sarcastically rebuttaled, "Hm, I don''t know. Maybe because you''re supposed to be his friend too. Or did I have that wrong all along? Maybe you really do want to be a loner? How about we just leave and never find you again? Or maybe I''ll stay under a disguise? I think I''ll just do my own thing for a while, pretending to be someone you don''t recognize, and then rush into the dark zone to help destroy it, wondering why my best friend isn''t around to save me when something goes wrong in there!"


    Now who''s being childish? Jane held her comment back though, realizing where Taylor was going with this. It didn''t matter what Jane didn''t agree to, because Taylor is crazy enough to fall full on her promise. Taylor will go into the dark zone if it means taking that risk away from Jane, and she''ll try this with or without Jane''s help, possibly even without Danny''s help. Friends or not, Jane couldn''t fathom the thought of either Danny or Taylor getting killed by something only because she wasn''t around to help them. Hell, she couldn''t fathom the thought of them being killed regardless of the reason or circumstance. A sister came well prepared to defend her dignity and honor, and she did so perfectly too. Willowing the defeat of all attempts to convince Taylor and Danny to stay back from this one, Jane prayed that their safety be guaranteed even against all odds. Jane stood pushed off from the wall, getting closer to Taylor for clarity. "Fine! You can come with. But I''m buying you two protection."


    "Eew!" Taylor slapped Jane on the arm. "What''s wrong with you? We''re not going to do that!"


    "I meant physical armored protection from dark magic," she paraphrased.


    "Oh..." Taylor felt quite stupid coming to the wrong thought process, blushing from the conclusion she just came to right in front of Jane Venn. "Well you didn''t have to say something like that with no context! What''s wrong with you?!" Oh, that was just awkward! Why does Jane have to be so literal all the time?


    Jane giggled while trying to muffle her laugh with her hand, but she didn''t let it last for more than a second. The time was already slipping by faster than she wanted it to. It was time to get up and reunite again. Jane started walking out the door, preparing to fill Danny in on the rest of the plan. Taylor followed closely behind, confirming all of her belongings were in hand. "What''s wrong with me?" Jane repeated sarcastically. "There''s nothing wrong with me. You''re the one with a dirty mind." Jane was suddenly pushed into the wall on her left, immediately concluding that it was Taylor''s doing.


    Taylor was thus shoved into the other wall by Jane''s right arm, though both kept walking straight as if everything was cool.


    Everything was cool, Jane was certain of it. Though shoving each other around was quite a different way to see it, Jane figured that this was their new system for getting along. They were playful shoves, hardly surpassing a nudge any direction. Jane could keep it up all day too, but Taylor didn''t want people looking at them like that, shoving each other for fun while walking out of the building. At least they both understood one another. That had to be it right? Jane could see Taylor smirking in her peripheral, like everything was better now. She didn''t know what was going to happen next, but she could not begin to describe how good it feels to finally have them back. Jane in response displayed a smile of solace too, wearing it all the way to the double door exit.

 Chapter 36: Changing the Rules

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    <01/28/1972 ¨C 19:00 | Lennith City, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    He saw them both emerge from the entrance of the medical facility, spotting them out despite the unusual traffic of people walking past the gate in order to reach Lennith''s plaza. Taylor was walking by Jane''s side, and both of them had a lightened mood in body language as they searched to find him. "Yo!" he called. Danny waved his hand in the air too in order to let them see where he was standing.


    Searching past the busy traffic of other civilians and wanderers, she managed to spot Danny from his body movements. Taylor wanted to lead Jane to Danny, but Jane managed to get to him on her own power. She had underestimated Jane''s resilience to all of that battle damage she suffered through. Even with the way Jane described it in such excruciating detail to her, Taylor would have thought that Jane would need at least minimal assistance walking around. Then again, Jane wasn''t doing much more than a speed walk either.


    While Danny and Jane conversed with each other regarding the details that he missed out with Taylor, he also made himself more comfortable by leaning against one of the picket fences. There was a lot more about Lennith to take in than he realized. The city was oddly connected to other structures only by means of the paved walkways and fresh cut grass. The fence behind him seemed new, but it wasn''t being used for any real purpose, suggesting that this place used to be farmland.


    The day was already late, the sun losing its intensity with its altitude in the sky while the small-disconnected clouds became easier to look up at. Hundreds of new faces passed him by every five minutes, either heading to their homes westward of the school, or eastward towards the interesting spots of the town. Despite the lack of certain similarities, the scenery around Danny reminded him of home. The air was as fresh as it gets, and yet he felt the hint of aged buildings and dusty masses in each nostril. Kalamo of course was much poorer than this, and somehow bigger at the same time. It''s like a massive city, only for Kalamo, instead of buildings, they just have run down shelters, ruins left behind from families who could not survive there in the poverty driven by the terrible attempt of politics.


    "You did get all of that, right Danny?" Jane had to call for his attention after it seemed that he got a little distracted or carried away somewhere. It was a lot to explain too. Jane made sure to give him all of the details, regarding her symbol, the dark zone, dark magic, the spell bomb, everything.


    "So," he clarified again. "The symbol is incredibly dangerous to have, but at the same time, it''s beneficial to the plan?" Danny recalled what Jane told him, about what she wanted to do right now. Defeat the Leray champion of the world, and take control of the army in order to invade the Alpha Zero and restore the Outback. It was moments like these where he felt Sprawn Valley to be the fake world, and Kalamo to be the real one. Lots of things were no longer making sense. From the very beginning, the business with Leray magic always seemed so much like a dream. Better said, it felt more like he was trapped inside of an advanced video game. Capable of invoking magical spells, capable of running out of life that he can also somehow monitor with the same magic? Danny could even accept this to be the imagination of some young free spirited person, and that he had somehow been trapped inside, obtaining the free will of consciousness.


    "Damn right it''s beneficial!" Jane argued. "I lost the first four battles because of the symbol''s passive effects, but I then discovered some of its other talents. I can use all kinds of new abilities now, abilities that Leray elites actually invoke, and I''ve come up with some of the most amazing defensive tactics, even some of my own spells modified from something else." Jane could hear the amazement in her own voice. She had been looking forward to this idea at the same time dreading it. After defeating the champion, she would likely have to enter Alpha Zero one more time to help restore it with her own units. But for now, she could enjoy learning all of the new cool abilities and skills that can be used to fight against the League of Elites. The thought of invoking such powerful spells, launching some powerful combinations in front of some of the best, Jane felt like she could jump and defy gravity - falling towards the sky instead of the ground.


    But if none of this was real... Danny preferred to keep his troubling thoughts to himself for now, though not before coming to a humbling conclusion. How could I know about it? How could I spend all of those years in Kalamo with my family, with Taylor? All of those years just being myself, and then planning a trip to America... Both countries, all countries are normal. All countries are very much like the real world. Only this one right here, this Sprawn Valley is so different. Which is real and which is fake?


    No! That can''t be! Danny''s head shivered to the side, baring his renounced logic. That would mean Taylor is a fake too! Even Jane, and everyone else I''ve ever loved. Love cannot be fake. It cannot be imitated by some program or a figment of the imagination, not even by some person''s tangled lucid dream. It''s not possible! Everything has to be real! This is no dream of anybody''s!


    "Of course that doesn''t mean I can do anything right now."


    "Huh?" Danny looked up at Jane, who seemed to be saying something conflicting. Did he miss something? Taylor seemed to look confused too, for Jane had just explain the plan only to say she can''t do it now?


    Taylor asked Jane directly, "What do you mean?"


    As Jane glanced back at Taylor, she inhaled the air around her again. Much like before, it felt as though the fresh air had been heated up and mixed with sharp solids grinded into a toxic mass of gaseous charcoal. The air pipes in her lungs were still full of the terrible tar Jane had been breathing in Alpha Zero before, burning her entire chest and scratching her throat and lungs with each puff of air. All of her battle scars were still there too, hiding under her white dress. Jane prepared to activate something while declaring her reasons for inactivity. "I have to stay here in Lennith for a few days. I still need to heal, in the way that an ordinary person would need to." After invoking but the slightest bit of Leray magic into the air around her, Jane projected her own holographic energy scope, forming the familiar box with letters and data inside identifying Jane and her physical status.


    Naturally, Danny and Taylor crept closer to investigate the numbers. They have both already seen the energy scope like this before, in order to confirm somehow that Jane was still alive in the dark zone, but this was only an assumption Jane made to be true, not something that she confirmed as of yet. Danny did however remember from his classes in Dakota what the energy scope colors and values meant, with regards between the two different colors of red and orange.


    Orange is the color of the energy scope of someone who is in a normal or good condition. Even with very low life stats, it usually remains orange. Red color occurs when the person''s energy scope has detected the imminent possibility of taking in real time damage, or to report that such damage has already been done. That person''s real status gets weaker, and thus should refrain from battling even in practice. The veil of protection becomes ineffective for that particular person, which is why the scope turns red. This is what Jane meant by healing. She didn''t look like she wanted to fight anybody even for training.


    "The numbers are going up so slowly," Jane announced. "I want to be able to just walk to Eldora right now, but I don''t see how leaving Lennith would be remotely good for my health. Plus, as soon as I do feel better enough, I need more training beforehand." Noticing that her friends absorbed the physical data from the holographic scope, Jane disintegrated her own energy scope the same way it appeared.


    "Is the road to Eldora another one of those routes?" Taylor questioned.


    Jane nodded in her direction, confirming it to be true. "Route Seven-eight-seven. It''s a large bridge connecting the nearby land of Eldora and Lennith. Technically, they were to be considered separate regions, but the owners of Junon also wanted that part of land to be under ownership as well. So the town''s people built a massive bridge here, one that eventually hovers directly above the ocean."


    "A bridge that goes over the sea?" Danny seemed impressed so far.


    Jane nudged away any surprises that bridge might have on her friends, considering even she had not seen it before. Her information only came from what she was told by some of the staff in medical, as well as some of the sentries blocking that exit. "I don''t think it works like that. I mean," Jane stumbled for the right description. "The bridge itself, once you''re in the center of the path, you can still clearly see the land of each continent."


    "Oooh!" Taylor made the noise to express her understanding, feeling the need to elaborate it further. "So it''s not really as long as Route 96?"


    "I don''t know. I didn''t ask." Danny and Taylor were silent after Jane, a moment that made her feel awkward about all of this. There wasn''t that much she could do right now, other than heal up. That would take days according to Seth''s estimations. Even so, Jane already thought about a number of situations in Lennith she could take care of in the meantime. There was still a matter of seeking more help from Claudia, if it were possible. Jane did lie to her teacher about some of her true intentions, but not most of them. Besides, if there was a way in which her symbol could be legalized, it was worth finding out.


    Jane thought of the rest on the spot, telling them to her friends. "While I''m here, the two of you might be able to generate more credits somehow. If I''m taking you with me into the dark zone, we''ll need a lot of money to buy the protection needed for such a zone. Special magic resistant suits, new weapons, tons of healing items, including a few Starlov Boosters on the go. Food, water..." Jane continued going on and on what sort of expenses there was going to be, and she knew that even with all of her victories on Route 96, she had nowhere near the money to support herself, let alone three people.


    "We''ll take care of it," Taylor answered.


    Danny looked at her for being on top of it with no reluctance. They must have had the discussion without him already, but it still set Danny into the thought of ways for obtaining more credits. He could technically battle people in Lennith; it would work. Then again, Danny had minor practice on the road while searching for Jane. He used his emergency code on the license card, of which was already confirmed and deactivated by Lennith''s commissioner after the investigation that took place with Jane. Jane didn''t specify exactly what methods should be used to raise money, so it could be anything, right?


    "Mind if I have a word?"


    Danny, Taylor, and Jane both turned around to see the woman walking their way, the same person with her nerdy glasses and super dark hair; Alyssa. She continued walking towards them with a smug expression of leverage, her arms folded over her chest. Jane apparently had two other people with her. Alyssa had to assume they were friends of hers, considering they have never been seen in this city before, but she had to be sure.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Edge of Darkness ~ Two Worlds 2 OST</a>


    <hr>


    "Alyssa." Jane coaxed herself for more courage, enough to tell her to buzz off until she was done explaining the full plan to Danny and Taylor. But the words failed to escape her in time, further delayed by the fact that Alyssa was wearing those reading glasses of hers again, for reason she didn''t discover. Alyssa wasn''t always wearing them, so her eyesight can''t be too bad.


    Taylor squinted her eyes in Alyssa''s direction. She could not be a hundred percent certain, but this looked like the same exact person who raged out of Jane''s medical room hours ago, crying into her hands over something upsetting, but Taylor also didn''t get a best look at her face, so she didn''t try to make the comparison aloud.


    Alyssa stopped walking short in front of the newcomers, Jane giving her a confused look, trying to figure out what she was up to, but all Alyssa wanted right now was the full truth. That meant some of her secrets had to be shared. In the process of walking over here, Alyssa was naturally revealing a small amount of her physical weakness and exhaustion. It was clear and obvious that she was limping slightly on her left side. "I didn''t think Jane still had friends around these parts," she started.


    Danny tilted his head slightly, studying the new face he had never seen before. This Alyssa looks to be about the same age as Jane, if not for the glasses a year older? But who is she? Why does she seem so weak and frail? "And why is that?"


    While Danny waited for the reply, Alyssa took her time in examining the other two. Danny, who had brown hair and hazel eyes, was likely the same age as Jane too. At a distant glance, he seemed like one of the trouble making types. But with that outfit on him, obviously a cheap dress sphere made for men utilizing khakis and a denim jacket over a dark t-shirt, Alyssa was certain that Danny was either terrible at magic or new to Sprawn Valley. As for Taylor, the other woman with long blond hair and blue eyes, she seems impossible to read right now. She didn''t seem to be wearing a dress sphere too cheap for this place. The outfit was much more of a suit than a dress, yet one that had lots of style, dark colored with a few blue and dark green hexagonal designs placed randomly. The color scheme matched her blond hair and blue eyes better than one would have thought. Alyssa soon realized that all four of them standing here didn''t exactly look casual, being that they were all teenagers meeting up in one place.


    But trailing her thoughts back to the answer she wanted to give, Alyssa faced Jane for a moment before responding to her reason for breaking away any trust they might have for Jane. "Because normal friends don''t lie to each other on a grand scale. Normal people don''t go around lying to an entire city, infiltrating the position of a training facility just to learn how to cross into forbidden territory."


    "We''re both aware that Jane lied to us. And the scale isn''t small." Taylor turned around to look Jane in the eyes, confirming to her that she had not forgotten about how much trouble she is still in for messing things up that badly, but it appears that Alyssa is yet another victim. Was she another friend of Jane''s? Perhaps one from this city? And what was she talking about - infiltrating the ranks of a school? Right! Taylor concluded. Jane never finished explaining everything, and would probably prefer to hide a few other details. Still, Alyssa had a tone on her, one that was equally as deceptive as it was annoying. Taylor had to further establish the ground rules regarding Jane before this gets any worse. "But we''ve known Jane a little longer than you have, and we''re still friends."


    Jane could barely believe her eyes and ears. Taylor was standing up for her, defending Jane''s character after everything she did to all of them. Alyssa isn''t even at fault. She''s just sort of hot headed, much like herself in some ways.


    Alyssa didn''t back out of her own argument. "I guess she is lucky then to have such naive followers. See I knew a lot about Jane, even her plans to run into the dark zone, and I didn''t object much, after seeing what she was capable of, and seeing what her symbol allowed her to do. But Jane spoke of nothing regarding the two of you, nor was she truthful about her own past."


    Taylor''s tongue froze from the sequence of the words. Jane lied to her and Danny about her symbol, but not to Alyssa, and at the same time, kept her and Danny out of her own story? After finally understanding something, Taylor had to try and put everything back into perspective, but this wasn''t something she could even imagine Jane doing, in the literal sense of her thoughts. Jane must have had to tell a lie or two in order to gain entry into Lennith''s training academy, maybe because it costs too much money. For that reason, she had to let on about some truths while keeping others hidden, right? Jane better hope that her version of the truth lives up to Taylor''s expectations, or else she''ll have another wound on her face.


    "Man!" Alyssa emphasized. "It would be a shame for the commissioner of this town to learn that Jane signed up for classes under false pretenses, and didn''t have to pay a penny for any of it."


    "You might want to shut up right now!" Taylor warned. "We''ll handle the situation from here."


    Alyssa nodded her head left and right for a different reason. "I would defiantly consider it, but Jane has one more person here who would prefer her secret to remain a secret, a person who I happen to value more than this idiot. So nobody will find out from me, but that doesn''t mean you''re off the hook Jane!"


    What other person? Jane couldn''t accurately read Alyssa''s mind anymore, but Taylor turned about to pull her arm to the side. Taylor then dragged Jane a bit away from both Alyssa and Danny, hovering her face close to her ear in preparation to whisper something.


    "You and I need to have a talk," she hissed. After pulling Jane far enough not to be heard at room level, it seemed like Alyssa was preoccupied already with whatever Danny wanted to talk about, but Jane was here with her right now, and she had to know what else was going on here.


    "Taylor, it''s a long stor¡ª"


    Cutting her off, Taylor let go of Jane''s arm, trying not to blow her volume too high while keeping her anger tucked in too. "How many people know about this?" Taylor demanded an answer immediately, but blocked Jane from responding with additional questions. "I can see we''re not the only one''s you''ve pissed off lately, but I need to know who else is involved. I don''t think we should trust Alyssa with this secret."


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Taylor has a point. Jane didn''t know how else to explain that Alyssa was hurt because she looked up to Jane during her training here. After all Jane displayed, Alyssa was totally messed up by the deception, broken by circumstance and time following. Alyssa would never rat on her though; she doesn''t seem like that type of person. "She wouldn''t tell anyone..." Jane wasn''t able to clearly look Taylor in the eyes while making such a promise. Even she could not be so sure.


    Taylor whispered back, "I really hope not. Because Commissioner Adon is already all over your case, investigating the whole incident. If one peep about this thing in your hand gets out..."


    Jane felt honored that Taylor cared so much about her safety so suddenly. She was still certainly upset about the deception, but much more willing to keep helping her than Alyssa was right now. This is why Jane never could stop thinking about them. She never had friends like Danny and Taylor before; they are both one of a kind. "I''ll handle it. I trust you to keep her quiet while I recover from this damage."


    Taylor let out the sigh of another stressful situation. "I''ll do it, but now that''s two you owe me."


    "Thank you," Jane applied. "I know that fixing the dark zone problem won''t right anything I''ve done wrong. I don''t even expect you to forgive me..."


    Taylor didn''t need to hear this now. Though it was rather satisfying to hear Jane getting all sentimental on herself, it was too late not to forgive her. She obviously feels bad about screwing this up, but all Jane did was lie to people. It was the Scarlet Cult that attacked the Tilsit database. It was Professor Brightworth that created Alpha Zero. It''s Sprawn Valley itself that generates Leray magic. Nothing in the world is wrong because of what Jane did, yet now she is actually taking responsibility for it all, being a hero by wanting to fight back the Alpha Zero directly. Who could want to stand in the way of someone trying to stop the impending doom of Lennith City? Even Alyssa shouldn''t have that in her. But with that mouth on hers...


    "Talking about me, are we?" Alyssa approached in between Taylor and Jane again, hoping to crush any idea of shutting her down.


    "Alyssa," Jane interjected. "I''ve already said I was sorry. What more do you want?"


    "That''s enough Alyssa!"


    Another new voice projected above all of them. The four teenagers turned together to their left, with an adult female walking towards them through the short cut grass. Her crimson dyed hair and dark eyes only marked her beauty with her age along with the elegant dress sphere, but her expression seemed destructive, almost hateful, affixed only on Alyssa. "What did I say about it, hm? Jane is to be left alone to heal, not bothered about the past."


    "Claudia," Jane and Alyssa both mumbled in sync. Alyssa slumped her neck down quick, yielding to her teacher of Lennith academy. "I was just..." Claudia didn''t even have to say anything back. Just from raising her eyebrows did Alyssa understand that there would be no more toleration for her interrogation methods on Jane or her friends.


    It wasn''t entirely fear of authority that set her down. Alyssa and Claudia have a mutual relationship with the situation around them. If word got out about Jane''s symbol and scandals of getting into the school system here, Claudia would go down for it too. She would suffer fates much worse than getting fired from her job, and Claudia doesn''t deserve to have her life ruined because somebody didn''t want to ask for help the right way. If anything happened to her teacher, who would help the students learn Leray magic level 3? Almost nobody else on campus is remotely capable of performing the same abilities Claudia is able to. She''s actually a tough woman when it comes down to a real battle, and even more of a badass for never advertising her own skill levels and hidden talents.


    "Wait a minute," Taylor interrupted. This woman was very familiar, and she had to step forward a pace to make sure she wasn''t mistaken. "You''re the one who helped us!"


    "What?" Alyssa winced.


    Danny squinted his eyes too, conferring with Taylor that this was the same woman. The one called Claudia is the person here now.


    "Well that helps with introductions," Claudia summarized. "Yes. These two came to me regarding their lost friend, and asked about the location and direction of the Den of Purity. Since it was in fact Jane''s destination and goal, I knew I could trust them, after understanding that they are not investigation officers."


    "So that''s how you found me?" Jane looked at Taylor, who was still fixed on her teacher. It did seem odd that Taylor and Danny both managed to know which exit Jane took from Lennith, and how far in to go in order to locate her. They must not have forgotten about the possible solution Jane once had in mind about removing her Leray curse, the Den of Purity and its exclusive location in the Outback. They must have asked a lot of people about her, only to get the truth from Claudia. Was their encounter random as well?


    "Indeed I was under the impression that Jane would most certainly survive in that place, though I had my doubts about your friends." Claudia was clearly talking only to Jane and Alyssa, since they had not caught up completely on what happened with Danny and Taylor. "I was shocked to see that you''re other friends made it out without a mark on them, yet you suffered one of the worst injuries without actually giving in to death. I am the one who allowed Jane to use the back route into the dark zone, the very same one I told you two about. And had she died in there, the blame would have been on me as well."


    "No! It wouldn''t!" Jane denied all of it. Claudia can''t really put that on herself. "I was the one too stubborn to listen to anyone. I made the choice to go in there alone."


    "Right," Alyssa added. "It is Jane''s fault in the first place. Don''t sacrifice your career over this."


    "Career?" Jane knew about some of the possible problems that may show up if her cover about the illegal registry into the school system were to be discovered, but she forgot entirely to ask her own teacher about the integrity of that secret. "Everything''s okay about that, right?"


    "I was worried at first," she admitted. "Adon''s investigations are focused on you Jane, but there was of course a trace to your recent enrollment here. I''ve managed the legal paperwork as best as I can. They''ve already overlooked a number of discrepancies, for now."


    "So what you''re saying is..."


    Alyssa clarified what Claudia meant to Jane, after understanding it herself. "It means that the gap in time between the day you graduated from Dakota and the day they were enrolled here is much too short, and that alone would draw a lot of attention."


    "I don''t want anyone but myself to get into trouble for all of this." Jane prepared herself to hear just about anything, but before first explaining her part of the plan to Claudia, there was one more matter worth pursuing. "Claudi?" Jane asked. "Is there really a way to legalize my symbol?"


    "Hm," she puzzled. Claudia knew of one answer, but with the complications of today, it might be even more difficult. "First thing is first. You must wait until this current investigation becomes a cold case. We need the General Army to truly believe that you were just exploring, acting like an idiot for running into the zone, and trying to get back after a monster attack. Anything more would be too implausible."


    "I don''t know about that," Jane worried. The General Army is going to find out that Jane has a symbol anyway, so why would she have to lie again in order to tell the truth later?


    Claudia continued unfazed. "Because the Den of Purity is off limits to the civilian population, it might still be possible to present your case in civil court. You''ll have to play this off like getting your symbol was an accident, something you did not do to yourself on your own power."


    "But it really was an accident."


    She nodded, "The Eldorian Judge will not see it that way if he learns that you intentionally used a spell bomb of unknown origin, even after explaining the unusual effect it carried afterwards. You would also need to officially request other methods to remove the symbol in the first place. There is no other way, but if a court believes that you believe in other symbol removing methods, they will at least align their sympathy towards you on some level."


    Jane look at the ground, scrunching her face from the painful denial of Claudia''s logic. Her refusal to even try was obvious enough already.


    Claudia questioned the look on Jane. "What''s the problem?"


    "Somebody still has to take care of the Alpha Zero situation immediately. I know too that it''s growing. No matter how slowly that may be expanding, Lennith is not safe anymore."


    So Jane already knows about that? Claudia found out from commissioner Adon following the initial spark of the investigation. The General Army apparently has a way of monitoring the zone''s field radius and the border position as it changes, and it is getting closer to Lennith City. "What makes you think such a responsibility could ever become your own?"


    Jane knew Claudia would have a tough time understanding this, but she still went along with the full explanation. Alyssa would hear it too, for whatever it was worth. "I''ve been keeping tabs on their plans. I can''t possibly know everything, but we all need to storm the dark zone and arrest Brightworth before it is too late. I''m afraid that without the help form my own symbol on the army''s side, it''s only barely feasible."


    "Absolutely absurd!" Claudia cried. "You would throw away your only last secret left to risk your own life for a second time, doing something that the General Army can handle on their own?!"


    "That''s a load of shit and you know it as well!" Jane rose her voice with Claudia again. Lies! Pure lies coming from her! "The General Army doesn''t stand a chance, especially if they think they can just split up their platoon into units and take the Outback by some random force of operation."


    "I wasn''t aware you were in the General Army," Claudia argued.


    After just a second of silence, Jane glared into Claudia''s eyes, hoping for her to feel both the rage and fear stuck inside of her head, those awful memories! "You''ve never been inside of the dark zone. As a matter of fact, the General Army has not been in either. They''ve sent scouts, but few have returned, not even to give us much data on what that hell is really like in there. You have no partial idea how terrifying it was for me, the evils I had to face in there. I didn''t even make it halfway to the Den of Purity, and you''ve all seen the scares I suffered for that anyway. And yet..."


    Jane held her right hand up in front of her while calming down passively. "And yet, it was this insane symbol that saved me. It invoked itself on me multiple times while I was in trouble, saving my life in ways that shouldn''t even be physically possible with everything I know about Leray magic. This symbol is a miracle and a curse wrapped into one." She put her hand down again, making sure she got every word out of her system. Jane would explain the entire reason for her new motivation, no matter who wanted to stop her. "There is no reason why I shouldn''t be able to use it for good, out there in the field, fighting alongside those who want to save Lennith City as badly as I do."


    Alyssa closely interrupted Jane, denying that she could actually care about any of that stuff. "You don''t even make any sense Jane! Save Lennith City? Nobody can just storm the Outback. Nobody is going to accept your insane ideas with that mark on your hand. And nobody is going to believe that you are doing any of that for the good of the country."


    "That''s where you''re wrong!" Jane reflected. Her very reaction caused Alyssa to wince in surprise, her eyes fixated onto Jane and her body language. "I already know that there is little hope for me. Once they find out I''m marked, I''ll be treated like a criminal or a fugitive, and even if I weren''t, I''d still have no future of ever removing this symbol. My dream to become a Leray master might as well be over." Jane temporarily ignored the imminent rebuttal that Taylor was about to shoot in the hopes of keeping Jane''s dream alive, there can only be realism now. "But what about everyone else who loves Leray magic? What about everyone else who relies on that system so deeply? If I do nothing with this crest, the whole world will suffer for it. Leray magic can''t survive in a zone that only grows as large as this, and I won''t let anyone else''s dreams be destroyed over that! I won''t stop until I''ve restored the Outback, at the very least stop the spread of the dark magic."


    Alyssa fell silent in thought, captivated by what Jane was saying, and how much inflection she included in her tone. Jane really means all of what she preaches. She loves Leray magic so much, that she would throw her own life away if it means making sure others can continue to live in a world where Leray magic exists. She would fight with all her life in a hellish zone she has already failed to cross once, all to make sure the dark magic doesn''t spread. Alyssa could only think back to reflect on herself now, imagining and remembering all of those tough moments that she has been training since so many years ago. She has to constantly invoke and use heavy Leray magic all the time, less she fall ill to her medical illness and lose sensation in all of her limbs. Alyssa knew she has always been fighting in that way, to survive and live. It is for that reason that her love for Leray magic is like no other. But here is Jane right now, ready to risk everything in such a selfless way. Does she really love Leray magic that much, perhaps more than Alyssa does? No, it can''t be true!


    Claudia didn''t say anything for a brief moment, considering how incredibly committed Jane already was to her own new assignment. Just before leaving for the dark zone, Jane was dead set on ignoring the dangers, and putting her life in risk all for the sake of her personal career. Yet now she is suddenly selfless, all because she saw the evil inside of Alpha Zero? Claudia couldn''t believe that a motivator this powerful could exist in the dark zone, but before questioning the change in heart, Jane still hadn''t considered the difference between her dreams and reality. "Even then, the army won''t let someone like you fight with them just because you have a symbol. You have any idea how much panic you''ll cause be letting anyone know? People who are marked are normally sent straight to prison without so much as a trial, all because everyone is too afraid of the dangers of such great power."


    It was a hard truth to hear, but Claudia must have known better than Jane. She knew more than anyone else did by the many references in ancient Leray history, about the Avion Wars. A couple of centuries ago during the mass integration of Leray magic, there once came a terrible war that cost more lives that it did money or infrastructure. It was a war against mages that quickly transformed into war against symbols. Before long the start of the war, people had been using symbols to power up in ways that defied the normal laws of Leray magic, making the use of dark magic a natural phenomenon. What became living weapons of war also became something uncontrollable. Criminals ran rampant using their symbols to kill innocent people, commit major crimes, and overpower the police in the process. Those who wanted to fight in the war often lost their lives because most symbols actually have lethal drawbacks. It took the miracle of removing symbols from those arrested and locking up those secrets to restore order and end that war. After so many lives were lost, the battles all ended with no side victorious; there was nothing left but mourning and regret. Even to this day, the people in Sprawn Valley still feel that uneasy fear deep down. The sight or word of a marked one would be a bulletin on national television, deploying such news all over the world. Things here would never be the same again.


    Alyssa continued to let Jane and Claudia argue, now in an entanglement of thought, comparing herself to Jane Venn. She is the weirdest person Alyssa has ever met. Jane has lied, made terrible mistakes, and probably has a highly arrogant nature just for battling. After everything she has been going through, Alyssa couldn''t help but try to imagine the scenario, happening to her instead of Jane. Would Alyssa make the same mistakes? Would it ever even be possible given her physical condition? Is fighting to become stronger the same as fighting to do the right thing?


    "They will, once I''m no longer below the chain of command."


    "What do you mean?"


    Taylor wanted to try and explain this one, since Jane had already said so much. The plan actually made some sense. Jane could not go in alone, nor could she just politely ask the army to help her on this mission. It''s something that could only be forced by changing the rules of everything. Even she had doubts that Jane could come near pulling it off. It was a certainty that Claudia and Alyssa would laugh this up the same way she did. "Jane plans to take control of the General Army, thereby eliminating the need to ask them for permission to storm the dark zone. But in order to take control, there is only one legal way of doing that, a way that lies in the city of Eldora."


    Claudia huffed after realizing where this was going. "Defeat the League of Elites, become the new champion of Leray magic?"


    "That''s right," Jane hosted. "The elites won''t know about my symbol until I reveal myself in the dark zone, but by then I will already be in charge, already proving myself to be someone who is putting such a harmful tool to great use. I don''t even want to be in charge of the army, not forever anyway. It won''t be the kind of victory I want, using something that is basically cheating."


    Alyssa corrected Jane, "It is cheating!"


    "This is the worst idea I''ve heard so far." Claudia wasn''t even laughing at Jane''s big plan. It was simply illogical in every sense of the meaning, a plan that completely defied the reasons why there are laws. "Why do you think that the army is so set on not invading the dark zone without your help?"


    "Have you seen these men?" Jane chanced. "The guards at the exits, the patrols and advanced units, all of them are too scared to think of going near the dark zone, and I think our current champion is sitting around trying to think of a better solution. As terrifying and as dangerous as Alpha Zero may be though, we''ll have incredible strength in numbers. It''s well worth the risk if the army can just grow some courage, and have the other four elites pitch in as well. But the only way they''ll listen to me is if I prove to them I can fight, and then announce a great attack strategy for the dark zone. I''ll know exactly where to go, what to watch out for."


    "This is beyond insane!" Claudia didn''t want to shut Jane down, but the plan was just impossible in too many ways. She is getting ahead of herself, more than Claudia could have expected.


    "Really?" Jane tested. "You''ve scanned my body yourself. You''ve seen the results of the ME levels climbing and climbing form this stupid crest. You know just as well as I do how much more capabilities I now have with this marking. I''ve defeated some of the monsters in the dark zone. I can bust my way past all of the guards in city if I chose to leave, even in this state I''m in. I''ve invoked abilities even I thought were impossible. The League of Elites will be a walk in the park for me. I won''t fail!"


    "The fact that you can even say that means you''re not ready."


    Jane argued back with Claudia, without raising her voice too high. Their group has already attracted a ton of attention, and the moment a guard walks over here, the discussion will have to end. "You''re the one who isn''t ready. You''re not ready to accept that there are more ways than one to achieve the impossible. I know you don''t have any faith in me right now..."


    "That''s not even what I said¡ª"


    Jane spoke over Claudia''s comment without a response for it. "But with your help, I won''t even have to worry about it. I won''t be traveling alone anymore. I''ve got my friends here; Danny and Taylor."


    "My help?"


    "Yes," Jane nodded. "I want you to take some time training me some more, after tomorrow during my six hour breaks. I want to learn about more powerful skills and abilities, the one''s you''ve been holding back teaching. Even show Danny and Taylor a few things too while I''m not around. I''ll need new abilities for the road."


    "So you want me to help you once again to train for a task that is even more absurd than the first thing you wanted to do? And all after I learned that trying this out the first time was truthfully my own mistake, my error in judgment?"


    "Claudia?" Jane tempered. "I am doing this. With your help, I''ll have a lot more luck on my side. Once I''ve put this dark zone matter to rest, then I''ll deal with my real problems, and take full responsibility over my actions, including telling the truth about how I deceived my way into Lennith academy. In the process, I won''t let you burn for trying to help me."


    Claudia and Alyssa were silent, which was expected as of right now. Alyssa wasn''t the one making a choice though, and she had lost whatever momentum of interrogating Jane she once had. Jane managed to dispense with her apologies to come up with something so wild, it was unbelievable in itself, yet her own version of the truth. How could a person like Jane suddenly care so much about wanting to set things right with Alpha Zero?


    "I think before I agree to anything..." Claudia inhaled another breath, thinking long on her possible decision to help Jane. It''s not as if anything too bad would happen in either of the situations, but she would rather not indulge such insolence in any of her students. No matter what the people may say, Jane is still Claudia''s student, but what will Jane do is she refuses to help? "Jane? I think you and I should take five."


    "Okay?" Jane didn''t understand the motive. Was Claudia about to say something she didn''t want the others to hear? Still agreeing to secrecy she would dispose of anyway, Jane followed Claudia to the side, walking away from the others slowly and casually. "What''s this going to be about?"


    Alyssa watched the two of them distance themselves from her and Jane''s friends, but she didn''t object or ask for a reason. Her thoughts were pouring everywhere with regards to Jane''s insanity. Was it really possible to defeat the League of Elites using that crest in her hand?


    "You seem awfully quiet?" Danny addressed. "This is all too strange to get so worked up about."


    Alyssa studied Taylor and Danny again, judging the way they were acting towards Jane earlier. It all made sense now. There had to be a reason why they would be so forgiving of Jane after all that happened with them. "I bet it was something, traveling around with Jane during all of that confusion."


    "You''re one to talk," Taylor replied. "What''s your story with her anyway? Petty classmate?"


    Alyssa thought for a long time in silence, building more attention on herself before confessing to Taylor what Jane really did. "I can see now why such random people like yourselves would be so attached to a person like Jane. I thought she had changed completely when I found out the secrets she was hiding... But no. I did that, changed the perception I had of her."


    "The hell are you babbling about?"


    Taylor nudged Danny in the side with her elbow for asking Alyssa something in such a rude manner. She didn''t take Alyssa for a confession type to begin with, but it was related to Jane in some way.


    "If I could guess by asking the two of you, I think I already have Jane''s basic behavior in a short summary. Energetic girl; runs around training constantly to become better with her Leray magical powers. At the same time, inspires the drive in others to do the same, all for the sake of her own personal dream. Jane might be excited to fight the League of Elites, but disappointed at the same time to have to use that crest to do it."


    "How could you possibly know that?" Taylor phrased.


    "Jane dreams of becoming a Leray master, right? It''s her love for Leray magic in general that makes her who she is, always aspiring to be the best of the best in a legitimate strategy, positive attitudes and all?"


    Danny answered for her, knowing that on many levels, Jane was both different and the same. She wants different things now, but she is still the same person on the inside. He could accept no other possible scenario. "That does sound like Jane, at least before the incident that marked her."


    "That''s what I thought. I knew that had to be the reason that you both would stay by her side no matter what stupid or crazy things she may have done, and it''s because her dream is an inspiration to others, an example of how to act when you have the same goals in mind."


    Danny pieced together something, but it was still a guess in his mind. "Is that how she affected you? Jane inspired you because you have the same goals?"


    Just now, Alyssa nearly tripped over herself at the thought of being compared to Jane like that, but as she opened her mouth to counter the conclusion, it was harder to set aside than realized. Alyssa knew her goals were not exactly the same... But ever since she joined the Lennith Academy, Alyssa has wanted more than the desire to train hard and survive. If she is forced to use magic all the time in order to live, might as well make a career out of it too. But the only thing high enough to hold such a burden is the aim to become a Leray master. Jane wants that too, but not for the same reasons. "My goals," Alyssa struggled, "I want to become strong with Leray magic. I want to be better than anyone else. I want to be better at using magic than Jane is. Leray master or not, it''s all the same to me."


    Was Alyssa talking about herself now, or was she projecting for Jane? Taylor didn''t quite expect this from Alyssa, but it suddenly makes more sense now why she would be so mad about it before. If Jane was either an inspiration to Alyssa, or something that helped her figure out what she wanted, that would make Jane the role model. But what kind of role model turns out to be someone else? It''s no wonder why someone would be so angry over the simple congregation of lies Jane had to conjure to everyone else.


    "But when Jane arrived in our school, as skeptical as I was that her intentions were pure, I still managed to alter my own goal. Becoming a Leray master was the second most important thing to me. Now there is only one."


    "Which is?" Taylor coaxed.


    Alyssa answered gracefully after much silence, admitting her own personal lifelong dream, which has slowly come to fruition upon meeting Jane. "I''ll become a better person than Jane is, physically and morally. I want Jane to be the one who learns something from me one day, and not the other way around." Alyssa knew all along why she let herself get to worked up about it. How would you feel if your very own role model turned out to be a deceptive liar? Alyssa was amazed that she fell into that kind of trap given initial disposition towards Jane as a new student. But the thought of Jane learning and becoming a better person, by looking up to Alyssa instead of self-delusion was highly motivating, as it would be to kick her butt in a Leray battle. Right now, the two of Jane''s friends were both staring at Alyssa intensely, taken afloat by her deep and enchanting words.

 Chapter 37: Mark of a Master

    <hr>


    <01/28/1972 ¨C 20:10 | Lennith City, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    The populous of Lennith City began to dwindle with the day, though there was plenty of light remaining in the hours that passed. While Claudia and Jane split up from Danny, Taylor, and Alyssa, they had been catching up on things that were only a concern between the student and the teacher, but Jane was not able to expect how this was going to go down, for Claudia had every right to refuse assistance.


    "So what do you think then, Claudia?" Jane kept track of her surroundings, taking in the fresh air at the same time. Allowing the cool breeze and rush of purified wind to graze her lungs burned at first, but at least now it became a medicinal source of relief from the terrifying dark zone she came back from.


    "I told you to call me Claudi!" She briefly wisped her dark dyed crimson hair to the side, getting some of the lines out of her face upon being blown by the wind. As she kept her firm gaze on Jane, Claudia needed to know more before agreeing to her student''s terms. "I still don''t approve of your plan. I think it is absolute ludicrous, but on the contrary, so is the alternative." Claudia could sense the doubt of either choice in her own tone. Confessing to the soldiers or the commissioner in this town would only lead to her imprisonment. Even if the council case could be made and they go easy on her, who would take care of the dark zone? All logic aside, Jane is right. That champion sitting in Eldora Tower should have done something by now... If Lennith falls under the dark veil, Alyssa and her family will be ruined too. If Leray magic were to become less effective, or fail entirely, the both of them would slowly die a painful death from paralysis. "So before I can even begin to fathom helping you again, I need to know a few more things first. I need to know that you are not lying to me about anything."


    Jane stepped her right foot closer for balance, and stood firm to respond to Claudia truthfully. "There isn''t anything so far that I haven''t told you at this point. I come from Fronas town, and I graduated from Dakota with basic training. I wanted to see Brightworth about removing this symbol, yet another mistake I made with¡ª"


    "I meant with new information," she interrupted. "I''ve already put together the obvious differences between the truth and lies you''ve told us. I want to make sure that you aren''t holding anything else back. And I want you to update me personally on any changes or developments that occur, having to do with your symbol or the dark zone."


    "I can promise this," Jane studied. "I don''t have any reason to keep you in the dark." Jane turned around, facing her group of friends that she reunited with today. "As far as we both know, Alyssa, Danny, and Taylor are in on the whole truth as well. The only people oblivious to all of this is anyone other than the five of us."


    Claudia submitted her own proposal, enhancing any particular detail that Jane might not have expressed clearly. "So then... I have nothing more to worry about if your plan backfires and you all wind up in prison?"


    "That won''t happen," Jane promised. "I swear I''m going to fix this. After I''ve taken care of the dark zone, I''ll find some way to come clean about the whole symbol thing, explaining everything truthfully. On the side, I''ll make sure that you aren''t pinned for any crimes or blame on what I''ve done. I wouldn''t want to destroy my teacher''s career."


    "It''s something you shouldn''t worry about, but thanks." Claudia didn''t sense any problems with Jane in the slightest. She was looking her in the eyes while talking, proving she had to be telling the truth, less she be a great actor in disguise. Jane also looked terribly tired and exhausted, though it was a look constantly on her since her return from Alpha Zero. She still must be suffering from a ton of real time damage. Because of that, training will have to wait a little longer. Come to think of it, training Jane will be impossible if she ends up having side effects. "How are the meds working out?"


    Jane sighed with the stressful frustration of impatience. "Starlov Boosters work so slowly! We''ll have to schedule my training for the day after tomorrow, during the next six hour break I am allowed."


    "They won''t let you battle?"


    Jane nodded, "No, but if I train with Leray magic after getting just a little better, it won''t hurt me to carefully expend some MP. It also shouldn''t take too long to learn new abilities. Just as long as I''m not receiving damage, it will be fine, but I''ll have to watch myself too."


    "Ah, that''s right," Claudia reminded. "Your crest passively makes you learn abilities quicker, which is something I still don''t understand."


    "We can figure out who the man was with that spell bomb after we get through the rough stuff, but I must warn you that I still have no good leads."


    Claudia scratched her hair twice, already in thought about which order of Leray magical spells can be taught at a higher level. "I''ve already got a general idea about a list of potential new abilities that you might find to your liking. But if you''re going to make it in the League of Elites championship, you''ll need an extended list, one you may not even learn within the time of a month."


    "I think I''ll be fine on the road." Jane glanced again at her friends. "But Danny and Taylor may not be, and I can''t afford to lose money on the side of this thing. So they will need some training as well. Just give them more basic stuff, anything that will help their odds on the road. Is 787 as bad as I think?"


    "Well..." Claudia couldn''t answer that easily. "Route 96 and 787 are two totally different environments. Ninety-six is a place more natural and sort of abandoned by the order of maintenance. It''s shorter too, and the people who go there can sometimes be shady. On 787, there is never really a problem. Battles there are intense, but the Siriean domes prevent damage to the main structure, or people from being blown off into the ocean. The route itself however is longer, eleven miles long to be exact."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Oh!" Jane had not considered how dangerous it could be to battle on the top of a bridge hanging over the ocean, but if the domes actually prevent problems, it would make it a popular target for Leray wielders indeed. Given the distance factor involved as well, it might be worth investing in bikes, or in camping equipment. "Any abilities in particular?" Jane was already thinking about all of the cool new magic tricks and spells she would be able to acquire at her disposal.


    But Claudia had to turn down the spoiler. "I know you too well Jane. You can''t handle the suspense of knowing what you might be learning, so we''ll leave that a surprise for now." What about Jane''s other abilities? Were they not cutting it all the sudden? "How fares your shielding ability by the way? Did it work well in the dark zone?"


    Jane gave the straight up answer that came from many. Somehow, knowledge on the behavior of Leray magic was accurately known with contrast to dark magic, though not everything was as clear. "My shield thing works great. I would have died against the first monster without it, but even so, Leray magic is weak in Alpha Zero, and it takes so much more energy to do stuff there."


    "As I would have expected," Claudia replied.


    "But there were things I didn''t understand. If the Leray veil of protection enables some of the passive rules, then how was I allowed to survive things like bullet impacts? How was I able to utilize my supply sphere, yet be denied the ability to make an artificial Siriean dome?"


    "The rules are kind of the same in a dark zone. Just because the dark zone lacks a veil does not mean that magic itself does not exist. In a dark magical zone, you are still more protected from death than outside Sprawn Valley''s continental field. Furthermore, the dark zone can prevent or enable rules such as supply sphere functionality, reward systems, Siriean domes; all of that is predetermined by the specific creator of that specific dark zone in the first place. That sphere you are holding would be permanently destroyed, along with all items inside should it be carried out of Sprawn Valley or a valid magical veil, dark magic or otherwise. Additionally, a single bullet would be fatal outside of Sprawn Valley, dark zone or not. See the difference yet?"


    "I guess..." Jane didn''t think the answer would be so simple. There were just things she still didn''t know, easy knowledge too. "I had no idea that the dark zone can poorly imitate a Leray zone."


    "Yes, only in Sprawn Valley. Outside of this little world, nobody has to worry about Leray magic or dark magic. And yet those people fear it so."


    "With all that''s been happening lately, I''m not surprised anymore."


    Claudia let her chain of thoughts circle back to the day Jane got her symbol from the unusual spell bomb. Though she was never there for the event in person, Jane told her about the details that night. At the same time, those details would have to be important in the upcoming investigation, though dangerous for her involvement in the case. The very fact that such a spell bomb even existed in the form of a prototype was absolutely troubling and disturbing.


    Jane was right about another detail too. The unknown spell bomb, the attack at Tilsit by the Scarlet Cult, the expansion of Alpha Zero, people being marked with illegal symbols, and a few former members of the Eldorian Council turning to crime! From one pair of eyes, it didn''t seem so bad, but from a world''s view of perspective, one would be forced to agree that Sprawn Valley is just not the best place to be in right now, no matter how much they love Leray magic. Word of a secondary investigation with the Tilsit attack had Claudia fretting to no end, but those words shall go unspoken for now.


    "Eldora must be a great city. You said it was academically rich?"


    Claudia almost didn''t hear Jane''s question with herself distracted by the world, but it was something she would have been expected to know automatically. "Of course. Eldora is the richest city because of its highest level of education. I wouldn''t worry much about the other places though. The council is at least trying to bring more money into the less fortunate places by building popular structures. I even hear rumors of an arena being built near Blue Port Town."


    Jane had nearly forgotten about that. The arena was still under construction, so much that there was not a visible building in that direction last time she was at home to check it out. Before either of them could make any more small talk about it, a voice calling her reminded Jane how important it was to stay focused on the main idea.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Danny approached them with Taylor and Alyssa behind them, reuniting with Jane.


    Jane turned to face them, realizing that there was nothing in particular that Claudia wanted to keep from them. It was kind of a mystery as to why she was pulled to the side in the first place. "Just going over the plan for Route 787. It''s the east exit of Lennith City, but all three of us need training before we can cross it, and I need two more nights of healing before my training can begin."


    "I see," Taylor imagined. "So we just have to wait and train for a really long time?"


    Claudia transferred her earlier thoughts and memories on Jane''s previous sparing sessions with Taylor, believing Jane to have left out that detail. "I don''t think so. With Jane''s symbol, it will take her only a matter of days to learn powerful new skills."


    Why did Jane say the three of us? "What about me?" Alyssa made herself noticed by everyone just by the intensity of the question alone. It didn''t appear based on multiple expressions that she was expected to want to come along with Jane to Eldora.


    "You want to come with us?" Jane sounded just as confused, believing Alyssa to have hated her just a moment ago. Was she suddenly forgiven?


    "Alyssa, I need you here."


    "But Claudi?!"


    "Mmn-mmn!" Claudia nodded in denial at Alyssa''s request to go with Jane. "Jane is still not one of my students officially, especially since she has graduated. Jane? When I train with you, understand that it will not be for any official classes. The training will be personal should anyone ask." Claudia firmly set her voice in a declarative tone, taking full control of the situation on her end. "And Alyssa? You still have yet to graduate from my class, therefore leaving Lennith to follow Jane will look too suspicious. Besides, you''re still going to be questioned by the commissioner himself in light of the investigation. I need you here to make sure that heat does not tear down our academy. Following Jane will be a clear act of suspicion on your part."


    "But what about Danny and Taylor?"


    "Them?" Claudia pointed. "They''re not even legal citizens of Sprawn Valley. It''s not like you have to be in order to live here, but those two have no obligation to this area whatsoever, nor do they have any legal binding connection with Jane. They will arouse no suspicion."


    There''s a thought Jane forgot to consider. She wouldn''t mind having Alyssa on the team as well, but Claudia was right about the investigation, being as she was still remaining on top of it all. Danny and Taylor won''t even show up in a registered database of Sprawn Valley citizens or personnel, and bringing anyone along would eventually put them at risk. Alyssa probably doesn''t even understand just how dangerous it is to be associated with Jane these days. With this symbol under her hand, would all of her friends be labeled as enemies? Would Danny and Taylor face punishment in Sprawn Valley for helping her?


    "That''s bullshit!" Alyssa argued.


    "I''ll be sure to bring back an ornament or two from Eldora," Jane allowed. "Now speaking of the training, Danny and Taylor will have their hands full outside of learning, mostly with raising some money. After I get just well enough to train, I''ll stop by the back of the school. I don''t want to stay here too long, so I''ll be leaving within two weeks if I''m not already healed up by then."


    Claudia expanded on the plan of action for training her former student. "Training will be at my house actually. We can''t risk your symbol showing up by accident in front of a crowd. I''ll be sure to leave you a note of the address, and prepare a long list of specific abilities that will be important to know, but there are only a handful of which I can train you with. Some of them I''ve never been able to invoke before, and you''ll have to teach yourself those abilities on your spare time."


    "Can I train too?" Alyssa still longed to be part of whatever Jane was part of.


    Though regarding this trivial matter, Claudia accepted Alyssa''s terms with little hesitation. Alyssa needs to train all of the time, but Claudia could also come up with excellent ideas for Alyssa''s difficulty. "I''ll allow it. I want word of this to stay only between us, no matter who asks what questions. Am I clear?"


    Jane and her friends all responded to Claudia at the same time with the same enthusiasm. "Crystal."

 Chapter 38: Specialization

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 14:00 | Lennith City, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    "Haya!" Jane threw her arms in a flying upward arc, aiming her daggers at edge to slice open the empty air in front of her. Struggling to keep her balance and coordination correct at the time, she finished her move with a slight kick off the ground, twirling her body a full rotation. Upon landing the spin, Jane had let loose a magical attack through the ends of her daggers, causing them to glow blue for less than a millisecond before magical spheres shot from each dagger tip. The spheres were incredibly quick projectiles, the quickest spell Jane has ever used before any other ability.


    She had been training here all day long, shoes first in the thin grass of Claudia''s backyard while Danny and Taylor used their breaks to watch her. Jane nearly mastered her new skill, which technically isn''t even a real ability according to the spell book. Claudia wanted Jane to improve on her charge attack, making her learn to combine more abilities into a simple blitz of quick-use abilities with the effects of the Dualcasting skill built in. Technically, Dualcasting isn''t needed to quickly spam abilities one after the other; it only speeds up the invocation time of magical spells. Therefore, if you combine physical or non-magical attacks in combinations with magical skills, the effects are much more efficient than using Dualcasting, which is why Claudia considered that a severely outdated ability. Jane was expending much of her stamina, barely recovering long enough to keep it together, but she worked so hard today that it was unbelievable to the untrained eye. This was the final moments of training. Jane was simply showing off and refining all of the skills she learned and picked up from Claudia.


    It has been twelve days since Jane set the action in motion to train harder, which means she had been training in particular for ten days. The first was rough, as her capped MP capacity due to real time damage was holding her back. In all of that time, Jane''s health and MP stats on the energy scope were still not full to 100% just yet, but they were close; health was up to a maximum of 90% while her magical capacity was up to a maximum of 88%. It was showing lower right now because of Jane''s intense training, and Claudia wasn''t allowed to attack her for the same reasons.


    Jane has constantly been in and out of the medical facility, draining her credits while getting additional treatments of the Starlov Boosters designed to completely heal real time damage. On the side, Danny and Taylor were able to raise a little money by battling others. It wasn''t much, for most of their time was also consumed by Claudia''s intense training. Jane did not actually know yet what her friends have learned as far as battling skills were concerned, but she figured it wasn''t useless. Claudia is an excellent instructor, possibly compatible with an elite student. At the same time, it wouldn''t be possible for Danny and Taylor to know all about what Jane had been learning. Since Jane was only allowed to be outside the facility for six hours at most, she was always on a timer each day.


    One moment in particular she was waiting for has already transpired this morning, the discharge papers. Jane finally received a clean bill of health by doctor Ashly, allowing Jane the freedom to travel anywhere in the world except for Alpha Zero. The investigation never really caught hold of any illegal activities conducted in Lennith academy, which Jane found rather lucky, and the guards by each gate out of town were gone as well, other than the north one.


    Tonight is the night. Technically, it is only two in the afternoon with the sun hung high, but for Jane it was already a long day of practice. She was indeed ready to leave Lennith today, hopefully to make it to Eldora before the next light fades.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Rolling Stone Gathers Dirt ~ Radioactive Sandwitch</a>


    <hr>


    Jane stood still, other than her entire body bobbing to her intense breaths of exhaustion and fatigue. She slowly put her daggers away, holding them back into the pockets of her new battle suit. It was a Lennith training edition, the same suit she carried and damaged in the dark zone. Claudia was happy to give her one more for the road since her last one was trashed.


    "That''s a rap for now Jane." Claudia could tell that Jane was wiped after that. It seemed a little unusual to watch her stamina deplete so quickly, but maybe Jane did in fact use a lot of MP during the training session. It was time to let her recover for now. "Everyone take five!" she called out.


    Jane didn''t protest. Holding her knees for a few moments, Jane decided to sit down in the grass, giving herself the break she needed, and it quickly reminded Jane how lucky she was to be allowed one. Back in the dark zone, it was keep marching or die. The symbol in her hand was doing a lot for her, but eventually she had to accept that her hard work was still being put into her training. Learning abilities quickly isn''t the same as learning them easily. Jane has acquired so many new skills over the past week, and her friends only knew just a couple of them from watching her train firsthand. Learning them was incredibly difficult for Jane, requiring total unparalleled focus. While Jane collected her breath, she studied the new spells in her mind one by one.


    Mako Strike: After Jane analyzed the reasons for her Mako Beam attack dealing minimal damage, she found a way with Claudia''s knowledge to discover a new method utilizing the same energy. The power level had increased to six, while the MP consumption remained unchanged. Though Danny and Taylor would argue that it is only a knockoff attack of Magical Blitz. Even so, Jane''s Mako Strike deals the same amount of damage for such a small magical price.


    Voltage: Nobody around Jane has knowledge yet of this particular ability. After realizing that she could easily invoke the powerful spell without additional training, it became clear that second opinions were not needed. Even with a power level unknown to Jane, it was obvious that the ability which is supposed to imitate a lightning bolt attack was much more powerful in this form. The only difference? Red electricity!


    Ozcom''s Razor: A new skill Jane had learned from Claudia, a spell that creates a gigantic blade in the shape of a sword high in the air. It''s a powerful phased blade with very high damage dealing potential in the form of non-elemental magical slashing damage. Jane already mastered the skill today, but couldn''t wait to try it out on some of the enemies on Route 787. Like many other new skills, Jane had not shown them off yet to Danny or Taylor, in hopes to surprise them during those future battles.


    Volley: A rather simple ability with a low power level of four, considering the slightly higher MP usage. Dealing only piercing damage in an unstylistic last resort formation, the skill is mostly for use during moments of severe inaccuracy.


    Spirit Arrow: Jane has never known before what effects spirit elemental magical damage can do to people. Even to this day, she didn''t really have a clear idea from experiencing the result, but according to Claudia, spirit elemental magic was only meant to be lethal to creatures capable of magic which are not human, creatures such as summons or dark magical entities. On use of ordinary people however, the damage will be minimal with the tradeoff of potentially disorienting the opponent. That''s all Jane could understand from that mess too. How does it disorient anyone? It could be anybody''s guess. After learning the skill itself, it was relatively simple, much like Taylor''s Bow Charge skill. All she does is create the bow and arrow with the type of magic infused in that arrow-tip. In this case, the magical element is spiritual damage, something known as ethereal auric energy.


    Splice: Another powerful skill that took much time for Jane to learn. Leaning on a power level of eight and a very high MP energy consumption, Splice creates a new level of physics, allowing the slice of a bladed weapon to travel through the air while picking up tons of Leray energy. With its drilling effects, it can produce a pain high enough to remind Jane of the horrible hits she took from those turrets in the dark zone that used an action called Laser Swipe. After Jane invoked the spell and accidentally hit Claudia, it was obvious that Laser Swipe and Splice are about one and the same for the pain levels, but Splice was also designed for single-handed weapons. Because Jane uses two daggers, she can use the same energy amount for two flying drilling magical slashes instead of just one, doubling the damage.


    Prism: One of the most powerful and successful abilities derived from sixty refinements of your usual elemental bolt attack. Fire Bolt, Ice Bolt, and Thunderbolt are all weak on their own. Prism combines them all while keeping them separate, unleashing a hell barrage of multi-elemental attacks against the target with an overall power level of nine. Although the MP consumption is averaged at 40%, the visual effects of the glyphring used are unique and beautiful.


    Blaze Storm: A power-level-nine ability that basically steals the attack type of most light screen based spells such as Mega-Flare or Ultima, and uses pure thermal energy instead of a light screen. Blaze Storm razes the entire field and air with an ultra-high temperature, burning heat around at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately for Jane, she nearly suffered another accident by trying to make it work under a dome shield. One of the problems with Blaze Storm is that it can affect the user of the spell too, if not trained enough to block out the effects on that user.


    Blitz: The very namesake of the skill Jane had performed last, side stepping with a Mako Strike to end the sequence. Blitz is difficult to perform or induce, since in involves a built-in Dualcasting mechanism while combining Charge Attack with other particular skills. Blitz is not technically an attack skill, and thus it does not have a designated skill used each time. It''s a free-form attack sequence, one that forces the user into making multiple decisions and judgments in the blink of an eye with the assistance of a support aura. It''s essentially Charge Attack combined with Dualcasting, thus a more intense version of Charge Attack. It also makes use of an aura that is highly unique in that it splits initial energy from the start of the aura from that of normal capacity, and gives that capacity split back to the aura, limiting the user on how much magic they can use at a time. The details are similar, but confusing to the less knowledgeable.


    Deep Strike: After watching an amazing performance from Claudia that nearly took all of the energy she had in one go, Jane was begging to learn the ability with only one success. It can be a confusing spell, one that involves the use of a special glyphring with a very unique attack pattern. Combining powerful explosions together with multiple Shadow Waves all in the same sequence, it''s a costly skill that is also quite lethal to the opponent.


    Energy Cycle: A non-official skill that Claudia had thought of regarding Jane''s important energy levels created a great idea for a new aura ability. What was more amazing was that the skill was made from scratch, something formed out of thin air instead of being refined from any other ability. Because of Claudia''s ingenuity, it would go down in the history books for an amazing new skill that can be used by others as well. Jane wasn''t the only one capable of learning in this case. By utilizing a special aura, invoking Energy Cycle can temporarily regenerate the user''s MP levels more quickly, which normally occurs very slowly. At the same time, the user''s aura automatically converts some of the damage taken on them into instant MP energy, making the regeneration process all the more important. On the downside, you can''t attack in that mode, less you break the aura and end the sequence early. When you do end the sequence, there is a small delay between that moment, and the time you are allowed to recalibrate your magical circuits. So it can''t just be used on and off for the advantage.


    Lunar Rain: Nobody taught Jane the skill, perhaps acquired by one of the scariest and craziest dreams of them all. Jane could feel it happening even now. The amazing effect, pull, and beaming light of the full moon tonight. The spell creates a burst of energy rays so powerful that it literally rains down segments of light, segments of lunar energy. Jane could feel the lights splashing down on her skin, on her face. The feeling is indescribable, absolutely incredible! At the same time, none of it was physical. Jane managed to think out in her head how it would be possible to invoke a skill that would simulate such an environment. But even if she could, what would it do for her?


    With her thoughts on the full moon again, Jane was clearly distracted like many weeks before. She could not remember at what point her obsession with the moon began, though it wasn''t bothersome enough to resist its enticement into her usual trance.


    "Well? What do ya think?" Taylor stood hovering above Jane, but her question was directed to Jane''s teacher. Even she seemed a little wiped from the hard work she did over the days.


    "A lot of improvement as I expected," Claudia confirmed.


    Danny folded his arms next to Taylor, and made the same conclusion from what Jane told him long before. "So her crest really does speed up her learning process?"


    "And it conserves her MP energy in the process of practicing Leray skills, which is one of the reasons she can learn so quickly."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I''m ready!" she announced. Jane saw all three heads turn towards her from her peripheral vision, and elaborated on her excitement while jumping up to her feet in a stance. "I''m ready to challenge the League of Elites."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that Jane¡ª"


    Cutting Claudia off, Jane was quick to affirm her excuses with the evident recovery of herself. "I''m already fully healed with a clean bill of health, and I''ll have Danny and Taylor to help guide me should anything bad happen. I trust you''ve been training them well?"


    She could already tell that talking Jane out of leaving today would be a difficult task. "Of course I have, but you still have yet to learn the entire potential of the next list of spells I''ve picked out. I can''t technically teach most of them, but I do understand how they work."


    Jane held out her hand, offering to accept the piece of paper Claudia has been concealing from her. "I''ll learn that list on the road then. I won''t technically need that extra set of spells until the final fights."


    "What you need is to relax," her teacher argued. Claudia still handed Jane the folded paper of skills and their general descriptions written down inside, but she didn''t let Jane forget about the important rules of battling. "Not all battles are won by a strategic selection of spells or skill levels. You also have to stay sharp and focus, but also stay relaxed while enjoying the fight."


    "Claudia''s right," Taylor agreed while placing a hand on Jane''s worried shoulder. "No need to stress out about it. You love battling for the fun of it, remember?"


    Jane did not forgot those days, and she wanted to accept that somewhere deep down, those emotions were still hiding inside of her. She could only feel excited right now about testing out her new skills in a real battle, but it would be a waste of time to hold a test run in Lennith. Better she take that to the road as well. "I didn''t forget," Jane replied. "But we are on a time table before it will be too dangerous near Lennith City. I don''t want to wait that long, so I''ll take it slow so long as I can depart today. I''ll be getting ready to head out on the road. We leave in an hour."


    Jane had so much technical Leray things on her mind right now that she felt best being alone. She had lots to think about still left unresolved. Was bringing Danny and Taylor along really a good idea? What happens after defeating the champion? Will he listen to the reason she has been protecting for so long?


    As Danny and Taylor watched Jane eagerly leave to prepare herself for the open road, they realized that they needed to do the same for themselves. "We''ll catch up soon," Danny waved.


    "Sure! See ya!" That girl still lacks patience. When will Jane learn that she doesn''t need to always be so damn serious? Claudia looked around the back yard of her house, realizing that all of the training left a few scars behind in the dirt of the property. She would have to tend to her lawn and make it beautiful all over again. Jane would find herself lucky that she for one enjoys gardening every once in a while.


    "This is it?" Taylor shouldn''t have asked the obvious question. Though she was currently expecting a bridge of some sort. Route 787 begins just a few paces further, but it appeared to look no more than another gravel road. At least this one had premium fences on each side to prevent people from getting lost on their way. Jane brought Taylor and Danny to the route shortly after packing their supply spheres with enough food and water to last for weeks.


    "Route 787," Jane identified. The road wasn''t going to look like a bridge until they get ready to cross part of the ocean. Jane knew of the layout to this part of the land, but only by studying a primitive map. She had never been to Junon before after all, but she still felt as though Danny and Taylor would find the trip to be five times as exciting as she was expecting it to be. Jane however did not have her mood down in the dumps, for she has much to consider before preparing herself for leave today.


    Being back on the road reminded Jane about two particular opponents she faced on Route 96, people who were nowhere near in the wrong to challenge others. The correct way to ask for a battle isn''t to force it upon those just to strike out their license cards, but instead to face each other one on one and to have unwavering fun. Teresha and Clayton; two acquaintances of each other on route 96 who work together while rivaling each other''s skill levels. Jane had to face them both, after being convinced by Teresha that she needed to show off her amazing skills. Even with the thought on her head, having the symbol wasn''t bothering her as much as before. Perhaps it was because she knew she was using the symbol for good, and because it was going to be a great requirement to survive Alpha Zero a second time. At the very least, she was inspiring other people to do better and try harder to become Leray masters. It wouldn''t be fun becoming one without strong competition. Then there is Belzer, who was the Gradyent on Route 96. Though he was quite rude in the beginning of a conversation, Jane didn''t forget that battle either, one of the most heated and intense battles of all time. That much was expected, considering only Elite fighters can become Gradyents for specific routes. Jane had her head in the clouds about this for far too long, forgetting how fun and important it is to keep developing new skills and training despite being marked. Belzer and the dark zone were perfect reminders of that on opposite sides of the coin. Now Jane could use this chance to show Danny and Taylor just how awesome Leray magic can be once its potential is maximized.


    "I can hardly believe we''re doing this." Danny didn''t mean to express any concern, but the tone in his voice threw out the conception as such. Taylor and Jane both began looking at him as a reply, forcing him to clarify what he meant. "Before Tilsit, I would have thought that Jane would be leading us to more places and more classes on her journey to become a Leray master. But I don''t think I saw this one coming."


    Taylor held Danny''s relaxed arm, attempting to try and comfort his potential worry. "It''s better this way."


    Danny paid more attention to Taylor, and the fact that she was holding his arm. Why not put a hand on his shoulder? Or why not hold his hand instead? Wait a second! Taylor doesn''t think that I''m afraid, right?


    She continued from what Danny tried to express earlier. "I don''t think Jane has any more surprise secrets. And at least now we know exactly what she is doing."


    That''s not what I meant! Danny wanted to correct Taylor''s misconception desperately, but now didn''t feel like the proper time. They were going to be closing in on Junon''s airport any day now. With Jane, everything will be a smooth ride, but what happens once we reach Eldora?


    "I trust you''ve accumulated a lot more credits than I hoped?"


    Taylor let go of Danny''s arm, realizing that it was more awkward than comforting. Now she was faced with the reminder of how crazy Jane can get with her expectations. How much money was she expecting for them to raise? Danny and Taylor both had to pay money just to get to Lennith City with regards to food and water, and that also included the days spent in Lennith''s hotel for a place to live in the meantime. Taylor however remembered the exact amount she still had on her card, which has not changed since yesterday''s battle. Clearing her throat first, she replied, "Forty-five hundred."


    Danny watched as Jane turned to face him, using that alone as her satisfied acknowledgement to figure out the rest. "Uh, thirty-three hundred I think." Danny remembered losing the last battle against someone slightly younger than himself. He hadn''t told Taylor or Jane about it. It would only bring out pointless ridicule, but at least he was improving nonetheless.


    Jane tallied up the numbers in her head. "All together that means we have..." 5100 plus 4500 is like... and carry over with the 3300... Jane shared her answer''s total aloud, "Twelve thousand nine hundred."


    "Wait, what is all of that for?" Danny requested.


    Jane didn''t answer him directly, since he was already told once the reason for accumulating more money. "It''s still short a whole lot," Jane exhaled. Danny and Taylor were going to need incredible armor protection for the dark zone should they be needed there. Jane was relatively safe with her elastic mercenary suit. It''s the same black and blue design requisitioned for the Lennith training academy, though the suit offers incredible mobility and freedom to move about, making it her absolute favorite material in battle situations. For Jane, agility was a great bonus, since her best defense is actually a shield that utilizes her own magical capacity. With the thought of actual battling on her mind again, Jane quickly became eager to embark on the road already. "We can use the battles on the road to increase the amount we have. Don''t go losing too many battles now."


    "Hey, relax Jane." Taylor sounded so calm and excited at the same time that Jane quickly became confused with her emotions. But Taylor was quick to try and calm Jane down as well. "You''re taking this trip too seriously."


    "Trip?" Jane repeated? Does Taylor understand how important this trip is? We''re not on a freaking festive vacation here!


    "I''m new to Sprawn Valley, remember? I want to see this bridge up close. I bet it looks awesome from all sides! And I''ll get to be standing over the Hollifax Ocean! Plus, there will be plenty of battles on the way there. This will be the best field trip I''ve ever had!"


    Jane opened her mouth, but didn''t know how to respond to Taylor''s excitement. How could she be seeing this as a field trip? Leray fights can be dangerous... Then again, that''s only a rule that applies to the dark zone and dark magic users, something Route 787 is not about in any form.


    "With us, this''ll be a blast."


    Taylor''s confidence forced Jane to smile. She began imagining how the trip will go all over again. Only this time, Taylor and Danny would be there for support and company. Without having to suffer the fate of being alone anymore, Jane failed to see exactly how this plan could be a bad thing. For the first time since leaving Gulop, Jane felt happy again. There was more than one feeling than what Jane could explain to herself, but this continued to feel like a good idea moreover. Having Danny and Taylor back has to be one of the best things that has happened to her in weeks!


    "Glad to see that you waited!" Claudia called out from a distance, walking towards Jane''s group while holding on to a set of handle bars.


    It took but a second to make out what was going on with Claudia as she and Alyssa were both walking up towards them. Claudia was pushing a bicycle with her using the handles, and Alyssa was doing the same with two separate bicycles too. The surprise already sank in deep. Where did they get the bikes from?


    Alyssa waited before getting closer in order to avoid raising her voice. "Look what we decided to get you."


    Taylor winced, "You did not!" She immediately took hold of one of the bikes Alyssa was holding, feeling just how real and legitimate this thing was. She had forgotten up until now that bikes are an incredible source of transportation here in Sprawn Valley, since there are no cars and very few horses. Bikes however are not a cheap commodity.


    "Alyssa?" Jane couldn''t believe this. Free bikes! "But why? This had to have cost a fortune!"


    Claudia wanted to give Jane the short version of what she considered to be great news. "Our staff at Lennith academy got paid a high bonus this year, so we were able to give these to you. It''s for the road in front of you. Don''t forget that it is like eleven or twelve miles long, which is slightly longer than Route 96 is."


    "But these will get you to Eldora before night fall," Alyssa added.


    "Th¡ª thank you!" Jane was nearly at a loss for words, but after considering what Claudia just said, she found her focus on some other concern. "Claudi? What do you mean you got paid a bonus? That doesn''t sound all good."


    Claudia blinked for a long time, confirming for Jane that something was up after all. "I guess nothing escapes your sharp nose. It seems you were right about the evacuation all along. It won''t happen overnight, but within a two month period, the General Army wants to temporarily shut down Lennith City''s facilities and evacuate the population."


    "What?" "Seriously?" Danny and Taylor cross spoke at the same time. After hearing the madness of Jane''s incredible accusations about how a group she was never part of reacting according to her predictions, it was as if everything Jane planned for was justified in every way. Taylor and Danny were ready to back Jane up anyway, but it was amazing to see how easily the army would just decide to do nothing about a large threat.


    Jane turned towards her friends again after passively accepting the bikes into their possession. "They would sacrifice this prosperous and expensive city just to buy themselves extra time to do what could technically be done today. I refused to believe it at first, but the commander doesn''t know what he is doing. That is the real purpose of fighting the champion. All I really hope to do is to talk sense into the man, or take over myself if I cannot reason with him."


    "Well I believe in you Jane." Alyssa found it partially amusing that she could hate Jane one day, only to learn from her the next "I can''t believe that all of our hopes of making our home survive this is set through one person."


    Jane nodded and corrected her newest friend. "It''s three people Alyssa. I couldn''t do this alone if I wanted to. Which brings me to ask what the hell is going on with the facilities."


    Claudia expanded on the origin of her earlier announcement. "They are indeed shutting down the Lennith academy as well. Only places like the hotel and a few shops will be open until the end. We''ve got exactly two months before Alpha Zero is on this place like a wildfire, according to the estimations of the growth rate."


    "Wrong again," Jane dreadfully denied. "I think the growth rate is accelerating with the power in Alpha Zero, which would give us about one month if we''re lucky enough."


    "How can you possibly know that?" Claudia folded her arms, waiting to judge Jane''s excuse for a rather illogical assumption.


    "If you hear reports of monsters in the dark zone becoming more powerful, which I doubt you will due to the lack of recent scouting, then my thesis on the acceleration is correct. I think the Alpha Zero is growing in magical potential, which means the growth rate will too, eventually. It''s exponential now, not linear."


    Alyssa and the others looked at Jane with much confusion. It was a mystery to how Jane could suddenly understand so much about the dark zone just from walking into the place, but Claudia seemed to understand what she meant immediately.


    "I understand. If you''re not back in two weeks, I''ll have to figure out some way of evacuating the town early. Just don''t do anything that mentions Lennith Academy. What I don''t need right now is another investigation."


    "Regarding what?" Jane demanded.


    "I''m not entirely certain." Claudia wasn''t able to pinpoint exactly what was going on, but Commissioner Adon hasn''t left the city yet. Instead, he''s brought in a lot more Leray detectives and agents. "They''ve got our academy in their scopes though. Some think that our facility might have something to do with the dark zone, and there are rumors flying around that our crystal shards kept inside of the vault have become a possible target by a group of unknown criminals."


    "You can see why she wants me to stay here."


    Jane noticed just now how smug Alyssa sounded. Alyssa must feel really important right now if she was willing to stay behind and help Claudia out, but perhaps that reason was well founded. Alyssa has a thing for learning about other people before going to talk to them. Jane personally found that annoying, but at least the investigation against her was over with. "Just don''t let them find out anything that could get you two into trouble."


    "Oh we won''t," Claudia promised. "It''s only three after noon right now, but you best be on your way should you expect to make it to Eldora before nightfall."


    Jane examined the bikes again, noticing how well-built they are. Bulky in size and in weight, these are official mountain bikes designed for off road travel too! Hopefully Danny and Taylor knew how to ride them. Jane barely remembered how to do this herself as a kid, before her own device was destroyed in a small magical fire, but it can''t be too hard. Was this already the time to leave?


    Alyssa needed to warn them real quick about the lack of storage compatibility. "The bikes are too big of objects to fit inside of supply spheres, so take good care of them."


    So that''s what they meant by storage limits. Danny couldn''t possibly understand how the device works even to this day, but accepted the information nonetheless. "Will do," Danny passed.


    Jane turned around briefly, holding onto the handles of her bicycle in preparation to ride out of here. "We''ll be back. And when you see me again, I''ll bring a ton of support troops with me, as well as a plan of action."


    Claudia waved at Jane, unable to say anything back from how surprising those words sounded. It was almost hilariously ridiculous sounding from a girl as young as Jane. Then again, she wasn''t joking about this at all. Jane is acting like a responsible adult suited above her own age. That is a gift Claudia will take from the end of her career. Even with her hopes on Jane, she couldn''t see much of a way from escaping the fate of the schools shutting down in the area.


    "Bye!" Alyssa hollered.


    "See you later!" Taylor hopped onto the seat of the bike, placing her feet on the petals while trying to get her body comfortable with the position and size of the device. She too had trouble just balancing on the mobile structure, more so than Jane did. Danny simply decided to drag the bike until going in further. They were already doing what Jane planned to earlier, riding down Route 787, said to be full of powerful and smart Leray fighters.


    Alyssa saw them off, but realized that Claudia was still standing there, waiting for something. She came to realize that Claudia was just trying to think about what to do next. "What do we do now?" At the very least, she tried to guess whether Claudia''s thoughts were on the same level as her own.


    Claudia exhaled a sigh of stress, holding it all in to think about reorganizing her home to become ready for the worst. Alyssa wanted to know specifically what to do right now, but the answer is already obvious and simple. "Damage control."

 Chapter 39-A: Trial of Fears (Jane VS Mayza)

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    <02/10/1972 ¨C 16:00 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    Nothing sang louder to Jane than the fresh air forced into her lungs by the resistance in wind and traction. While pedaling her legs forwards in a centripetal motion to drive the bicycle over the smooth pavement of Route 787, her friends were pedaling their own vehicles just behind her. The rough gravel terrain was soon transformed into perfectly flat pavement as upkeep to the road was made on a monthly basis, as the fences on each side spanned outward in design to give potential battles plenty of room. The sun hung at its highest point overhead. Though despite the relentless beating of its blinding radiation against the surface, the air here was kept relatively cool. The winter solstice was strengthening with the time of each passing day, while the calm noiseless bliss of the open road greeted everyone.


    Jane was rather surprised to see so many people on the road at the same time. It seemed like an entire city''s population was just scattered on the route randomly, having a field day and a picnic under the clear sky. But almost nobody was battling each other, nor were there any attempts so far to stop her and her friends. These people were not looking to conduct magical matches; instead, the commoners sought to enjoy leisurely time amongst each other. It was too impossible to tell by looks alone - which people were form Lennith City and which were from Eldora City.


    Taylor calmly coasted by, letting her feet rest while the bike''s wheels and current momentum carried her forward just next to Danny. They had to slow down slightly to ensure nobody got ran over, even if the walkers and campers stayed to the edges for convenience of less traffic, but Taylor could feel all of the bliss around her. This place was absolutely nothing like Route 96, and neither were the people here. The fences on each side were several hundred feet away from each other, giving the travelers plenty of room to sit down and relax. The families even brought their children with them, completing the set with campfires and grills. Taylor had to immediately assume that over half the crowd here did not consist of Leray wielders.


    Danny took in the sights around him, and through the randomly clustered crowd of civilians and the fences boxing in the road, there was not a single hint of Eldora City, nor any large bodies of water. The road must really be longer than it looks or sounds, and for whatever reason, the ocean must not be visible by either of the exit areas here. Then again, maybe this wasn''t the edge of the continent yet. Danny had to hold his breath and decide just how smooth he needed to ride his bike behind Jane. If someone suddenly stops her, he will have to break really hard to slow down in time.


    Jane thought back to the civilization level back home where she lives. Particularly on the road between Gross City and Tilsit Port, this road here was nearly the same with the mass of people just looking to walk from one place to another. She figured these had to mostly be people from Lennith City. Only a couple of families had bicycles, and it did not sound sensible to walk children over eleven miles in just one day to visit another town. Nobody tried to get in the middle of the road after seeing Jane''s convoy approaching down the straight line. It felt good to finally be off the hook of battling anyone and everyone. Route 96 was full of eager people looking for fights, and at the same time so lightly populated with people in general. According to a promise made by the last Gradyent she fought there, the route''s infrastructure should have changed already by now. There wasn''t any reason to ignore the peacefulness of Route 787, even if Jane only pedaled less than a mile forward so far.


    There would be plenty of space to battle should one occur. The fences were so far apart, it could take twice the size of a Siriean dome and still fit within the structure''s loose squeeze. Much of the floor was just flat pavement made of cement, with occasional grass blades poking through the side of the fences. Beyond those gates only consisted of empty land, full of grass and clay while void of trees and tall natural formations, becoming a closer imitation of what once was the Outback. They had only set out on their journey towards Eldora City about twenty minutes ago.


    Taylor saw up ahead that the random chain of people crowding the road was coming to a less populated end, beyond the imaginary pattern only consisting of nearly empty road going on forever, but she had to quickly apply the brakes with a little pressure after Jane did the same in front of her. Four adults started walking form the side and into the center of the road, oblivious to the convoy of bikes heading straight for them. After Jane slowed down enough not to hit them, the group of four civilians remained stuck in the middle of the road, looking more composed than confused.


    Jane had to stop her bike completely, and she examined those in front of her more carefully. They didn''t have anyone else clinging to their side, nor did the adults seem to mind getting right in their way, but they were also wearing what appeared to look like normal clothes, further supporting the possibility that they are as ordinary as ever. Three guys and a chick reformed where they stood, folding their arms and holding the line of a natural barricade to block their path. Their intention became clearer by the second; they wanted to stop this little biking gang before it got moving any further. Jane barely accelerated forward to get in closer to the group while preparing to dismount from her bicycle.


    Could they be Leray fighters itching for a challenge? They had to be blocking the road for some reason. Jane knew that she still stood out slightly from an ordinary person while wearing her battle suit. It''s stylish, therefore it wasn''t as easy to tell from a distance, but the black and blue uniform provided a nice agile attire and material basis for such a Leray battle to occur. Second by second, the reason they were stopped seemed to be more inconsistent with an aura of confusion. It appeared that they knew what they were doing according to what Jane could judge. Danny and Taylor had to stop and dismount behind her too, but she held onto the handles of her vehicle to make sure it would not be taken by any potential thieves.


    It seemed highly unusual and rude to literally block a person''s path just to ask them to a battle. Obtaining rejection strikes on a Leray license was of course less preferable for anyone who is a Leray wielder, but forcing people to battle them or else striking their card with an automatic fail point seems pretty intrusive. Taylor couldn''t be a hundred percent certain; only Jane would know the rules better than anyone else, even if she does make a living defying those rules.


    By now, Jane''s group was already just in front of the strangers, prompting whatever was to come next. "Hey! Can''t say I''ve seen your faces before. Those new bikes?" The man standing slightly in front of the others was the first to speak, giving Jane the sense that he was in charge of the four of them.


    Though he only asked a simple question for now, Jane automatically came down to the inevitable conclusion that their luck of finding no challengers has finally reached its end. "So what if they are?" Jane gently set her bike down, letting it sit on its side instead of the kickstand while her friends gathered closer behind her.


    The blond hair woman who looks six years older than Jane was next to try and elaborate what her buddy meant. She was obviously with these people. "We only battle with those who have the credits to spare. Judging by the new wheels, you''re obviously not poor."


    "And we aren''t even gonna introduce ourselves," the blond guy spoke. He seemed to sound sarcastic in his last remark, more serious after holding his arms behind his head with his face towards the side and a pace that seemed relaxing. "I mean, it''s not like we all came out here to do things the right way, eh?"


    "Oh, shut up Cauthon. We know what we''re doing. And I mustn''t be wrong about the sound of credits that will be flowing in soon."


    If it weren''t for that Leray rule, Jane was certain that those words would have been more troubling for less than an acceptable reason, but there was a more obvious truth than the possibility of having their bikes stolen. Jane didn''t want to argue with anyone already, though this woman wasn''t wrong about their current situation either, for the most part. "We''re not loaded if that''s what you''re asking," Jane defended. Holding in the reminder that this setup felt much the same already to that on Route 96, the worst that can happen from turning down the fight is a single strike on her license card. Then again, fighting against virtually anyone would be excellent practice for the big fight, and a better way to test Jane''s new skills personally with other people. Not only that, the tense excitement and butterflies in her stomach already reached Jane''s blood, despite hating to slow down the pace of their travels. She could feel just how eager she was getting to be in a real battle again, against a person outside of the dark zone who can only use Leray magic. And with Danny and Taylor here, losing the match wouldn''t be too bad, right?


    This isn''t like before. Jane already knew by now how important it is to accept every challenge and win that fight with everything she has at her disposal. Otherwise, her efforts to challenge the champion will ultimately fail without the necessary experience. "You want a battle," Jane judged. "I can see it in your eyes."


    "Oh-ho!" the men rattled.


    "I hear the sound of confidence, and the rattling of change in your pockets." The woman decided to continue keeping Jane tied here to offer her a challenge, though there was some uncertainty on her real ability for now. "My name is Mayza. We only play for high stakes, not some cheap trash out of the old market."


    Mayza did not offer her hand to shake with Jane''s, but Jane still formally introduced herself to the snooty woman. Most battles begin with a handshake and a will of good faith, much like in her first battle with Jack, but these people don''t understand what Leray magic is all about, or why it is a fun sport. It''s not all about the money, and they can''t judge skill level by a person''s riches. That''s it. Now I have to win! "I''m Jane, and that will be the last time you think to refer to us as trash. You want to fight with me, you''ll have to meet a high price."


    "Oh heck! It''s on now!" The men behind Mayza didn''t sound too mature, though the one in front of Mayza had not opened his mouth since his first failed introduction. From the tension already building around them, Mayza confirmed Jane''s challenging words.


    Jane had to interject upon realizing something drastic. "But we will only do this via multi-battle. If you can handle it?" With her provocation, Jane understood how important that one term was. She had never been in a real team battle before, and while assuming she could handle it, Danny and Taylor would never get it right the first try. Everything would fall apart. In a team battle, two or more Leray wielders are in a team fighting together in real time against the other team for one singular reward, split by those people outside of the system, but it involves a heavy burden of collectively working together with synchronized spells. Multi-battles are a little bit different. Multiple fights happen in a singular mode right near the same position or location given that the ordinance of people are correct. In this way, it''s like a team battle, but each individual has their own dome, their own reward system, and their own strategies. Teamwork is not really something that can be done in this case, but this way, more than one person of the team can prove themself at the same time. For that reason, Danny and Taylor would be fine.


    "Oh you can count on that." Mayza turned her eyes while keeping her head immobile, raising her voice to speak to her group. "You guys take the sidekicks. I''ve got the leader."


    "I''ll have fun with the novice boy behind Jane."


    Danny knew that the older man was talking about him. This wasn''t just a fight between Mayza and Jane. They wanted a fight with all three of them! Danny, Taylor, and Jane would all be battling different people at the exact same time, for different singular rewards too. Though it felt less rewarding to him that these strangers would just randomly challenge a group without even getting the details correct. Jane - the leader? When will anyone learn?


    "I''m cool with this if you are Jane," Taylor announced.


    Jane could already see her friends setting up their tense stances for battle, though they were all going to have to acquire distance from each other to form three separate Siriean domes at the same time, since they cannot overlap each other. Jane however didn''t see too much reason to refuse this challenge. This group of feisty wielders wanted to battle against her entire party, not just herself. On second thought, it seemed sensible that way, compared to the time where she was completely on her own. But still, this would be the moment Jane could use to test just how ready Danny and Taylor are for the battle ahead of them inside of the dark zone. Failure won''t be an option for anyone, and neither will backing down from any challenge. "Alright then Mayza. It''s just you and me in a Siriean dome. How does four thousand sound?"


    "Kind of low," Mayza admitted. "Though we are having three fights at once, and if my team wins three in a row, I''ll have triple that amount! It''s a deal Jane." Though her eyes are a dark color, Mayza''s are fueled with a fiery passion of excitement.


    She was apparently going to battle Jane wearing that formal looking white dress, so it had to be an expensive dress sphere by Jane''s judgments. Mayza had a great hiding spot behind her dress for her choice of weaponry, a silver dagger hand carved with Eldar wood for the handle. Jane already noticed the dagger behind her opponent, thus giving her a slight tactical advantage of knowledge. Jane was a bit surprised to know that her first opponent may fight the same way she does at close range, but it wasn''t a reason to become doubtful of winning yet.


    The man who was not participating in the fight pointed his arms to the side further down the road. This would be three on three, though Mayza''s group had four people in total, so he was the odd man out this round. "Everyone take places with enough distance to prevent overlap. Go get em Mayza!"


    "I won''t let you win," Jane promised.


    "Awwwh! I can''t wait to see your face when I do win." Mayza was filled with confidence too, likely from many earlier victories unspoiled. She got on one side of the empty road while Jane got to the other, and from the view behind Jane, the fifteen-year-old boy and girl were taking their places as well.


    Jane wouldn''t be able to focus on anybody other than Mayza at this point. Danny and Taylor will just have to do their best. At least she could apply her newest of skills against this little brat for an easy victory.


    Now is the time. After clearing away from the other civilians and making enough room to turn the center of the road into a battlefield, Jane put away her necklace in the supply sphere for safe keeping, and made sure that her black and blue battle outfit was tight enough to block any potential light that may emanate from the top of her right hand during this battle. Having expose her symbol in front of a single person who does not know Jane would become the end of this great plan to take control of the General Army. Mayza is but a stepping-stone Jane could use right here and now to test her own abilities and benchmark herself; training!


    "I''ll use you as target practice!" Jane insulted. She used that exact moment to expend just enough Leray energy to create the Siriean dome around herself and Mayza. Only because of the available space, this dome was at the maximum size it was allowed to be, still well within the boundaries of the road itself. Jane then activated her energy scope, waiting for Mayza to do the same.


    "Bring it on! I''ll even let you have the first spell."


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Song of the Ancients (Atonement) ~ Keiichi Okabe [Nier Automata OST]</a>


    <hr>


    <Reward Spoil: 4000 Credits | Battle Mode>


    <hr>


    With both their energy scopes up, Jane knew that now was the time to begin the Leray match officially. The reward system''s holographic text appeared between the challengers for only a moment, reminding Jane that a ton of her credits were already at stake here, but more would be at stake in the fight further ahead. She would have to treat this the same as her final fight. While holding strong and ready to battle, Jane took immediate notice of her physical energy, the kind she could feel and sense inside her. During the past few days of recovery, she had been exhausting much faster from the damages healing and the Starlov Boosters she needed to keep taking.


    But now her energy has been restored, her health only scratched by lasting mild real time damage. Jane could feel the adrenaline rushing to her blood again, the same familiar excitement she would always get in the middle of a heated battle that is both official and legal. Having fun quickly slipped her mind today, since Mayza was giving Jane the first free attack. She was going to take it for certain while keeping much of her Leray energy in high reserve.


    Jane begun by pulling out both of her daggers, the Rigel Runes she had been carrying since Monoc Port. These sharpened blades carried a slight magical essence of aura around them, adding an amount of extra damage or magical potential in their auras, allowing some spells to be overcharged should they combine with the blades themselves. Mayza sure wasn''t shy about showing off her rare weapon, but Jane had a spell just perfect for her own. "Flying Guillotine!" Having not to yell it to the top of her voice, Jane still chanted the name of her spell with enough enthusiasm and spirit to coax herself to infuse as much energy as she could into her early spell. Jane held her daggers to the left side of her body, twirling her arms back to the front, giving them a unique curve just before letting them go from her swinging grasp.


    The moment those daggers left Jane''s hands was the same moment the second attack aura activated inside of the spell wave. Jane''s spent Leray energy merged into the blades, forcing a circular arc of red light to spin with the outer radius sides following the tips of each dagger. They spun sideways in the air with speed and grace, the red circular aura of magical slashing damage in tow. To the highly trained warrior, Mayza would have had just enough time with the blade''s flight time to get out of the way of the attack, but her reaction time wasn''t quick enough, and she moved her arms in front of her to try and block instead. It was a trick that did not necessarily work out for the best. The flying arc literally sliced its way through Mayza''s upper body as if she were an intangible ghost, but the damage and the pain caused by the cutting circle registered on the energy scope above Mayza, and on the expression she made with her body reacting to the sensation of knives slicing her skin in a hundred places at once.


    Mayza was just slightly winded by the first hit to Jane''s attack. It hurt her skin harshly with the stinging feeling of several deep cuts, but only for a quick moment. While Flying Guillotine can hit the opponent twice in one turn, Mayza had to have known this by the time she took the first scratch. She turned her entire body around, now facing the Flying Guillotine of daggers spinning around. The aura began to wind around quickly, now heading for Jane''s direction instead. The spell acts much like a boomerang, returning back to the user and disabling the arc just before the blades return to Jane''s hand, but on the way back, it''s designed to hit the opponent in the back again for another round of magical slashing damage. Mayza instead ducked down below the arc and rolled herself on the ground to her right just before the second impact, narrowly avoiding the second hit from Flying Guillotine. Without having to turn around, Mayza was certain that Jane would now be tied up trying to catch her daggers and put them away. It wouldn''t leave her open for an attack very long, but it would prevent Jane from getting to throw in two attacks consecutively. Effectively speaking, this was now Mayza''s chance to strike.


    Jane caught her daggers as expected, quickly putting them back in her hidden side pockets to await the next attack. Mayza was already in the process of counterattacking, charging and spending her MP energy to create an aura building up in between her hands. At the same time Mayza chanted the name of the spell, she slid the invisible aura on the cement floor below her, forcing it Jane''s direction. "Crush Wave!"


    Jane didn''t see any visible aura until it began to pick up some speed, sliding on the ground and taking both the shape, form, and appearance as a large Shadow Wave. The dark earth bound attack aura was heading for Jane in a straight line, but unlike a Shadow Wave, it was picking up a few rocks and stones out of nowhere, carrying themselves within the Shadow Wave. Jane didn''t have enough time to try and figure out the difference between Shadow Wave and Crush Wave. She had to go on the defensive quickly, and this did not seem like the sort of attack one could just jump away from.


    Acting on instinct, Jane recalled exactly how to invoke her personal shielding aura, charging MP energy into her entire body while channeling that energy into her hands at the same time. Because of how little MP the process cost, Jane only needed but a fraction of seconds to perform the action, and then one more fraction to raise her own shield. After crossing her arms back to prepare her aura, Jane swung her arms outward until they faced away from her, opening her hands to expend the energy she had been storing in the form of her personal aura. In her head, she invoked its name as "Power Shield!" without the need to chant it loudly, as the process demanded much more focus. While imagining the scenario in which Jane''s shielding aura had been successfully invoked many times in the past, she knew what to expect and how to create the aura without any glitches. As soon as she invoked her personal spell, the blue translucent aura of magical light surrounded and shaped around her entire body, protecting her from all types of damage and partial sound waves.


    By the time Jane''s shield was up, the Crush Wave attack managed to make it to Jane after it was too late to cause any damage to her body, and Jane had some extra time to recall what that difference was, to understand that Crush Wave is just a step up from Shadow Wave. Crush Wave packs a little extra force than a Shadow Wave, while carrying either chunks of dirt or stone with it in order to pillage the opponent with those rocks or stones. Therefore, the spell causes physical blunt damage in addition to the magical slashing damage using the same exact attack form, while the environment determines which type of stone is used. The physical floor below their feet had remained undamaged so far, meaning the stones spawned from nothing using the magic of the spell.


    The difficult to spot Crush Wave slammed into Jane''s aura, creating hundreds of medium-sized hexagons on the inside of Jane''s shield while sparking some strange noise on the outside of the shield that Jane could hear only faintly. The sound happened for nearly every single hex that appeared everywhere, striking into the air with the familiar sound of a damage-rejection. Damage-rejections are referred to as noise-based impacts that occur when metal or stone strikes against specific types of heavy grade shields, the noise stemming from damage rejection emitting form the shield to indicate that much power was used to repel the kinetic force. Jane''s shield held up perfectly, and the Crush Wave eventually collapsed after causing a specific amount of damage that was all canceled and absorbed by the aura. Jane didn''t even feel drained from using her shield to defend herself, since she had plenty of MP reserves remaining. On top of that, her shield could have protected her for a lot more damage, or for a longer amount of time. Feeling no need to overexert herself, Jane lowered her arms while dropping the concentration on her aura, therefore collapsing her own power shield. Upon showing her opponent her secret defensive ability, Mayza seemed both speechless and motionless, staring straight into the holographic text hovering above Jane''s head.


    The only status that declined was her MP reserves from using a magical spell to start, and a little extra from invoking her shielding powers, but she had taken no damage whatsoever, the winding surprise that met Mayza''s silence. "You wanted a battle, and you''ve got one!" Jane didn''t intend to taunt Mayza without preparing for additional action. Pulling out her daggers again, Jane immediately began charging MP energy into her blades, chanting a different spell as the tips of her blades quickly began to glow a bright cyan glow with the magical build up. "Mako Strike!" After shooting the magical auras built up at the tips of Jane''s dagger blades, two blue energy spheres flew from the metal with the force of a cannon, striking Mayza with a speed three times faster than any standard elemental bolt attack.


    Mayza was immediately hit and forced backwards, but she used the back of her feet to avoid losing her balance completely. The pain wasn''t light, though it subsided almost immediately, forcing Mayza to check her energy scope for any more harm to her physical body.


    That was Mako Strike! Jane recalled her old ability of using Mako Beam, the same energy process of firing non-elemental energy beams from the tips of her daggers while conserving a lot of MP. Though the damage level was still much too low for her own liking. Mako Strike is the improved version altered by Jane''s original ideas during training in Lennith City. Instead of firing highly concentrated beams, the Mako Strike spell shoots the same amount of energy in form of fast flying energy spheres, carrying over their kinetic force with the altered state of the damage type consisting of magical blunt damage. Therefore, the energy usage is the same, though the damage level is much higher. The evidence was striking Jane in the face with the numbers on her opponent''s energy scope. A new ability successfully cast and perfected. With that, Jane put away her daggers again, hoping not to rely on them too much at once.


    Mayza looked like she recovered from the last hit, and was already charging up MP energy to invoke another kind of attack. Her bare hands began glowing blue in color with the immediate magical charge and buildup in that portion of her body, and with little time to invoke the ability, Mayza chanted her spell aloud while forming the dark jade colored glyphring in front of her, rotating in midair as her arms were forced right through the center of the glyphring. "Electro-Blast!" Mayza unleashed her Leray energy for the spell, immediately creating and launching a massive projectile of light in Jane''s direction.


    Jane didn''t recall at present what the spell was or what destructive capabilities it held. She began to charge energy into her hands to form another power shield, but to her own surprise, it was already too late. The electric-sparking projectile of Leray energy shot at Jane faster than the speed of any known elemental projectile thus far, slamming into Jane''s chest long before she was ready to cast her own power shield of protection, and the force the sphere carried wasn''t at all what Jane expected either. Jane''s entire body and nervous system suddenly locked up without her expected warning, her skin feeling the massive burning and paralyzing shock of an electrical attack. The electricity held her in place, zapping her for a long duration of two and a half seconds. Instead of the sphere shooting through herself, the energy ball stopped where Jane stood upon impact, holding her in place while unleashing its destructive capabilities and taking the shape and form of a Thunder Flare attack.


    After it was over, Jane felt like falling on her knees to rest and recover from the pain, for the electricity drained much of her stamina. Her recovery was still much quicker than Jane had previously expected. Her body was still tingling, still warm from the painful shock of a Thunder Flare attack, but to her own surprise, the damage that registered on her energy scope, and her quick recovery from the attack types which she hated most was impressively to her advantage.


    Electro-Blast... Jane finally recalled the spell in her mind, barely remembering its incredibly advanced effects. A very high step up from Thunder Flare, Electro-Blast creates the same sphere used in a Thunder Flare attack, a sphere that surrounds and engulfs the opponent while shocking them in place for several long seconds of time. Only the Electro-Blast spell shoots the sphere in the form of a speedy projectile rather than spawning it on top of the opponent, which would have given Jane a little more time to evade the attack. But judging from what Jane felt firsthand, it couldn''t have been much of a higher power level on electrical damage, and because of the speedy recovery, Jane found yet another new opportunity to attack.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    She was always best at fighting close range. Jane learned every unique close combat tactic from master Boncho and Mr. Mire. To this day, she had been refining new techniques with the use of Leray magic and free-form attack spells. Mayza might be good with a dagger, but Jane figured her chances had to be even better. She made the decision with no hesitations, running towards her opponent in a full on sprint while drawing her Rigel Runes again. "Knight Dance!" She shouted to herself. Jane recalled exactly how her Knight Dance combo works, mixing in dagger strikes with a few physical strikes such as kicks and punches combined with magical infusion to increase the damage.


    Mayza slightly crouched her stance to prepare for Jane''s reckless move, but Jane was already in two places at once before Mayza had the chance to calculate anything. Starting with a winding juke to the right, Jane sliced into Mayza''s skin using her dagger blade, following it up with a punch to the face and a low sweeping kick to mess up her opponent''s balance. Jane then spun around the other direction to punch and slash at Mayza again, making her combination of attacks unpredictable. Jane''s hands and feet were glowing with blue auras of light, infused with magic to increase the damage level of her basic physical attacks. There would still be a limit to the damage in total, but Jane was confident that she was on the rise to victory at any given moment.


    Every hit Mayza took pushed her back, interrupted her focus, or painfully subdued her fighting stance with the combination Jane ended off on. The combo did not last very long, and Jane was already beginning to back off for safety, but Mayza wasn''t hurt that badly, and she saw the opportunity to try and counterattack Jane using a similar style.


    "Splitting Attack!" she hollered while pulling out her sharp blade. Mayza''s entire body was glowing with a faint green aura, making her nearly invisible while she rushed in towards Jane at the speed of sound. Jane couldn''t possibly hold on to her concentration with what Mayza tried to do next, slashing at Jane from one direction, only to pierce the dagger into her side from the other direction. Mayza was running left and right over and over again, but the magical aura was allowing her to move and run at a speed impossible for Jane to track. Mayza was practically invisible at the moment, slashing Jane one time after the next in a long lasting combination of physical attacks. Jane was not so immune to basic physical attacks either, not when they were being applied like this. After the last hit had ended Mayza''s aura, she took several steps back as quickly as she could, examining how much damage the hits did to Jane in total.


    Jane felt the sting of the dagger cuts for a long time, bugging her to no end. She did not expect such a strange and powerful attack to work with speed alone. As Jane began to recover, Mayza put away her dagger, holding her hands up high in the attempt to try another spell. Feeling immediately threatened, Jane chanted the name and invoked the spell of another potential game changer Claudia taught to her alone. Lifting her arms up as to hold something invisible, Jane''s energy depleted only slightly upon spawning a new weapon into her hands using the yellow generation glyphring. "Spirit Arrow!" she nervously screamed. The invocation was quick with Jane''s pinpoint focus, and the bow materialized in her hands, the arrow already stretching back with her right grip. The tip of the arrow had its own aura, a glowing pink presence of magic that has a unique effect on people. Jane let loose the arrow aimed at Mayza, who took the hit unexpectedly with its drilling speed. Mayza stopped what she was doing, unable to keep her last spell going with the painful feeling of a sharpened arrow in her chest. As painful as the piercing damage was, something else was going on the moment she was hit.


    Jane relaxed a little, realizing that her spell of disorientation was successful to work on Mayza. Spirit Arrow is a spell that casts spirit elemental damage upon the target. Spirit damage works well to harm any being using or consistent of summon magic, but when used on people, the damage is light, with a twist of heavy mental disorientation that can last for about twenty seconds or more. Judging from the confused expression on Mayza, it was already working.


    Mayza felt the entire room spinning, her balance totally messed up. It felt like the earth was just tilting all over the place, and keeping track of the girl became much more difficult. Still, Mayza found it pointless to stand there and do nothing, for instead she began to charge up another magical attack, praying that the spheres would still make an impact on Jane Venn. "Magical Blitz!" Something was wrong with the spell cast. The magical build up took twice as long to invoke the energy sphere into her left hand, and the sphere in her right hand failed to materialize at all. Mayza couldn''t concentrate anymore, and she was lucky to create even a single Magical Blitz sphere. Taking random aim, she threw it towards Jane, unable to properly calculate the distance or the angle. The hazy sensation filled her entire mind until there wasn''t much left but this sensation.


    Jane watched in amazement while Mayza made a fool of herself, throwing only one Magical Blitz sphere far off into the distance. The aim was way off, and the angle Mayza threw it at was absolutely pitiful. The sphere hit the ground, prone to disintegrate into nothingness instead of bouncing off the concrete. Jane was standing several meters away from Mayza, laughing it up in her mind how incredibly effective a Spirit Arrow can be. Now that Mayza can''t seem to properly attack or defend herself, Jane used the moment to counterattack.


    Charging up a large amount of energy into her hands, Jane prepared to use a powerful magic spell that was already taking a very long time to invoke, but she already knew of its capabilities, the properties of the spell. Normally, this would be a terrible idea, but with Mayza freezing up like this, the damage and MP she would save would be worth the shot. "Crimson Flare!" Jane chanted. After unleashing the energy into a short lived fiery glyphring, the massive sphere of fiery magic materialized from the glyphring, now heading for Mayza. The sphere had to be as large as a small house, massive in size. Though its speed was relatively slow, which was the cut off reason for why people don''t normally rely on the spell. By default, the spell can also emit three spheres at the same time. Though Jane only went with one, certain that Mayza would be swallowed by the massive ball of magical damage.


    As easy as it seemed, Mayza was indeed helpless to understand what was even going on at the moment, shouting and lashing out from the immediate pain the Crimson Sphere caused to her physical body. Crimson Sphere throws a lot of damage and burning pain with the elemental type used in the spell, and Jane had used it so perfectly that Mayza took a ton of damage from the sphere alone, messing up her balance while trying to cool down her own body heat.


    Judging from the HP left on Mayza and Jane, the battle didn''t seem like it could end soon, and when the Crimson Flare disappeared after the spell''s effect wearing off, Mayza suddenly snapped out of her confusion from the Spirit Arrow Jane shot into her chest. Now back in the action, Mayza had to examine every possibility that this Jane character actually did have a chance of winning after all. It made sense as to why she had such fiery confidence about battling with her entire team. Behind Jane, Mayza spotted that the other two people Jane was traveling with were battling really hard as well, giving off spells and evasions that she had never seen in over three months of time. Her own teammates could lose the other two battles, but Mayza wasn''t going to give it up that easily.


    "Rotation!" Mayza twirled around while casting magic from her own hands, throwing the wave in front of her just as it manifested into a tall and wide twister that was deep enough to block the view behind it. Just like that, Mayza easily invoked a powerful wind elemental spell now heading straight for Jane, sure to do more harm.


    Jane held her arms in front of her. Normally she would have had the instincts to shield herself, but she wasn''t expecting such a speedy counterattack so quickly, and the travel arc of this twister definitely surprised her. Rotation is not a powerful spell, though it takes a ton of time and effort just to learn the spell. Rotation is yet another upgrade from Whirlwind, adding on heavy slashing damage and wind elemental damage upon impact. The twister was darker and bigger as well, carrying a lot more force than Jane would have anticipated in her mind. The drag of air was already beginning to suck her in, her skin was already feeling the stings of slashing damage before the dark twister began to touch her in the process. Jane had no choice right now but to just stand there and take the damage. It was too late to use a power shield against this thing. With her hair blowing everywhere in the wind, Jane suffered a barrage of painful slashes that she could only block out the old fashioned way, while she started to think of a good counterattack once the Rotation spell subsides.


    Mayza was already on the verge of charging another spell, but it would take some time before it could be invoked. With the twister faded from all sight, she could see Jane already charging a spell too. Which one would be the first to launch wasn''t of accurate estimation. Jane already threw her arm down in a strange winding motion, after yelling something that she failed to hear properly. In just a second before Mayza was ready to invoke her next attack, something slammed into the back of her head, shoving her down completely into the pavement while more large objects pillaged the floor everywhere.


    Jane had invoked Meteor Strike, slamming the entire battlefield with falling magic stones the size of people, with enough force to explode on impact to the cement. The meteors falling from the sky naturally permeated the Siriean dome as part of the spell''s design, and still carried the same amount of force and impact upon striking the ground. Each location that was hit is always randomized, but Mayza managed to suffer three solid direct hits from falling meteorites, causing enough damage to keep her pinned to the ground and unable to do anything but cringe from the massive painful blunt damage. As soon as the spell ended, Jane could tell that the choice was wise from the massive amount of damage it caused to her opponent. Area attacks have high power levels indeed.


    Mayza tried to get back up, but she was slow to do so, heavily disoriented from the hit to the back of her head and then some. Jane knew something as powerful as Meteor Strike, and Mayza failed to account for her hidden power spells, something she should have picked up on sooner. Her body ached everywhere from the massive area attack, and upon seeing her own pathetic energy scope report, she was quick to respond to Jane''s last attack with anything, anything at all. Holding both of her arms with one hand facing up and open, Mayza created a fiery glyphring around her wrist after taking aim at Jane, chanting the skill at the same time it was launched. "Fire Bolt!" The volume in her voice had suffered a bit of damage too from the massive loss in Mayza''s life force stamina. She was beginning to feel tired and drained already from the huge bite taken out of her health.


    Upon launching her Fire Bolt however, Mayza watched in disbelief as Jane performed her strange trick again, throwing her arms out to face opposite directions. Her hands emitted energy in the form of a blue translucent aura surrounding her entire body. The Fire Bolt that was soon to slam her disintegrated into the aura instead, leaving behind only large hexagons at the impact sight of the aura shortly before Jane dropped the shield once again. She was totally mobile and unharmed afterwards. How is she doing that? Jane can just deflect any attack with that insane aura? She had never seen or heard of such a thing before. With that much power, it didn''t add up for Mayza. "The hell is that?!"


    Jane could hear the confusion in Mayza in response to analyzing her own power shield ability, which was always a secret from others. Jane wondered if her friends would be able to watch her fight, noticing one of Jane''s other secret weapons being a powerful defensive shield that saved her life more times than she was able to count back in the dark zone. During her training with Claudia several days ago, Jane never had to use the ability in front of her friends either, but Jane didn''t have the time or the need to explain it for Mayza. She needed to win the battle, to keep on training and getting stronger. Jane invoked her next ability quickly, while dragging out a single dagger from her hidden pockets in the suit. "Dark Strike!"


    Jane vanished into thin air, only to reappear behind Mayza. Jane was so quick and quiet to transfer herself to another location, that Mayza had no idea to try and check her six for the lingering threat. Jane used the opportunity, slicing her dagger upwards to uppercut Mayza in the back where she stood. The force of the hit was strong enough by default of the spell that it did in fact lift Mayza''s body all the way off the ground, up two feet into the air. Jane backed away after the single strike, not taking any chances after this. Mayza hit the hard ground after taking the slash she didn''t even see coming, but to Jane''s intense surprise, the damage was lighter than she hoped it would be.


    Mayza stood up, cringing from the pain in her lower back, the scrape from cement to the back of her neck, and the sting of a dagger slice in her rear end. She didn''t take too long to recover herself though. After realizing that Jane was simply waiting to anticipate the next attack, Mayza finally reminded herself of the many opportunities in her mind, special spells that can act as official tide turners during Leray battles. It wasn''t likely Jane could duck her way out of this one. Standing back up in preparation to fight once again, Mayza unleashed a lot of energy from her glowing hands while yelling the name of her spell to get it right the first time. "Litmus!"


    Jane was expecting to be attacked immediately, for she had not heard of this particular spell before, but instead of taking in a direct hit or seeing the emergence of any magical based projectile, the wind began to blow at a very high speed coming from her right side. Jane looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, but everything just continued to get even stranger, as the wind blowing through from nowhere suddenly turned everything in Jane''s visual sight to a dark blue hue and shade. It almost seemed indigenous to Zero Zone as far as the visual effects went. Shortly after everything was turning blue, Mayza''s body literally disappeared along with her energy scope, vanishing without a trace into nothingness. At the same time, the daggers Jane was holding onto vanished as well, gone from her own two hands. Suddenly Jane was the only person trapped inside of the Siriean dome all by herself. She glanced around everywhere, wondering if it was similar to her version of a dark strike attack, but Mayza had not reappeared anywhere just yet. Everything felt much slower. Danny and Taylor were still visible, but their very movements seemed to be untraceable to her as they both phased in and out of her visual perception, carrying a watery sensation of delay. Jane''s heart was pounding faster and faster, as the scare of her invisible opponent with the unusual spell set in. Surprisingly, she was not even being attacked yet, but it could change at any moment.


    Mayza cherished the sight for a long time before acting on the new opportunity at hand. Jane never looked so confused until right now, edging her head around in all directions, seeking for any signs of life at all. Mayza didn''t change her position at all, literally standing over twenty meters from the oblivious Jane. Litmus is a unique and powerful spell that forces the opponent to suffer powerful hallucinations for quite some time, working about as well as a disorientation attack. Jane might have known Spirit Arrow, but Mayza knew Litmus. While Jane wasn''t capable of seeing or hearing anything from Mayza or her own attack spells, she used that time to conjure up powerful skills to use against Jane.


    The next spell could take time to charge, but it was time Mayza had plenty of for now. Jane dropped her daggers onto the floor by mistake, uncertain of anything anymore. "Photon Blast." Mayza didn''t shout the name of her spell, in the event Jane could suddenly hear her voice and detect which direction she was hailing from. Mayza''s spell was invoking perfectly, and while taking its time to activate, the glyphring that formed and the magical buildup was finally discharging into one of the most powerful attack spells in known history, one that Mayza taught to herself after many years of experience. After unleashing the attack, thousands of beams of photons shot forward towards Jane in drunken linear paths, others that spiraled out of control. Because of how many individual photons there were, it was unavoidable for Jane either way, as she continuously took enough hits to block Mayza''s view forward until the photons subsided. Each loud blast from the end of the glyphring hurt Mayza''s ears, but she channeled it out for now, seeing as this would be well worth the wait. Upon the end of the Photon Blast, Jane was on the ground, rolling on her side to struggle and get back up. The spell had to be incredibly painful, but Mayza was instead considering the next ideal ability.


    The damage level dealt to Jane was incredibly severe, but Mayza was already in the process of casting another attack spell, one that would deal a fair amount of damage without taking up too much of her remaining energy. "Tri-Fire!" Mayza risked her voice level rising while chanting her spell into action. The red glyphring formed around her wrist again, and she released her energy, shooting three Fire Bolts consecutively from the center of the ring. Mayza also had to twist and shift her arm each time a new bolt was fired in order to make it work, but the effect triggered just as well.


    Jane could not even conceive of where the Photon Blast originated from, but just as everything was still faded blue and invisible, she saw the first sign of something after several long moments. A Fire Bolt of bright light heading straight for her face. Jane had literally no time to react, as the bolt appeared only a few feet from where she was standing. The Fire Bolt slammed into her face, burning her skin and knocking her back off her feet once again. The second Fire Bolt only managed to graze the side of her arm, while the third one missed Jane due to the sudden maneuver of falling down to the ground.


    Jane immediately felt much weaker from taking two massive and painful hits of fire attacks. The burning sensation on her skin, in her arm, and in her face was intense, but still not half as bad compared to the burns she suffered while in Alpha Zero. This was at least tolerable. After the last hit she took, Jane''s vision was beginning to restore itself. The blue shade belonging to virtually everything began to shift back into normal colors, brightening the entire area with the shine of sunlight above. Mayza suddenly phased back into reality, along with the other two fights happening around them. Now that Jane could see properly again, she stood a fighting chance.


    Mayza was proud of her master plan, but she wasn''t oblivious to the fact that Jane could suddenly notice her again. Litmus must have already worn off, and Jane may try to retaliate if she isn''t hurting too badly from all of that damage taken so far. After standing still for only a second, her suspicions were confirmed. Jane drew her daggers, after realizing they reappeared in her pockets from a partial Leray magical rule for equipment in matches.


    "It''s time for Blitz!" Jane coaxed to herself. She charged at Mayza with her daggers out, thinking about the heavy combination of skills she could try in her own decisions. A faint green aura surrounded Jane''s body as she moved, capable of bestowing the Dualcasting effect upon Jane while speeding up all of her invocation speed for all related spells. At the same time, her MP levels were going to be highly drained by the time it was over. Though Jane had only begun to attack chain.


    In the middle of charging towards Mayza, Jane held her daggers outwards as if they were pistols, and fired two energy spheres from the tips of the blades, thus invoking the Mako Strike spell only Jane was capable of learning. One of the energy spheres just barely grazed Mayza''s face, while the other slammed into her right shoulder, but Jane wasn''t finished yet at all. In conjunction with her Blitz combo, she shot off a Fire Bolt from her arm, invoked from an evanescent glyphring with lightning fast speed. Though to an incredible surprise, Mayza literally jumped out of the way of the speeding ball of fire, narrowly avoiding the hit as if she could see it coming a mile away.


    Mayza focused as best as she could, realizing that Jane was trying a heavy combination of predictable attacks. She did her best to try and evade everything until she tires out. Mayza then saw Jane shift her direction immediately, tossing her daggers at her while forming two yellow glyphrings in her hands to spawn machine guns for a Bullet Blitz attack.


    In a quick winding action, Mayza jumped backward again in a way that allowed her to land on her open hands, only to jump from her upper limbs again to perform another half-roll backflip to her feet. It appeared to Jane as if Mayza was brilliantly perfecting a sophisticated acrobatic evasion maneuver, and it seemed to work for the most part, considering that the daggers and the entire two clips from each machine gun unloaded failed to hit anything.


    Mayza felt as if she was figuratively on fire, and after landing solid on her feet again, she prepared herself to dodge anything yet again, but Jane kept her on her toes. Now danger close, Jane used Flash-Kick against Mayza, infusing a lot of magical energy into a powerful flying kick that forced her to hold her stomach in pain from having the wind knocked out of her. Jane immediately transformed her combo into a Rush Assault combination attack, kicking and punching Mayza in as many places as possible while preventing her from doing anything else. Jane then used her daggers that had once again respawned into her pockets to slash Mayza''s skin twice, following up the end of her combination with a Flying Guillotine that drilled through Mayza at close range, cutting up her skin in enough places with enough damage to make her squeal.


    Jane didn''t have time to read the energy scope on Mayza, so she took several paces back before doing so, catching her daggers again as the Flying Guillotine maneuver was returning the blades into her hands. Mayza looked to be in an incredible amount of pain doubling over, but Jane prepared herself regardless of the appearance of the damage left on her.


    Mayza was indeed capable of quickly going from nothing to something in less than a second flat. After chanting "Hitman!" loudly, she already generated two sub machine guns just like Jane had a moment ago. Seeing that Mayza was about to invoke something similar to Bullet Blitz, Jane threw her arms apart with her daggers in hand, and cast her personal shielding aura just before it was too late to do so. Luckily, Jane has long since perfected a way to eject energy through solid objects in her hands while creating the same aura on the same level, even though it was more difficult to do so. A long barrage of bullets bounced and reflected off of Jane''s power shield, though it was surprising to see that shouting Hitman had the same effect in mind as Bullet Blitz. After standing perfectly still and concentrating for her aura for several more seconds, Jane realized that Hitman was better than Bullet Blitz as far as length and chain is concerned. There had to be an impossible amount of hidden clips to those guns, because the barrage lasted for a rather long time, putting more stress on Jane''s shield until it was finally over.


    Jane dropped the shield undamaged, though she could detect much stress in her opponent, no longer was she surprised by the power shield to just stand there in awe. Jane however saw to it that Mayza had no time to attack again so soon, and she put together her hands facing all the way out and forward for her next spell. "Quantum Beam!"


    Another blue aura formed around Jane''s body, but not the same type of aura used in her power shield. While consisting the same shape, Jane''s aura transformed into what is known as the Quantum Beam, a spell powerful enough to turn an entire aura into a magical attack beam. Being as it was the same shape, the beam itself was incredibly massive in size and radius, as it slammed into Mayza''s body with too much light for Jane to further see what was going on at the same time. Going off the energy scope, Mayza took the direct hit, struggling to keep her balance the moment the light finally faded from view.


    Jane had been warned about this before. Quantum Beam takes up quite a good amount of her own energy, yet the damage level is problematically low compared to other attacks. Claudia gave no good advice on how to improve it, and Jane had just given Mayza another chance to come back at this. Quantum Beam is supposed to be powerful, but is deceptively weaker than it should be. Jane figured it wasn''t just on her either.


    "Ninja Stars!" Mayza threw tiny little projectiles towards Jane, forcing her opponent to pay further attention to what was going on. Jane had experience with evading Ninja Stars before, and it was laughably low on the scale of damage should either one of them manage to hit her. Though Ninja stars is designed to deal more physical pain than physical damage. Jane however was ahead of the game on this one, flipping herself sideways to avoid the first ninja star, while invoking another power shield to deflect the other two. The two ninja stars literally bounced off the shield leaving behind the same anti-aura screech noise as before, though the hexagons were massive in size at the impact sight. Jane figured as much; the shield wasn''t even that necessary.


    After dropping her own shield, Jane immediately switched into a familiar attack again with her daggers facing her opponent. "Mako Strike!" Jane fired two more energy spheres at her opponent, while Mayza was quick on her reactions to dodge at least one of them. The energy sphere that impacted her however didn''t even have Mayza fazed at all, despite the slight damage she took in the process.


    Though disregarding the initial appearance of her incredible resilience, Mayza suddenly collapsed to the ground on her hands and feet, her low stats already catching up to her. Jane saw that Mayza was now helplessly weak where she was, but she wanted to take a moment to herself as well. Jane was rapidly inhaling and exhaling air from how exhausted she was from the entire battle. While keeping her daggers readily available, Jane slowly crept up to Mayza with a murderous glint in her eyes, wondering if surrender was even an option here. Mayza has nowhere else to go, and is now going to be finished. It was now that Jane was reminded by the fact that this is just an ordinary Leray battle, not something from Alpha Zero. Because Doom Shield had not been cast either, both Jane and Mayza were free to choose between losing by forfeit, or passing out to a loss of consciousness. Because Jane was not the one expecting to quit, she was confident enough to speak with Mayza about her options.


    "Had enough?" Jane projected. She stood closer to Mayza, who was on the floor, obviously beaten and tired from the intense battle. "I warned you that I''m not trash, and neither are my friends."


    Mayza''s voice was indeed hoarse from her exhaustion, but she tensed up her legs, using her arm muscles to support herself sitting up halfway. "I''ll quit when I say quit!" Mayza immediately jumped up to her feet, pulling out her dagger and infusing it with magic in a motion that was incredibly quick. "Armor Breaker!"


    Before she could react to the trick Mayza used on her, Jane felt a sharp shooting dagger fly through her chest and out the other end. She put her hand there to try and alleviate the pain, but it was now that Jane realized she had been played. Mayza wasn''t as tired as she appeared, and Jane got too close.


    Jane watched in horror as Mayza aimed her arm at her to charge for another attack, but as soon as the glyphring formed in mid-air, it disappeared shortly after, leaving behind nothing at all. Mayza looked just as confused and humiliated at the sight. As Jane tried to figure out what happened, it was evident from Mayza''s energy scope that all of her MP reserves had been exhausted since trying to use Armor Breaker the last time. Trick shot failed!


    "Hmph!" Jane exhaled with a smug expression. "Seems you''ve forgot the first thing about Leray battling. Never let your MP get too low without realizing it. Blast Wave!" Jane threw up her glowing arm, as it quickly stopped emitting light with the rapid release of her energy. Jane had to back away several feet from Mayza in order to prevent getting caught in her own area attack. While the small explosions began to populate the battlefield everywhere in front of Jane, Mayza glared at her with a most defeated expression.


    "No!" she shouted in disbelief.


    Jane reassured her confidence just before the randomized explosions began to get even closer to Mayza. "I''ve got reason to win!" Jane wanted to say more, but the blasts suddenly moved their way to where Mayza had been standing, blowing up on the ground and destroying what was left of her life force energy. Blast Wave is an improved version of Radial Blast, making the positions of each explosion less random while maximizing the explosive-based damage to the target.


    As soon as the blasts stopped and the sounds grew silent, Jane noticed Mayza on the floor again, this time unable to pretend to play dead after a hard hit like that. Visible cuts and slight wounds populated her arms and shoulders when she went out, but Jane knew that would still be considered Leray damage. The energy scope then reported the true victor of the battle, and Jane relaxed herself as best as she could.


    <hr>


    <Reward: Jane ~ 4000 Credits | Real Time Mode>


    <hr>


    It has been so long since Jane got to see the holographic text appear to let her know that battle mode and real time mode cycles at the start and end of a battle, and that the reward system happens automatically just like that. The Siriean dome faded quickly around her, leaving only two remaining domes where Danny and Taylor were continuing their own battles. Jane didn''t mind the wait, for she was still exhausted from the battle she had to endure.


    The result was in fact desirable to Jane. She got to test out many of her new spells on a live target, and get in more experience as to which methods are best to go for in a fight with those new abilities. Jane pulled out a healing orb from her supply sphere, after stocking up on them since Lennith City. Shortly after holding the glowing orb in her hand to use the device, Jane''s stats on her energy scope were restored.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Silver Canyon [A] ~ Resonance of Fate / End of Eternity OST</a>


    <hr>


    Jane had nearly forgotten that her maximum values were cut a little short from the existing real time damage that she had yet to recover from, though this remaining damage was light according to her references. Jane put away her supply sphere and disabled her own energy scope hovering above her. Mayza was just out of it now, with nothing but a few civilians straggling around to watch the chaos. Both Siriean domes currently active actually worked well to block off the entire middle section of the road, which explained the increase in background population. Danny and Taylor both seemed to be wrapping up their own battles by now though, practically within the same amount of times to each other. What appeared most favorable to Jane is that her friends were coming out of this victoriously.


    Danny finished his fight with a rather powerful Earth Glave, launching one of the other men into the air only to deplete all of their health before hitting the ground again. Taylor''s last move was a shockingly unique spell Jane had never seen or heard of before. Taylor threw something that resembled Ninja Stars, but the spinning blades were entirely frozen in their own coat of ice. As the projectiles slammed into Taylor''s foe, he immediately fell down to the ground, after which the dome shield faded. Danny''s opponent was knocked out, but Taylor''s foe was still awake, so he must have thrown in the towel with his low HP levels.


    Just like that, Jane could not believe how easily they won their own battles. She previously underestimated their abilities, only to be proven wrong in front of her face. Where did they learn things like that though? Danny''s Earth Glave wasn''t new, but it was much more refined and powerful than she remembered seeing it, and Taylor was doing her own new things.


    "Wh¡ª what?! This can''t be happening!" The watcher who did not participate in the battle belonging to Mayza''s group was holding his hair in frustration. After witnessing three losses in a row all at the same time, he just got served some rather disturbing news about the capabilities of his own crew. Danny and Taylor on the other hand reunited with Jane after recovering from their wounds using their own healing orbs. They did so while meeting up with Jane, easily mobile from not taking as much damage.


    "Looks like we won," Danny concluded to Jane''s face.


    Jane smiled at how brilliantly powerful he and Taylor were on their own. "Yes - I saw. That made for excellent target practice."


    "What was that earlier I heard about us not being strong enough?" Taylor went on babbling to Jane, basically coaxing her to apologize for the comment she made on their weakness that was not apparent in this battle.


    "No need to rub that in," Jane reminded. "But I am sorry for doubting you two." Jane glanced behind them, noticing that only two of the four were still conscious, one trying to restore himself with a healing orb. Jane realized that with three victories in a row, the credit count had to be quickly adding up. "I think we''ve just made a great financial move here, procuring all of those credits." About six thousand of them belong to some sailor in Tilsit. Jane didn''t forget about that small detail. She managed to coax herself into stealing during that blind quest for purity.


    Jane hovered her eyes down to her hand, where the crest remained hidden. Jane had grown so used to this thing now that she could literally feel its activation should it suddenly appear. Jane dared not to invoke it in a public place, but from the thought, she realized that her own symbol did not activate on its own during this battle. Jane won the fight on skill alone, which felt really good. The elastic in her suit with over-layered fingerless gloves covered her hands very well, so there would be no worry if something happened mid-battle, but Jane knew the difference between herself and a normal person. As soon as Alpha Zero is taken care of, there should still be a way to remove this marking.


    "You guys are cheaters!"


    Jane and her friends turned to the moron who was calling them out, the same passive observer who travels with Mayza''s group. He didn''t seem so sure of himself, and left the situation alone after a brief glare in order to help Mayza and the person Danny defeated. "No," Jane answered. "Not this time we''re not."


    Taylor never forgot about that, reminded again by Jane''s odd context. Jane had several mixed feelings that just having her special powers gave her an unfair edge in battle. The same symbol previously hindered her, yet now it made her too powerful. Jane didn''t seem as concerned about it this particular time. Maybe the crest failed to activate in this iteration, or maybe Jane was just getting used to it.


    Even so, this was her first time ever witnessing Jane winning an actual battle all by herself. She had heard of the other times Jane fought wielders on Route 96 and monsters in the dark zone, but this was something Taylor was actually here for, despite being too distracted to see it fully. It was amazing to see how much changed in such little time, though not all of it had to do with Jane. "Shall we?" Taylor aimed her hand to the bikes they had left on the side in order to keep them out of harm''s way.


    Jane nodded and casually changed her pace to walk towards the bikes. Danny on the other hand had a few questions he wanted to spew out on the way there. "Did you see the way I handled that guy? That was awesome! Is this road going to be all like this from here on? I wish I would have known about Leray magic sooner."


    "Ease up now," Jane warned. "Don''t forget what we''re here to do." Jane lifted her bicycle from the concrete as it sat on its side. There wasn''t any guilt in trying to tell the other team how poorly they did. Failing to give a proper handshake in the beginning usually means it won''t happen in the end either. After balancing the vehicle on both wheels, Jane quickly hopped on, using her left foot as a kickstand before rolling back out. She wanted to at least make sure the others could keep up, and there would be plenty of time to talk anything out before someone else interrupts them. The density of the crowd was almost nothing further down the road. At least that''s what her eyes could tell for now.


    Taylor had so much on her mind that was absent from there before. This is what Jane did on Route 96, over and over before nearing Lennith City. It didn''t make much sense to why Jane didn''t just use her emergency strike at that time. Then again, Taylor was tracking down a friend in danger. Jane was chasing after a ludicrous cure to some kind of rare and illegal magic disease by seeking help from public enemy number one. But what is life supposed to be like here? Do people just battle until they drop? Or is there more to life in Sprawn Valley than this?


    After thinking about what Danny tried to explain before, Taylor could only piece together that Sprawn Valley is an underdeveloped country even today, using businesses and normal jobs to bring in the wealth needed for the physical development. There are cities, farms, oceans, beaches, forests, and jobs. And then there is this; this incredible system of Leray magic that people use for virtually everything. As entertainment, they battle, fight between each other using magic and skills. Taylor still couldn''t use that to answer the question stuck in her. Hundreds of random people battle with magic every day here. Adults, children, creeps, possibly criminals, and soldiers, and they normally do this for reasons that fit into this society, but given that to be the case, which category does Jane belong to?

 Chapter 39-B: Trial of Fears (Jane VS Cass)

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 18:01 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    After cycling the same road for over thirty minutes without any confrontation, Taylor and her friends took in all of the changes in the landscape and the distance traveled so far. Not a single one of them bumped into any anxious Leray fighter, though few enough other cyclists passed by in the opposite direction. Other than this, the cement road was vacant of human life with the rare exceptions of a few traveling civilians on foot. The sun hung a little lower in the sky without its daylight intensifying. Instead, the blinding white rays slowly changed hue to a darker yellow color. She didn''t let the light get directly into her eyes, and it allowed her to discover everything about this legendary bridge they have been waiting to see.


    Despite the earlier appearance, the three of them eventually entered the noticeable section of road, which had been transformed by the type of concrete used, and the different design in each fence on both sides. The fences were now solid walls with integrated transparent special glass that would allow anyone passing by to see through the material, and before long, the most amazing thing happened.


    The road remained afloat about six hundred feet above the sea level, though the water''s mass visually appeared to be much closer from up top. Jane let the cool wind massage her body while coasting her bike with her feet at rest. The smell of fresh air mixed with the familiar scent of the shoreline in Tilsit Port brought Jane to a new level of relaxation. The sight of the blue wavy water to either the left or right of her was incredibly massive in any direction, and an amazing sight to behold. The sunlight shimmered on the water from her left, making it more beautiful and impossible to see at the same time. Jane heard about this bridge and how wonderful the sight is, but she never could have imagined this in her head without this sort of perceptual assistance. The sights were captivating enough for her to lose focus on what could be in front of her.


    Taylor glanced back behind her, noticing the long linear road fading into the distance while the available space was cut off into the straight line they were on. The sight of Lennith City was now nothing more than a dark hill chain faded into the distance by a very thin fog, and ahead of her, the same type of view from farther ahead had hills much higher blended with the landscape. This is the bridge! She and her friends were literally crossing between two continents within the same country.


    His legs were getting tired, but Danny continued cycling, taking in the new information at the same time as a form of distraction and motivation. His bike remained closely behind Jane''s, pedaling only to speed up from the loss in acceleration due to coasting. The bridge itself was nothing more than the same road held up by thick support beams drilling all the way down to the bottom of the Hollifax Ocean. How did they get the beams to go all the way that deep, fixing the entire road into a sturdy area just above the water? There had to be a maximum weight limit for this structure, right? Then again, it''s not as if Sprawn Valley has any automobiles. Bicycles are not heavy either, so there couldn''t be much risk of a collapse.


    Taylor glared into the sky above her, noticing several different color shades of the deep blue, getting darker from straight up, and the wind speed was perfect. Not too much force and noise to annoy her, and yet just enough of a brush to cool her body down from the excessive workout. There wasn''t a single puff of cloud in the sky.


    The air smells so fresh here! Jane still couldn''t quit periodically thinking back to her experience in Alpha Zero. She unfortunately remembered every single detail about that place. The way it sounded with perpetual low pitch bass leaks, the intense heat all around, and the smell - the scent of burning biomaterial and carbonizing ashes. Then there is this smell - the scent of the Hollifax Ocean up close, drawing all of its fine salt water vapor into the air around her. The ocean''s waves crashed on top of each other, giving an extra ambience of the soothing large body of water in action. It was so relaxing; Jane could swear to herself that she was on vacation from everything.


    Danny cleared his throat, preparing to break the silence with a conversation, hoping to keep things from getting awkward. "So..." he paused to think. Danny had to pedal faster in order to catch up to Jane''s level, making it easier for her to hear his voice riding up to her side. "That was an impressive battle."


    Jane nodded with a flushed look on her face. "Being as something already established, it was."


    Jane must not have understood that Danny was going somewhere with this, but he continued trying to figure her out regardless of how cringy his starter lines were. "But what is it all for in the end? What are you planning to do?"


    While coasting at the same speed, Jane caught Danny staring straight at her with his sudden demand for a swift answer. He didn''t seem nervous or upset, just curious. But what did he mean? "Did you already forget the reason we''re out here?"


    "Wha¡ª no!" Danny corrected. Jane still didn''t get it, but Danny quickly put much blame for that on himself for not being clearer. There wasn''t a sure way to ask the right question the first time. "I mean what about your future, after we take care of Alpha Zero? What is it you plan to do?"


    Taylor made her location parallel to the others upon hearing the question. "That''s something I''ve been meaning to ask myself. We''re just curious you know." Taylor caught up with the same distance aside from Danny and Taylor and kept the pace. She too wanted the answer to her latest questions. "You said you can make an entire career out of Leray magic, but is that really true?"


    Jane nodded her head without messing up her rhythm pedaling her bike. Still having to raise her voice slightly to project beyond the ambience of ticking gears, Jane gave them both the summary of her plans. "There is more to life than Leray battles. I always try to find a good hobby on the side of things, but I haven''t found one yet." Taking a brief pause to consider what else there is to do here, Jane quickly realized how much she still doesn''t know about what lies beyond her small little world. "I plan to become a Leray master."


    "You''ve said that before," Danny quoted.


    Jane agreed with him. "Of course! It means I need to learn all of the abilities, use them like a pro, defeat strong wielders fairly, and become top of the line intelligent with Leray magic. But I also want to do all of that the right way, through hard work and a ton of training, not through some stupid marking I inherited from this spell bomb."


    "Honorable," Taylor labeled. "I should have known form before that you had that much character. I mean, you''ve loved Leray magic since you were born, right?"


    "I still do." Jane didn''t want to confirm her goal while leaving out other important details. "But it doesn''t feel like enough."


    "Hm?"


    Responding to Danny''s mumble of a request to elaborate, Jane tried to confess how she felt about the world while figuring it out for herself. She spoke carefully with moderate nervousness in her breath. "You both come from some other country that doesn''t have Leray magic, and before landing here, you were on your way to another country that also doesn''t have Leray magic. Why is that?"


    Danny and Taylor exchanged confused looks for each other. "You must have forgot about the part where we had no prior knowledge to Leray magic before coming here."


    "But that''s not what I mean." Jane slowed down her bike with the breaks, but ever so gently as to make sure she could be heard with clarity. "You were heading to a place you call New York. What''s so special about it?"


    "Danny''s uncle lives there," Taylor reminded.


    Danny finished the thought as quickly as Taylor wanted to drop the subject. "And that''s about it. I don''t think there is anything special about it, other than the place being different from Kalamo."


    "Come on," Jane teased. "There had to be some excitement within the two of you on your way there. Didn''t you say you''ve never been to York before? How could you know what it''s like there?" Danny and Taylor didn''t utter a sound. Jane took it to mean after several seconds that her point wasn''t going anywhere that could be understood. "I want to see that world."


    Skid sounds ushered from behind, and Jane had to respond by slowing her bike down with ease. She glanced back to find Danny and Taylor at a literal stand still, using their feet to hold the bike up while waiting for Jane to turn around. What was the big fuss about?


    Taylor waited for Jane to come back here before trying to explain how difficult things are outside of Sprawn Valley. "Why? There is nothing special outside of this place."


    "And why not?" Jane demanded. She hopped off her bike and set it down on the floor gently. Jane was going to get a straight answer out of them yet. "Because it''s not full of magic? Is that all?"


    "It''s a rather big deal," Danny argued. "No Leray magic, no protection from death, and that''s just icing on the cake." Danny held his expression tense and concise addressing Jane, as she paid as much attention to his plight. "You''ve got so much freedom here as a citizen of Sprawn Valley. Literally, you could go anywhere you want, do anything you feel like doing - I don''t even understand what brings real money into this place, but you''ve got it great here."


    "I''ve never got to explore very much. I have gotten better at this since I''ve become a Leray wielder, but Sprawn Valley is limited in space."


    Taylor rebuttaled, "We get that." At first glance, Sprawn Valley seemed so massive on the maps and while traveling, but come to think of it, Junon, the biggest region of the country is only so large in the sense that most of the space is unused. As big as the nation is, it''s like Danny described before; Sprawn Valley is still underdeveloped.


    "But think of all the other countries there are out there. I''ve only seen a world atlas on paper, and I know nothing of the other places. It can''t be that bad outside of here. Maybe there is less freedom where you live, but I bet it has amazing places to explore, amazing things to do."


    Danny and Taylor exchanged looks again, wondering what they were letting Jane get into.


    "You chose to explore America when you got on that cruise you told me about. So what''s wrong with having me explore too?"


    "It just feels like a downgrade." Danny kept his volume minimal, hoping to keep Jane calm. "Kalamo is not a great place, but I''ve heard that conditions in America are better by miles. Of course, in comparison, I think this place tops all of it. You would be getting yourself into a mess by leaving your home to see that world, I think."


    Jane hovered her eyes to the floor, truly considering his words with weight, but as soon as her eyes lifted again, those solid and focused green eyes, Danny immediately knew that Jane''s mind was just now made up.


    "I don''t care." Taylor seemed as surprised as Danny was with Jane''s choice of words. "I''ll wait for the right time of course, but after this Alpha Zero mess calms down, I''m making arrangements to travel. I need to see what other options exist off this, this island."


    Jane had never used that term before. Danny called Sprawn Valley an island when he and Taylor first arrived in Fronas from outside the continent. He truly thought this place was as small as his own knowledge for the world. Still, Sprawn Valley was still yet to be fully explored by himself or Jane. Somehow, she was listening to things he had been saying before without his conscious knowledge. At the very least, it was comforting to know that she was capable of taking good advice, even if it started with misconceptions. "Okay, I guess." Danny didn''t sound sure of himself in the slightest. Taylor gave him a mean look as if he let a timed bomb activate. "Just don''t visit Kalamo. You''ll regret it."


    "I can''t believe you''re okay with¡ª"


    Knowing what Taylor was getting upset about, Danny interrupted her to explain what he knew was going through Jane''s mind. Jane has been here her entire life, surrounded by this amazing ability to invoke Leray magic. Why would anyone ever want to go somewhere by which you can''t use that magic? Jane is just used to it. The same can be said for anybody. It doesn''t matter how good something gets. Change is what keeps things interesting and alive, not staying in once place and doing the same thing your entire life. "Let her make up her own mind. Jane can at least look after herself. She''s proven that for us. Personally, I don''t see why a person trapped on an island would want to stay there forever, no matter what perks you get for it."


    "Mn¡ª" Taylor opened her mouth, but nothing useful came out. What is he saying exactly? Jane just wants to explore the world, and Taylor is... No, she''s trying to stop Jane from moving on past one single goal. Other than being a reckless and dangerous move, there was nothing wrong at heart with what Jane wanted to do. She still objected to the idea in general, but there wasn''t a way to argue with Danny''s logic at the moment... How does he keep doing that? Ever since Taylor got to know Danny, he has never been so capable of calm and collective reasoning with anyone - ever! Immature, impatient, egotistic, and impulsive; those were the qualities she expected, but they have disappeared entirely. Taylor struggled to remember at what point this happened. This would hardly be a first example. It didn''t seem to make much since to her, but the fact was splashing her right in the face. Danny has changed!


    "Thanks for understanding," Jane honored. After glancing to her left, Jane realized that they were literally going nowhere, off track by stopping in the middle of the road. "Now can we get going? We want to make it to Eldora by dark, right?"


    Taylor nodded with Danny, getting their bikes and mounting on them again to continue cycling down the road. Taylor had much more to think about in the process. For some sudden reason, she couldn''t stop thinking about Danny in general. Every moment spent together, every memory that involved him was being pushed to the surface of her random thought chain.


    After speeding back up, Jane tended to remain silent this time while cycling. Only a few minutes managed to pass by, but a lot was on her mind with their last conversation. Jane wanted nothing more than to travel outside of Sprawn Valley with her two best friends by her side, but in Eldora, they''ll be on their way to the airport, getting a ticket back home where they belong. It''s a part of Jane''s future they can''t be connected to. After Alpha Zero is dealt with, perhaps even before that, they''ll be saying their goodbyes.


    The wind began picking up again, and Danny kept his sights completely forward while letting his thoughts race in every direction. Taylor kept up to his side, holding her bike straight and steady to peek another glance toward Danny. His short brown hair blew in the wind gracefully, and the angled light from the sun lit up his face with a powerful natural glow of which Taylor rarely noticed before. With what began with just a peek, Taylor continued staring straight at him, unable to look away for a moment, the bloom of beauty enticing!


    He''s handsome, Taylor was certain of that from the start. She had to have several reasons for not dating him before, but she couldn''t recall many at the moment. Her thoughts continued racing about all the other times they spent time together. Not one of those moments were dates, nor were they romantic, but they are still memories of gold for Taylor. He''s growing up into a man. Taylor had guessed this to be the case with the reasons for his difference lately. He''s been more responsible, thoughtful for others, and much stronger than before. Danny was always physically strong, but only when he needed to be. On average, he used to let other people push him around, people he would somehow call friends. Taylor began to consider the scenario of herself trying to talk to Danny, getting him to ask her if they could do something together once they reach Eldora, something non-magical related. Maybe even... Perhaps if she were to try and go out with Danny, even just to try it... Before she knew it, her heart began pounding with violence in her chest, her limbs covertly shaking underneath her skin. She could think of a million ways to imagine the scenario, but to try that in real life would be different.


    Danny turned his head from the sun, giving his tired eyes a brief rest. He then discovered that Taylor was mysteriously staring at him; even now she didn''t seem to notice him noticing her noticing him. Thoughts from the past sprang up with the same funny feeling he had earlier with Taylor. There were plenty of women Danny tried to hit on in the past, and Taylor was never one of them. He didn''t see much logical reason why. She''s fairly hot, very smart, and Taylor has to this day never done anything to screw him over like some bitch. But just thinking about the idea of being together with her gave him goose bumps, making him sweat over his sudden chill. They''ve been great friends for so long now, the thought really didn''t come to mind. But why now? Why is it daunting on him that they could be a couple? Also, what would be wrong with the idea?


    Saying anything suddenly felt awkward, but Danny risked it, starting with a simple reminder of better days they once shared. "Hey Taylor?"


    "Wha¡ª yes?!" Taylor forgot to pay attention to Danny''s current actions. He was looking at her now, and she forgot to periodically look away. He knew she was staring at him for that long. Shit!


    Danny played it cool, traveling back to the day they first became friends. "Remember that day in the park, back in Burneu?"


    Taylor was suddenly rushed to think about everything at once. There were a lot of days at the park, and there were not many days where she was there alone... "Oh yeah!" Recalling the specific important day Danny was referring to, Taylor played the feedback in her head. Burneu is the county section in Kalamo where she lived, the same area Danny moved to when he was younger. But within that county, they lived in a town called Slateport.


    Without waiting for her to remember all the details alone, Danny explained what happened that night, as to have something to simply talk about. He suddenly felt a little more nervous, but Danny simply went with his confusing instincts. "What was his name, that asshole?"


    "Brandy," Taylor rehearsed. Brandy was an older bully who picked on Taylor after realizing she normally had some money to carry around. Unlike the other bullies, Brandy messed up Taylor''s entire reputation then, using manipulation while forcing her to convince her real friends that Brandy was a friend of her own. Then one day, Danny showed up to the park.


    Danny noticed the problem multiple times before it really got out of hand. Taylor was just standing there, letting this Brandy jock talk trash to her face. Before - Danny never did anything about it, feeling as if it was none of his business, and the guy was twice Danny''s current size in mass and weight. He decided to do nothing, until witnessing the brutality behind the scenes. Though it never happened in public view, Brandy would hit Taylor, beat her with his bare fist, punching her in the face, though only should she ever try to stick up for herself, and that was the day Danny watched it happen firsthand.


    "You beat the crap out of that guy," Taylor reminded.


    Danny couldn''t forget a detail. After watching Taylor get hit twice in a row, Danny''s restrictions snapped, forcing him to engage Brandy in combat. It was nothing more than a fistfight, and Brandy was naturally stronger than Danny at first, but he fought to keep her safe, Taylor was but a stranger to him who he had seen on occasions after moving to Burneu. After wrestling and fighting the man though, Danny managed to shake off the first few punches to the gut and hit him back with much more force. He forgot exactly what way and in what order he punched him in, but Danny literally beat Brandy to the ground until he had a bloody face, after which Brandy left everyone alone to hide in the shadows.


    Taylor was surprised that night, that someone who barely knew her at all would just stick their nose in front of a guy twice their own size, and surprised yet again to see Danny win the fight. They didn''t say anything to each other after the incident. Danny stayed at the park, revisiting what just happened in his mind while sitting on the bench. Danny wasn''t beaten up too badly for any need of medical attention, his injuries minor compared to Brandy''s. Taylor sat next to him, curious about Danny without either of them touching hands or speaking to one another.


    He sat with Taylor, letting her recover from that traumatic experience while they sat on the bench in silence watching the sunset below the hills all the way. The only thing Danny said to Taylor just before leaving the park was, "See you tomorrow." As casual as it was, Danny and Taylor were good friends from that moment on. They didn''t ask each other out, nor did anything romantic happen on the night of the incident, but Taylor would always hang out with Danny and his choice of friends, eventually something that took a step to visiting each other''s houses just to hang out. Taylor never forgot that day.


    "I did what I had to." Danny remained confident in his obligation to help. It felt amazing right now that Taylor was somehow on the same page though. She almost seemed too excited about being reminded of that moment. "Nobody has the right to slam others like that."


    Taylor didn''t know what to say, but Danny was counting on her to stay cool about this. Keeping her bike steady, Taylor peered back at Danny, changing the subject while keeping it interesting. "Remember the first night on the Tidal Max?"


    "Uuuuhhhhg!" Danny sunk his head down and chuckled at the same time. He was being a total idiot embarrassing himself, but at least it was with good impression that he may have had a chance with her. "Stacey was horrible! Should have seen that coming sooner."


    Taylor laughed on cue, defining his mistake in detail. "You should be careful what you wish for. Flirting with other women can reveal its own den of monsters."


    "What the hell are they talking about?" Jane kept her voice to a whisper, knowing she wasn''t part of their conversation, but it just cropped up so randomly. Danny beating up someone for Taylor? Then flirting with other women in failure? Taylor was picking out some juicy topics tonight!


    "Aaagh!" Danny cringed at the thought. "I was such a dork! What happened?!" He referenced the moment on the Tidal Max where he tried to ask out several beautiful women, over half were blond. But like most men, Danny froze up or said something wrong trying to directly speak to one of them. He got a close chance with improved confidence with some other girl he can''t remember the name to, but she still turned him down, and Taylor was just there to make fun of it, in her own usual way.


    Then there was Stacey, who Danny managed to somehow officially go out with. That only lasted for about five minutes, since Stacey was oddly in complete control the entire time, turning Danny into her slave and treating him like the bottom of her shoe. In just five minutes flat, Danny somehow wound up in a situation as if he were married to a control freak, and he Danny signaled Taylor for help, help in that he could get himself out of the hole he dug himself into. Stacey was just a total loser, and wasn''t worth the time and effort.


    At first, Taylor laughed at him, watching Danny''s train wreck of a wrongful relationship explode in his face, but after feeling too sorry for him, she eventually set up an elaborate plan to pretend to be Danny''s sister. Taylor was a great actress that day, turning herself into a total hassle for Stacey and Danny, giving the hussy a taste of her own medicine until Stacey decided that she had enough of him and his false sister. For Danny, it worked out in his favor since he wanted to end that relationship as soon as it started. It still never dawned on her why Danny didn''t just have it in him to tell Stacey it was over and be done with it.


    That was the old Danny, making a fool of himself by mistake, which happened on a daily basis. Those were fun days though, as the situation each time was interesting and fun to watch unfold. Taylor was always there to make sure she didn''t miss any of the action, since most of it was somehow humorous or interesting, and at the end of the day, she was still his friend. He could have been comfortable telling Taylor his deepest secrets without so much as an itch. Everything seems so different now.


    "I didn''t bring you two along with me so that you can just flirt with each other all day." Jane interrupted their gaiety with a risky tease of their own mixed feelings. But it was still true. Stirring memorable conversations like that can count as flirting, and Danny was practically in on it too. Why can''t Taylor just see what it is?


    "We''re not flirting!" Taylor felt destroyed by the mere accusation. Her entire face went red in the instant the thought had been implanted. What would Danny think of her now, if he suspected that Taylor was trying to win him over?


    Danny casually replied, "Ah, that''s just Jane being Jane." Danny couldn''t feel too confident though. He knew he was trying his best to stay calm and collective, to not say anything stupid or cringy. It was hard to gauge what this fluttery feeling was inside, but Danny attempted to do something about it.


    Agh! This pushing and pulling is so annoying! Jane slowed her bike to get closer to being level with the others. "Face it! You two are madly in love! Oh! The suspense!"


    Jane''s tone was obviously there to advertise that she was kind of joking. Danny accepted that Jane wasn''t being serious about it, but after staring at Taylor for another brief moment and tracing all of her body with his eyes, Danny only felt the pulse of his heart reach all through his arms and up to his throat. Danny could also see a hint of lingering guilt. That''s what it looked like anyway, like Taylor couldn''t bear to face him after hearing that. Jane was just pedaling forward again, trying to set this thing up, but Danny didn''t need Jane''s help or approval to set anything up, nor did she need to be a spaz about it. "Just you wait until Jane gets goo-goo over some hot guy. I''m gonna be there to make it as awkward as possible."


    Taylor exhaled silently in relief. Her heart was still pounding, but she couldn''t stay on top of things today. It was like Danny had concrete determination and calm sense that was as sturdy as a metal wall, practically unbreakable focus. After Jane''s last word of a remark, Danny turned to stare at Taylor again.


    "Who said I''d take you with me?" Jane remarked.


    Taylor met Danny''s gaze in front of the beautiful view of the shimmering ocean behind him. Danny wasn''t looking away, nor was he changing his expression to Taylor''s stare either. A glow of emotion was shared between both their expressions, confusing as it felt deep down. He''s... He''s smiling! No way is he being serious. Taylor knew this was some kind of joke to embarrass her. Why is Danny looking at her like that? Stop it!


    "In any case, how about it Taylor?"


    Taylor gasped silently. He asked her something, but in such a way that wasn''t clear at all. "How about what?" Taylor wanted to slap herself for sounding like a nervous wreck. She was never like this before in front of anyone, let alone the friend she practically grew up by. Taylor faced forward again, refusing to meet Danny''s gaze less her only last wall be destroyed.


    Danny could see the paralyzing look on her face. She was afraid, nervous to consider the thought, and this is the very first time he just realized it. Danny couldn''t judge her for this though, since he didn''t have the thought to begin with, not until they had reached Lennith City together in search for Jane. He was nervous inside too, though collected just enough to pull through. It was hard to think about anything else back then, worrying about the safety of Jane''s own life. But Danny had been noticing Taylor more and more since crash landing on this country. He never told a living soul about it, but after realizing from this very moment that Taylor might possibly feel the same way for him, Danny was incredibly relieved and relaxed, like a sudden weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. It wasn''t a total remedy to his nerves, but the idea in his head became far more comforting than before. All he wanted to do now was please the girl he has been traveling with for so long. There isn''t any shame in trying this out. "How about us - together?" Danny broke it down to the rawest form of asking a person out. There wasn''t a need to pretend to be cool with Taylor, since she would simply see through any type of facade knowing who he is already, but he also had no intention of treating this situation like any other. This is Taylor we''re talking about, not some dumb blond on a boat.


    "Us?" Taylor repeated with her voice cracking. "Together..." Her face was glowing with a solid blush. Danny just asked her out, right here and now! This isn''t right. This is happening too soon! Taylor never expected this to actually happen this way. Despite coasting on a stable concrete road, Taylor felt lightheaded, like the entire world was falling away from underneath her. Her lungs ceased functioning entirely. Her body tingled everywhere, and the sensation of being scared to death was now mixed with some sort of incredible aura, some invisible feeling yet to be discovered by Taylor rushing through her blood in a single instant. Her throat locked in place, and Taylor was literally speechless, unable to reply at all.


    Danny sensed the hesitation, unable to conclude if Taylor was just nervous or upset by the offer. "No need to decide right now, just something to think about."


    Jane resisted and held back a loud burst of laughter as much as she could, turning it into a chuckling smile with her hand over her mouth. Now that - is not the calm and collective Danny speaking, not anymore. After having denied this for so long, Taylor is finally unable to dodge those questions now. Jane wanted to milk this for everything it was worth, since they would not all be together for much longer, but it felt right to let them at it for a few more moments.


    "Shur-sure! I guess, I mean - of course!"


    Danny laughed at Taylor''s inability to form a single sentence, but it felt great at the same time. She really was okay with this, enough to actually accept his offer. Hopefully she wasn''t feeling rushed into it, but she was defiantly surprised or feeling awkward about this in some way. Still, Danny felt that he could even wait for Taylor to answer honestly.


    Taylor was stunned, even at her own self for automatically replying at all. What did she just do? Taylor agreed to have Danny as her boyfriend! Her heart was still racing in her chest; her face was still blushing, but this feeling had her energy going everywhere, her mind racing a million thoughts per minute. Taylor couldn''t believe this was happening, and at the same time, she was bewildered with excitement that it was happening too. Why does he have to do this now?


    Danny dared another stare her way, now noticing a new aura in Taylor''s face. She seemed excited, or happy, one of the two despite her alertness. Taylor wasn''t even paying much attention anymore. Too distracted by her own thoughts, Taylor couldn''t appear to be any more beautiful than she is right now. Priceless! Not only did she say yes, but this was the face of Taylor he wanted to remember forever, the face he wanted to wake up to every single day from here on.


    I can''t believe it! I can''t believe it! I can''t believe it! I''m actually going out with Danny! I can''t believe it! Factoring in Danny''s past experiences only served to confuse her thoughts, which was something Taylor wasn''t able to help herself with. She only had a mild crush on him since arriving in Tilsit Port, but this was something totally different. Everything felt unfamiliar and amazing at the same time. What are these feelings?


    Jane chuckled aloud again in front of her. She didn''t have to turn around in order to see Taylor about to burst from the inside. She has been wanting that to happen forever, only in this case Danny was the one in control, coming out of hiding so suddenly. Jane figured she should have made a bet with someone that they would be going out sometime soon. Danny and Taylor were practically made for each other. While Jane was happy for the two of them, now was also the time to put a lid on it. "Well my work here is done."


    "What work?" Danny denied. "You didn''t do anything."


    "Didn''t I though?"


    "No, not really." Taylor was quick to knock Jane''s insanity out of the air too. It was easy enough to compose herself to do that much.


    How dare they! Jane flustered. After all I''ve done for them... "Now I have to save Lennith City, and keep you two from making out during important stuff."


    "Now you''re just plain exaggerating." Danny wasn''t sure that was the best choice of words. He could tell that Taylor was a bit nervous and frozen by his earlier proposal. Though her shyness wasn''t exactly expected to last for this long. Is dating him really that scary of a thought? Jane was only going to make it worse, so best they drop it for now.


    Taylor was forced into thinking about the romantic scenario in her head, making out with Danny under a tree or something. His lips pressed against hers...


    "Heads up!" Jane called. The sudden warning snapped Taylor out of her trance, getting all of them to slow down a little at the sight of a person up ahead. Technically, there was another adult in the distance, walking away towards Eldora, unrelated to the first person who appeared to be pacing around in the middle of the road. Jane figured it had to be another challenger who was getting impatient, but it was best to stay silent and steady to avoid the confrontation.


    Jane hit the brakes on her bicycle, skidding the tires on the cement to a crawl. Danny and Taylor repeated Jane''s actions without questioning why, though Jane was still there to explain it. "It''s alright. I could use a breather." Jane dismounted from her bike, keeping the stranger in distance ahead in her peripheral. It didn''t look like someone who was eager enough to interrupt others to battle, but Jane had a rather comforting idea. After turning to her friends, she announced, "Get a drink or a snack if you need it."


    Jane didn''t plan to have an entire picnic out here did she? Danny nodded his head and pulled out his personal supply sphere. After the device opened, a holographic selection display appeared, after which Danny used his simple magic to decide on what to rematerialize. After selecting the object, the device shut, pulling an unopened water bottle into his hand from phase. The entire object was glowing with a bright blue aura until the process was completed, and Danny took a few sips afterwards.


    Taylor soon realized that the railing she has been leaning on was the only thing separating the road from the nothingness past it. Jumping over the railing would result in falling down hundreds of feet into the ocean. At least the railings have impressive metal bars to prevent someone from jumping the edge, holding to about nine feet tall with a transparent frame robust to damage. She could see the water below through the transparent frame, basically covering the entire structure that had replaced the weak fences earlier. Still peering head up the road, she didn''t find anything in the distance resembling a city. While Taylor initially worried that it was getting late, the sunlight beating down on her was still intense, replacing the cold air from before with a grueling heat directly to her arms and face.


    Jane didn''t have the intentions of eating, filled up from having a snack before departing to this path. While having this break though, it might give that nearby stranger a second thought about rudely interrupting their time to force a battle upon them. Jane wasn''t tired, but she knew she was on a clock to get to Eldora quickly. Judging by that dress sphere and the low quality shoes, the stance of the girl, and her constant nerve to pace left and right told Jane that it was just an amateur. There wasn''t any good time or training that could be made battling a rookie fighter who doesn''t know what they are doing.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Vortex ~ Carbon Based Lifeforms (World of Sleepers)</a>


    <hr>


    "What''s with that person?" Danny pointed to the figure Jane had been paying attention to earlier, letting onto Jane that he possibly understood what was not so random about a five minute break. It was still true that his legs were getting exhausted already. They have all been pedaling for over an hour since leaving Lennith City.


    Jane carefully focused on the young woman again. Something didn''t seem to line up with Jane''s theory. This person wasn''t looking around for people, nor was she walking on foot towards Lennith City. The girl only risked brief peeks at Jane''s group, but was quick to deter her eyes. It''s as if she didn''t want to be spotted right now. In a minute flat, her pacing was beginning to drive Jane mad. After realizing that being asked to battle is something that may not happen after all, Jane decided to risk learning what the big fuss is about.


    Jane stepped away from the rail, leaving her friends in question as she approached the stranger to learn more about what was really going on. Jane however kept a sharp nerve and eye all around her, making sure this wasn''t some childish elaborate trap to lure people in. The woman stopped pacing suddenly, facing away from Jane to pretend like she wasn''t even there. After several moments of nothing, Jane glanced back to see Danny and Taylor standing just as confused as she was about this. Finally, Jane went for it, jumping into someone else''s business at her own risk. "Hey! Is there a problem back here?"


    Her muscles jumped from Jane''s loud greeting, but the woman turned around to face Jane. An expression of mild surprise haunted Jane''s eyes. The woman was only about four years older in age, and not very tall to make her stand out with that fact either. "No problem at all," she reassured.


    Jane studied the details of the girl. Brown hair, brown eyes, incredibly pale skin, and the tendency to be so shy. Nothing about this person''s actions were making any sense. Where did she come from? Is she traveling or battling? Or did she do something wrong? "You a Leray wielder? That''s not a normal dress to be wearing around here."


    Already had Jane determined this because the girl was wearing a dress sphere instead of an ordinary dress; she must be a Leray wielder. The woman developed a glint of fear in her eyes, but her expression masked frustration over it. Instead of answering Jane''s question, the woman instead took a few steps back towards the other side rail. What was she so afraid of?


    "So what if I am? I don''t have to fight anyone I don''t want to!" The woman raised her voice at Jane.


    Clearly she was upset about something that happened earlier. Jane carefully tried to piece together what could have happened while keeping her calm. "You''re right," Jane agreed. "Nobody has to fight if they don''t want to. My friends and I are on a little break, so I appreciate the discretion."


    "Y¡ª you weren''t going to ask for a battle?"


    Jane nodded her head to a no. "I''m on a timer, and I''m usually the one that gets forced into battles I''d rather not be a part of. We''re all going to Eldora. Lennith''s only about two hours and a half or so on foot that way." The woman seemed so fragile and innocent. Her legs were frozen in place, like she couldn''t cope with some recent traumatic experience. Where is her bike? Why is she here alone? Jane played her cards carefully as to not scare her off.


    The woman sighed in relief, her tensions lesser of what they were. "Oh, well... That''s good. Did you see any other battlers that way?"


    Jane desperately tried to understand in her thoughts. She wants to get to Lennith, hates battling, is afraid to death of Leray wielders, and yet is one herself. Does she think that seeing a Leray wielder means she is obligated to battle against them? Who could have forced that kind of logic down her throat? "A few." Jane quickly changed the subject to test her own theories. "Was someone else here recently, like very recently, bothering you?"


    "Why do you want to know about that? Who are you anyway?" She saw Jane''s other two friends walking up, now curious to what Jane had gotten them into. She worried immediately that they might just be the girl''s henchmen.


    Jane held her hand over her chest in gesture. "My name is Jane Venn." Realizing that Danny and Taylor crept up behind her, Jane felt it was right to quickly introduce them as well. "This is Taylor Feer and Danny Mason." Taylor held out her hand for a shake, willing the woman into trusting all three of them.


    After thinking shortly on whether these people were nice enough to even talk to, the woman dispensed with her shyness and introduced herself as well, shaking Taylor''s hand in trust. "I''m Cass Anderson."


    "Cass," Jane repeated. "That''s a nice name."


    Her voice was so warm and comforting. Cass studied the features of these people. Not a single one of them had an aggressive or angry expression. They seemed content and happy with things so far, and Jane said she doesn''t want to battle. "Thanks."


    "So what''s going on?" Danny nudged Jane.


    While Cass was questioning the intellect of the three teens in front of her, Jane made the immediate deduction aloud, hoping it would not offend Cass should she have it wrong. "I believe the last challenger Cass faced wasn''t a fair fight, nor was it really a choice for her to accept in the matter."


    "Wha..." Cass couldn''t piece together how it was even possible that Jane''s group could know anything about Cass or what she was feeling right now.


    "Are you sure?" Danny worried. By the surprised look on Cass right now, Jane must have guessed such a conclusion. But why?


    Jane focused on Cass again, phishing for the right information. "How many strikes do you have on your license?"


    Cass hesitated to say anything else, and she was failing to deny what happened to herself, unable to hide anything. "Two," she instinctively replied. There were two strikes on her card, both of them from the same crook.


    "I don''t understand," Taylor projected. Her misunderstanding made Jane look at her with some disappointment in her eyes.


    "Well I do," Jane claimed. "The last guy you fought offered to battle you the first time, and you said no. After putting a strike on your card, he forced you to stay nearby for exactly fifteen minutes, just before revising his offer. He did this to cheat the system in order to force another strike on your card."


    "Wait, people are allowed to do that?" It was a detail Danny never thought about before. By making multiple offers to the same person in just minutes afterwards, you can either force them to fight you out of fear of being suspended, or simply get them suspended should they refuse three times in a row. But Danny has always been under the impression that the system had some sort of thing in place to prevent the exploit. How can something that terrible be allowed?


    "They are not," Jane corrected. "But a few recent exploits in the system have been discovered by undesirable people as of late." Cass is in a similar position that Jane was in when she faced Patrissa, but since Cass is still fine, that must mean she gave into the demands used against her.


    "He only asked me twice," Cass confessed. "I had a strike before meeting him, one I took after losing a battle on this route. I''m from Eldora, but I only graduated with basic."


    Jane knew she smelled the skills of a rookie, but suddenly felt bad for characterizing Cass like that. "Let''s stay focused on this man. Does he have a name?"


    "He forced you to battle him?" Taylor was shushed by Jane immediately after having that epiphany. She too didn''t understand that just anyone could so easily go around the system. Of course, if she fights someone without offering anything, or battles someone who has three strikes on their card, it''s considered illegal, but she thought there was at least one safeguard in place to prevent that. Then again, they''re talking about specific rules that somehow enable anywhere and everywhere within the Leray veil of protection. How can a rule of magic turn into a noun and apply itself to something so physical?


    "Gustos," Cass spelled. "He was alone, but too tough for me to beat. I''m just not fit for battling."


    Jane sighed with the stress of it all. Cass also has low self-esteem. Fixing this might take a while. "He probably hailed from Eldora and is heading back there right? We''ll teach him a lesson."


    Danny punched the other open palm with enthusiasm. "Now you''re talking! After that last match, I think I can take on any dirt bag in this place."


    "Don''t bother." Cass turned to the side and sank her head down. She wasn''t anywhere close to crying her eyes out, but the truth stung her in the throat. She''s a terrible Leray fighter, and a failure at magic. "It''s not like getting revenge will fix what''s wrong with me."


    "Nothing''s wrong with you!" Taylor and Jane both replied with the same words at the same time, ignoring their coincidence by letting Jane help her. Jane held Cass''s arms together, turning her to face up. "Learning how to fight takes time. You think I was any good at battling when I first started out?"


    Danny chuckled at the idea. It seemed so long ago now, but it was only just a few weeks past. Jane might continue to leave out that minor detail. She should have been referencing Taylor and himself, since they haven''t been secretly marked.


    Instead of keeping the same tone of despair, Cass stared straight into Jane''s green eyes when she sounded annoyed in her response. "I suck at magic, Jane. I can''t fix that with training if I can''t defeat a single person."


    "Well..." Jane knew Cass was missing a large picture, and she didn''t want to stray from her inspiring topic, but it''s not like Jane could just look at Cass and announce that she had been marked by some kind of illegal experiment that fired a beam of pure energy from the moon to the ground on Earth. So she started with the basics instead. "To be fair, this road is mostly populated with level three graduates, people who have advanced training with almost three years of physical hands-on experience. Basics will have some difficulty here."


    Cass nudged Jane''s grip off of her. "Get off me! You think that matters now? I should have just stuck with the sure thing, working at a business with a solid career. I couldn''t hurt a novice if I wanted to."


    Jane didn''t drop her confident smirk. "Wanna bet?" She could tell without looking that Danny and Taylor were on to what was about to go down, something that would excite Jane to no end every single time. "I don''t believe that basic training from one of the richest cities would train a person of your intelligence to fail each time. Maybe there is something wrong with your technique. Or maybe you''ve overlooked a few details that are important to pay attention to while battling. What say we take a practice round; no spoils, no battling till we drop, and no bull?"The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Cass was quietly hinting glances at everyone. Jane seemed like the person who makes the decisions for the other two, since they had a surprised and excited look on them.


    "Uh, shouldn''t I battle for a practice round?" Danny protested.


    Jane wanted to smack him one, but instead found another creative way to humiliate his strength. "We need to put Cass against someone who can actually take a lot of punishment." Jane turned around to face Danny for the rebuttal. "You don''t qualify. You might be strong, but I think even a pipsqueak could beat you up if you lost your balance."


    Taylor joined with a sarcastic laugh, while Danny was too appalled to retort anything quick enough. "Ha-ha!"


    Cass couldn''t explain what was coming over her. She hated Leray magic for failing her so many times, and battling even to practice was the last thing she wanted to do, but Jane, Danny, and Taylor were all people she was immediately comfortable with. She still knew nothing about a single one of them, but Jane and the others seemed trustworthy. Jane was simply offering a practice battle with no strings attached. Even if she didn''t agree, it felt like Jane would be totally disappointed. All three of them locked eyes back on Cass eager for their answer. "Fine," she complained with a stretch. "But only for a few minutes, and no Siriean dome either."


    "Deal," Jane agreed immediately. It made sense to why Cass refused the use of a Siriean dome for a practice round. If Jane was a lying manipulative criminal, she could just cast the Doom Shield spell and force the fight to go to a full finish, but without a Siriean dome, Doom Shield has zero effect on the environment whatsoever.


    "Alright," Taylor clapped. She and Danny backed away, allowing for the two of them to get some room for each other. "Show us what you can do Cass!"


    Jane felt a little strange at first, routing for her own opponent instead of herself, but Cass just needs some evaluation on some of her own skills. Jane wouldn''t be able to give any advice without first seeing how far Cass has come in her training. "Let''s treat this like a slow version of a normal battle. We each take turns deciding which skills to use, and you get to go first. If I don''t like what I see, I''ll tell you about it."


    "Sounds fair!" Cass had to holler after backing away just enough to be at a safe beginning distance for battling. Because there was a lack of a Siriean dome, any magical attack spells could go anywhere. A few stray attacks may hit Taylor and Danny by mistake, though they didn''t look too worried. After Cass took her place and stance at one side of the rail, she cast all of her surroundings into her memory. She didn''t want to back up or jump into one of the side rails by mistake should she need to dodge any attacks. Danny and Taylor were on the sidelines, keeping their distance while watching this practice battle closely.


    Jane could already feel her heart rate rising from the suspense she imagined in her mind. Her limbs were incredibly nervous and ready for anything. Jane simply waited to try and take on what Cass was about to try. "I''ll wait for your first move," she announced. Jane decided already that she would physically take the first hit instead of shielding it off. That way, she would be able to judge the damage level of the spell used.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Ropeburn ~ Solar Fields</a>


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    Before a swift reply, Cass engaged her energy scope as well. "Okay." Cass drew two daggers from her pockets. They were not her main weapon of choice. Though because the battle was unofficial, each contestant would be able to pull out any weapon they physically have on them without fail. Healing orbs will work too, unconditionally. After taking a careful aim at Jane, Cass lifted her daggers, chanting a spell while expending a small amount of MP energy. "Tri-Attack!" After chanting the spell, Cass tossed the daggers through the air, flying head on towards Jane with a spin. At the same time the daggers left her hands, Cass formed two separate red glyphrings around each of her wrists. She was able to quickly invoke a fiery spell before Jane even took the dagger strikes to her chest.


    Jane felt the sharp and painful slit of the blades graze her skin, but it wasn''t as bad as several hits she had taken before. The daggers were not infused with any kind of magical energy, so both the pain and damage levels were light. This wasn''t the end of her opponent''s unique Tri-Attack. A Fire Ball projectile launched from each glyphring aimed at Jane, firing just before she was hit by the blades. Jane wasn''t interrupted too much by the pain to lose focus on the rest of the skill set. Cass literally used a combo of double Fire Ball to try and hit Jane with weak fire elemental damage. Fire Bolt would have been a better choice, since Fire Ball is a spell that does not home in on the target the entire time. Following the close call of being slammed with balls of fire, Jane leaped out of the way leaning right. The skid on her shoes against the hard cement came at little cost when Jane narrowly avoided one of the Fire Balls from the left. The other managed to slam into her leg, but it was allowed to only because of Cass''s poor aiming on the spell itself.


    Cass wasn''t finished with her spell yet. After charging in at Jane while she was getting up off the ground, Cass yelled, "Gauntlet Punch!" which formed a transparent gauntlet glove on her right hand. After getting close enough to Jane, Cass let her have it with all her might, hitting Jane straight in the chest.


    Jane had every intention of dodging the attacks which were only easy to evade. Out of everything that managed to graze her HP levels down bit by bit, the Gauntlet Punch packed the highest power level among them all. The force from the impact nearly knocked Jane down while blowing the air out of her lungs in a painful bruising sensation. After Jane began recovering from the blunt hit to her chest, Cass also backed away cautiously to await Jane''s response and evaluation. She read the stats on her energy scope, doing the math to determine how much health the attack scratched off.


    Jane had never before witnessed a Tri-Attack like this one. Tri-Attack is normally a free form spell that most popularly attacks an opponent with three different magic skills at the same time. However in this case, Cass invoked it in the form of a Tri-Cast free form time-based spell. In other words, the skills were not used all at the same time, nor was she very particular about how they were invoked to hit Jane with multiple types of damage. There was the very weak slashing damage from the daggers, fire elemental damage from the Fire Balls, and the blunt damage from that gauntlet, and that was just the base of Cass''s strategy. Evaluating her overall strengths and weaknesses could take forever.


    Jane summarized as best as she could for Cass what were the pros and cons of the spell, speaking loudly enough for Cass to hear from the short distance of twenty-five meters. "Tri-Attack isn''t a bad spell," she commented. "But make sure all three attacks hit the target much faster. Your style isn''t bad, but your Knife Toss and Fire Ball attacks were naturally too weak. Try Fire Bolt next time, and infuse some magic into your blades before throwing them. It charges up the power level of those attacks."


    "I don''t understand," Cass complained.


    Jane nodded to revise her statement. "A common way to make Tri-Attack effective is to combine all of the elemental attacks to hit someone at the exact same time in one instance, using three spaced out glyphrings to surround the foe, instead of hitting them from only one firing arc. As you could see, I was able to dodge some of that ordinance you sent me."


    "Okay..." Cass took the advice seriously, though she feared that Jane might have meant something other than what she was understanding from it. "Let''s see how you attack from a distance. Give me your best shot!"


    Jane''s eyes opened a little wider. If I really give her my best shot, Cass will be out of the fight in one hit. Jane would have to go light on Cass since she is just a rookie, and she already had the perfect spell in thought. All Jane has to do here was remember her training from much earlier days. People don''t normally deal with close hand physical combat the way Jane was capable of, but she had several interesting spells with low power levels.


    Once decided, Jane aimed at Cass who stood still and awaited her own chance to try and dodge the attack. Jane formed a bright cyan blue glyphring around her right wrist after charging a tiny amount of MP energy into her hand. "Ice Needles!" An army of frozen shards and icicles formed from the base of the glyphring, all firing like bullets towards Cass. Ice Needles doesn''t travel through the air with the same quickened speed of a bullet, though it is still quick and effective in confusing the opponent. The needles all spread out and dispersed a little from the center of their arc, making it impossible to dodge them directionally.


    Cass fell right into that description. All she could do was just stand there and take the barrage of freezing needles sticking into her arms, legs, chest, anywhere she was vulnerable. Though the damage done to her immediate health was incredibly light, the pain of dozens of stings is what affected her more, but even Cass made a quick recovery from this. As soon as the glyphring on Jane''s arm faded from view, so did the Ice Needles stuck inside of her skin melt away, leaving Cass''s body five degrees colder than it was before.


    Jane explained herself before Cass even had a moment to process the attack. "That was a weaker example of magical attacks that cannot be dodged. I managed to deal ice elemental piercing damage to you in a way that would have been too difficult for most to get away from. Make sure you know of such spells and how to take them in the future."


    Taylor commented with a whisper to Danny in her current evaluation. "Jane is even brutal on those training in front of her."


    Danny responded in an opposite state of argument. "Yeah, but so are those more skilled than Cass challenging her to duel. She has her work cut out for her already."


    "I already know about that spell!" Cass seemed a little upset. Jane was basically insulting her own intelligence. Ice Needles was only the second spell her school taught her. Cass still wanted to take the advice, but it wasn''t fair that Jane knew everything so easily. The damage was done so lightly, that Cass now felt as if nothing was made to test her endurance at all. Jane was going easy on her, and it had to be on purpose. "How weak do you think I am Jane?"


    "I didn''t say that¡ª"


    "I''ll show you what I''m capable of." Cass didn''t feel like letting Jane make more excuses. Though instead of giving it up, Cass thought of a better spell, one of a higher level in order to prove how strong she was. At least then she would have proved her point to Jane, that no amount of powerful skills can overcome others in a fight with her style. "Crimson Blade!"


    Jane carefully watched as Cass''s emotions kicked into an aggravated state. She wasn''t trying to upset the wielder, but it was understandable given all of Cass''s potential losses adding up to this point. It would make anyone frustrated, and the results showed in her battling strategy too. Cass managed to invoke a spell that takes months of practice for most to successfully master. Blazing Sword is the spell that infuses the long bladed weapon with a fiery aura, adding fire elemental damage on top of slashing damage dealt, requiring magical energy, and the constraint that the long blade is the primary weapon of choice should a Siriean dome be present. On the other hand, Crimson Blade is a total tier higher on damage, invocation time, and movement time. Crimson Blade infuses the sword with fire damage, while allowing the user to quickly use that blade due to the instant infusion time. Cass''s main weapon of choice just so happens to be a long sword, one that Jane believed she would never be capable of lifting correctly.


    Surprised yet again, Cass got her sword out in no time, creating a fiery mist that only surrounded the blade and its edges with amazing visual effects that actually made the sword look as though it was bursting with red colored flames. Cass took her sword and charged at Jane again. Though she and Jane were distant for now, Cass was running at a quick pace to try and slash Jane with all her might. First mistake! Jane didn''t even have to ponder what was already wrong with the picture. You don''t use a close combat attack from a far distance unless you have some quick way of getting to the opponent, or distracting them beforehand. Jane would now be miles ready to counter Cass''s move, interrupt her own abilities. The spell however was quite impressive to know for a first year student.


    "Rush Assault!" Jane immediately invoked one of her higher-level skills, infusing magical energy into her entire body, and allowing her legs to run at four times the normal sprinting speed. Jane was all over Cass in a second of time, flashing a few kicks and punches to the gut, knocking Cass totally off balance to destroy any chance she once had of attacking Jane successfully. Jane knew that while the damage level on Rush Assault would be a little high for a person like Cass, the general idea would be used by virtually any other challenger. Judging from that earlier outburst of a reaction Cass had a minute ago, it was clear to Jane already that Cass wanted more than the brutal truth; she wanted Jane not to hold anything back anymore.


    Cass found herself on her back, her sides and several other places bruised by painful hits Jane somehow managed to strike her with. How did Jane intercept that so easily? There was a lot of time she had to spend to get back up. Jane wasn''t continuing her attack, for there was still fair time and opportunity to allow Cass to learn and recover. She kept her sword in hand, still blazing with the fiery aura from the last spell. Apparently, the infusion lasts for quite some time, something Jane forgot to think about.


    "Never start your run with a close range attack if you are not already at a close range. Your opponent with have way too much time to intercept and interrupt your run with something else. It makes your attack useless, and their opportunity to hit much more improved."


    "And what about the spell?" Cass was still struggling to get back up, but she regained her balance the moment Jane began to evaluate the rest of Cass''s abilities.


    Jane replied, "Crimson Blade. I like it. Nothing is wrong with the spell Cass. It''s how you use it that counts."


    Taking it immediately to mind, Cass lifted her blazing sword again, charging at Jane once more. "Charge Attack!"


    There were two major differences about Cass''s approach this time, and Jane had little time to detect them. First of all, Cass literally just went into another close range spell. Only this time, Jane didn''t back away very far after using Rush Assault, which already made the two of them in close proximity. Cass literally took Jane''s advice and used it a sentence after it was said. Now, instead of invoking Crimson Blade like before, Cass went with Charge attack, which is a basic version of a close-ranged free style combination skill. Her blade was still infused with a fiery aura though, which actually gave the ability in question a high advantage. Jane was already satisfied with the improvements, but decided to lower the damage to herself to keep this going longer.


    After quickly charging her MP energy, Jane crossed her arms outward, projecting the magic around her entire body to create a perfect blue phasic aura that grew in power as it took the form of an auric shield. Jane''s personal power shield, capable of deflecting all damage, while using hexagonal energy displacement to show Jane how much damage is done in each deflection. Jane however timed her shielding aura carefully, making sure Cass would try to get one hit just before invoking it. Cass literally charged her blade into Jane''s shield from up top the moment the field was fully generated. Instead of slashing through the person, Cass wasn''t aware of what happened until after the blade bounced off the aura with an incredible reflective force, forming several small hexagons around the aura in the spot Cass struck her sword into. The screeching unique sound of the anti-aura deflection confused Cass, along with the knockback force the sword put itself through. Cass literally lost her balance again upon striking that unexpected shield, falling towards the ground as the blade already lost its fiery luster. Jane was impressed, after seeing that multiple hexagons appeared in such a small size. Smaller sized hexagons indicates higher damage deflection, meaning Cass put a ton of force into that charge attack. Without her shield just now, she would have landed a devastating hit worth the effort.


    Taylor and Danny''s teeth showed through their opening bites upon witnessing Jane''s hidden power. They never got the chance yet to witness one of the several reasons of which Jane''s symbol made her nearly invulnerable. It wasn''t just about the skills, it was about that incredible protective aura. They watched as Jane enforced an energy shield around her entire body, with the faint translucent glow of blue light. The blade Cass tried to use was entirely useless, and Jane remained undamaged completely. After moving her arms, the shield dropped and collapsed on its own, leaving Jane to appear as normally as before.


    "Whoa!" Danny cried!


    "What the heck was that?!" Taylor couldn''t believe her own eyes. What is it that Jane just did? How did she invoke that kind of shield with so much energy? Jane''s MP reserves barely budged! Taylor wanted to interrupt the match just to ask, but she held herself back, trying to remain as polite and patient as possible. Several thoughts stirred in her head. Is that shield something Jane can invoke constantly? And if it is, is that same shield responsible for her increased survivability?


    "What the¡ª" Cass choked. "That''s impossible!"


    "Relax," Jane eased. "I promise I''m the only one who could do that, and I only shielded myself to keep the match going a little longer. No battling to the death, remember?"


    "Why did you block it? I had a good combo going!"


    Jane could hear the frustration in Cass, and she reassured Cass that nothing she did that time was off. "I for one agree. You managed to use close combat tactics at close range, and then apply a Charge Attack combo with a sword that was already infused with a fiery aura of magic. I had to shield myself because I thought the damage would actually become immense, and I was right to do so. I have no complaints to give for your Charge Attack idea. It''s perfect!"


    Cass was hardly able to believe that Jane was already beginning to praise her for the success. But then why the shield? How did Jane even do that? How is it possible to completely block out an attack using magic? Nobody was teaching these things at Eldora''s elite academy.


    "I hate to say it," Jane pondered, "but it''s almost like you think a little better when you get angry. Never thought you had it in you Cass."


    "I don''t think making me angry makes me a better fighter."


    Jane partially agreed. "Well it''s not everything, but it sure it a start. Having the right motivation to win any kind of battle is what helps us the most. You just need to find that motivation of yours." Jane charged up a little more energy, putting it all towards her right hand again to create another ice colored glyphring. "Ice Needles!" This time, using Ice Needles at point blank range would increase the amount of stinging pain and number of hits. Jane wasn''t trying to teach Cass anything with that ability alone. By using it at all while Cass wasn''t ready, it would have to begin making her blood boil. Jane needed to test her theory. How much better does Cass fight when she is actually angry or frustrated? Normally that isn''t the key to victory in a Leray match for anyone, but Cass just seems too gentle and shy to be a Leray fighter. If she had some more emotion and courage in her last fight, this may have been avoided in the first place.


    After hitting Cass with several dozen shards of Ice Needles, her health declined again on the energy scope, and Cass screeched out in pain due to the close-ranged improvement on Jane''s end.


    "That was uncalled for!" Cass immediately got herself back up, retaliating against Jane as quickly as she could with a different kind of spell. "Charger!" Cass infused MP energy into her hands, after which she leaped forward and took hold of Jane''s arms. For a brief moment it seemed like Cass just wanted to hold onto Jane, but after Cass''s hands released their energy, Jane was suddenly feeling the high voltage of the contact-based electrical attack, holding her in place for at least two long and painful seconds. Jane knew it was an electric attack, but she had never heard or seen that ability used before. Somehow, Cass was unharmed, meaning she was the outlet medium of the spell. Despite the pain and damage level of the attack, Jane was in fact most unimpressed by the style it employed.


    Cass took a moment to back away, but Jane stood there with her arms crossed, getting over the pain of electrifying shocks quickly. "Now what kind of attack is that? Electrical attacks shouldn''t have to be so close-ranged to be used. Cass? I could have interrupted that attack at any moment I wanted to."


    "Just shut up Jane!" Cass was already steaming in place, but she hardly changed her fighting stance at all.


    Jane took it as evidence that Cass wanted to continue, and that would mean showing off a little more power in her own abilities. Jane knew what to do now, show Cass just how powerful a long ranged attack can remain while conserving much of her own MP energy. "Try something like this! Mako Strike!" Jane lifted both of her daggers immediately, releasing energy from the tips of each blade after aiming them at Cass. The reaction forced blue energy spheres of high power levels to shoot from the tips of the blades and fly towards Cass with a very high speed. She wasn''t even able to react or avoid it in time, the quick invocation of Jane''s Mako Strike was almost too impressive. Cass''s HP took a dramatic fall too because of how refined Jane''s skill became with recent practice.


    Cass took each hit with the force pushing her back, struggling to keep balance on each leg, despite both two energy spheres slamming her chest or upper shoulder. While being forced to try and recover from the bruising blunt damage infused with the magic, Cass had to hear even more of Jane''s constant bragging.


    "Simple spell, yet effective at any distance."


    Cass didn''t reply with words. Instead, she directly repeated the plan of action in her mind. Cass pulled out her long sword from the hilt on her back, and held her hand close to the blade while releasing more magical energy. "Crimson Blade," she chanted confidently. The fiery glow of red flames and Leray energy had the long metal blade glowing again. "Yaaaaahhh!" Cass instinctively rushed in towards Jane like last time, assuming there would have to be some kind of way to bypass any of her tricks. By rushing in with her crimson sword blazing with fire, Cass would be able to strike Jane''s body with a ton of damage in her attack.


    Jane nodded her head and put her arms apart again. After releasing magic in a way that was too natural for Jane to even think about, her power shield was up and running again, just before the powerful blade from Cass came crashing down from above, a repeated incident like before. Cass was pushed backwards once the entire force put into her sword was reflected back by the shield back into the blade. As soon as Jane successfully shielded herself from the attack, she immediately dropped her shield and counteracted the mistake with a penalty. "Earth Glave!" Jane lifted her open hand upwards to simulate the motion and direction of the Earth Glave attack, controlling the ground''s movement with her next spell. As the ground shot up right where Cass was originally standing, the force from that one hit alone launched her off the ground about four feet high, and she landed quite a distance backwards and further away from Jane. The ability was very successful to interrupt Cass''s actions and deal a ton of damage to her in the process. Was she going to have to learn how to fight the hard way?


    "Damn," Danny cursed. The entire scene he kept such close eyes on only played out in Jane''s favor. Did she know to hold back just a little? Cass wasn''t getting any second chances for the moment. He also contemplated all of Jane''s skills and abilities. Several of which he remembered seeing before, but they dealt so much damage and knockback force that it was hardly believable. She moves so quickly and elegantly. Nothing about Jane was lacking in confidence, and Cass was just getting the floor mopped with her own body.


    Jane relaxed her stance, realizing that Cass was trying to pick herself up off the ground. It was clear that she was in a lot of pain from the last attack, since Earth Glave delivers a powerful blunt force of earth elemental damage with severe kinetic force involved. Hitting the ground on this pavement likely knocked the wind out of Cass. Jane began to wonder how she knew of all these little techniques to battle. She did learn them in school, the rest self-taught, but only when they were put into actual practice did they stick with her automatically for battle situations. Such things must be practiced first hand until they become repetitive. Cass needs to learn this the hard way, or she will never learn at all. Jane walked forward towards Cass casually, but also slowly. She didn''t charge in or rush ahead.


    Cass could see Jane approaching her from her peripheral sight, and as slow as Jane was being, it was really scary. Jane was just casually approaching her while she was down, unwilling to hold back her own power. Cass knew that she would be worm food soon if nothing was done. She quickly thought of the ideas, only getting the right one in her head the moment Jane was but two meters away from her. Cass remained on her knees, not bothering to stand up for the next easy ability. Her invocation was lightning fast, and only required a single percentile of her MP energy. "Shining Bracer!"


    Cass''s spell was invoked immediately, shooting an omnidirectional aura outward from her body in all directions. Jane was hit by the nearly invisible force from only a meter away, pushing her back far and fast enough to screw up her momentum. Cass immediately took advantage of the situation and stood up while Jane was down, and upon regaining her movement and stance, she invoked her next attack spell before Jane could recover.


    But Jane was much faster than Cass previously thought. She figured that using Shining Bracer, (a non-damaging omnidirectional Push Wave) was a good tactic to deflect her odd approach. Instead of landing flat on the ground, Jane braced for her fall, pushing herself back off the ground with her hands and legs the moment of the impact. Instead of falling or taking damage, Jane swiftly flipped back to her original stance, using more energy to counteract the Push Wave before Cass could get a chance for retaliation. "Crystal Arrow!"


    Jane heard a slight echo in her voice as Jane invoked her skill, creating a yellow glyphring in her hands to form the bow and arrow. There was little time to think or react; Jane simply drew back her arrow and fired at Cass as quickly as she could. Only after releasing her arrow did Jane realize that the echo was another voice belonging to Cass.


    Danny and Taylor watched as Jane and Cass attacked each other with the same exact ability by pure coincidence. Amazingly, both of the released arrows shot from their bows impacted on each other instead of their intended targets. Jane''s arrow tip flew into Cass''s arrow tip, causing both of the arrows to explode and shatter halfway through the air. Both Cass and Jane were mildly surprised by what just happened, and both of them thought of a rebuttal attack as quickly as possible.


    Cass was the first one to the door, immediately releasing a ton of energy into one of her more effective area attacks. "Kill Wave!" Cass could see on Jane''s face the surprise and confusion. She must not have ever dealt with an attack like this one before, not that she could dodge it anyway. Cass released her spell, invoking several non-elemental energy spheres to form in six random places, all of which effectively surrounded Jane from different arcs and angles. The attack itself was quick and relentless, giving Jane nothing but confusion while the energy spheres quickly homed in on Jane''s location, all six of them slamming into her at the same time from multiple sides. There was never a good method to evade the spheres no matter what. Jane could have used that cheating power shield trick of hers, but it didn''t appear as if she was expecting anything like Kill Wave.


    Jane was launched off her feet again, and though her landing wasn''t very rough; the heated pain and disorientation from the high amount of explosive damage left her wondering where Cass had that strength before. After carefully standing back up in the most cautious form she could try, Jane read the energy scope status on both of them, realizing that Kill Wave takes up a lot of MP energy just for a normal person to invoke. It would make sense to why Cass''s skills won''t be as effective in a real fight if she runs herself out of energy too soon, but Jane had no advice to give her with regards to energy tracking. She personally has the advantage that nobody else does.


    "Now the real fight begins," Jane muttered. Cass did have secret abilities that she had been holding back. The reason wasn''t obvious though, other than the original idea that their high cost in energy was responsible for turning the tables against herself. Jane reacted with a quick charge attack, rushing in towards Cass while pulling her daggers. She didn''t start out close or far away from Cass, failing taking her own advice with close-ranged attacks, but Jane was confident about her methods of dealing quick damage in the process of her close combat style. After getting close to Cass, Jane infused magical energy into her short blades, slashing them into her opponent''s skin after Cass failed to interrupt in any manner. It seemed to Jane already that Cass had some poor evasion training, therefore she also had a rather sorry excuse for a magic teacher. Jane tried not to think about things too much while attacking. Her daggers strikes took off large amounts of health from Cass, coaxing Jane to end this sequence early with a crystal arrow. Instead of standing still to invoke the spell, Jane chanted its name before performing a complete backflip to get some extra distance between herself and Cass. It wasn''t as if Cass was good to interrupt Jane''s actions. She was too fast for Cass to try it. Jane launched her Crystal Arrow the moment her feet landed on the pavement, successfully piercing Cass''s stomach and adding to the damage in the entire combination.


    "They''re really getting into it," Taylor observed. What started out as a practice battle was already turning into a real and more official battle. Still, nobody activated the Siriean dome. If Jane or Cass were to accidentally use a full area attack, it would wreck everything in range.


    Jane no longer cared about giving Cass advice. She was too involved in the fight to think about everything else. Ironically, Cass was reacting the same way, getting back up even from a painful combo such as that one and continuing to fight without hesitation.


    "Tri-Attack!" Cass released more of her MP energy, this time forming three of the common elemental glyphrings in places surrounding Jane from all sides. The skill launched a Fire Ball from the fire glyphring, an Ice Ball from the ice glyphring, and a Thunderbolt from the electrical glyphring, successfully striking Jane in the right places at the right time to prevent her from shielding herself in time or evading a single one of the attacks.


    Jane could only stand there and take elemental damage while the Thunderbolt zapped her in place for the Ice Ball and Fire Ball to slam into her body afterwards, rushing a strong sensation of hot and cold successively. Jane didn''t expect Cass to so quickly adapt her personal Tri-Attack to the average standards of how it is used. She already missed Cass''s first Tri-Attack, except for the Knife Toss and the Gauntlet Punch. Watching Cass shoot two Fire Balls from both arms with two glyphrings at the same time wasn''t effective in damage, though it still looked really cool.


    Reacting as quickly as she could recover, Jane went into her next long range attack, hoping to scrape off a lot more health from Cass''s stamina level. "Tri-Fire!" Jane''s glyphring formed instantly, as did the bolts of fire cannon their way from the rotating disk of magic wrapped around Jane''s wrist. This time, Cass could see the Fire Bolts heading her way early, and she immediately reacted to the situation. Cass got down to the ground rolling sideways to avoid the first impact. The Fire Bolt burned the pavement where Cass originally was, only for the second one to head her way. Cass rolled to the other side again to avoid the second Fire Bolt, allowing the projectile to fly off towards the sky. The third Fire Bolt however came at Cass too quickly for a reaction, burning her skin as it directly smashed her face in with its powerful force.


    Jane was impressed with how quickly Cass dodged more than half the entire spell. While it was a long-range skill, it appeared that Cass did indeed have a good level of training and evasion skills after all. So that means style and application were the issues. The damage done to Cass was very light in response to dodging most of the Fire Bolts. Though the fiery sensation hitting her in the face looked like it had Cass a bit tied up at the moment.


    "There''s gotta be something I''m not weak against!" Cass begged. She got herself back up, holding her face from the painful burst of fire that threatened to burn her from before.


    Jane finally snapped herself out of the intense trance, realizing that she was supposed to be giving more advice to Cass, and evaluating her current skills. "You''re doing a good job right now. Keep it coming."


    "Okay then," Cass mumbled quietly. While charging up a ton of her remaining energy, Cass thought long and hard about the next skill she wanted to invoke. "I''ve gotta beat her. I''ve gotta show Jane that no matter how hard I try, I''m never going to win long fights in the end. Still, I''ll pull out my best. I''ll pull out my strongest spells."


    "What are ya waiting for?" Jane teased. It almost sounded like Cass was mumbling something, but they were both far apart from each other right now. Jane couldn''t be certain if she was just hearing things. Right now, Cass, Jane, Danny, and Taylor are the only ones in visual sight.


    Cass continued talking to herself, trying her hardest to invoke her best spell yet, but it wasn''t easy, and she had only ever managed to make it happen once in front of her instructor. "Come out from the darkness and lend your strength to me. Come forth from the light and bind my will with yours! Massife!" Cass hollered the name of the spell at the top of her lungs while her right hand held high above her own body, trying desperately to make this work in her favor without screwing up the invocation. She began releasing her magic, forming a yellow glyphring in the sky that was so incredibly large and powerful that it momentarily blocked out the sunlight despite being transparent. The glyphring in question was about the diameter of an average Siriean dome, though it hovered aiming vertically towards the ground just above the entire bridge. At the same moment Cass finished the invocation part of her spell, she and Jane noticed on her energy scope that all of her high amounts of MP energy immediately dropped to zero percent.


    Jane became frozen by surprise. She had no idea what was going on, nor did she understand why or how a spell like this could even exist. The glyphring in the sky was massive, and its yellow color was an early indication that something from that glyphring is about to form out of nowhere, materializing into this physical realm. And so it happened, after several bright large particles came together to form an ominous shape, the spell materialized a creature unbelievable to everybody''s eyes.


    Jane refused to believe it. She had never seen anything like this before. Though Jane faintly remembered something about this from her textbooks back at Dakota, and a few legendary spells as seen in collector''s movies. This isn''t an attack spell. It''s a summon!


    Cass cheered for her own success, "Yes!" She watched brilliantly and awestruck as the incredibly large scaly drake emerged from the yellow glyphring. The summon glyphring faded quickly, but the large drake did not. Weighing up to several thousand tons in weight, the large flying creature blocked out the sunlight directly as it began to soar overhead everyone. It''s a very rare spell, something that Cass should never be able to use at her own skill level, but everyone has a secret edge they can use in battle, something they need to learn to give them their own unique style. This one belonged to Cass herself.


    Jane felt if there was ever a time to piss herself during a battle, it was now. What did Cass yell? Massife? Massife isn''t a spell that anyone else is supposed to know, not unless the person is one of the elite members of Eldora Tower. Jane knew much less about the spell than Cass did obviously. It''s a summon that creates a large drake with its own unique Leray abilities and its own health levels. A person fighting a summon in the middle of battle must watch out for the powers of the incredible creature and the user as well. Right now, Cass is in full control of this dragon. *ROOOOAAAARRR!*


    The screeching sound of the beast''s battle cry got into everyone''s ears while creating an earthquake from the vibrational sound alone, but Cass was smiling with her renewed hope. "Now! Creature of the flame, target Jane Venn with your ultimate powers!"


    Jane took several nervous steps backwards. She could not pretend to feel anything or act out to help boost Cass''s confidence right now, because her fear became fully real. That dragon is incredibly large and scary, and it powers could range from anywhere on attack power. The beast could literally burp something out that would instantly slay any target on the field, and Cass had already announced who the target was today. Jane also had problems contemplating why Cass never tried to invoke this spell any sooner. How could a person with basic training possess this much power, let alone lose to some dupe named Gustos? None of this makes any sense!


    Even more surprising, Cass allowed the monster to support its own energy scope, which is only fair considering it would be impossible to beat. The holographic box displayed above the beast''s head, appearing larger to fit the scale and size difference while following and tracking the creature elegantly through the air. The energy scope of the creature has a yellow color instead of standard orange, apparent for all Leray based summons.


    Danny and Taylor were both as afraid for Jane as she was for herself, amazed with their eyes glued to the quick flying dragon with incredible scaly textures for a fortified body. They kept a close eye on the creature and Jane, now hoping Jane would survive this instead of Cass, but they also worried for themselves. Right now, there is no Siriean dome between the challengers, and this gives that Flare Drake plenty of air space to fly around. Even if Cass doesn''t target anything but Jane, friendly fire here could be devastating.


    Cass was controlling the dragon in real time, which is technically something that doesn''t need to be done once the skill has been mastered further. Cass''s brown eyes were being transformed in color to bright glowing yellow from the magical connection, another phenomenon related to Leray magic. So it means this ability is in fact new to Cass, but nobody was able to do anything from there. Jane was too shocked to move, and Cass immediately went forward with her next plan of action. She appeared to be dancing, pulling in and whooshing her hands in different directions in odd movements that were familiar only to the Flare Drake. Upon ordering a simple action, the dragon roared again, only to change its course towards the ground and swoop in towards Jane.


    Jane didn''t know what was about to happen for certain, but the large dragon was now swooping down directly towards her without a glint of weakness in its mobility and dexterity. Jane became ten times more nervous than before, too fearful of immediate power shield failure to go with the solution of blocking out the unknown attack. Instead, Jane ran and rolled into the ground at the last moment, hoping those gigantic razor sharp claws would not immediately incapacitate her.


    Taylor couldn''t believe what was going on. In the moment Jane attempted to dodge the attack, all she could see next was the gigantic creature fly right over the bottom off the bridge, scraping its claws through the pavement and chomping down its legendary fangs in a failed attempt to literally eat Jane whole. Jane wasn''t anywhere near the mouth, but Taylor could still believe that those claws nearly grazed her in the process. The monster was so incredibly strong that without even a slight decrease in its momentum, the claws that scrapped the surface of the bridge drew large cracks into the pavement, immediately weakening the structure''s upper layers. Jane was nowhere to be seen until the large creature unfolded its wings to push itself higher again, revealing Jane.


    Jane was unharmed, but she could feel the near miss of the rush of wind scathing right by her back as the dragon''s swoop missed her my an inch. Jane was sort of safe for now, but it wouldn''t be long until that creature shows off some other unique tactic. That dragon can no doubt use Leray magic that has the same power as its jaws. Cass should have just pulled this bad boy out in her last battle. She would have won hands down!


    Cass continued her odd hand movements, getting the dragon to gain altitude while turning around towards Jane again. The dragon was quick to react, heating up the moisture in its mouth to thousands of degrees, until it finally spat two large Fire Bolts towards the ground. Again directed only for Jane, she was in immediate danger. The dragon continued circling the field, waiting for the impossible Fire Bolts the size of half the entire battlefield to explode into the pavement. Jane however finally got her nerve back and reacted with her best defense.


    "Power Shield!" After shooting the energy from her hands as quickly as possible, Jane formed the powerful auric bubble around herself again, but despite being inside of a magical capsule, the impact of each Fire Bolt shook the entire bridge. Jane nearly stumbled in the turbulence in the ground that threatened to shake this place apart. Danny and Taylor were probably backing behind her just from the residual heat of that blast, which nearly tore down her own power shield too. Didn''t Cass understand that she was going to cause damage to the bridge?


    The moment each flare slammed into Jane''s shield, she immediately felt too weak to keep it up. The ground beneath Jane turned into a bowl of damaged cracks and fractures spreading everywhere. The shield around Jane failed to hold its integrity together, despite that massive attack being done and over with. Jane was immediately weak, after deflecting an impossible attack; the most powerful Fire Bolts anyone had ever seen before.


    Jane was trying to recover after shield failure, which occurred not a moment too soon. She tried spotting the dragon in the sky again. It was coming back for another attack run. It was risky and likely prone to not working at all, but Jane prepared herself and her concentration.


    Cass continued her hand motions, repeating the first one from earlier. "Hah!" The dragon began to swoop down again, flying directly for Jane while she could only stand there and hope to survive it.


    Jane was ready, and after charging up enough energy, she released the power of her refined spell through her own aura. "Quantum Beam!" Jane launched the beam towards the sky by clapping both hands forward and together, aiming for the dragon just as it began to descend towards her. The beam''s radius in comparison was only about the size of the creature''s entire face. Though despite that, the impact happened fast, pushing enough magical force on the dragon to immediately stop its descent and create a reaction from it all.


    Cass was stuck, unable to process what was happening or how. Jane''s Quantum Beam continuously pounded on the dragon, pushing it back and making the creature squeal in pain. The stats on its own energy scope declined at a rate so fast it had Cass''s head spinning, until the beam attack had finally disintegrated.


    Just as the health stats hit zero for the Flare Drake, the creature began to dematerialize back into the particles of light it was before, dispersing into millions of invisible microscopic chunks of dust. In just one hit, the beast was defeated, the summon reversed in front of everyone''s eyes. As for Cass, her yellow glowing eyes were forced to return to their dull brown state.


    "Noooo!" Cass didn''t want to believe that was the end of it. Summons can be used in any Leray match, but there is a catch to the ability. It can only be invoked once per battle, more specific to elapsed time than actual battle numbers. To be more precise, the immense strain it puts on a physical body makes it impossible to invoke the summon again for several hours of time. That Flare Drake cannot be recalled again for a long duration. Once someone defeats the summon, it''s gone for the rest of the battle. The only way to win a battle without defeating the summoned creature is to incapacitate the person controlling that summon, which also defeats whatever creature is used in the spell afterwards.


    Jane honestly did not expect one of her weaker abilities to so easily destroy the summon that comes from Massife. Quantum Beam is supposed to be powerful, but Jane never really got its power level to live up to the name until now. Either that, or the summon''s defense was the weakness all along. Then again, Quantum Beam is technically an aura based magical attack, and there is some rumor that aura spells are more effective against Leray summons than other magic attacks are, alongside of the proven effectiveness of spirit elemental magic versus Leray summons. Jane was still in utter shock that she alone had to face and destroy a powerful summon for the first time in her entire life, but Cass was not celebrating the loss of her most powerful secret weapon. Instead of commemorating the person who had the power to do so, Cass decided to particularly win her own battle, forgetting completely about the match being used for practice purposes only.


    Despite much of her energy being totally spent, Cass still somehow found a way through her own rage to charge up another strong spell, one that she had to take some time to invoke. Jane eventually saw it coming, but there would not be an escape from it. "I''ll teach you to mess with Massife. Mega-Flare!" After unleashing the very last of her remaining energy, Cass managed to create the conditions for her Mega-Flare spell despite the invocation being slightly underpowered. The aerial glyphring forming the light screen attack began to unleash its might, suddenly flashing everything within range.


    Mega-Flare is a powerful and commonly known ability. Jane had seen at least one beginner before Cass being capable of invoking this particular spell, so it wasn''t nearly as surprising as the Massife summon. The spell is basically one big explosion of light waves carrying loads of heat. Despite the burning crispy sensation it gives people, the damage type is non-elemental magic. Cass must have recharged her MP in the time she was commanding her summon, enough for this costly spell.


    The moment the light faded away, Cass noticed several more mistakes on her part. Jane was perfectly shielded in her bubble again. Only just after the attack was over, the shield collapsed around Jane, making her suddenly weak and fragile. It took Cass several moments to realize that even for Jane, that powerful shield drains much of her energy too, but the other mistake happened in the background. Danny and Taylor were frantically complaining, after trying to rub off the damage done to them as well. Without the Siriean dome in place to protect the spectators, Danny and Taylor felt the full power of the attack too, and they didn''t seem too happy about it. Luckily for them, their bikes were somehow left undamaged to say the least. Cass cooled herself down a little for the apology. "Sorry! I won''t try that again!" Jane glanced behind her to confirm what had happened, but shortly returned to the battle. What else could Jane really comment on anymore? Why did she still want to continue fighting out until the end, after clearly stating otherwise? Cass still didn''t care too much about it. Beating Jane is the most important thing right now.


    Jane recovered from her short loss in stamina. That Mega-Flare was a little more powerful than what Jane was used to, and her shield didn''t hold up to it very well. After a quick examination, it seemed that Cass was totally dry on MP energy, so she has to be really tired and exhausted by now. She fakes a good expression otherwise. If Cass''s movements are limited by fatigue of the battle... Jane already had the next idea for a great attack, one perfectly fit for something that cannot backfire on anyone outside the boundary area, nor will it cause physical damage to the bridge.


    "Star of Darkness!" The immediate moment Jane''s energy charged into her hands again, they began to glow in their aura of magical build up. Only this time, Jane''s hands were letting off a vibrant red glow instead of the usual blue that emits with the buildup of random Leray energy. After casting her spell towards the ground where Cass was standing, the circular star formation began to form again. Jane focused carefully on the creation and control of her own spell, making sure the invocation was successful all the way through.


    After the symbol formed under Cass''s feet, it was already too late to attempt an evasion. The circle and the star shaped symbol on the pavement suddenly shot out its own bright holographic glow of light, trapping Cass inside of an invisible aura while draining all of her health. Star of Darkness drains one''s physical stamina as well, something Cass was already lacking. Cass wanted to try and retaliate, but she quickly realized a mistake. Her MP levels were at most charged to only 1%, and there wasn''t an ability out there using only one percent, not one that is useful in this situation.


    Jane watched as Cass''s health drained quickly in the red circle under her feet; 38%... 37%... 36%... The numbers declined quickly in the health section of Cass''s energy scope, while Danny and Taylor watched with much suspense in their hearts. Jane was sure and confident that she had already won. By now, Cass will eventually give up the match. It''s kind of hard to help someone and give them advice when they''re trying to knock her out, but this last hit should do the trick. Jane finished the long durational move with one last signature Lightning Strike from an aerial glyphring, slamming the rest of Cass''s HP down much further. While the circle and the star was fading, Jane could see the incredible drain and stress suddenly placed on Cass, who could no longer fake being tired and worn down.


    Cass never felt so drained before. Even in the last match she lost against, no spell worked this way like Star of Darkness. Nevertheless, Cass still felt like continuing, and her health was still far from single digit numbers. Her MP levels were slowly but surely climbing for one more useful technique, something her teacher had shown her in the tight months of training, something effective only after being dealt a heavy blow. "Return Fire!" Having to use all of her MP once again, Cass made sure it was an ability that would work. Though she wasn''t even aware of what was going to happen next.


    Return Fire is a unique ability, free-form magic styled randomly based on the last few previous attacks taken, as well as power levels based on the same thing in return. Cass had used Return Fire before against elemental spells, only to return a more powerful blast of elemental spells with the same signature of damage in them. What would the response be used just after being hit with a Star of Darkness spell? The trick is to use it when getting close to defeat, in order to maximize its effectiveness. Cass managed to invoke the spell, immediately forcing some sort of shadowy dark aura to fire in the form of projectiles from nearly invisible glyphrings forming in front of her. The projectiles themselves were very hard to see as well, and traveled in spiral paths towards Jane. Cass didn''t know what to expect from it, and neither did Jane.


    Because of how quickly the unknown projectiles shot forward, and because of how hard they were to see, Jane didn''t know how to evade, or whether using another shield would be a good idea. In her own confusion, Jane missed the window of opportunity to prevent taking damage, and was slammed by the invisible force. Though in the form of projectiles, the magical attack lifted Jane off her own feet, making her land on her back again while dealing a severe blow to her health.


    It was clear to Jane now that Cass still wanted some more, but she didn''t want to incapacitate Cass either, because then it could be a long wait just to revive her. Jane got herself back up, realizing the spell that slammed her dealt a lot more damage than it did to cause any pain, meaning it was pure magical damage with no other properties. After standing again, Jane saw the confident glimmer still in her opponent''s eye. Would Cass really quit if Jane asked her to? One more Lightning Strike would do well to be sure. If Cass doesn''t back down from less health than fifteen percent, then she''s crazy. Then again, Jane would never do the same either after everything she had to face in Alpha Zero.


    Jane charged more energy into her hands, causing them to glow with a red radiant color again. While attempting to cast another lightning spell, Jane thought back about the spell used against her in the dark zone. Its technical name is Voltage, something that had a lot of power, and stung at the end. For whatever reason, Voltage and Lightning Strike are practically the same exact spell, other than the spells formation and color. With Voltage, the bolt of electricity is a deep red color instead of the usual blue, but Jane thought nothing of it for now, instead casting her next attack. "Voltage!" she cried. Jane''s magic created not one, but two red glyphrings floating high above where Cass was standing, each aiming at her vertically with separate angles. It was just a burst moment afterwards for the red lightning bolts to come flying down from each glyphring. They only zapped Cass for a second of time, only for the spell to end there. Jane believed the spell wasn''t cast correctly, but for some odd reason, Cass was already down on her knees, breathing heavily just to struggle through consciousness. The glyphrings faded already, but something was wrong. Jane began with the changed energy scope.


    Cass felt a dizziness come over her, but the stinging pain localized everywhere in her body was even stronger than that. An electrical attack never hurt like this before, but Cass couldn''t scream. She couldn''t yell or complain. She could barely lift her head and look straight with all of the weight, she never felt so drained in her entire life. Only this battle had this effect on her.


    "Shit!" Jane called. "Stop the match!" A second passed for Jane to realize that asking to stop wasn''t a necessary gesture, since there was no Siriean dome to ward away in the first place, but that didn''t matter. While jogging towards Cass to help her, Jane immediately thought about the mistake she made in her blind distraction. It wasn''t something she fully understood even right now, but the results said something about the differences. Lightning Strike and Voltage can''t be the same! Her spell did a lot more damage than intended, and for some reason it set Cass into critical condition. Her energy scope was reacting in a solid red color to warn everyone that she was in danger of falling asleep and not waking back up. Jane suffered something very similar to this, during that battle with Patrissa. Vital Drain and Critical Condition status are both very similar, but the difference for having a critical condition means one is in danger whether or not they take any additional damage, and immediate healing is advised. Though much other detail was mired in mystery to Jane''s knowledge of the difference between those two conditions. Cass isn''t being forced to fight at all, and she still appears to be hanging on to whatever she has left keeping her awake. She sure didn''t look like she could fight anymore.


    Danny and Taylor rushed in to help resolve the issue too, though neither one of them could understand entirely why Cass was in serious trouble. Jane fiddled with her supply sphere to pull out more healing orbs, trying to make them work on Cass. "Sorry about that Cass!" Jane apologized. "That wasn''t the right spell I meant to use."


    While finally coaxing the healing orb to activate in Cass''s hands with its potent glow, Danny tried to understand what mistake Jane was talking about. "What spell? What''s going on?"


    Jane didn''t look back or answer to anyone else. She only wanted to make sure that Cass could recover from the last strike without any problems. As soon as the light from the orb began to fade, the numbers on the energy scope quickly zoned into higher levels. The color of the energy scope in question had also returned to its original color of orange a few seconds later.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Mine 24 [A+B] ~ Resonance of Fate / End of Eternity OST</a>


    <hr>


    Cass managed to shake off the drag immediately after she was healed, feeling rejuvenated in just seconds of having a healing orb''s magic melt into her body. The sting of that last attack still lingered partially, but not enough to bother her too much. Cass tried to stand up, and she had Jane''s support trying to lift her. Cass couldn''t understand exactly what just happened, but she didn''t remember winning her match at all.


    Seeing that Cass was finally making her recovery and already on her feet, Jane decided it was okay to calm down now, and apologized again for her stupid mistake. "I thought that maybe Voltage was a spell similar to Lightning Strike, but I should have tested that on something else first."


    "Where did you even learn the spell?" Taylor requested.


    Jane didn''t hesitate in her answer. She didn''t even realize that she picked it up at all, but after observing the matrix of the magic in full use against herself, it became clear as to what kind of magic the turret structure invoked before. "Alpha Zero. Voltage is some different version of a Lightning Strike spell. I''m guessing it''s much stronger than I thought."


    "You''ve been to the Alpha Zero?"


    Jane, Taylor, and Danny all turned to Cass with somewhat guilty expressions, realizing that Jane forgot to filter some code words. Jane had every intention of hiding her secrets even from Cass as long as this mission seems possible. If Cass discovers what is really going on and blabs it to more people, everything will crumble. Jane won''t even be able to try to stop the spread of the evil above Lennith City. Jane didn''t know where to begin though. She didn''t want to lie to Cass, but how would she be able to now?


    Realizing that the question brought up something awkward between them, Cass immediately came to the conclusion for the reason Jane was so different. "No wonder I lost. You''re one of those special recon forces they send to Alpha Zero, right?" Still met with no answer, Cass continued making judgments while smashing what was left of her own confidence. "I''m just not cut out for fighting it seems."


    "What?!" Danny and Taylor both blurted of surprise at once, while Jane took swift initiative in proving Cass wrong. Though what was said about Jane being a special scout; that one can just slide for now.


    "Mhm-hm! None of that Cass!" Jane hugged both of Cass''s arms again, wondering if this was making her more or less comfortable. "I think all three of us can agree that you do already have several strong points that even I was not prepared for."


    Danny shifted his position slightly to demand attention from Cass. "You''ve gotta show me how to summon a dragon like that. I''ll need some power if I want to defeat Jane soon."


    Jane chuckled under her breath at the thought. He''s always dreaming big. Massife is an incredible skill to invoke, but Jane thought once again back to how quickly a single attack defeated the enemy. "That must have been your second or third time using Massife."


    Cass immediately took the look of surprise. Jane and her friends were simply trying to give her more advice like before, and she dared to hear her out. "How could you possibly know that?"


    Jane let go of Cass''s arms to explain in detail from her best understanding. "Well the Flare Drake had power. I mean, look at the mess we made behind me." Jane was referring to the large circular cracks in the cement that would have to be repaired soon. Luckily, nobody would have to know who did that damage. "But the creature''s defense wasn''t nearly as tough as it looked. I''ve heard about some of the property effects of summons used in battles. From what I hear, invoking a summon over consecutively increases either its attack power or defense over time, depending on what creature calls from the summon."


    "You mean," Cass briefly paused to put the details together. "By using Massife more often, your Quantum Beam¡ª"


    "Would have been useless," Jane finished. "I would have been Swiss cheese. You''ve got several hidden spells that are very powerful, spells I didn''t think a beginner would have. And the order you use them to change the tide in battle is an effective strategy too."


    "Then what am I doing wrong?" Cass begged with a whiny tone.


    "You know how to invoke your spells just fine." Jane comprehended the possible reason for every other mistake Cass had ever made, and the truth was obvious. "But you don''t know how to fight. Physical combat training is just as important as magical training. Most people tend to pick it up in the same process - and their fine, but people like you and I need that extra kick to give us a level ground."


    "Us?"


    Jane had no issues comparing herself and Cass; she knew she was correct in her theories. "I had a great teacher for magic, but before that, I learned how to fight physically first. Close combat maneuvers, evasion therapy, coordination mapping, and the basic rules of what not to do in combat, as well as when to do things to not mess up the timing."


    Cass continued her arguments straightforward. "But I don''t have that kind of skill."


    "All you have to do is learn it," Jane encouraged. "After that, just keep putting some of your more powerful skills to use, and you''ll be fine on the field. See if you can''t get funding for Lennith''s academy. There will be a two month waiting period soon, but they have great classes and great instructors."


    Taylor kept silent while trying to imagine exactly how Jane managed to squeeze her way into the facility there in the first place. Jane couldn''t have gotten enough money to get in, and the same problem might hit Cass upside the head. "I thought your spells were cool, both of you actually."


    Jane had forgotten already that there was a long time gap in her new skill development while Danny and Taylor were out. So they didn''t know anything about a power shield, or the reason she was capable of invoking such a shield. But it could not be denied that Cass had some potential in her as well. They must teach a tough curriculum in Eldora City.


    Cass couldn''t believe how low she thought of herself before now. There was only one thing she was missing all along, and it was doable to train herself to acquire that skill. But there was still the matter of money and funds. "I can''t get into Lennith without the credits. I had six thousand taken from me by that man who forced me to fight."


    "Six thousand!" Taylor''s jaw dropped, and she sensed Danny soon to faint.


    Jane thought of a really quick plan regarding the best way to resolve this situation. They owe Cass that much since that money was taken unfairly. You can''t just force someone or blackmail them into battling to take all of their possessions. It''s dead wrong! "We''ll find Gustos and get your money back. Actually, I have a better idea. I''ll give you six grand right now, and get the six grand back from the man who took from you."


    Cass waved her hands left and right. "Oh no-no-no-no! You don''t have to do¡ª"


    Jane didn''t let Cass finish the sentence. She wouldn''t accept letting a thief like that go, and it was Cass''s money after all. "Too late for me to change my mind. That guy is loaded anyway. I''ll challenge him to a battle, make it seem normal with high steaks, and then I''ll simply regenerate my own six thousand from the money I''m giving back to you now. This way, you don''t have to wait on heading to Lennith City."


    Cass stared into Jane''s confident eyes, and then saw that Danny and Taylor were back to one mind again with the same subject. They really were with Jane, but Cass could not have imagined that there were so many good people in the world to counter the bad. Suddenly it felt rude to imagine saying no. "Okay, but if you can''t find him, I must insist on returning the credits."


    "Nonsense." Jane stepped closer to Cass, who gave Jane her license card. Jane held her license card to Cass''s, invoking the transfer of funds directly. The cards use technological RFID chips inside of them, along with more invisible magical signature rules Jane didn''t understand directly. Her card currently had 7800 credits on hand, but Jane literally drained her own card six thousand credits down to help Cass out. She would need that going to a new place. Jane''s card was drained down to 1800 credits after the transfer. But before it started, Jane could see that Cass''s card was currently drained to just a hundred credits above zero. Gustos robbed this poor girl blind. "We''ll find him." Jane made a promise to herself as she did to Cass. People like that don''t deserve a license in the first place. The very thought of that man had Jane quickly burning red in the face with anger.


    "There you go." Jane handed the card back to Cass, who now has a lot of credits to work with. Jane had much less by now, but it wouldn''t matter in the end. "You go on to Lennith. I can take care of the stubborn idiots on this bridge."


    "I can''t thank you enough Jane. I''ll have to run on now - or I''ll be late. Be sure to destroy Gustos for me." Cass wasn''t too eager to leave them. She very much wanted to be around Jane''s friends longer, but they have business in Eldora City, while she had her own in Lennith. Still, it felt odd that some random girl would be a scout for Alpha Zero, let alone a scout who managed to survive. Nothing about this was put in the news.


    "Bye Cass!" Taylor waved. "Don''t forget about us now." Waiting for Cass to wave back heading in the other direction, Taylor thought a lot about how strange this day was getting for her.


    Cass waved back and proceeded on foot towards the opposite direction her rival would be traveling. She would have a lot more to think about now, but Jane accepted the most likely possibility that she would see herself as something more. Cass could even achieve Jane''s pipe dream someday, if luck be on her side, but with this crest inside of her, Jane''s dreams are shattered on her own. "Let''s get going," Jane edged. She began walking back towards the bikes, which were luckily undamaged by the unprotected battle that just occurred here. "We have to stay on track to make sure people like Cass aren''t swallowed by the dark zone."


    "It''s not even expanding that fast," Taylor reminded. How many months did they say were left for Lennith City? Claudia said something about evacuating the place within eight weeks, right? How fast does Jane have to be to get this done?


    "But it will one day. I''m making sure I don''t waste a single moment." Never know what could happen. It only takes one day for everything to fall to ruin, much less than that for other situations. Looking blankly at the top of her right hand, Jane knew that better than anybody. "We''ll head for Eldora, and find this Gustos on the way there." While mounting on her bike, Jane''s followers were doing the same, preparing to ride out further. As the daytime got even older, the sun positioned overhead was still shining brightly while drifting further away in the sky. It felt like an eternity of time had passed, but it couldn''t have been a full hour.


    Before any three of them actually began to ride off, Danny addressed something verbally to Jane. "I know that you''re planning to get that money back from Gustos, if we can find him. Though I''m still a little surprised that you so easily trusted the situation enough to give Cass that much of her credits, especially when you know how important that money is to us as well."


    Jane refused to believe that Danny was actually complaining that this was a bad idea, to give six thousand to Cass for assistance. Though he was right to state it was a risk, Jane knew why he said those words. "Nobody deserves to have their credits taken, and I do trust Cass enough for this."


    "I know that," Danny repeated. Jane was still missing the point. "I just think it''s honorable that you did that without even hesitating. Yet before this Eldora business we now have, you told us that you were behaving in the opposite manner."


    Jane''s throat tightened while she maintained her expression facing away from Danny and towards the path to Eldora. Danny wasn''t wrong. Jane did a good thing, and she was going to carry out the second half of it by destroying Gustos. But when her mind was dead set on reversing this spell bomb curse of the prototype symbol, Jane knew that she would have never done that, sacrifice the potential of removing her symbol to help someone out. Did her need to remove this crest on her hand really overpower her entire character as Danny suggested? Is that what he meant earlier in Lennith City during their private conversation?


    Jane used to hate herself for being so weak before, losing battle after battle, but Cass was just like her at one point in time. All she needed was more training. For Cass, her dreams are much more possible of becoming true than it is for Jane. Strong now as Jane is, a victory against the champion with this crest under Jane''s skin just doesn''t count in her books, but it will be enough for one day of leadership. Gustos will have to be wiped out, something Jane will have to search for. After all, that entire ordeal just drained six thousand credits from her card. So now, Gustos owes her money instead of Cass, a big mistake he has made.


    Jane''s thoughts inevitably returned again to her own future after comparing herself to Cass. After Alpha Zero is destroyed, what will be left of her own career? Jane couldn''t say anything about it, unable to think clearly. Instead, she mounted on her bike and signaled for her friends to continue their lost momentum. "Let''s keep going before it gets dark. We have a city to reach and a criminal to punish."

 Chapter 39-C: Battle Streak (Part 1 ~ Jane VS Liam)

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 18:37 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    Only seven minutes had to pass before Danny and Taylor became used to the environment around them again, speaking above the silence to learn much more. With the sunny day still affecting the area, everyone on the bikes noticed a major decrease in air temperature in the wind sliding past their faces. Taylor and Danny were both wearing short sleeve shirts for the moment, complete with one of many dress spheres attached before heading out. On the other hand, Jane wore an entire elastic black and blue suit covering almost every feature of her skin except for her face, seeming less fit for a formal area while more so for a battle situation.


    Curious about several factors of Jane''s previous practice battle, Taylor sped up to synchronize her speed and distance to that of Jane''s vehicle. "So how did you pull off that shield trick again?"


    Jane never told either one of them yet about her literal abilities coming from her own symbol. It enables many odd features for Jane, giving her the ability to learn new skills quicker than others, and conserving a ton of MP energy in the process of invoking spells. That was the key to the shield all along. "It''s originally supposed to be a power shield that takes up a lot of MP energy in order to partially block out damage, as opposed to relying on evasion techniques, but because of my enhancements, all of my skills naturally take up less reference capacities on MP energy than other people do. So I only need to expend about two percent of my energy to project a power shield. Because I can put so much into it with little effort, it blocks all damage completely."


    "That sure is one handy trick." Danny had to agree with some of the things Jane was talking about earlier. It didn''t make much sense that she could get so good in such a small amount of time, but in truth, the symbol was doing it to her all along. Jane now learns abilities much quicker than others because of the crest in her hand, and now for the same reason, she gets unlimited shielding auras. Hard to believe - seeing how weak she was several days ago. The symbol also lowers her defense completely, but the shield goes to counteract that effect. Who taught it to her in the first place?


    "It only works if I have a fair amount of energy in the first place. The moment my aura takes too much damage, or is projected for too long a period of time, I can''t hold it up anymore. That power shield became my only defense against the creatures and machinery in the dark zone. I would have died for certain without it."


    So the shield does have its own weaknesses. Taylor figured that could be the case, but seeing Jane in action begged to differ on her new skill level. She might be stronger than herself and Danny put together by now. If that power continues to grow... "But if you''re the only one who can make that shield, how is the army supposed to handle the dark zone?"


    Jane knew Taylor would still pry on the small critical details of this plan. She has been in disbelief that it could even be done at all, but all it takes from here is courage. "It''s like I said before. We also have safety in numbers. It''s not like I had to make official battles happen in Alpha Zero. It''s much more open than the fight I just had with Cass. No dome shield to protect others, but at the same time, no rules that demand even numbers."


    "So," Danny recapped. "This symbol, it allows you to lower the cost of your abilities, making them stronger. Normally as we know from before, it cuts your natural endurance defense in half, but with this shield thing you have going on, it makes up the difference on your defense."


    Jane replied to deliver a counter-argument. "Something else is strange too. I thought that my endurance was always cut in half after being marked. There wasn''t a way to measure any difference until more recently. My endurance is getting better over time, just slightly, without that shield trick I can use. And that leads me to believe that the symbol actually reset the endurance back to the lowest levels, forcing me to grow stronger again with that. I could be wrong, but I''m betting that I''ll be able to survive more in the future without that shielding trick."


    So it resets the endurance level of the user back to zero? Danny never knew that such a possibility existed. Still, Jane isn''t too sure of herself. If she can improve her endurance naturally over time even after becoming marked, she could be capable of so much more, given the time to grow with weaponized signet burned into her hand. Even now, given a poor endurance rating, Jane''s shielding powers takes care of the problem. "Looks like Jane found a way to counteract the negative side effects of the crest."


    Jane sighed heavily. "I just wish I hadn''t been marked in the first place. I wish I would have gotten the normal usual experience with Leray magic, fighting the way battles are meant to be fought. This crest in my hand is just cheating on several levels."


    Taylor interjected, "I see what you mean." Jane''s argument now seemed silly considering how devastated she was before about losing her first few battles, but Taylor was soon reminded that her emotions of such were just an act. The real panic and depression came from her symbol, and that of hiding the crest from herself and from Danny, more so from everybody. It''s funny now how the very same symbol has given Jane more power than what she originally had, just from experimenting with the process. "But as long as you do have it, you can use it do to great things, like what we''re doing with Alpha Zero right now."


    With a mild chuckle, Jane made another prediction. "I doubt they''re going to put that much trust in a single mage with such a delicate skill. Removing symbols isn''t a bad thing, but what happens when the sole person who can becomes an enemy?"


    "Are you still going to ask this mage at the Den of Purity to remove your symbol?" Danny had asked the question forgetting the name of the professor, despite Jane telling him earlier.


    "Name''s professor Brightworth," Jane clarified. "And I don''t think I can trust him to even do that. It''s a detail I have to figure out after we fix the Outback first."


    "There''s one thing I don''t understand."


    Calling for Taylor''s elaboration, Jane asked, "What''s that?" She and the others had to slow their bikes down a little more to hear each other with clarity through the chilling wind as it picked up some speed.


    "Why would some random stranger give you a spell bomb and take off?"


    Jane still never forgot about it. The memory rang without a vague fog of corruption, her thoughts of that day as clear as crystal, until came the moment just before getting marked by her own contraption. Nobody knew the name of the man or what he was up to. Jane remembered that he did happen to say something to her, just after emerging from the woods in the creepiest formation a person can approach. The spell bomb is incredibly dangerous, more so in dangerous hands. I''m entrusting this device to you. Don''t use it! Just keep it safe and protected. Don''t tell anyone you have it! It was the only information Jane got out of the guy. Just clear instructions, although they weren''t very clear to her at the time.


    She broke every single one of those rules in just a few minutes plus one of the important laws of a Leray wielder. After the man rushed back into the void woods he came from, Jane remembered seeing a few other people wearing some kind of hooded outfits rushing after the guy who tried to help Jane. He was being chased for some reason, by whom still debatable. The dangerous part about the spell bomb must have been the part about getting marked, and Jane could even see why it was dangerous in the wrong hands too. With her incredible powers she doesn''t even want to have, another may want to do harm with such power, commit crimes and get away with it, invulnerable to damage once the assimilation digs in deep. Was the spell bomb a special - off the market prototype from a rich corporation? Or was it an illegal fabrication of veritable expensive materials and years of intelligent research? Jane didn''t have any new answers. All she realized in the meantime of her thoughts is that she really is considered dangerous, if she chooses to be anyway. "I''m as clueless about it as you are."


    Seeing as Jane was face forward in deep thought for over five seconds, Taylor could accept the answer, but she heard a lot of disappointment in Jane''s tone, realizing that the heavy uncertainty still bothered her. She immediately tried to change the subject. "So Cass was a good fighter after all, once she gets physical training."


    "Yeah..." Jane still sounded like her mind was totally somewhere else, though she did try to stay on Taylor''s new topic. "I''ve never had to coax someone on advice before. I did help you two out in the beginning, but that was different. We didn''t battle each other to figure those things out."


    "We couldn''t battle you mean," Danny corrected. Such a strange law, to forbid battling until one has a license!


    Realizing he had a point, Jane reminded herself and Taylor how the rules worked on them back then. "Yeah. Even while I was training you two, I wasn''t ready for a full match myself. There was that time training with the Cran, but it was a total walk in the park for me."


    Taylor already hated Jane''s idea of bringing that memory back up. She won the fight against the Cran as well. Luckily, Jane was there to keep watch, because she nearly got caught into a situation of wearing undesirable damaged clothing that could have been destroyed entirely, nearly witnessed by a few other students including Danny. It''s what happens when you have a Leray match against anything without wearing the appropriate armor or dress spheres. Jane helped her out with her spare backups in that supply sphere, and though she was spared explaining herself to others, Taylor always had the brief thought on her mind every now and then. People had to invent damage resistant clothing in order for it to exist now, right? That must have meant that several people back in the day must have had several rough moments, losing their clothes to battle damage in the middle of fights. Or maybe that isn''t how it happened? Taylor still kept herself from asking Jane about it all this time, and it''s not like Jane would be too sure of the answer either.


    "I bet it was." Danny still had plenty of nerve making sure Jane doesn''t overestimate herself. "You didn''t teach us everything we know."


    "But Taylor caught on to the magic a little more quickly than you did," Jane pointed out. As it was true, Taylor mastered her energy scope first, Radial Stars, and several other higher tier spells before Danny did. Danny eventually caught up to her level evenly, but it was impossible to tell which one was ahead of each other right now. Though Taylor also learned to specialize her magic, which isn''t something too many people do. "Speaking of which, are you still focusing your magic on ice elemental spells, Taylor?"


    "Of course," Taylor replied with enthusiasm. "I can''t tell you how many times I''ve gotten advantages in speed just because I use enough ice spells to literally slow down my own opponents."


    Danny added, "Kind of hard to attack or defend yourself when you''re shivering too much to move." It''s another ingenious design put into Leray magic. Ice elemental magic deals magic type damage that causes the opponent affected to freeze, provided that opponent does not have any suits or dress spheres equipped that resist that specific element.


    "What spells do you have now?" Jane probed.


    While listing all of the abilities in her mind related to ice elemental magic, Taylor carefully spat out the names of the abilities one after the other. "Ice Bolt, Ice Needles, Icy Wind, Frost Blade, Ice Blast, Ice Beam, Icy Cannon... I''m still working on Icy Cannon, and two new spells I made up called Cold Spin and Ice Shots."


    "Cold Spin?" Jane repeated. Jane didn''t need elaboration for Ice Shots, having seen Taylor use it once in action. She threw Ninja Stars while simultaneously infusing the physical objects spawned with ice elemental magic auras, which increased the power level with little MP cost. Cold Spin is a new term to Jane entirely.


    Danny defined the skill for Taylor to Jane, knowing of the intention as Taylor described the idea to him before. "It''s basically one of Taylor''s Whirlwind attacks combined with Icy Wind, turning the entire combination into a freezing tornado attack."


    "Clever." Jane knew there were more ice abilities in existence, but Taylor must still be learning them all. Of all things, Cold Spin is not actually an official ability, but one Taylor was designing on her own. It''s also interesting that Claudia put Blizzard on that list of new spells Jane should learn before the big fight, an ability that brings down the temperature of the entire battlefield to freezing levels for a long duration. Perhaps Taylor would be interested in that spell. Of course, it isn''t perfect, since another spell called Blaze Storm can literally counteract Blizzard with the exact opposite effects. They are the opposite spells of each other, thus both sides can use them successively to cancel and reverse their effects.


    "I don''t think I specialize as much." Danny was still learning new abilities, though even with Taylor''s strategy, it can be considered a weakness should she ever combat someone who specializes in fire. Leray battles have so many elements to strategies that isn''t easy to think about in a single instant. But without any specialization, Jane can''t predict squat. "Still, I do think I can take Jane on."


    "Easy does it now," Jane taunted. "Maybe you two should battle each other first to determine who I challenge next. We can turn it into an entire competition if we have to. Taylor? Don''t hold back on him just because he''s your boyfriend."


    "O¡ª oh, I won''t." Taylor still felt skittish just from the way Jane said those words. She had considered using that name for Danny before, but hearing it said out loud made her heart skip a beat every time. Already reminded about being asked out by Danny not even an hour ago, Taylor became silent in her thoughts.


    Danny felt it odd for Jane to be using such terminology already, though much like her at the same time. Jane will probably milk this as much as she can, knowing that it embarrasses Taylor. Though he still couldn''t figure out why Taylor was so shy about this with himself. Taylor never has problems talking to other men. Usually she''s just insulting them or talking down to them in some way, but never did Taylor do that towards him. Maybe the relationship scares Taylor, but it''s hard to tell. As the silence grew more awkward, he tried to answer for Jane, hoping it would move the subject along. "Nothing wrong with a fair fight. I would be interested to see which one of us wins, but it might be a damn tie."


    Sadly, the silence lingered after Jane and Taylor took what he said into consideration. Danny didn''t insult Taylor or Jane this time. It was just words said to fill a growing void. Danny didn''t want this to be awkward between himself and Taylor, and prayed he did not made some kind of mistake pressuring her into saying yes. As if a prayer was answered by god, life gave them all a new distraction up ahead.


    A curved blue line of colored fire blocked the path down the road with a man standing on the other side of it. It was clearly a unique roadblock made out of magic, intimidating all three of them to slow down to a stop before hitting the unusual fiery aura on the cement. Jane was first to stop all the way, but Danny and Taylor got a little further ahead, nearly sliding their wheels into the fiery line of magic. The block was obviously intentional, and the tall black haired man was forcing them to stop and speak with him.


    Jane already knew what this was about, even though she had never seen a confrontation like this before. At the very least, this random 33-year-old adult was stopping people heading his way just to ask them for a battle. It was unclear yet how bad his morals were on exploiting the system much like Gustos exploited Cass earlier, but she didn''t pretend to have a problem with this. Jane set down her bike again, edging Danny and Taylor to do the same thing. Theoretically, Jane could simply have Danny or Taylor fight this man, but doing so it may take more time. She cannot just ride past while her friends battle an unknown. After walking close enough to the fiery aura, the strange man used his hands through magic to extinguish the flames, letting Jane walk much closer. He wore a dark colored cape with green designs on the front of the coat. An odd dress sphere for a man, but it suited him in the belief that he is some kind of rich classical fighter who may have been a butler before now. Jane had her friends right behind her for assurance.


    He got down to the point immediately, sensing much intelligence within the older teen among the group. "Greetings and well met. Care if I challenge thee to a match?" The man carried an interesting blade aiming it at Jane as a gesture to point at her. The long sword was really skinny and shaved down, like something from the older days. "T''was long ago since I fared a worthy adversary."


    Is this guy for real? "Drop the talk Shakespeare! I only accept formal challenges that also have a good enough spoil at the end of it for me. And I don''t fight anyone without introductions." Jane crossed her arms, waiting for the man to get real and hurry up his claim. It was bad enough she had to be stopped for another Leray battle. If his skills were anywhere as corny has his accent, this won''t be hard.


    "I am Liam, of the great providence in Eldora, sector E-H. I must know thy name, courageous dame."


    While keeping his eyes on the strange man, Danny leaned his head closer to Taylor for an inconspicuous whisper. "Is there something wrong with this guy?"


    Taylor held her hand to her mouth, trying her hardest not to laugh out loud. The language the guy was speaking seemed to be skewed to some strange vocabulary, though it sounded hilarious in her head, and Danny sure felt the same way about it was well. Wonder what Jane makes of this?


    What a moron. Jane wished he had taken the hint earlier. Nobody speaks like that in Sprawn Valley, not even the rich and prideful. Jane couldn''t imagine anything worse than this. Out of all the ways one can get so deep into Leray magic, this guy must be pretending to be some sort of prince in a kingdom, holding his blade as if he were a knight working for a refined segment of the monarch. This is what happens when you don''t parent your children enough. "I''m Jane. If it''s a fight you want, I''ll be the person battling."


    Liam immediately held his blade back in a relaxed manner to reply. "The day is young, and thy sword ails for worthiness. Shall we decide on the rewards? How does five hundred credits sound? Good on the ears, aye?"


    Jane held her face with the reaction to this cringy person, not even bothering to hide her reaction from the challenger in front. And five hundred credits? Seriously?! "You''re going to have to land better game than that."


    "I suppose I shall settle in to give thy victor away an MP up spell bomb for good measure? How about a defense spell booster for your friend on top of that?"


    Jane considered the thought. Five hundred was basically nothing, but adding an MP boosting spell bomb and a defense spell booster to Jane''s friends would dramatically improve their chances of survival should they somehow end up in the dark zone with her. Even though Jane still held her strong belief that they will both be missing home sooner than they realize it, the three-item offer was getting much better for steaks now. "It''s still a little cheap, but I''m now agreed."


    "Very well then. Places people!" Liam shouted for Jane''s friends to take their distance from the designated battle zone. The bridge would be a bit different, since the sections of space between the rails was much less than it was on either end of Route 787. There will still be plenty of room for the dome shield to allow a full battle nonetheless, and this girl seems like a basic wielder with too much bark for her bite.


    Jane steered her neck everywhere, searching to see who Liam was speaking to. But nobody else was around; nothing else seemed to change. He must be talking about the preparation to battle, being too much of a dweeb to actually just say it the right way. "Let''s start then." With Jane''s final word in, Danny and Taylor both realized what they had to do, back as far away as possible. Liam had to take his place distant as well, making sure there would be plenty of room for the battle. At least this time there would be a Siriean dome in place to protect the bridge from damage.


    The battle was already soon to begin. The Siriean dome took form the moment Jane and Liam were ready, as did the holographic text for the reward system. Jane engaged her energy scope at the same time Liam did, while assessing how well her physical body healed from the real time damage taken a while ago. Her maximum stats were still capped below one hundred percent, but not very far from that value.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Strength of Steel ~ Q-Factory</a>


    <hr>


    <Reward Spoil: 500 Credits + MP Up Spell Bomb + Endurance Booster | Battle Mode>


    <hr>


    "Let''s make this brief, shall we?" Liam didn''t mind talking a big game or showing off his flashy rich cloak in front of his opponent. The girl appeared to stand as ready as he was, and Liam immediately took it upon himself to go first with a long-range attack spell. After quickly charging energy into his hand and chanting the name at the top of his lungs, a red glyphring formed rotating around his right wrist, using the left hand to hold his long blade carefully. "Fire Blast!" Liam''s open hand fired several fire-based projectiles towards Jane without delay. He wasn''t a rookie at using magic it seemed.


    Jane saw this coming from far away regardless. Using a ranged attack against her in the form of slow moving projectiles was hardly enough to get the best of her. Jane knew that Fire Bolt spells are often fast, but thanks to all of the real time training and experiences she has had over the weeks, even her reaction timing and heightened reflexes made something as fast as Fire Bolt seem so slow. There were five of them jettisoned from the glyphring one after the next, the familiar spell of Fire Blast already registered into her mind. Jane knew the spell by coincidence. It''s the next upgrade from Triple Fire, increasing the number of used projectiles without changing the speed, damage, or other properties. It''s simply the same as using five Fire Bolt attacks in one quick moment, difficult to master yet devastating to the amount of damage it may cause. Jane was ready for it, her energy already charged up into her hands. As she threw her arms outward in a cross, she stopped her arms just in front of her with her hands open to project the magic. Instead of holding her arms all the way out to the sides, Jane wanted to try and reduce the maximum projection field to increase the power of her shielding aura.


    This surprisingly worked out very well for her. Jane''s aura activated very quickly, protecting her entire body in a magical coat that took the same shape and form as her current body position. While keeping her eyes open, Jane was able to track all five of the Fire Bolts melting away into the shield, disintegrating into heat while the hexagons formed at each impact site only to fade away within the milliseconds of time. After watching the last one fail to penetrate her aura, Jane didn''t even feel scathed or exhausted by using the shield to block out the damage. The hexagons were normal sized for her, and the lack of exhaustion meant the damage overall was much too light to break through her power shield in the first place. By the time Jane stopped projecting the energy from her hands while lowering her concentration on the power shield, the aura around her collapsed as intended, leaving Liam''s eyes wide of surprise and mystery.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Great Lysander''s edge! What an interesting defense," he exhaled calmly. Liam didn''t know yet how to overcome something as strong as that aura, nor had he been expecting the likes of some girl to hold so much defensive capabilities. Even her timing and reaction speed was legendary. While admiring his opponent''s readiness and willingness to fight, Liam was eventually met by her counterattack.


    "Ozcom''s Razor!" Jane unleashed some more of her MP energy, forming a difficult to see auric glyphring with blue and green colors hovering high overhead her target. Formed from the magical glyphring spawning matter into reality, a massive and thick blade of metal materialized above Liam''s position. Before he could react, Jane''s spell brought the blade and its hilt crashing down towards the ground at an incredible speed worthy of guessing high damage. The smash of the blade was enough to pierce through Liam''s entire physical body in the normal non-lethal way that Leray magic somehow makes certain. The hit on the cement ground carried enough force to quake the entire area even outside of the Siriean dome; Jane could feel its vibration of impact while Liam was left with incredibly painful damages in the spell.


    "Aahhhgh!" Liam''s manly cry of pain rang in the echoes of the wind, the blade''s force alone pushing him all the way into the cold ground as he struggled through the sensation of pulled muscles and sliced cuts from behind. The attack was already over, but it left a large amount of damage and physical pain in its wake. Liam realized that he could have seen it coming sooner and dodged the attack. Ozcom''s Razor is sort of a simple spell to use, dealing a high amount of non-elemental magical slashing damage and piercing damage at the same time, so it can be quite high on a power level. Then again, for those who are prepared, it can be easily evaded too. Liam soon realized that the person he was dealing with was very determined to win, likely holding back a large arsenal of powerful spells in her back.


    After pulling himself together and getting back up to his feet, Liam thought of another spell much similar to the after effects of Ozcom''s Razor, a spell that would directly counter Jane''s last spell. It would be one too quick for her to avoid or block. Before being too hasty about his movements, Liam carefully took aim with his right hand at Jane before chanting the spell. "Your effort behind the spells rings passion, so shall my skills sharpness deepen. Mize!"


    Before an attack glyphring could even be noticed around Liam''s right wrist, a bright white beam of light immediately shot through Liam''s open hand, burning a fiery hole into Jane''s left shoulder. The beam was about as evanescent as the time it took for Liam to say the name of his spell after his poetic remark, fading immediately. Despite how quick and relentless it was, Jane couldn''t stop herself from hunching down lower, holding her left shoulder in the incredible pain that the attack left behind. It felt almost as potent as the turret''s laser swipe from back in Alpha Zero, only more concentrated in this form. Jane had never heard or seen of this spell before, but she knew it was going to be a problem already. Her energy scope warned her of its damaging properties, while her burning flesh of seared nerves warned about the high chance for interruption. The piercing properties of this spell were so high to give her this much muscular pain in the centralized area.


    "Touch¨¦," Jane recalled. Both of them had a great deal of offensive capabilities, but judging from how the man was just standing in place told a lot about him to Jane. Liam must still be in the early stages of magic wielding, still a rookie without the courage to get up close and personal. Still, Jane could barely move her left arm due to the last attack. It''s as if the pain was locking up her muscle in that region, forcing her to make much less use of that arm long after the spell ended. Jane needed a game changer and fast, one that allowed her to recover her stamina. There was only one, and not a very good defense at that in general. Jane however figured she had little choice, and went with the spell to buy herself a little more time to think of a new strategy. "Gyrobreak!" Jane used her right hand as the channel of energy this time, aiming for the ground and infusing her magical spell into the environment everywhere. Though the spell would only manage to affect the persons inside of the dome shield, it was proven effective before.


    Liam was immediately thrown for a ride on his feet once the ground began shaking and twisting. The spell in question had already taken full effect, giving Liam the illusion that the entire world around him was tilting in multiple directions, taking the view of the sky and the sun with it. "Forsooth I should have made preparation for a spell prior to this catastrophe!" Liam''s voice was uneven as the world around him became twisted and turbulent. Gyrobreak is a rather effective way to get the jump on someone, and Liam assumed Jane was about to pounce. But Liam managed to keep his balance just enough to invoke a spell of his own, hopefully one that would not be disrupted by the Gyrobreak. "I trust this one will overcome this violence of nature before me. Kill Zone!" After immediately expending a ton of his own energy into the field around him, the aerial glyphring spawned above the battlefield, forming bright shimmering lights in the sky behind it.


    Jane noticed interesting red circles populating the ground throughout the entire field, circles that were even close to Liam himself. The positions seemed to be random, yet not a single one threatened to hold Jane inside of one. Eventually there were thirty-two red circles, each about 2.5 meters in diameter forming on the cement. The circles themselves seemed holographic too, something she couldn''t physically touch due to a visual magic formation of some type. When Jane again noticed the lights in the sky getting bigger, she soon realized that they were meteorites falling down from above. Not understanding the difference in the Meteor Strike spell, all Jane could do was wait while struggling to stand up straight. The Gyrobreak had both herself and Liam on the edge of their feet, unable to move less they risk falling flat on their bellies. The meteors began crashing down into the cement, immediately causing minor physical damage to the ground while exploding upon impact with very dangerous forces. Jane figured that the attack seemed random, but the red circles meant something in the end. Each meteor only landed in those red circles, never flailing off the target except for the occasional glitch in the projected direction brought on by the ongoing Gyrobreak''s quakes. Jane wasn''t surrounded by a circle to begin with, which meant she was luckily safe without having to do anything, but the loud bashing and smashing of the rocks on the cement kept her from thinking clearly about what to do next.


    Eventually the meteors stopped coming down, making Liam''s Kill Zone area attack effectively useless. It''s supposed to be a much more improved version of Meteor Strike, with the cost of giving away the position of each hit to the opponent ahead of time. Because of this cost, damage is improved immensely upon impact. Unfortunately for Liam, he used a lot of MP energy for nothing in the end.


    Jane wasn''t about to stand there and do nothing, but she didn''t have a realistic plan other than trying to go with another physical attack. Her left shoulder still hurt like hell, but it became less stiff in the time it took for the Gyrobreak to end. She would have to ignore the pain and go with it, requiring that arm for other purposes in battle. "Splicing Vengeance!" Jane puled both daggers for each hand out of the hidden pockets in her battle suit, holding them up high to prepare herself for the sprint. While infusing magical energy into each blade and her own two legs, Jane lunged at Liam with a normally impossible speed. With magic supporting her leg movements and speeding up her body movement to match that of an elemental projectile attack, Jane quickly got close range to Liam''s position, stopping at the last moment. While putting her force from the sprint into her blades, Jane unleashed the slash, slicing each arm around her front for a double strike against Liam''s chest. Because of the magical infusion in the daggers themselves, Jane knew ahead of time the damage would not be too light.


    Liam felt the stinging burn of dagger slashes protrude just above his stomach, enough to stop him momentarily. He saw Jane jump away and walk backwards to retain her distance from him, while Liam was left with only a high sense of impression on his opponent''s random style. Jane doesn''t have many weaknesses. She doesn''t stick to one type of attack or damage style, and her defense is nearly impenetrable. It was now that Liam realized that he needed a game changer of his own. Immediately driven by the idea of making his target hallucinate and trip out for a good period of time, Liam charged up energy for his next spell, making his hand glow with a very dark blue color before he could chant the name of his attack. "I cast thee down to you! Dark Node!"


    Jane sensed something coming her way quickly, and reacted with instinct to put another power shield around her body. In the very moment Jane''s shield aura formed around her, she could already see hexagons suddenly spawning from the front without even noticing anything else in particular happening around her.


    "Hindered am I by bad luck!" Liam didn''t expect that shield trick to happen so fast. Jane must have been protected even from non-damaging spells like this one. Dark Node is hard to learn, harder to land on opponents due to its incredible reputation of low accuracy. Wielders have to be a perfect aim with the spell for it to work, firing a totally invisible beam of energy that disorients the target for several moments. While Jane didn''t see the actual light from the spell hit her shield, she was still protected anyway. Liam wasn''t fully certain that a power shield could do that until now, and after witnessing the shield drop around her again, Liam realized he was in for an upcoming attack.


    Jane lowered her shield again, failing to understand what sort of invisible attack Liam tried to use against her. Keeping to her long-range tactics, Jane infused more energy into herself, creating another glow of magical fluctuation in her hands. With their red radiant glow, Jane''s actions released the magic and its light into her next spell. "Star of Darkness!" While immediately creating a red circle on the ground to trap Liam inside of the draining spell attack, Liam glanced around himself in all directions.


    Remaining wary of his environment, Liam reacted impulsively to rush his legs in any direction for as far as they could possibly take him. Hoping to avoid getting stuck inside of the circle of a spell he had been familiar with before, Liam tried to evade the attack entirely. Any user of Star of Darkness cannot change the physical location of their Star of Darkness circle after it begins to draw into the ground. In other words, should Liam escape in time, the entire spell would be useless to Jane and a waste of energy.


    "Nagh!" Jane flustered. Liam managed to run away in time. By the time the red star formed on the ground inside of its own circle, Liam already exited from the confines of the circle, long before the draining could actually take effect. The spell continued going on, for it was difficult and time consuming just to put an end to her spell as it was. While draining the life force out of nothing, Jane was basically wasting her energy now, trying to shut off the spell early. Simply moving her arms or hands wasn''t enough to defuse the total casting of the spell. At the same time, Liam had a great window of opportunity to counterattack.


    "Now brigand! You leave yourself vulnerable and open. Succumb to my power! Shotgun Blast!" Liam immediately went with a quick and efficient spell, hoping to hit Jane before she even have a free hand. After using another yellow glyphring to spawn a gun into Liam''s right hand, he took aim at Jane and fired three times in a row, not standard for the weaker version of a spell.


    After being slammed by several hot photons that acted like the slug round of speeding shotgun bullets, Jane managed to get her hands in front of her and project another shield aura. Only this time the aura did not surround and protect her entire body. By mistake, Jane only formed a small phase wall in front of her, blocking out only the third wave of Shotgun Blast photon shells. The projectiles bounced off the aura, soon to destroy the aura without doing any more damage to Jane.


    This time, Jane was almost as surprised as Liam with the way she used her shield. It was then that she remembered that in rare circumstances could Jane sometimes invoke a power shield that isn''t actually complete in its usual form, though just as effective in damage cancellation. It costs less MP energy, and invokes faster, but protects for a less amount of time and damage while only blocking attacks in a directional wall formation too. There wasn''t much Jane did particularly different to make it happen. All she wanted to do was protect herself by instinct, making that little display a complete accident and mystery.


    Of course, now it was her turn to attack again. Jane thought of all the amazing spells out there she could choose from. Not all of the high damaging powerful magic skills needed to be area attacks. One in particular had an amazing effect to one single glyphring, and made for very fun practice on her part. Preparing herself by stepping forward a little more and aiming carefully using only her eyes, Jane unleashed a massive amount of MP energy in a single instant, creating a colorful glyphring in front of her body, not bound to her physical presence at all. "Time to attack with Prism!" Getting it right more than once before, Jane had confidence that Liam would struggle with this spell too. As the multi-colored holographic disk slowly rotated in front of Jane horizontally aiming its center towards the intended target, Jane begun the long Prism combination barrage with a Fire Bolt. Jane''s arm movements enabled her to literally throw the Fire Bolt with a swinging toss to the other side, right through the center of the special glyphring. Jane threw another Fire Bolt at Liam from the left arm, and continued this wave of arm movements for the rest of the combination while mixing up the elemental attacks.


    Liam was unable to dodge the wave of elemental bolts slamming into him, and the sight of several more to come had Liam too terrified and shocked to react defensively. Jane''s third throw was an Ice Bolt, after which she shot a short lived Thunderbolt from her hand, striking Liam''s body with electricity long before the Ice Bolt exploded in the same place. Jane then followed up the rest of the long combination with Thunderbolt, Fire Bolt, two Thunderbolts, Ice Bolt, Fire Bolt, Ice Bolt, Thunderbolt, Fire Bolt, and Thunderbolt in that particular order. Jane''s execution of each attack in the way she used them looked absolutely amazing from the passive observers on the outside. Danny and Taylor were stunned by the spell Jane just invoked, and how incredibly effective it was for the use of one single glyphring. Putting that spell alone together with some of Jane''s other previously used attacks, they both came to one immediate conclusion. Jane is a badass in battle.


    It had been a long time for Liam since any single attack used against him caused more than 30% health loss in one match. Liam however was hurting too badly to admire Jane''s potential. The Fire Bolts all had his skin burning, while the Ice Bolts chilled his body too much for comfort, and the Thunderbolt all had his skin tingling in a sensation that was painful instead of numbing. Sensing that he had already bitten off more than he could chew, Liam desperately tried to recover from the devastating attack that plundered him. He had a few more ideas left to try, but Jane would need to be tied up in order to land a single hit with anything. Finally lifting his sword for some real use, Liam prepared to slash the open air with the invocation of more magical energy. The fight isn''t over yet.


    "So you''ve chosen to fight the hard way. Rotation!" he bellowed. Liam used his blade in order to create the swirling wind that soon turned into a full sized Whirlwind attack. Though forming in front of him in a mobile form, Liam made certain that Jane saw the Rotation twister heading her way before charging up additional MP energy.


    Jane witnessed this spell before in the battle against Mayza not too long ago. This is Whirlwind upgraded in form twice, in that the spell Twister is the second tier of the spell. With Liam out of sight, the high speed swirling winds, which had more visibility that what would normally be seen outside of a Leray zone, formed into a large twister threatening to swallow Jane up whole. As quickly as she could, Jane invoked another power shield around her entire body, realizing that the slashing attacks kept in the Rotation field could hit her body from any direction or location. With the field around herself in the nick of time, Jane had to wait out the lengthy tornado attack of wind elemental slashing damage until it finally disappeared. Because of how long it took to fade away, Jane had no choice but to put down her shielding aura due to time, dropping her projection and her arms with it.


    With Jane now visible again and vulnerable, Liam knew what happened, as well as what would happen next. He didn''t let up the attacks, expecting the exact moment to play out in his head the way he had predicted. "Tri-Attack!" Liam immediately forced a sub machine gun to form in his right hand, already prepared to fire the weapon. Liam emptied his entire clip aimed at Jane, and all she could do is take it by surprise. Because of the Rotation attack blocking the view of Liam''s next action, Jane wasn''t going to expect another spell just after Rotation ended. Liam was counting on it, and Jane played right into that hand. Realizing he now held an upper hand, Liam continued his random combination while Jane was taking slight damage from the bullets and rounds that shot from the gun. Liam dropped the gun immediately in order to swap to his next combination.


    Like a few others, Liam was one to use Tri-Attack in the form of a Tri-Cast spell combination, making the spells invoked less predictable and confusing for the opponent. "Magical Blitz!" Without slowing down for a moment, Liam launched two energy balls from his hand towards Jane, just as the bullet barrage towards her ended, and before the projectiles were even prone to slam her in the face, Liam charged up more energy in an additional chant for the final attack spell. "Flamethrower!"


    Jane could hear the type of attacks being used against her, and though the barrage of painful bullets got the best of her, the recovery from the painful bruising afterwards was just as instant. Jane bounced back just as two quick flying blue energy balls from a Magical Blitz spell were on their way to hit her. Shielding would take too long and use up too much energy. Liam was adapting to use her own shield already. Reacting on speed and natural skill, Jane managed to turn this around yet again. Pulling both daggers in less than a split-second, Jane slashed upwards at the air, aiming for the projected path of each energy sphere. She had to time this a bit early, since the projectiles move at a speed nearly untraceable to most. Though she was sworn to hit nothing with her blade, Jane''s dagger ended up cutting the Magical Blitz projectile in half, effectively canceling the attack altogether. Jane had to slash the other projectile with her other free dagger just a micro-moment after, since the Magical Blitz attack was used in consecutive movements.


    Jane wasn''t reacting by plan anymore, simply playing this by ear and instinct. She became much better at quick decisions and reactions, but after disarming the Magical Blitz attack, Jane had to quickly come up with a way to counter the upcoming Flamethrower spell. Just as the beam of fire made its way through Liam''s glyphring, Jane did the same with a counterattack. "Ice Beam!" Ice beam is a rare ice attack with moderate damage dealing potential, but is designed to function in a beam, much the same way of Flamethrower. Instead, Jane aimed for the ground in front of her, spraying a concentrated gush of air from her hands to quickly form a freezing wall in front of her.


    In the instant Liam noticed Jane''s random intervention with the Magical Blitz and the Flamethrower attack, there were not even words he could use to fully comprehend how it was even possible. Jane used the freezing winds of a fully concentrated ice beam to cool down the oncoming Flamethrower towards her. It barely worked at all, but Liam''s beam of fire suddenly extinguished in midair just before it came to pour on Jane''s body. Just like that, his entire Tri-Attack was made effectively useless. Though it did seem as if Jane''s MP energy was well spent already, and her health did go down just a tiny bit from the bullet barrage at the beginning of his Tri-Attack. The strategy was not flawed, but Jane was too quick for it anyway. How is she doing that?!


    Still, without the time to plan a good skill run, Jane simply went with anything that felt right or complemented by excessive magical potential. Using the daggers already in her hands, she tired an attack that would actually reach Liam. Jane was already amazed! His magical power wasn''t bad for a beginner, but he still lacked firsthand experience, and that spoke volumes about the rest of this entire battle for her. "Armor Breaker!" Jane infused magic into her daggers in an instant, spinning after a jump to throw the blades with as much force as she could. The spinning blades managed to reach Liam in no time, too quick for him to even duck down his head. Surprisingly, the slice barely touched his health, and the pain level was too low to make him flinch for more than half a second.


    The attack stung for but a second, the blades now fading behind him to return to Jane. It really didn''t hurt at all, and Liam suddenly began to wonder if the fault belonged to Jane alone. "That''s all you''ve got mage? Powering down are we?"


    Jane understood the mistake shortly after the insult, realizing that Armor Breaker is a spell that only works correctly against armored targets. Liam and Jane are both wearing suits and cloaks that don''t have any slashing or blunt damage protection attached to them. Armor Breaker deals a low amount of damage if used against unarmored targets. Jane should have known! But the usage only drained a tiny fraction of her remaining MP reserves with plenty more to spare. "I wouldn''t underestimate me if I were you. Had enough yet?"


    Declining the polite offer to give up and back down, Liam returned his confident vigor back to Jane while charging up a ton of his remaining energy into his personal aura. It wasn''t invisible to anybody else, for his MP was draining quickly on the energy scope hovering above him. "Nay! I think it is you who has underestimated me. You''re mistake shall bare punishment! It is time to share your wealth! Mega-Flare!" Invoking one of the most common powerful spells known around Sprawn Valley, Liam fired his light screen attack into the field, producing a blinding light that hid everything in sight from outside of the dome shield. As soon as the light screen began to run its course of intense heat and damage upon Jane, Liam felt himself weaken immensely, using up most of his remaining energy reserves to throw in such a powerful attack.


    Jane''s eyes hurt, though her body hurt much more with the intense burning sensations everywhere on her skin. Unable to shield herself in time due to the quick invocation of Liam''s Mega-Flare attack, Jane was hit by the full force of the area attack, remembering once again how powerful something so simple and common can be. As soon as the light faded, Jane''s damage was tallied into the results of her energy scope. She tried to recover her strength and wits as she read back to herself the results.


    Still faring better statistically against Liam, Jane didn''t let her own determined confidence falter, and after realizing how okay she still was to battle, it wasn''t long at all when Liam realized the error of his mistake. He had poured all of his magical energy into one single attack, hoping to do a full blow on Jane''s health. Despite her natural defense being lowered by her hidden mark, even a full blast of Mega-Flare wasn''t going to drop her health from 65% to zero in one hit, especially with all of the new training under her belt. Jane had been preparing for moments like these, making sure to account for every detail about herself and her enemy before making a calculated decision. Much of her choices have been random up until now. With Jane withholding much remaining health and energy, Liam was at a severe disadvantage now, and likely unwilling to give up the match.


    Jane smirked in her smug new plan to defeat Liam with an honorable test of strength. "Brilliant!" she cast. "You spent all your energy hoping to get me on one try? And you made sure I wasn''t going to have a good time dodging."


    Liam gulped before his response. He knew of his own disadvantage by now, but was proud that Jane recognized his true power. The error alone was on him now. "It''s good to know my skills are recognized before I pay for my own mistakes."


    "Now it''s my turn," Jane announced. If Liam wants to try one hit knockout spells, then she might as well indulge the behavior. "Good luck dodging this. Redemption!" While immediately throwing every tick of energy she had out from her own aura, Jane cast a beautiful beam of vertical shining light from above, a beam that moved in towards Liam. The beam then split up into five smaller vertical beams of itself, making an incredible winding up sound while spiraling all over the field in Liam''s direction. The pitch in the noise continued to climb, the energy enough to cause anyone''s ears to miss no single moment. Jane nearly forgot that her friends have never seen a Redemption attack used before. Jane didn''t like the spell too much, since it was a risky move for using up all of a person''s MP to make it happen, but the end result is strikingly powerful. Jane always loved the odd pitch in the noise of the spell increase quickly while the spirals of light drilled through the battlefield. Liam was doomed to a terrible fate. The beams of light have no homing properties locked-on him, but due to their spiraling motions and fixed movements, tracking their destination paths is an impossible task. Before Liam could deem himself safe, the beam of light from his left side and another from behind him happened to intersect together in the exact spot he was standing. The beams of light carried an odd sense of physical force, pushing him in a single direction while dealing so much damage at once that he began to weaken to nothing in less than a conscious moment. Liam was suddenly out of it just like that, falling to the ground due to his immediate incapacitation to the battle. The beams of light faded shortly after, but according to the invisible Leray system tracking the results of the battle, it was decided rather quickly that Liam was the loser of the battle.


    After hearing Liam''s insult, Jane planned to use Redemption. It has the same sense of risk that his Mega-Flare had in that particular use. Jane expended all of her remaining energy, hoping to wipe Liam out in one single spell. It was a direct opposition of magical strength by type and spell power level, as well as the skill it took just to learn the skill. Jane came out victorious, realizing that with or without this crest on her hand, she was literally more powerful than Liam by her own default standards. As she had been monitoring her own crest the entire time battling on Route 787, Jane hadn''t noticed the light from her hand glowing one single time, nor did she feel the familiar sensation. She didn''t need to call for her crest, nor did it think to call itself in for the fear of Jane''s own life. Without having to power up even once using that mark, Jane was victorious in two normal battles in a row.


    <hr>


    <Reward: Jane ~ 500 Credits + MP Up Spell Bomb + Endurance Booster | Real Time Mode>


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: The Night Air of Umma ~ Aquascape</a>


    <hr>


    In the same instant the Siriean dome disappeared automatically, Jane came to the conclusion on her own. "I won!" She sounded more shocked than excited. Her arms and hands were shaking nervously from the physical stress and suspense of the battle. This battle wasn''t as difficult as the first one on this bridge, though it was much more demanding of her attention, much more stressful for her mind. "I actually won!"


    "That was amazing Jane!" Taylor praised. They both ignored Liam as he was unconscious on the ground behind Jane, since that was a normal result for after a battle. "But I''m not surprised you won with that cool spell." Watching Jane fight like that was in itself an incredible moment. Taylor witnessed a few battles on her way to Lennith City, and only momentarily. Just like it used to be before Jane was marked, she still finds such creative ways of fighting in unpredictable actions. The scene itself nearly had her frozen by awe.


    Jane turned around quickly, realizing that Danny and Taylor were still here. They must not have any real idea yet. "I didn''t even have to use my symbol. I''m naturally better than Liam, and that girl from before; Mayza."


    "That''s... Good?" Danny paused in confusion, unable to read Jane''s current emotion. Jane was quick to spell it out for him.


    "Are you kidding? I''m already on the right track now. If I can fight like that without relying on this stupid tattoo," Jane raised the top of her right hand to gesture what she meant by the mark, "then beating the champion is in the realm of possibility."


    Taylor comforted Jane''s confidence while it was lasting, and she didn''t believe her to be wrong either. "Nobody''s doubting you Jane." Taylor tried to read Danny''s thought about it now, realizing he was already distracted by something else.


    "Man," Danny emphasized. "That Liam guy got destroyed!" Liam just laid there unconscious, his energy scope soon to disperse on its own. Jane was already fiddling with her supply sphere to pull out another healing orb.


    The new items she just won were transferred automatically into her personal supply sphere by design. Jane realized that she could take the new MP and Defense Booster and give it to her friends, which is what she did while addressing Danny''s evaluation of her own skill level. "I wonder if you still think you alone can beat me."


    Jane did have a point. Danny hadn''t realized Jane was this powerful with Leray magic already, and to think that before they left Tilsit Port, Jane''s magical capabilities seemed to remain limited. She was right about her defense being lowered all along, and not one of them listened to her until it was too late. One thing was for sure; Jane was going to be the victor against Danny should they have a battle right now. "I''m afraid I''ll need more training first," he applied. "But one of these days Jane, symbol or no symbol, I''ll beat you in a match at least once."


    Jane giggled at the thought. Danny is still so hell bent on officially defeating her in a Leray match. It''s even driving him to want to train further, a friendly rivalry that was meant to exist in Sprawn Valley amongst many Leray wielders. Trying to limit her giggling response, Jane replied, "I won''t make it easy just because we''re friends." Jane allowed her comment to sink in while creating an unfamiliar blue beam from the energy sphere to the spell bomb boosters she obtained, then giving them to Danny and Taylor evenly.


    Danny acknowledged, "I wouldn''t bet on it." He accepted the orb in hand with Taylor from Jane, after which he turned towards the bikes they had all parked at the side of the rail, noticing virtually nobody else around except for one or two people in the far distance. Danny held out the defense orb Jane gave to him, and tried to use it. Unfortunately for him, nothing was happening with the device.


    Jane noticed Danny''s failed attempt to activate the orb, but did not judge him for failing to understand. "It probably needs to be activated in a battle. Not all the booster orbs are like that, but it seems this one is. It''s a type of spell bomb."


    "Mine''s like that too," Taylor announced behind them. Jane gave her the MP boosting spell bomb, as it too requires activation during a legitimate battle. It''s one of the more interesting ways in which criminals cannot profit off of most stolen property. If a known spell bomb or orb is activated in battle, it registers on a digital trace to hunters who track down the stolen goods. This is why if somebody reports their loot stolen, and another uses that item, hunters can be on the scene in no time. Then again, not all security systems like this are perfect, and there is still the apparent matter of forcing battles upon others to consider.


    "What a shame." Danny put the orb into his pocket, not even caring for the use of his supply sphere. Jane uses that device too often, a mess since she cannot always bring out the supply sphere during a legal battle most of the time. Though it seemed to him that Jane was getting all of the action lately.


    "You''ll get your chance to battle again soon." Jane sounded so reassuring, faithful that everything is going to work out. "Even if we don''t get into another multi-battle, there is always people in Eldora looking to spar with others."


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right."


    "Then that settles it," Jane called. After briefly looking all around her to estimate the time of day, it still seemed to be early, but the sun was much further down on the horizon. It wouldn''t be more than two hours before sundown. They had to at least be getting closer to Eldora. "Let''s get going. It will be sunset soon."


    Following her lead, Danny and Taylor mounted back onto their bikes, leaving Liam to his pitiful fate. Taylor prepared to embark on the path again, trusting Jane''s sense of direction and time, but it was already getting much colder in the air. She already began to regret forgetting to buy a jacket while in Lennith City, but it has been a warm winter thus far. The wind was already picking up before she thought about pedaling forward, brushing all of that breeze in her face. It still felt amazing, the smell of ocean water bringing the area to life, but it was also giving her goose bumps. Taylor didn''t want to complain right now, for it was still going to be a long ride.

 Chapter 39-D: Battle Streak (Part 2 ~ Jane VS Gustos)

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 19:12 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    Remembering the exact day of today being February the 10<sup>th</sup> on a Thursday, Taylor repeated the date over and over in her head, still having no effective way of keeping track of time. She learned of the day after arriving in Lennith, and had to calculate the rest from there to now. Despite the time gap between the Tidal Max and right now, it felt like so much has happened. They continued cycling down the same road for another fifteen minutes or so with little to talk about. Taylor shut her eyes halfway, trying to rest herself on the vehicle as it coasted on the even cement behind her friends. Today was already tiring, and the bone chilling air wasn''t helping her feel any more comfortable.


    Danny could feel the same changes in the wind, though it didn''t bother him at all. The air was cold, though it was equally welcoming and easy to breath. While cycling steadily to the side of her, Danny risked another stare at his new girlfriend. The way Taylor''s face was glowing from the yellow tinted sunlight was breath taking. Danny had never given this enough thought to begin with. Asking her out suddenly felt like an impulsive and random thing to do, something that needed more thought ahead of time, but he didn''t have the nerve to try and go back on the decision, nor was it easy to determine why he wanted this in the first place. Taylor isn''t bad looking at all, but they have been best friends for a long time.


    Danny allowed himself to get lost in his own thoughts with his eyes fixed in place. It''s not like anything terrible happened between them before. It was much the opposite at all times. Danny could easily coax himself into flirting with pretty women of which he knew nothing of, but Taylor just isn''t one of those people. Is that right? No. Perhaps it has something do with how long they''ve known each other. The relationship alone would be more delicate and sensitive. If Danny does even just one thing out of balance to Taylor, or says the wrong words after tonight, she could really get hurt and upset. Saying something mean or nasty to someone you don''t even know is easy, but trying to be good and perfect to a person you''ve known all your life can be difficult in itself. Danny figured that it could be the reason why his heart rate was still pumped the entire time from the thought of her now.


    "Stop cycling!" Danny slammed on the breaks to his bike after his demand, getting the others in front of him to follow along in his immediate decision. The breaks were powerful enough to create the sheering noise of skid marks all over the pavement, the wheels drawing black shavings of rubber like chalk to the floor. Taylor appeared to be slow even in this reaction. Before Jane could turn around and figure out what the fuss was about, Danny got off of his bike and went towards Taylor to inspect her.


    "What''s this all about?" Jane complained with her hands up in the air.


    After everyone stopped including Taylor, Danny dismounted and held Taylor''s arm, feeling just how cold her body temperature had gotten. She had on but a T-shirt and a tight thin dress, and was therefore not properly clothed for a cold day with bicycles. He noticed the change in her a moment ago, and stopped everyone to make sure his senses were not off. Taylor wasn''t out of it, but it was very obvious that she didn''t really want to move anymore. Her body was shivering in the response, struggling to keep itself warm any way it was able to. Danny knew what was going on, and though he didn''t try to make such a big deal out of a small issue, his first state of mind was making sure Taylor was safe and warm. "Taylor, your freezing! Didn''t you bring a coat or something?"


    "I''m f-f-f-fine!"


    Denying that she sounded close to fine, Danny reached for his supply sphere, forcing him to invoke a tiny fraction of magic just to pull it out from phase space. The sphere hovered in midair until fully formed, after which Danny caught the device in both hands. He opened the sphere, displaying tiny holographic icons forming the outline shape of whatever object was compressed inside of the magical sphere. Danny chose the large jacket he had not been wearing for the trip, since the cold wasn''t nearly enough to bother him. After selecting the coat, the material formed in real space just as the sphere did a moment ago, creating a blue aura around the object until it fully materialized in front of him. Danny caught the jacket in his free hand, allowing the supply sphere to shut and phase out on its own while he opened the fabric up to make it easier to equip. No wonder she is so cold; Taylor is naturally on the skinny side, and there is no chance of her warming up any other way in this open weather.


    Taylor didn''t get off her bike, but she could see what Danny was up to. Instead of arguing that she was okay for a second time, Taylor put both arms behind her to help Danny get the coat around her. Just as the jacket of fur encased her entire torso with a few more gentle tugs, Taylor felt an amazing rush of warmth now steaming inside of the coat, remembering that all objects trapped inside of supply spheres keep their current thermal energy from the moment before they were placed inside. This means that Danny beamed the object inside just after taking it off in Lennith city, encasing his warmth inside for days afterwards. Taylor quickly used the frontal zipper to close the front of the jacket, and brushed her arms together. It was unbelievable how warm the jacket was in this cold area, but she was still left wanting more every second she stood still.


    "I won''t need it today, so you can borrow this until we get to Eldora. I''ll buy you a better one once there."


    "Thank you." Taylor felt so much more comfortable now, and her mind was finally able to focus. The freezing air now failed to affect her except for her legs and face. Danny was still sort of hovering to the side of her, wondering how well she was feeling. That alone brought a warm blush in her cheeks. Danny was never this aware of her before, proving to herself again how much he has changed in the little time just being here. But was that really the case all along? Did this dream world of a magical land contribute to Danny''s change into this whole other person, or was he like this towards her all the time? Maybe she was just imagining things.


    The thought didn''t matter right now, for Taylor was entranced in the warming feeling brought on by the jacket and by the thought that it belongs to Danny. The intense smell of the feathers stained to the fabric belongs to him, as does the heat inside. She kept her eyes shut, hoping this moment could last much longer. Taylor began brushing her face against the side of her long sleeves, feeling for the texture.


    If Danny didn''t know any better, he would have thought that Taylor lost it by now. "Are you sure you''re okay?" Taylor doesn''t always do so well in cold weather, and it might be making her delirious.


    His question alone caught Taylor off guard, bringing her back to reality. Oh no! Had she really been acting that intense about having Danny''s jacket right in front of him? "Uh, yeah! I''m fine!" Barely managing to fake a smile, Taylor tried to dissolve any hints to Danny how crazy she felt about him lately.


    Danny shook his head casually. Women. They always have some weird obsession about their boyfriend''s jackets. He never took Taylor to be one of those types, but it wasn''t much to complain about in comparison to some other negative traits some people have. He never had such great luck hitting on others. Half of them had something big of baggage making the idea not worth getting involved, but Taylor is just a free spirit, someone who wants to live out a good life and avoid the one back home. He still found her history hard to believe, that a royal organization from a kingdom that isn''t even supposed to be in charge of their third-world home wants to recruit Taylor to be one of their assistants. To Taylor, the replacement word slave rung louder in both ears, and he had no choice but to believe how fearful she was about it. It has to be true given her reactions!


    "You''ve gotta be kidding me." Jane knew that trying to speed this up wasn''t going to be easy, and she rested her face into her hand nodding in the stress. It was the light crowd of people around her that Jane wasn''t happy to see. The ones heading back towards Lennith were already past them, walking alone out of range to even think of forcing any one of them to battle. But the people standing behind Jane, thus on the way to Eldora City seemed as suspicious as their usual bunch. None of the civilians there looked like battlers, except for Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Muscles prancing up the road. Both of them were moving very slowly, scanning the nearby area for potential weaklings. Why do strong looking people always pick fights with people that don''t look as tough?


    With the thought already gone, Jane was getting nervous and impatient. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to battle at all, but because of how late the day was getting, it already seemed impossible on its own that they were going to locate Eldora before the sun goes down completely. If there was anything she had learned so far, it''s that stopping makes her an easy target for hungry challengers. "I don''t mean to break up your cute moment, but we need to get moving."


    Feeling warm and refreshed so quickly, Taylor soon regained all of her senses, for before she simply got lost in her thoughts while the cold kept them infinite. As Taylor glanced towards Jane to take note of her growing concern, she noticed a big guy walking directly for her from behind. It wasn''t clear what it was about, but Taylor jumped off her bike and tried to rush towards Jane in fear that he meant harm!


    "You folks lost now?"


    Jane stiffened, realizing that there may be a reason why Danny and Taylor looked so nervous suddenly. The impossible deep voice hung in breath just down Jane''s neck, and she carefully swept herself around to confront the man who tried to sneak up behind her. "What''s it to you?" Jane sounded aggressive on purpose, hinting that she wanted no such trouble. Though much to her surprise, it wasn''t just any ordinary man. It was Mr. Muscles, one of the people she classified by nickname while judging the way he looked and dressed. Sherlock didn''t seem to be around anymore, but this big guy was. Standing about three times the size of any average male, and holding muscles that shouted in everyone''s face how powerful his fitness was, the large man introduced himself with his low voice while Jane dismounted from the bike.


    "Ptheh!" he spat. "Nothing but wimpy little children on this bridge. I''m looking for a challenge!" Shouting in his last sentence to hope somebody else nearby could hear him, the man was met with a rather awkward silence for several long seconds. "Is nobody here strong enough to face me?!"


    Is everyone on Route 787 a weirdo? Talk about walking clich¨¦s. Jane had to consider the facts. First, she fought against a group of people in a multi-battle, then trained someone how to fight, but then there was that Liam guy, who didn''t seem like he was even from planet Earth. And now this guy... "Well you won''t find one here," Jane stated calmly. "Now if you don''t mind, we''re on our way to Eldora." If Jane pretends to be a novice, this guy should leave them alone. His demanding attitude said this much.


    "It''s too bad you weren''t any stronger. I grow tired of easy wins."


    Jane didn''t want to deal with this man right now, but after being called an easy win by some dude who isn''t as intimidating as he appears to be, there was nearly no way to stop her from arguing with the facts she was supposed to be hiding in the first place. "You should watch your judgment carefully. The next time you consider someone to be an easy win, it may be your last words."


    The man turned towards Jane just as she turned towards him. In his eyes, it was a challenge with words at the least. "Big talk for some small girl."


    "I''ll have you know I''m sixteen, and I''m not some kind of weakling." Jane knew without checking her back that Danny and Taylor were both standing behind her, giving Jane signals to immediately stop talking before getting involved in another Leray fight, but Jane couldn''t help it. There are just too many people in the world who think they can bully others into battles, or make them feel weaker than they really are. She''ll have the last word any moment now, and this idiot will learn his place! "If you think that a six pack is good enough to match others in a Leray battle, you''re sadly mistaken."


    "You want to prove it to my face," he challenged. "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves now. I''ll need proof upfront that you''re even in my own league, because I only bet very high steaks."


    "I don''t need to defeat you just to prove my point." Jane hoped that her argument alone would deter the decision for an entire battle, since the man was already bringing one up. "But I don''t have sufficient time to challenge you."


    "What a pitiful excuse to turn down a challenge. I knew you were weak hearted, but this is expected. Nobody stands up to Gustos."


    Jane, Danny, and Taylor all jumped nervously at the name. "Gustos?!" Jane repeated it aloud in a surprised tone.


    "I know right," he added. "Sounds worthy of high praise. Building these muscles and abs took hard work after all."


    Before saying another word, Jane pulled the daggers from her suit''s hidden pockets, changing her stance immediately and aiming her blades towards the man. "You''re Gustos? You''re the man who attacked Cass back there?"


    "Attacked Cass?" Gustos held his chin for a brief moment to try and recall what the name belonged too. "Oh right! You mean that sad excuse for a Leray challenger. Yeah, I didn''t go easy on her, but that''s doing her a favor. A person who can''t fight well enough shouldn''t deserve a license so early."


    Danny and Taylor both crept up to Jane''s sides, prepared to defend each other against Cass''s attacker. Taylor was about as furious as Jane was right now, letting out her anger with the reminder of truth. "It''s people like you that give legitimacy a tainted description. I get that Cass lost her battle, but you didn''t have to force one upon her!"


    "Force?"


    "Don''t play dumb with us!" Jane raised one dagger closer to the man''s face, not even fearful that he was nearly twice her size in height and bulk. "You''re the one who challenged her over and over until she had no choice but to accept, and despite that, you took a large amount of funds from her card as well."


    "Oh give me a break!" Gustos didn''t sound apologetic in the least. "She had a choice. That girl could have declined three times every fifteen minutes and taken the suspension she deserved in order to get tougher. Besides, I won those credits fair and square. I doubt you''ll be able to turn me in to a single Leray agent with a valid complaint."


    Jane knew that with the legal bullshit leaking out everywhere - Gustos really was immune to the law as it may be, but it didn''t change the fact that he cheated someone who barely even knew how to battle, and he was about to do it again. "You call out tough challengers looking for something good to fight, and yet you turn around and take from the weak because it''s easy. The way I see it," Jane replied, "you''re the real weakling here."


    "You would dare raise those grasshopper blades to my face and bad talk me?!"


    Jane was happy that Gustos was getting this angry, because it gave her the perfect excuse for a battle. It would normally be a waste of time, but this right here is the best chance to teach this guy a lesson, perhaps even get some of that money back. After all, Cass had her funds returned. Jane and her friends were now the ones running on empty because of it. "The strong stand up for the weak in order to help them progress the very same. They don''t leach off of others in order to keep them in their place. You want a challenge?" she threatened. "I''ll give you a challenge!"


    Upon raising her voice with all of that hate and anger, Jane''s right hand began to glow with a powerful blue color. Luckily, her suit blocked out much more of that light than anyone realized, and so it helped to completely hide the shape and form of the burning crest on the top of her hand. Just by getting angry, Jane''s symbol had activated once again outside of her control, giving her an edge before the battle could even begin to take place. "I''ll even give you your high steaks. Nine thousand credits!"


    "To beat up some mosquito, it''s a deal!" Gustos had agreed, and so the Siriean dome was soon to form around them.


    "Get behind me you two!" Jane was talking to Danny and Taylor, making sure they did not get caught up in the battle itself. Gustos was standing right before her, and luckily eager to battle. Jane knew she wasn''t going to need her glowing symbol to win, but at least it had restored her stats behind the scenes, healing her even more before getting started. After her friends were out of range, the Siriean dome formed around them with a good radius. Though they questioned why Jane would even consider battling alone and legitimately like this; perhaps she was to prove a point. Jane Venn and Gustos took several steps backwards to begin the fight at long range, after which the holographic reward system showed its text for a brief moment in the center of the field. Following that was the formation of the energy scope over Jane and Gustos.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Overpowered ~ Phantom Power</a>


    <hr>


    <Reward Spoil: >2300 Credits< >9000 Credits< | Battle Mode>


    <hr>


    Hyped up by her anger, Jane decided she was going to go first, charging some of her energy to prepare for a long-range spell. Gustos may very well be physically strong, but there was no way his magic could hold up against her own. "Triple Fire!" Jane''s glyphring formed just as she began to shoot three Fire Bolts consecutively through her glyphring. The projectiles all flew with amazing speed in the air, prone to slam into Gustos'' large body. Instead of dodging or counterattacking, Gustos simply stood there, using both of his mighty arms to guard the front of his body. The fire spheres all slammed into that spot too by coincidence, exploding for damage, but by the looks of it, Gustos wasn''t even fazed by the entire attack. He blocked it out very well with a skill of stance and proper form.


    "This will be fun," Gustos taunted. After spinning his arms around in place as a gesture of stretching, Gustos prepared an attack of his own, making sure Jane would not see it coming in time. The target was standing still, just waiting to dodge. Gustos used that to evaluate the effectiveness of his next potential move, and while charging energy into his right fist, he slammed his hand into the concrete of the cement with enough force to slightly crack the road. "Shadow Wave!" he chanted with his ground assault. His method of hitting the ground with his hand was a unique way of distributing the Leray energy into a common spell known as Shadow Wave.


    Jane had seen several Shadow Waves before. It''s a simple magical attack bound to the floor that deals a fair amount of damage to unarmored targets, and though its dark essence makes it difficult to see with the naked eye, Jane knew its speed and size already. Jane knew she had her own type of protection, and wasted no time at all in exploiting her hidden powers. "Power Shield!" she yelled. Jane rarely needed to ever chant the name of her personal shielding aura, but doing so helped her focus in a pinch. After having charged up the necessary energy in both her hands and crossing her arms out to project the aura, Jane''s body once again became coated with a transparent bright-blue aura of protection. The Shadow Wave that slammed into the aura shortly after only left several hundred large hexagons at the base of Jane''s aura, generating more of those energy reflection and anti-aura noises from attack damage done to the shield.


    Jane was holding up nicely, dropping her aura the moment the hostile spell was already over. Gustos could not believe it. Her health stats did not change at all. He knew what blocking was all about, but this particular method was not familiar to him in the slightest. Jane was just as prepared to immediately send a counterattack his way too, forcing Gustos to try and block again for whatever new spell might be coming his way.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Armor Breaker!" Jane''s daggers were already glowing with a powerful red outline of damaging auras, her spell already charged up before finishing the name of the ability. Jane tossed her daggers with a lot of force to increase their travel speed. As expected, Gustos naturally reacted to try and block the attack again rather than just avoid it. The interesting thing about Armor Breaker is that the skill works effectively against armored targets and those attempting to physically block attacks. Just as Gustos put his arms in front of him to block the unknown attack again, the slicing daggers spliced through his skin, dropping off a lot of health points in the immediate moment. At the same time, Gustos made a cringy reaction from the inflicted pain that drilled right through his muscular chest, realizing that blocking failed to work this time.


    Even though it took a second to get over that piercing stabbing hit of high damage, Gustos had sufficient time to evaluate his current strategy. The target knows a few powerful skills after all, despite how weak she appears to be, and fighting from long range wasn''t the best style as he assumed it to be. Still, he needed to come up with something now to prevent a second attack coming from Jane. Though it took out much of his MP energy on the spot, Gustos prepared an unusual powerful spell, only chanting the name just as the power resonated in his red aura. "Flamewheel!" Being one of the only strong magical powers he knew, Gustos put all of his heart into this, launching the attack just as it began to take form.


    Jane was prepared to shield, but she could not believe what happened next. Through the gateway of a single red glyphring, three dozens of separated projectiles of Fire Balls all shot high into the air, spinning on a spiral like path to prevent collisions with each other. Gustos was controlling the direction of the spell wave itself, now turning the entire vortex of Fire Balls on its side, aiming straight for Jane. Reacting quickly, Jane powered up her shielding aura just in time. The fiery vortex became a horizontal vortex, spiraling a total of thirty-six untraceable Fire Balls in random directions aimed in Jane''s vicinity. Jane could tell already that the projectiles were not native of Fire Bolts, which explained why the beautiful pathways of each Fire Ball remained random and drunken. They had no direct lock to her or her own shield, but instead spun around in the air with patterns of movements just difficult to predict. Even while standing still in a rushing wave of Fire Balls shooting past her face, several managed to slam into Jane''s aura; the fire spheres began disintegrating into the energy field while draining more out of her each time. Though because of the low damage potential for each projectile, Jane was relatively safe from taking too much damage to keep the shield going. After a long few seconds of time passed, Jane kept her shield strong, blocking out about twelve total Fire Balls total just before dropping her shield again.


    After spending all of that time and energy trying to super attack the target, Gustos was furious to see Jane undamaged with that impressive shield yet again. "You can''t do that!" Gustos pointed his fist at Jane as he spoke, calling bull in the middle of the fight.


    "You want to call it quits then? I''ll have those credits returned to Cass no matter what!"


    Seeing that Jane was still not backing down about that little incident, Gustos still had to weigh the cost of losing nine thousand credits to some annoying wielder just by throwing in a towel. There was no other way to stop the battle or the stakes. "That girl made herself vulnerable to begin with. You''ll get this money over my dead body!"


    "As you wish!" Jane taunted. She wasn''t about to sit there and talk all day either. After quickly charging up for one of her yet to be tested magical spells, Jane cast the magic into her hand while chanting the name, a spell that required a particular motion. "Volley!" Jane''s magic all went into an interesting generation spell that wasn''t visible in the beginning. In order to use it at all, Jane had to lift her arm high in the air just as the blue spinning glyphring around her wrist formed there. After that, Jane had to slam her arm downwards while releasing all of that magic, without hitting the ground or her body. With that motion and invocation, the Volley spell already took effect, forming a barrage of sharp piercing arrows into the sky, all on an intercept course towards the target.


    Gustos wasn''t quick enough to see it, thus failing do anything about the pressing situation. With the sight of over 70 arrows raining down on top of him, he was frozen in place by the fear of not being able to perform any other kind of action. As soon as the arrows began to pierce his skin, the attack took over for the rest of the time. "Naaagh!" He groaned. Volley is a spell that is low on power level damage due to its specific damage type and properties belonging to piercing damage. This means it''s designed to penetrate tough armor and inflict much more physical pain than health loss. Because of the formation and the amount of arrows used at once, it can be difficult to predict how to dodge the attack, and the piercing damage makes it impossible to try and block normally. Gustos was the perfect target for such an attack, and Jane perfected one of her new untested abilities brilliantly.


    "What''s wrong with you?!" he argued. "You can''t just charge up here and take all my money! You don''t even have nine thousand credits to part with!"


    Jane still didn''t even think about giving this guy a chance after what he did. Of all things, he actually agreed to bet nine thousand credits without any hint of resistance, and it is also perfectly legal to have an uneven bet so long as both sides agree to that notion, even if agreed on a subconscious level. This is Gustos'' mentality. He doesn''t care about taking more of what he would be willing to part with, which is why the very ideal of fairness doesn''t register into his mind, so it doesn''t factor into the reward system either. Therefore, Jane didn''t have to try and trick this guy into betting so high. Gustos did that himself, and now he was going to get what he deserves for cheating the system. How does it feel? "Says the one forcing weaker opponents to battle, guilt tripping them into handing over everything they have for an unbalanced fight. How does it feel to have it happen to you Gustos?"


    "Why you little... Photon Blast!" Gustos had been storing energy in secret while bickering to Jane about her well-formed strategy to balance offense and defense, but Gustos believed that her power shield would not be effective enough to hold up to his most powerful attack. As soon as the energy was released, Gustos sent about a hundred large translucent photon projectiles all flying towards Jane.


    Jane already saw it coming again, after having heard the raging sound of a familiar ability in the wind. She still had plenty of energy left in her to shield several more times for this entire battle, saving much of her own resources. Oddly enough, the symbol lighting on her hand through the suit had faded away a short moment ago before she took notice of it. It didn''t matter anyway for now. After putting up her aura again, the photons began raining into the shield, bumping off and failing to cause damage to anything else, but the hexagons were much smaller per hit this time, making it difficult already for Jane to keep her concentration on the shield running. The photons slammed her shield - hit after hit after hit for only three seconds, making it a rough moment of focus and stance. Jane nearly lost the shield just as the attacks had stopped, and tried to drop her aura as quickly as possible before it failed on her. Having the shield collapse around her by automatic failure puts a lot of exhaustion on her body afterwards. Even now, her breathing was rapid and heavy, her heart was racing! The fight isn''t nearly over just yet, but already is she getting exhausted just from protecting herself from the last attack spell.


    "What the hell! There''s no way a person can bring up a shield with that much defense! You played me! You''re a cheater!"


    Jane was already enjoying this match. She was able to keep her cool against the man who cheated Cass out of six grand. Moreover, he was already losing his temper quickly. Not only was this fun to watch, but it helped to keep him from thinking strategy in terms of the match. Jane was way ahead of the game, and she began to charge up a powerful spell, one contrasting to Gustos'' last used skill. "As I recall, you said I was a weakling." Her tone became reflective of personal enjoyment, evidence that she was enjoying making a fool out of him thus far. "Though now I bet you know just how your victims feel. Photon Burst!" As her energy was already charged up, Jane invoked the spell quickly, lifting her arm up and slamming it back down in a swinging motion to properly trigger the spell. Having similar characteristics to Photon Blast and the ordinance of Volley, Jane''s spell began to fall down from the sky, giving Gustos no chance at all to counteract the attack.


    As he could only stand there in fear and brace himself, Gustos was pounded several times over by the falling photons of energy each damaging his health in high amounts. Jane stood there and watched the show, but she was mindful about her significant drop in MP energy thanks to using the spell in the first place. Just as the attack stopped, Gustos took much more time in standing back up to recover his balance. He too was getting tired quickly. Gustos now had health and energy problems to deal with at the same time, making him much more fatigued than Jane currently was.


    Gustos didn''t bother trying to argue with Jane or talk her into going easier on him. He had indeed underestimated the young girl, and it was worse that Jane was looking out for this Cass character. Cass must have ratted on him after the way he engaged in battle. Normally, nothing bad happens with that regardless, though it seemed that this random Leray wielder wanted to get too involved. If he could just win the battle, he could deal with the other two standing behind Jane on the outside of the dome shield. "Lightning Strike!" Gustos wasted no time at all in activating another quick and easy long-range spell. Because of how fast and accurate the lightning bolts are with electrical attacks, Jane was way too slow on her reactions to shield herself. Gustos landed a solid strike on Jane, zapping her with electrical damage in place for two whole seconds of time.


    Jane felt every nerve in her body panic and lock up at once, her every limb shivering just after the attack ended, and at the same time, she felt more drained than she was previously. Though she hated electrical attacks for that reason, Jane didn''t decide to lose her cool from the health loss. It was best to just keep on going with the fight.


    "Dark Strike!" Just after invoking her next ability, Jane teleported out of sight again from the slight usage in her MP energy, reappearing covertly behind Gustos. After infusing more magical energy into her right blade on the dagger, Jane sliced upwards with as much force as she could to deal the damage in her attack. While backing away shortly after, Jane noticed that even all of that weight failed to actually lift Gustos off of his feat. Though he did take damage, his body was too heavy to move off the ground from a magically assisted uppercut, giving a slight advantage to Gustos. Jane would be attacked shortly after probably, but at least her attack in question dealt damage to his health without any risk of interruptions.


    "You''re not stronger than me Jane!" Gustos refused to back down even with much lower stats, and he continued using ranged abilities, keeping Jane at a distance even though he had a great chance to do physical harm in the battle. His thoughts right now were a in a form of healing. "Drainga!" Invoking his spell, Gustos cast energy towards Jane, hoping she would not have the time to dodge the attack.


    Jane didn''t have the time to process what the ability does or how it works, so she jumped and rolled to the left hoping to avoid the unknown spell. It wasn''t hard to forget with an easy name though. Drain is a spell that literally steals health from the enemy, healing the user in the process of causing damage. Drainga is more powerful with a better effective range, but costs more MP energy to use at the same time. The aura which is created around the target to steal their health is literally quick and invisible, making it nearly impossible to dodge in the first place, but Jane did as much without noticing the difficulty of evading such a spell. Being unaffected by the powerful Drainga, Jane pulled herself back up for a counterattack, refusing to think back on how lucky she was for not giving Gustos a chance to heal.


    "Hmph!" Jane smiled in her own random success. She was doing well, and only needed to keep this up a little longer. At the same time, there was another powerful ability that needed to be tested out on someone random. If done right, it could put Mr. Gustos in a very bad position. On the plus side, Jane would master a new spell for sure, even though she had used it once before training back in Lennith City. With quick invocation and high-energy expenditure, Jane chanted "Blaze Storm!" while creating the conditions to literally change the weather of the entire battlefield. It didn''t happen too quickly, but the air temperature only inside of the Siriean dome began to rise rapidly into the triple digits. Creating a thermal vortex powerful enough to distort all vision from the rising radiation, both Jane and Gustos were suddenly suffering from very intense heat all around. The spell would affect Gustos more than it would Jane, but because of how new Jane is to use the skill, she isn''t immune to the full area attack either. At least she was ready for it.


    Blaze Storm is a powerful heat wave spell, rising the temperature of the air in the entire battlefield to a crisping 150<sup>o</sup>F, rising even further to the user''s will. The spell itself lasts for a little over one full minute on average, while the heat is assisted by a low pitch booming sound similar to that of radiation spurs, much like what Jane witnessed in the dark zone. In that time, fire elemental damage is slowly dealt to the target over duration. Because of its properties, it makes everyone sweat to physical exhaustion. Gustos may be out of the match as soon as this ends. On the other hand, Jane was heating up rapidly as well, wondering if this was such a good idea in hindsight. Needless to say, it had Gustos by surprise, as his health began draining quickly with the intense fiery heat of air around them.


    Gustos was already panting from the inferno Jane caused on both of them. He immediately became less confident in any particular movement. He only wanted to lay down and rest, or find a nice cold shelter. Gustos could see the health loss happening in real-time with nothing to do about it. He had much less MP energy as well, since he used most of it trying to steal health away from Jane, but the Blaze Storm did not distort the color of the field completely. Rising the air to a temperature high enough to make the Siriean dome begin to glow orange, Gustos realized that the sun was still up, however distant in the horizon to the west. There was still another way to try and heal lost HP.


    Jane''s skin felt like it was on fire too. After the Blaze Storm spell ended only thirty seconds after due to having the cast be so new to Jane, the air temperature declined much more rapidly, cooling off both of them in a sensation that felt most wonderful. The Siriean dome around both contestants returned to its original color again, revealing the world outside its translucent boundaries. Jane had expected that to be the end of it, but Gustos still had some fight left in him, despite how tired he looked. Jane on the other hand suffered some damage too from her own attack, as she knew it from checking both energy scopes on the battlefield.


    "Solar Regen!" Just after Gustos released the rest of his MP energy, his body became coated with a nice green aura of energy, immediately absorbing in the sunlight from above to regenerate his lost health. It''s an ability that can only be used once per battle, and is effective at health regeneration using solar energy. However, the spell is even more effective during mid-day once the sun is right overhead. Because of the sun''s current position and the time of day, Gustos knew that his regeneration spell would only be at half power for the time being.


    Watching Gustos regenerate his health from a different spell, Jane sprang into action to try and stop it. The plan of action didn''t matter too much, as long as she could do more damage faster than he could heal. "Fire Bolt!" After seeing Jane shoot a predictable Fire Bolt from a red glyphring, Gustos changed his stance to block the projectile with his arms again, while the green aura kept its radiance around his body the entire time. As the Fire Bolt blew up on his arm, Gustos suffered some health loss, but it was only minor thanks to his quick reaction to try and block it out.


    Jane had a new worried look on her face. Gustos was currently resilient to taking damage right now, as he was determined to heal as much as he could before finally finishing Jane off. In another attempt to interrupt his healing cycle, Jane tried another skill as quickly as she could. "Flying Guillotine!" She threw her daggers infused with energy, being that this was one of her quickest invocations for that ability yet. The daggers flew in perfect formation, creating that familiar spinning circle of damage.


    Gustos took another precaution to this sudden attack as well, pulling out the sword he had on his hilt behind him. Since he had not used the sword yet, Jane did not even notice that Gustos had the weapon until just now. Instead of performing a counterattack, Gustos took his sword and shoved it into the ground in front of him, landing the metal so hard that it cracked an entire two inches deep in the stone road. The Flying Guillotine circle then slammed into the blade instead of Gustos, dealing damage to an inanimate object too powerful to cut through. Without too much effort, Gustos managed to completely turn Jane''s attack useless on itself. Since it failed to get through, the Flying Guillotine quit working halfway, as the blades spun aimlessly on the ground in front of her opponent.


    Jane was sunk. Gustos completely healed after his aura ejected from his body in a bright radiant light spiraling away from him into the sky. Gustos knew that he was beginning to take advantage in the battle, and he planned out his next random attack from afar, keeping his sword in hand in the event he may need it again. "Magical Blitz!" Gustos formed the spheres of energy one at a time in his left hand, but put his entire body''s force into launching the projectiles at Jane, all three of them. However, it was a slow movement overall just to throw energy balls that could so easily be seen.


    Jane went on the defensive for now, waiting on her daggers to return to her again. She ducked down to dodge the first energy ball, and leaped to the left to avoid the next. Gustos simply had terrible aim on the last one, making Jane lucky for not having to do anything else. After evading a bad attack, Jane simply thought of another powerful spell that would get Gustos no matter what, one that was not the same as Redemption.


    "Radial Blast!" Though it expended much of her energy status, Jane''s spell came to life quickly, blasting the entire battlefield with randomized explosions excluding her own particular zone. It wasn''t one of her most powerful skills, but Gustos might have had a plan to diffuse other powerful area attacks that use projectiles instead of explosions, and Jane was already getting a little desperate to win by now. After several explosions marked the spot where Gustos was standing, they simply knocked him onto the ground with their powerful force. Though Jane did not expect such a heavy decrease on the health stats to appear in such heavy weight. It''s still not a very high power level for an attack compared to others. Nevertheless, Gustos was down in a fight he was not about to get up from.


    Jane tried to calm herself down. She felt so nervous and was breathing so heavily from the workout. Though much to her surprise, the symbol down on her hand was glowing through her battle suit once again, something that would explain how a less powerful ability was somehow overcharged with energy. Jane did not mean for that to happen a second time, and didn''t realize that it was there until now. That''s twice in less than an hour that her symbol activated again without her consent, being as dangerous as it was, but at least the battle was over, with Gustos proving to be a formidable opponent to say the most.


    <hr>


    <Reward: Jane ~ 9000 Credits | Real Time Mode>


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Bleak Worlds ~ Christian Telford & Matthew St. Laurent & Galileo Seven & Koichi Sanchez-Imahashi & Nigel William Graham</a>


    <hr>


    The Siriean dome faded quickly, revealing a slightly darker sky, and a clear view of the world around her. Jane''s friends got close quickly to make sure she was okay, but not before her crest died down once again. Just like that, her uncontrollable symbol was there and then it was gone. If she can''t find a better way to hide her own symbol come the elite battles, Jane could wind up in a lot of trouble.


    "You good Jane?" She looked like she was about to faint or pass out, prompting a possible concern that the symbol on her hand is giving her problems of their own. Danny could see the residual glow on Jane''s right hand, but not make out the symbol itself, meaning it wasn''t fully visible through the material in her suit, this time anyway. Danny offered her one of the healing orbs he had in his pocket, never letting Jane treat herself. She was the supply manager for the team after all, and what luck too with scoring so many credits! She didn''t have to fight Gustos all by herself, but in doing so, the win was both legitimate and fair, an honorable thing to do fighting for Cass the way she did. "That was one awesome battle!"


    Jane sensed the excitement in Danny from watching the match, but it was his and Taylor''s voices alone that helped her senses blend back into reality. It''s one of the downsides of getting into an intense Leray battle. There are two modes for most individuals. During the match, the only focus is the target and yourself. The world around suddenly doesn''t exist anymore. It''s difficult to adjust between the two, and terrible for battles that are not contained by a Siriean dome.


    Accepting Danny''s healing orbs, Jane took her time to cool off, still exhausted and sweating from it all. Using Blaze Storm in the middle must have contributed too much of that exhaustion. Jane felt like she could have had a heat stroke if that lasted any longer, but at least they say that the user of Blaze Storm and Blizzard are much less affected by their own spells the more times the same spells are invoked. Not only did Jane defeat Cass''s enemy, she also managed to put some effective use and field-testing to the last of her other known abilities. "I know it wasn''t a traditional way to teach someone a lesson, but thanks all the same."


    "I think it fits perfectly," Taylor vouched. "He won''t bother anyone else ever again. Nor will he underestimate us."


    Jane agreed with Taylor''s remark silently, for she had some trouble still getting used to the new look. Taylor was wearing Danny''s dark jacket tightly, and it actually fits Taylor well. She looks so cute!


    Danny stated with a defying gesture, "I still think I could have taken him," to which Jane and Taylor both replied, "You always think that!" Danny simply waited for Jane to heal herself. There was certainly no doubting Jane''s amazing abilities. With or without her symbol, she had picked up on some sick magical skills in his absence.


    "Did your mark activate again?"


    Jane had honestly answer to Taylor. There wasn''t a point in lying to someone who already knows the truth. It felt great that there were a few people in the world who are okay with hanging out with a marked person, seeing as they used to be the bringers of destruction. "You mean after it faded from the start of that battle, yes. It did activate again, though I didn''t get that much effect from it, other than pure power put into a single attack."


    "You need to learn to control it." Taylor sounded concerned, and she had several rights to be. "What if the elite fighters detect the presence of a symbol? Will they let you use your suit to conceal it?"


    "I know about those concerns." She couldn''t help but sound a little frustrated. Jane believed earlier that she did have some control of her own symbol. The truth is, she can invoke it any time that she want, but it can also invoke itself without warning during intense fighting. So there really is no control to regards of hiding her own mark. With this suit on, the activation is only made to seem to others like Jane is charging up for a magical attack in her right hand, and then again only from a distance, but there have been two instances before now in which the symbol projected holographically through her own suit. Taylor might be right. All it takes to get discovered is to have the symbol activate when someone is at close range. Even with the suit, the elites would be able to clearly see that the glowing is coming from the top of her hand, not from her palm. If that happens, it''s cats out of the bag, and goodbye operation: shutdown Alpha Zero. "It''ll be fine," Jane sounded reassuring to Taylor anyway. It wasn''t really for her friends to figure it out. Luck was what she needed on her side for that battle.


    "Let''s hope it will be." Danny glanced around, finding a few people in the distance. The daytime was still fleeting, with no other good way to tell exactly what time it was. The ability to see in the darkening skies was dwindling away quickly, but at least there was a nice change of pace. After standing to face the way they needed to be going, Danny was barely able to make out the fogged outline of something in the distance. It may be the resemblance to a large city they have been searching for. Either way, there wasn''t any more point sticking around here, only to be stopped by some other lunatic. "Should we ride out now?"


    "Hold on just a sec." Jane stopped the two of them in order to pull out her Leray license card. "I want to check how much credits we have now." Holding up her license to the opposite side of the sun to read her status, the system had already rewarded Jane and tallied up the total amount for her. Jane Venn | Age: 16 | Graduated facility: Dakota + Lennith | Last Ev. Score: 10 | Current Status: Advanced Leray wielder | Credits: 12600 Cr.


    Jane had already attained her very first five-digit number, all without spending a ton of it on specific items in order to boost her odds in battle. Then again, 8900 of those credits still belongs to Fredric Spence, the man who was supposed to be a sea mechanic for the boat that dragged her all the way to Monoc Port while somehow adrift. It was a detail she could not forget, something that had to be paid back sooner or later, no matter the means. Tallying up the totals last seen from Danny and Taylor after their victories with Mayza''s henchmen, this would mean that the current total - including debt is 17,570 credits. Still failing to tell them about her little problem owing some guy she has never met, Jane used the tally without debt for the report in total. "We have 26,670 credits altogether. If we keep this up, we''ll be able to stock up on amazing things for our trip to Alpha Zero."


    "Maybe I''ll even buy a souvenir." Danny was already proud enough to hear such high numbers, even after rescuing Cass from her own nightmare. Gustos was now out of the picture, and the only thing left to worry about was getting to Eldora.


    Jane put her license away again, preparing herself to head out. With Gustos knocked out on the floor behind her, Jane didn''t even want to turn around. "Let''s keep going then."


    Hearing that now was the time to move, Taylor followed behind Danny and Jane, hugging Danny''s jacket to her skin tightly. The air had actually gotten cooler around them, though Jane must not have noticed very much after her intense fight. Taylor on the other hand had to stand there and watch in the cold, which wasn''t too bad. Watching two people battle with magic is never a bore. Normally with bigger spells, you get some amazing special effects that can clearly be seen despite the Siriean dome. But when someone else and Jane battles, there is never a dull moment, even without those special effects. It''s almost like watching sets of fireworks battle against each other for dominance, one side physically exchanging more light over the other. With how dark it was starting to get, it was going to be interesting to see how that works at nighttime.


    Jane and the others mounted on their bikes. She first took notice of how comfortable everyone was right now. Even Taylor was smug, secretly enjoying basking herself inside of Danny''s warm jacket. It made her wonder how he was managing to stay so warm without such heavy clothes. The air did feel a little cooler than it was before her battle, but at the same time, the strong winds and breezes have died down for now. With the strong and radiant yellow glow of the sun set at such an angle turning the sky a partial pink, Jane and her comrades rode off.

 Chapter 39-E: Battle Streak (Part 3 ~ Jane VS Kira)

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 20:40 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    With the same environment around them, the trio only peddled for less than ten minutes after setting off from the last battle. The sun was almost touching the horizon by now, and yet the orange glow of its radiance managed to keep the area on the bridge from getting dark. While keeping her pace at an average level, Taylor held the lead in front of Jane and Danny while taking it all in. Because of the decreased wind speed, the air had not gotten any colder or warmer than before, but even with her jacket to trap in her own body heat, Taylor''s face and hands were brisk without the additional thermal protection.


    Very little time passed since they continued to drive away from their last encounter, hoping they would not be stopped by another. Taylor already figured that simply accepting a single strike on one of their cards would actually make very good time. Though because of Jane''s covert motives, they could not legally claim emergency to skip too many of these battles. Most of all, Jane wanted to fight regardless. She didn''t want to continue getting stopped over and over again, though every single battle fought on this bridge and the last made for excellent experience and practice for the bigger fights ahead.


    "I''m just saying..." Danny had been continuing the conversation from just a brief moment ago, contemplating the only way to solve one of Sprawn Valley''s major issues. He was mostly speaking to Jane, since Taylor had not said much of anything for the past five minutes. "If they can change the rules here and there, people won''t have to worry about getting forced to make that choice. Fight or get suspended? What kind of options are those?"


    "Still," Jane argued. "There isn''t anything we can do about it. That authority belongs to the champion of Leray magic alone. Perhaps the mage council could look into the issue as well if it counts as something below national matters, but I don''t know if they will, and we can''t talk to the champion until I get to fight him in the Eldora championship." Jane began to coast, keeping her position just behind Taylor in order to stay level with Danny''s bicycle. Her thoughts held in the same area. The champion, regardless of who he is - simply doesn''t get downtime to speak with civilians, regardless of most claims made. No, they''re too busy hosting their championship battles instead. Never mind the damage such ignorance could do everywhere else. "Of course it isn''t right. People like to exploit gaps like that all the time. There won''t be guardians for every victim you know."


    "Maybe that''s what he meant..."


    "Sorry?" Jane heard Danny mumble very lowly, unable to make out what he was talking about.


    "It''s nothing," he promised. Danny remembered the conversation very well, the one he had over the telephone with uncle Nyar. He wasn''t very clear about what he in particular knew of Leray magic, but Nyar believed much like the rest of the world that it was incredibly dangerous to get involved with magic. At first, Danny thought magic was really accompanied with serious drawbacks, taking to his uncle''s warning strictly, but after some time, Danny felt that all were mistaken. Then the concept of dark magic and system exploits became apparent. With thugs like the Scarlet Cult running around doing bad things, and with crazy stuff like Alpha Zero cropping up, who really knows anymore? Sprawn Valley is supposed to be a safe and fair place to conduct legitimate and exciting Leray matches, the kind people can watch and spectate for fun while the contestants get more experience to jump up the chain. Instead, the nation has people like Jane getting marked, thieves like Gustos exploiting innocent targets, and the chain of command sitting on their asses doing nothing about the impending threat to Lennith City. Jane even spoke of something before, something about a war that happened here several centuries ago for freedom, a war of magic. Learning how to use magic and exchange abilities with others in battle should be safe, it was designed to be fool proof. This is sadly not the case. What will he say after returning home? What will Nyar think of him after all of the involvement he has gotten himself and Taylor into despite the warnings?


    "Watch out!" Taylor slammed the breaks to her bike, not producing enough ground friction to stop in time. She twisted the handles and steering to make the bike skid sideways, eventually falling off because of the vehicle''s failure to maintain balance. Just as Taylor fell to the floor, Danny and Jane had to apply a forceful stop as well, looking up and around to see what had scared Taylor.


    After inflicting only a minor scrape to her knees and arms, Taylor brushed herself off, standing back up quickly before her friends got closer to check her out. "Who was that?" Taylor saw someone, a dark figure for only a split second just as she was about to run over the unknown civilian. Despite the collision course and her failure to stop in time, Taylor''s bike continued on without hitting anything.


    "Taylor!" Jane didn''t need to ask if she was okay - it was obvious enough. She only cared about why they had to make a sudden stop.


    "Did you see him?"


    Jane noticed Taylor looking around for someone, and joined in to determine if they were being followed or not. Nobody was in sight right now, so she had to be seeing ghosts. "You can''t just stop us in the middle of the road like that!"


    Taylor turned towards Jane with a violent expression. "We almost hit someone, and I''m sure that we should have. So where are they?"


    "There''s nobody here Taylor!" Danny didn''t want to argue with her, but he nearly fell flat on his face too. That wasn''t fun for anyone.


    "My, my. Such fuss over a little trip."


    Jane heard a different voice, one that somehow echoed in her ears while remaining untraceable. She turned her head around everywhere, noticing that Danny and Taylor were doing the same. They too could hear the ominous female voice, though whoever was hiding remained currently invisible. "So there is someone here," Jane deduced. "Show yourself!"


    Danny felt threatened by the action. Who would be hiding and scaring Taylor like that? Why remain as invisible as possible? What would be the point if not for some sort of ambush? Surely a random challenger couldn''t be that reckless, and if they were, he would be the one to fight instead of Jane!


    Shortly upon the command, a bright light with an unusual symbol appeared on the floor in front of all three of them, shooting light from the cement until the form of a human came to be in the center of the symbol glyphring. Jane recognized such an entrance, and she has only seen it in real life two times before now. It was teleportation, different from matter transference. That alone spoke volumes about this mysterious person''s magical abilities and skill levels, but the question still lingered regarding her identity and what she was doing here. To further add to confusion, matter transference would have worked just as well with a distance short enough to project one''s voice, so why even bother showing off teleportation?


    Dressed in a pitch-black cloak designed for special mages and magical users, the tall woman emerged from the now fading light of the teleportation symbol, standing between all three of Jane''s troupe. "I can''t believe I really found you here in the flesh. It''s been some time, Jane Venn!"


    Gasping in surprise, Jane failed to make out any facial features of the woman besides her dark average length hair bristling outward from the hooded robe. The darkness and position of her standing away from the sunlight hid her identity well, but how did she know Jane''s name? "How do you know my name? Who are you?"


    As Taylor and Danny crept slowly around the woman to try and get closer to Jane, the woman introduced herself first by dropping the top part of her hood, revealing her face. She was no more than 24 years old, though her stature retained its malevolence while she focused only on Jane. "I''m Kira, not that you would be able to remember. Though I''m surprised you don''t at least remember my voice at all Jane. After all, I am looking forward to a rematch."


    Jane nodded her head in confusion. "But I never fought anybody before by that name, and I don''t remember you at all. You must have me confused with someone else."


    "I don''t think so." Kira drew both of her daggers from within her black cloak, keeping a background trace of Jane''s friends behind her. "You fought against Patrissa wonderfully, but after that, you gave the rest of us no chance at all."


    "You were with Patrissa?!" Jane still couldn''t be sure what sort of cruel idea this was, but she pulled both of her daggers from her battle suit as well, remaining cautions just after hearing that name. Danny and Taylor probably would not remember much about this, but Patrissa was a criminal, working with other criminals to steal things from others while threatening their own lives. "I thought she was arrested with her gang."


    "Indeed she was," Kira confirmed. "I was one of the stealth units hiding behind you when you unleashed that Redemption attack on everyone, but I didn''t go down with the rest. I barely managed to escape that carnage you caused."


    Jane stepped forward, the entire reminder of the battle lunging her into a rage. "You''re the one who tried to steal from me, and many others before I showed up! Furthermore, I did not agree to battle willingly." Kira remained still, evaluating Jane''s every word. "Lucky for you, we''re still in a rush to Eldora. If you leave us alone now, I won''t need to recall seeing your face or hearing your name."


    In a laughing manner, Kira let herself drown in the suspense she had been waiting for. Such a bluff could only draw how weak she is... But these two unknowns won''t do for her part of the plan. "It''s much too late for that! Though since your friends were not part of that mess you made, I suppose I can let them go on to Eldora City unharmed. But know this Jane." With a more serious expression on her face, Kira pointed at Jane with the tip of her right dagger blade. "I''m going to kill you for what you did to our friends, and for what you did to my boss. I''m here for my revenge!"


    "Some friends you had. What? You want a battle to the death?" Jane couldn''t believe her ears, but from her peripheral, Danny and Taylor were both nodding left and right at the idea of running off in the middle of this. Kira is indeed dangerous if she was involved with Patrissa, so they can''t be ready. "I will not fight you to the death. Danny and Taylor? Stay out of this one. Kira is all mine alone."


    "Are you serious?!" Danny complained. That''s enough of this solo crap!


    Taylor pitched in to deter Jane from fighting against Kira. "You don''t have to fight alone Jane!"


    "I knew you were at least reasonable to leave your friends'' lives out of this. We''ll even make it an official battle. It won''t matter, because I won''t stop attacking you until your heart stops!" Kira couldn''t keep herself from laughing maniacally, revealing her insatiable desire to torture others.


    Jane can''t conform to the idea of killing Kira just by winning. At the least, beating her in a battle would knock her unconscious for several moments to come. Then again, if Jane loses, Kira will kill her. That is the promise this insane wielder has made to her, twice now! It''s a stupid reason to seek out revenge, but these people mean business all the time, never exaggerating. "Now those aren''t very nice rewards."


    "If your friends try to intervene after I''m finished with you, I''ll chop them up next."


    Jane nodded and kept her cool. "Now look Kira. I don''t know who you think you are coming out here for revenge like this, but I''m not just going to let you get in the way of my mission. With all said, you have already made one grave mistake. Danny and Taylor are not to be threatened or harmed. If I die, there is no guarantee that someone of the likes of you will leave them alone. I swore an oath to protect my friends from harm, and I don''t care what I have to do to protect them. So if you''re so sure you want me to lock you behind a prison cell after defeating you, go ahead and do your worst!"


    Kira''s eyes squinted in agreement. As she backed up only slightly to activate a legitimate Siriean dome, Danny and Taylor were thus locked out to watch. Kira controlled the formation of the dome, making sure to trap the other end of the field right in between Jane and her friends.


    Jane nervously glanced behind her, noticing that Danny and Taylor were pounding on the Siriean dome from outside. Kira trapped them out of there! Jane wasn''t all that serious about fighting alone to the death, but now Kira was forcing this on her as well... Fine then. It will keep those two out of harm''s way. So be it, shadow of Patrissa! It wasn''t clear who would try and attack first, but Jane needed to engage her own energy scope first, with Kira copying the idea.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Boss Battle ~ Jeff Williams {Custom Extension}</a>


    <hr>


    <Reward Spoil: Null | Battle Mode>


    <hr>


    Nothing about this battle felt normal. After all, Jane was battling against some psychopathic killer who wants only her life. The new enemy was also focused on singling out her victim in the namesake of her own revenge, but Jane just needed to use what she had learned from all of the other battles and place it into this one. Kira may be a formidable opponent, but she isn''t invincible.


    "Let''s do this then," Kira announced.


    Jane knew that her opponent was prepared for anything. Nevertheless, there wasn''t much action happening right now. As a result, Jane decided it was best to go first, testing Kira''s skills to adjust her own strategy. "Magical Blitz!" Jane''s hands both lit up with blue radiance as the energy spheres formed in her hands. She threw both of them consecutively, forming more in each hand while twirling her body around to become a little less predictable. Jane threw the last two at Kira, paying little attention to how many hits she got until after the invocation of the spell was over with.


    Kira didn''t have to move very much to avoid taking hits of the stray projectiles heading her way. She slid to the left and slunk to the right. The third one nearly hit her face, so she leaned her head away to narrowly evade the third one. The fourth one was foreseeable as well, but at the same time very close to the third projectile. While barely managing to dodge the last blitz ball in the same method, Kira''s neck got slightly grazed by the passing projectile as it flew onwards without a direct hit. Feeling just a minor sting on the side of her neck form the last blitz ball, Kira knew that she was okay with the way things were going right now.


    Taylor and Danny were just as shocked as Jane was. Kira effortlessly dodged most of them without even moving. "Damn! She is good. Try harder Jane!"


    Jane immediately noticed an incredible change happening around her. The color of the Siriean dome remained constant, but the light entering from outside had dimmed down so much. It was only happening on the inside of the dome, but the available sunlight entering the Siriean dome was thus cut in half for an unknown reason. The confused looks on her friends'' faces spelled out that the illusion was not isolated to herself. Kira on the other hand didn''t seem the least bit surprised, as if she planned this. This must be the work of hidden effects attached to her weapons or armor making it hard to see inside of the battlefield. Jane could still keep track of everything, but the entire environment outside appeared to be tinted with such a darker aura.


    "Now it''s my turn," she announced. Preparing for the chant of her magical ability, Kira leaped her arm in the air, glowing in essence as she shoved it back down for the invocation. "Aerial Plume!" The spell happened quickly, as photons began raining down from above Jane''s position. Though as the small beams of light hit the ground, explosions with large radii were left in their impact. Jane had no time at all to evade or defend herself as one of the blasts managed to get under her feet, followed by another random explosion of damage that shoved her far off the ground and soaring away from Kira''s position.


    "Agh!" Taken by full surprise of the sheer power of Kira''s single area attack, Jane had to quickly overcome the pain of an explosion affecting every place on her body while standing back up and regaining her momentum.


    Jane shook her head too, pretending that it helped her recover even faster. Now that it was her turn to attack, Jane lifted her daggers up, ready to get close and personal. "Splicing Vengeance!" Jane rushed in towards Kira while she just stood there in wait. Jane''s daggers were capable of dealing a high amount of damage, and Kira was not even attempting to evade the incoming attack. Just as Jane was in range to strike Kira, she began to swing her daggers forward for the slash.


    Kira however put her boot out in front of her, kicking her leg forward in just the right place and time to slam Jane directly in the stomach. Knocking her opponent''s attack back and canceling the Splicing Vengeance skill, Kira followed up her kick with another one, magically infusing the same boot with additional magical damage. "Counter Kick!" Kira leaped in the air with a very high-speed spin, just before landing the boot at Jane once again.


    Just after feeling the thwack to the gut that knocked the wind out of Jane while stopping her attack completely, Kira managed to Counter Kick Jane in the same place with double the knockback. Jane was sent off her feet once again, falling down on the ground and away from Kira. The damage wasn''t high, but the pain of blunt damage to her gut was more than enough to stun Jane where she lay.


    Danny couldn''t believe his eyes. Kira was way too fast for Jane to track, her timing was always spot on. "Jane''s getting the floor mopped with her! Don''t take that Jane!" He too noticed how difficult it was to see inside of the dome shield, but perhaps it has something to do with Kira''s special effects. Her own power in comparison to Jane is so far impressive, and that reaction time rivals the same of Jane Venn, something he never would have expected.


    Just as Jane finally got back to her feet, Kira began invoking another spell, not giving Jane any time to try and maneuver or counter, but because of the delay on Kira''s invocation, Jane did manage to have just enough time to respond for a different strategy.


    "Ozcom''s Razor!" A giant blade summoned just above where Jane was standing, though it was in that moment that Jane chose to project her energy through her hands, crossing her arms around her in order to project a power shield around her body. Just as the blade began shooting downwards on top of Jane, she was protected by her personal shielding aura. Kira watched in disbelief as the massive blade stopped at the top of the power shield, failing to cut through and do any damage. Several hexagons formed on the outside of the top most part of the aura, fading just as the summoned blade did.


    Jane didn''t feel too drained after invoking her power shield, and after successfully blocking out an attack, she finally had some time to recover her wits again. Kira sure is fast though. It would require the use of attacks difficult to evade in order to score a single hit on this wielder. Jane had at least one idea right now. Using the dagger in her right hand, Jane infused magic into the blade and into herself for the next spell. "Dark Strike!" After teleporting just behind Kira, there was no delay whatsoever in Jane''s speedy transition to send her blade flying upward through Kira''s cloak. She was certain that the blade was deep enough to penetrate the armor and inflict real damage to Kira, but there wasn''t even enough time to evaluate that yet. Jane knew she needed to jump back and away from Kira the moment after she was hit, as to not get involved in a speedy close combat counterattack. After the strike was successful, Jane noticed how ineffective the slash was entirely, failing to launch Kira into the air and dealing only minor damage. However, the slice itself did manage to cause her some pain, stunning her in place for a second while she tried to figure out where Jane had gone.


    After comparing their energy scopes, Taylor came to a rather early conclusion. "This is bad! You think Kira was serious about killing Jane?"


    Danny didn''t give her an answer, much too focused on what was happening inside of the dome shield. Jane can''t lose to a sap like Kira, not now!


    After realizing where Jane was, Kira quickly turned around while releasing more energy from her hands. A red glyphring formed around both of her arms at the same time, using both of her open hands to launch the attack. "Laser Barrage!" A series of quick red beams of light fired from her hands, traveling much too quickly to see for more than half a second. Laser Barrage is basically the same attack type as needle barrage, only using energy lasers instead to increase the damage significantly.


    However, Jane already put herself under another power shield before Kira''s spell could get the best of her, blocking out all of the damage. The lasers all melted away into the aura, leaving behind several hexagons at their impact sight. Jane had never seen an attack used like this before, but she was glad to get to observe it in here without taking the spell''s damage. With her power shield there to protect her, Kira was finally going to start having problems breaking through. Jane knew she had a clear chance to attack any moment her shield drops.


    After losing the shield on purpose, Jane aimed her hand at Kira with a red aura surrounding her skin. She began slowly walking away backwards from Kira, gaining distance while forcing her spell to harm her. "Star of Darkness!"


    Just as the red circle related to the familiar spell trapped Kira under her feet, Kira knew just how to react to the situation, doing so long before the spell got to do any damage. "Resistor Surge!" The object formed in her hand instantly, materializing from a short-lived small yellow glyphring, and Kira slammed it into the ground with its bottom needle holding itself up. With the electronic powered device now activated, Jane''s entire spell was going to be only half as powerful.


    Jane didn''t expect a Resistor Surge to take effect. Just as Kira''s HP began to slowly drain, Jane was now standing almost helpless. All she could do was wait it out and hope to not be attacked.


    Kira knew her health was being drained, but she could barely notice it with her Resistor Surge activated. The device is specifically designed for this spell, cutting Star of Darkness in half on damage and draining levels. The red Star of Darkness spun under her feet, though it didn''t even bother her. Instead, Kira charged up another spell, forming a red glyphring around her right wrist now aimed at Jane. "Fire Bolt!" Hoping to totally interrupt Jane''s Star of Darkness spell even further, Kira launched a Fire Bolt in Jane''s direction. Her opponent would now have no choice but to evade and drop the attack, or take the hit and try to keep going in spite of the damage. In several ways she could not see, Jane was quite predicable.


    Soon after noticing a Fire Bolt heading her way, Jane used her only available hand and aimed her open palm in front of her. The right arm was the one controlling Star of Darkness, and Jane had to keep it going for the effect to complete. Using her left hand to protect herself, Jane reacted without even thinking clearly, projecting her energy in the similar wave form pattern from her left hand to generate a shield wall in front of her. Just as it happened, the aura that used to surround her body was now in the form of a linear wall, blocking the Fire Bolt''s path perfectly. Jane didn''t even expect to come up with the idea so quickly and randomly, but the Fire Bolt melted into the shield wall without breaking through, making for the strategy an effective plan to block.


    Jane wasn''t the only one at a loss for words. Danny and Taylor could not take their eyes of the fight, but it was more than impressive to see someone actually invoke two different spells in the exact same moment one is already being used. It''s not even supposed to be a rarity, rather an impossibility. Yet Jane protected herself perfectly, keeping the Star of Darkness active the entire time. Just as the spell was ending, Kira was zapped with the usual hit of a red lightning bolt strike from above. The Star of Darkness faded from the ground slowly from the end of the spell, as did the glyphring surrounding Jane''s right arm. She was now free, and Kira suffered a fair amount of damage despite the Resistor Surge.


    Kira didn''t come out of the damage disoriented. She was still as sharp as when she began the battle, and kept Jane in her sights at all time. Though with both of them at standstills, she risked getting cocky. "I say it''s about time we wrapped this up!"


    To that Jane replied, "As you wish!" Just after the strange remark, Jane began to release a ton of her charged energy, making the invocation less than immediate. She could tell that Kira was up to something as well, but it wasn''t going to work with this particular skill. "Zero Zone!" Taking a huge toll on Jane''s MP reserves, she released the time-stopping aura all around her, making the world void of all colors but black and white. Jane heard a type of echo in her voice, ignoring it for now and waiting for Zero Zone to finish taking effect, but what happened next was shocking for everyone.


    A few seconds earlier, Kira had shouted the name of a spell that echoed in the air from the other side. "Zero Zone!" she shouted. As the world around her changed completely to match the spell''s time phasing effects, she and Jane were the only two people unaffected by the ability. Kira was moving and looking around just fine, as if the Zero Zone had no possible effect on her the way it was supposed to. Jane was incredibly confused, but not for long. As ironic as this was, figuring out what just happened played little role in total. Jane just invoked Zero Zone. The echo she must have heard was not an echo; it''s the only thing that can explain this. A world void of time, yet perfectly functioning for Jane and Kira both.


    "Oh, you''ve gotta be kidding me!" Kira shouted in anger. She used Zero zone as well, at the exact same moment Jane had invoked the skill. It was surprising for Kira to even realize that Jane possessed such power and skillful abilities, but with time stopped for nobody inside of the dome shield, they both went at it, ignoring the strange coincidence. It was hard enough seeing the entire world around them, including their own skin color turn to black and white. With the darkness already in the sky, seeing in this mode was very difficult.


    Neither Jane nor Kira used that to an advantage. Jane and Kira both took their daggers out and charged at each other for a close combat strike while stuck inside of Zero Zone''s aura. Jane already got in range, noticing how pumped and determined Kira was to defeat her right here and now. It wasn''t going to be easy, but she still had her training from before. "Knight Dance!"


    "Series Blitz!" Chanting all sorts of close combat tactics, Jane and Kira began slashing, punching, and kicking at each other in a series of movements impossible to track contrast to each other. Jane mixed in several kicks and dagger slices with random attempts to dodge, but while she managed to inflict several hits on Kira, it had no effect on stopping her relentless assault on Jane using similar close-ranged tactics as well. Kira used her daggers with a combination of side steps and energy spheres native to Magical Blitz. Kira was effective in shooting her energy spheres into Jane at point blank range, especially after side stepping to do so. Jane took impacts harder from the magical attack, but managed to dodge most of Kira''s physical attacks. Kira only dodged some of Jane''s dagger slices, much more of her magically infused kicks and punches.


    It was simply a mess of two people going at it with random skill alone, coordination and training were the only factors right now. Jane slashed at Kira one more time towards the face, and at the same time, Kira fired another energy ball at Jane. The energy sphere carried a lot of force, knocking back Jane despite her accidental slice through the magical build up, and Kira was affected by the knockback as well. In the exact same moment, the Zero Zone effect ended for both of them, the world returning to full color and becoming brighter in response.


    To what it looked like for Danny and Taylor, Jane and Kira had simply vanished for a split second, only to reappear in two different areas while being pushed away by nothing. It didn''t make any sense at all, but that was because time had unknowingly been stopped and blocked out from their own perception. None of them could have guessed what happened, and yet the battle carried on as if there were no remaining issues.


    As it seems that both of them took damage, the fight could still go on for long until being judged. Jane was making some progress by now with her ability to shield against some of Kira''s amazing assaults. Speaking of which...


    "Time distortion or not, I will kill you Jane! Tri-Attack!" Using the similar method of creating three different and distant glyphrings to surround Jane, Kira was going to stand tall and hit Jane with a Thunderbolt, Fire Bolt, and an Ice Bolt nearly at the same time to accumulate the damage.


    But Jane was expecting something as usual as a ranged attack using magic. "Power shield!" After coating herself with another energy shield again, Jane was protected by her blue translucent aura of protection. The Lightning Strike hit the shield first, using a quick bolt of electrical energy leaving behind hexes in its impact sight. Then the Fire Bolt and Ice Bolt hit the shield at the same time, failing to break through. It was in that moment where Jane congratulated herself once again, dropping her shield to counterattack again.


    "You and that shield," Kira complained through the hissing in her teeth, while her murderous eyes locked into focus for the young but quick girl.


    Jane didn''t hesitate to stop and chat for a moment, already with her attack energy charged up. "Photon Burst!" With her invocation time even faster than the last, Jane lifted and slammed down her arm to create a powerful rainfall of energy photons directed towards Kira.


    Kira looked up and noticed the fall of the photons quickly, the initial faint glow from the light above sufficient to distract her from Jane''s current position. She didn''t expect it either, seeing as it was an attack modified from Photon Blast to change the angle of attack. Jane was thinking with much intelligence right now, though her life was on the line. Kira tried to get out of the way despite this being a large area attack. She jumped back, then leaped back again until she went into an acrobatic backflip. The photons began slamming the ground in front of her, as Kira narrowly evaded a good radius of the waved attack. But just as she landed on her feet again, several more photons from above slammed into her with different vector angles, dealing massive magical damage for several long moments.


    Kira only managed to partially dodge the attack, and she couldn''t do anything about the problem right now. She would have to accept significant health loss and move on, struggling just to stand back up and shake off the last hit from the spell. Jane was barely doing any better, but her MP reserves were still at 50% capacity, so there would be plenty to watch out for. Still, even with her heavy damage and the pain the last attack inflicted, Kira saw several opportunities to attack Jane and keep her off balance. "Shadow Wave!" Kira threw the dark magical essence to the ground, shoving a difficult to see Shadow Wave towards Jane.


    Then Shadow Wave picked up in speed and width as it traveled, making it impossible for Jane to try and jump out of its way, but with just a little magic, Jane thought of a more effective way to jump and dodge. Infusing magical energy into her feet, Jane granted herself temporary ability to lower her own gravitational weight and leap high into the air. Though it took a moment, Jane got off the ground at the very last second the Shadow Wave had nearly eaten her alive, and as she was flying higher into the air, Jane used the same moment to counterattack from here. Continuously floating in the air at the cost of MP energy, Jane released a very powerful and energy consuming spell that created a multi-colored glyphring in front of her, angled to aim downwards at Kira from her current height. "Prism!"


    Jane began to invoke a powerful spell from the air, while floating in place from the additional magical energy. She now had to cast Prism, which meant giving the spell her entire focus and attention since the chosen sequence of elemental attacks are not at all randomized, not by some automatic process. Jane had to launch them herself using her hands and the glyphring''s connection. Because of her quick maneuver and attack style, Kira was too surprised to do anything about this for the moment being.


    She first threw two Fire Bolts at Kira, which hit her directly in the face. Kira hid her face down in her cloak with the rest of her body in a feeble attempt to try and naturally block the blasts. Jane continued relentlessly, launching two Ice Bolts down from above as well. Jane then finished off the sequence in her special order; two Thunderbolts, a Fire Bolt, a Thunderbolt, an Ice Bolt, a Thunderbolt, another Fire Bolt with another Thunderbolt, followed by ice, fire and then thunder again.


    Kira groaned from how much pain the continued attack sequence was causing her, and the damage level was somewhat high as well, but Jane wasn''t stupid. Kira''s health should have dropped twice as far down than it did, and blocking couldn''t have been the only factor involved. That black cloak she is wearing must be the culprit; cloaks tend to have special defensive effects that mostly cut elemental magical damage in half, which still makes the use of Prism an inefficient spell overall. Jane dropped her glyphring and then herself to the ground. Kira was already recovering from all of those hits, but Jane was ready for whatever comes next, waiting for something she could block with another shield.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Kira''s eyebrows tightened as she looked up at Jane. Jane''s magical capacity was still somewhat elevated, close to her own. "Let''s change that," she mumbled silently. "Power Drain!" Kira launched a quick and powerful bright sphere as a projectile towards Jane. Its speed was so fast that Jane''s attempt to protect herself form it failed entirely, but much to her surprise, no physical damage was done to her health.


    Unlike most spells, Power Drain is a sphere designed to drain the target of a high amount of MP energy from their physical body, disorienting them in the process while making it impossible for the victim to use magic and spells from here on, disregarding passive regeneration. It took much of Kira''s own magic just to use the spell, which is almost a double whammy in perspective. It costs MP to use, thus almost has the same effect on the person using the spell, but only half the magic is lost to the user compared to how much would be lost to the target if the sphere makes its mark.


    Indeed, as described in Kira''s memory, Jane was totally exhausted from the battle already, lightheaded and disoriented as a side effect of having all of her magic drained in one single instance. Jane now had no counter measures to use against Kira. She could only use physical attacks, and at the same time, her power shield would be inoperable with such low energy levels. Without even realizing it yet, Kira has a big advantage right now.


    Jane concentrated on herself, trying to push just a tiny ounce of energy into one more spell that virtually requires nothing to activate in the first place. "Energy, Cycle!" In just a delayed huff of breath within her chanted spell, Jane''s entire body became coated with a very thin and transparent purple colored aura, which did nothing else in the meantime. It took a moment for Kira to understand what was happening to Jane, not that she fully understood the effects anyway, being that only Jane and Claudia were aware of the artificial spell. Jane''s MP reserves began to passively regenerate much quicker than it normally happens, though relatively slow since she was starting with zero percent of her energy. Even for Kira''s perspective, Jane''s trick currently isn''t much of a threat.


    "Charge Attack!" Deciding to reserve some of her own energy, Kira needed to attack Jane without expending magic, and that meant getting up close with utmost confidence. When in range, Kira let lose her random combination of dagger slices and kicks. Jane on the other hand did the same thing without changing her position, letting Kira come to her. Both of them were at it again, attacking with random physical hits in real-time without much of a strategy. Jane however suffered a few more painful hits and dagger strikes than she had inflicted upon Kira''s body. With one final kick, Kira got to push Jane away and kick off of her chest to get some distance for herself, ending her combination sequence. The stats for both of them changed very little, though Jane''s rapid MP recovery was now going noticed.


    Jane decided to counterattack. Despite her next skill using up a small amount of magical energy, Jane kept its use to a minimum to keep her Energy Cycle aura going. Using up enough magic during the process would disrupt the sequence of Energy Cycle, as would invoking any type of other aura spells. "Crystal Arrow!" Keeping the arrow''s explosive properties inside, Jane''s yellow glyphring put the bow and arrow into her hands, allowing her to quickly wind up the arrow and shoot at Kira. Kira didn''t seem as fast as she was before, failing to dodge a simple projectile that she could have done before. Perhaps it was Kira''s exhaustion and fatigue finally catching up with her. Nevertheless, the arrow stuck into Kira, followed by a small explosion of the crystal knocking Kira to the floor with the bang of shrapnel shards.


    Though cringing from the explosive and bruising pain she had not been expecting, Kira was quick to get back to her feet, and with enough magic to try and make use of another powerful attack, she took aim at Jane, who was standing too still for her own comfort. "Crimson Flare!" Kira quickly launched the Crimson Flare projectile, a massive hot and burning sphere that''s speed would have been incredibly easy to walk out of its path. However, when Jane saw it coming, she knew that she had to take the heat this time, for the sake of her Energy Cycle to work properly. Bracing herself for a rather painful sensation of burning magical damage, Jane let her skin heat up fast just as the sphere began to swallow her up whole, inflicting a lot of damage and pain just before the sphere passed her by. She had to shut her eyes to prevent crying out from the heavy magic damage being done from inside of the massive sized sphere.


    Kira didn''t know what to get all surprised about; the fact that Jane''s MP reserves jumped up upon taking damage, or that Jane intentionally just stood there to make it happen. Her body still had that thin purple glow around it, and just as it ended, Jane was still happy to counterattack.


    Without disrupting her Energy Cycle spell, Jane kept her magical usage to a bare minimum, utilizing an old and weak attack spell that is however distant. Pulling out her daggers, Jane charged little MP energy into the blades, forming bright lights at the tips of her Rigel Runes. Aiming at Kira, Jane fired the beams of blue light with very high accuracy. "Mako Beam!" Jane only used two beams of light to conserve energy, and Kira was barely affected by the beam attack. The idea was to antagonize Kira, not to hurt her just yet.


    "Flying Guillotine!" Kira took a lot more time than she should have after chanting the name of her spell to invoke the ability, since she first needed to pull out her daggers, infuse the magic, and throw them at Jane for the spell to take full effect. Again, Jane stood there without any intention of dodging or blocking the attack. Magical slashing damage was going to cut off even more HP, but at the same time, her Energy Cycle Spell would in turn convert that into usable energy.


    As the red circle of death drilled through Jane once from in front and another time from behind, she clenched her teeth from the sharp cutting pain that entered her lower body, stinging everywhere. Just as her stats changed again, Jane was satisfied enough with the result to intentionally drop her Energy Cycle aura, removing the purple coat of light around her body upon conscious request.


    With her stats rebalanced, Jane went into immediate attack mode, running at Kira to get closer for her mid-ranged tactics. Kira would not be able to expect it, because she would have thought from the looks of it that Jane wanted another close combat rumble. Kira pulled out her daggers again as a result, and Jane let her have it from six meters away. "Median Flare!" Blasting a bright and powerful burst of light with only forty five degrees of spread, Kira was immediately hit by the powerful force that carried its energy and heat into her body, taking the damage as it nearly knocked her all the way down again.


    Kira could feel herself failing to keep things together, and as a result of Jane now being on top of the battle, she had to resort to another strategy. Though it was totally unorthodox, Kira managed to pull out some sort of orb from her cloak. She held it up, as the top colored tip of it was shaded with a blue color. "Magic restoration. Fulfill me with more power!" The orb lit up brightly in response, showing off how incredibly quick the MP boosting orb took effect.


    Jane could not believe it! This wasn''t the typical spell bomb or booster orb that one could use in battle. It was specifically the type of restoration orb that can only be used outside of a Siriean dome. But Kira was holding one now, somehow managing to use it, despite the fact that the natural Leray rules are supposed to block it out! "That orb isn''t for this battle," Jane shouted. Kira shouldn''t be allowed to use that thing! How did she bypass the security protocols? "You can''t use it right now, you cheating bitch!"


    Kira laughed at Jane''s sense of fair sportsmanship. "I''m trying to kill you silly, not win some kind of bet. Let''s even the odds!" As the orb''s brightness reached its full potential and faded shortly after, a temporary blue aura surrounded Kira''s entire body, restoring a lot of her MP energy on the spot. The energy scope changed. It was surprising to Jane that Kira did not use a healing orb instead, and thought that perhaps Kira was actually enjoying some of those scars. Though at the same time, most people are critical at 19% health. Kira still appears like she could tackle the entire world. Where does she get all of that speed and stamina from?


    "What?" Taylor sputtered. "That isn''t fair! Stop this fight right now!" Kira didn''t back down to Taylor''s demands, nor did she even recognize her voice from here. Taylor immediately sent an Ice Bolt flying through her glyphring to the Siriean dome''s outer layer, hoping to break it down by attacking its shield directly, but the dome simply absorbed the Ice Bolt without a single hint of failing, creating a large hexagonal shape of aura at the impact sight. Jane was trapped in there against a cheater hoping to kill her in battle. Is there was no way to bring this down?


    Danny noticed Taylor''s immediate attempt to free Jane, trusting the judgment that there was no surviving this battle. Even being marked, Jane was fighting fairly, and that wasn''t good. Kira isn''t going to play the rest of this out by the rules. She''s a criminal! "Let''s attack it together!" he provided. Surely their combined power should overwhelm the dome from outside. Danny had a new theory about the difference in this particular Siriean dome.


    Jane noticed a few flashes of evanescent light behind her without turning around, muffled sounds that followed. Kira was facing the other way, and thus could make the same estimation easily.


    "Bet your friends are getting a little nervous right about now."


    Jane responded to Kira''s tease with the only thing she had left. "Weren''t we in the middle of something?" Planning for Kira to try and attack Jane again, the only hope is that she doesn''t have another hidden orb in her back pocket. Otherwise, Danny and Taylor busting this dome down would be the only choice. Then again, how exactly is Kira going to accomplish her task? Kira had not used a single dark magical attack yet. Leray attacks normally aren''t lethal in battle, so how exactly would she kill Jane? Jane could only make an educated guess that Kira would finish off her friends, then throw them into the ocean below while unconscious to drown. Leray veil or not, drowning at sea is an easy way to die even in Sprawn Valley. None can swim while unconscious.


    "Right then. I get to do this now." Kira showed off her restored magical points by releasing a lot of her energy into another attack spell. This one took a long time to charge however, forming a large glyphring in front of her that began shooting an army''s worth of photons. "Photon Blast!" She chanted the name during her invocation, giving Jane less time to predict what was coming next.


    But Jane didn''t need to predict the next attack, she just needed a powerful defense. Utilizing the abilities of her shielding aura, Jane sent the aura all around her body, not expecting any specific danger until it was on top of her. Several hundred photons that shot in the form of beams plowed the area where Jane was standing, designed to pierce through anything and everything. The photons slamming into her shield stopped short of the defensive reflection, creating small hexagons in its place again and again with the additional blasting sound of anti-aura deflection. Because of the high intensity of the attack though, Jane was losing her concentration quickly with the power of her shield dropping. Several more hexagons appeared, but the shield managed to barely hold up against the rest of the powerful full area attack directed at Jane.


    Just as the attack was over and Jane dropped her shield, Kira wore the expression of a deeply disappointed unexpected surprise of doubt. It wasn''t possible for her shield to hold up against one of Kira''s most powerful magical attacks. Then again, Jane was full of random abilities just waiting to get the surprise on her. Kira knew as much, and she tried to prepare for any specific eventuality.


    "Return Fire!" Jane called into the air. Using a glyphring set to float in place, Jane''s magical usage became a little more taxed as she began to charge at Kira already with a strategy in mind. While Kira was closely watching Jane, three photon waves of energy blasted her from behind and sent her forwards. It was amazing that Kira did not trip and fall forward as a result. Just as Kira recovered her balance, Jane shoved down her hand, forming two large sharp spears from above to land on top of Kira. Only one of the spears sliced right by the skin of Kira''s left arm, grazing her for a cut instead of the intended design of being shoved deep into her chest for high piercing damage. Jane however had the rest of the randomized spell in her power kick, with the energy already prepared to be released. Jane was danger close already, and leaped into the air to deliver her kick with her flying body to deliver the force of that impact. Kira however was still coordinated enough to jump out of the way. Jane simply missed her power kick, landing into the solid cement just behind Kira while her own momentum scraped her against the floor.


    Kira turned around to see that Jane had tripped onto the ground from her own mistake, and used that opportunity to throw something at her while she was down. "Magical Blitz!" Only getting the time to throw one energy ball at Jane''s back, Kira tossed the sphere towards Jane. Before the impact, Jane chanted the name of another spell that immediately carried the force needed to shove Kira off her feet backwards utilizing some invisible push wave.


    "Shining Bracer!" Jane managed to exert magic at just the right time before getting hit with a blitz ball in the back. Jane was stuck on the ground, with her own spell pushing her down further, but at least Kira tripped on the same spell just after Jane took another impact. Jane only absorbed a single energy sphere not thrown with a ton of force, so the damage had to be light. Jane barely felt anything hurting in her back, and used her newfound opportunity to try and stand up.


    The problem with her plan was that Jane had to stand up and turn around in the same run. Kira simply had to get on her feet as quickly as possible, as she was already facing the same direction. Being more prepared to combat Jane from here, Kira invoked another simple spell during the time she took to skid back up on both legs. "Ozcom''s Razor!" Using another familiar spell to get the best of her, Kira summoned another massive sharp blade hovering above Jane''s position.


    "Nagh!" Jane exhaled roughly as she tried to shift her arm movements to shield herself again, but during her process of invocation, nothing happened at all, the shield aura failing to initiate completely. Shortly after, the blade slammed down on her, cutting through her body deep enough to inflict massive sharp pain everywhere, including a fair amount of slashing damage. As the blade disappeared quickly, Jane was now stuck with a situation; the feeling of having a goliath blade stuck inside of her while being too drained of MP energy to create a shield. Her entire concentration became disoriented and faded.


    Despite feeling disoriented, Jane attempted to attack Kira anyway, while she tried to use all of this time to back away and retain her distance, a pitiful mistake according to Jane''s standards. "You should have brought a healing orb instead. Blitz!" Jane literally sent her MP reserves down the drain, keeping only 2% in reserves from the moment her skill was invoked. The rest had been partially stored inside of her radiating green body, ready to be released onto the field. Jane started by drawing her daggers and sprinting towards Kira, the Blitz aura supplying just enough stamina for Jane to get over her faint feeling and blurred vision synchronized with her heart pulse.


    Kira watched as Jane predictably ran towards her with another close combat assault move. While watching her opponent''s moves carefully, something suddenly slammed her into the air carrying an immense force. Kira didn''t even know what happened or what to think, but the impact alone cut up her side in several places at once, and she only had this brief moment in free-fall to realize that Jane just played her once again.


    Jane watched as her secret side-winding Shadow Wave attack slammed into Kira from the side, something she was totally not expecting. Jane didn''t even think it was that easy to generate a Shadow Wave from far away without giving away the ordinance location, but there it was. The wave bashed Kira beautifully, shoving her into the air, and now at close range to Kira, Jane shoved her daggers into Kira''s leg as she lay vulnerable from the unexpected hit. The daggers cut in deep, forcing Kira to scream from the incredible pain that Jane managed to inflict from a simple physical attack. By hitting her leg, it would disrupt Kira''s ability to move about elegantly.


    Jane did not jinx her current luck, and with Blitz having the effect of Multi-cast in her body, there was a lot more room in her single spell to do much more. Jane jumped back for some distance, and formed a small red glyphring around each wrist, shooting two Fire Balls in total into Kira''s body. The invocation timing of Jane''s Fire Ball attack was impossible to keep up with. The energy from Blitz creates a high-energy aura, which then becomes a temporary source of magic the user can draw from until depleted. The bonus effect; invocation timing is sped up so quickly.


    Jane tossed her daggers at Kira just as she tried to stand up, dealing normal slashing damage again, though it didn''t seem to do as much as her first strike. With Kira trying to recover, Jane finished up her combination sequence by entering another mode entirely. "Rush Assault!" Another aura covered Jane''s body, an aura of power that allowed Jane to move at twice her normal speed. She was already in range to hit Kira, and began with a quickly invoked combination of punches and kicks. Jane didn''t even stop to try and dodge, while her every hit was infused with magical energy to increase the damage level at the same time. For once, Kira had absolutely no time to try and break free, dodge, or retaliate. Jane''s strikes were relentless and fast, too fast for Kira to shake off the punch to the face or a kick to the gut. As the Rush Assault aura began to fade away, Jane took her daggers out again, and shoved them deep into Kira''s chest, putting as much aggressive force into the blades as she could. By now, Jane''s energy for her Blitz combo was spent, and she had to take the daggers out and get away, but Kira was most certainly stunned by the entire attack. The look on her face was very close to fading unconscious, that expression of intense pain, her teeth grinding as failure to properly express it. Just as Jane got some more distance from Kira, Kira slowly slunk to the ground supporting herself with one of her knees. Her energy scope was soon to go into the red at this rate.


    Realizing that Kira was finally at critical health conditions, and that one single attack would finally put her and this pathetic dome shield down, Jane gave her the chance to surrender peacefully. After all, Jane was not serious about killing Kira just because Kira wants to kill her. It just isn''t right. "You''ve proven your point already," Jane exhaled. Even though her stats were much higher, Jane was breathing heavily too just from the sheer exhaustion of running around and using up all of her energy. "I get that Patrissa was your idol, but what you and Patrissa were doing to those innocent people, ganging up on them to steal what they properly owned was wrong. Nobody even knows your involvement with that. You can give up here and walk away now, and start a new life."


    Kira tried to get her full point across, barely capable of standing. She was slouching on one leg, holding her chest with her left arm as it burned with a searing stabbing pain. "And where would¡ª I... Be... Without showing you not to mess with what already is in the world? You¡ª can''t, escape my fate! I will kill you Jane!"


    "I''m disappointed to hear that."


    Kira knew that neither one of them was backing down until the end. With Jane''s powerful shield, it would take everything she had to penetrate those defenses, and so that is what was left to give. "Prism!" Even though her stance was destroyed by several stab wounds in her legs and her chest, Kira managed to keep her right arm straight enough to form the multi-colored glyphring in front of her in her current stance, screaming at the top of her lungs just to attain the focus needed to expend the rest of her energy correctly. Much of her MP was immediately spent, but she had much more to give after using her MP restoration orb mid-battle.


    Jane saw a Prism glyphring form in front of Kira, and though she doubted that it would be as powerful, Jane simply did not take the chance that Kira may succeed in using it to its fullest extent. Despite her low MP levels, Jane managed to form another power shield with a little less power than what was normally used. Kira''s Prism combo activated, beginning the sequence with two Fire Bolts, an Ice Bolt, and a Thunderbolt. All four of those attacks though striking the shield at different times all managed to deal a lot of damage to Jane''s personal aura due to her failing MP levels, and because of this, her concentration on the shield was already tearing apart at the seams. Having to try harder and harder just to keep it going, Jane gave it everything she got while Kira delivered the rest of her force.


    Kira knew there had to be a limit, and tested that limit with every ounce of magical power from the single attack. Safely at a distance, Kira continued the combination with another Ice Bolt, followed by a Thunderbolt, and three Fire Bolts. That alone somehow managed to completely take down Jane''s shield. Just as the shield failed, Jane nearly collapsed into the ground with it, afterwards taking the sudden rapid fire from the rest of Kira''s Prism spell. Finally! The attacks were wearing Jane out too.


    As Kira concentrated on which elemental figures to use up left, Jane had to endure its total hell. She was hit with no defense left on her, first by a stray Fire Bolt, then two different Thunderbolts consecutively, followed by two Ice Bolts, another Fire Bolt, and two more Thunderbolts. At the end of Kira''s sequence, Jane was hurting pretty badly, but she felt like she was about to pass out even more. Her energy was so far down, that the process alone was its own distinct kind of pain. Stuck to the ground and barely able to stand, Jane took notice of her energy scope. Kira''s wasn''t doing so well either due to her used up energy on Prism, now turning red in color to indicate critical condition status.


    Despite her heavy loss in energy, Jane was still somewhat capable of movement, much more than Kira seemed to look right now in her slumping injured stance. At the very least, Jane needed just one more attack to end this. Putting the rest of her energy to a rather simple yet effective spell, a red glyphring formed around her arm. "Fire Bolt!" Jane''s voice wasn''t as powerful as before, but it got the job done, sending a homing projectile of fire towards Kira.


    Acting fast, Kira fired an Electro-Ball projectile from her right hand, aiming for Jane''s Fire Bolt. The two forces collided in mid-air shortly after, creating a small explosion and a lot of smoke that neutralized Jane''s feckless attempt to attack from afar. "I''m taking you down with me!" Though she sounded angry, Kira was also incredibly weak, pushing herself just to speak as well as trying to use the rest of her magic. "Stonefall!" The spell required practically no magical energy from her reserves, and a large amount of large stone rock chunks began falling from the sky. The falling pieces were limited in effective strike radius to a very small space where Jane was confined to. After having a few rocks slam her upside the head, Jane ducked and rushed away from that radius while covering her head, taking minor damage in the process while partially dodging the whole attack. It was not difficult to evade the entire attack of Stonefall, as it was a weak spell after all.


    But Kira wasn''t finished with one mere attack. Using her magical reserves and her relentless combination to her advantage, Jane simply could not do anything to retaliate with no remaining magic in her reserves, and it would seem that Energy Cycle was of no use to Jane now either. Healing spells such as Solar Regen were not going to work with the sun already past the horizon, not that she learned how to invoke that one in particular. Darkness now consumed the entire skies above, granting Kira the perfect moment to wrap this battle up with Jane on a silver platter. As soon as this dome shield drops, she can easily use healing orbs long before Jane''s pitiful friends try to intervene. She knew the entire time that it would have been quicker and easier to just launch Jane into the ocean without a fight, but what kind of fun would that be? "Earth Glave!" Just as Jane dodged the Stonefall attack, Kira''s Earth Glave took effect, launching artificial rocks and dirt up from the ground even though there was nothing but cement to begin with.


    With no way to dodge the attack or shield against it, Jane put her arms in front of her and braced herself. The shooting blunt pain of being slammed by an uplifting earth attack and then launched into the air crowded her nerves. Jane couldn''t see the ground before she landed back on the hard cement, but the process alone hurt her with an intense pain down her spine. She felt much weaker now in every way that mattered. The sky was right above her face due to the position she was in, and from the looks of it, the battle was already over.


    Taylor infused magical energy into her hands, and used that to pound her fists on the outer edge of the dome shield, getting Danny to attack it using air magic, but the shield was winning, reflecting their every attack regardless of power. Now that they could see Jane just lying there on the ground with Kira gloating over the way things were going, Taylor began to panic quickly. "No Jane! Get back up and beat her now!"


    Due to the soundproof effects of the dome shield, Jane didn''t hear a thing. No longer wanting to fight, Jane simply began to embrace the feeling of losing all of her senses. Then a sudden surge of electricity zapped her back awake. At first, Jane believed it to be a Lightning Strike attack sent to end her, but instead of feeling any worse, Jane felt inexplicably rejuvenated. It wasn''t anywhere near a full recovery, and every part of her body hurt just as badly as it did before, but Jane felt pumped, as if something had just re-energized her. The unusual nearby noise and light bothered Jane, as it was a glowing light right next to her face.


    "What the?!" Kira was about to finish Jane off, when an odd light covered Jane''s entire right hand, now growing and forming into something unfamiliar detailed her eyes.


    Jane pulled her right hand to her face, noticing the exact same symbol that was engraved to her hand any of the other times she invoked it before. The impressive thing is that the entire symbol was displaying itself in its usual holographic form right through the solid elastic fabric of her battle outfit and through the fingerless gloves. A circle with four tightly stretched ovals branching out in equidistant equal angles with an opening in the center, shining with an incredible radiance. This time instead of the planet looking mark with one oval, there were four of them, rotating on an invisible axis as if the holographic display were some sort of graphical screen. Jane could not believe it! Her symbol was activating on its own, revealing itself to a new witness and returning all of her energy to her in just seconds.


    By the time Jane realized that she was getting one last chance to fight, she inhaled a powerful breath of air, and tried to jump back up from her back to her feet.


    Kira''s jaw dropped, as she was at a loss for words, but despite not understanding what was happening, Jane was making one thing clear right now. Getting back up meant there was more room for Kira to lose, and she would not have that. "Shadow Wave!" releasing the very last amount of her MP energy into a simple yet effective spell, Kira sent her Shadow Wave towards Jane from the ground in front of her.


    Jane managed to stand back up and face Kira. The symbol on the top of her right hand was still illuminating brightly, its light almost too blinding to look at. The symbol design, color, everything was totally projecting through her suit too. Jane understood that at the very best of this situation, it didn''t matter if Kira knew that Jane was marked or not. It mattered more to her that she can live, in order to complete her mission, defeat the champion, and restore the Outback to the way it was. One person''s petty lust for vengeance isn''t going to be enough reason to stop her, and since she is a criminal, who would believe Kira''s story...? Shadow Wave? Jane noticed a moving wave on the ground heading straight for her. One hit would knock her out despite her restored energy, even though it wasn''t easy to feel that right now. Still, the same rules apply to Kira. "I''ll show you a Shadow Wave! Hah!" Jane expended a total of fifteen percent of her MP reserves, which is overkill on a low power level spell like Shadow Wave. Normally, overcharging a spell causes it to backfire or fail, but with the additional help from her radiating symbol, Jane managed to take all of that powerful Leray energy and create her own Shadow Wave on the ground in front of her, its effects amplifying her magic in total.


    Jane''s Shadow Waves were always slightly larger compared to the average after obtaining her symbol through the spell bomb, but this particular Shadow Wave topped every single one Jane has ever created so far, spanning outward and tall, about five times the normal size of a Shadow Wave and twenty feet long in full diameter. Shadow Waves are dark auras and are hard to see, but Jane''s Shadow Wave was too big to miss, much too scary for Kira to possibly react her way out of this.


    Just as the two opposing Shadow Waves collided into each other, the larger one predictably swallowed the smaller Shadow Wave without even losing any momentum. With Kira now standing as a deer in dangerous headlights, nothing she could do right now would have been a viable choice to evade the impending doom to her well-fought out battle. She tried to brace herself and block the scariest Shadow Wave she had ever seen in her life, but the very moment the first slashing impact cut into her upper thigh, that was it for her health.


    Jane watched as the large Shadow Wave simply kept itself in place as it began to cut up Kira in multiple places even after the battle ended much quicker than that. After the slashes were over, the Shadow Wave exploded into its usual burst of energy. Though thanks to its wild size, that burst had Kira knocked back at least two meters even after she was down. The most awesome and most powerful Shadow Wave Jane has ever performed, all came out of this intense invocation of her own forbidden symbol... No wonder people are afraid of it.


    <hr>


    <Reward: Jane ~ Null | Real Time Mode>


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Silver Canyon [A] ~ Resonance of Fate / End of Eternity OST</a>


    <hr>


    Just as the Siriean dome around her collapsed under the rules of one participant winning the battle, Jane''s symbol projecting from the top of her hand disappeared too. The moment that happened, Jane felt incredibly weak again from the lowering stats. The sensation caused her to collapse to the ground, with just enough stamina left to break the fall with her arms, roll to her back, and remain awake. Luckily, Danny and Taylor were already on their way with healing orbs and all sorts of other things. It''s a shame they didn''t have enough power to literally destroy the Siriean dome. It''s said that only the most powerful attacks in stray magic can do just that, but nobody has ever done such a deed before, so it must just be a false rumor. Siriean domes are specifically designed to be invulnerable to damage, and judging from how things went down, Kira must have used a special type of Siriean dome that wasn''t a usual one, given that items were permitted in battle, while supply spheres were not. At least Kira was finally down, but even by Jane''s standards, that match was much too close for comfort. Then again, Kira did cheat in the middle of battle by adding to her magic with an illegal item.


    Taylor shoved one of her own healing orbs into the hands of Jane, handling her delicately. "Jane! I hope you''re okay after that. You didn''t have to agree to that fight."


    Jane accepted the orb from Taylor, capable of conscious thought and some coordination, but her own stats were still so low, her body endangered by excessive damage. Jane slumped down and sat over her legs, resting her muscles while activating the orb in her hands. "Thanks Tay. I just need a minute to rest."


    Jane, being an idiot to fairly battle a supposed killer is actually much like Jane in every way, but after this mess, this loner-shit stops now! "Next time that happens, we''re helping you whether you like it or not. Anyway, as for this idiot, who was she?" Danny probed. "Didn''t she say something about Patish or Patrissa - or something like that?"


    Pausing to light up the healing orb and absorb its effects, Jane thought back to that dark night she had on Route 96. All she wanted to do then was rush into Lennith City, mostly to achieve a state of rest that had been denied her for so long. Patrissa was a fierce opponent, and despite her lack of manners, she made an interesting offer for the reward at the end. Just as soon as Jane defeated Patrissa, her entire gang popped out of the darkness to jump her. Jane was quite surprised that her friends had not picked up on some of the details. After all, Patrissa wasn''t some ordinary stranger; her arrest made big news in Lennith.


    "A remnant of Patrissa''s pathetic forces," Jane summarized. "Kira managed to escape. According to what I picked up from bits and pieces other people judged, I defeated her entire force using Redemption. Without the dome to protect anyone else, it was a full area attack that caught everybody off guard. Though when I used Redemption, I put my own life in danger without realizing it, and ended up at Lennith medical the next time I woke. It happened on my way from Route 96."


    "So that''s why she wanted revenge." Taylor didn''t praise herself for putting that mystery together. Jane basically dumbed it down for her, and so did Kira''s fiery mood to destroy Jane in the fight. "Still, you could have pretended to give up just now, and let us help you." If one simply forfeits a match, the dome shield drops automatically, meaning Taylor and Danny could have saved Jane from all of that. Their entire help was actually at the mercy of Jane just as much as it was from Kira.


    "You don''t understand," Jane recalled. Finally with enough strength to stand up, Jane finished recovering from the fading light in the orb, her stats on the energy scope returned to normal and above their last highest level. Despite the intense battle, Jane was managing to heal the rest of her real time damage from Alpha Zero. "The Siriean dome Kira created was not the same as a Leray Siriean dome. Its properties were different."


    Danny squinted his eyes in silence. So you felt that way too? Something defiantly wasn''t right about that dome shield. It was darker than it was supposed to be. In a way, it resembled a Doom Shield ability, but even if Kira had cast the spell in secrecy, it still would not have explained how she was granted the ability to illegally call use for out-of-battle items. But then, what the hell was that thing if not a Siriean dome?


    Jane continued her best explanation. "And the fact that she was even allowed to use a recovery item mid-battle proved that something was allowing her to negate some of the rules. If the fight were a normal one, that orb would have refused to light up in her hands no matter how much effort was put into it."


    "I''ve never heard of anything like that before," Taylor drawled. "How could a random person create a Siriean dome that doesn''t follow the standard rules for the Leray veil?"


    Jane was still as confused about the matter as Taylor was. After regaining her energy and switching off her energy scope, she tried to set the idea into the air. "I don''t know much more about that than you do. Kira didn''t want to fight fair. She had top notch equipment, and a magic resistant cloak."


    "It did look like a tough fight," Taylor called. "She nearly gave you a run for your money. For some woman to give you that much trouble..."


    Jane kept in on her thoughts, but she focused on Kira as Taylor now was. For now, Kira was unconscious, laying on the floor without as much as a vital sign, but Jane knew better. Even with Kira''s energy scope showing critical condition before the knock out, Jane didn''t use any dark magic against her. She couldn''t even if she wanted to, for Jane knew of no such abilities herself. Even Star of Darkness wouldn''t count, since it doesn''t bare the same effects despite having a similar energy signature. Kira would be just fine as soon as she wakes up, and with that being the case, Jane will be hunted again and again by this witch.


    Without saying a word, Jane walked up to Kira''s body, examining the sleeper. Even though Kira is an enemy, she looked so peaceful in this state. Her dark messy hair brushed up slightly from the low wind speeds on the bridge, her chest huffing oxygen with such little movement. Jane crouched down above the woman, reaching into her dark cloak for the one thing she would need. Jane felt awkward searching someone while they are forced to sleep like this, touching around their clothes to find the hidden pockets. After a few seconds, Jane felt the familiar texture of flimsy material, tugging the item to obtain it from Kira. After holding it up to her face, it was confirmed. This is Kira''s official Leray wielding license. Kira''s face was stamped on there with her identity, as well as her other current stats. Though comparing those stats to her actual skill level led Jane to believe that the card was never really updated, it only exists as an excuse to practice magic in the first place should she ever be questioned by an agent. And let''s face it; Kira can''t be twenty years old, more like twenty-three or twenty-four. Kira Sandreas | Age: 20 | Graduated facility: Private Sector | Last Ev. Score: 6 | Current Status: Advanced Leray wielder | Credits: 2100 Cr.


    This information was still good enough to use against her. Jane tucked the license into her own pocket, hoping to use this. Kira cannot come after Jane if she is on the wanted list. All Jane had to do now was report Kira Sandreas to the agents in Eldora, who will then establish an APB on her. Kira will not be able to show her face in any town, which is where Jane will be soon enough. Danny and Taylor didn''t know what she was up to, but it did not matter at this point. Jane turned around to her team members, with a new concern on her previous thoughts. "That time it wasn''t myself who saved me."


    "Huh?"


    Jane didn''t expect their confusion. "Didn''t you see what happened? As soon as I thought I was done for, my symbol activated again. Only this time it was much brighter, showing the entire crest and its design right through the material in my suit."


    "I didn''t see that!" Taylor fretted. "Then again..." After remembering much of what the battlefield looked like, it made sense now why she may have missed it. "It wasn''t easy to see anything from our perspective. That dome was blocking out a lot of natural light. Everything we saw was like peeking through deformed tinted glass."


    Jane recalled the same perception from the battle. "Right. It did block out light, on both ends mind you, but Kira defiantly saw it. Hopefully she didn''t understand what happened." Jane tried to clarify her own mentality, since she could not fully understand the mark either. "This wasn''t a normal activation. It was different, much more powerful than before."


    Danny stepped gently to his left and back again, pacing slightly to try and think about the meaning of Jane''s mark. "Maybe there is more than one mode for it; like separate tiers on your marking that activate at different levels depending on the condition. You said before that you can control when it appears, but not every time. Maybe there is only a certain level of its power that you can decide whether to invoke or not."


    "I just don''t understand it at all." Jane had done so much research on symbols, but nothing was anything like her own. "The design isn''t in any known database, and the activation can happen automatically, making it even more dangerous. Yet if the activation happens automatically, the crest is also that much more powerful and visible. Though the effects are somewhat the same, the triggers are not exactly consistent. I mean, how does this thing even exist on me? In what way is this thing on my hand burned into my profile? Status effect? Genetic mutation maybe?"


    "Well that isn''t your only problem."


    Jane was just getting to that. Taylor had an excellent opinion. "Right. Whatever tier activated last time can reveal the entire symbol and its shape through my own suit, some sort of holographic penetration, possibly crossing entire dimensions just to reveal itself and trigger the effects. So how the hell do I hide that in the Eldora championship battles?"


    Danny lowered his head and his expression. After a few moments of thought, he could not reply to the question. She certainly has a big dilemma. That thing shows up and hides all on its own. Jane sure is going to have much difficulty on that stance. How can a person legally fight in the Eldora championship if they are not allowed to battle in the first place? Jane will have no choice but to learn to control all of her tiers on her unusual symbol. Danny still wished he could have seen it just for the design. Jane revealed the crest to them once in Lennith City, but the visual memory was growing vague rapidly. If no amount of clothing can hide that symbol, then this may all be for nothing in the end. Was there really anything they could do for her?


    Taylor noticed how much later the day grew. The sun was entirely invisible now, only the slight orange glow teasing behind the horizon in the west. The sky shaded itself to a dark blue color, as deep as the eye could see. With the clear weather on the side, Taylor could see all the way up to outer space from here, the few stars already twinkling in the night sky. There wasn''t any sign of the moon or its light, edging her on that the cycle must already be at a new moon phase, but the sky getting darker was not the only pressing concern. "We should try to get going soon; it''s getting late."


    Danny nodded in disagreement, pointing to Kira with a cautious reminder. "Aren''t we forgetting this little problem?"


    Taylor already knew what the concern was about, and how to resolve their fears. Kira will eventually wake up soon. Even without the ability to use healing orbs on herself, passive regeneration will give her enough energy to move about and track them back down, possibly before ever reaching Eldora City. Kira said it herself; she wants nothing more than to kill Jane Venn, but as long as Taylor and Danny are around, it won''t happen. "I''ll handle it," she volunteered.


    Taylor got to where Kira was sleeping, and examined the side rail just in front of her. It would be difficult to jump over this rail into the ocean, though surprisingly it was still possible. The rails were just sturdy metal bars with little thickness, giving civilians easy access to take in the entire view. At the same time, it gave Taylor a great idea. After picking out which horizontal bar to use for her experiment, Taylor picked up Kira by the arm, dragging her body over the rough pavement. The skidding sound of Kira''s clothes being slid over a hard rough surface gave Taylor little concern, as there was no sympathy for Kira. After getting the unconscious woman as close to the edge as physically possible, Taylor positioned Kira so that she would be sitting straight up with her back leaned against the bars. Her sleeping face slumped down with her head, but it wasn''t enough yet to create a balance problem. Taylor then took Kira''s right arm and held her right wrist up against the bar she focused on. Holding Kira''s wrist in place from the base of her elbow, Taylor concentrated on her unique spell. "Light Lock!" Taylor didn''t yell loudly, just enough to get the spell right. She had to imagine the entire scene in her mind just to be successful at her new spell.


    In front of everyone, Taylor''s slight release of magical energy created a round tight disk of light that appeared to be much less smaller and bare than a glyphring. The disk of light energy locked itself between Kira''s right wrist and the railing Taylor held it on, while Taylor was able to freely back away. Now noticing the intentions and the art behind such a skill, Jane was deeply amazed that anybody could just do that. Using only magical energy, Taylor literally handcuffed Kira''s hand to the side railing of the bridge. The process seemed like it might be uncomfortable to the subject, but Kira would not be going anywhere for a while. Then again, where would the key hole be? "How did you..."


    Jane wasn''t able to ask her question completely, since she didn''t understand where to begin. Taylor briefly explained where and how she acquired such knowledge. "Light Lock is a spell specifically for Leray agents, designed to arrest people with warrants. They''re like hand cuffs, only the spell uses an energy disk made of magical light that is impenetrable to all damage. Only another spell can diffuse the barrier. They didn''t teach me that though."


    "Who taught you?"


    Taylor found it ironic for once that Jane would be amazed by a spell that only Taylor knew. Danny knew the same spell, though he did not think to use them in this situation just now. "It happened shortly after the attack at Tilsit port. After the thieves managed to swipe some data from the storage under the lighthouse facility, we became acquainted with some of the Leray agents who caught up to the scene. I forget his name, but he was grateful that we at least offered to assist in whatever was going on, so he offered to teach me that skill for my own protection."


    Agent Sarbone. Danny never forgot favors from people who have helped him and his friends. After helping clear up some details of the investigation linking to the Scarlet Cult, Agent Sarbone offered to teach Danny and Taylor both the Light Lock spell, certain that they would only use it for the right reasons. There must be a few things that could come of harm by abusing the spell itself, but he chose never to consider the thought in his mind.


    After settling the reminder to himself, Danny continued where Taylor left off in the subject. "Agent Sarbone taught us the skill. It''s basically used by agents to cuff their suspects and prevent their escape by any means. You can''t crack the light disks. And when used on a person, even if it is only covering just one wrist, the Light Lock effect will passively prevent the subject from using any form of magical power, including dark magic. They weren''t kind enough to give us the reverse spell, since that is apparently a trade secret, but the Light Lock spell only lasts for up to two hours. Kira will be stuck there when she wakes up, but after two hours from now, she will be set free. I don''t think we''ll be able to make it to Eldora and report her to the agents before she is able to escape."


    Jane was vaguely reminded about the incident in which a petty thief in Fronas was captured with her own help, about a week before the crystal shard heist in the same town. The scene was somewhat familiar because she saw either Kain or Bella use Light Lock on the thief before hauling him away to prison, but she never remembered the name of the spell, nor did she fully witness its effects for more than a second of time. This right here is the same thing. And Taylor got enough respect at Tilsit to learn the ability restricted to agents? It''s quite an impressive idea, and to think that for a moment ago, it appeared as if Taylor had the idea of tossing Kira over the bridge instead. Still, this Light Lock spell apparently has the drawback of lasting for only two hours of time. Jane pondered the thought. "So it only lasts for two hours huh? Well it''s okay. Let her rot for that time." Jane held much of an attitude in her tone just to portray such hatred at her villain. It wasn''t worth getting worked up over anymore, so Jane turned to face the direction they should be heading in. "We''ll make way to Eldora, report her to the police anyway, and then get on with the rest of the mission."


    "What about your symbol?"


    Taylor had much reason for concern, but the problem alone belonged to Jane. "I''ll figure that out on the way there. Let''s hope we don''t meet any more challengers. It''s getting too late."


    "I say," Danny interjected, "that we turn down challengers from here on out. I was able to see something in the distance when it was brighter. I think we are getting close to the city, but at the same time, we can''t afford to take lengthy battles with a killer on the same route as us."


    Jane sighed with much emotion to the idea. "Fine. If anyone challenges us, or even threatens us with anything, we turn them down and take the strikes for now." Despite the timer, Jane was still excited about battling, the adrenaline never truly leaving her system. Danny must already know that though, otherwise he would not have suggested a cool-down in the first place.


    "Let''s get going then." Danny led the way back to the bikes they set down before. While mounting back on the vehicles, Danny prepared himself to ride forwards, taking into account the changes is the air from the sunset. Already, the air had gotten much cooler despite a lack of speedy wind lately. Even his hair was beginning to rise on his arms and legs, though at least Taylor would be warm.

 Chapter 39-F: Battle Streak (Part 4 ~ JDT VS Stanley Marx)

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 21:20 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    The team found standard comfort in the silence that followed the continuation of their ride. Route 787 is a very long linear path basically consistent of a massive bridge connecting two continents together in the same country; 11.4 miles of thoroughfare uplifted hundreds of feet above the Hollifax Ocean. Jane and her traveling companions basically have to cross this much of a distance only with the power of bicycles.


    Met with the area from the retirement of the sun and its warmth came the most mystifying sea breeze of air and darkness. While the skies had yet to solidify their color of darkness, the structure itself would still be yet visible by the naked eyes, though with much elusive strain for detail. The sound of the slow waves far below melting with the low hiss of the chilling air stole more of the sound than it produced. The temperature dropped only slightly in the time between the sunset, but such a drop was also most noticeable as dry as the air became.


    Jane was tired. Though several stops were made on the way for the purpose of being shoved into a Leray battle, one may not consider this a break with that much of a workout in performance. Even after fully healing from her near-death experience in Alpha Zero, the long trip ahead was still nearly too much. Rough play from every single match only serves to exhaust the body further, despite recovering from damage completely through the day; the wonders of getting tired, which still exist in the Leray zone, though delayed slightly in comparison to the effects outside. Twenty minutes of silence slipped by them ever since departing from their last little stop. The lack of conversation seemed awkward for all of them, though there was little to talk about which had not already been discussed. The long moment of silence mixed with the beautiful scenery and the briskly air was somehow comforting enough to bring drowsiness and a blissful edge of sleep towards Danny and Taylor both, but Jane was still wide-awake despite her physical exhaustion. After having done so much in one night, even her mind needed to take a break every once in a while, and perhaps the same could be said for Danny and Taylor. What is that feeling where everything else goes close to hibernation? The body performs on autopilot, the mind literally void of other thoughts - sleeping blissfully as an alternative attempt to lower stress and fatigue. Danny had this sensation, and he sensed that the others pedaling only a few feet in front of him were experiencing the same serenity.


    Taylor however remained highly observant of her surroundings periodically, noticing for instance how much darker the sky became in only twenty minutes of time. Taylor could only estimate that ten or fifteen minutes have passed at the most. Even the glow of the sunset provided so much light all around her, but now that light was gone. The sky above her has been replaced by a thick black coat of the void beyond this planet''s atmosphere, and decorated with lively white stars that kept the world interesting. Even the ground in front of her was difficult to see at all. The moon was in a phase that left itself totally invisible, yet she could still faintly see the wide waves in the ocean to either side beneath her, as well as the concrete blurred by the motion as it passed under her. Something nearby was providing some source of light, though hardly usable.


    Jane tried to coast her bike as often as she could. The bridge had a surprising level of flatness to the earth, with no incline upwards or downwards the entire time they have been on the structure. While the guardrails prevented any risk of falling off this thing, Jane thought about all the other ways it could be scaled, even by mistake. It didn''t make much sense to her why one would go through all of this trouble to cross a bridge and fight Leray wielders when people could simply teleport. Normally, criminals are the ones who use teleportation symbols to get away from the law when needed, but the process does not actually require dark magic, nor is that magic a form of spell capable of causing harm to others. Sometimes people use illegal symbols to invoke teleportation, but since that is not necessary for the process, getting marked for it is incredibly redundant. Jane didn''t believe teleportation should be illegal to use, though practically nobody fights to attain the useful power.


    Is it the stars? Taylor could stare up for hours if not for the constant requirement to pay attention to the road in front of her, less she slam into the back of Jane and knock all three of them down to the floor. Though her concept had a looping sense of montrum with her idea. Did those stars so far away provide even this much light to the Earth? For something so distant and insignificant to have such a large impact on the planet... Taylor couldn''t stop thinking about it until Jane finally distracted her a moment later.


    "I think we''re getting close," she called over the slow wind. The temperature barely got any lower, while the natural wind remained dormant too. Though from the speed of coasting at about twelve miles per hour, the colliding air could be mistaken for its dormant speed as well.


    Taylor luckily did not notice much of any real temperature changes. She had been warm and cozy from the beginning of wearing Danny''s coat. Though even she found it embarrassing to believe that just a little cold rush of air could so easily freeze herself to death. Perhaps it was an over-exaggeration, or merely exhaustion masked with something else. Danny seemed just fine without one after all, and Jane''s costume didn''t look as if it were made of a warming material. At the sight of noticing the amazing outline of several tall structures closer than Taylor should have noticed, her mouth gasped as her eyes gazed upon the excitement that this trip was finally coming to its conclusion. "Is that...? That''s Eldora City, right?"


    "That''s right!" The city was still only mildly visible due to the distance and some invisible fog that was only thin in the area around the exit, but Jane could clearly see the mixture of lights condensed into one from the building beacons and the street lamps. The collection basically stirred a glow into the lower atmosphere just above the buildings, with one separate bright white light far off to the right. Even from here, it looked like the very earth of the next continent was close enough to touch. Though it was only perspective. Realistically, Jane knew already that they had at least between two and three miles to keep going before these wheels literally land on dirt instead of stone. "We''ll be at the edge of Eldora City in about an hour from now, and off this bridge."


    Danny''s spirits were lifted the moment he''d seen the signs of civilization ahead. The city structure wasn''t all that close, but since it consists of such large and tall buildings, the illusion of feeling close to the end of Route 787 felt all the more real. "Since we got all this money, we can put it to a good hotel and rest up in style."


    Jane needed not to remind herself and her friends how to conserve the credits they have all just earned for the purpose of squeezing all the power and defense they can for Leray related purposes. Danny on the other hand was getting ahead of himself. "Don''t forget that your credits are best spent on equipment on our mission. If you really are coming with me back to the dark zone, assuming I do have to go back to that hellhole, you won''t be doing any good by slacking off in your armor and weapons. That includes training."


    Disturbed by the nagging of Jane''s firm voice, Danny bargained for himself on behalf of their underwhelming victories on this bridge so far. "Lighten up a little Jane. After all we''ve done, we can still afford to rest one night. It''s celebrate time! We''ll take a five star guest room." He could imagine the place right now. A perfect view of the city, or a warm pool on the rear balcony. One massive television screen with several more channels than what could be received in Fronas Town, and beds that transforms sleeping into a pleasant fantasy for tired muscles. Room service that serves butter bread with shrimp bites. Danny only knew of the existence of such things from a show on TV, which took a video tour into one of the finest suites of stay, while one of which resided in Eldora City. Though Sprawn Valley''s native food may be more or less exotic than that...


    "We''ll have a four star hotel," Jane corrected. Even though Jane knew living on high standards was out of the question, she was immediately tempted by Danny''s offer, and excited that he had been able to lift his own spirits with them. "I''ll admit that after this, we deserve a rest on something soft, and a decent roof. But don''t forget about one thing you two."


    "What''s that?"


    Jane expected that Danny and Taylor would both ask the same question at the same time, but they really were clueless for doing so. "Eldora is one of the richest places in the country. Everything cost more there because the standard of living is so high and prime. Buying the cheapest new outfit here will blow a hole in our wallets, so we have to be careful not to spend too much in the meantime."


    "Will fighting these Eldora champions reward you with credits?" Taylor questioned. There had to be something gained from aiming for the top of the entire Leray nation. If anyone would know for certain, it would be the Venn family.


    "I believe so," Jane answered confidently. "Just by battling those under the Champion level, I will be able to make an immediate fortune. I should probably file some deposits into the NCD."


    "What''s that? Some kind of bank in Sprawn Valley?" Danny sensed that the existence of a magical bank would be ridiculous, though he has seen so many ridiculous things already.


    Jane confided, "I don''t even know what a bank is." These outsiders and their vocabulary these days... "The NCD stands for the National Credit Depository. People who have more than carrying-around money go to buildings marked as those stations. We make large deposits there instead of carrying the entire load on our card. That way, if something were to happen, say someone steals my license or I lose it somewhere, the amount I put down is insured to me. It only costs a small fee to make deposits, and the insurance policy pays off the accidents that happen to people. Otherwise, they treat it as a place to store lots of credits in a safe way.


    "So it is like a digital bank," Danny compared. Banks are supposed to hold the money of clients and insure them should anything happen. There used to be a single bank in Kalamo, one that functioned poorly until it was put out of its misery by the new unofficial kingdom.


    "If that is how banks function." Jane felt mildly surprised that the comparison was so accurate to the terminology. "Digitally stored on some system I don''t even know about, I''m told they''re unbreakable. We need to insure some of our funds there after getting more, but for now, let''s focus on the task at hand." Jane knew what she had to do, as simple as riding forward in a straight line without stopping for just a little longer.


    But something new decided to get in her way yet again. Jane noticed the flash of an orange light further down ahead, not nearly close enough to crash into from here. The light flickered brightly just three times, and from the electrical based energy it used, Jane realized already that this was a physical lamp, not something being used from Leray magic.


    What was it doing there? Why is there a light in the middle of the road blinking three times per phase? After another triple blink, Jane made out the outline of a person standing by the small structure, literally a tiny vertical pole with the orange light on top, designed like a hazard lamp. Reluctant to stop for any stranger, Jane slightly applied pressure to the breaks below, careful not to slip her shoes in the wrong direction with the poor visibility. Knowing the others would slow down and stop with her, Jane steered to the right of the bridge to keep some distance away from the light, but decided to stop at the same time to examine what was happening here. Installing lamps would not be worth stopping for, but one small lamp in the middle of nowhere deserved at least a short glance. After getting closer, the figure who was interacting with the lamp changed its setting, turning on the orange bulb with a constant glow.


    Now providing the entire area with much additional light from some random lamp, Jane could see the person more clearly, as he could see her group as well. Noticing the three people stopping to glare on bikes, the man at the light turned and cautiously approached Jane. Jane dismounted from her vehicle to protect her defense in the event this person turned out to be some other crazy idiot wanting a Leray challenge. Danny would already be giving Jane hateful stares right now just for this, but Jane also had to know what was up. In the event this is a challenger, she would actually be prepared to decline the offer as planned. This situation didn''t look usual for a hangout spot.


    "Anything I can help you with?" The man''s voice gave up his estimated age to the three youngsters, his tone had to mean he was in his forties. With his shaggy dark hair, large hat, and leather dress coat, he appeared to them as someone other than a random civilian.


    Jane noticed a lot about this area, more than just the person greeting them. The lamp gave away a small toolbox just behind the guy, so he must have been some sort of mechanic. Perhaps this was some attempt to install lights on the bridge for the night. At first, Jane wondered why it had not been done before. Then again, natural electricity does not just run all the way out here. Installing streetlights onto an eleven-mile bridge over the ocean would be next to impossible, but he was here doing something. The electricity for this lone light probably had a tiny external power supply somewhere. Answering his question carefully, Jane dismissed his curiosity without revealing her identity. "I don''t think so. I guess I just got curious with the light. We''ll be on our way if this is a distraction."


    "There''s no need to mind me." The guy rotated in place slightly, allowing the light to shine off his face to reveal himself to the group. Jane''s friends joined behind her in curiosity. "These roads can be dangerous by night. You three should be heading on to the nearest city soon."


    Jane was immediately relieved. The guy could not have been a Leray wielder. Not only was he unwilling to ask for a battle, but he has already given them helpful advice and fair warning about the zone. "We''ll be on our way soon." After turning around to her friends, Jane noticed how overwhelmed her legs became, burning with cramps and fatigue. "We should take a five minute break though, maybe get something to drink."


    After noticing the reason Jane stopped in the first place, Danny lowered his concerns silently. Danny already pulled the supply sphere from phase space, opening the device all in an effort to pull a water bottle from the sphere. He has not had anything to drink in a long time, and hunger was only going to slow him down further. Jane found a decent place to make a rest stop near the available street lamp. While taking his time to refresh himself, Jane and Taylor relaxed too. Danny soon realized just how elegant Jane''s idea was to take a break by some natural light. Nobody could sneak up on them here. Now if only there was a way to utilize a bathroom¡ª


    After settling by the lamppost, Jane got comfortable while Danny and Taylor took some time to rest their arms and legs. The stranger pulled out a paper and clipboard, writing down something in ink while standing. Jane let her curiosity out for the time being, expecting nothing less than some sort of job or duty. "So what''s going on out here this time of night? Trying to install new lamps?"


    After an odd glance from the stranger, the man nodded his head and reached into his coat pocket. "No. I''m no electrician." After pulling out a wallet, he opened up the sleeve to reveal a shiny badge that Jane had only seen once in her entire lifetime. "Name''s Stanley Marx. I''m with the Leray agency on investigation. Official business; if you understand."


    Jane agreed with excitement, finding even more comfort that the law actually patrols these parts at random, and with a Leray agent this close by, now might be a good chance to report Kira''s illegal activities. "That''s cool that they got this place by night now. Name''s Jane. Come to set people straight?"


    "Heh," he huffed. Stanly stepped slightly to face Jane while putting his badge away and folding his arms together. "Something like that. I can''t give you details on official missions of our assignments, but if you would like to let me know of anything suspicious happening around here, I hope you can trust me to take care of such things in the meantime."


    "I can think of several." The reactions to what Danny had announced were delayed. Realizing that he spoke so soon and randomly, he found the need to elaborate on the continued subject with the others staring at him for the confirmation. "I mean, you got everyone taking advantage of the whole battle thing, forcing others to challenge them less they receive strikes or whatever."


    Stanley''s eyebrows rose slightly, focusing on the boy now. "Ah, yes. The broken battle system that allows others to cheat the honest man."


    "Is there a fix for that in place?"


    Now answering to Taylor''s questions, Stanley tried to describe all he was aware of. "I am only a Leray agent. I don''t write the laws; I only enforce them. I can say I''m quite surprised that a fix has not been set into motion yet, since it has been some time."


    "I hear ya," Jane replied. "Now a days, the men at the top are probably too worried about Alpha Zero to care, and it''s not like they''re doing anything to solve it."


    Stanley let a soft silence pass them by, thinking about all three of these kids. They were obviously teenagers, though still highly intelligent for their age. Already have they realized the wrongs in this world and the system that was slipping away to dust, and yet it didn''t seem like Jane or her companions had any interest in interrupting his own duties. Perhaps they could prove to be useful. "Well there isn''t much happening around here than what you''ve described. Business as usual."


    "Actually..." Jane got Stanley''s attention before she forgot about Danny''s little problem. "There is someone on this bridge who I would flag as a criminal, someone caught up in something big. She tried to kill me." Her last sentence carried emphasis for Stanley, as it was necessary to report the woman in question.


    His body perked up slightly, fumbling for the clipboard he almost set down. "Does this criminal have a name and location?"


    Jane nodded in agreement. "Kira Sandreas. She''s in a black cloak handcuffed to the rail further down towards Lennith, where we came from. She won''t be going anywhere for a while, so it will be a breeze taking her in."


    "Indeed it will," Stanley agreed. "You''ve already done us a valuable service by reporting this Kira to us. We''ll make sure she doesn''t harm anyone else ever again."


    "That''s a relief. Jane kicked her ass back there, but it was a close call with someone of that speed."


    Following Danny''s hints about Jane''s strength, Stanley continued improvising little details for his assignment. "Did she now? A Leray wielder is something I have already assumed you were, though I believed you all to be rookies." With a blank reaction, he elaborated his idea. "But to chain a person trying to kill you to a rail and report them within the same hour is quite impressive. Perhaps I can convince you lot to join our agency sometime soon. You all seem to have the power and the understanding necessary to work with us."


    Jane''s eyes lit up at the thought, and she could tell that her friends were caught by surprise too. "Join the Leray agency? I¡ª I... I''ve never been offered that before."


    "Hm hm," he laughed in a grumbling tone. "I''m sure not, but I ask of you three not to join the Leray agency directly. You seem to already have much disposition to the current authority, and yet you''re very powerful at surviving in most circumstances. Am I right?"


    "Wait a minute," Taylor challenged. "If you''re not asking us to join the Leray agency..."


    Stanley decided it was worth the shot to let the idea rip. "Allow me to elaborate on what the duties entail. I''m not supposed to let you in on our mission, but I believe you have the knowledge to come to an informed decision on your own. I''m not exactly with the Leray agency. Nevertheless, our group can perform more effective methods of cleaning up this place in the name of justice. Undercover work is often the best kind."


    "Hold on just a sec," Jane stopped. She raised her voice in the tension she felt building in her. If Stanley isn''t a real Leray agent, then who else could he be? Was that flashy badge just a pretty fake? "Who are you?"


    "I am part of the people who understands what is good for this nation. We pick up where the law has left off, fixing problems in the world by any means necessary."


    "So you lied to us?" Danny paraphrased. If he isn''t with the Leray agency, then why hide what organization he is supposed to be from? Surely there can''t be a top secret justice group flying around with badges undercover!


    "Now - now," Stanley eased. "I haven''t lied about anything at all, except for the fact that I''m just a different part of the law. This Kira you told us about will defiantly be dealt with, and with that moron out of the way, we can continue our business unscathed."


    Dealt with? "You mean - to kill her?"


    Answering to Jane''s upset tone, Stanley continued to sound and remain perfectly calm, assuming they were only surprised at worst. "Well, what else? You already told me that she tried to kill you. Would you rather have a crazy maniac take about five years in prison only to escape and try again? Only the weak allow failures like that to live, and I have no room for weaklings on our crew."


    Who is this creature? A man who could so calmly speak and even encourage senseless killing of others, with such a vile taste of morality! Changing her stance in preparation to fight the unknown person, Jane clenched her fists and placed her legs in the right spots to attack. "I asked you a question. Who the hell are you, and who the hell do you work for?" No doubt this guy isn''t with the official agency, and he now sounds more dangerous than she initially thought.


    It figures they would behave this way, though hopefully these children are just afraid for now. "The vision we so proudly speak of comes from the heart of our own agency. We are the Scarlets of the future, bringing order that the world truly deserves." Stanley snapped his finger in the air while continuing to identify himself. "And you would be making a big mistake to threaten me like that again young lady." Stanley knew what was going on, but Jane and her friends had to adapt to the pressing situation. Stanley was not alone right now. He had two other partners with him, hiding in the shadows with their invisible auras, but there was no need to hide anymore with what has been revealed.


    Danny noticed how horrible this has turned out to be already. Stanley signaled his other two henchmen to phase out from the darkness, bringing bright auras around their bodies temporarily while they positioned themselves closer to Stanley for physical support, and Danny heard of that name before. Stanley spoke of something about the Scarlets. It was their code for the Scarlet Cult, even though these crooks do not really believe themselves to be a cult. Official name is the Scarlet Syndicate. Damn! Of all things, Jane could have kept quiet and nobody would have interacted this way at all, but then why reveal their intentions to them here? Why dress up as real agents of the zone? The Scarlet Syndicate isn''t exactly the same as they were before, not after witnessing this very scene. Judging from all of the crap these people put them through in the past and how wanted they were to real federal agents, this situation has gone from scary to terrible nightmare. "It''s a trap Jane!"


    "I will refine my final offering to you three. I can understand that you are too surprised to understand why we are here, and upset by the fact that we had to lie to you at first to keep our cover, but now that you know who I am, I cannot simply let you go free. There are great positions waiting to be filled by people of your own understanding. You said yourself that the real law enforcers aren''t doing anything about these problems you''ve seen, but there are even bigger concerns than you realize, things far more troubling to Sprawn Valley than such trivial matters you spoke of before. You can help us fix what has been broken, and I will personally teach you the ways of the Scarlet marksman. And of course, you will be compensated well for your efforts Jane." After a brief pause, Stanley made the rest of his offer clear. "But know this. We are still an organization that operates under the radar of the Leray agency. I''m not concerned right now with getting caught, because I know just like you do, how they can''t even do their job right. Now that you and your crew know about us and our operations, refusal is simply not an option without consequence. What will it be?"


    Jane grinded her teeth from the barbaric thought that she would ever team up with these bad guys. The Scarlet Cult were the ones responsible for the theft of several items from vaults inside of several different training facilities. It took Jane little time after entering Monoc to learn that the Scarlet Cult didn''t only target Dakota''s vault, but the vaults from half of all other facilities in the entire continent, and they were also the ones who infiltrated and stole sensitive data from the servers under the Tilsit lighthouse facility. These guys don''t care about justice, and they only hurt anyone who gets in the way. "So your proposal is to join you or die?!" Jane''s aggressive response to all of the bad memories related to these assholes forced her voice into a rage, while her muscles all tensed up in preparation for an impending battle. "I''d rather watch you go down in blood! The Scarlet Cult are enemies of the state. You can''t hope to get away with everything you''ve done in this world!"


    Danny and Taylor, despite never seeing Jane this upset with so much valor both nodded with each other for their agreement, backing to the left to prepare themselves. They didn''t want to battle after all of the hard work they have done, but this was the Scarlet Cult, the criminal of all criminals - here to outnumber Jane. After that aggressive speech, the enemies here were sure going to try and kill all witnesses.


    "I''m sorry that we could not come to some sort of arrangement Jane. Well then, shall we test your true power against real justice?" On cue, Stanley''s guards ran away from him, towards the direction of Danny and Taylor, who had gained much distance from Jane in a failed attempt to try and surround the man in charge. Jane and Stanley were now facing each other, ready to try anything, while Danny and Taylor were confronted by the other two henchmen. Being split up like this wasn''t exactly a good thing, especially with an entire team of people fighting to kill. Before Jane could even react, Stanley released an odd magic that immediately formed a Siriean dome around them. The dome was smaller than average, trapping only Jane and Stanley inside of the thing.


    Simultaneously, the other two Scarlet members enabled a second Siriean dome to trap themselves inside with Danny and Taylor. Two Siriean domes were adjacent to each other, almost touching if not for their smaller size. Something about the dome in question was different as well, matching the same profile as the dome Kira used against Jane. Without even registering as an official Leray battle in the rule set system, the dome only allowed light in from that orange lamp off to the right, while reducing its penetration level by 50%. Just like Kira''s dome, this one had the properties of blocking out light and preventing anyone from escaping. This wasn''t a formal battle or a normal Doom Shield spell. It''s another type of Siriean dome, one that traps people inside until the creators of such a dome become completely incapacitated. It has the same effects as Doom Shield, but is not invoked on terms of an agreement to combat, rather a shield forced upon people to make sure a battle happens with or without consent, going all the way to the end.


    Jane knew already how this was about to go down, as an unofficial battle between herself and one of the Scarlet leaders. At the same time, her friends were fighting the man''s henchmen by themselves too. Jane knew this detail wasn''t good. Jane''s friends had her back until the henchmen scoured away their personal space to separate the three of them, but at least those two would be fighting together as a team. After handling things from Alpha Zero, Jane knew that being alone one on one would be just fine with her. Jane would not be able to escape from the dome, and since her friends failed to destroy Kira''s shield, that idea was already out of the realm of possibilities. This would not be a normal fight, rather one that goes all the way to the death. It would however be even worse than the fight with Kira. Kira simply wanted a revenge kill, but these guys are organized and powerful as they already are with the known rumor to use dark magic against their opponents. Jane knew already that she needed to be on her guard. She could only hope that her friends knew the same. Jane wasn''t certain who was about to try something first, so she engaged her energy scope in front of the man, coaxing him to enable his own scope. From the corner of her eye, Jane could see the same stuff happening to her left with Danny and Taylor.


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Sundays are For Warriors ~ Sonic Librarian</a>


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    Taylor kept herself alert, remembering to engage her own energy scope. Danny was going to be fighting right next to her, which was a comforting thought, but they had never actually battled together as a team before.


    Danny realized that since his enemies were not identified, nor were they willing to enable their own energy scopes, he would have to do the favor for them. After using some more familiar Leray magic, Danny forced energy scopes to appear above the henchmen, adding a fitting name to their custom identity.


    With the area around them so well lit by the dome''s own natural light, Jane knew she wouldn''t have too difficult of a time seeing what was actually going on around her. Stanley was standing only a short distance away, ready to take any hit from distances that were not short range. Jane would need to get even closer to physically assault the Scarlet leader, but even now, she sensed that her enemy would be charging up for a magical attack right at this very moment. She needed to buy herself time from the very beginning of this fight.


    "Gyrobreak!" After releasing only a small amount of MP energy, Jane correctly sent the magical shockwaves deep into the ground, causing the entire world to shake and tilt around them. It was interesting to see this distortion field work so effectively even on top of a not so sturdy bridge to handle the passive effects. As Jane''s Gyrobreak spell took effect, even Stanley was having somewhat of a problem keeping his balance straight. Neither one of them could be sure whether they were close enough to the others for the spell to effect Danny and Taylor''s battle as well, as the tilting of their entire balance and view made that impossible to determine at the moment.


    Despite Jane having the first turn, Stanley realized that it was only a terrible attempt to buy herself some time while removing his own accuracy from the field. Stanley was much more confident about killing these intruders, since he knew several levels of advanced Leray magic that would go far to deal heavy amounts of damage to just about anybody. While the earth was shaking too much to line up a clear aim of sight on Jane, Stanley charged up his energy anyway, chanting and invoking the spell he was soon to release in front of him. "Firesurge!" Just after taking out his long sword, which had been his primary weapon for the match, Stanley plummeted the end of his glowing blade into the concrete with as much force as he could, releasing the energy of his magical spell into the wave he created.


    Firesurge is an ultra-refined spell with a power level of eight, mastered from the simple skill known as Shadow Wave. Firesurge combines the elements of Crush Wave and Shadow Wave together with a fiery elemental aura, giving the entire Shadow Wave properties to deal both earth elemental blunt damage along with fire elemental magical slashing damage inside of the attack shell all at the same time. It''s harder to learn, and much more devastating in damage dealing potential.


    Jane couldn''t be too sure though about spells she had not really heard about before, and only guessed on how potent the attack aura could be coming from a known powerful Scarlet fighter. Instead of thinking to react, Jane had her hands up and out already, projecting her Leray magic all around her in a bubble to create a power shield around her body in the form of an aura. Doing this with the entire world tilting all over the place wasn''t easy, but Jane knew she needed to at least try and shield off the oncoming attack. While in the safety of her shielding aura, Jane saw the Firesurge version of Shadow Wave, which basically appeared to be an orange glowing Shadow Wave twice its original size and three times faster in traveling speed. The wave slammed into Jane''s shield despite the inaccuracy from Stanley with Gyrobreak running, and Jane''s aura formed several hexagons everywhere to indicate the high amount of damage near the lower frontal regions of the aura. The wave blasted with a powerful force, exploding into a fiery mist as it failed to do any real damage. Even at the end of the strike, Jane felt disoriented by now as her concentration on the shield needed to be higher in order to keep it going at such low power. In just one single simple attack, Stanley managed to invoke a high damage-dealing spell despite being caught up in Gyrobreak, giving Jane every reason to panic.


    After dropping the shield, Jane knew she just needed to attack Stanley, it mattered not what exact strategy she could try and use for the moment. Pulling her daggers into her hands, Jane infused magical energy into the blades until they had a red glow to them. "Armor Breaker!" Jane yelled the name of her attack spell the moment she threw the blades as hard as she could, simultaneously ending the Gyrobreak spell just in time to properly aim. While the glowing red daggers spun in the air with speedy momentum, Stanley must not have expected the Gyrobreak to end so soon, ironically throwing him off balance from lack of preparations and adjustment. Stanley did not trip on himself, but the problem kept him in place, just as the piercing small blades cut right through his chest with a stinging burning pain spreading all over.


    Stanley noticed immediately how much damage Jane''s simple attack did with little effort, and he had not expected such an elegant block with the use of a rare version of power shield. Such a defensive spell was even outside of his own boundaries and characteristics, though the fight has only begun.


    Jane felt much better already about scoring damage against the guy in just one hit. Scarlets are obviously not invincible, and it would be surprising even now to see one get distracted enough to pull out healing items. If they could do it, so could anyone. Off to the side, Jane noticed the battle from the other two had already begun, with Danny and Taylor beginning their assault against the grunts.


    "Let''s get them!" Danny immediately prepared to attack the bad guys in front of him, disregarding any particular strategy for this battle. With Taylor behind him to provide cover of some sort, he was confident enough to immediately rush in with an attack, chanting the name while already on his sprinting feet. "Hammer of Might!" Danny''s invocation didn''t take too long. The yellow glyphring formed above his hands to drop the massive hammer into his grasp. The hammer itself looked more like a brightly decorated hammer used for blacksmiths to flatten blades of metal. Despite the weight, Danny managed not to let it slow him down as he charged towards the enemy on the right, the one marked as the Scarlet Marksman.


    Taylor tried to cover Danny from this distance right here, targeting the other guy to interrupt his chances of stopping Danny''s assault. "Bow Charge!" The invocation of Taylor''s weapon spawning spell was slightly slower than Danny''s spell had been, since it was a while since using her spells in the first place. Bow Charge was hardly a powerful long-range attack, but one that used very little amounts of MP energy. A bow and arrow formed out of another yellow glyphring into her hands, the arrow glowing from being covered in a magical aura. Bow Charge is simply a single hit with an arrow from this weapon, which is possibly one of the most useless things Taylor could do, but any user of this spell has the option of adding magical damage to their arrow to increase the effectiveness slightly. With a maximum power level of two, it might not be enough.


    Taylor was already in position though, and it had to be done. Taking aim at the Scarlet soldier on the left marked as Scarlet Hitman, Taylor pulled back on the string with the arrow ready to fire, and released the arrow to let it fly into the man standing on the left. The glowing sharp object quickly flew all the way ten meters down the field, piercing the spot right between the man''s left arm and shoulder just as Danny was in close range of the other guy. While watching to make sure he would be okay, Taylor took some notice of the stat changes on the other energy scope.


    "Hayah!" Danny put all of his muscle into swinging his hammer at the enemy like a maniac, using the powerful blunt force of his physical combinations to do as much harm as he could to the guy. The Scarlet Marksman simply stood there and blocked each impact using his defensive stance while putting his hands and legs in the way of each strike. It was the usual normal way in Leray matches to block attacks, but Danny did not expect it to be so effective. After the attack was over, Danny''s hammer disappeared back into the yellow glyphring that formed to swallow the end result of the spell, and the man who Danny assaulted wasn''t fazed even in the slightest.


    Just after realizing that Danny was much too forward about his plan of attack, the two Scarlet soldiers briefly exchanged a glance, and then focused their eyes on one of each the overzealous teens. The Marksman targeted Danny with an impending magical attack while the other targeted Taylor from afar. Both of them were about to use the same spell, while their opponents backed away in fear without a good sense of how to block it.


    "Dualcast!" Both soldiers managed to surround themself with a temporary magical aura that would allow them to attack immediately after that, using up to two different spells at the same time with their invocations sped up so much from the Dualcasting effect. "Lightning Strike!" Both soldiers were using their powers simultaneously in the same level. Holding out both their arms, each wrist became the center of a spinning jade color glyphring belonging to electrical invocation spells. Danny was hit by the strike first, two separate lightning bolts slamming into him from such a short range all from the same guy, zapping him in place while the pain and intensity of an electrical shock took over his other senses.


    Taylor was hit by the same thunder, only coming from the other soldier hitting her from long range. Lightning Strike was impossible to dodge, but Taylor was hit by two Thunderbolts as well, giving her the shock of her life while the damage against her accumulated. Well after Taylor was done with the shock and recovering from the strain and drain to her body, she glanced quickly at her energy scope to check how badly their plan played out in the end.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Danny quickly tried to get away from the enemies, retreating back to the direction where Taylor was positioned, but his entire body tingled from the sensation he suffered earlier. All of his physical movements felt slower than they should. Neither enemy was about to back down here.


    "Meteor Strike!" Stanley summoned a lot more of his energy, increasing the damage rating on his next attack spell assuming Jane would not be able to dodge an area attack.


    Jane noticed that as the battle with Danny and Taylor had already started from the light show happening back there, she had her own problems to deal with right now. Her own target seemed to be a lot more focused and coordinated than she previously thought. With several swarms of hot red meteorites falling down from the sky penetrating through the dome shield like phantom objects, Jane had to cross her arms again and project another shielding aura just to protect herself from all of the hits.


    As the meteors began slamming into the concrete ground, the entire area began to quake violently. The burning glow around each falling rock lit up the area with much more light than Jane expected, though the dark skies above them were likely the cause of that happening. At least three meteors hit Jane''s power shield directly, immediately weakening the rest of her aura and making it hard to keep it going. Another meteor struck the ground just aside from where Jane was standing, causing additional shockwave damage to the shield, but after it was over, Jane quickly dropper her aura, not allowing it to fail on her own watch.


    Now that it was her turn again, Jane didn''t let Stanley even get to think about how powerful her defensive skills were. Stanley doesn''t deserve a fair fight with what he has been doing lately, and Jane was going to throw everything at him. "Knight Dance!" Just after creating another brighter blue aura around her entire body, Jane rushed in towards the Scarlet soldier to begin attacking at a closer range. Jane kept her daggers tucked in, only needing to use punches and kicks against the guy. Jane''s Knight Dance was effective in infusing her fists and feet with magical attack energy to heavily increase the damage with each hit, but she also kept up with her quick and sudden movements to evade and dodge by sliding, despite the fact that her entire combination kept the man too busy to interrupt her. After slamming the guy''s chest several times in the face and the gut, Jane finished her last winding kick with the bottom of her shoe, gouging the guy right between the legs and pushing him further away. Just as the combo sequence was over, Jane''s aura faded again while she took her time to retain her distance from Stanley while assessing his stats.


    "Agh!" Danny hugged his right arm after side lining himself with Taylor. His nerves were freaking out already, his arm tingling more than it had been before, a sensation worse than a limb falling to sleep momentarily. "These guys mean business."


    Taylor gave Danny a mild glance of anger. "This time we do it together!" She waited for Danny to agree to the terms. At the very least, it was a better strategy than touch and go. Seeing that he nodded his head slightly, Taylor focused on the Scarlet soldiers again. Both of them were eager to attack, but the direction of this could go either way. There wasn''t any time to talk about the plan of attack or the strategy. Danny will simply have to get lucky guesses on which spells to use form a distance. With her arsenal of long-range cold spells, Taylor knew she at least had a good shot at this fight. "Now!" she hollered in Danny''s ear. "Rotation!" Taylor quickly worked to invoke her wind elemental magic to create a powerful tornado to start in front of her.


    Danny followed Taylor''s lead and timing, proceeding to try and disrupt his opponents to prevent any chance they might have of stopping Taylor''s Rotation attack. "Earth Glave!" Shortly after lifting his arm in an odd movement, Danny''s Earth Glave attack went first, shoving magically formed dirt and earth rock up from the solid concrete. The wave followed by this shoved both of the Scarlet soldiers slightly into the air, forcing them to land on the ground for some additional damage. Since it was the first spell to strike both targets, Taylor''s traveling twister was about to be right on top of them at the same time. The Rotation attack sucked in both Scarlet soldiers as they were stuck off their feet, dealing wind elemental slashing damage to both of them shortly after being slammed with earth elemental blunt magic. The combination seemed both odd and random, but it worked effectively this time to maximize the HP reduction to each soldier, as both spells ended up landing on both enemies with how bunched up they were together.


    After a brief evaluation of what just happened, Taylor allowed herself to rest before both of her enemies got themselves back together. "That was a nice touch you did there."


    Danny was amazed by how well that worked out. He never had a chance to battle alongside with Taylor in the same fight before, so this was already unusual for the both of them. Though something about his teamwork actually working with Taylor felt amazing to him in its own way. "Thanks. That Rotation spell was a good mark too."


    Taylor shifted her stance just as she noticed the soldiers getting back to their feet, already preparing to use magic again for a retaliation attack. "Don''t let your guard down Danny. I need your help to get us both out of here."


    Stanley and Jane stared at each other blankly. Both were prepared for what might come next. Stanley tried to go first, lifting his sword up while imbuing magical energy into the blade and causing the metal to glow with a smoky red aura. "Dark Slash!" He swung his sword in a spiral set of movements, launching dark red crescent shaped phased projectiles in the air. The odd looking projectiles spun rapidly while traveling, but they lifted high into the air before coming to crash down towards Jane.


    While trying to figure out what kind of skill or magic was part of the unusual sequence, Jane anticipated the magical slashes in the air incorrectly. They looked like glowing guillotine attacks that had been shrunken down to a size smaller than one''s hand, but their movement patterns shifted mid-travel, now all heading for Jane. It was too quick to react to, much too speedy to try another power shield. All of the unusual projectiles sliced into Jane''s skin in several places, there had to be at least a dozen of them. The cuts burned with pain while the total amount of hits in general drained a bit of Jane''s stamina in unusual ways. After it was all over, Jane noticed that a section of her lower leg actually drew some blood draining down the side of her limb, totally an unusual response to taking Leray damage.


    Jane didn''t believe her eyes. Despite the overall damage dealt to her being light in total, the attacks forced her energy scope into a critical state. After what she had studied, Jane was certain of it now. Whatever Stanley just used, it had to be the work of direct dark magic. It''s the only way those things could have drawn real blood and cut open a suit to do that. Jane was far too healed already for her energy scope to complain about taking normal Leray damage. It was all the proof she needed. So Dark Slash is a dark magical attack Stanley can use with his sword.


    Already did Jane realize that she was still thinking too much. She already considered a high probability that these criminals may try something like this, and all she needed to do right now is win the battle. After taking out a single dagger for her right hand, Jane infused all the energy she would need to try her next attack. Though her skill was charging without the need for a glyphring, this one in particular took a moment just to wind the energy up. Jane slashed her glowing dagger through the air while aiming at Stanley, crossing the slicing motion twice in a cross. "Splice!" The resulting magic created a single bright white thin line in the air that traveled quickly towards the target. Jane slashed twice to make two lines at opposite angles, though both of them were on a linear crash course towards the man.


    This time it seemed as if Stanley was too occupied right now to deal with evasion therapy. After all, Splice moves in the air at an amazing speed, and is naturally hard to avoid when drilling on a diagonal angle. Even after dealing real time damage to Jane, she was still capable of such high-powered skills. As the cutting wave drilled through Stanley''s entire skin, his teeth clenched and his body fell slightly, and the second wave that sliced him afterwards burned his entire chest along with other areas. Splice has a popular tendency to cause the most amount of physical pain and damage at the same time, but Jane really didn''t hold back at all on this one. Even Stanley had a lot of trouble trying to recover himself after taking such a hard slash, the pain was nearly overwhelming to all of his thoughts.


    Refusing to let some stingy woman take the victory, Stanley knew he had to change some of the rules immediately, or suffer a humiliating defeat. "You think I''m giving up that easily? Armor of Darkness!" Stanley quickly invoked a support spell, surrounding his entire body with a flashy red transparent aura known as Armor of Darkness. Armor of Darkness is a support spell that temporarily renders one invulnerable to damage without the need to constantly focus on keeping the shield up; like an automated power shield that allows one to attack while defending. The downside to the unlimited timed darkness shield is that the aura is not unlimited on the amount of damage it can take, and since it can only be invoked twice per battle, Stanley''s choice is only a temporary game changer. Still, the way Jane reacted and froze just after Stanley''s spell took effect said enough. Jane wasn''t so sure any more about how effective her strategy will be against a different kind of energy shield. Some girl and two companions crossing a bridge, they may be tough Leray wielders, but nobody can best the Scarlet Syndicate.


    Even his own energy scope reported a deep change in his status. Technically, Armor of Darkness is closely related to a spell designed to utilize one''s heavy armor''s aura in order to make one invulnerable, though even without wearing any metal gear, Stanley managed to make the spell work with just a leather jacket anyway. Since it must have been designed to be worn even in battle, it made some sense as to why it worked here and now too. Had his clothes not been a technical dress sphere or suit infused with magical protection, the skill would have likely failed to invoke.


    Over where Danny and Taylor were battling, much had happened since Jane was fighting with the Scarlet leader. Only a few spells of light were exchanged, but Danny ended up taking a heavy hit from one measly Magical Blitz attack. Taylor wasn''t in a position to protect him even now. Being separated by a short distance of a few meters left of him, Taylor had to try and target the person targeting Danny with another impending attack.


    "Drain!" Danny caught the Scarlet soldier to the left off guard with a quickly invoked spell. The drain spell cast an odd dark glowing glyphring under the Hitman''s feet. Before he could even notice what was going on, Danny''s spell literally sucked life energy from where the man had been standing, drifting a barely visible mist of magic now seeping into Danny''s skin. A bright green aura surrounded him for just a quick second in time, and his health was replenished by five percent, as the enemy targeted lost 10% of his vitals.


    Taylor invoked another attack spell just as the Hitman was being drained, not realizing that Danny had unintentionally swapped targets with her. But her move was well coordinated, because the Marksman was already trying to charge up some unknown glyphring attack against him. Taylor released her own magic, throwing the spawning sharp objects as they formed in her hand. "Ice Shots!" Using the similar modified spell from before, Taylor threw several ninja stars at the Marksman, only the stars that spun in the air were also frozen in a coat of ice. The ninja stars hit fast, and though the damage dealt was very light, Taylor knew that her spell was somewhat more effective than normal Ninja Stars after adding ice elemental damage on top of them. Even now though, both soldiers didn''t seem tired yet.


    Now realizing they have a good window to fight back, both Scarlet soldiers decided to attack the two kids from where they stood together, using different spells for different targets. The Hitman aimed at Taylor while the other guy had his sights on Danny. He charged up a large pale colored glyphring formed in front of him, and though the invocation was lengthy, his energy charged directly into the rotating disk. "Sereing Blast!" upon releasing the attack, the glyphring happened to be the medium of the attack spell, sending all of that energy into a white beam of energy that had the same radial size as the rapid rotating glyphring. The beam was shot immediately with an unlimited range on approach to hit Taylor. Though because it was a light beam, there wasn''t even time to register in Taylor''s mind what was about to happen. Taylor took the damage immediately, as the blast penetrated her body with an evanescent hit of light and magic.


    While keeping sight of everything happening, the Scarlet Marksman unleashed his powers on Danny, a spell that did not rely on the use of a glyphring. "Creshendo!" he hollered. In response to using an unusual magical attack, seven phantom phased pillars of dim light beams hovered in place, all spawning from the ground drilling up tall into the air above Danny while surrounding him from different angles. Before Danny could figure out what was happening, all of the phantom beams slammed into him at once with a powerful force that was enough to crush the concrete underneath him. Danny fell on his back from how powerful the attack was, and the damage done to him in the end was terrible considering the other hits he took before. Creshendo was a spell he didn''t even know about until just now. The user creates all of these phantom light pillars together that surrounds the target from all sides to crash onto a single fixed point. That means dodging it is actually easy, if only he knew about it previously.


    Jane could only hope that her team wasn''t having as many problems as she was right now. There had to be a few spells powerful enough to break through Stanley''s tough shield, though most of the strongest spells would end up exerting the most of her own energy. "Crimson Flare!" With little choice but to keep on battling as best as she could, Jane created another large sphere of fiery magic homing in on Stanley''s location.


    Though the man literally didn''t mind it at all. Instead, he held his sword out, and casually walked into the magical bubble of damage. Upon coming out of the sphere, Stanley''s aura still remained with his health unchanged, the red coat of light around him bubbling with incredible visual effects for sight. He then used his sword to infuse some more magical energy into the blade, causing it to glow with an orange-yellow color just before slamming it into the ground. "Crush Wave!" The sound of his voice was slightly interrupted by the clinging of the metal sword on the ground echoing all around, while the spell activated the second tier of Shadow Wave. Jane saw the Crush Wave heading for her, a modified version of Shadow Wave carrying chunks of rock out of nowhere. Jane was amazed already that the bridge had not been destroyed at this rate. Then again, the bridge was designed to withstand powerful Leray attacks in the first place.


    Jane put her arms out again to shield against the ground wave attack, just in time for the wave to slam into the aura and deal damage to Jane''s power shield. The wave lasted for a while, causing several hits in once place just before exploding with more chunks of rock heading every which way. Jane lowered her shield just afterwards, after barely managing to keep up with a powerful hit like that one, but Stanley had another attack coming her way, already anticipating Jane''s shielding technique.


    "Crush Wave!" It was the same spell sent in unison, another shockwave carrying debris on the ground towards Jane. Jane knew it was impossible to avoid it a second time. Invoking power shields takes a little time in between to have that kind of concentration rebuilt. Knowing that there was no possible way to block or dodge the attack, Jane went with her gut to try and power up any random magical skill that may be helpful while Stanley watched to see what came next.


    Just as she used up about forty percent of her entire savings of MP energy, Jane chanted the ability''s name while sending the auric wave all around her. "Zero Zone!" The entire world became black and white quickly, as the Crush Wave slowed down to a complete and total stop. Somehow the Siriean domes were still functioning, but the intensity of the shields were incredibly low and mostly transparent now. It almost seemed to flicker from here, noticeably refreshing all of the made up hexagons all around constantly at a slower rate, but with time stopped entirely, that had to be nothing more than a visual illusion. Jane took advantage of her new opportunity, using the time stopping magic to get back at Stanley. Jane first went with a full rushing charge towards the man, but before getting too close, she noticed something else in particular.


    The Armor of Darkness that had been protecting him was completely gone, even though it was functioning a few seconds ago. Jane gasped aloud upon the several details coming to mind, and a similar situation that happened to her while in the dark zone. The red aura that showed its working effect could not run to protect Stanley with this new refresh rate, simply because that requires elapsing time to run. Jane had slowed time to a near halt, which included the effects of the darkness shield. Wonderful! Jane can kick this guy''s butt now without having to worry about the technical details, but she worked quickly on the timer she was limited to. With her daggers in her hands, Jane got in close and slashed the guy''s body with several dagger strikes.


    "Blast Wave!" Jane took a step back to create several explosions on the field, including the area where she and Stanley were positioned. While Jane likely had the chance to make her spell here work in this immediate space, she chose to freeze her own spell in time outside of the current aura first. That way, when Zero Zone ends, the Blast wave will trigger only then, dealing enough damage to knock his Armor of Darkness right off. So the spell didn''t trigger yet, though Jane''s MP levels were running low in response to using the spell in question.


    "Knight Dance!" Deciding to keep it close range for now, Jane transitioned into another combination of magically infused punches and kicks, not even bothering to try and dodge or jump around too much. After getting in enough hits, Jane backed away to a safer location just before finishing her combination. Time had not started back up yet, but she had a sense that it would begin again very soon. Just as she reached a safe zone, Jane turned towards Stanley again and used her last spell for now. "Spirit Arrow!" Firing a phased arrow through a colorless glyphring, Jane''s oddly transformed spell still worked as intended, as the arrow was launched from the barely visible bow, traveling through timeless air and piercing the man''s skin. Not only would that do spirit elemental damage, the result should slow the guy down soon.


    Just then, the Zero Zone effects began to fade quickly, while Jane''s low MP began to catch up to her in the form of exhaustion and fatigue. Several dozens of random explosions blasted the entire field just as the color of the world returned in part, and the red aura around Stanley''s body phased back on again since it was able to. The explosions would soon take care of that little detail. The earlier invoked Crush Wave simply continued on a linear path to the edge of the Siriean dome, not prone to harm any person inside due to Jane''s change in physical position.


    Stanley had no idea what just happened, but he was hurting everywhere, he felt incredibly dizzy, and now there were several explosions right on top of him. The first blast knocked him back several feet, while collapsing his red protection aura on the spot, and after being hit by another blast from behind, he nearly became immobilized by the incredible pain and damage taken.


    Both of the other soldiers were having a rough time with the new challengers too. Danny and Taylor were proving to be a painful dose of teamwork. Though it made little sense as to how they so quickly figured out Leray fighting, it was of little concern with the two soldiers'' new idea. While both aiming their arm up above Danny and Taylor''s position, they each chanted their spell, concentrating more than they did in the past. "Heat Seekers!" Just after forming two large orange glyphrings, the magical release formed about six large missiles launching into the air from each glyphring. Since both of the brothers did this at the same time, together they formed twelve large missiles now locking on to their enemy''s heat signatures. It''s a rare attack spell that is difficult to achieve, though very effective in dealing damage.


    Danny and Taylor both saw their impending doom, as the missiles actually fueled themselves with a ton of speed, heading straight for them. Danny thought quickly about what he might try, assuming that the name of that spell is as accurate as its literal form. "Triple Fire!" Danny launched three Fire Bolts all at once, clustering them together intentionally, but his aim was nowhere near the missiles or the enemies. Instead, he controlled the direction of each Fire Bolt to travel in a spiral line from where he stood to a far off path to the right. He then steered the bolts just before they hit the dome wall that trapped him and Taylor in this place.


    Just as he learned from before, one can slowly degenerate their own magic in use to telekinetically control existing projectiles. It''s much easier to do with your own spells though, and you can also change the physical location of specific medium-ranged attack spells too with more expended energy. As planned by Danny, the missiles suddenly changed course, confused by the new heat signatures formed by the three Fire Bolts winding around the entire battle area. At the last moment, Danny changed course again, aiming the Fire Bolts directly at the Scarlet soldiers. Just as the bolts impacted on them, the explosive result caused the turning missiles to head back in the direction of which they came. The Scarlet brothers were supposed to be controlling their missiles too, but being blasted with Fire Bolts totally disrupted their concentration. Now with a loss of control, they could do nothing about the twelve massive missiles about to slam into their own location. After using their own spell against them, Danny watched as the explosion that followed swallowed up much of the entire field, giving off a bright new source of light.


    Taylor was immediately impressed that Danny had such an amazing idea and thought process in such little time, but she wasn''t about to simply let it slide either. Anyone would have thought that both Scarlet soldiers were dead at this point, even as the blinding light still had not faded, nor did the smoke. But Taylor had a feeling that both were still alive, and that means they can simply whip out healing orbs all day long. "Electric Arrow!" Responding to the feeling in her gut that this battle was not over, Taylor took her careful time in invoking a difficult spell while the smoke, dust, and light cleared away.


    The bow formed in her hand like in any other skill, though the color of the wooden material was a nice stylish shade of blue. The arrow was glowing the same color with electrical magic energy inside. Taylor simply held the arrow back and waited for the first chance she got to aim and shoot. That chance came rather quickly, since the Scarlet Hitman quickly tried to crawl out of the smoke, dragging himself through the ground in plain sight. Taylor let go of her arrow, letting the man have it.


    The immediate moment the arrow stuck into the man, a high voltage of electrical energy was discharged into his body for additional Leray damage, giving him a painful zap while draining him of more energy. As the piercing shock was over, the man struggled to move at all, wondering what happened to his accomplice.


    Danny had the same idea, using the time they had to remain relentless. He pulled out a sword using a tiny amount of magical energy, planning on mixing that alone with another spell. The Hitman had already been in too much pain to move, so Danny wanted to target the other guy, waiting for the smoke to thin out more. "Rush Assault!" While his body began to glow with a white auric color, Danny ran at a nearly impossible speed right into the dusty area, holding his sword closely. After finding the other Scarlet soldier struggling to stand up and keep his current balance, Danny let his combination rip, mostly slashing into the guy''s flesh with his blade. The rush assault spell made him faster and speedier than before, even giving Danny the idea of using his elbow and feet for hitting as well. Though the combo was very long, Danny got in as many hits as he could before backing away to leave him with the high damage the enemy already felt.


    Jane wasn''t the only one distracted by the blinding light show from afar. Explosions capped the entire field inside of the other dome belonging to Danny and Taylor too. Jane didn''t expect them both to be dominating the other soldiers thus far, but even from this distance, that wasn''t easy to tell.


    Marx checked out what was happening too, while taking that time to try and recover his lost strength. The light cleared, but the smoke in the other dome fogged everything up. Jane''s friends seemed to be the only ones not rendered invisible, which practically spoke volumes about who was winning the other fight. He was losing, Marx and his team. The fight wasn''t over yet, but he was confused as to how it dragged on for this long. "Who are you people?! Why won''t you just lay down and die?!"


    Jane noticed Stanley pull out a set of sub machine guns, aiming them at her to fire each mechanism. His rage was simply a prelude to another attack, but having his projectiles being bullets, Jane wasn''t able to do anything about it before being hit from several rounds in each shell. Stanley was using the skill Bullet Blitz, though he did not have the patience anymore to chant the name of those spells. After suffering some severe piercing pain from the bullets hitting her skin, Jane noticed little change on her energy scope.


    The pain of bullets to the skin was bad enough, but Jane had dealt with it before. The bruising pain in several hundred spots on her skin wasn''t half as bad as it felt in Alpha Zero, and this guy isn''t much to handle whether he can use dark magic or not. "I''m not afraid of the Scarlet Cult!" Jane announced proudly. "We''ll make you pay for your crimes!" While slowly pulling her daggers in secret, Jane enabled her next spell, trying to put some extra power into it. "Mako Beam!" Jane used the tips of her dagger to fire blue narrow beams into Stanley. Though this was a very weak attack, Jane''s hits were still accurate while her MP cost for the skill was essentially zero. It would give her more time to think about the next idea. While spinning in between two hits, Jane managed to score four beams on Stanley using her daggers from a distance, though the damage level was as non-lethal as Jane expected it to be.


    Danny realized that it was time to try his best skill that was new in front of these freaks. Though it would be his very first real attempt, and therefore would take much time to invoke correctly. "Taylor! Cover me!" Danny charged his energy slowly, creating a glyphring that wasn''t quite complete in front of where he stood. The glyphring was out of phase, and thus wasn''t fully formed yet.


    Taylor had to attack the guys now or else Danny''s big magical invocation would be interrupted. Anything good enough would have to do. "Magical Hammer!" Taylor summoned a massive hammer in the air above where the two men were standing. Both of the Scarlet soldiers glanced up real fast to notice the giant hammer about to smash into them, and unfortunately they had just enough time to dive forward and avoid the final slam into the ground. The hit was even good enough to shake the entire bridge some more. Danny was still fiddling with that unknown spell of his.


    "Come on!" He tested. Danny''s glyphring was turning red as intended, but the spell just wasn''t budging. He tried to imagine the entire scene happening in his head, which wasn''t as easy to do with this much pressure, and with his MP energy dropping like this... "Hellfire!" Screaming the name at the top of his lungs did less help than imagining the scene unfold in his mind. Though Danny managed to do two at once, finally lifting the spell out from phase and into this world. The glyphring solidified its true form, while a massive spiral barrage of Fire Balls shot from the glyphring like fireworks.


    Nobody else could have expected what was to happen next, but Danny''s Hellfire spell was a powerful one, shooting a total of twenty Fire Balls from the glyphring, giving them homing properties, and taking on the shape together of a massive spiral of Fire Balls to confuse the enemy on where they will hit. With homing properties on every one of the projectiles, all of them were going to hit one of the two targets separately. Danny watched the fireworks from here, while the men were being bombarded with Fire Balls. Their health declined very quickly in the process, but even after it as all over, the fight would eventually continue on. Their resilience lasted even after suffering several fiery blasts.


    "I''ve got these guys," the Hitman ordered. "You just get those healing orbs out now!"


    "Oh no you don''t!"


    The Hitman didn''t give Taylor a good enough chance to stop either one of them, spawning his next attack that already used the time to charge up completely. "Star of Darkness!" Because of where they were standing, Danny and Taylor were both being surrounded by the red circle associated with the spell. The invocation was quick too, trapping both Danny and Taylor inside of the Star of Darkness. The red light illuminated under the circle, immediately draining their health while the other guy was working on those healing orbs.


    Meanwhile, Marx confronted Jane again with another attack, using his sword and more dark magic to keep Jane off balance. It wasn''t possible to lose a battle when faced only with ordinary Leray magic, especially with dark magic on his side. Marx was about to prove it here and now. "Cutting Edge of Zero!" Stanley swung his red glowing sword in the air again while far away from Jane. Only this time, his blade created line slices in the air which looked exactly the same as the Splice spell. Only these lines were dark red with an aura of purple around them, all traveling in the line towards Jane.


    Jane saw the unusual attack coming, and from the aura it looked as if it were more dark magic being used against her. Jane thought fast to cross her arms again and invoke another shielding aura. As the bright line of light tried to cut through Jane''s shield, several tiny hexagons formed in a line showing where the shield was hit, and Jane felt immediately powerless from how high the damage to her shield was. Having to immediately drop her aura, it was clear that Marx can do this all day if he could figure a way to bypass Jane''s own shielding abilities. The time in between the shield damage to Jane dropping it left only less than half a second of time before she would have been affected by that last dark spell.


    Just after Taylor was the one who took the final strike of the red lightning bolt from the Star of Darkness spell, Danny was still affected by the health drain on the same occurrence. Both of them have lost a lot of health too, and without enough time to do anything about the issue, it gave the other soldier the time he needed to activate their healing orbs. Taylor was slumped down a little, already appearing too weak to battle. Meanwhile, the soldiers were healing up nicely.


    The healing orbs must have been light versions of something, because at the end of the sequence, the bad guys only regained proportions of their lost health, not all of it. Still, Jane must know that they can''t win like this! Turning away for a moment to call over to Jane, Danny pounded on the edge of the dome shield that forced him inside, since he was already at its edge with Taylor. "Jane! Jane! You have to shut this down now!"


    Despite the dome shields naturally being partially sound proof, Jane could hear Danny''s complaint all the way from here. She risked a glance in their direction. It was obvious that these people were already using unconventional methods to win, but without a way to shut down the fight, how could Jane actually help them in the immediate moment? "I''m not afraid of you Marx!" Jane pointed at her opponent and taunted his very style right in front of him. "My friends might be in trouble, but I can fight you all day long! You''re going to have to throw your very best at me if you want to stand a chance!"


    Stanley sensed deception in the air already, and Jane''s odd choice of words began to decipher into what he took to be their hidden meaning. "Nice try Jane. You really expect me to waste all of my energy just attacking you one after the other? You want my energy to be lower than yours so that I don''t stand a chance. Fine. I''ll play your little game. Your shield is powerful to block even dark magical attacks, but I know a spell that will end you on one single shot! You won''t be able to shield yourself from this Jane! Dodging is impossible! This is where you get to join your friends in their death! Redemption!"


    Jane smirked in the fact that she got what she hopped for. After remembering how the shields react in Zero Zone mode, when time is stopped, she realized that there was a reason that all of these shields and domes have a refresh rate, the reason why they don''t function well during time-based distortions. The shield is self-regenerating, constantly forming energy layer upon layer, as the old layers die out too quickly. Dome shields are impenetrable for that reason, but even the highest refresh rate cannot hold up to the incredible potential energy of a Redemption spell. Jane didn''t expect Stanley to go that far. It''s a mystery to how he even knows of such a powerful attack like that one, but it will do.


    With the Redemption spell activated, Jane could see the green vertical beams of energy spiraling together and coming towards her directly. There technically is at least one way to dodge this attack, though rare would it be to actually get the idea in the heat of battle. Waiting for the right moment, Jane invoked her next skill while keeping her hands shut and clean. "Dark Strike!"


    Jane''s body vanished just like that, the spiraling Redemption beams continuing on as though uninterrupted. Jane reappeared quite a distance behind where Marx was standing. She held her hands out and released more of her magic immediately afterwards, but not towards her opponent. While aiming for the Siriean dome, Jane used much of her magic to try and slow down the refresh rate of the entire shield around them, utilizing similar time distortion effects in the simple form of her concentration. All she has to do is affect the entire dome shield around her, and exert magic in a way that stops the excitement of energy regeneration towards the entire shielding aura itself. Partial and directional time distortion magic wasn''t easy at all, but Jane knew she had only one chance right now. Her second phase of the plan was already working. While Marx tried to figure out how in the name Jane managed to dodge Redemption, Jane was already weakening the entire dome shield. The changes were already somewhat noticeable, and the effect began to form unusual electrical sparks around the entire dome, while the hexagons making up the shield pulsated everywhere due to the refresh rate being low enough to see with the untrained eyes.


    The beams from the Redemption kept on going and going, not stopping for a moment. They''re designed to be absorbed by the Siriean dome in the end, but while Jane was dampening the shield, the first beam that managed to hit the dome completely blew a hole in the energy field, collapsing the dome around them in milliseconds. Jane however wasn''t finished yet. She now had to switch targets, now slowing down the refresh rate of the other Siriean dome where Taylor and Danny were positioned. The first Redemption beam that destroyed the first dome faded away, its powers canceled with the process, but the other three that marched onward slammed into the second Siriean dome just as Jane managed to weaken this one as well. The process cost her a lot of MP energy, but she still had plenty of it remaining in her own reserves. As all three beams hit the dome shield, Jane watched as the second Siriean dome collapsed further down. Though it took three beams to completely wipe it out, her entire plan managed to work. Jane, Danny, and Taylor were all suddenly set free. Jane didn''t need to exert all of Stanley''s energy. She just needed the perfect super-spell.


    Now that Danny and Taylor were free, Jane rushed in towards them, calling them the other way. "You two by me right now!"


    "Noooo! What''s going on here?!"


    Jane didn''t care that Marx was busy figuring out how three students managed to take down three fully trained Scarlet soldiers. All she needed right now was the closure of her friends, literally speaking. Just as Jane, Danny, and Taylor reunited together by sprinting to the same place as quickly as possible, Jane refined her earlier statement. "You two under me now!" Jane''s friends didn''t hesitate to think about what she was doing, they simply followed her orders to the mark while Jane concentrated on two entire spells at the same time.


    While Marx and his men were finally figuring out that Jane had collapsed both shield domes and were fixated on one single point tightly compacted together, they predictably tried to rush into them for close-ranged attacks. Jane used that moment to lift her arm straight up towards the sky, releasing most of her remaining energy. "Ultima!" The light that spawned in her hands became too bright to look in its general vicinity, and the rest of the spell began to unfold itself without further assistance from Jane, the glyphring forming around that single light to help it explode into a full light screen area attack. Jane knew however that this method would harm Danny and Taylor in the process, which is why she suddenly let go of that light to invoke her second spell. "Power Shield!" Jane had to literal give this one all she had with the small amount of energy remaining in her capacity. Jane also had to lift the entire aura and expand the range slightly to make the bubble bigger, protecting herself, Danny, and Taylor as they huddled up together on the ground. Jane''s shield successfully invoked just as the light screen from Ultima exploded all around them. Through the view of the shield aura, nothing but blinding white light could be seen through any angle. Every one of them had to shut their eyes for the long three seconds the entire attack screen lasted.


    Jane dropped her shield in weakness the moment the light faded away. The entire bridge was smoking from the heat, though nothing had actually caught fire. Marx was down on his knees thirty meters in front of Jane, while the other soldiers behind them were completely incapacitated. In the result that followed, Danny and Taylor were unresponsive, too speechless by what Jane had done in a single minute to care that they managed victory in this manner.


    It was clear to Jane that Marx was hurting badly just to stay awake in that tough battle. With his goons down and the Siriean domes completely destroyed, there was nothing he could do right now to successfully kill Jane''s group like he promised he could. Jane had already done it, whether Marx was ready to accept defeat or not. "Want some more," she challenged through her scratchy throat. Jane was so weak and sore just from the loss in all her MP that it was having more of an effect on her than it should.


    Stanley could barely managed to stand up at all. His energy was practically gone right now, and his helpers had failed in their mission too. No! It isn''t possible! "This... This isn''t fair!"


    Despite her own weaknesses, Jane had it in her to stand back up, slightly approaching Stanley. "What you lot do isn''t fair. As soon as you pass out, I''ll make sure you''re arrested by the Leray agents in Eldora. You''ll be spending the rest of your days behind a cell!"


    "Hmhmhm! Nahahaha!" Despite how cringy he sounded, Stanley laughed through his bruises and exhaustion. "Leray agents? Hah! Those bastards couldn''t catch a cold! But I''ll be back one day. I''ll get you for this Jane! You and your friends!" Stanley had much reason to speak as if he were leaving. His quick invocation of one last spell formed a very odd red glyphring below his feet.


    "No..." Jane recognized this pattern before. This wasn''t a glyphring spell. It''s teleportation! In battles, the illusive act of teleportation is nothing more than matter transference, but this type of teleportation can take one anywhere within Sprawn Valley in a single instance. "Hey!" Jane rushed in towards Stanley, who was getting away before she could do anything about it. In just a quick flash and fade of light, Stanley Marx was gone, vanished into thin air as the teleportation symbol left on the ground completely disappeared with him more slowly. Jane turned around, noticing that Marx had also placed a teleportation symbol around both of his soldiers too. Even though the spell had a delay with Marx not being here, the invocation still worked. The unconscious Scarlet team vanished into the fleeting beam of light too, leaving behind no single trace of anything.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Chrome Valkyria ~ Advanced Battlegrounds OST</a>


    <hr>


    It took several long moments for Jane to get it into her head that the Scarlet enemies were gone, teleported away like the cowards they are. Nobody left a single trace or object behind. It was as if the Scarlet Cult never existed around here in the first place. It bothered Jane to no end that they managed to pose as Leray agents with their fake shiny badges, a con that even fooled herself. What were they doing here in the first place? Why were they messing with this orange lamp on the side of the rail?


    "Jane!" Danny called. After pulling Taylor to her feet, Danny had pulled several items from his pocket. Picking out the healing orbs, he handed one to Taylor, and rushed another into Jane''s hands. "I''m glad we made it through that fight, but we''ve all been injured."


    Jane concentrated on Danny''s words and expression. The danger from all three of those men was very real. "How badly? Did any of you take real time damage?"


    After distracting the two using the bright light of the healing orb, Taylor allowed the device to completely replenish her strength, immediately registering on her stats.


    As expected, Taylor''s health did not fully heal, though Jane had already deduced that the cause was more about a lack of physical rest than any real time damage. After all, the energy scopes are handy for reporting real time damage, something her own was still doing above her head. Because of the orange color on Taylor and Danny''s energy scopes, Jane already had a good guess to say that her friends would come out of this just fine.


    "I think we''re okay for now," Danny confirmed. "You on the other hand should use one yourself. I''m surprised your health is still so high, but you must have gotten hit by something."


    Jane examined the back of her right leg where a cut had previously been made from the attack she was hit by earlier. Danny followed the attention from her gaze to her gash. Though it drew some blood earlier, the cut was not nearly as deep as Jane believed it was, the seal on her skin already made by natural real time healing. She felt fine physically, other than the total exhaustion from having such a low MP energy amount. Danny used his healing orb in front of Jane, while Jane used one on herself. In the meantime, she thought more about what the hell happened here.


    Despite the high stats of her body, Jane chose to ignore the real time damage on her for now. It only appeared to be a scratch, one she could shake off without an issue. "I''m fine. I guess I got lucky not to take as many hits..." Jane trailed off in her thoughts. It was so much quieter now, total darkness surrounded all of them. Their only light source right now was the orange lamp to the side of them. Now that Jane thought about it, perhaps the lamp here was nothing more than a lamp. The Scarlets must have been using this area as a rest spot for whatever mission they were trying to achieve.


    "I don''t understand. I thought you beat them with whatever you tried," Taylor concluded. "So where is everyone?" While waiting for a response, Taylor disabled her energy scope for now, since it was not relevant.


    Jane disabled her energy scope too after Danny''s, and answered to Taylor''s curiosity to the best of her memories. "They used teleportation symbols. They invoke magic that allows travel to anywhere in the world in a single instance. Normal teleportation takes longer to charge, but teleportation symbols remove that charge-up time, and without a Leray agent around, it cannot be traced. They could be anywhere!"


    "Teleportation is illegal, right?" Danny pondered. That''s what he heard from the agents back at Tilsit. His curiosity about the entire process gave him some knowledge, but nobody bothered to give himself or Taylor permission to try and learn it. "Assuming what you''re talking about is totally different from what we''ve seen in Leray battles."


    Jane refreshed Danny''s memories of the subject quickly. "Correct. Matter transference is what happens in battles, not allowing the user to actually escape the dome around them, but with the other process, you can teleport in and out of anywhere that isn''t being blocked. Regular teleportation is legal only for the agents, but relying on symbols to instantly warp around is illegal, since it often uses a forbidden type of magic. Places like the Verlith Prison are immune to teleportation for security reasons, same with the inside of Siriean does, but our enemies were allowed to escape, just after we went through all of that too."


    Taylor, finally feeling recovered crept closer to Jane and Danny for comfort and reassured them about their win. "Don''t feel bad. He did say he was going to kill us all, but we all fought together. They may have escaped, but we''ve prevented them from doing their job, both on this bridge and by keeping us alive."


    Danny agreed, "She does bring up an excellent point. As long as we''re stuck outside of civilization, there is not much we can do about it right now."


    Jane turned to face the city lights in the distance, their destination still too far away for those lights to help them see the road. "We''re reporting everything that happened here the first chance we get. Stanley Marx, Scarlet soldiers, even Kira. I can''t just be okay with letting killers run around as they choose."


    "We might have a problem with that." Danny waited for the two to look his way in order to properly point out the issue. Danny then pointed to what he had seen. Though difficult to make out since the objects were further tucked in the shade of night, all of the bicycles they dismounted from before were sitting against the rail where they left them. Only the metal was still smoking, and the tires were completely flattened.


    "What happened to our bikes?!"


    Jane came up with the answer for Taylor quickly, thinking back to any possibility in which the bikes may have taken a few stray hits from magical attacks. "It was Ultima," she announced. "After destroying those domes around us, Ultima had the potential damage range to affect everyone and everything in a four to five hundred meter radius. That''s why the Siriean domes exist in the first place." Jane got much closer to the bikes with her friends, realizing just how toasted their rides were. "Ultima isn''t a spell powerful enough for its heat to warp this metal." Nor did it. The metal was burning hot, but just as straight as it was designed. "But the heat alone would have been enough to pop holes in these tires. Our vehicles are completely useless now until we take them in for repairs."


    Danny sighed of stress. "So we''re walking the rest of the way from here? That could take several more hours." Without bikes being capable of getting stored into supply spheres, this trip would drag on into next morning.


    "I wouldn''t worry about it." Jane held onto her bike, still capable of rolling the thing with the force of a simple push. The vehicle was too bumpy to try and ride, but at least Jane didn''t have to scrape it across the heavy cement. "It''s not long from here, and we should be close to the exit of Route 787. Either drag these things with you or don''t. They''re too big to fit into the supply spheres, so this is the only way."


    Danny argued with the details of their purpose. "Shouldn''t we invest in a better way to travel? I find it hard to believe that with all of these magic powers, nobody has figured out a solution just by improvising."


    "If you can think of something better, please let me know about it." Refusing to keep it up, Jane was suddenly in a rush to get going. They would have to walk with these bikes under their hands just to reach Eldora City before it''s time to fall asleep.


    "One more thing before we go?"


    "What now?" Jane''s tone was aggravated by assumption that Danny had nothing useful to say.


    Danny wasn''t about to say anything. He pulled out another orb from his pocket, the green top device he kept from one of the earlier wins. This is the Endurance Booster orb Jane gave to him after the match with Liam. "I know this normally doesn''t work outside of battle, but people around here are finding ways to cheat. Until that gets resolved, I see no reason why I should have to wait before using this thing."


    Jane didn''t know what to say. Normally she would be against the thought. After all, invoking an entire battle just for the sake of using unknown items is the reason she got into this huge mess to begin with. Then again, a Defense Booster wasn''t an unknown item, and a battle would not normally be needed to cheat the system of the orb''s early activation. Jane saw Danny struggle just to activate the device, unsuccessful in powering the thing up with his magic.


    After staring blankly at her right hand, Jane gave herself an idea, one that she didn''t feel comfortable with in the first place, though Danny''s reasons were well founded. After all, if he is coming into Alpha Zero, he would need all of the help and support he could have, no matter how they were obtained. "Let me try." Jane walked up to Danny, placing her hand on the top of the orb without taking it from his hand. After a few seconds of concentration, Jane''s magic managed to trigger the initial light in the device, after which she quickly let go as to not be the person to absorb its effects.


    "Wha¡ª How can you do that?"


    Good question, but one of easy suspicion. Jane knew it had something to do with her mark. It does even more than most people realize, providing her with enough energy to overcome the greatest obstacles without even feeling the difference. Danny''s orb lit up in his hands, after which his energy scope appeared momentarily to report the permanent change in his stats.


    Jane then followed where Taylor was standing. She waited on Taylor''s confused expression until Taylor realized she was being asked to pull out the orb she won from Liam''s match. An MP up spell bomb, also only usable in battles, unless one has Jane''s crazy unusual skills. "I have a feeling that this mark I have wasn''t intended for me, that the spell bomb I used on myself was designed to specifically break the natural rules that Leray enforcers try to keep functioning every day. Such power could be used for other things I wouldn''t have in mind."


    "You mean, a spell bomb that was meant to do bad things?" Taylor held out her orb, waiting for Jane to activate it for her.


    Jane continued speaking while placing her right hand on the orb. Her hidden symbol even in its passive mode has the power to overcharge Leray energy into physical objects already infused with magic, bypassing the security mode on the devices in question. That must be how. "Yes. Imagine the chaos that would follow if someone else got a hold of this crest. They could break the very foundation of the protection that each and every citizen has. Some criminal could have obtained my powers instead, and then used it to destroy this entire world." After lighting up the orb, Jane let go again, allowing Taylor to absorb its effects while bringing up the energy scope for only a few seconds before fading away on its own.


    Jane accepted what she just did for them. "You''ll both need that extra boost should you accompany me into the Dark Zone. I still suggest you simply pack your bags and go back home, but I won''t force you to do as you don''t want to."


    "We want to help you see this through," Danny cleared. "Going home can wait right now. Sprawn Valley isn''t our native country, and it certainly is a very strange place, but the people in this country are still real people. This Alpha Zero threatens the lives of innocents, and all three of us have the power and will to stop it. I''m not going anywhere until it''s been resolved."


    "Then I''ll protect you two for as long as I''m here." Jane got back to her bike, and began pushing it forward again. "Come on. We don''t want to arrive in Eldora too late from now."


    Danny got his bike and pushed it the same way Jane and Taylor were doing. It was going to be another long walk before making it off this bridge. "It''s too bad they couldn''t make a spell to fix objects. Just aim at these things and repair it all." After receiving no reply, Danny simply assumed such a spell was out of the question. Having to stroll away from their only good source of orange light, Danny kept his senses sharp. He would simply refuse to battle anyone who might jump out and challenge them. Strikes are more than acceptable now. After that ordeal and Jane''s real time damage to prove what happened to them, they really could declare an actual emergency to prevent strikes.

 Chapter 40: Gateway (Jane VS Rontellov)

    <hr>


    <02/10/1972 ¨C 22:59 | Route 787, Junon Region, Sprawn Valley>


    Despite having no tires to use for the bicycles, Jane and her friends managed to push them on roll down the cement road of the deep bridge for over an hour. Though the sky has already darkened, the shade of darkness seemed to be an impossible coat of black that overwhelmed the eyes with the sense of nothingness. Judging by that and the slightly lower air temperature, Jane decided to guess the time to be ten forty P.M. The road on the other hand became a bit more visible than before, all thanks to their own efforts.


    Taylor could see it again, the city lights hanging in the distance and spanning into the sky. Eldora is much closer to them now than it was before. The tall vertical towers of structures and outlines were much more visible and abundant now. The color of the sky just above the tall vertical buildings had a dark orange mist and hue in contrast to the rest of the sky, indication of intense street lamps in the city. Taylor couldn''t know this without being here before, though she felt as if Eldora City really will be three times the size of Gross City. Jane already said this was the case, but it was unbelievable to imagine the scenario coming to life before her eyes.


    The road was more visible because of the extra light in the distance from the ground. It was very faint for a reflection to the pavement, practically useless for making out any detail below them. Though the area wasn''t too hard to see with or without this visual support. Jane could even see the end of the road connecting Route 787 and Route J-H. J-H road is the tiny little path that must be walked to reach Eldora City from the end exit of Route 787, even though no Leray wielders hang out there. The rails on the top of the bridge support beams and wires touched down at the ground there, the concrete fading into an earth-composed floor with a few natural trees in the vicinity. They''ve practically made it!


    "Is that what I think it is?"


    Judging by the tone, Jane figured that Taylor has already noticed what she could see. "The end of the path less than five minutes away? Of course it is."


    Danny sped up his walking to level next to Jane and in front of Taylor, trying to convince his ears. It''s true! The bridge comes to an end here. Danny had not noticed that to his right and his left, the ocean water wasn''t visible from a direct angle, and that the cliffs of the large and steep continental shelf were blocking the path of the waves. There was nothing to see ahead other than a small section of nature, a grown out walkway path plowed through the earth after the cement, and then the big city further up the road partially concealed by more patches of trees.


    Jane felt so relieved now, arriving here after fighting those intense battles with several unworthy mages. Some of which started in her name, but others fights happened against her will. After making out more details about the shapes generally in front of her, she could not remain relaxed. Though it wasn''t easy to see, a figure in the shape of a person outlined on the very end of the path populated the space as well. The figure was nearly invisible being outside of the small lamp light on road J-H, but the figure moved too, confirming Jane''s suspicion that they were not alone.


    "I told you I would be happy to see it." Danny exchanged a few words with Taylor, only focusing on her. While keeping his rolling bike balanced, he reflected on the thoughts he had earlier about Taylor. Where will this end up going in the end? Will there ever be an end to this relationship?


    "That''s one thing I''ve loved about Sprawn Valley," Taylor projected. "There are so many cool places to travel, and we have all of this freedom to do as we please. That might leave an open hole for bad guys to do harm, but they have police agents here just for that."


    "You two better stay sharp." Danny and Taylor were both immediately attentive from Jane''s alert. All three of them could clearly see someone not far away from here. A person in the dark was defiantly moving around, making himself slightly more visible with a flashlight. Jane was carefully lifting her feet forward, making less noise while trying to figure out who was out here.


    The shadow of the man seemed to be preoccupied by something, crouching at one side of the last bridge panel, for which Jane had no knowledge on what might actually be there. Jane figured that she has not been seen just yet, and tuned in to the distant echoes of his voice.


    "The wire... pathway needs to be... within ten seconds..." Jane could barely make out what the guy was saying. She didn''t see anyone else who he could be speaking too yet, nor did his business here make any sense. Obviously, it couldn''t be a civilian or a Leray wielder; those people don''t go messing around with physical structures. After meeting those Scarlet soldiers, Jane had much of an excuse to be concerned for her own safety. "Generate to E-C, mark three!"


    After a buzz and a pop, Jane was totally blind. Bright white light from out of nowhere splashed down on her, carrying the intensity to render her vision useless. Accepting the possibility that she and her team have been spotted by someone dangerous, Jane cursed under her breath while trying to shield her eyes and her body only with the use of her arms. The light was everywhere, only leaving whiteness in her field of view. Jane cringed from the burning pain it left her iris.


    "Too much! Too much! Step it down before it blows!"


    Danny figured that he wasn''t the only one blinded by the lights all around him. They were still standing on the bridge, so the origin of the blinding electrical currents made no sense as to how they came to exist. After a grueling twenty seconds of pain and anticipation, the lights around him got much dimmer, and his eyes quickly began to adjust. Struggling to make out any new details, Danny saw that there were tiny little light bulbs on wires, all wrapped around the left and right upper rails and beams of the entire bridge from the dirt path all the way back by 0.3 miles. It''s as if someone wanted to brighten the entire area with flashy ornaments. Individually, those lights put off about nothing in distance. But wrapped around this way, he could see everything close by here, even the very sides of the cliffs off the bridge, and the people in front of him.


    After lighting up the entire vicinity with electrical bulbs, the man who was spotted signaled for his assistant and both of them began a jog over towards the strangers. Jane''s team was quite powerless at the moment. Even though they could now see what was happening, all of that blinding light left them stunned, while Jane still had both arms covering her damaged eyes. Whoever was over there messing with the system was on approach to Jane''s entire team, practically already in speaking distance by how quickly they were on their feet.


    "Hey!" Though his baggy cloak-like coat made him appear puffier above his skin, the man rushed towards the group of kids standing in the middle of the road, all of which still seemed startled. Only when he got close enough to speak in a normal volume did he check to see how they were doing. "You folks alright?"


    "Yes," Danny concluded. "The hell is with all these lights?"


    Sensing his agitation, the man apologized for the inconvenience he caused them, while his female assistant rushed to his side to smoothen things over. "Didn''t mean to startle you. I wasn''t expecting company around here so soon."


    Jane was finally back to normal. With the surprise in her iris gone, she could see clearly with no residing pain, but the section here did not return back to total darkness. Much detail was clearly visible with all of the lights coiled up above them all set to a dimmer setting. Jane clenched her hands in preparation. This guy could be anybody, and it was already time for answers. "Who are you supposed to be?" Jane pointed to the guy with her hands, though she knew using a dagger to threaten him would make her feel even safer.


    "What a time for introductions." He lifted his arms up high and turned on his feet slightly, looking up at all of the lights around him. "I suppose first I shall give you, the new light of the century. Welcome to the entrance of J-H road!" He sounded very enthusiastic about showing it off, much pride emanated from his very eyes.


    Jane only found it ridiculous, and considered several technical factors into this mysterious forty-two year old man. He was obviously athletic and well in shape. Despite that puffy coat making him appear bigger, Jane could tell the difference in body-mass, and by the fact that he literally ran up to them from that distance with little time without even breathing fast from the rush. The assistant next to him was a girl in her late twenties, well dressed with somewhat short hair. With all of these lights around them, Jane could make out every physical feature about these people, which was shocking considering this hour of the night.


    Taylor, failing to sense any danger stepped forward in front of Jane, nearly tripping over her to become interested in their business. After everyone already set down their bikes, it was easy enough to put herself between anyone. "You mean those lights, these are yours?"


    He turned towards Taylor, and eyed Danny to figure out who these people might be. None of them seemed familiar with any new installments of the council, and they were facing this direction to begin with. Nevertheless, the man gave Taylor his answer before introducing himself. "Actually, they belong to the city''s power company. However, my place in the council managed to enforce this rather useful idea to the knuckleheads. As you can clearly see, Route 787 is much brighter and safer at night when you can see this well."


    Jane dropped her guard for a moment, searching and panning all around her. The lights were all connected to Eldora''s power grid, which means this was something on the lines of official business. That panel in the back by the bridge support beam must be the control set up for installing the electrical circuits.


    "Not that this is the final product," he corrected. "We''ve only got this section for now, but over the next month or two, the crew will be installing these lights every interval on this bridge to make sure nobody slams into walls at night. Our technician is still back there, making sure they don''t blow anything." He pointed behind him, even though the mechanic would barely be visible behind that bar. "He''s the one doing the installation. I on the other hand have other applications."


    "Such as?" Danny requested.


    While pointing his five fingers at himself, he gave away his identity as a good sign of trust. "My name is Rontellov Iseihenghower. Though you can simply call me Rontellov. I''m with the registered Leray infrastructure association, and have a seat on the council there. I don''t do any of the installing though, because I also happen to be an official Leray Gradyent."


    "A gradyent?" Jane repeated. "A real gradyent?" Jane knew of the terminology from before, but never expected or even planned on meeting the gradyent for Route 787. Uncertain of whether this could be a bad thing, Jane remained silent with her thoughts.


    "Yes - of course." Rontellov brought out his wallet from the coat pocket in front of him, opening it to show off his license and registration. He let them read it for themselves, as they were skeptical to believe and trust his own credentials. D. Rontellov | Age: 39 | Graduated facility: Eldora + Guelder Cont. | Last Ev. Score: Exp. | Current Status: Elite Leray Gradyent | Credits: --- Cr.


    Despite never seeing one of these special licenses in real life up close and personal, Jane sensed that this guy was for real, including his story. There were several technical things on his recorded license that proved his truthfulness to her friends, one of which is the classified credit report. Real Leray elites, agents, gradyents, and council officials do not keep their credits on their physical card, but rather in a holding account under classified lockdown. People aren''t allowed to know their wages, and thus, Rontellov checks out for now.


    "The woman behind me is Haily Hue, my trusted referee for Leray battles."


    "Hi!" Haily waved at them, to which she was paid little attention afterwards.


    "You have your own personal referee?"


    Rontellov nodded to Danny''s surprise. "I believe that every Leray wielder should have one these days, including the rooks. With Leray referees, there is less chance of possible cheating in the rule system. A referee can see what is going on in battle, and while registered to specific party members, that same person can call a legal time out, in which participants battling illegally are immediately discredited."


    Danny judged his words quickly by how high class this seemed. After now realizing how useful an official referee could be, it makes sense now as to why the nation has them. Referees at first seem redundant, but if they can watch the entire situation and declare any action illegal to protect the licenses and reputation of others, then perhaps that is what they need to cure the situation all along. "That''s cool. Say, can you remind me what gradyents do again?"


    Jane smacked herself in the face, too embarrassed by that question to look back up. It should have been expected though. Jane figured that after her run-in with Belzer, he would have taken a few days off. If Danny and Taylor never found a gradyent before, this question would come automatically. Then again, she couldn''t judge, for Jane forgot that gradyents existed before meeting Belzer. As a result, Rontellov began laughing, while Jane was left to resolve the situation. She turned to Danny, making sure he understood forever. "Gradyents are people at the end of major paths on both sides to important routes. They basically patrol the entry or exit points, and battle against newcomers to the next town to determine how ready they are to enter. It''s all very religious and annoying at first, but the point is to filter out weak wielders from areas containing generally tougher challengers, keeping the levels balanced."


    "I see you have an excellent understanding of these things, miss..."


    While he waited on Jane to introduce herself, she quickly turned to face him while holding her modesty as best as she could. Gradyents from Eldora are supposed to be proper and rich. Therefore, behaviors need to be their best in front of these people to get anywhere. Jane bowed for a moment before introducing herself, but her shaky voice gave away how embarrassed she still was. "I''m Jane Venn, and these are my friends traveling the same path with me for now - Danny and Taylor."


    Rontellov silently glanced at all of them again, judging their age, their attention spans, and everything he could. No way are they indigenous to the city ahead of them. Still, they seemed like an interesting bunch. "I can understand that you''ve been on the road for some time now. And with those popped tires slowing you down further..." He paused to let them remind themselves that they were holding onto useless metal vehicles. "I suppose you will all be tired too. On the other hand, you also know as well as I do that gradyents have a protocol which must be followed. If I am to grant you access into Eldora City, I must be defeated by at least one of you in a Leray match before proceeding. Normally it would require all three of you." Rontellov pointed and cycled between them, uncertain of which one was the best fighter. Jane looked slightly older, but it was no guarantee she was better.


    "Hold on now," Taylor interrupted. "You seriously want us to battle and win just to get access into Eldora?"


    Jane only turned her neck to Taylor, still agreeing with Rontellov''s logic. "That''s what gradyents do. They test the abilities of Leray wielders before allowing them to pass. Civilians and workers are exempt of course, but actual Leray wielders who build their career off of this stuff need to be tested periodically. Rontellov won''t let us into the city unless one of us defeats him in battle. This coming from an elite level warrior means this will not be an easy fight either. He''s the best of the best."


    "You give me a bit too much credit Jane." Rontellov reminded, "Do not forget that Champion Danton is the best of the best. Though I do enjoy this part of the job. I can feel immense power and skill among someone here right now, and I crave using that in Leray battles. In any case, unless you''ve declared an official emergency and need some sort of medical attention, I cannot let you pass without testing your skills."


    "If he''s supposed to be really good," Danny began, "shouldn''t we just let Jane mop the floor with him? I don''t want to do all that work for nothing you know."


    Jane was about to interrupt, but Rontellov beat her to the punch. "None of you stand to lose anything by battling a gradyent. Even time itself is not wasted, as the challenge itself will provide excellent experience for all of you. Though I am surprised to see that your friends throw up such high standards to you, Jane."


    Jane couldn''t get anything out of her mouth for a few seconds, surprised by the same notion that she would be thrown out like that. Danny and Taylor simply wanted her to do all of the hard work. However, against a man of his skills, Jane really would be the only person capable of defeating Rontellov. Still, risking the exposure of her hidden symbol was yet another downside to the plan. "We''re kind of in a hurry to get to Eldora," she pleaded. "You can''t simply expect us to turn around and sleep on the floor simply because we''re too tired to battle." Jane took another step closer, firming her tone and stance. "Gradyent or no gradyent, I won''t let anyone in a position of power threaten the health of my team or myself."


    "I understand." Rontellov cleared his throat, explaining how that process would work. "I only try to challenge the people who are not native to Eldora City. People who have permanent residence here are also exempt from gradyent battles specifically with myself, entry or exit. However, because it is such a big city, I don''t just let people by to con me into skipping a mandatory battle. So here is what I''ll do." After making sure all three of them were paying close attention, Rontellov rehearsed the specific protocols of the nation. "Those who need to defeat me and manage to do so successfully are given a two year pass card. With that card, you have legal access to every facility in Eldora City so long as you are still a wielder. Should you skip the battle even for emergency purposes, entering the city and taking residence at one of the inns is the most you can do, aside from ordering food. Should you fail to rise to my challenge, without receiving the pass card, you will basically be in residence of Eldora without the ability or legality to take part in battles, or shop in Leray specific stores. Simply put, you would not be seen as a welcome person of Eldora, but instead a traveling stranger with temporary access to essential facilities."


    "Well we need to take part in battles there," Jane clarified. "Can''t we fight you in the morning or something?"


    "You defiantly can," Rontellov assured. "Though some of my rules then will have changed. During the day, I get a lot more business, which puts you three on a waiting list. Besides that, I normally challenge all members of traveling teams who are not related via bloodline. If you are say - only friends, I will have to battle all three of you. Though tonight is the exception. I''ve exhausted much of myself too, so I can accept only one challenger to let all three of you pass. After one more battle, I shall retire for the night and hand over my shift to the next guy in line, who will be full of energy - mind you."


    Jane didn''t know what to say. Rontellov certainly has a powerful way of motivating people to fight. Everything he just said is specifically designed to make Jane agree to the terms and defeat him right now. Her choices are fight him now with some discomfort and make it easy, or fight him later with rest though with a much tougher and longer duration to defeat the guy. Neither one of them were attractive options, but Jane hated not having the access pass even more. If winning the battle is also the requirement, it meant that Danny and Taylor would both have to win in the morning, something they don''t have the skill level for against someone with such high aptitude.


    Sensing that they were all in a troublesome conundrum, Rontellov decided to further revise his offering in choices, favoring the immediate battle of course. "Tell you what. Because it will be the end of my shift soon, I will also see what I can do for those two-wheelers you''ve been pushing around. I know a guy who owns a bike shop. We''re well acquainted too, so I can get this fixed with no extra charge, pull them into the building tonight."


    Jane didn''t detect whether Rontellov meant he would do this favor if she battled him now, or if the favor was already set in stone regardless of what she decided to do. Thinking about it was beginning to make her head hurt, but little time passed at all until she came to the obviously better conclusion. "Listen Rontellov. I think I will choose to defeat you now in battle. I simply can''t have restrictions going into Eldora like that. But you fixing our bikes? We could do that ourselves. You''re going to have to do better than that if you really want to see me in action."


    Rontellov smiled deviously at his underestimation of the young woman in front of him. Despite being smaller and younger than himself, there was a lot of determination and fire in those green eyes, tons of possibilities to see something new for a change, and she was already smart enough to make the bargaining more interesting, wielding more than just magic and valor. Gradyents do not usually bet specific amounts of credits, elsewise it deters challengers, but there isn''t a rule that prohibits this function. "I can match a price, though that doesn''t mean I will agree to bet on it."


    Jane took another step forward until she was almost in the guy''s face, emphasizing her seriousness to the cause. "I''m not interested in money. I need a favor, as well as some information." Realizing she had Rontellov''s full attention based on his sudden serious expression change, she elaborated on her next phase of the plan. "You''re on the council, so I know you''ve heard several rumors regarding the passing of specific Leray laws and contracts between several corporations around here."


    "Curious girl," Rontellov pointed out. He took a step backwards, making the short distance between Jane and him less awkward. "I never thought one of your age would be interested to hear about politics, let alone request so much bargaining power. You certainly don''t act like your typical wielder. I can tell that something big has toughened you up." He saw Jane open her mouth to defend her secret, but Rontellov put a hand in front of him to stop her. "I don''t want to hear it. Not knowing what exactly made you this strong makes this more interesting for me. Let''s discuss these terms right here."


    Jane first began to think more about how the battle may turn out. With all of these lights around here, seeing in the dark was not going to be much of a problem. But Rontellov isn''t called the elite Gradyent for nothing, and even with a seat on the council, Rontellov has little influence on some things that only concerns her. He might be interested, but he said himself that his specialty was specific to infrastructure and buildings. Jane had to start from how she felt about it. "Are you aware about the several possible ways to breach the rules of a Leray battle? People are literally walking around, forcing others to fight, otherwise forfeit their rights to battle with three immediate strikes. They''re exploiting that stupid fifteen minute rule and forcing uneven battles onto the same target."


    "Yeah, that''s bull crap!"


    Rontellov could already tell where this was going, and how angry the thought made both Danny and Jane. Taylor on the other hand seemed to be more exhausted than the other two, as she simply tried to ignore it. "I''m well aware of such things, as I have heard a lot of talk recently. Would you like to know what the council plans to do on this?"


    "Yes," Jane firmly answered. That was easier than she thought. The council knows about it? What are they to do then?


    Rontellov cleared his throat before explaining the situation he knew all about. "Mind you, I have little influence in this field, though it should not be necessary. Members of the council are well aware of this deep flaw in the Leray rules designed for battle. Magic is sent through the Leray veil of protection in the form of forth-dimensional digital code, running in real time with the magic as it appears in real space. This data is specific to what allows certain things to exist, things like energy scopes, reward spoils that show up in holographic text that actually transfers funds from license to license automatically - after an official battle has ended, and rules that normally prevent illegal things from happening inside of legitimate battles."


    "Well it isn''t working out anymore."


    Hearing Danny''s warning basically told Rontellov that the entire team here encountered more than their fair share of crooks, possibly on this very bridge. "That is why the rules are being updated. It is a process that may take more than a full week to implement. Under the new circumstances, cheating people into battle for their strikes will be made impossible. On top of that, we will make more public service announcements to suggest travel with registered referees in the meantime."


    "So they are doing something about it?" Jane tested.


    "Indeed. The very thing you are talking about is happening more often every day, which begs for urgency to solve the problem. If you were attacked on this bridge illegally, I must urge you to give me some details on the suspects, as I can inform local Leray agents to patrol this bridge for the rest of tonight and tomorrow."


    "That brings me to my second favor," Jane proceeded. "As it turns out, we did meet some people who had problems with others forcing them to battle for credits in high amounts. I''m about to give you important names."


    "One second." Rontellov paused to formally pull out a small note pad and a pen, ready to write down the names. He looked just like a Leray agent now, but it wasn''t unexpected. Gradyents sometimes have authority to investigate on matters like these. "Go ahead."


    Jane could see that he was taking this seriously, which is exactly what they needed right now. "First subject, male, upper thirties and very buff. Name is Gustos. We already kind of took care of him after crossing paths, but I think he might come and try to score again in the future. Classic crook, forcing people to battle him for insane numbers or else give them three strikes as opposed just to one. What''s worse is that he targets the weak."


    "Okay..." Rontellov literally wrote everything down on the paper, making sure to clearly give detailed instructions from what Jane was saying. Danny and Taylor sort of watched passively.


    "Next subject is female, dark hair and a magic resistant cloak, upper twenties I think. Anyway, her name is Kira Sandreas. Kira used to be with some gang on Route 96 ran by Patrissa. After Patrissa and her gang were arrested, Kira somehow evaded the capture, and attacked me on the way over here. She engaged me in an illegal battle, used items illegally, and made several verbal threats to kill me."


    "That is more serious. I''ll have to rank these priority bells too. We''ll need more than one agent to handle this much traffic efficiently."


    "I don''t even understand how people are using items illegally," Danny concerned. "I thought the system prevents that from happening."


    Without writing anything else, Rontellov addressed one of the more likely possibilities while answering Danny''s confusion. "In such an instance, was there ever anything different or off about the Siriean dome used in such a battle?" A moment passed, Rontellov using their surprised expressions and their silence as a judgment of answer. "I thought as much. Siriean domes can exist in a few different forms. Es''han Siriean is the mage who invented the process. The veil integrates these kinds of digital rules automatically, but a more skilled mage can use their power to create their own distinct personal dome shield, separate from the normal one. That process itself is illegal, even if it works in many of the same ways. As a result, the veil''s rules for anti-item usage can be bypassed, usually on a one-sided level. The council is aware of this problem as well."


    So that''s why? Siriean domes are not the only kind of domes that can be created for battle. How much more to magic is there that nobody knows about?


    Jane moved on to make sure Rontellov would learn about all of the horrible things happening around them. "We tied Kira down about halfway to Eldora after she passed out from battle, but by now, she should be long gone. That thing wasn''t going to hold her forever. As long as she is alive, she has motive to kill. And as for the last encounter¡ª"


    "I wasn''t aware there were this many criminals running around here." Rontellov sounded concerned, and briefly reflected on the meaning of it all. "Come to think of it, we have seen less traffic flow on average in this route lately. I thought it simply had to do with how dark it gets here at night. What you''re talking about is nearly a federal case already." Anymore, and the FMCI will have to step in.


    "I''m sure it will be with the last suspect I give you." Jane prepared to give the last details, and Rontellov put his pen down, eager to take her report seriously. "Stanley Marx. Don''t know who he is, who he works for directly, or if that is even his real name. Slightly older male, probably has several unique alibies. One of those alibies is impersonating Leray agents with fake badges and fake licenses, but he is actually working with the Scarlet organization undercover. We both bumped heads and barely managed to survive that encounter. He traveled with two other men, used dark magic to harm us, and then used teleportation symbols in order to escape after we gained some ground on him."


    "That¡ª Unbelievable!" Rontellov spat. "The Scarlet Syndicate working right here under our nose?! Hannon!" Rontellov waited for the technician to rush over to his side. It wasn''t much of a distance, but Hannon was quick to assist him in any way he could. Rontellov handed him the entire note pad and pen, instructing him one what to do next while the three teens stood and watched curiously. "I want you to personally hand these notes to the federal investigation office. Tell them I sent you personally, and that I want a full-scale investigation into the Scarlet Syndicate, including all activities on Route 787 and Lennith City. I''ll be there to fill them in later this morning, and forward it to the FMCI later."


    "Yes sir. Installation is complete by the way." Hannon took the notes the rushed in the other direction towards the city.


    After briefly studying their faces one more time, Rontellov was certain he had never seen a single one of them before. "I''m guessing that this was the favor you wanted to ask for?"


    It wasn''t that surprising for Jane to confirm her slight suspicion that the Scarlet Syndicate ranks as a higher problem than other petty criminals, but it begs the question for how far the conspiracy goes. Jane replied, "That''s correct. I didn''t want to wait before reporting these guys to the agents. They''re very dangerous, not that I actually know what they are up to. All I know about the Scarlet Cult is that they''re more organized and dangerous than I once thought."


    "I thought they were the Scarlet Syndicate," Taylor interrupted. "Which one is it then?"


    Rontellov answered calmly since it was easy to deduce. "The organization is technically a syndicate, but what they stand for makes them appear to support a large occult belief. Whatever their goal is, they usually spout some stuff about nonsense, thinking they are the true justice warriors. So normal folk actually call them a cult, but it''s all the same thing in their case."


    "Well this place took a dark turn fast." Haily commented on the issue as well, too naive to notice how much Sprawn Valley has changed over a few years.


    "I''m very glad to see that all three of you are safe after an encounter with Scarlet soldiers." Even Rontellov knew how dangerous they are. "And we''re thankful for the information you''ve provided us Jane. You''ve done the right thing by bringing this to my attention."


    "Good," Jane set. "Now that that''s settled, how about we get to the terms of battle?"


    "Yes. I know you are still as eager and willing for a great match as I am. A quick reminder about the rules first. Not all challengers realize that in Leray battles, nobody fights to the death. Mixing adrenaline with the will to win can be a powerful distractor from that fact. Should either one of us call forfeit in the match, the referee here will call and end to the battle, and immediately declare the winner. The referee''s judgment for the victor weighs more than the normal digital system that detects such things."


    "Really?" Taylor stumbled.


    "That''s right," Haily answered. "My job is basically to make sure the battle is legal and legitimate. At the same time, I watch for any funny business during the match, in case somebody ever finds a potential loophole for an easy win."


    "And she likes to shout out what is happening for some odd reason."


    Easily embarrassed by Rontellov''s assessment, Haily defended her process. "That''s not odd! People watching like to know what''s going on."


    "That''s what a pair of eyes are for. Though I still condone your practices. One day you may be drafted into the elite status at level five."


    "What''s that mean?" Danny questioned.


    Rontellov answered the simple questions again. "It means Haily will be a referee for the battles that officially take place in Eldora Tower with the League of Elites. Being a referee in that situation normally requires battle cry callouts and annotations as to what is going on for the viewers who watch such fights. Being a level five elite referee is something of very high honor and praise, and it pays very well."


    "That''s why I also like to bring moral support!" Haily swayed slightly, clearly excited by her own job and the suspense from an upcoming Leray match.


    Rontellov smiled at how much he enjoys Haily''s company, then eyed Jane to determine how the fight may go down. However, this is one of the first times to his memory that he is unable to judge what fighting tactics Jane might try and use against him. Anything could happen. "Jane Venn!" His volume made Jane jump slightly. "As elite Leray gradyent of Eldora City, I challenge you in the name of Eldora''s honor and title! Your reward for defeating me shall earn you and your companions a two-year access pass card, while my reward for defeating you shall be positive battle experience. Do you accept these terms to match against me, here on the bridge of seven-eight-seven?"


    Does he have to make it weird? Jane changed her stance to better prepare herself for the upcoming fight, waving one hand behind her to tell her team to back away. "I accept your challenge Rontellov. Now let''s get started!"


    The Siriean dome formed around Jane and Rontellov quickly, taking on the familiar blue transparent design that Jane remembered to be correct, compared to the dome shield used by the Scarlet Cult and Kira. Danny and Taylor were well outside of the field''s range, though since they were still battling on the bridge, Jane had to take her environment into account as well. Haily was outside of the dome shield too, while standing close to the edge with trained watchful eyes. Rontellov engaged his energy scope shortly before Jane did, revealing the stats of his body with regards to the match. Jane''s stats were not at maximum capacity due to the healing real time damage from before, though it was close enough.


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: La gis sulva za Celow (Extended) ~ Magia Record OST</a>


    <hr>


    <Reward Spoil: Gradyent Challenge | Battle Mode>


    <hr>


    Despite how ready Jane''s stance tested her opponent''s defensive reaction, Rontellov was the first person to chant the name of a particular spell. "I''ll begin with Earth Quake!" While lifting his right hand slightly and fusing the Leray energy into his fist to release it into the environment around them, his MP percentile dropped considerably on the energy scope to indicate that it took some magic to use the spell. Upon releasing the attack, several large chunks of rocks and boulders came shooting from nowhere, spawned by the invisible magic aura used in the earth-based spell. Quake is a medium level earth attack that is as bad as it sounds, violently tremoring the entire floor in the particular location of the target until they become disoriented by the loss in their balance, followed by earth elemental damage caused by the rocks and boulders, among other factors.


    Upon clearing the brief-lasting dust-screen created by the scraping rock and friction all over the pavement of the bridge floor, Jane was standing perfectly still, arms crossed over each other though aiming outwards. A blue auric shield surrounded her entire body taking about the same shape as herself. For the entire time she was being attacked, Jane was relatively safe inside of her little bubble, finally lowering her arms at the end of Rontellov''s sequence to prepare herself for her next turn. She began to think out the plan and strategy in her head, while Rontellov and his assistant were awestruck by the performance.


    Haily''s mouth dropped, and though she wanted to report what was going on as part of her job, she couldn''t entirely understand how Jane Venn managed to block out a complete attack with that much power. As a result, her voice stuttered on the visual description while Danny and Taylor kept to themselves about it. "Uh¡ª I think Quake was made completely useless that round. Jane manages to block it, with what I can only deduce is some sort of modified energy shield. Well played."


    Danny and Taylor exchanged quiet confident looks at each other, after which they returned their attention to the battle. Both of them realized just how much work Rontellov has set out for him. Jane is certainly no pushover. After all they have seen with Jane so far, it would surprise either one of them should she lose a fair match against someone. On the other hand, Taylor projected...If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Rontellov bowed to Jane shortly before waiting on her to deliver her next mysterious spell. "That was an excellent block Jane. You''ve already got me at a clear disadvantage for now."


    "That''s not all you have to worry about," Jane delivered. While Jane gradually continued the silent charge-up sequence of her MP energy throughout her body, her mind raced through the importance and significance of a swift victory. Rontellov isn''t going to be an easy opponent to defeat, and Jane will have to give this challenge everything she has in order to win. Failure is not an option, as it would push back against the available time she has remaining to defeat the champion and storm the Alpha Zero. The only current barrier which stands in her way now is this proud gradyent. As Jane let this mix of emotions flood her mind, she brought in all she felt into the infusion of her energy and her spells, preparing to launch of her feet, while everyone else could feel the anticipation of something bigger on the horizon.


    Upon releasing her MP energy in bursts of amounts, Jane activated her next combination of chained sequences while rushing towards Rontellov. "Time for Blitz!" Jane rushed her entire arm from right to left, releasing the magic spell in the form of four separate Shadow Waves activated at the same time at different angles of movement. Before waiting for the hits, Jane rushed in towards Rontellov, drawing the daggers into her hands while her body emanated a green aura.


    At first, her rush seemed to be predicable to Rontellov, making him smug enough to drop his guard. Despite understanding how a Blitz combination works, Rontellov wasn''t able to see or hear the impending doom sneaking up behind him. Suddenly slammed with the force and slashing magical damage from four Shadow Waves all at once from behind, Rontellov took some immediate Leray damage, as the force itself plunged him forward into Jane''s outstretched dagger blades.


    Planning for this to happen, Jane got in a multi-magical attack in with a physical jab, though her stored energy for the Blitz spell wasn''t expended just yet. She quickly chanted one more skill to enter another magical aura, immediately boosting her speed, her reflexes, and her brilliant light from the bright magical coat. "Rush Assault!" Jane was immediately capable now of delivering several physical hits to Rontellov''s body without letting up for a single instance for Rontellov to exploit a weakness. Using magically infused punches and kicks to increase the damage level as the natural effects of Rush Assault call for, Jane made certain to leap around and cut her daggers in for slices too, all until the Rush Assault spell ended with Jane''s white aura.


    Haily waited for Jane to back away from Rontellov before confirming the effectiveness of Jane''s Blitz attack, but Jane was moving so quickly, her actions were nearly impossible to track. Judging however by the change in stats of Rontellov''s energy scope and no health changes on Jane''s, Haily spoke up again to report it aloud. "It seems Jane has delivered a devastating counterattack, using speed to her advantage. Our gradyent doesn''t stand a chance to block or dodge with those movements!"


    Rontellov could hear his referee speaking through the Siriean dome, as it provided minimal sound resistance to the outside world. Haily''s report was accurate too, though defeating for him to hear. He didn''t expect such a brilliantly planned out attack such as multiple Shadow Waves slamming him from behind during a Charge Attack sequence. To think that someone so young could learn about so many effective battle dynamics, it was truly inspiring. Just as well though, even Rontellov could determine an immense desperation fueling Jane''s energy; it didn''t seem as natural as an aspiration to be the best, but instead a struggle to fight for something important. Jane''s stern and emotionless expression he witnessed were his only evidence. It''s almost scary.


    Thinking back on Haily''s words however, it reminded Rontellov that Jane can use an unfamiliar power shield of Leray energy to block attacks super effectively, and with such speed, he may have trouble doing the same indeed. Though he knew faintly how a power shield can work, Rontellov knew it wasn''t his style. If that truly is Jane''s only method of defense, then it needs to be broken right now, and there is only one way to bypass an entire power shield''s aura. "All right Jane." Rontellov pulled out his primary weapon of choice after hiding it for so long, a small saber, something shorter in length than a short sword, but much longer than a steak knife. With his saber in hand, it was obvious that his hand motions and the glowing aura around the blade meant he was infusing magical energy into the blade itself. Though at the same time, Rontellov''s MP energy dropped much further down than what the other team expected.


    While preparing his strike, Rontellov brought up his perfect enchantment for the spell. "It''s my turn to show you something new and powerful. Dimensional Strike!" Rontellov put all of his body movements into the hits, slashing his short sword at the empty air. Though Jane was standing pretty far for the sword to blow air at her, Rontellov knew what would happen next. After cutting through the air and releasing the magic, Rontellov created perfect energy waves in the form of sharp lines about the length of two entire meters. The two-dimensional bright lines flew through the air, as Rontellov crossed them over at opposite angles to make it look appealing to the eyes.


    Jane recognized this type of attack. She used something just like it before, known as Splice. Splice combines heavy non-elemental magical damage in with severe piercing damage to inflict a very high amount of debilitating pain, possibly creating flesh wounds if not used with Leray magical protection. It''s a powerful spell, and though the waves travel fast through the air, Jane still had just enough time and reflexes to enable her energy shield to block the attack again. Forgetting to understand why Rontellov would go with a non-original type of spell, Jane projected her aura around her just a moment before both of the lines were bound to bounce off the power shield.


    However, instead of staying safe in her little bubble, Jane was quite surprised to see and feel the Splice energy waves drill straight through her own fully functioning power shield, drilling through the aura and her skin with a burning pain, followed by the same damage amount from the second hit of the other angled moving line. Drilled by both, Jane cringed in agonizing pain, dropping the shield from her loss in focus while hovering closer to the ground with her entire stomach and chest covered to indicate where the pain fluctuated most strongly. Upon taking the deep and painful impact that immediately put Jane in a similar state to the moment she was hit by the Laser Swipe attack in the dark zone, her health decreased by a significant amount as well.


    Taylor was shocked to see Jane fall under perfect shielded protection right before her eyes, and even Danny gasped beside her in the same response. "What happened? Jane shielded, but it didn''t work."


    Finally understanding what was happening in the fight, Haily allowed the time for Jane to recover herself while explaining to the only two other watchers what was really going on. "Wow! Looks like Rontellov expected Jane to use her shield again, totally corrupting her only method of defense while dealing some major damage in the process. Dimensional Strike has a power level maxing at ten, and is a special ability that uses magic under multiple layers of dimensions. Since Jane''s power shield can only work in this physical realm, Dimensional Strike totally trumps the entire energy field put in place to protect her."


    Jane didn''t believe her ears, but had no choice in understanding what was actually going on. Despite the painful burning on the inside of her skin, she rose up carefully, collecting herself and her thoughts. As Haily explained it, Dimensional Strike is specifically designed to bypass certain types of energy fields and shields, including Siriean domes. Because the magical attack travels through multiple layers of dimensions to deal damage, blocking becomes useless, and though the form of such a spell naturally decreases its attack power, Haily just said it was a power level ten attack. Therefore, the damage will still be high regardless of the spell''s effects. For the first time in her entire experience as a trained Leray fighter, someone has finally discovered an effective way to counter Jane''s only best defense, the power shield. With her hidden symbol still in a passive effect, Jane''s defensive endurance will still be cut into half of its original state. Taking any attack from a powerful mage such as Rontellov can be devastating here.


    Noticing how long it was taking for Jane to do anything, Rontellov built on her frustration, forcing her to act upon it. "It appears I can surprise you too Jane. You have much to learn."


    Responding immediately to the struggle, Jane released a ton of her energy from both her hands straight into the battlefield. "Try blocking Deep Strike!" The released energy was enough to immediately create several dozens of small explosions everywhere. Though they seemed random at first, they were specifically surrounding where Rontellov was standing, each blast inching closer and closer to his stationary position.


    Responding to the familiar threat he faced before, Rontellov put up his arms to his face, standing differently to block the attack by natural means. Staying strong and enduring the attack would lower the damage taken in the end. By the time the final few blasts were on top of him however, the blast and damage levels were incredibly high. With the final trademark explosion at the very end known as the deep strike of Deep Strike, Rontellov was shoved to the side, totally taken for a ride in midair while the massive blast bruised his entire frontal body.


    "Ooh!" Haily emphasized to the others how much of a hard blast that was. That final explosion totally annihilated Rontellov''s attempt to stand and defend himself. It was a bad choice to make for the gradyent too. Deep Strike is especially unique, because the explosion chains increase in damage over the time of the attack, making the last explosion the one carrying the strongest payload of magical damage. It''s designed to increase in attack power by an exponential climb. However, Haily had seen Rontellov block this attack before with great success, unlike this time. It must mean that Jane''s practice with the spell has increased the damage level tremendously, something Rontellov didn''t want to see until it was too late. "Jane Venn gets another solid hit, now in the lead of the battle. Only two entire skills were exchanged on each side so far, yet the match is almost halfway over."


    "Oh we''re just getting started," Jane corrected.


    Rontellov stood back up, preparing himself to get as serious as he possibly can. For once, he had to agree with Jane''s fighting spirit. She didn''t want to defeat him this easily or quickly, an honorable trait for an excellent fighter. "That''s something we can agree upon." Rontellov paused, inhaling as much air as he could, since his current charging spell took a lot out of him in the process. "Power Shift!" The invocation time was not immediate because of how the spell is used and how much energy it takes to make it happen, but Rontellov knew this was one of his ultra-powerful spells. Upon engaging the Power Shift aura, his entire body began to glow with colors, shifting between those colors every 0.1 seconds, thus making it an interesting light show for the moment. His body aura color changed in the order from green to blue to purple to white. Just after it happened, Rontellov managed to quickly launch four separate energy spheres from his hands without the use of a single glyphring.


    Jane reacted fast enough to shield herself again, assuming the attack would not be powerful enough to bypass her personal aura. However, the energy spheres that Rontellov threw at her were small and fast, about five times the travel speed of elemental bolt attacks. It was amazing that she projected her shield in time for the attack. Upon each sphere slamming her shield and dissolving into several tiny little hexagons, Jane noticed just before the impact that all four of the sphere were different colors, but they were colors that matched the odd color shift in Rontellov''s personal aura shortly before throwing the attack. She was curious about the nature of Power Shift and what it was supposed to do, but her shield prevented her from finding out.


    Rontellov didn''t expect Jane''s shield to hold up to such a powerful attack. After all four of the spheres hit, Jane''s power shield was still up, and the cost to her MP reserves was minimal. He knew all about the spell. Though impossible to master, Power Shift is an auric-based magical ability that builds different auras, and reforms their energies into separate projectile spheres. The green sphere is full of electrical blunt based magical damage upon impact. The blue sphere deals ice elemental magical damage on a high scale. The purple sphere deals heavy spirit damage with a high effect of drain on a person''s stamina. Then the white sphere deals pure magical damage on a very high scale of power level. Each sphere inflicts devastating HP damage, but a foe hit with all four at once will lose more than half of their entire maximum HP level. It''s very difficult to invoke, very expensive on the MP, and very effective on damage level. Yet Jane managed to block the entire attack without a problem.


    That''s what Rontellov believed anyway. Just after the last white energy sphere landed against Jane''s power shield, she felt incredibly exhausted, losing her focus on the spot. She dropped the shield as quickly as she could, realizing it was about to fail on her from the damage taken alone. Jane managed to block the entire aura attack, but it was a very close call, which worried her in the moment.


    Noticing the potential of Jane''s unique shield, Haily commented on it further. "It seems that even Rontellov''s powerful spells are no match for Jane Venn''s aura shield. He''ll have to stick with Dimensional Strike if he wants to win this."


    Rontellov shook his head left and right gently. There''s no way he will continuously spam Dimensional Strike. Even though it would ensure himself a victory, it''s just not something advanced fighters do to their opponents. Battle spells are supposed to be exchanged based on variety, skill, and strategy, regardless of the overall effectiveness. That is how one learns. Refusing the very idea of Haily''s useless suggestion, he recovered himself, waiting on Jane to deliver her next attack. "You have a very unique and effective style Jane. Please continue where we left off."


    Jane was a bit confused by the fact that Rontellov was basically asking to be attacked again and again, but she was also reminded that this battle is an honorary Leray match. To give such praise to Jane while both of them were on even ground made her feel great just being in the battle alone. Suddenly, the thought of losing the fight haunted Jane much less than it did before, but that didn''t mean she wanted to go down without trying her absolute hardest. If Rontellov wants to know everything she can do, then he will learn everything, down to the last ability she has trained with since day one. "Flying Guillotine!" Drawing her daggers for the attack, Jane threw them at Rontellov and created the familiar spinning circle of magical slashing damage in between the spinning blades, the motion taking the directional effect as a Frisbee-like boomerang.


    Rontellov tried to block the attack again like before, and this time, the damage done to him was totally minimal, despite the attack drilling straight through his skin as it was designed to do. Standing as inert as a statue, Rontellov''s health barely faltered as the circular arc of Jane''s Flying Guillotine attack circled all the way back to her hands, giving her back the daggers just as the attack cycle ended. Jane was immediately aware that her choice wasn''t one of the best, but she had no good ideas at the current moment. Using Redemption again would be incredibly risky.


    After stepping forward to Jane, only to get a few feet closer, Rontellov released his next combination of Leray magical spells, showing Jane just how intelligent his style has become over many years of intense fights such as this. "Dualcast!" Quickly creating a dark green aura to shape his body, Rontellov''s spell quickly sped up his invocations behind the scenes, allowing him to quickly chain two additional spells right after. His chants were rapid, as were the invocations of the next two spells. "Calling of Light!" With another fast hand gesture, Rontellov coated himself with a secondary cyan aura that had no immediate noticeable effect. It wasn''t an attack going Jane''s direction either, but Jane stood very prepared to take anything. Still unfinished in his chain, Rontellov began the next cycle. "Explosion!" Charging up a large dark grey glyphring, Rontellov began the summoning of another ultra-powerful spell with the same attack power as it sounded. His invocation of a long charging spell however was sped up by the existing Dualcasting effect he chanted earlier, soon to fade after releasing the magic one last time.


    Jane didn''t know exactly what to expect with the Calling of Light spell, but after hearing another chant with the name explosion in the ability itself, it was rather obvious that now was the only time to defend against it. "Power Shield!" Jane didn''t always need to chant the name of her defensive shield, but she was expecting heavy resistance this time around. After Rontellov''s spell activated, a blinding light in the center of the field lit up, receded, and then exploded all in a near instance, blasting the entire battlefield with a fiery burst of pure force and shrapnel from the ground. Jane''s shield collected hexagons at every angle, immediately draining much of her power and concentration yet again. By the time the light faded, Jane lost control of her shield rather than getting the chance to drop it normally, forcing her down, gasping for her breath. Having the power shield fail to project drains much more out of Jane than it does to simply block a lot of damage, and thus left her slightly vulnerable despite taking no damage from that massive explosion.


    "And Jane shields it again, an unstoppable method to defend against a massive explosive attack." Haily had minor difficulty keeping track of everything. The battlefield was lit up well, though the only real source of light is still the bright bulbs shinning from the top of the bridge structure, only spanning out further down the road for less than 0.2 miles. In the pure night sky, their battling in this instance was hard to see because of the additional light show happening inside of the dome sphere. However, judging by all of these powerful solid blasts Rontellov was putting out, Haily''s assumption was proven right with one quick glance at his energy scope. Jane had been conserving some of her MP energy, while Rontellov used the very last of it in the explosion spell.


    With this unusual cyan aura surrounding Rontellov''s body, he and Jane both noticed an immediate change happening on Rontellov''s energy scope regarding his MP reserves. The value was rapidly increasing over time. It was a clear indication that Rontellov''s MP levels were in rapid regeneration mode. Instead of using an item, which is supposedly illegal in Leray battles, Rontellov cleverly went with the spell known as Calling of Light. Calling of Light is a Leray spell that uses a support aura to quickly regenerate a very high amount of lost MP energy. More than that, it can only be used once per hour during clear skies while no sunlight is present, making Rontellov''s weather conditions convenient to his favor. After having used up all of his MP values, this spell was about to be very helpful to his cause.


    Contrary to the change in rules, Jane didn''t just stand back and watch it happen. She kept her daggers in hand, and charged some more energy into the blades while thinking of what to try for her next spell, but for the moment, she was still out of good ideas. "Mako Strike!" Firing small spheres of pure Leray energy instead of beams in her previous unrefined version of the Mako spell, Rontellov was still quick to react to the incoming magic against him.


    He did not however expect an attack such as this. It was formed much like a Magical Blitz attack spell, though the spheres were three times faster to travel, and half the size despite their radiant cyan glow. Jane launched only two spheres at her opponent, who immediately took evasive action in the form of a backflip. Rontellov was secretly more athletic than he appeared to be, attempting an entire backflip to jump over the Mako Strike spheres. However, instead of jumping over the spheres, he landed just where the projectile''s path was going to hit anyway, making his jump appear to happen much too soon. The first impact to the gut upon landing from Jane''s attack was only half as powerful as the following strike, carrying enough force to knock him back while Rontellov struggled not to trip backwards. For a simple attack, the Mako Strike of which he had never heard about before carried a lot of blunt force, six times as much as Magical Blitz spheres did. Though the damage was not heavy, Rontellov knew in his mind that it was still a good call.


    "Jane is delivering attacks in rebuttal, but none as powerful as Rontellov''s expertly designed spells. What will come next in this even grounded match up for Eldora''s honor?"


    "Whirlwind!" Rontellov''s invocation was immediate, though his opponent was momentarily surprised that he went with an ability naturally having such a low power level. Whirlwind alone is a basic beginner''s spell.


    Because Jane underestimated the style of her attacker, she was surprised by the fact that Rontellov''s Whirlwind spawned on top of where Jane was standing, giving her no time to react, no time to shield herself, and no time to brace herself for the powerful gusts of winds that blew her hair far back from her scalp. Jane could feel herself being dragged off the ground, barely hanging on due to the gravity of her physical weight, but the several dozens of cuts and slashes from the additional wind elemental damage did her no good either. Despite the Whirlwind being low power proportionally, Jane forgot that because an expert was using the spell, its general power level will still be much higher.


    By the time the Whirlwind attack ended, Jane could do nothing about the damage she had already taken, other than to quickly try and retaliate, but after such a rush of air slamming down on her, Jane felt slightly dizzy from the change in oxygen concentration. Her reaction wasn''t as quick as it could have been, and Haily got another chance to comment on the battle before executing her next attack.


    "Eldora''s gradyent fights back with a well-placed wind attack, giving Jane the slip for now."


    Danny knew just how annoying the referee thing was by now, but he said nothing of it, considering that this is Haily''s job. It seemed for now that Jane was performing better already, but he kept in mind that Rontellov''s MP levels were rapidly climbing from that aura which was still lasting from before. This guy is taking all of Jane''s advantages away from her, and using it for himself, and if Jane''s crest activates on its own as a result, all of them are going to be finished. This entire quest to Eldora will have been for nothing.


    "Median Flare!" Jane blasted magical light at Rontellov, despite having a range at him with a low angle of effectiveness and a moderate power level for damage.


    Rontellov could do nothing, but he really didn''t need to. Despite taking on the damage and slight pain of the hit, he came out of it just fine afterwards, judging that Jane was losing her fast momentum and ideas quickly. With that judgment, now was the time to act upon it.


    "Dimensional Strike!" he cast. After pulling his short blade and releasing the magic into the saber, Jane predictably shielded herself, too quick in her reaction to fully remember the effect of the attack spell by its name. Rontellov slashed through the air twice at opposing angles like before, creating two crossed line waves of inter-dimensional magical formations. Upon realizing the mistake that shielding was totally pointless, Jane braced herself for the inevitable pain of Dimensional Strike, which has the same general effect as Splice. As the waves drilled straight through Jane''s personal shield and thus her entire body, the pain following the drilling slashes were more than enough to make her lose all concentration on the shield, Jane dropping it to deal with the new situation.


    Jane''s breathing became rapid again, having been exhausted long before beginning this fight. She could feel her adrenaline pumping all the way to the maximum allowed levels. The pain still held her down, immobile at the clenched reaction of the burning piercing sensation of the left over damage from Rontellov''s repeated spell.


    Though he gave Jane much time after that to recover, it wasn''t enough time for her to fight back immediately, which is what he played on next. After aiming his hand up to the sky, he began invoking a large spell, getting his concentration for the magic just right. "Meteor Strike!" Just as Rontellov spawned the massive red vertical glyphring in the sky just at the top base of the dome shield, the formation of red glowing meteorites began descending and spawning from the sky far above the dome shield.


    Jane was frozen for the moment, unable to think of a way out of this situation. The Meteor Strike was clearly meant for her, and using power shields just won''t cut her slack against this expert fighter, but as she was caught staring at the mass barrage of falling space rocks, Jane managed to analyze an entire pattern out of all of them. In an obvious design to make the attack longer, Meteor Strike doesn''t drop all of their rocks at the same time, and therefore spawns all of the rocks at different drop points and heights. She couldn''t tell if the adrenaline finally took her over completely, or if her coordination skills had improved automatically, but Jane began reacting to the situation before her, well without thinking about an actual plan.


    It was impulsive of her, totally unnatural in responding to a falling swarm of meteorites, but Jane followed her gut anyway, trusting in her instincts to try and wiggle her way out of a deadly area attack. She began by infusing a lot of magical energy into her legs, giving her a very high boost in her abilities to negate gravitational acceleration and jump really high. Using that sort of magic, Jane performed a jump that would naturally be impossible even by movie standards. Her jump soared her thirty entire meters into the air, as she angled her projection just towards one of the first falling meteors. Jane successfully landed her feet on the top of the free falling rock with some assistance of her digging dagger, and struggled briefly to keep her balance. Realizing she had but one more second before the meteor hits the ground taking her with it, Jane searched for another meteor to jump to, one higher than the falling hot projectile she was standing on. Using the same magic as before, Jane jumped off the top of the falling meteor, and flew up to another falling meteor that was initially higher than the first one due to the timing and the pattern of the spell.


    Rontellov, Danny, Taylor, Haily, and even Jane were not fully aware of what she was trying to accomplish, or what she was up to specifically. But Jane knew by now that her instincts were leading her on - to vertically evade the entire attack while climbing a very high altitude until reaching the end of Rontellov''s area attack chain. Not only was this highly unusual for everyone here, Jane continued her pattern of jumps and leaps again and again before reaching the meteor with the highest point. By the end of all these jumps from one meteor to the next from all angles in random clusters, Jane nearly bumped into the very top edge of the Siriean dome. Knowing she could not jump much higher, this final jump would ultimately make her immune to the meteors already crashing into the pavement below her.


    Jane leaped off the last meteor, now 95 meters above the ground, right above where Rontellov was standing. Just before beginning to free fall, Jane''s entire frontal body was facing the ground below her, she felt like she had been flying despite the impossible scenarios. Though it took another moment to figure out what to do next, Jane finally got the idea on her own, not relying on random response to decide for her. Just as she began to free fall again, Jane charged and released a spell, forcing her glyphring and attack angle to aim directly for Rontellov. "Quantum Beam!" The glyphring formed bigger than Jane remembered happening before, after which the device merged its magic with Jane''s personal aura. Once the process completed, her aura expanded in the form of a wide magical beam which slammed into Rontellov''s position. What Jane did not realize at first was due to her free falling speed, angle, and gravitational support of the Quantum Beam spell she just invoked, the speed and power of her attack was naturally doubled in ways it was not designed to be doubled. After the beam slammed the ground where Rontellov stood, putting entire cracks in the pavement while knocking the man off his feet, Jane now had to worry about landing from this high of a fall.


    Seeing the ground approaching her this quickly had Jane freaked out beyond the capacity for rational thought, so she invoked a magical spell at random, trying to imagine anything about opposing a force in a directional wave. Without thinking or chanting any kind of spell name, Jane instinctively simulated the effects of Shining Bracer, a spell which is an omnidirectional Push Wave. Used just before smacking into the ground, Jane did managed to soften her descent and landing, but the change in falling speed was not great, and she ended up thwacking into the concrete anyway, crushing her chest, arms, legs, and even her face.


    "Agh!" Haily couldn''t come up with the appropriate words to try and summarize what just happened, starting from Rontellov''s Meteor Strike. Even Jane''s friends to the side were slanting down, trying to observe every angle, but they looked just as confused. There wasn''t any possible way Jane could have done what she just did. It''s a type of evasion never before performed in all the battles of history. That had to have been staged!


    Taylor and Danny both noticed how glued to the battle they were right now, and didn''t try to disrupt their incredible focus on the amazing scene that developed before their eyes. Neither one of them was certain of what exactly just happened. Though their eyes had seen some incredible evasions, jumps, and flips coming from Jane high up in the air, they believed it had to have been some sort of mind trick. Both Jane and Rontellov were down though, Rontellov hit from the Quantum Beam, and Jane damaged from a high fall to the floor.


    Rontellov''s cyan aura also disappeared, a minor detail he noticed long after recovering from that massive hit from the sky. Or was it really from Jane herself? That couldn''t have been possible. For whatever odd reason, Jane was hurt getting up as well, though not nearly as far in danger as he was right now. How could someone several years younger than him be doing so well in a gradyent battle? Rontellov didn''t think he was actually holding back, not after taking the first hit from Jane. Her magical attacks carry so much power despite her time of experience; it''s just so unusual. And yet...


    Jane pulled herself back up steadily, trying to ignore all of her physical pains and fatigue. Rontellov was standing first, so he would likely get the first attack. Still, Jane wasn''t certain if she could pull off another power shield yet. Everything hurt so much that focusing on it was impossible for the moment.


    And yet... Rontellov analyzed the way Jane looked at him, her stance, her expression, her motive, her bravery. That must explain everything. Jane''s power is simply drawn by how driven she is to win. It isn''t just this one battle she is trying to dominate. Jane is trying to accomplish much more than winning one gradyent battle. The way she fights, her style, her reactions, her reflexes, and that inspiring determination to get back up and keep drilling... That is the will to survive! It''s the desire to win all battles. Jane has a mindset to fighting for her own life right now, even knowing that this isn''t a battle to the death. What a fascinating person!


    Jane saw the entire area tilting around. Her vision was slightly blurring due to her fatigue. She could pass out at any moment despite her high stats. Without having a good night''s rest in nearly a full day, her stamina was well drawn out.


    "Quantum Beam!" Rontellov screeched! Hoping to achieve the same results as Jane, Rontellov tried Quantum Beam on Jane to counter, lighting up his body with a bright blue glowing aura that quickly transformed itself into a wide area beam. Rontellov released his attack towards Jane, wondering how she would react next.


    Jane tried to get a hold of herself and invoke her power shield again. She managed to get the minimum amount of Leray energy charged into her power shield, though she unsuccessfully completed that charge, making her shield naturally weaker against damage levels. Though Quantum Beam isn''t normally a super powerful attack, Jane''s shield failed the moment she was hit by Rontellov''s beam, taking the full magical damage of the ray until the beam faded.


    Despite her exhaustions, Jane made it her mission to see this battle through to the end, no matter how tired and hurt she was from the fight. The thought of being drained also gave her the next idea for her magical attack, one Rontellov may not see coming early. "Star of Darkness!" Jane''s hands were already glowing with a red magical color, while the red circle with a red star inside of it formed as its symbol on the ground where Rontellov was standing.


    This was a spell he had seen many times before. He knew how to get out of this. Simply run from the effective radius and he''s home free, but Rontellov didn''t feel like running out of the circle. It wasn''t worth going through all of the motions to evade an easy attack when he could just stand there and fight back regardless of such. Intentionally remaining still to take the damage head on, Rontellov allowed Jane''s Star of Darkness to begin draining his stamina and life energy as his health.


    Jane couldn''t understand why Rontellov simply let the draining spell affect him to such lengths, but she didn''t stop her process. Rontellov''s health was quickly draining away from him, and by the looks if it, so was his physical energy. Jane figured he was waiting for a good moment to counterattack, but she kept him at bay, ending the sequence with a low powered red Lightning Strike from above, fading the Star of Darkness and the aura around her hands.


    No matter how exhausted he was feeling from the drain of Jane''s last attack, Rontellov was now just as determined to give it his all. Even his referee was silent, capable of sensing just how intense this has become. Rontellov drew his short sword and prepared for a close combat session with Jane. Jane''s Rush Assault earlier was excellent, but it wasn''t going to be enough alone...


    "Prism!" Jane noticed Rontellov''s blade long before he began accelerating towards her. Rontellov must have been slowing down now from his low stats and the disorientation brought on by Star of Darkness. Jane could see from a facial expression that her opponent did not expect such a swift transition into another long-range attack utilizing magic. Jane''s rainbow colored glyphring was already prepared, and she began firing elemental combo one after the other. Rontellov tried to lift his blade up to block, but that only managed to work for the first two hits of the entire Prism chain.


    Jane''s combination was chosen in such an order that kept Rontellov off guard while dealing damage successively until the end. Following two Fire Bolts, Jaen launched a Lightning Strike, followed by an Ice Bolt, then a Fire Bolt, two Thunderbolts, two Ice Bolts, a Fire Bolt, two more Thunderbolts, another Fire Bolt, a Thunderbolt, and an Ice Bolt to finish the combination. Rontellov''s health declined quickly after each impact, despite the bolts holding a very weak chance to knock him back by force. After the attack sequence was over, Rontellov was on his knees, suffering from stats so low that he was barely responsive even to himself.


    Jane waited for a good five seconds until launching one more attack. Since Rontellov did not call quits, it wasn''t bad to keep hitting him while he was down. Jane knew by now that she was obviously the better fighter, and didn''t even need to invoke her hidden crest one single time. "Lightning Strike!" Though Jane meant to create a jade colored glyphring to form a simple Lightning Strike attack, the glyphring failed to form at all. Instead, Jane''s hands began sparking up with small arcs of electrical energy. Her panic followed shortly after, upon realizing the familiar scene this was when she fell ill in Fronas long ago. Shortly after, Jane''s lightheadedness caught up with her, causing her balance issues immediately after. Was that the reason for her failure in invoking another magical skill? Jane noticed that her MP stats were only at 9% capacity, which wasn''t good. Lightning Strike takes an average person about 7% of their MP to invoke, so something else was the cause.


    "It backfired!" Haily hollered. "Come on Rontellov! Get up and keep trying! You can win this!"


    "Whose side is she really on anyway?" Taylor muttered.


    Following the sound of his referee, Rontellov came to his senses momentarily, understanding the major difference in their statuses. Knowing he had only one real chance to destroy Jane here and now, Rontellov inhaled a deep breath after standing and facing Jane with a determined look. "Multi-Cast!"


    Jane was confused by his efforts. With only 5% health, what more could this gradyent really do to her?


    "Spirit Arrow!" After glowing again with a powerful Multi-casting aura speeding up all of his invocations, Rontellov began charging one ability after another to end Jane right here in one single sequence. He began with the summoning and shooting of a single Spirit Arrow to try and keep Jane off balance.


    Jane couldn''t react in time before being pierced by a Spirit Arrow that only knocked down 2% of her health. Though the design was supposed to make her disoriented and confused, she was already in that state from her earlier exhaustion. Jane took a wild guess to assume more attacks were coming her way, and did her best to create a powerful shield aura around herself. Despite being disoriented, despite having low energy, and despite being afflicted with a Spirit Arrow, Jane still managed to project a fully functional shield around her body, while Rontellov continued attacking from range.


    "Bullet Blitz!" Rontellov spawned two machine guns in his hands, unloading both rapid-fire clips into the shield aura, but the bullets simply bounced off the aura, leaving Jane totally unharmed. Rontellov switched spells quickly, with his quick invocation time aura still in effect. Multi-Cast acts like Dualcast in many situations, though it lasts longer and speeds up spells even faster. "Rocketry!" After instantly forming an odd yellow colored glyphring in front of him, Rontellov''s spell fired a barrage of six warheads, set to explode with shrapnel on impact.


    Jane braced herself and held her shield up strong while the missiles all began impacting on her shield, dissolving the explosions into hexagons again.


    "Triple Fire!" Before even waiting to see if Jane''s shield has cracked yet, Rontellov fired three more Fire Bolts at Jane before all missiles managed to explode, further stressing Jane''s entire shield aura.


    The trick had been working against her too. The second to last Fire Bolt deteriorated Jane''s power shield entirely, allowing the last one to slam into her arm and give her the sensation that her skin was burning in that spot, while simultaneously being heavily drained and worn down from all of the shielding to the damage. Her low MP reserves were not helping her either, but she still had enough to try one more thing. After accepting the damage from Rontellov''s last brutal combination, Jane immediately got him back with another simple spell, hoping it will end him one way or the other. "Lightning Strike!" This time, the glyphring formed around her wrist, as did the blue bolt of electrical energy coursing through Rontellov''s veins. After a quick zap to his body, Rontellov slumped to the ground, as weak as ever. His was still technically conscious, though his energy scope was finally spooling a warning system.


    Rontellov''s life was in critical condition, his energy scope''s holographic color changing to red to indicate how close to severe injury he has come to so far. It took him a lot of time to realize how bad his condition became, and it took a lengthy moment of Jane performing no additional action to discover her reason.


    Assuming Rontellov was who he said he was, and assuming he was in his right mind, Jane was certain that a real Leray gradyent would never risk his own life just to give it everything when the winner of the match is blindingly obvious by now. Even Haily was getting worried.


    "That''s enough Rontellov! You need to call it off now!"


    He didn''t want this to end, but the results were too striking. Jane still has so much more health right now, and there is nothing he can do. "Very well," he croaked. Rontellov was so weak that his voice barely managed to get anything out clearly. "I surrender the victory of the match to you - Jane Venn. I have lost this battle."


    Jane could never get over the amazing method that the Leray rule system could somehow analyze a person''s motives enough to recognize when somebody is giving up a normal battle. The moment Rontellov announced Jane as the victor was also the same moment that the Siriean dome collapsed. The holographic text and reward system formed in the center of the battlefield, while Rontellov was left in a lot of pain, trying to recover.


    <hr>


    <Reward: Jane | Real Time Mode>


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Magic ~ Green Sun</a>


    <hr>


    The collapse of the dome gave Haily a chance to rush in with healing orbs to help Rontellov recover. At the same time, Danny and Taylor rushed towards Jane, who was too exhausted to break out of a temporary phase of her mind drifting on itself.


    "Mr. Iseihenghower! Rontellov!" Haily was overexcited, too worried about the health of her warrior to give him any space. After placing the healing orb into the guy''s hands, Haily shook him around over and over to ensure he remains conscious. The orb lit up and activated, but the response was quite delayed, which is what nearly tipped Haily over the edge. Passing out while Vital Drain status is present can dangerous for a person''s health.


    "You''re gonna be okay Jane." Accepting the healing orb from Taylor, Jane did her best to focus on its activation. She was tired and exhausted for reasons other than having lower stats. At the same time though, she was much more coherent than Rontellov, who battled his very best until the end.


    Jane''s recovery was naturally four times as quick as it was for Rontellov, but in the end, Jane was still much more drained and exhausted than the gradyent turned out to be. Her fatigue was long term. She and her entire team needed a good place to rest, right up in the Eldora inn. Though coming from an expensive city, it will likely only have hotels instead. Once the stats on each energy scope were arranged back to their normal state, Jane and Rontellov both calmed down enough to speak to each other again, just after ridding themselves of the annoying holographic text boxes.


    Danny calmed his nerves, but his thoughts returned to the very scene moments ago. Just by watching that intense fight did he learn so much. Jane''s shield has weak points, gradyents are really strong warriors, and Jane can do impossible things if motivated enough. How did Jane manage a victory?


    Looking both exhausted and impressed, Rontellov looked Jane in the eyes and declared his honor to her. "Jane Venn? That was the finest battle I think I''ve ever had in over five years."


    Still huffing air, Jane assumed his intentions mid-battle from her referenced memory of the entire event. "You don''t give your challengers everything you''ve got until you need to, isn''t that right?"


    Rontellov''s quick and smug exhale gave Jane the immediate answer. "Guilty as charged. I do hold back sometimes depending on the skill level of the challenger, but I noticed that both our styles were stress tested after the battle became more demanding. I did my absolute best this time just after the first hit, and you still bested me with so much health and stamina remaining afterwards."


    "That thing you did with the asteroids was so awesome!" Haily held Jane''s arm, hoping to somehow get her autograph. "What was that anyway?"


    "I..." Jane didn''t recall planning that to happen. She just played most of that fight by ear this time. "I just did what I had to at the time. Learning how to use your opponent''s attack against them is one of the best strategies available, but I was really just going along with what was given to me."


    Rontellov nodded, "Impressive I see. Well you should keep it up Jane. I''ve personally never met someone as young as you performing at this capacity. Perhaps you even have what it takes to challenge Danton after all."


    "Thank you," Jane appreciated.


    Rontellov regressed, "No, thank you. It''s because of you that I''ve felt the incredible exciting sensation born from a well-coordinated legitimate Leray match. Though your skills are more refined than my own, I want to face more battles in which I lose for real, as opposed to faking my true difficulty with the amateurs around."


    "It''s not too late to aim for the top you know." Jane didn''t realize why she was saying her inspiring words. But what Rontellov was talking about is something she could relate to, even as a small child. "I''m trying to become a Leray master. Traveling everywhere and hard training can get you those heated battles you seek. Of course that would mean stepping down as Eldora''s gradyent."


    "You continue to intrigue me Jane." Rontellov''s face shifted direction, and he really was giving the matter much thought. "I''ll have to think on that proposition. It''s not a terrible idea. I may be getting old, but I''ve once seen an eighty year old man come close to wiping the floor with Mainne."


    "Who''s Mainne?" Taylor asked.


    Rontellov addressed all of them in his apologetic answer. "My apologies. Mainne is one of the members of the current League of Elites. You will meet her should you actually try to challenge the champion this year." Rontellov was silent for a moment, giving Jane a reason to doubt his mental state.


    "You okay?" Jane checked.


    "Yes," he answered. "I''m just still in shock by your stunning performance with my Meteor Strike. I''ve never seen something like that before, not even in those fake action movies for kids. Just wait till I tell my boys. None of them will believe a word I say. Which reminds me..." Rontellov reached for his supply sphere, pulling out three small slip cards that were mostly blank except for a particular logo on the front of it. "These are your Eldora pass cards. With these, you can access any magic-related service native to Eldora City, and obtain some discounts on some of those services. Meanwhile, I have to change shifts with the Leray guard on this bridge, make sure nobody messes with the electrical system."


    "Right," Jane confirmed. "We should really get going ourselves, rest up for tomorrow."


    "Perhaps it would not do harm to travel together?" Rontellov requested. "What you told me about Scarlet agents hanging around still has me quite bothered. I will need to inform Danton the next chance I get, though Leray agents should already be on the case."


    "I wonder what''s going on with that cult." Danny crossed his arms somewhat to give it more thought, now walking along with Rontellov towards the edge of the route to Eldora City. He and Taylor had to keep rolling their busted bikes to the city with them, which brought up an interesting topic from Rontellov''s experiences.


    "You know, I haven''t received the upgrade just yet, and the patent isn''t valid until tomorrow, but there is a new upgrade to all supply spheres coming so soon, one that is specifically designed to increase storage amount and multi-dimensional compression ratios. In other words, with such upgrades, those bikes can literally fit in your back pocket."


    "That''s a relief," Jane daunted.


    Thinking about a change to supply spheres brought up another memory for Taylor to question during their walk. "That reminds me. How exactly will the Leray rules change again? You said something about getting into the details later."


    "I did huh?" Agreeing to explain as much as he knew, Rontellov gave Jane and Taylor the details they wanted to know while shoveling their legs forward in sync. "Well it isn''t too complicated, and there will be national announcements regarding the changes too. In order to reduce any chances of being cheated for forced battles, the system will now make a new ruling. Battle offers that are both legitimate and belonging to the same particular person can be made only once per hour. That way, if that person refuses to battle, a strike will be placed on their card, but if the same person makes a second offer within that hour to the same target, acceptance or refusal won''t even be allowed to trigger any sort of digital ruling between those two licenses. On top of that, the same kind of person will be allowed to implement a different tier of emergency mode, specific to blocking further strikes from hagglers should they bother people too much. It simply prevents the problem altogether. This means that people hassling others will have no choice but to get their hands dirty, fighting illegally or illegitimately. When that happens, the lack of a dome shield actually makes this obvious to nearby agents, and they can step in to take action immediately."


    "That''s really good," Danny emphasized. "And the solution to fix that is simple while effective."


    Rontellov continued. "Furthermore, I said it was good to travel with a referee for a reason. As it has always been, a referee can automatically deny a battle offer in progress if that offer is unfair, or stop existing battles if people are cheating in the dome somehow. But now referees who are registered will actually have the ability to remove existing strikes on cards should they happen for any reason. However, that very first strike is normally going to be too robust to remove, because first strikes are normally legal and legitimate to take in the first place. The council has basically taken some drastic measures lately to fix the issues without hindering the entire system used by Leray wielders during battles."


    "Sounds like the job market for referee just got bigger."


    "Indeed." Rontellov continued pacing normally, escorting the three youngsters into Eldora City. Now off the bridge itself, the path to the city was only thing standing in their way.


    There wasn''t much else to talk about regarding the rule changes and Jane''s performance, but Haily insisted on exchanging some of the details of her past in order to get to know Danny and Taylor better. "I wonder if I''ll be promoted to the League of Elites like Rontellov said."


    "Why wouldn''t you?" he asked. "All you need is more experience and a few more recommendations from my reports."


    "Yeah, but I''m talking about getting promoted before these three challenge the champion."


    "Actually," Danny intercepted. "Only Jane is planning on challenging them this year. Taylor and I still lack the training for it."


    Rontellov glanced behind himself to Jane, who was only half-awake by now. "Well I don''t have any doubts that Jane will succeed in going far. You keep fighting like that, and you should at least make it to Danton."


    "Has Danton really been the champion for a long time?" Jane questioned.


    Rontellov answered, "I only knew him since he was twenty-six years old, but his challenging history is much longer than that. Danton worked his way up since turning twenty-three with our help, and put Lawrence out of his position. I haven''t seen the former champion these days, but Danton has been in there since nine years ago, now heading on ten. So he is most certainly a tough costumer."


    "I want to know more about where these three came from." Haily sounded just as eager to know, but she failed to see that it was a very long story in the first place.


    At this point, Taylor was slightly more awake than Jane was, and explained as much as she could on her behalf while remaining cautious. "We''re from the Gulop region. It took us some time to make it all the way from there to Lennith and then to Eldora."


    "Well I don''t doubt your expertise," Rontellov replied. "And I''m very proud to hear that there are still a few people in the world that are aiming to become a Leray master. Those with that exact dream always tend to be the strongest in battle, and never by pure strength alone."


    Danny could already sense the urgency for secrets. Taylor knew that only Jane was native to Sprawn Valley out of the three of them. Plus, Taylor didn''t say which exact town or facility they were hailing from in the beginning. It made sense too. If either Haily Hue or Rontellov discover that Jane has a hidden symbol under her hand, bad things would happen to her. With Eliza capable of giving some sort of testimony about the insane blast of moonlight from the sky above Blue Port Town and Jane''s injury on the same day, people like Rontellov will grow more suspicious. But one question still remained unanswered about Jane''s symbol.


    Actually that isn''t true, Danny figured. There are a lot more mysteries about the symbol. Danny in particular didn''t know exactly how Leray magic works, or if the symbol itself uses the exact same signature of magic in the first place. Nobody has ever gotten to the bottom of who gave her the dangerous spell bomb to begin with, or why such a device existed, and since the symbol is a prototype, there are more possible details that even Jane doesn''t know about. Perhaps the biggest clue of all was the design of the symbol. After reading into some of the research while back at Tilsit Port after Jane disappeared, Danny remembered seeing that all crests, marks, and symbols are as visible as constant tattoos, and that hiding them is simply not a possible feat, but Jane''s symbol on her hand only appears when it wants to. Her battle suit conceals this crest when activated for the most part, but the actual tattoo somehow turns completely invisible when not in use... There was nothing on disappearing or reappearing symbols in any known database. Danny knew he didn''t search for this specific thing at the time, since it was only now that he knew what Jane''s crest was all about. If only he had access to a computer...


    Taking note of Danny''s wide yawn, Rontellov calmed his assistant down and promised to take the rest from here. "I trust you can find the hotel with this detailed map of the area?" Rontellov handed the map to Jane while they were still walking. Jane managed to put the paper into her pocket while pushing the bike, but Rontellov took the bike from her to help. He also got Haily to take the other two bikes as well. "We''ll take care of these two-wheelers for you, and they should be ready in the morning. Greene Hotel is just a corner block from the first road intersection," he pointed.


    Rontellov already led the team into the first part of the city where the grass and dirt turns into more pavement easier to walk on. From here, everything was well lit by the street and building lights of Eldora. Standing before them were several hundred buildings all spread down in various areas that did in fact look like an advanced version of Gross City. Even with the black sky over them, it was going to be easy to get lost in a place like this.


    "I would say I''ll see you around," Rontellov offered, "but I have a long shift next morning. I shall be getting my rest too. No need to worry about anything."


    Jane nodded and waited for Rontellov to walk the other way from them, into a different path of the city where other hotels and facilities were. "Okay team. Let''s go clock ourselves in."


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    To be continued...


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