The Conqueror of Darkness

Field Exam

Shortly after...

They made their way to the second floor too, although they weren't trying to hurry at all. They entered the Elevator in a pleasant silence, just the two of them. As they arrived at the second floor, they can see the other students wandering and passing by each other. Some are fussing over something that they didn't bother listening to, but they can take a good guess.

Of course, the Field Exam. The third and second years will have to undergo a mission decided by the school staff outside the school itself, with the supervision of teachers or graduates. The first years will have it a bit easier, their exam will be held inside the school environment.

On the way to their own class, they passed over a set of statues made of emerald. They are life-sized, so they can almost be mistaken as actual people sometimes. Those statues are displayed on a circular room that serves as a hub that connects to all the pathway to the classes.

Three statues. One is an armored man who's holding a sword that seemed to be lit on fire in one hand, and a horned helm in another. There are fierce look on this statue's eyes, making him look quite determined and driven. Tenma stopped to appreciate the man's look and seeing that he's stopped, Noa followed suit, intending to wait until he's satisfied.

The other two were slightly behind the first statue, one is a ponytailed woman with armor, sword and shield. Looks like a lady knight. The other was another woman with glasses, a hooded robe and a book in her hand. Unmistakably a witch of some sort.

'Aiden Finrad' was carved under the man's statue. The lady knight statue was 'Felicia Joy Blythe' and the witch statue was 'Silcia Lana Velvet'… and under those names, there is a another carved sentence, slightly bigger than the names… it reads, 'Stamus Unum'.

Which means, 'We Stand As One'… it was the motto of Agni Veritas Academy. As the Academy that upholds the value of cooperation and coexistence of all the civilized and sentient races, this is their legacy and foundation that started everything. Those three are the pioneers of unification.

Hence, the age after they founded and established this concept is named「Age of The Union」. It was almost half a millennium since that fateful day. People of all the civilized races enjoyed the era of peace that The Union has brought. There are still some who didn't agree with the notion of The Union to this day, but their numbers are neglectable compared to those who agreed.

These people are considered old-fashioned. Just like the green-haired guy that Tenma fought the other day. They believed that the old ways are better. The ways of bloody carnage and warfare. Thankfully they are quite the minority in this, so they never tried to change the status quo.

"Is now really the right time to admire the Founders, Kazuki-kun?"

A friendly, yet reprimanding voice called out. Tenma and Noa turned around, and saw a young woman clad in black and blue school uniform coming up to them, something that is reserved for Student Council members. Her figure is tall and curvaceous, and enhanced with high heels.

She tied her orange hair in a bun, but even it can't hide that her hair is quite long. And her eyes, though looking at them animatedly and full of life, they are also undeniably black, like they were staring into the abyss itself. If they look into it even harder they might be able to see some stars inside.

Alyera Catania Mandareva. The current Student Council President of Agni Veritas Academy herself. Also a daeva, one of the civilized races that is unanonymously agreed as the most powerful one among all. There are not that many of them, though. That gives them some special rights anywhere they go.

"Good morning, President." Noa greeted her, somewhat warily. "I certainly didn't expect to see you here, this early in the morning..."

Although she looks composed and calm as always, Noa couldn't help but to feel a bit antsy around the orange-haired woman. It's not just about  her powerful position as the highest a student can have, but the literal power that she concealed in that delicate-looking body of hers. Just the sheer presence that she exudes itself makes her want to turn around and run as fast as possible, far away from her. 

As expected of a daeva... Noa tried her best not to show her inner unrest on her face.

"Good morning to you as well, Vermillion-san." the girl smiled politely. "I see you are quite attached to Kazuki-kun as always. Good for you two."

"That's just how the way it is, Prez." Tenma waved his hand casually. "How are you doing by the way? Checking up on us students on behalf of the Student Council?"

Tenma and the President had a little bit of history. Mostly some shenanigans in his first day here that led to them being acquainted with each other. That's why he's rather casual with her.

Noa eyed him questioningly. She's pretty sure he can sense the sheer power just from standing next to that woman just as well as she does, but he doesn't look bothered at all. In fact he looks quite relaxed.

Well, something to ask him later, she made a mental note.

"Yes. Well, since I won't be able to watch over you guys once you departed for your missions, this is the least I can do." The President admitted with an apologetic smile. "I can only imagine it's a bit overwhelming for you all. What about you, Kazuki-kun? Are you nervous?"

As an answer to her question, Tenma stretched out his hands, and Alyera and Noa noticed a manic glint in his eyes.

"Actually, quite the opposite, I am quite excited about this." Tenma grinned. "Finally something that allows us to get outside the City Kingdom and wreck some shit. To be perfectly honest, it's about time we switch up the environment. Fresh air is always welcome."

"Oh? So you hate being cooped up inside, is that it?" Alyera raised her eyebrows.

"Hate is a strong word… sometimes I just like to stay at home and relax." Tenma shrugged. "I just don't like being bored. I just… need to do something exciting. Even if it's just moving."

"Hehe, you are just quite a whimsical person aren't you?"

"You could say that. Well, who likes living in boredom? Not me, obviously." Tenma said, before inspiration suddenly hits him. An opportunity. "Oh yeah, Prez… say, if one of your members neglect their jobs for a justified reason… could you allow one day off?"

It's quite convenient that he encountered the Student Council President here, just when he needs a solution for Sabrina's problem. How very lucky of him.

"Why are you asking that particular question? That sounds awfully suspicious, Kazuki-kun."

"Well, I have a friend, and she's on your council..." Tenma started. "I feel like the work has been too much for her recently, so I'm thinking of taking her out on a picnic or something… but she's being very obstinate on being a workaholic. So I'm just thinking…"

"Ah. It's Yumna, isn't it?" Alyera guessed, and when Tenma was about to ask, she quickly added. "She spoke about you quite often. It seems like she holds you in quite a high regard."

"That doesn't sound right." Tenma muttered.

"I wonder about that." Noa chimed in.

"Well, perhaps you have a great quality that you haven't noticed yourself. Like, you went and asked me if she can take a day off, probably without her knowing. That means you cared a great deal for her." Alyera smiled encouragingly. "Nevertheless, I do support your idea. I did offer her to take a break once in a while, but she always refused. I would loathe for one of my most competent members to overexert herself, so if anything, I'm counting on you for this, Kazuki-kun."

Tenma inwardly cheered. How convenient it is to have their interests aligned. Normally he would ask himself if there's a catch when something goes his way smoothly like this, but for once, he doesn't even want to question it. If it makes his life easier, then why not?

"Thank you, Prez. I won't let you down." He promised. "When I'm done with her, Sabrina will come back to work even brighter than before."

"Heh, I don't doubt that." Alyera chuckled. "Good luck with your endeavour, Kazuki-kun."

Tenma nodded, but before he can say anything else, something interrupted him.

RINGGGGGG! RINGGGGGG!

"Oh my, briefing time already." Noa gasped. "I didn't even notice the time. Hurry up Tenma, we're going to class now or we'll be late!"

She runs off. Tenma goes after her, but not before waving to the President one last time.

"See ya Prez!"

The Student Council President only waved and smiled in return.

"Quite full of life as always, Kazuki-kun…" she murmured to herself. "That's good. That's how a human always should be."

---

The students of class 2-B are all sitting on their respective seats, waiting for their homeroom teacher to arrive.

Tenma sits on his seat near the window, on the left part of the classroom. To be more specific, the furthest seat from the back. The conversation of his classmates are mostly boring to him, with the exception of Noa (who sits on a seat right in front of him) and few others, so when the boredom kicks in, he can just look at the window and daydream about anything more exciting.

The homeroom teacher walked in, greeting the students and they greeted her in return. She looks like a mature woman in her mid-twenties, with wavy, long brown hair and alert green eyes. She also wore a rectangular glasses, which she adjusted as she addressed her students.

She is Professor Yuki Kadowaki, also working double as the Head Doctor in the Infirmary.

"As you all know, today is your Field Exam." She announced. "I have told you all this before, I'm sure, but I will say this again, before you depart for your respective missions. Once you arrived at the location, all you can depend to are yourself and your teammates. The supervisors will grade you based of your performance. They will only observe, and not intervene in absolutely anything except the most dire of circumstances, so please keep that in mind. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, Ma'am!" all the students chorused.

"That will be all from me. Any questions?"

One hand raised. "How we will go to the location, Ma'am?"

"Transportation will be provided, Mr. Okawa." Answered Professor Kadowaki. "Depends on what type of mission you've taken, it could be an airship, seacraft, or ground buggy."

Another hand raised. "Um, about the supervisors. Are they…"

"Capable? Oh, that is a given. They are qualified graduates and they know what they are doing. You could call them your seniors. Please treat them as such, Mr. Takeshi." Professor Kadowaki said. "If you are still in doubt however, you can always search their names in the database on your Intelligetors. It should provide you with sufficient answer to your curiosities."

Silence for a bit.

"Anyone else have a question?" She asked.

Silence again. It seems like everyone understood their task well enough.

"Very well, good luck for all of you then. Stay focused on the mission, and you'll achieve great success." Professor Kadowaki smiled encouragingly. "Oh, also, one more thing… Mr. Iceheart?"

A certain someone who sits in the front row immediately stood up. A blonde young man with dark blue eyes in black school uniform, who moved naturally in such a subconcious grace that many of the female students of that class swooned over that simple movement.

However, he didn't pay attention to any of that, his eyes focused only to what's in front of him.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Please, try to keep the hostilities with your teammates to a minimum." she cautioned. "We don't want to repeat the incident from the other day, do we?"

"... yes, Ma'am. Understood." if he has any objection to that, Iceheart didn't show it at all. He simply nodded and sat back on his seat.

The homeroom is dismissed after that. Students went to meet their teammates from the other classes. Tenma and Noa are waiting for Sabrina and the fifth member of their team to come, but they are also wondering if it's a good decision to approach Iceheart now. He seems like a calm and reasonable person, but who knows how he'd react to him now, after the incident…

He knows Noa will back him up if needed, but he prefers not to involve her in something that he could just solve himself. He'd just have to think smarter about this. It's a challenge in itself, and if nothing else, he likes challenges and finding a way to overcome it.

Yeah, screw it, I'm just gonna go for it, Tenma thought.

"Yo, Iceheart. How are you doing over there?" Tenma tried to start with a friendly gesture.

"Mostly fine. Just a few little misgivings," Iceheart replied, not looking at him. "However. I've made peace with my circumstances and decided to accept it… to some degree."

"What?" Tenma asked.

"You don't seem to understand, Kazuki," Iceheart said, looking rather disappointed. "What I'm trying to say is that I will accept you as the team leader for the time being."

"Oh. Well, that's good news then--" Tenma began.

"With some conditions, of course," Iceheart interrupted, still not looking at him. "Considering what happened the other day, I am inclined to give you some benefit of doubt. You are at least acceptable enough for decision making, in the face of a superior opponent."

"Acceptable? From what I heard, you both knocked each other out. That basically makes you both equals," Noa quipped. "Are you really that full of yourself, Iceheart?"

"Vermillion, is it? I don't need your witty remarks," Iceheart said, turning slightly to them. They could see a barely concealed disdain in his dark blue eyes. "A strigoi who likes to strut around as if they owned the place like you… you have no right to lecture me about arrogance."

"What did you say…?!" Noa exclaimed.

"Just keep your pale nose out of this," Iceheart scoffed. "Sheltered princess."

Noa widened her eyes.

"Oh, I can't believe this. This guy is getting on my nerves," Noa scowled, her hand flared with crimson energy. "It seems like you are in severe need of a lesson about manners."

"Why don't you try…" Iceheart finally turned around and faced them. His handsome face became a twisted sneer, and his hand made a grasping motion on something invisible, as if calling forth for something.

Tenma realized immediately what was going to happen if he didn't stop them now. He puts himself between them, his hands raised in a placating manner. He then spoke seriously,

"Both of you, calm down," Tenma said. "This is hardly the time for place for this. I will have to ask you both to stand down, we are on schedule and we can't really afford to waste time. Noa, please."

With an air of gravitas seldomly seen from him, he grabbed her glowing hand and gently move it away from Iceheart's direction. Noa is calming down. That's easy enough. Then he looked sternly at Iceheart, and the young man didn't look like he's going to back down, so he kept staring Iceheart down. He won't stop until he gives up…

Iceheart kept that sneer on his face for a few moments until he eventually relented.

"If you insist, I will stop," Iceheart shrugged. "Somehow you convinced me."

"Thank you." Tenma said gratefully. "We need to meet our supervisor soon… where's Sabrina and--?"

"We're here." a voice answered.

To his relief, Sabrina was already standing on the doorway, her arms folded like she was about to give them another scolding… But surprisingly, her face was bright as she looked at Tenma.

"Good job handling an unruly subordinate, Tenma. Nicely done." She praised, briefly flashing a warm smile. "Sometimes you just need to stare them down until they give up."

"I'm not his subordinate." Iceheart quickly made to correct her.

"I don't care. Now, in our team, you clearly are." Sabrina chastised. "You are to follow his command until this mission is over, isn't that your duty here? Tenma here is simply doing his. If you don't want to do your duty, then it is true that he might be superior compared to you…"

"Fine. Just stop talking. I understand." Iceheart hissed.

"Hahaha! Iceheart got whipped like a bitch!" a voice laughed from outside the door. "I told him so many times that shit attitude gonna get him in trouble eventually, but he just won't listen…"

A young man enters the room. He was taller and bulkier than everyone else in the room, even Tenma. Long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band, and his eyes were dark brown.

"Hello, everyone. Damon Aljabber here, at your service." the tall man introduced himself, waving his hand. "Pleased to work with you all. Except Iceheart, but that just can't be helped…"

His stance and way of looking at everyone in the room just screamed feral. Beastly, even. Tenma can already guess what he is, just from the general vibe he gives off. He wondered if he's seen this guy before but he couldn't recall anything. He guesses this guy just didn't catch his interest.

He didn't say anything, however. Just in case this one has also the short temper, he'll hold his comment for now. He just waved back at him to show him that he listened.

"What did you say about me, Aljabber?" Iceheart scowled, finding a new target for his wrath.

"The truth, mostly." The newcomer, Damon, shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nice to see you being humbled for once. You need to have that big head of yours shrunk a little..."

"What big head? I am quite aware of the gap between me and him. He was just lucky…"

"Oh? Can't accept the truth, pretty boy?" Damon mocked. "Seeing the guy who worked his way from the bottom finally catching up with you, must be one hell of a slap to your ego, huh?"

"... why you, you damn mongrel…" Iceheart seethed.

Aljabber's eyes widened. "Ironic that you're calling me that, since you're the one who actually--"

"ENOUGH!" Sabrina snapped, immediately silencing both of them. "There will not be anymore bickering in this team. Am I clear, or do I need to persuade you a little bit more?" She cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"... crystal." both of them replied, and Tenma can sense genuine fear from their responses. He doesn't know why, but to him, it's not really surprising that they do. Sabrina's normally a gentle soul unless someone brings out her violent side. And when it comes out, it REALLY comes out.

He can see why they don't want to mess with her. He wouldn't either. Still, they looked a bit too compliant towards her… he was expecting especially Iceheart to put up more resistance.

"Thanks, Sabrina." Tenma rubbed his temples, feeling that this team might be too much even for him. "Let's just go. I had enough with the delays."

"Can't disagree with that!" Sabrina approved. "Let us go then."

And their ragtag bunch of misfits finally embarks on their brand new adventure… or something.

---

Hours have passed by now.

They are now in the region of Sancredo, the nearest neighboring City Kingdom from Aetzer. It was a City Kingdom where humans are half the population, and the other civilized races for the other half. It was usually a quiet place where nothing really grand happening. Usually.

All of them are onboard a fancy white Airship that has been prepared for this kind of mission. This particular model of Airship is normally used for transporting passengers. It was currently moving in a moderate speed and it has four huge, moving 'wings' that serve both as aerodynamic lift and steering system.

It also has a single viewing gallery, about twelve feet across, which runs along the bottom of the hull with four semicircular windows, mounted at a downward oblique angle, on each side. There's also an open-to-air observation deck at the upper front of the hull, a passenger facility.

They are looking through the windows of the viewing gallery itself, where all they can see from the windows, everything that's down there were the vastness of the green forest. There are only grassy clearings and trees no matter where they look. The forest looks ominously quiet.

"To think that Sancredo have such a big forest nearby." Tenma commented. "Let alone one that's infested with monsters like this."

"You can blame the Taint for that." Noa said beside him. "It goes around making monsters wherever it goes, and these monsters run rampant as they wish. And we don't know how to stop it yet…"

"All we can do is to cull their numbers to manageable levels. That's why we are here." Sabrina added. "Aside from this being an exam, this will also help the people of Sancredo."

"Are we the only ones exterminating monster around here?" Damon asked. "Seems too much for only the five of us, if you ask me."

"Of course not, you fool. There are many students on the other sides of Sancredo as well. But this side is ours." Iceheart remarked. "We are here to decimate the population of a certain species that recently migrated from Aetzer forests…"

"And what is that certain species, Mr. Iceheart?" a voice from behind them asked.

Iceheart and all the rest turned around to see a tall man wearing a black military uniform approaching them. His black hair is quite messy, a shiny binocular hanging from his neck, and his eyes look like he hasn't taken a sleep for days. Despite that, he looked energetic enough as he greeted them.

He is Takeru Kisaragi, their supervisor for their Field Exam.

"We are here to put an end to the red drake infestations." Iceheart said simply.

"So you remembered your assignment. Good, anyone can tell me the description of a drake?"

Noa immediately raised a hand and spoke,

"The drake is a four-legged, wingless dragons." She said. "Since the drake cannot fly, they must rely on terrestrial travel, which makes them easy targets for aerial dragons. To combat this, they have a high elemental resistance. Red drakes are especially resistant to fire. But, physical attacks are most effective against any types of drakes."

"Excellent answer!" Takeru applauded. "Now, since you mentioned aerial dragons--does anyone know the simple difference between a dragon, a wyvern, a drake, and a wyrm?"

This time, Tenma raised his hand.

"A dragon has two wings and four legs. A wyvern has two wings and two legs." He answered. "Meanwhile, a drake has no wings and four legs. A wyrm has no wings and no legs. Essentially, they are in the same family… but their only difference are their legs and wings. They are easy to recognize."

"Very good. Quite an attentive student, aren't you?" Takeru clapped his hands appreciatively.

"Uh, I wouldn't say that." Tenma denied. "I just like to read books."

"And nothing's wrong with that." the man nodded approvingly. "Knowledge is power, as they said. Anything you learn in a book can save your life in an unexpected situation. Learn anything you can!"

"Yes, sir."

Tenma nodded. Noa pats his shoulder encouragingly, Sabrina offers an approving smile, Damon whistled bemusedly, and Iceheart scoffed, as if grudgingly acknowledging the display of wit.

"Alright, then. That was a fun little quiz, isn't it? But that's not why we're here. Yes…" Takeru hummed. "As Mr. Iceheart has said earlier, your mission is to go down there and exterminate the red drakes. They originated from Aetzer forests, and their infestations in this forest has been growing out of control lately, and we must cull their populations before they can potentially overrun a City Kingdom. Luckily, since this is just an early level infestations, you guys won't be too overwhelmed."

"Is there anything else down there aside from the red drakes?" Iceheart inquired. "We don't want any surprises."

"According to our Appraisers, no. The red drakes have driven off the other creatures with their advantages of sheer numbers." Takeru replied. "… but it was the report from yesterday, so it might be an outdated intel already. That's why I will give you this…" he reached for something on his pocket.

He handed a small, red flare gun to Tenma.

"There are three flares inside. One you will definitely use for signalling your teammates to your position after landing. Use the other two for when you are finished, or in the case of you guys encountering something you can't handle." Takeru informed him. "When I see it, I will come to your aid right away. Still, if you managed to defeat a higher rank monster than what your mission require… there will be bonus points. It's your call… make decisions wisely, Team Leader."

"Oh boy, yeah." Damon looks quite giddy. "This is gonna be good."

"That does sound quite fun." Tenma nodded.

"Don't get us all killed in the search of your thrill." Iceheart jeered.

"I won't…"

Tenma pocketed the flare gun as he quietly looked at the deep forest below again.

"So, can we go now?"

"Yes. You can just go ahead whenever you like." Takeru nodded. "Just be sure to finish the job today. I shall be observing your team performance from up here."

"Roger that."

Takeru pressed a button. Then a part of the floor opened like a trap door, and a burst of air came out from that hole, ruffling their hair. Tenma looked at the hole silently...

"See you guys down there." Damon gave them finger guns as he dived down.

"Hmph." Iceheart followed soon after, not offering many words.

"Be careful, you guys." After a look of concern, Sabrina jumped down quickly.

"Hehe, this sure will be fun." Noa gave him a wink before letting herself fall.

"Well…" Tenma took a breath before allowing a smirk to grace his face. "Here we go!"

---

In the air, Damon roared as his body undergoes a drastic change. His bones cracking and reforming, muscles bulging and stretching, tearing through clothing and skin alike. Fur sprouting from the skin and covering the entire body.

The face elongating and snout forming, teeth growing longer and sharper, looks like a human no longer. His fingers and toes fusing together to form razor-sharp claws, capable of shredding flesh and rending metal. His eyes glowing with an intense amber light, reflecting the primal nature of a wolf within himself.

He wildly tore his way through any trees that stood in his way to the ground, and as he makes his landing with an agile roll, a resounding howl emerges from the throat, signaling the completion of his transformation and the unleashing of his power.

This is the true nature of a therian. Like a beast and human in both body and mind.

He looks around and tries to sniff his teammates. He can barely smell them, it seems like he strayed away far more than he thought he would. He could smell the scent of their targets nearby, the red drakes are not quite far from him. They definitely would notice him soon.

Where's the flare? It should be here, any second now…

Oh nevermind, there it is!

He sees it! A flare, a red flare going up the sky, courtesy of his team leader. But first… he suppose he could get some warm up first. The red drakes are now aware of his presence amidst them.

Stretching his canine body and sharpening his claws audibly, he wonders what would they say if they see him in this form…

Meanwhile, as Iceheart makes his way through the sky, his landing strategy was decidedly more subdued than Damon, who he can hear roaring in the distance. He simply raised his hand and called forth the power from his soul. A cold layer of wind surrounds his body as he spoke…

"Ice and cold, become my ally and bring forth destruction! Isaegrim!"

In an instant, within his grasp manifests a silver, thin bladed broadsword, almost akin to a bulky rapier. He feels its weight in his hand, perfectly balanced and seemingly alive with power. The blade itself is a gleaming silver metal, with a subtle curve that ends in a sharp point. Along the blade's surface are intricate engravings, which seem to writhe and shift as if alive, depicting images of icy winds and fierce snowstorms.

The cross-shaped handguard is made of a shining, polished metal, with sharp edges that seem almost like icicles. Within the handguard, a blue glowing core pulses with a cold, otherworldly energy. The grip is wrapped in a supple blue leather, providing a secure and comfortable hold, even during the most intense battles.

At the pommel of the sword, three sharp, white prongs jut out, adding an extra layer of danger to the weapon.

As the sword is enveloped in dark blue light, Iceheart can feel its power coursing through him. His eyes glows with the same blue light. He swings the blade down in one smooth arc, and it generates a wave of ice that shapes a makeshift path for him to slide and drift down to the ground level without much trouble. There was no problem in his landing.

"Hmph. Easy." He said to no one in particular.

He looks at his surroundings, and it takes a few moments until he sees a red flare shot into the sky. That's his signal. Well, nothing to it. He will flawlessly carry out this mission as he would always do his solo missions. This team mission will not be different, even if he's not the leader.

"Hmm…?"

He could sense movement from the forest around him. He could also hear something hissing from his left… right… no, all around him. The red drakes are already aware of the intruders to their territory, and they got him completely surrounded. He is outnumbered by a long margin.

"Well, it's only fair for them."

He brandished his sword and went for the nearest target with a blinding swing, aiming for a kill.

On the other part of the forest, Sabrina glides through the air like it was completely natural to her, her arms stretched out. Her body was enveloped in golden and white aura, which seems to be focused onto her arms as her mouth uttered a series of words.

"Let the radiance of the light guide my hand! Airgetlam!"

A magnificent silver gauntlet covers her entire right arm from the fingertips up to the shoulder. It has intricate designs of swirls and twists, all etched with meticulous precision, giving it a regal appearance. Its surface is polished like a shiny mirror, reflecting light to every direction.

The finger joints and knuckles are reinforced with additional silver plating, making the gauntlet both durable and flexible. A series of intricate runes are etched onto the surface of the gauntlet, glowing with a faint golden light. The same glow that shines briefly in her brown eyes.

The gauntlet itself fits snugly over her arm, providing ample protection to herself while enhancing her strength and agility. With this amazing weapon, she has become even more a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

She smashed through the trees with her fists as if they were nothing. Then, she slammed her fists together, creating an impact that serves as recoil as her way of slowing herself through the forest. Rinse and repeat until she slowed down enough to simply fall down to the ground.

"Phew, nailed it." She huffed, throwing off dust from her clothes. "That was rather exciting…"

She quietly looked around. Only trees, grasses and bushes everywhere she looked. There was no sign of any of her teammates in sight. She wonders if she flew too far from the others, but it could also be that the others strayed a bit too far from intended. It was an accident…

"Hello? Anybody there?" She called out. "Tenma? Noa? Damon? Iceheart?"

There was a rustle from a big bush not too far from her. That immediately caught her attention. She hurried towards the bush and shook it, and it continued to rustle, but nobody came out. She waits for a few seconds, but still nothing. She feels a headache coming…

"Whoever is this, can you stop playing around?" She said, annoyed. "Tenma, if this is one of your prank, I swear to Freya I would--"

She forcefully parts the bush in two, fully intends to drag out the joker who is still trying to mess around with her and test her patience. However, she did not expect at all, a crimson reptilian head looking at her like it just found its dinner. Its blade-like snout pointing right at her face.

"Oops, wrong guess."

She dodged to the side as it pounced.

On yet another part of the forest, Noa was gliding through the air like a ballerina would on a dance floor. She raised her hand nonchalantly, uncaring that she was falling to the ground with such high speed. Crimson energy envelops her hand, and as she waved it, an intricate magic circle appeared below her body, slowing and stopping her fall. But she isn't done yet.

She stands on the magic circle, her feet hovering just above the intricate lines etched into the air. With a flick of her wrist and a surge of power, the circle ignites with a bright red light before she was propelled, as another magic circle appeared on a lower altitude than the previous one.

She descends onto that lower magic circle, and the process repeat itself. She leaps from circle to circle, each one propelling her lower and lower, until she reaches her intended destination. The circles pulsate with a gentle glow, leaving a trail of shimmering red light in her wake as Noa gracefully lands on the final circle, and then onto the ground.

"Huh, I didn't expect it to be such a smooth sailing." She beamed proudly at her own achievement. "I wonder how's everyone doing. I hope all their landing strategy is good..."

She muttered something under her breath, and with another flick of her dainty hand, another intricate magic circle appeared. It flies up high to the sky and spins for a few second before it shatters into light fragments, showering the red haired girl right below with these pieces.

It was something to pinpoint someone's location. In this case, a few someones. Now Noa is aware of all her teammates' spot, from the furthest to the nearest. She plans to rendezvous with the nearest one first, and together, they can go where Tenma is.

She just hopes it's not Iceheart, since she hasn't fully forgiven him for the things he said hours before. The nerve of that man, she inwardly seethes. She should not go near him. Who knows, her hands might just slip and she hits him with one of her offensive spell… accidentally.

She exhaled, trying to expel her anger along with her breathing.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I am calming down." She muttered to herself. "Okay. Let's do this thing..."

Trying to focus her thoughts on the mission, she took one step forward…

And finally, soaring through the sky, it was the team leader himself.

He called forth Yamato into his hand and drew it out immediately from its sheath. He took advantage of the momentum from his quickdraw to sent himself spinning through the air. Whirling while slashing anything that stood in his path, like branches and even some trees.

His silverish-white sword cut through so many things until he slowed down enough. In the end, he infuses Dust, his life energy, into his feet to soften his fall, and he didn't even need to expend much. Not that he needs to be particularly stingy about his energy reserves, he has quite a lot of it.

He conveniently landed on a clearing with some tall grasses around him.

He calmly stood up from his landing position and narrowed his mismatched eyes, looking around observantly. First things first, he made absolutely sure that there are no hostiles in the area he's in. Secondly, he took note of the surrounding area and scanned for his teammates. And lastly, he kept his guard up for any unexpected scenarios that might arise.

There are no hostiles and there are no teammates. Everything around him was so ominously quiet. He considered that the red drakes in this forest are either preoccupied with something else or just waiting for an opportunity to pounce and make a feast of him. Well, shame of them, because he will not give that opportunity to them.

Assuming a sword-drawing stance, he kept his hand on his blade and focused on his senses. He breathed evenly, feeling the breeze caressing his face and nothing has attacked him yet. Maybe there was indeed no hostiles near him. It was conveniently lucky for him, but… he also feels a bit disappointed. He was looking forward for some solo action before the rest of the team arrives. But there was absolutely nothing in his sight… no hostiles, not even his teammates.

"Hello? Where's everyone going? Bingo?"

He spoke a bit loudly and clearly and then waited for any responses. Nothing happened around him. Nothing moves and makes sound except for the leaves and grasses being rustled by the wind. Absolutely nothing, except…

Suddenly, in the distance, he could hear a howling from somewhere. Then a weird creaking and something shattering. And blast of golden light from the north. He blinked repeatedly for a brief moment as he processed all this information and quickly came to a conclusion.

His teammates were fighting the drakes already, and by doing so, diverting any attention from him. That sounds good and all, except that means he won't get much fighting done if this keeps up. He won't let that stand, especially not when he's the team leader. He has to take action.

"Well shit," He muttered. "Just my luck… here goes nothing."

He sighed as he pulled out his flare gun and pointed it upwards, then shot. Hopefully that would divert the enemy's attention back to him…