Chapter 96: Blinding The Eye, Part 2: Autonomous Defence, Ruthless Offence, Purple Serpents
The sun dipped low over the training grounds of the Purple Orcas' base, casting long shadows over the field where Captain Kaiser Granvorka watched his daughter with a critical yet fatherly gaze. Fransiska stood at the center of the clearing, her golden hair glowing under the fading light as she concentrated, her magic thrumming faintly in the air.
"You're pushing yourself too hard, Fransiska," Kaiser said, crossing his arms. His calm demeanor belied the concern in his pale blue eyes. "This spell isn't something that can be mastered in a week. It requires precision, adaptability, and, most of all, patience."
Fransiska didn't look up, her brow furrowed as she shaped the strands of her Hair Magic into an intricate spiral. "I don't have time for patience, Father. The raid on the Eye's base is in seven days. If I don't master this now, I'll be a liability."
Kaiser sighed, stepping closer. "Your magic is already exceptional. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone."
"This isn't about proving myself!" she snapped, her pink eyes blazing as she turned to face him. "It's about being able to protect my squad, my comrades-" Her voice faltered for a moment. "You."
Kaiser's expression softened. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the weight both comforting and grounding. "Fransiska, you're twenty now. A Magic Knight. I trust you to make your own decisions, but remember, no magic is perfected in a day—or even a week. If you want to keep them safe, you need to stay alive first."
Fransiska's jaw tightened. She brushed his hand away and returned her focus to her spell. Her golden strands wove together in jerky, uneven motions, the shape collapsing with a hiss of mana. She growled in frustration.
"Your magic is an anomaly," Kaiser reminded her gently. "Hair Magic isn't supposed to be offensive or defensive. It's adaptive - shaped by your determination, not your body. You're defying nature by pushing it this far."
"And I'll keep defying it," Fransiska muttered, her voice steely. She began again, her mana flaring as she poured her will into the strands. "The myth of Medusa - she didn't choose to be a monster. Her power was forced on her. But I choose to wield this. I won't let anyone turn me into a victim."
Kaiser watched her for a long moment before speaking. "If you manage this," he said, his tone lighter, "I'll get you that amethyst hairpin you've been eyeing in Kikka."
"I'm not a child anymore, Father," Fransiska replied, her voice tinged with both exasperation and affection. "I don't need bribes to stay motivated."
"Humor me," Kaiser said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Even at twenty, you'll always be my little girl."
The golden strands shimmered, beginning to twist and morph with more fluidity. Fransiska clenched her fists, her voice firm and resolute. "I'll finish this in seven days, and then we'll see who needs protecting."
By the sixth day, Fransiska had yet to succeed. The serpents would form, but their movements remained stiff, their response to attacks delayed by precious seconds. Exhaustion weighed on her, but she refused to relent. Kaiser remained nearby, offering advice sparingly, but mostly observing in silence, his pride evident despite his initial doubts.
On the seventh day, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Fransiska stood tall in the center of the training field, her face streaked with sweat but her eyes blazing with determination. With a sharp command, her hair unfurled, twisting into massive serpentine forms that gleamed in the fading light.
"Hair Magic: Blonde Medusa's Sorrow," she whispered. The serpents moved, striking a series of wooden dummies with precision and speed, each attack intercepting invisible projectiles Kaiser had launched with his magic. The serpents reacted instantly, their autonomy evident in the way they twisted and snapped without her direct guidance.
Kaiser clapped slowly, his smile wide. "You did it, Fransiska. And in seven days, no less. I underestimated you."
Fransiska turned to him, her expression triumphant yet subdued. "You should've known better, Father. I may still be your daughter, but I'm not a child anymore."
He chuckled, pulling her into a brief, rare hug. "Point taken. Now, let's get that hairpin. You've earned it."
…
"It's often said that among the Magic Knights, my Hair Magic has the best defensive potential," Fransiska said. "With this spell, my "potential" is realised."
Another hair serpent rushed at Miron, and he dodged its deadly advance barely, flipping acrobatically out of the way. His glasses gleamed, and he plunged a hand into his pocket, bringing out a small metal bearing.
"Alchemy is the science of transformation!" he yelled, hurling the ball at Fani, and raising his hands. The ball then expanded into a roaring flame projectile, that one of Fransiska's serpents pounced on, smothering and dissipating it.
Miron then threw more ball bearings across the floor, shape shifting them into random piles of materials. His grimoire glowed as he raised his hands again.
"Alchemy Magic: Philosopher's Army of Thought!"
The materials began to vibrate violently, coalescing nto a cluster of humanoid shapes. They were rough, unstable creatures—hastily assembled from the raw materials around them, but they moved with purpose. The soldiers' eyes were molten orbs of intense, golden mana, the structures of their bodies made of mismatched bits of wood, metal, and stone.
Fransiska's serpents hissed as they charged forward, snapping at the first wave of soldiers, but Miron's creations were relentless. They surged forward, arms outstretched to strike. One soldier slashed at the serpent closest to it, sending a sharp crack through the air as the golden creature recoiled. Another soldier lunged, its hands morphing into claws, but the serpent's coils wrapped around it, squeezing the life from its frame.
Miron's lips twitched as he watched the chaos unfold. He raised his hands again, summoning more soldiers from the wreckage of his scattered materials, his face tinged with amusement.
"This is nothing but an inconvenience," Fransiska muttered to herself, the hair serpents never stopping their relentless assault. "They're crude, but I've faced worse."
Yet the soldiers were beginning to push back. The golden coils of her serpents slowed, fatigue setting in despite her unyielding will. The weight of her defense was becoming evident.
Fransiska's eyes flicked to Lars for a brief moment - his jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with focus. She could feel his presence, unwavering as always. But something else stirred within her, a flicker of doubt, a hesitance. She could see the edge of his own frustration, knowing that they were locked in a battle against time. She had to end this.
Her serpents shrieked as they flung themselves at the remaining soldiers, but Miron wasn't letting up. His own creations, now in overwhelming numbers, were starting to overpower the serpents, slowly closing the gap.
Fransiska's breath came faster, the air around her crackling with the tension of her magic. She snapped her fingers, sending a burst of energy into the remaining serpents. The golden coils split into multiple smaller strands, weaving around the alchemically constructed soldiers like a whirlwind. Her hair moved like a liquid, seamlessly flowing from defensive to offensive.
Miron's grin faltered. "Impressive," he said, his voice strained, though there was a gleam of something darker in his eyes. "But not enough."
The soldiers that had previously stalled were now back on the offensive, clashing with the serpents once more. Miron raised his hand and formed another set of metal projectiles in the air, this time spinning them into larger, more jagged forms.
"Alchemy Magic: Philosopher's Army of Thought - Cavalry Charge!"
The soldiers morphed again, this time becoming mounted figures, with long spears of raw metal thrusting forward, aimed directly for Fani. The serpents reacted instinctively, trying to form a barrier between them and the oncoming charge, but it was clear they were struggling to hold the line.
Fransiska's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.
Miron was exploiting the one flaw in her magic: the transition between defense and offense.
Her serpents fought valiantly, but one by one, they began to buckle under the barrage of spear strikes. She grit her teeth, clenching her fists as she willed the serpents to hold strong, her body trembling under the strain.
And then, just as it seemed like Miron's army was about to break through, Cade's voice echoed lazily through the battlefield.
"Hey, Fani," Cade called out, his tone as relaxed as ever, "Switch out with me. You're doing good, but it's clear this guy's figured you out."
Fransiska froze, her concentration momentarily shattered as she glanced toward Cade. Her heart raced, the exhaustion taking its toll on her.
"What?" she asked, momentarily confused. "But I-"
"I'm serious." Cade stretched, looking completely unconcerned as he rolled his shoulders. "Scientist types, man. You know what I think of them? They're always either emotionless or full of greed. I need some variety, y'know? You've been doing great, but I'll take over from here."
Zoe, standing nearby, frowned at Cade's words. "What do you mean by 'variety'?" she asked, her voice sharp with disbelief. "We're in the middle of a fight!"
Cade waved her off, unbothered. "I've realized something. Miron identified Fani's weakness. He's keyed in on her transition between defense and offense. That spike in his emotions when he thought he had the upper hand, that's when I noticed it. I need to mess with that."
Fransiska's brow furrowed as she processed his words, but before she could argue, Cade was already stepping into the fray, his usual aloofness replaced by a sudden intensity as the atmosphere seemed to shift around him.
"Step back," Cade said, his voice steady now. "I've got this."
Miron, still hurling more projectiles and commanding his army, seemed to pause for a fraction of a second, his gaze narrowing at Cade.
"You…" Miron's lips twisted into a smile. "Another one who seeks to defy me? Very well. But I will crush you just as easily."
But Cade wasn't listening. His focus was on the emotional fluctuations radiating from Miron's every movement, every shift in his eyes, every flicker of mana he expelled. Miron may have thought himself the master of the battle, but Cade had already pinpointed the key. He could feel the philosophical conflict inside Miron, the frustration, the overconfidence - and Cade's own mana swirled in response, resonating with it in a way that was uniquely his own.
Fransiska stepped back, her golden hair still twisting in defense, but she trusted Cade completely. He had a different way of fighting, one that didn't rely on brute force. And for the first time in this battle, Miron looked uncertain.
Cade, now fully in the rhythm of the fight, smirked. "Let's see how you handle a little unpredictability, Miron."
…
"Were you not at the raid on the Sablesummit Smugglers?" Kirsch asked, flicking his hair. "Why do you now possess elf ears?"
"I was always an elf," Maelys replied, her voice a stark contrast to her usual sadistic playfulness. "I just ran from who I truly was for a while. Now I'm done running."
"Unfortunately, you are part of an organisation of terrorists," Kirsch declared, putting a hand to his face, "so I have neither the time nor patience for your tale of lament."
"Ooh, ooh, let me fight her!" Luck said, bouncing on his heels.
Team Beta - Kirsch, Dana, Noelle, Luck, Amaryllis, Maddy
"I refuse," Kirsch replied abruptly, looking down at Luck through his fingers.
"Aw mannn! Please?" Luck whined, shaking Noelle in a moany fit. Noelle, more than slightly annoyed, pushed Luck off of him.
"Your magic and fighting style is the same as hers," Kirsch said. "I don't want a stalemate. It is imperative we take them down beautifully."
"So who do you suggest sending?" Amaryllis said, adjusting her witch hat.
"You, my dear," Kirch replied, flicking his hair again. "Now show them why the Coral Peacocks are the best at everything!"
Amaryllis was silent, her deadpan expression never shifting. Then, finally, she relented.
"What a drag," Amaryllis sighed, walking forward slowly.
As she approached Maelys, the elf smirked. "So they sent some half baked witch to-"
"Poison Magic: Aconite Serpent's Embrace," Amaryllis whispered, and the purple serpent coiled around her raised arm and rushed towards the lightning mage. Maelys dodged acrobatically, the serpent careening into the wall as she dusted herself off.
"Looks like you're not half baked at all," Maelys smirked. "If I hadn't dodged, I would have been fatally injured."
"You talk too much," Amaryllis replied, sending another Aconite Serpent's Embrace at her.
"Violet Lightning Magic: Thunder Chain!" Maelys said, creating a chain lightning whip that sliced nicely through the serpent and sped towards Amaryllis. The poison mage, however, was unfazed, quickly summoning Corrosive Dome to protect herself.
She put a hand into her pocket, and withdrew a magic item - a bracelet, with a beautiful obsidian crystal embedded straight into it.
"I couldn't use this back then, but I think I'm ready now," she whispered to no one in particular. "No… it's not that desperate. I can beat her."
Maelys continued hammering on the dome of poison with her whip, not letting up her relentless assault.
Memories clawed at the edges of her mind, threatening to drag her into a past she'd worked so hard to forget.
The village had been quaint - a small mining settlement nestled in the foothills, with cobbled streets and timber houses that seemed to belong in a storybook. But by the time she was finished, it was an unrecognisable wasteland. Poison spread like wildfire, consuming crops, houses, and lives without mercy. The magic item had whispered promises of power to her - a seductive voice that drowned out reason.
She remembered the terror in the villagers' eyes as they fled her poison tendrils. She had no control, her body moving like a marionette pulled by unseen strings. And then, amidst the chaos, he appeared.
Lars Mertens.
His Mind Magic cut through the haze of her rampage, a resounding clarity piercing the storm within her. She could still hear his voice as he subdued her, his tone laced with exasperation and compassion.
"You're better than this. Whatever drove you here, it's not worth becoming a monster. Mind Magic: Subjugation."
A sharp crack jolted her back to the present as Maelys's whip finally shattered the dome. Toxic shards rained down around Amaryllis, but she remained composed, sliding the bracelet onto her wrist.
"Poison Magic: Tainted Cascade."
A dense wave of poison erupted from her, forcing Maelys to leap back. The elf grinned, her violet lightning sparking dangerously. "So you've decided to stop holding back? Finally!"
"Don't get too excited," Amaryllis replied coolly. "I haven't even started."
As the obsidian crystal embedded in her bracelet began to glow, a surge of mana flooded her veins. The ground beneath her feet cracked, and a swirling vortex of purple and black energy engulfed her.
Noelle, watching from the sidelines, gasped. "Her mana… it's nearly on par with a royal!"
Dana's expression darkened. "That bracelet… it's a magic amplifier. Items like that are highly illegal for a reason. They push a mage's power far beyond safe limits."
"No rules in a fight like this," Luck chimed in, practically vibrating with excitement. "This just got fun!"
The transformation was immediate. Amaryllis's aura grew oppressive, her eyes glowing faintly with a greenish hue. Her poison magic, once refined and precise, now felt wild and unrestrained.
"Poison Magic: Venom Bloom."
Massive flowers made of shimmering poison sprouted from the ground, releasing clouds of corrosive pollen that filled the battlefield. Maelys countered with a sharp crack of her whip.
"Violet Lightning Magic: Storm Grid!"
Bolts of lightning streaked through the air, carving a path of destruction through the toxic blooms. The two mages danced across the battlefield, their attacks clashing in bursts of green and violet light.
Amaryllis launched another serpent, this one larger and more venomous than before. Maelys responded by summoning a chain of lightning that coiled around her arm.
"You're strong," Maelys admitted, her voice carrying an undercurrent of excitement. "But strength means nothing if you can't control it!"
She lashed out with her lightning whip, aiming for Amaryllis's exposed flank. The poison mage barely dodged, the whip grazing her arm and leaving a searing burn.
"Control?" Amaryllis echoed, her voice laced with bitterness. "What would you know about control? I've fought tooth and nail to master my power. I refuse to lose to someone who plays at being a mage!"
With a roar, she slammed her hands into the ground.
"Poison Magic: Venom Hades"
A massive pit opened beneath Maelys, filled with swirling, corrosive liquid. The elf leapt to safety, landing gracefully on a jagged rock.
"Not bad," Maelys said, smirking. "But you're forgetting something—lightning doesn't need solid ground."
She raised her hand, and the storm clouds above them darkened. "Violet Lightning Magic: Judgement Chain!"
A massive bolt of lightning shot down, splitting into dozens of smaller chains that arced toward Amaryllis.
Amaryllis crossed her arms, summoning a thick barrier of poison to shield herself. The lightning chains struck the barrier, each impact sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
"She's pushing herself too hard," Maddy muttered, her brow furrowed. "She can't keep this up."
"She'll be fine," Luck interrupted, his grin unwavering. "She's got guts."
Inside the dome of poison, Amaryllis gritted her teeth, sweat dripping down her face. Her body was nearing its limit, the magic amplifier demanding more than she could safely give.
"I won't let this power consume me again," she whispered. "Not this time."
She dispelled the barrier and launched herself at Maelys, her movements fuelled by sheer determination. The two mages clashed in a flurry of lightning and poison, their attacks growing more desperate and reckless with each passing second.
For every strike Maelys landed, Amaryllis countered with a venomous blow. The battlefield became a chaotic storm of energy, the air thick with the acrid scent of ozone and poison.
Finally, the two mages stood across from each other, both battered and breathing heavily. Amaryllis raised her hand, the obsidian bracelet glowing fiercely.
"Poison Magic: Serpentine Declaration!"
A massive serpent, larger than anything she'd summoned before, coiled around her arm and launched itself at Maelys.
Maelys smirked, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Violet Lightning Magic: Thunder Dragon Strike!"
A dragon-shaped bolt of lightning erupted from her hands, meeting the serpent head-on. The two attacks collided in a blinding explosion of light and sound, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
…
"Thread Magic: Piercing Bullet Strings," Cade muttered, sending the thin white threads whistling through the air at the elf before him with high speed, who dodged them quite easily.
"Thread Magic… so awfully basic," Miron said, sending a green mana bullet at Cade, who used his threads to manoeuvre out of the way.
"Awfully basic is sometimes what you need to defeat certain opponents," Cade said, landing on his two feet and lashing another razor sharp thread at Miron, who turned it into a crop of white feathers, "who just keep over-complicating simple things."
"Nothing in life is simple, human," Miron said, forming a spear out of seemingly nowhere and hurling it at Cade, who slashed it in half with another razor-sharp thread. "Advanced organisms were constructed in a way none of us can understand!"
"Let's not turn this into a philosophical debate," Cade said. "That's kinda boring."
The Green Mantis brought his hands inward, and threads erupted from the ground to bind Miron's arms and legs in place. The alchemist scoffed, turning the threads into feathers once more, and dodged another thread being brought down on him by Cade. Cade fired off Piercing Bullet Strings again, and Miron threw another ball bearing in the strings' path, turning it into a wall of steel.
"Funny how you think I can't cut steel," Cade said, getting into a different stance, his left and right hand at right angles. "Thread Magic: Spider's Grid!"
He brought his hands down and across, and the threads created rushed at the metal wall, slicing the metal wall into little blocks. Miron's eyes widened, and he just managed to turn most of the threads into feathers, which created a makeshift veil around him.
Most was the key word. And he'd paid the price for his slight miscalculation dearly.
Miron stepped forward from the makeshift veil of feathers, his expression calm despite the grisly sight. His left arm had been severed at the elbow, blood dripping to the ground in steady beats, yet there wasn't even a flicker of pain in his golden eyes. Instead, his lips curved into an unsettling smirk.
"You've bested my defence," he admitted, his voice carrying a bizarrely conversational tone. "A commendable feat. But do you really think this changes anything?"
Cade stared at him, bewildered. "Mate, you're missing half your arm. You're-"
Before he could finish, Miron raised his remaining hand and snapped his fingers. The sound echoed unnaturally through the battlefield, and in an instant, the air shimmered. The severed stump began to glow with a greenish hue, lines of mana dancing around the torn flesh. Threads of light seemed to weave together, constructing bone, muscle, and skin from nothingness.
Within moments, the arm was back.
Perfectly formed, as if it had never been severed.
Miron flexed his fingers experimentally and gave a small, satisfied nod.
"Alchemy Magic: Reconstruction From Near Zero," Miron explained, his tone taking on the air of a lecturer. "You see, all matter, whether thread, steel, or even flesh, is composed of countless atoms bound together in intricate arrangements. To destroy something is trivial. To perfectly recreate it, however…well, that's a true miracle, wouldn't you agree?"
Cade took a step back, his threads bristling with tension. Lars, watching from the sidelines, felt a cold chill creep up his spine.
Recreating a limb at an atomic level? That's not just advanced magic… that's absurd. You'd need advanced knowledge of the exact atomic construction of a limb to do that - every single atom.
Just what is he?
Miron continued his monologue, ignoring the growing tension in the air. "The universe itself is a tapestry of atoms. Complex, fragile, yet infinitely malleable at the hands of myself. To those who can understand and manipulate that foundation, the possibilities are endless. Your threads, for example, mere fibres, can be reduced to their simplest form with but a thought."
"You talk too much," Cade interrupted, his threads snapping taut around him. "And you're about to lose a lot more than just your arm this time."
Before the two could clash again, a soft yet determined voice cut through the air.
"Wait," Fani said, stepping forward. Her voice was timid, but her gaze was steady. "This fight is taking too long. Lars, Zoe, Cara, Lucia, Frida - you need to move forward. I'll stay here and help Cade finish this."
"Fransiska…" Lars started, his tone uncertain.
"We don't have time for this!" she interrupted, her voice rising slightly. "You know what's at stake. You need to reach the centre while we hold him off."
Lars hesitated but saw the resolution in her eyes. Zoe, however, narrowed her gaze at the sight of Fani stepping closer to Cade, a flicker of jealousy flaring within her chest. She bit it back, forcing herself to focus. This isn't the time for petty feelings, she reminded herself. We all have a job to do.
Fani turned to Cade, her cheeks slightly flushed. "If I focus entirely on attacking, can you cover my weakness?"
Cade raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing."
A small smile crept onto Fani's face, and she nodded. They turned back to Miron, their stances shifting into synchronicity, as if they had already fought side by side for years. Zoe glanced between them, a strange unease simmering in her gut. But she shoved it aside, her resolve hardening.
"Alright, let's move," Frida said, breaking the tension. "We've wasted enough time."
She led the charge, her mana glowing in the air as the group pushed forward, weaving through the debris-strewn battlefield. Behind them, Fani and Cade stood side by side, their magic crackling in the air as they faced the alchemist together.
As Lars' team moved further into the depths of the battlefield, the sound of Cade's threads slicing through the air and Fani's spells exploding with precision followed them. But Lars couldn't help but glance back once, his heart heavy. He hated leaving people behind, even if he knew it was necessary.
Good luck, Fani. Good luck, Cade.
Ahead, the path narrowed, and the glow of the dungeon's centre grew brighter. The real challenge was waiting for them just beyond the next turn.
A/N: THE PEAK IS CONTINUING!
also, i forgot if i've asked this before, but how would you feel about me doing a collection of headcanons for the squad for my 100th chapter?
if you have any requests or any feedback you want, just tell me - i want this chapter to be a special one