Typically, the Whispering Woods are confusing. The woods get their name from fairies who whisper in your ear and get you lost. However, an expert like Lyra herself is sufficient to locate them for the real prize. The lush forest that surrounds them now is truly like a paradise. As they make their way down, they see a figure. It’s a woman. She has light green skin and green hair. She has deep blue eyes and leafy clothing. They found Selene. Suddenly, she turns her head to them and shoots a bullet of water at Lyra.

  Clank

  Lyra’s eyes snap open, and she finds Renzo, who has deflected the water bullet with a swift movement of his kunai. Kaito, too, emerges from his hiding spot, his stance defensive. The air is thick with tension, every nerve on edge, as the slightest disturbance could trigger a deadly confrontation. It’s in this charged atmosphere that Elysia steps forward.

  [Elysia: Hold! We didn’t venture into these woods to engage in combat. We came seeking a conversation.] Elysia’s voice rings out, firm and resolute, as she locks eyes with Selene.

  Intriguingly, Selene decides to listen to them and motions for them to follow her through the lush woods. They all follow until they reach a hut. The hut is built out of plants, and various magical beasts and plants swarm outside. Selene brings them inside. All the furniture is made of multiple fur and plants mixed with eco-friendly wooden veneer. Selenne tells them to grab a seat as she prepares tea for her guests. After she brings the tea, Elysia retells the whole story to Selene. Selene thinks and then starts to speak.

  [Selene: As you know, I am the guardian of this forest. You guys got in here while not being pure of heart, which led me to believe you wished to cause harm to the woods. Now that I know your true intentions, I apologize for my rashness. However, regarding your offer, I have to decline it.]

  Elysia starts a rebuttal.

  [Elysia: If the Apocalypse is allowed to happen, all nature will die. Even the woods you have come to love here.] Elysia makes a gamble, trying to appeal to her particular love of the whispering woods.

  [Selene: I don’t think the apocalypse can reach a magical place like this, so I will have to decline again.]

  *Elysia: Shit! I don’t have a comeback!*

  Out of nowhere, Lyra starts to talk.

  [Lyra: Surely a half-dryad like yourself has heard of the apocalypse legend. You know what you said isn’t true. I also have this.]

  Lyra slides over a document to Selene. Selene hesitantly opened the document to see a very detailed transcript of the soothing sayers’ words.

  [Selene: What is this?]

  [Lyra: You know our kingdom’s famous soothe-sayer? With a prediction rate of 90%? She says that everything will be destroyed if nothing changes now. The flames made by the apocalypse and its aspects will forever burn! Even places like here need to be more safe! As a dryad, don’t you want to save all nature anyway?!?]

  Lyra got worked up while saying all of this. The plants burning to death in this hypothetical fate definitely resonated with Lyra in some fashion. Selene sighs.

  [Selene: The truth then. I would love to leave her and join your efforts, but I can’t. I was cursed and bound to this forest five years ago. I can’t go even if I want to.]

  Elysia rejoins the conversation.

  [Elysia: Long-lasting curses like this should have a source to keep them going. I doubt the person who cast it also stayed here for five years. You just need to find the source of the curse and destroy it. We can help.]

  Selene chuckles.

  [Selene: I already found the source. The only issue is the person who cursed me out, the source in the heart of the Whispering Woods. If the source is destroyed, the whole woods will die along with the curse. Thank you for your kindness, however.]

  Selene takes a long swig of her tea.

  [Selene: It is getting late. You should stay the night.]

  [Elysia: We gratefully accept.] Elysia turns to her people. [We will contact Valerian in the morning and see what else should be done while we are out here.]

  With that, everyone starts to retire for the night. Meanwhile, just outside of the forest.

  [Raze: The sin of Pride, Solgryn? I have to say you have a big title.]

  Solgryn starts to walk. He even laughs a little.

  [Solgryn: For someone like you to say my name, you must pay. I will teach you that price.]

  Solgryn suddenly appears in front of Raze. His axe raised in the sky.

  『Suns Sovereignty』

  A giant sun appears where the ax is as Solgryn smashes it down on Raze. Raze screams as he starts to burn into nothingness. Suddenly, the ground gives out under Solgryn. Solgryn jumps back, allowing Raze to heal with Unruin.

  When Solgryn hits the ground, suddenly, he is punched in the back so hard that his armor breaks.

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  『Unpredictable Strike: Lightning』

  Raze quickly jumps back after hitting Solgryn, but as Solgryn turns, a giant lightning bolt hits him dead on. Raze then touches the ground, and a tornado appears, flinging Solgryn into the sky. Raze appears and hits Solgryn into the ground.

  Solgryn lies there as Raze looks over him.

  [Raze: You are somewhat strong. Just unlucky that I am your enemy.]

  Raze starts to walk to the door as it becomes noon. Raze’s blood suddenly runs cold as he hears behind him [Unlucky?]

  Raze turns around to see a towering giant with flames emanating from his body.

  『The One』

  Before Raze can react, he is suddenly cut across the chest. The fire stopped him from regenerating.

  *Raze: He got stronger? His power is still rising?!?!? How?!?*

  Raze looks up and has a realization. *The sun? I’ll have to make a bet!*

  Before Raze can try anything, Solgryn appears before him.

  『Divine Sword Solgryn』

  Solgryn trusts his ax directly through Raze’s body, lighting him on fire. If nothing is done, this will be the end of Raze. Raze puts his hands together in a last-ditch bet.

  [Raze: Incomplete Terrain: Barrier only.]

  A bunch of barriers suddenly encase Solgryn and Raze, cutting off all sunlight. Solgryn suddenly gets weaker and starts to shrink. Raze is able to get out of the flames, and Unruin kicks in again. Solgryn just looks to the ground as Raze walks over to him.

  [Raze: I’m going to be honest. At the rate you were growing, you would have killed me. I would have lost if I hadn’t found out about your ability to be sunshine-based. All that pride was not misplaced. Blood, kill him.]

  Suddenly, a slice of blood appears and cuts Solgryns head off. Raze undoes his incomplete domain and walks to the door.

  [Raze: I originally was bored. Now that I have had my fun. I have no use for this place anymore.]

  Raze opens the door and sends a tidal wave of fire through the door. Raze closes the door and starts to leave.

  Back inside, Selene wakes up in a panic and calls everyone down. They all rush down as Selene screams that the forest is on fire.

  [Lyra: What does the fire look like?]

  [Selene: Its pinkish red!]

  Lyra looks panicked.

  [Lyra: That’s a hell fire! We can’t put it out! We have to leave.]

  The fire in the woods is growing unnaturally fast. Selene tries to shoot her water at it. Alas, nothing happens. Knowing she is stuck, she orders them to leave. Unexpectedly, Lyra speaks up.

  [Lyra: No, Selen, you are going with them. I will take care of your curse. You need to get out of here!]

  [Selene: T-The forest, what about this jungle?!?]

  Lyra starts to yell, stunning everyone.

  [Lyra: Don’t you understand, from one botanist to another. This forest is already dead! The flames will consume it!]

  Selene cannot move or speak, but she can acknowledge that everything Lyra says is the truth. Elysia steps up.

  [Elysia: After breaking the curse, can you return to the door.]

  Lyra just smiles.

  [Lyra: You know how good I am at navigation in this setting! Hey Selene…]

  Selene looks up.

  [Lyra: Make sure to protect the plants even after you leave.]

  Lyra gives a weak smile and starts a mad dash to the center of the whispering woods. Selene still can’t move, so Renzo grabs her, and Elysia leads the way back to the door.

  Lyra noticed that Kaito followed her. [What are you doing?] she asks; Kaito responds [You are still a member of the royal court. It would be blasphemous to leave you alone in this scenario.]

  She responds with a weak smile, and they continue on. The forest burns around them as their lungs fill with smoke. They finally reach the devout in the ground. The pathway is filled with fire.

  [Lyra: Dammit! We can’t stop here!.]

  Kaito picks up Lyra and casts a flame resistance spell on himself. Before she can react, Kaito runs into the tunnel and starts getting burned severely. He keeps going, and eventually, they both reach the end, where a purple orb lies. Kaito falls to the ground as his burning clothes start to eat him up. The tunnel didn’t spare Lyra either. She has burned over 50% of her body, including her face. Lyra limps over to the orb with one of Kaitos kunai. She stabs it into the orb with all her remaining strength, and it breaks.

  —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Elysia finally reaches the door, and Selene feels the curse break. Everything is burning behind them, so they jump through the door at the last minute. Selene turns around to see the door burning away. Despite the fact that this is her first time out in five years, she tries to lunge back at the door. Renzo quickly grabs her.

  [Selene: Wait! We need to save Lyra! The door is disappearing!]

  Selene’s voice trembles as tears stream down her face. No one else says anything; they just look to the ground. The door starts to burn up as it closes, and suddenly, the fire stops. Everyone is confused.

  [Elysia: Huh?]

  Elysia looks over to see Selene; her eyes are bright white, and tears flow from under them.

  [Selene: I won’t let anyone die!]

  The flames burning the door start to reverse as it opens up.

  *Elysia: She is controlling fire? No way… Is this the Guardian state?*

  —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  [Hey Kaito.] A weak voice states, and Kaito looks up to see Lyra leaning on the cave wall. The flames are inching closer per second. Seeing him look at her, she smiles and states.

  [It feels good to die as a hero, huh?]

  Kaito can’t respond as his lungs are filled with smoke. He just nods and smiles back. Lyra closes her eyes as the flames enter the cave and start overcoming both of them. Their smiles shine brighter than any flame plastered on their faces…

  Suddenly, the top of the cave is blown off. Lyra looks up, her eyes widened. The earth under Kaito and Lyra starts to grow upwards.

  [Lyra; Selene?!? What are you doing here?!?] Lyra gets out in a weak but surprised voice.

  Selene smiles as air lifts them off the rock, and they fly back to the door.

  [Selene: I don’t know about this myself. If it means I can save you, I will use it as much as possible!] She starts to fly faster.

  —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Elysia looks at the door, which has started to burn up again. The door is on the verge of completely burning when it bursts open, and Selene, Kaito, and Lyra come bursting through. Selene quickly tries to put healing water around Kaito and Lyra. However, she can’t muster the strength as her eyes return to normal. Lyra weakly walks up and grabs her hand.

  [Lyra: You have done enough. Thank you.] Such a sincere thank you could make anyone feel like they committed the holiest acts. Selene was no exception as tears welled up in her eyes.

  Lyra falls to the ground again as Elysia quickly grabs her and does a basic healing spell, stabilizing Lyra’s condition. Elysia walks over to Selene and starts to check for wounds.

  [Selene: What about Kaito? Heal him as well!]

  Elysia points over to Renzo, who is currently in prayer over Kaito.

  [Elysia: It’s sad, but he’s already dead. The flames got to him, and he took most of them directly.]

  Selene bites her lip, drawing blood. She then looks back at the burning door, knowing the place she called home for the last five years is gone.

  [Selene: If I join you, can I kill the bastards that did this?]

  Elysia wipes tears from her face and looks at Selene.

  [Elysia: It will be your job.]

  Selene looks on with determination.

  [Selene: Then I accept.]