JASMINE FLAMESWORTH'S POV:
As I launched myself toward the creature, every fiber of my being was focused on the fight ahead. Mistral's wind magic swirled around me, propelling me forward with the speed and precision I needed. My senses were razor-sharp, and my mind locked onto the sickly black-skinned creature that dared to stand before me.
He turned to me with a sneer, his twisted features contorting into an expression that made my skin crawl. "Hoho~ Quite the attractive little thing for a lesser, aren't you?" His voice oozed with repulsive condescension and twisted desire like oil slicking over my ears. "Perhaps I should enjoy myself with you a bit before I end your miserable life."
Just hearing his voice was enough to make my stomach churn. The sheer audacity, the disgusting arrogance—it ignited a fire within me that burned hotter with every word he spoke. I forced down the bile that threatened to rise in my throat, channeling my revulsion into a cold, focused rage.
"Lesser?" I spat back, my voice as sharp as a blade. "Look at yourself. What even are you? You look like nothing but a hideous, loathsome creature."
The words came out with a venom I didn't know I had in me. I wanted nothing but to cut him down, to wipe that disgusting smirk off his face.
"Ha! Of course, you lessers don't know me. I am Bilal, a retainer candidate of Scythe Viessa, a descendant of the Great Vitra. The ones who will one day rule this entire world," he declared, his voice dripping with self-importance.
His arrogance only fueled the fire within me. I narrowed my eyes, feeling the weight of my draggers in my hands, the familiar pulse of mana ready to be unleashed. The thought of this grotesque being claiming any sort of superiority was laughable.
"Rule the world?" I scoffed, my voice colder than the edge of my blade. "You can barely control that ugly face of yours. The only thing you'll be ruling is the dirt beneath my feet after I bury you in it."
His face twisted in rage, the sneer vanishing as his eyes darkened with fury. "I will make you beg for mercy," he hissed, his voice filled with malice. "How dare you, a mere lesser, insult me?"
The raw anger in his voice was almost palpable, but it only made me smirk. His pride was nothing but a weakness, and I was more than ready to exploit it.
"Beg?" I taunted, tightening my grip on my weapon as the familiar mana surge coursed through me. "I don't beg, and I certainly don't bow to vile monsters like you."
By this time, Mistral had already moved into position behind Bilal. Her claws gleamed with a deadly edge as she aimed for his back, but he dodged just in time, his sickly green mana extending from his arms into two long blades that dragged across the ground, sizzling and popping with a nauseating stench.
Taking advantage of Mistral's attack, I activated [Zephyr Step], the wind magic enhancing my speed as I closed the distance between us in a blur. But Bilal was fast too-unnaturally fast. He lunged forward, the mana blade around his right arm extending several feet in an instant, sweeping toward my neck with lethal precision.
I sidestepped the strike just in time, the sickly green blade slicing through the air where my head had been moments before. The smell of burning air followed the arc of his blade, and I could feel the dangerous heat of it as it passed.
Without hesitation, I drew one of my daggers, the blade gleaming with my own infused mana. I watched his movements closely, searching for a pattern or a weakness to exploit. His arrogance had made him overconfident, and I intended to use that against him.
As he prepared his next attack, I feinted to the left, then swiftly changed direction, aiming to strike at his exposed side. My dagger sliced through the air, vibrating slightly with sound magic, guided by both skill and sheer determination. Bilal reacted just in time, parrying the blow with his mana-imbued blade. Mistral tried to bite his arm, distracting him for a split second. Seizing the opportunity, I swung my other dagger at his neck.
He dodged the attack by a hair's breadth before swinging his blade at me again. Sparks flew as our weapons clashed, the force of the impact sending a jolt of energy through my arm.
"Is that all you've got?" I snarled, driving my dagger forward with precision, aiming for his midsection. The impact was solid, but Bilal barely staggered, his expression as cold and arrogant as ever.
[Jasmine! Move!] Mistral's voice echoed in my mind, sharp and urgent. I sensed the surge of power as she unleashed a devastating wind slash in our direction. Timing it perfectly, I waited until the slash was just an arm's length away before activating [Zephyr Step], swiftly moving to my right to dodge the attack.
The wind slash struck Bilal head-on, leaving a deep cut along his torso, obliterating the land behind, and causing a tremor to run through the dungeon. For a moment, I felt a flicker of satisfaction. But that feeling quickly dissolved as the wound closed just as fast as it had appeared, his twisted smirk returning. He barely acknowledged the damage, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Ha, you think your little tricks are going to work on me? I am Bilal, Vitra blood courses through me—a lesser could never defeat me."
(A/N: I don't know whether Vitra Wind Mana allows users to regenerate or not in the canon, but here it does, just like Soulfire and Poison Vitra Mana arts, though Soulfire is still prominent.)
His words only fueled my resolve. With a swift motion, I pressed forward, engaging him once more. Our blades clashed in a series of rapid strikes, each meeting with a shower of sparks. This time, I channeled more mana into my dagger, the blade glowing with an intense, determined light as I focused on the next strike.
"Your lineage means nothing to me," I said, my voice unwavering despite the strain of the battle. "All that matters is what you've done here—and I will punish you for your sins."
As I pushed forward, our blades clashing again, I reached out to Mistral through our mental connection. Mistral! Do you know anything about how he's regenerating? I needed answers—something to give us an edge.
Mistral's voice echoed in my mind, laced with urgency. [it's likely the power his lineage grants him. He's a wrong match for us, Jasmine. He can manipulate wind mana to heal himself.]
The realization hit me like a gust of cold wind. His ability to regenerate was tied to the very element we were using against him. This wasn't just about strength or skill; his bloodline gave him an advantage that made this fight even more dangerous.
My mana was depleting at a rapid pace. I knew I needed to end this fight fast, but how? Then, a thought struck me—during my time sparring with Arthur at Xyrus Academy, I had felt myself getting closer to achieving the second phase of my beast will. Now might be the time to use it. The problem was, that this would be my first time activating it in a real battle. I'd need time to focus, to draw out the power.
Mentally, I reached out to Mistral. I need you to distract him, I told her, sharing the plan. I'm going to try and activate the second phase of my beast will, but I need time. Keep him off me as long as you can.
Mistral didn't hesitate. [I'll buy you the time you need,] she replied, her voice full of resolve.
As Mistral moved to engage Bilal, I took a deep breath and focused inward, reaching for the power that I knew was there, just beneath the surface. The world around me seemed to slow as I concentrated, pushing all distractions from my mind. I could feel the familiar energy of my beast will, but I needed more. I dug deeper, searching for the untapped reservoir of power that I knew existed within me.
Finally, I found it—an intense energy within my core, waiting to be unleashed. The connection between Mistral and me flared to life, and I could feel her mind merging with mine, giving me insight into how to wield this newfound power. It was as if our thoughts, our very beings, were synchronizing in perfect harmony.
The power surged through me, filling every fiber of my being with a strength I had never known before. My senses sharpened, and my perception of the world around me became clearer. I could feel the wind around me, not just as a force of nature, but as something I could control, something I could bend to my will.
{Mistral's Will: Second Phase}" I whispered, the words leaving my lips with an air of finality. "Activate!"
The power within me exploded outward, and I could feel the transformation taking hold. My body felt lighter, faster, and stronger. The air around me responded to my thoughts, swirling with a newfound intensity. This was more than just a boost in power—it was synchronization with Mistral, a fusion of our wills into something far greater than the sum of its parts.
I opened my eyes, and intricate green runes began to appear all over my body, their shapes ancient and regal, pulsating with energy. The markings felt as if they had always been a part of me, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves.
Bilal, sensing the dramatic change in the aura around us, turned his attention to me. His eyes widened in alarm, but Mistral seized the opportunity, slashing at him with devastating precision. The distraction cost him dearly as her attack landed, leaving a deep wound that sent him crashing into a nearby wall with a resounding impact. A loud, guttural scream tore from his throat as he cursed Mistral, struggling to his feet.
Black energy began to surround the wound as he attempted to heal himself, manipulating the wind mana to regenerate. But before he could fully recover, I extended my will, taking hold of the wind mana and stripping it from the space around him. The air was sucked out, creating a void where the wind mana once flowed freely. Bilal's eyes snapped to mine, confusion and fear contorting his features.
"What... What did you do?" he stammered, his voice trembling.
I met his gaze with cold determination, my expression unyielding. "Dead men don't need to know that, do they?" I replied, my voice, combined with the power of the second phase, sounded foreign even to me.
Without hesitation, I launched myself toward him, my dagger poised to strike. The wind mana responded to my will, manifesting from nowhere, with a power that transcended the need to draw from my core or the atmosphere. This was the true power of the second phase of Mistral's will—I no longer needed to rely on external sources. I could create Wind Mana from nothingness.
In a blur of motion, I sliced my dagger through the air, the wind mana sharpening its edge to a deadly precision. Bilal's eyes widened in terror as he realized the extent of my newfound power, but it was too late. The blade struck true, and the force of the attack was unstoppable. The Wind Mana amplified my strike, cutting through his defenses with ease.
Bilal staggered, his body shuddering as the fatal blow took its toll. The sickly green glow of his mana flickered and dimmed, unable to sustain him any longer. His twisted features twisted further in agony, but there was no escaping the inevitable.
"You... you, how dare you? The Vitra chose m-me..." Blood spurted from his mouth as he struggled to speak. "I-I will be a god among-"
Before he could finish, I slashed my blade across his neck, silencing him forever. His head fell from his torso, hitting the ground with a finality that signaled the end of the battle.
As the adrenaline that had fueled me during the fight began to fade, the weight of the victory settled in. My body felt the toll of the intense battle, my muscles aching and my mana core nearly drained. The second phase of my Beast Will subsided, the powerful runes on my body gradually disappearing.
I fell to the ground, exhausted, every ounce of strength drained from me, but Mistral came to my side supporting me. Mistral's comforting presence was the last thing I felt before darkness claimed me.
~~
A/N: Don't know what to say, this chapter drained me, so I definitely need a good rest to continue, so see you in a few days, I don't want to make a nonsense chapter. Also, The reason Jasmine was so exhausted after battle was that she had not faced such a strong monster and it was the first time she used her second phase. Next, she still doesn't know how to conserve mana, like when Arthur received training from Kodri and Wren to use mana efficiently. I know the fight wasn't that great, but please stick with me, I am still learning, you can give me advice or ideas that you think should have been used, and I will try to improve it in the future.