The wind howled fiercely through the trees of the enchanted forest. Just a few meters from the Final Coliseum, the group had been unintentionally split apart. And there, beneath the clouded sky and among interwoven roots, Liana and Dana came face to face.
—Dana… —Liana muttered, clenching her fists.
—I knew you'd come —the noble replied with a defiant smile—. Our battle isn't over. I won't let you get close to Ares. Not without a fight.
—This isn't about Ares… it's about me —Liana countered—. I want to understand my own feelings, but I won't let you steal that chance from me unless I decide it.
Without another word, both activated their magic.
Liana moved first, extending branches and thorns from the ground. Dana, cloaked in electricity, dodged with lightning-fast leaps and unleashed spiraling bolts.
—Voltaic Storm!
Panting, Liana conjured a shield of leaves reinforced with stone, barely withstanding the assault. She countered with a massive vine, but Dana, swift as a lightning bolt, cut through its base with an electrified kick.
The battle grew fiercer by the second. Lightning and roots tore through the air, trees were ripped from the earth, the ground quaked… until finally, Dana, in one last flash, appeared behind Liana.
—Judgment Bolt!
An explosion of energy engulfed Liana, leaving her unconscious on the ground. Breathing heavily, Dana fell to her knees, exhausted… but satisfied.
—I'm sorry, Liana. This time… I won.
—Do you really believe that?
A voice emerged from the forest shadows.
Emma.
The witch with violet hair stepped forward calmly, her dark aura pulsing like a magical heartbeat.
—Here for revenge? —Dana asked, struggling to stand.
—No. I came to protect Liana… and to put an end to your obsession.
—You don't understand anything!
—I understand far more than you think.
Without further warning, Emma summoned magic circles beneath her feet. A storm of shadows enveloped her, and within seconds she was face-to-face with Dana, exchanging rapid-fire spells. The clash of her dark magic against Dana's electricity lit up the forest.
Dana unleashed spiraling bolts of lightning, but Emma absorbed them into a dark sphere, hurling them back like a whip of raw energy. Dana screamed, collapsed onto her back… and could rise no more.
Emma approached, breathing steadily.
—This isn't about Ares. It's about her —she said, pointing at the unconscious Liana—. And about you, too. Let your feelings flow… but don't become their slave.
The forest fell silent once again. Emma lifted Liana into her arms and, with a cold gaze, continued her path toward the Coliseum.
The final battle had yet to begin.
But the first victory already had a name.