POV: Lola Schmerzklan
The faster I ran, the more the adrenaline surged through every corner of my body. The craving for battle ignited with each step, stoked by the lightning that burst from my electric armor—creating a dazzling spectacle in the heart of the night.
A spectacle for the skies...A nightmare for my enemies.
They didn't know it yet, but they had already sealed their fate.
With a violent leap, I snapped a tree branch and launched myself into the air. From above, I could see the city of Luzarion in the distance—the capital I had sworn to protect.
A crooked smile crept across my lips as I took in the chaos that had erupted during my absence.
"I leave for just a moment... and this damn kingdom's already falling apart," I whispered with a restrained laugh, just before gravity pulled me back down.
I landed with grace, leaving a crater beneath my feet that shook the entire forest. The crash scattered the night's predators—those silent hunters of the dark.
I'm just like them.I hunt.I annihilate.
"The difference," I said, running between the trees, "is that I've been blessed by lightning."
If Luis's intel was correct, today there would be a massive assault on the capital—one last desperate attempt to break the kingdom.
My mission was simple.Massacre the revolutionaries.
With every step, adrenaline pulsed through me like a current of electricity. The sparks from my armor lit up the shadows, blending into the night like I was born from it. I moved between trees with superhuman precision, feeling the chaos draw nearer with every movement.
And then I saw them.
"There they are," I muttered with a sharp smile.
In the distance, entire battalions of revolutionary mages advanced toward Luzarion's walls. The royal army was holding them back, but the real battle hadn't even begun.
I clenched my fists.Astral magic surged through my veins like a drug.My reflexes sharpened.My speed intensified.The lightning around me dimmed, transforming into electric shadows—beautiful, deadly.
"Keep attacking! This cursed reign will fall! For the—AAHHH!" a soldier screamed.
My hand pierced through him like living lightning. Hot blood coated my arm, still charged with thousands of dark volts that stole his soul in an instant.
"Who's next?" I asked, as hundreds of soldiers closed in around me. "Looks like I'll have plenty of brave souls tonight."
I vanished in a flash of electricity.A dance of death.
My daggers moved as extensions of my will. Flesh gave way wherever I passed. There was no mercy. Only judgment.
"You bitch! You'll pay for that!" roared one of them, summoning a massive stone hammer.
"Cute toy," I thought, dodging his clumsy strike.
I slipped around his flank while his weapon was still embedded in the ground.My daggers found his back.The electricity did the rest.
"Don't you think you're being a bit of a psychopath?" I heard a familiar voice say.
"Who said I was playing with this handsome guy?" I replied, letting the corpse drop to the ground. "Besides, Boro, I do my job the way I see fit."
The royal army was regaining control. Their morale surged as they watched us fight.
They went from defending… to hunting.
"Striker Boro, how many casualties have we had so far?" I asked, wiping my blades clean. "Luis sent me to gather intel. Direct order from Alkaster."
"Minimal," he answered, lightning crackling in his hand. "Ever since the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and reinforcements arrived, the tide's turned in our favor..."
Before leaving, he unleashed a bolt of lightning toward a group of enemies, incinerating them instantly.
The scream was short. Almost poetic.
"If everything goes according to plan," he said, "this will end tonight—with minimal casualties… and we'll solidify our power like in the wars of the past. I just hope Xavier's decisions are the right ones."
I couldn't agree.
"Forgiving the Midorians is a betrayal to the innocent lives lost because of them," I whispered. "And to those who still believe that peace between races is possible."
I turned toward our soldiers.
"Keep fighting! Show no mercy! They won't show any to you!"
With Boro at my side, I threw myself back into the battle.
He soared into the sky, summoning a storm of lightning.I danced through the smoke, cloaked in thunder.
This was our war.And tonight... the capital would not fall.
The night passed in a blur of blood-curdling screams and victorious cheers. Some wept for the fallen. Others celebrated our triumph.
The capital... had been returned to its people.
To those who, generation after generation, had placed their faith in the Lanpar name.And today, at last, they could see that their loyalty had not been in vain.
"Long live the Lanpar Kingdom! Long live the Holy Human Realm!" the crowds chanted at the gates of Luzarion, greeting the returning warriors with applause, tears, and near-religious hymns.
They hailed us as gods.
"Thank you for saving us, goddess of lightning," an old woman said, clutching my cloak with trembling hands. "Faith still lives… the kingdom still lives. May God bless you."
I gave her a sincere smile, gently taking her hands.
"This war wouldn't have been won without your faith in us," I said. "May God bless you… and every generation yet to come."
After saying farewell to the citizens I loved so deeply, I left with Boro toward the war council chamber, where the other generals were already waiting.
"The infamous Horsewomen of the Apocalypse…" I murmured, adjusting a flower a little girl had given me. "Do you think Mabel's with her sisters right now?"
"Most likely not," he replied, signaling for the soldiers to give us space. "After the meeting, there's something urgent I need to tell you."
I didn't respond. My silence was enough.
I understood that if Boro spoke with such seriousness, it wasn't for nothing.
And honestly... something had already been bothering me since the battle.
My suspicions were close to being confirmed.
We walked in silence through the streets of the capital's center, slowly coming back to life.
Death no longer ruled here.
Children's laughter. Street games. Merchants shouting again. Artists playing their lutes...
It was a full symphony of hope.
Seeing the joyful faces.Feeling the warmth of a reborn people.
It made me smile, just a little.
We had saved many lives.And at least this time, it had been worth it to be called...
The Goddess of Lightning.
Not long after getting lost in the people's contagious joy, we arrived at our destination.
It was heavily guarded by several Destroya-class mages, their massive weapons forming a wall in front of the entrance.
When they saw us approaching, they lowered their arms, granting us passage to the meeting that awaited inside.
As soon as I stepped in, a familiar voice burst through the air:
"Broker Lola!" shouted one of the Horsewomen of the Apocalypse. "It's been years, old friend! How've you been?"
"Hey, Gemini. It really has been a while," I said, walking over to hug her. "You've grown so much."
Gemini was one of Luis's daughters—the youngest, to be exact.
The one sitting with a serious expression at the center of the table was Maya, the eldest of the Astral sisters.
"I can see things haven't gone so well for you lately," I said, settling into a wooden chair. "Tell me, Maya… is something bothering you?"
"Broker Lola, I ask that you please treat this matter seriously," Maya replied, adjusting her helmet on the table. "What we faced tonight almost ended in catastrophe."
"That is, if I hadn't shown up…" I muttered under my breath with a faint smile, as the others took their seats and waited for Rider Maya's general report.
"Very well. If everyone is present," Maya spoke with authority, "I'll begin this meeting. Nothing discussed here leaves these walls—understood?"
Everyone nodded, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
According to intel gathered by Alkaster and the samurai forces, what we had fought weren't just ordinary enemies—they were slaves from past wars.
That wouldn't have been so alarming…If the names of those warriors weren't already carved into gravestones.
It was an army of the dead.
"With what you've just said, everything changes. There's no explanation for this!" Boro shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "They're dead! It's impossible for them to be back!"
"You're absolutely right to be upset," Maya answered, regaining control. "But even if the information is confusing, it's still not enough to confirm anything. We'll need to wait and investigate further."
"Broker Lola," she continued, turning to me with a more serious expression, "you're in charge of the investigation. You may take any mage you need with you."
I gave a simple nod and stood up, walking toward the door.
"Maya, you know they're not the dead," I said, stopping without looking back. "This is a waste of time. I already have a few theories about what's really happening."
"Undead...? What kind of world do they think we live in?" I whispered as I left the room.
I sensed a curious presence—an aura moving across the rooftops, following my steps with uncanny precision.
"I didn't know you'd already recovered, little one," I said aloud. "I need you to deliver a letter to Xavier."
As soon as I finished speaking, a shadow dropped from the ceiling, revealing the figure of a hooded teenager wearing a lion-shaped mask that perfectly concealed his identity.
"Tell your uncle this letter is for Kael—directly," I added, handing it to him. "Also, get in contact with the medics on the battlefield. You'll be my eyes and ears."
He nodded, took the letter, and vanished into the shadows.
"Now it's my turn to disappear for a few weeks… what a pain," I murmured with a sigh. "I wanted to meet Kael as his protector. But duty calls."
I'll handle that later.
Before leaving, I looked out the window once more. From there, I could still see the joy of the people who had survived one more day in this world.
But this isn't over. It's only just beginning.
The kingdoms are making their moves. The traitors still slither in the shadows.
And now, it's my turn to fix this.
We'll see each other soon, Kal.
POV: Kael Lanpar
What stood before my eyes had no logical explanation.
It was something that, in my past life, I would've thought impossible to believe… but not here.
Before me, my grandfather was kneeling, asking my mother for permission to take me outside the estate on a training journey.
At his side stood Airis—who had already succeeded in convincing her.
"Daughter, can't you see with your own eyes the prodigious son you have?" he said, pointing at me. "It would be a waste not to train Kael with all that potential. I beg you."
"I already agreed to let you train him. And now you want to take him far away?" my mother replied, visibly irritated. "What do you think my answer will be? He's my son, not yours."
My grandfather turned his head and locked eyes with my father—who immediately looked away, not wanting to step into dangerous territory.
Hard to believe one of the most feared men in the world was afraid of his own wife.
Looking at it from both sides, this trip would be useful—not only to improve my combat abilities but also to stay close to Airis… just in case that disturbing presence I felt a few days ago decided to return.
"Mom, I think it'd be a good idea to go with Grandpa," I said carefully. "I know we've lost a lot of family time… but now that the kingdom's in chaos, I think it's necessary to train—to protect all of you."
My words achieved what neither my grandfather nor my father could: they softened my mother's sharp gaze and the aura of resistance around her.
She stepped closer with a sad expression and hugged me tightly.
"Kael… why are you doing this to me?" she said through tears. "I don't want to be away from you again… or your sister. I just want to protect you both… and I can't if—"
"I know you want to protect us, Mother. I understand that," I whispered, resting my head on her shoulder. "But do you remember that time you told us we had to leave? Do you remember what you said to me then?"
She stayed silent. That silence was my signal to go on—hoping I could convince her to let me walk this path in search of power… so I could protect them.
"You told me that everyone has a duty in this life. You and Father… you're the rulers," I continued. "We're the future. And if we want to protect our people and our family, we need to grow… and we need to suffer."
I hugged her tightly, for a long moment.
Everyone around us watched in silence, with expressions ranging from admiration to regret… and sadness, especially among the elders—those who had lived through something similar.
"Alright," my mother said at last, wiping her tears. "But only if you promise me… I won't hear any bad news, okay?"
I nodded.
That promise… I had made it once before, in my past life.And in the end, I was the one left behind, walking over the bodies of those I once loved.
"Perfect! Then let's get ready!" Grandpa shouted, full of excitement. "Tomorrow, before the sun rises, we'll leave the estate and begin our journey."
"Kids, start packing your things! Time waits for no one," he added energetically.
After he finished speaking, I turned and began walking to my room, accompanied by my sisters and my mother.
I could feel their emotions through their auras—nostalgia, worry, resignation.
I knew my mother's story: a child prodigy who bore the weight of expectations, doing everything she could to keep false promises that stole her childhood.I understand she doesn't want that for me… even if she won't admit it.
Happy moments don't last forever.They're just a warm breeze, preparing you for the darkest moments of your life.
Tomorrow, I have to be ready.I won't lose my family again.Not this time.