King and Queen

Once upon a time, the world was mired in filth and devastation, shrouded in gloom and darkness.

Yet, there was one man, a solitary beacon of hope, who brought liberation and redemption to every land he touched. Wherever he ventured, people followed, drawn to his light.

In his wake, these followers formed an organization, an army, and eventually, an empire. Yet the man remained indifferent to their adulation; he marched onward, bringing light to every corner of the world.

One day, he set foot in the territory of Nathaniel Heaven, general of the Crusader Army.

It was then that his endless march ceased.

His empire forged an alliance with the Crusader Army. With the aid of the Miracle Priest, Luca Azoria, they overthrew the ominous tyranny of the Old King, Tyrant Kolgwyn.

That man is Liu Yu.

The man who now stands before Shun and Silver.

Without a single word, he raised one arm, which shone with a brilliant, blinding light.

"Run!" Shun shouted desperately.

Drawing their ethereal arms, Shun and Silver darted in opposite directions. When they turned back, their original position was replaced by a gleaming pillar of light.

The pillar slowly faded, its residual energy converging in Liu Yu's hands to form a dazzling longsword made entirely of light.

Before Shun and Silver could react, Liu Yu's figure vanished from their sight.

"Behind you!" Silver screamed to Shun.

But it was too late. The brilliant longsword pierced Shun's body at the speed of light, reducing him to dust.

Despite knowing Shun wouldn't physically die, Silver, who had never encountered death, widened her mouth in silent horror.

Until a hand covered her mouth, pulling her underneath the ground.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Shun, alive and well, whispered to Silver, her face still pale with terror. "The weapon I created with my ethereal arm allows me to summon a clone to take lethal damage in my stead. Along with another weapon that lets me travel underground, I dodged the strike and survived."

Relieved, Silver questions Shun, "What do we do now?"

"I have no idea," Shun replied. "Just like the storybooks say, Liu Yu can manipulate light. This ability is not only unbeatable, but it also counters your Blade of Yin. 

"Shun, can your ethereal arm create anything?" Silver asked after a moment of thought.

"No, only weap—"

Before he could finish, a ray of light pierced the stones, and their hideout exploded into tiny pebbles.

Silver, barely dodging the strike, quickly repositioned herself and lunged toward Liu Yu.

Emotionless, Liu Yu lazily lifted his spare arm, a beam of light radiating from his hand.

But Silver, dodging the light at a risky angle, rotated her body and slashed directly at Liu Yu's head. Yet all her sword met was a glimmer of light.

Liu Yu had teleported behind her and raised his longsword.

"Sunset Slash!"

Silver rotated again, unleashing her most formidable ability.

And Liu Yu flicked it away.

With a simple swing of his hand, the slash was nullified.

But behind him, Shun emerged from the shadows, two bloody daggers in hand, piercing Liu Yu's back.

Unperturbed, Liu Yu rested his hand on Shun's head, Shun's face frozen in terror.

And an explosion sent Shun flying.

Silver, with no time for grief, drew her sword once again.

"Sunset Slash!"

Liu Yu simply shook his head and flicked his hand in the same manner.

A bell rang.

And the slash vanished before it met his hand.

Instead, Liu Yu sensed a force from his back, and his world plunged into deep blackness. Engulfed by the aura of Yin, Liu Yu's eyes widened as he fell to the ground.

Silver and Shun, having swapped positions during their final strike, stared at each other in happiness and disbelief.

Before they had time to celebrate, Liu Yu's body disappeared once again.

This time, however, he did not reappear behind either of them.

Liu Yu stands afloat in midair, rays of sunlight illuminating his face, revealing a serious and displeased expression.

With a deep and majestic voice, Liu Yu finally spoke.

"Solar Illumination."

For a moment, it seemed as though the sun had lost its brilliance.

Instead, it appeared in Liu Yu's hand.

He lifted his arm, pointing the shining energy directly at Silver and Shun.

Shun fearlessly drew his weapon and pointed it back at Liu Yu, his face now full of determination and confidence.

The same pillar of light emerged from Liu Yu's hand, more brilliant than ever.

But Shun did not back down, with a cry, the scabbard of his sword shattered, uncovering the shining surface within it.

And the pillar of light was reflected back to Liu Yu.

Even a child knows, mirror can reflect light. 

From the start, Shun and Silver knew that even Sunset Slash could not defeat Liu Yu. The only possibility of victory lay in reflecting his ability back at him. But to make Liu Yu unleash a serious attack, they had to successfully land a pressing hit.

The bell that rang was one of the ethereal arms Shun had acquired, an illusion-type ethereal arm that caused the enemy to misrecognize people's true identities.

Silver and Shun's appearances had been swapped under the bell's power, making Liu Yu believe that Sunset Slash came from the front instead of the back.

Truth be told, they never had time to discuss strategies.

"It was as if they knew what the other was doing from the start"

"This," Instructor Lumiel smiled, "Is teamwork at its perfection."