Chapter 22: The Currents of a storm

The night sky stretched out with distant stars that glittered like scattered diamonds. The cool breeze carried the faint scent of rain and distant city exhaust. The clamor of distant sirens had the occasional bark of a stray dog.

Pufima and Priya scrambled up the fire escape of a nearby building with Pufima’s crystalline sword casting a glow on the surroundings. The scent of the city’s grime clung to their clothes, mingling with the tang of metal from the sword.

Priya’s breathes came in short, panicked bursts. She glanced at Pufima. “What are we doing, Pufima? We should be finding a shelter. This is too dangerous!”

Pufima continued climbing. “I know it’s risky, but I’ve got to see this through to the end. Something’s wrong with that other Divine Blade member and I need to find out what’s going on.”

Priya’s spoke with fear. “You’re going to get us killed. We’re not ready for this! We haven’t undergone any training at all!”

Pufima paused and turned to Priya with a shaky but resolute smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve got eleven lives.”

Priya shook her head in frustration. “Probably in Jump Stars 2. This is real life. We don’t have cheat codes here!”

Despite the danger, Pufima’s gaze was locked on the distant rooftop, where the clash of swords and the fiery glow of Cera’s blade could still be seen.

On the rooftop, the clash between Bellar and Cera reached a fever pitch. Their swords were locked in a contest of strength with each struggling to overpower the other. Bellar’s arms shook under the pressure to hold her ground.

Cera grinned widely and leaned in close. “Looks like you’re about to get a haircut out of this world, Bellar.”

Bellar’s face turned a deep shade of red with rage. Her anger fueled her strength and with a roar, she pushed back against Cera’s blade. The effort was immense and sweat beaded on her forehead.

Cera’s grin turned cruel. “Time to turn up the heat!”

Without warning, Cera’s body was engulfed in flames. The fire swirled around her which was tinged with dark, ominous hues. The intense heat radiated off her and distorted the air around them, making the rooftop glow with a menacing orange light.

Cera’s flames surged forward against Bellar’s defenses with overwhelming force. The fiery onslaught pushed Bellar back across the rooftop.

Bellar skidded to a halt near the edge. She glanced up just in time to see Cera moving like a rocket. She descended rapidly from the sky towards her.

Bellar thrust her sword forward and channeled a burst of lightning in an attempt to intercept Cera but the flames were too intense and cut through the lightning.

Bellar barely managed to get out of the way in time. Cera landed smoothly with a predatory focus. Bellar growled in frustration.

Bellar’s mind raced as she faced Cera’s intense flames. I’ve fought against Cera’s sword magic countless times. The memory of their shared battles flashed before her eyes

Back in the day, Bellar and Cera had been lieutenants together in Divine Squad 3. Their camaraderie had often been tested by petty squabbles but their mutual respect had kept them as the best of friends. One time, over a minor disagreement, their argument escalated into an all-out brawl. They had unleashed their sword magic in a heated clash and the resulting explosion had demolished a portion of their squad’s building.

A fellow squad member had stormed out, glaring at them. “That was my room, you little shits!”

Bellar thought bitterly before she snapped back to the present. The rooftop was only silent for that long until Cera cut through the air with a dark excitement. “Sword Magic Level 2: Raika!”

Cera’s sword ignited with a controlled intensity. Flames swirled around it and transformed it into a fierce orange, leaf-shaped blade with sharp edges.

Bellar’s eyes narrowed. She raised her sword, feeling the familiar crackle of energy. “Sword Magic Level 2: Inaminari!”

Bellar’s sword, Imari, glowed with a controlled blue light. It’s shape sharpened into a bolt-like form. Blue static surrounded her blade, crackling with precision.

Cera swung her blade and unleashed torrents of flames that roared toward Bellar. The fire licked at the edges of the rooftop.

Bellar, gritting her teeth countered with a powerful slash of her own. A pillar of lightning erupted from Imari that cut through the oncoming flames. Whiile Bellar held her ground, she noticed a troubling change—Cera’s flames began to darken with an ominous, shadowy hue.

Cera moved with unnatural speed with her flames swirling around. Bellar tried to keep her distanc but Cera’s enhanced agility allowd her to easily blitz past Bellar. She sliced across Bellar’s shoulder. The searing pain shot through Bellar and she stumbled, clutching at her wounded shoulder.

Cera’s speed intensified. She rocketed around Bellar, launching quick yet powerful strikes. Bellar struggled to keep up. Her movements became slower and slower while she began taking hit after hit.

‘Man, this speed…’ Bellar grumbled in her head. ‘Gotta be that freakin’ Senodokidatsu. If it was just Cera, I’d be handling this no sweat. But that damn thing’s juiced her up big time.’

Cera halt after seeing Bellar’s weakened state. With a smirk, she advanced into close quarters and jabbed her blade foward. Bellar desperately arced her blade and released a streak of intense lightning that shot from Imari, forcing Cera to retreat momentarily.

Cera, however, quickly darted around Bellar, positioning herself behind her. Bellar spun to face the threat and barely managed to block Cera’s strike. The force of the blow sent her sliding backward.

‘Damn, at this pace, I’m gonna be toast real quick,’ Bellar thought while gasping for breath.

Cera’s eyes gleamed with malevolent delight. She took a menacing step toward Bellar. “Hey, Bellar, is it just me, or are those big melons you got slowing you down? I’m a ‘good friend,’ so I’m gonna do you a solid and cut ‘em off for ya.””

Bellar’s eyes narrowed in anger. She glanced briefly at her sword, then shifted her focus back to Cera. She pointed Imari toward the ground, letting out an almost imperceptible spark of lightning. The spark traveled silently along the rooftop.

Bellar forced a smirk. “. “Looks like you’re tryin’ to make up for somethin’ with all this trash talk.”

Cera’s glared sharply. “Like what, huh?”

Bellar’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Like the fact that your hair ain't what it used to be. It’s about to get the shocker of a lifetime.”

Cera’s eyes flared with anger. “You and your damn bluffs. If you touch my hair, I’m gonna—”

Before she could finish, Cera found herself surrounded by four tall lightning pillars, which began to swirl around her. The pillars crackled with electric energy that trapped her in a cage of raw power.

Cera squinted at the pillars and sneered. “Nice trick but I’m gonna blaze right through it!”

She tried to blaze her way out, but the intense lightning of the pillars proved too much. Her flames faltered against the electric onslaught.

“What the—” Cera muttered.

Bellar rang out with cold resolve. “You may be strong with the Senodokidatsu’s power but when my sword magic reaches level 3, you’re not even near my level.”

Cera’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Level 3?! ‘She thought.’ I didn’t see her release beyond level 2…’

Bellar smirked. “Sword Magic, Level 3: Imari.”

Her sword, Imari, now held a deep blue tint. An aura of blue lightning surrounded her with an intensity that made the air feel charged with energy. The pillars of lightning continued to swirl around Cera.

“Thunderclap!”

With Bellar’s command, pillars of lightning formed around Cera with a deafening roar. The pillars multiplied, surrounding Cera in a storm of electric fury. They converged into one wide pillar of lightning that slammed down upon Cera.

Cera screamed with the lightning wreaking havoc on her body. The intense bolt of electricity caused her to stagger under its force.

Bellar took deep breathes. ‘Had to do that before the Senodokidatsu pushed Cera’s sword magic to level 3. Hopefully, that will be enough to subdue it… Then we can take Cera back to--’

Bellar paused and looked on with widened eyes.

When the smoke cleared, Cera stood amidst a blazing ring of fire. She glared at Bellar with ferocity “Sword Magic, Level 3: Raika!”

The rooftop was enveloped in a swirling ring of fire that expanded with Cera’s movements. The flames spread swiftly, closing in on Bellar with unrelenting heat.

Bellar grunted in pain when the fire ring reached her. There was no escape from the damage. The flames were relentless against her skill. Her gaze darted to the nearby building. . “That’s one hell of a jump… but it’s my only shot.”

With a burst of adrenaline, Bellar leapt off the rooftop and aimed for the next building. Cera rang out with mocking glee. “Oh, where you going? Here, let me help you!”

Cera unleashed a torrent of fire towards Bellar. “Hope you brought a parachute, ‘cause you’re gonna need it!”

The flames propelled Bellar onto the adjacent rooftop. She crashed hard against the building's edge. Bellar lay sprawled out. She wasnearly unconscious. Her body was battered scorched from the impact.

Cera watched with a smirk.

Bellar pushed herself up slowly. She struggled hard to regain her footing. She then glared at Cera, who stood triumphantly amidst the flames.

Pufima, barely visible from the fire escape of the nearby building peeked out with wide eyes. Her gaze darted between Bellar and Cera,.

Priya trembled with concern. “Oh no, the Divine Blade member is in trouble.”

Pufima’s face hardened. “I’ve gotta do something…”

Priya grabbed Pufima’s arm desperately. “No! You’ve done enough. I don’t want you to die here. Can’t you feel the heat? The fire’s still burning strong and it’s miles away. We could get turned into shish kabobs!”

Pufima glanced down at the crystalline blade in her hands. Her mind went back to the moment she first saw Cera. The memory was vivid—Cera’s surprised and fearful reaction when she noticed the Divine Blade.

Pufima’s heart pounded. ‘Maybe this is the answer.’

She clenched the crystalline blade tightly. “We have to help “If there’s even a chance I can make a difference…”

Cera approached Bellar with slow, deliberate steps. Her gaze was fierce. “It’s about time to wrap this up.”

The Senodokidatsu mask on Cera’s face had now fully formed, resembling a white phoenix. The mask’s presence seemed to intensify the flames from her fire ring, making the heat unbearable.

Bellar’s eyes widened. “So... you’re all possessed now, huh? That ain’t like you. Where’s the tough girl who used to take no crap from anyone? Where’s my ride-or-die friend?”

Cera’s gazed down at her. “Gone.” The fire ring around her roared with renewed intensity.

Bellar, beaten and breathless muttered to herself, “Looks like I’m done for.” She shut her eyes, bracing for the end. “Sorry, Cap... I... couldn’t pull it off…with that Senodkidatsu in her, she’s become a big problem I ain’t gonna be able to take out...”

But then, a sudden scream broke through the heat. Cera’s flames began to retract with a decrease in its range. Bellar opened her eyes in confusion and saw Pufima standing in front of her with a protective white aura surrounding her.

“What the…?” Bellar gasped when her eyes shifted to the crystalline blade in Pufima’s trembling hands. “That’s a…”

Pufima had sweat streaming down her face. She tried to speak steady. “Are you alright, Divine Blade member? There’s no need to worry because the brave hero Puffy is here to save you with all ten of her lives in tact!”

She stood firm, despite the tremors in her hands and the sweat that soaked her clothes.

Priya kept a safe distance from the chaos. Her eyes were fixed on Pufima. She shook her head with a worried frown. “She’s already lost one life if she started at eleven…I just hope she isn’t in way over her head with this one.”