Windmere V

Arthur, Cecilia, and Ava moved through Windmere's narrow, deserted streets, the weight of the encounter with the mayor's agent pressing down on them. The shadows around town hall seemed thicker tonight, pooling at the base of the towering iron gate that guarded the heart of the mayor's domain. The building, modern yet austere with tall glass windows and heavy stone walls, looked more like a fortress than a town hall.

They stopped just outside the entrance, and Arthur felt his grip tighten around Eclipse Blade. The chill in the air was sharper here, a sense of dread swirling in the mana around them.

"This is it," he murmured to Cecilia and Ava. "We confront him now. No more waiting."

Cecilia nodded, her expression determined. "He's held these people hostage long enough."

Ava, equally resolute, worked a quick spell to unlock the front doors. The three of them slipped inside, moving through the building's quiet hallways. As they neared the mayor's office, Arthur felt a strange tension building in the air—a sensation like mana vibrating against his skin. His instincts screamed that something dangerous lay ahead.

They reached the tall, imposing doors of the mayor's office, and Arthur pushed them open. The room beyond was grand, filled with dark leather furniture and lined with bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling. And there, seated behind an oversized desk, was the mayor. He looked up slowly, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of them. He didn't seem surprised—in fact, there was an air of cold satisfaction in his gaze, as if he'd been expecting this moment.

"Arthur Nightingale," he said, his voice smooth and composed. "How predictable."

Arthur stepped forward, not bothering to conceal his disdain. "Your hold over this town is over. We know how you've been controlling the people here, trapping them in silence and fear."

The mayor leaned back, his gaze chillingly calm. "You're meddling in things you don't understand. This town requires order. Discipline. And these people have chosen, willingly, to accept it."

"Willingly?" Cecilia's voice was sharp, her anger barely contained. "You've given them no choice. You've turned their lives into a cage."

The mayor's face twisted into a sneer. "Order must come at a cost. You may call it a cage, but I call it preservation. And you—do you really think you can challenge me here, on my own ground?"

Arthur could feel the weight of something dark gathering in the room, a brewing storm of mana that set his senses on edge. He gripped his sword tighter. "You're out of time. We're putting an end to this, tonight."

The mayor raised his hand, pressing a button beneath his desk, and suddenly the room pulsed with mana. Shadows pooled around the edges of the office, and from behind the mayor, a man stepped forward. He was tall, clad in dark armor that seemed to absorb the faint light, and his eyes gleamed with a hollow, almost lifeless darkness. Arthur could feel the man's strength—he wasn't just any enforcer. This was someone powerful, someone who wouldn't go down easily.

The man drew a massive sword, its edge glowing faintly with a dark energy that seemed to distort the air around it. His aura was oppressive, layered with the sort of lethal intent Arthur had only felt from the strongest Integration-rankers.

Arthur activated Lucent Harmony, letting it flood his body with tranquility and control over mana. He met the man's gaze and raised Eclipse Blade, signaling the start of the battle.

Their swords clashed, and the impact sent a shockwave of mana through the room, rattling the shelves and forcing Cecilia and Ava back a step. The enforcer moved with a brutal, relentless force, each of his strikes pushing Arthur onto the defensive. Arthur could feel the strain in his arms with each block, the sheer weight of the enforcer's attacks threatening to overwhelm him.

'He's stronger than I expected,' Arthur thought, gritting his teeth. He pushed back, layering his blade with resonating enhanced aura, hoping to match the enforcer's strength.

But it wasn't enough. The enforcer's aura burned through his own, forcing him back, step by step, until he was nearly against the wall. Arthur narrowed his eyes, knowing he needed more power.

His enemy was someone who had reached the Wall itself.

Mythic Body. Soul Vision. Astral Manifestation.

With a surge of mana, he activated the three abilities in tandem, feeling the energy course through his veins, strengthening his senses, his body, and his blade. His vision sharpened, allowing him to anticipate the enforcer's next movements, and the weight on his shoulders lifted slightly as his aura flared brighter.

Arthur couldn't use the three abilities before his one year of isolation training, but he managed to do it after.

He launched forward, his blade clashing with the enforcer's once more. This time, his strikes held their ground, meeting the enforcer's dark aura with an energy that cut through the oppressive force. But the enforcer was relentless, each strike faster than the last, pushing Arthur to draw upon even more power.

Realizing he couldn't hold back, Arthur summoned his other two Ancient-grade artifacts. The first, the Mind's Aegis, divided his consciousness into streams, allowing for modular concurrent control over the different mana streams. The second, the Seraphim's Embrace, sharpened his focus, allowing him to read the faintest of his opponent's moves.

Now equipped with his full strength, Arthur pressed forward, striking with a combination of speed and precision that forced the enforcer onto the defensive. He layered his sword with pseudo-astral energy, each strike carrying the weight of his determination, pushing the enforcer back.

But the enforcer was still powerful, still capable of adapting. He snarled, his aura flaring as he pushed back with renewed intensity, and for a moment, they locked blades, neither giving an inch.

Arthur felt the strain, felt his energy draining. But he knew he couldn't relent, not now. With a final surge, he drove Eclipse Blade forward, his pseudo-astral energy igniting as he released a powerful strike, pushing the enforcer's sword aside and forcing him back. He staggered, his guard broken, and in that instant, Arthur struck, driving his blade forward and knocking the enforcer to the ground.

The enforcer's sword clattered across the floor, and he lay there, defeated, his dark aura flickering as he struggled to rise. Arthur lowered his blade, breathing heavily, his eyes hard as he looked down at his opponent.

The mayor, watching from his desk, had lost his composure. His calm mask was gone, replaced by a look of panic. He glanced at his wrist, pulling his sleeve down, but not before Arthur caught sight of something—a tattoo, briefly visible under the cuff. It was a red sun, circled by dark lines that seemed almost alive, pulsing faintly with mana.