Nyx and her group faced incredible resistance from the card mages around them. Because of the sudden appearance of the fog, she had been separated from Mirelle and the rest, leaving her alone with three other card mages.
Among the three there were two she knew quite well. "I had to end with him," Nyx frowned. She didn't particularly like this person and neither did the other party admire her too.
Ludovic's expression was already in the highest state of alert possible. All this while, Nyx had noticed Ludovic had stayed close to their group, precisely her to be exact.
"We are part of the card mage police. Don't overthink anything," Nyx reminded herself. Although he wasn't the best partner in the world, they were from the same organization to say the least. She could only bear with him for now.
"The fog seems able to copy our magic. Be extremely careful on the cards you choose to activate. Otherwise it will place everyone in danger," Jeder said. As a three-star officer, he wasn't panicking nor retreating. Instead he was working on a plan to get them out of this situation.
"The fog is just a distraction. The real danger lurks all around us. The card mages we know and those we don't," Ludovic added. In his palms there was already an activated card. Clearly for him, safety wasn't a concern; only his mission was of importance.
"At least Jeder is here. What should we do to get out of this?" Nyx's mind turned the problem up and down, trying to figure out the right path. Although she couldn't be certain what the gas was, she had already activated her cards. Around her, flickers of light floated like planets around a sun. The Star Dominion was the card she and Kairo had chosen for this mission.
Ludovic took a look at Nyx, then at Jeder, his eyes impassive as to what he had in mind. Almost like he was assessing the situation but not in the way they might expect. "The best course of action for us is to retreat. We haven't moved deep into the fog before it appeared. It's safe to assume going back we might get out of its range and from there formulate the right course of action."
"He is not totally wrong, Nyx. This is not a bad idea," Jeder nodded. He was the pragmatic type. As long as their actions kept everyone alive, he was willing to go through it.
However, Nyx's lips moved but no words came out of them. "Going back?" For her it sounded absurd. Why did they come to this island in the first place? It was to get chosen destiny. They had always been aware it would be dangerous here, yet they still came. How would she look at herself if she just retreated at the first danger? "Kairo would have never fled; no, he would have thought of a way to get out of this and found one. I can't run away."
"No, we are here for chosen destiny. There has to be a solution. Even if the fog makes the shadow untargetable, if we could displace it just enough for us to pinpoint his location, then everything will be settled. Any card mage in the vicinity would be able to get rid of him," Nyx said. They weren't all allies in this fog, but they all wanted to survive. If such an opportunity presented itself, no matter who it was in the range, they would act first for themselves, but by the way, helping everyone.
"I recognize you well in there. Let's keep moving then," Jeder nodded. In his eyes, the Gemstone Dominance was already shining.
"This is absurd. We must go back if we want to survive this. Can't you hear it?" Ludovic insisted. His voice so dense that his eyebrow arched downward as if he had everything to gain with them going backward.
Jeder took a few steps back, suspicion growing in his eyes. "What exactly is your problem, Ludovic? You're a four-star officer, not supposed to be a coward."
"The fog is growing more dangerous," Ludovic pointed with his finger. The card mage in his direction's face shifted, going from worried to terrified in a split second. Behind him, the foggy shadow had re-emerged, a sharp sword in hand.
The card mage moved his arms in a moving motion, yet his foot stayed rooted on the ground. The shadow sword made a clean arc, dividing the mage's body into two equal halves. The crimson red blood splitted on the side, tainting part of Nyx's shoulder.
"The bastard. He used Shadow Order on an ally," Jeder's face turned almost bestial. His body moved on instinct thanks to the Gemstone Dominance, allowing him to evade the shadow before he suffered the same fate.
"What is the meaning of this, Ludovic?" Nyx's face twitched slightly. This was because she hadn't noticed anything until now. If Ludovic wanted her dead, she would have ended exactly like the card mage earlier. But he hadn't; instead he targeted another person, revealing his real intention. But why?
"He wants us alive," Nyx's heart trembled in fear.
"Enough chit-chatting. Now you will follow me, Nyx. The Card Graveyard shall belong to her. Stay docile and I won't harm you, at least not badly," Ludovic smiled. The mask finally falling, he could allow the real him to resurface. An expression not of fear nor terror but that of someone reveling at the pain and fear in other people.
"The Card Graveyard? What's that?" Nyx took a step back. The Star Dominion revolving around her went into action.
"I don't know what his end goal is nor who he works for, but we have to stop him now," Jeder said. Guided by his intense desire for vengeance, his body moved agilely in between the trees, stepping in and out to reach his target.
Ludovic moved like a fish in water, stepping to the side to evade Jeder's fist. He shifted his weight on the ground, aiming his palm for his opponent's chest. Then before Jeder could react, he jumped back and vanished behind the trees.
Within the chaotic fog, they could faintly hear his voice. "You dare call yourselves card mages when you have no understanding of the Card Graveyard nor card necromancy. Pathetic."
Jeder and Nyx stepped behind each other, keeping every possible angle in view. This environment was not only dangerous because of the card fossil who could attack at any moment, but now because of this born assassin on their trail.
"Jeder, be careful. I have already seen something like this. This type of magic that first requires physical contact with the opponent to work," Nyx warned. She had a bad feeling about what had just happened yet could not tell exactly what Ludovic had done.
"What does card necromancy or Card Graveyard have to do with me?" This was the question on Nyx's mind. Yet she didn't have time to ponder on it. Ludovic reappeared just above them on a tree branch. He flipped a card in his hands, summoning the circuitry of the void.
"Tempest of the Assassin," he murmured.
"He has disappeared," Nyx frowned. On her command, the Star Dominion began revolving around her. Using the moving fog to form a cyclone of energy that she directed in his direction. She couldn't control the entire fog but with Star Dominion could increase the weight of part of it, trapping Ludovic in between.
Ludovic's laughter made them uneasy. It was like he was everywhere at the same time. The next thing they knew was a sharp pain on their ankle as if they had been sliced by a dagger. Then it was on the shoulder, then the forearm.
"This card allows him to attack infinitely within the range of his shadow order. We are trapped," Jeder cursed. He disregarded his own safety, protecting only his neck. As time went on, his body was quickly lacerated by the dagger again and again to the point where he turned bloody red.
Nyx's heart ached at the scene but she was unable to help him. Within the Tempest of the Assassin, Ludovic was untargetable. No matter how she tried to trap him with the Star Dominion, he was way too fast. This was why he had started with Jeder.
"I am the target," Nyx thought. Ludovic had planned everything carefully before they even started the mountain ascension. The fog had generated the ideal terrain for him to carry out his plan. They were cornered and alone.
"You will be dead once the others find out you betrayed the card mage police. You will die a horrible death," Nyx cursed in frustration.
"Hmmm, that's only if he survives. Once he's dead, what will be left will be the voice of a woman against the best officer of your generation. Who do you think they would trust? You or me? You're insignificant. Without Kairo, you're nothing."
Nyx bit her lips in anger. The words of Ludovic were sharper than daggers going through her heart. She balled her fist, cracking them so hard they turned white. "I'm not a nobody. I am Officer Nyx. And you shall regret your insolence."
Nyx stepped forward and behind her back, something flapped out. Like wings of angels. They spread out in a majestic arc. With the fire of determination in her eyes, Nyx ascended like an angel. The wings' movement causing the fog to part away. In the air, her eyes were almost divine. "Here you are," she said.
Stretching her hands, a golden sword materialised, encasing the particles of light one after another in a magnificent weapon of legend. "Angel Descend," she called.