The sounds of hurried footsteps broke through the forest as two figures moved along the narrow path, one pulling the other back as they argued.
"Ansley! What are you doing? Let me go!"
"My lady, I can't. We need to go back," Ansley said, his grip firm.
Alteraz, stubborn as ever, struggled against him, twisting and pulling.
"Ansley, I'm telling you, we need to go! Zhangxuan… Zhangxuan can't handle that!"
Hearing her speak the grandmaster's name again unsettled Ansley. It wasn't her urgency that concerned him, but the familiarity in her tone. He lifted an eyebrow slightly and said nothing more.
"My lady, forgive me for doing this," he said, lifting her effortlessly and turning her back toward the inn.
Alteraz's view flipped upside down as frustration surged through her. She punched his back repeatedly, but Ansley did not react.
The struggle continued for several minutes until Ansley noticed the sudden quiet behind him.
"My lady?"
THUD!!
Before he could fully react, Alteraz propelled herself upward, throwing them both off balance. She flipped midair, grabbed a handful of dirt, and flung it straight into his face. Blinded, he covered his eyes instinctively, giving her just enough time to break free.
"Lady Alteraz!" Ansley called, but she was already running deeper into the forest.
Branches scraped her arms and legs, yet she did not slow. Every step carried her farther from Ansley, though she had no clear destination. She only stopped when she believed she had gained enough distance.
Faint lights flickered between the trees ahead. Without hesitation, she moved toward them, guided more by instinct than thought.
Her focus on the lights nearly made her miss the cliff edge. She stopped just in time as the ground disappeared beneath her feet, but a strong hand shot out and caught her.
"If you think you can escape just like that, you're mistaken," Ansley's voice came from behind her ear.
"Ansley!" she gasped as she turned toward him.
"Tell me, young miss, what do you intend to do?"
Looking at him, she knew Ansley's loyalty to Zhangxuan was absolute. He trusted his master's strength above everything, even her warnings.
"He'll die!"
"And what makes you think he will die?" Ansley asked, a knife gleaming in his hand as he stepped closer cautiously.
"My master… you know him. Even when people stand against him, he still pushes forward. What happened earlier won't just be ignored," she said, pressing her point.
Ansley paused, conflict flickering in his eyes. For a brief moment, he wondered if the grandmaster truly needed his aid elsewhere. In the end, his loyalty prevailed. The thought of Zhangxuan facing danger without him left no room for doubt.
"Fine," Ansley said at last. "I'll go… but I'll leave you here. Go back, and I'll handle the rest."
"Leave me? Are you insane? You can't—"
"I'm telling you, it's for the best," he interrupted, already moving.
"No! If you're going, then I'm going too! I don't even know the way back. Bringing me along won't slow you down—it'll save time!"
Ansley hesitated, conflict flashing in his eyes. He opened his mouth to argue, then finally nodded reluctantly.
"Fine… but stay close. One step out of line, and I will drag you back myself."
Alteraz let out a relieved breath and followed as they moved through the forest.
The forest blurred around them as they ran, branches brushing past as they barely disturbed the leaves. Then Ansley began chanting a spell that bent reality itself. As the warp activated, space collapsed inward, and in an instant, they arrived inside the palace.
The scene before them left Alteraz stunned.
The halls, restored only hours earlier after the collapse, had already fallen back into ruin. Nobles scattered as gates hung open and dust filled the air. Deep within the grand hall, two figures clashed violently-one bound in glowing chains, the other pressing a relentless attack, while smoke and scorched wood lingered throughout.
"Zhangxuan! To threaten a Celestial in his own domain is a grave crime! You are courting death!" Elshmir's voice thundered through the hall.
Zhangxuan broke free of his restraints and lunged at Elshmir. The two clashed violently, their strikes shaking the entire hall.
Around them, palace mages scrambled. Some tried restraining Zhangxuan with binding spells, while others reinforced barriers to protect the hall and the nobles. Each impact sent waves of force outward, making the barriers flicker and strain under the pressure.
Alteraz could only watch, fully aware this level of magic was far beyond her. Each clash made it clear even the combined efforts of the mages could barely contain the destruction.
Gradually, Zhangxuan's exhaustion became visible. Each high-level spell he cast against Elshmir drained him further.
Alteraz was about to call out to Ansley for help when he moved first, surging forward and cutting down the mages blocking his path.
Zhangxuan's attention flicked to Ansley, then to Alteraz kneeling at a distance, and that heartbeat of distraction was all Elshmir needed as the strike landed squarely against Zhangxuan's ribs.
A dull, sickening crack echoed through the hall, one Alteraz felt more than heard. His body jerked from the impact, boots scraping half a step across the marble before he forced himself upright, and a thin line of red slipped past his lips.
Alteraz remained still, unable to process the sight of him staggering under the blow, until her gaze snapped upward to the chandelier above the duel. Without hesitation, she grabbed a shard of broken glass from the ground and began slicing through the rope holding it, blood running down her hands as she ignored the pain.
"Come on… come on…" she muttered, before letting out a strained gasp as she fell back after finally cutting the rope.
The chandelier came crashing down, but Elshmir didn't even look up. He stepped aside as it exploded against the marble behind him.
A heavy silence settled over the hall.
You've got to be kidding me…
I just sliced my hands open for that?!
He tilted his head, the corner of his mouth curling into a dangerous smile.
"Ah… look what we have here. The mouse finally shows itself to the cat."
Elshmir lunged forward, aiming to strike Alteraz before she could react.
She closed her eyes briefly, wishing desperately for another reincarnation—but nothing happened.
Zhangxuan countered instantly, sending Elshmir flying several meters back.
"Dane Zhangxuan De Florencia! Do you truly wish to make the entire Kanzakh Kingdom your enemy?" Elshmir roared.
"Master… what does he want? Why has it come to this?" she asked, her voice filled with worry and disbelief.
Zhangxuan did not answer, but Elshmir's words revealed everything.
"Hand over your disciple, and your sins will be pardoned… for the sake of your family's name!"
Zhangxuan's eyes narrowed. "And why should I follow you?"
Enraged, Elshmir unleashed a colossal spell, a surge of energy that shook the hall and threatened to erase everything in its path. The mages tried to restrain him, but the attack surged forward.
Zhangxuan prepared to strike again, mana coiling around his hands as he stood protectively before Alteraz. His breathing was heavy, strain finally breaking through his composure.
Suddenly, Alteraz placed a hand on his shoulder, making him pause for a moment before she stepped in front of him, her eyes glowing red as she raised a trembling knife against the incoming destruction.
"Zhangxuan… you truly are an ignorant master," she said calmly.
Zhangxuan's eyes widened slightly before a faint smile formed, as though he had just realized something.
The blade in her hand flared, transforming into Accsentia's true form. With a single motion, she cut through Elshmir's spell. The hall erupted in blinding white light.
When it faded, she stood again before Zhangxuan. The girl who had stepped forward moments ago returned, unaware of what had occurred. She looked down at him, breathless, and helped him up, steadying him without memory of what she had done.
Across the hall, Elshmir's gaze lingered on her before he suddenly appeared in front of them.
Alteraz held her breath as he arrived, and Zhangxuan immediately stepped into a protective stance.
"Calm down. How about we settle this with a wager?" he said.
A wager? Alteraz inwardly questioned what she had just heard.
"If your disciple can defeat mine," Elshmir continued deliberately, "she will be free. However, she will only have one month to prepare."
One month against a Celestial's disciple?
I can barely cut a chandelier rope!
She opened her mouth to refuse. "I… I can't—there's no way I could possibly—"
Zhangxuan stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. He said nothing, only gave a slight nod, as though answering Elshmir on her behalf.
Her eyes widened. Wait… what?!
Elshmir's smile deepened. "Ah… so it seems your master accepts on your behalf. Excellent."
Seeing the two agree without even considering her opinion, Alteraz could only helplessly accept her fate.