While Crescent was running through the canyon, Black Moon took part in a fight of epic proportions. A beast with three serpent heads faced down with five fighters. Its ghostly hiss reverberated through the air, causing its opponents to flinch. It spewed a thick fog of dark, green poison from its leftmost head.

“DPS, blow your load.” A knight in golden armor spat out orders. His hair was black, and eyes green. His chiseled face was proof of the thousands of battles he’d fought.

“Gotcha, Leo.” A purple-haired girl responded, planting her staff on the ground before her as she chanted a spell.

At the same time, a silver-haired man opened his grimoire causing a dark magic circle to appear on the terrain beneath him.

A priestess in the rear of the party chanted one prayer after another as the fog of poison engulfed the party. At the very moment, a golden magic circle shone beneath them. The radiant light nullified the poison. In the center of the circle, the priestess floated. Her white robe fluttered, as did her golden hair. Her visage was truly the definition of noblesse and grace.

“Nice timing!” The black-haired knight praised. He returned his attention to the World Serpent. “Mages, slow. Rev, scout for Blood Cross.”

“Roger that,” a man covered entirely in black responded curtly. His shadow rippled like water before he descended into it. Once he’d disappeared, the rest of the party focused on the boss. An HP bar floated above the World Serpent’s head, glowing red. Only 10% remained.

Away from the battle against the serpent, right in front of the mouth of the canyon, Rev appeared. He surfaced from the shadows like a fish jumping from the surface of the sea.

He felt a surge of magical energy emanating from somewhere. His eyes darted everywhere but he couldn’t find a trace of Crescent.

Wait, is he?!

The realization filled him with an ominous feeling. He summoned two orbs: one golden, the other blue. The orbs moved up and down, left and right, circling him in a spiral that seemed infinite—and they fused. A new, bigger orb was created by their union.

The completed orb pulsated, radiating a wave that encompassed the whole field. Suddenly, Rev turned his gaze to the air towards a specific location. He bit his thumb and he cast the blood that oozed out on the mysterious orb. Its blue began tinting more towards purple. The orb shone with an aura of myriad colors.

Rev shouted a simple incantation, “Revelation!”

Another pulse surged to fill the field. Rev detected a presence and dashed towards it. As he did, an ethereal figure appeared right where he’d sensed something. The transparent figure was like a ghost or djinn. Gradually he took corporeal form. He’d found the missing Crescent!

Crescent looked at Rev in surprise. He caught sight of the orb beside his opponent which resulted in the shock fading into annoyance. Multiple fireballs appeared around him as he swiftly drew a magic circle. They shot towards Rev like missiles.

Rev responded by nullifying his momentum and redirecting it midair. He started zigzagging with incredible speed, his form melted into a flurry of afterimages. 

The fireballs Crescent launched all missed their target, passing harmlessly through the afterimages. Rev took out a kunai, casting it towards his opponent. 

Crescent, who was layering one magic circle atop another, was forced to break his spell.He created a hexagonal ethereal shield to block the kunai. However, Rev’s weapon easily broke through, piercing his shoulder.

A black and green aura encompassed Rev, further increasing his speed. Crescent, still hurting from that kunai, panicked.. He desperately chanted a spell as Rev closed in. Rev reached him in half a second. His knife was coated with a dense black aura, ready to strike. Rev swung at Crescent, intending to slit his belly open. He was confused when Crescent disappeared.

Behind a rock, one of which littered the exit of the canyon, Crescent hid, grimacing in pain. Blood continued to flow from the injury he’d endured. He wrenched out the kunai still lodged in his shoulder to throw it to the ground. He summoned a red potion. The moment he drank it, the gruesome injury started to heal. First, the cracked and chipped bone, followed by his muscles, veins, and finally his skin.Good as new.

“Sig—”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Air stuck in Crescent’s throat, dread consuming him. Rev stood behind him. He casually bent down to take up his kunai stabbed into the earth. He turned it to reveal a seal which was carved on its blade.

“It’s a shame you didn’t look closer at this. Perhaps then you might have had time to prepare. Your teleport skill is still on cooldown, it’s checkmate.”

Rev’s black and green aura surged. Crescent fled, soaring into the sky. Despite his attempted flight, Rev’s speed overwhelmed him. The moment he took off the ground, Rev had followed. Two slashes were the only things he saw and felt. Just from them, his HP bar reduced by half. Three magical circles formed a triangle beneath Crescent. He then chanted a spell in a language foreign to Rev. 

Rev didn’t want to leave anything to chance, he flung his knife towards Crescent, who was still chanting. By the time the knife reached him, it stopped but an inch away from his vulnerable throat. Deafening silence enveloped the world.  A prelude to a horror yet to come.

A thundering explosion engulfed both players. Crescent was sent flying above. It took time before he could stabilize his trajectory. Dust filled the air. Rocks below crumbled and fell, filling the canyon. Crescent couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t determine where Rev was nor what state he was in.

A murderous intent gave Crescent pause. He turned to see the cloaked figure of Rev. Crescent formed a shield to defend himself, however, his opponent easily broke it. Rev, once again, became a flash of green and black light. He rocketed through Crescent multiple times, further damaging him with each hit. Rev accelerated every time he struck successfully. Soon it felt as if he was hitting Crescent from every direction at once. 

Looking from above, Rev formed something that appeared to be a dark green star, Crescent becoming its core.

Crescent’s HP was chipped down until it reached 10% causing his bar to glow bright red. Crescent attempted to escape from the brutal barrage by invoking multiple shields. However, they were all destroyed instantly. Left with no other choice, he summoned a red orb from his inventory.

Rev dashed towards Crescent, intent on finishing him, but he noticed the newly summoned orb. It burst into flames, taking the form of a burning eastern dragon. The dragon roared with supreme might, rounding on Rev immediately, its jaws opened wide. Just before biting down into him, it exploded becoming a surging wave of fire.

The explosion turned the sky crimson. The air itself burned, creating a thick cloud of smoke. Crescent scanned for Rev, breathing heavily.. He detected no sign of movement. Reflexively, knowing his opponent’s fighting style somewhat, Crescent looked up.

Rev dove at him at an insane rate. It could not be blocked, and there was no time for a reaction. Intuition could not save him. Rev’s kunai plunged deeply into Crescent’s chest with a wet thud as they collided. The force of this final strike drove his opponent’s corpse into the ground, digging a grave for him in the process. 

Crescent’s HP was zero.

Rev landed beside Crescent and clinically eyed his opponent with cold diamond-like eyes. He sheathed his knife and recalled his aura from it. Crescent’s corpse slowly collapsed into colorful dust; first, his feet, followed by the rest of his body. However, right before his face collapsed, a mocking smile caressed Crescent’s lips.

Rev stared blankly at the spot where Crescent had left the world. His heart sank. Cold sweat dripped down his back. Rev turned towards the site of the main battle, back towards the World Serpent. Its HP was at 5%. He heaved a sigh of relief, feeling foolish over worrying for nothing. Relieved as he was, the golden and purple orb he’d summoned told him his job was not over yet.