Arcane Bonds

The air around the arena grew thick with tension as Mira and Magnus stood, side by side, ready to face the puppet of Malachar Draven. The hulking colossus loomed before them, its massive fists poised to strike. Mira’s eyes narrowed as she observed the puppet’s movements, her body tense, while Magnus beside her readied his fiery arsenal.

With a burst of speed, the colossus charged at Mira, its fists crashing toward her like meteors. But Mira was faster—her body flickered like lightning as she dodged to the side, spinning out of the colossus's range. Magnus seized the opportunity, launching a torrent of fire directly at the puppet’s exposed back. The flames engulfed the colossus, scorching its dark coat and searing its skin. Yet, the puppet kept moving, fists pounding the ground where Mira had stood just moments before.

Mira, now behind the colossus, thrust her sword forward with incredible precision, aiming for the joints in its armor-like skin. Her blade struck true, slicing through the puppet’s defenses. The massive figure stumbled under the combined assault, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though the fight was tilting in their favor. Malachar, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fist and shouted commands to his puppet.

"Stand! Destroy them!" Malachar barked, his voice seething with fury.

The colossus recovered quickly and resumed its assault, but Mira was already a step ahead.

She had cast her spells long before the confrontation, her body humming with raw magical energy with a regeneration that was unmatched, knitting any injury in seconds, and her mana absorption made her an unstoppable force, replenishing her reserves at an incredible rate. Every time she moved, her presence radiated power, a result of the unique Sylvaran abilities she had mastered over the years. Her healing magic pulsed through her veins, enhancing both her physical strength and her resilience.

Beside her, Magnus could feel her magic weaving through him, amplifying his fire spells with devastating precision. His flames burned brighter and hotter, fueled by Mira’s enchantments.

The puppet colossus charged, its massive fists pounding the ground with the force of an earthquake. But Mira moved like a ghost, dodging with blinding speed, her enhanced agility allowing her to slip through the colossus’s attacks with ease. Every time the puppet managed to land a blow, her skin would split and bleed, but in a blink, the wound would close, her body repairing itself as fast as it was damaged.

She darted in close, her sword flashing as she slashed at its joints. Her blows were precise, and with each strike, she weakened the puppet’s defenses. Meanwhile, Magnus kept the pressure on, his fire magic growing stronger with every moment.

Malachar, watching with a sickening grin, wasn't about to let his puppet fall so easily.

"Enough!" Raising his wand into the air. The magic circle above him flared with dark energy as a second figure emerged from the shadows—a tall, skinny puppet, draped in ragged robes that barely hid its emaciated frame. This one was different. The air around it hummed with power, and beneath its feet, the ground began to tremble.

The earth itself responded to the puppet’s will. It raised its bony wand, and in an instant, a wall of solid rock erupted between Mira and the colossus. The earth puppet was quick, summoning a thick armor of stone around the colossus, reinforcing its already formidable defenses. The arena shifted beneath them as the puppet manipulated the ground, warping the terrain to disrupt Mira’s and Magnus’s movements.

“Damn it!” Magnus cursed as his fire spells were absorbed by the earth, the puppet blocking every attack he sent. Flames roared and exploded on impact, but the rocky armor of the colossus held firm.

Mira’s breath came faster as she dodged another strike, narrowly avoiding being pinned by the shifting terrain. Her sword clashed against stone, but the puppet’s defense was impeccable. She gritted her teeth. "This won't last long," she muttered under her breath. They were seasoned fighters, but the terrain manipulation was putting them at a disadvantage.

Magnus shifted his focus, alternating between attacking Malachar and defending Mira. Whenever the earth puppet attempted to cast, Magnus would send waves of fire toward its hands, interrupting its control. And when Malachar sent dark spells their way, Magnus was ready, deflecting or dodging each one with precise movements. The flames he conjured danced like serpents, seeking out weaknesses in the earth puppet’s defenses and Malachar spells.

Mira moved like a blur, her speed enhanced by her spells. Every time the earth puppet raised another barrier or tried to alter the terrain, Magnus was there to scatter the rocks with powerful fire spells. The puppet's control over the battlefield was crumbling under the relentless onslaught.

Malachar Draven stepped forward, his scarred face twisted in fury, his wand glowing with dark energy. "You think you've won?" he sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

As if on cue, the earth puppet raises its wand to summon even more powerful spells. But Magnus was ready. He unleashed a torrent of fire directly at the puppet’s core, shattering its rocky armor. The flames engulfed the puppet, and with a desperate scream, his armor crumbled into ash.

Malachar’s grin faltered. For the first time, he looked uncertain. But even as the battle raged, he seemed unbothered, as if this was all part of a larger plan.

But both Mira and Magnus knew one thing: they were closing in. Malachar’s time was running out.

Malachar's second puppet, the thin, earth-magic caster, entered the fray. It raised its hands, summoning pillars of stone to trap Mira and Magnus, attempting to control the battlefield. Rocky armor coated the colossus and him again, reinforcing its already immense strength. The terrain shifted under their feet, but Mira didn’t falter.

Her body surged with magic, regenerating any wounds instantly, as if the puppet’s attacks were little more than an inconvenience. With her sword flashing in and out of view, she carved through the rocky armor and sent the colossus stumbling backward. But even as she closed in for another strike, the earth puppet intervened, raising walls and barriers to protect its companion.

The fight was grueling, but Mira’s unyielding resilience frustrated Malachar. Every time she seemed cornered, her body would heal in a matter of seconds, and her strength would return as if she had never been injured. She was a dual-path practitioner, a warrior who could not be easily killed.

"Mira, focus on the colossus!" Magnus shouted as he threw fireballs at the earth puppet, trying to keep it at bay. "I’ll handle the mage!"

Mira nodded, her eyes locked on the colossus as it prepared for another attack. She dashed forward, her speed a blur, and with a powerful thrust of her sword, she severed one of the colossus's arms. It roared in pain, stumbling backward, but Malachar's commands forced it to continue fighting.

Magnus unleashed his full power. He raised his wand, and a massive magic circle appeared in the air above him. The ground trembled as fiery chains shot out from the circle, wrapping around both puppets. The earth puppet tried to shield itself with its rocky armor, but the fire burned through, scorching its brittle form.

With a roar, Magnus cast one final spell, as Magnus unleashed his devastating fire spell, the searing heat and explosive force spread across the battlefield, consuming both puppets in a fiery inferno. Mira, caught within the blast’s radius, felt the flames scorch her skin and tear at her muscles. Her body burned under the intense heat, the force of the magic overwhelming her senses. Yet, where any other mage or warrior would have succumbed, Mira’s regeneration kicked in immediately. Her unique healing magic, combined with her martial resilience, allowed her to endure the unimaginable pain. Even as the flames threatened to tear her apart, her wounds stitched themselves together at an incredible rate, muscle and tissue reforming in mere seconds.

Magnus watched in shock as Mira emerged from the heart of the explosion, her body already healing from the devastation his spell had caused. Her skin, which had been charred moments before, regenerated right before his eyes. It was as if her body refused to accept death. She staggered, gasping for air, but within moments, she stood tall once again. Magnus, panting from the effort of his spell, couldn’t hide his surprise, astonished by her sheer endurance. She merely wiped the blood from her lips, her eyes fierce with determination, as if the inferno had done little more than slow her down.

As the puppets were destroyed, Malachar screamed in agony, clutching his chest as his forbidden magic rebounded on him. The destruction of the puppets sent a backlash of dark energy through his body, tearing into him.

In that moment, Mira moved with blinding speed. Before Malachar could react, she was in front of him, her hand wrapped tightly around his neck, and with swift, brutal efficiency, she sliced through his limbs. His arms and legs fell to the ground, severed cleanly by her blade. Malachar howled in pain, but Mira wasn't done.

She leaned over him, her voice cold and calm. "You're not dying that easily," she whispered, casting her healing magic over his wounds, sealing them just enough to stop the bleeding. Malachar's limbs wouldn’t regenerate, and he was left helpless, a broken man with no chance of fighting back.

Dark mages rushed to his aid, but before they could intervene, the mages from the academy stepped in, casting barriers and spells to block their path. The dark mages hesitated, seeing their leader captured, and then, in a panic, they began to flee. Chaos erupted as the mages of the academy gave chase, determined to root out every last one of them.

In the center of the arena, Mira stood over Malachar’s broken body, her eyes burning with righteous fury. Magnus stood beside her, his breathing heavy but victorious. The battle was over, but the war was just beginning.