As the standoff continues, Alfroth's mind races with questions. Who is this mysterious woman? Why is she attacking them? What does she want? Despite his fear, he tries to stay calm, searching for a way out of this dangerous situation. The forest around them grows eerily silent, or maybe Alfroth couldn't focus on anything else. The thought of being so close to a blade for the first time added to the tension building up inside him.

The woman's eyes betray no emotion as she holds her blade steady, her focus unwavering. Alfroth knows that any sudden move could be his last. Sweat slides on his forehead as he struggles to maintain his composure. He shifts his eyes towards his sister, lying on the ground, and a feeling of worry infects him as he loses hope in the situation.

'What do yo...',

'Keep quiet', the woman commands. Alfroth, not in any position to resist, complies and seals his mouth shut. Her eyes shift towards the tree where Mauka landed. She abandons her posture and stands straight still, pointing her blade at the poor soul's neck. She seemed relaxed but confident in her choice.

Mauka slowly gathers herself and pushes herself to stand tall as she confronts the enemy who is holding her brother captive. Her gaze unwavering, she instinctively grasps the hilt of her great sword. With a fluid motion, she draws the blade from its holder and drives its tip forcefully into the earth, her blade acting as her support as she gathers herself and prepares for her next move.

Mauka demanded, 'What do you want from us?' as she faced the stranger, ready for a confrontation. Alfroth, looking at his sister, felt hope rising within him. The woman replied, 'The Box.' Mauka, looking at the situation, proposed a negotiation, offering the cube in exchange for her brother. After a moment of thought, the woman agreed. As she advanced, Alfroth followed, a blade still threatening his neck. Mauka unhooked the cube from her waist, not sensing any change in weight. With the cube in one hand and her blade in the other, she took a step forward but suddenly stumbled, causing Alfroth to worry. Despite her trembling hands, Mauka gathered her strength, clenched her fist, and rose to her feet, leaving her great blade behind.

As both sides became closer, the woman exuded confidence, growing more and more full of herself, while Mauka strolls nonchalantly, seemingly carefree. Standing just a few steps apart, the woman took the lead in the negotiation by reaching out her hand. 'My brother first,' Mauka requested with a smile. 'Hand over the cube, and I will release him,' the woman replies. Unable to escalate the situation further, Mauka extends her arm holding the cloth containing the cube but halts midway. Mauka unexpectedly tosses the cube high into the air, startling the woman and Alfroth. He braces for the worst. Mauka swiftly throws dirt into the woman's face with her other hand. She quickly loses her posture and hastily tries to remove dirt with both of her hands, retracting the blade from Alfroth's neck. In the quick second she removes the dirt and gains clear vision again, she sees a fist getting bigger and bigger and in a sudden bit of panic, a flash appears again, and she vanishes in thin air.

Mauka catches the cube in her hand again, attaching it back to her waist. Alfroth swiftly moves to his sister's side, thanking her with tears in his eyes. Mauka, pleased to hear these words coming from his mouth, but soon both of them shift their focus to the woman reappearing in front of them at the spot where she held Alfroth hostage.

'You're afraid of my fist, aren't you?' Mauka shouts, her voice cutting through the tense silence. The woman remains silent, her expression unreadable.

'Surprised? Well, you are quite young for somebody in this business. You never intended to kill him, did you?' Alfroth studies her with a puzzled expression, recalling the moment she had him at blade's edge just moments ago.

The woman stays silent, a hint of discomfort flickering across her face. Mauka, sensing an opportunity, presses on, 'Are you wondering how I found that out? It's simple. You lack bloodlust, any true intent. You panicked earlier when I confronted you. I could have seen through you from the start if you truly wanted us dead. You're immature, incompetent, far from an assassin or an enforcer.'

The woman appeared taken aback and inquired, 'How would you know that?' Mauka smiled, exuding confidence and a touch of superiority as she responded, 'Your strength doesn't quite align with that of an enforcer, and an assassin wouldn't have waited this long. I wonder though, are you a mercenary or a scavenger? Certainly not with that gleaming armor of yours.'

The woman appeared uneasy and remarked, 'You really do know a lot.' 'Of course I do, and I also know that you have no intention of backing down right now, but before we proceed, let's share names. I am Mauka, and my little brother next to me is Alfroth, or feel free to refer to him as an idiot.'

'My name is Relaan. Before we face off, I must admit you do have a good grasp of who I am. I wonder how much more you can guess about my identity from just my name?' She prepares herself for the upcoming battle.

Mauka stood with her arms raised, fists clenched, legs spread wide. She faced Relaan, her face grim. She knew she was at a disadvantage without her great blade, and her brother was more of a burden than help.

The weight of the situation pressed down on her, leaving her mind blank. Relaan, sensing her discomfort, noticed the missing blade. 'Take it,' Relaan offered, her voice a low rumble. 'It's yours.'

Mauka scoffed. 'You sure? You're not going to pierce me anyway.' Her pride refused to acknowledge the vulnerability that gnawed at her. But when their eyes met, and Mauka saw the blade, dripping with a dark liquid, concern flickered in her eyes.

'Fine,' Mauka conceded, her voice tight. 'I'll take you up on your offer.'

Alfroth, bewildered by her sudden change of heart, remained silent. Relaan halted, her gaze fixed on Mauka. The air crackled with tension as Mauka spun on her heel, her movements swift and decisive, and dashed towards the blade.

Mauka gripped the hilt of the blade, her fingers tightening around the cold metal. She turned to face Relaan, her expression a mixture of defiance and apprehension. Alfroth, sensing his uselessness in this fight, hurried to the sidelines, a wave of guilt washing over him.

'Sister, pass me the cube!' he cried, desperate to be of some help.

Mauka's voice, sharp and commanding, cut through the air. 'No. She'll snatch it from you in a heartbeat.'

'Bu.. but I will not let...' Alfroth, trying his best to be of some use.

'If I said no, then NO. Shut up and watch from where you are. Don't interfere.'

Alfroth, silenced by her fierce tone, fell silent. He knew she was right. He was no match for Relaan, and any attempt to intervene would only endanger her. Mauka, her stance solid and unwavering, prepared for the coming clash.

The storm had intensified throughout their encounter. The sun, obscured by thick, dark clouds, the air grew colder, heavy, and a few icy droplets began to fall. But none of it fazed them. They looked each other straight in the eye, waiting for the other to make the first move. Relaan began her attack by throwing her sword unexpectedly directly at Mauka.

She tilts her face, avoiding the blade, when suddenly a white electric flash erupts right in front of her, blinding her eyes for a second. When the dazzling light fades and she regains her vision, Relaan is crouched in front of her, tightening her knuckles as she extends her arm to deliver a swift blow, but Mauka narrowly avoids it by jumping backwards.

"She's not going for my head. Even that throw wasn't aimed at my face. Which makes it easier for me, I guess, but her way of fighting still escapes me. It's a uniqueness for sure, but I can't understand what she's really doing, especially that small flash that occurs with it. I need to be more careful; I am already not in great sha-..." A cold chill runs down her spine when she realizes the vast amount of mana gathered over their head, coming from the storm forming. She looks at Relaan, her face shifted towards the storm, and feels the same concern she has. They both know this isn't natural. This isn't just a storm.

'Hey, how about we call it a night? We can continue this later. I don't trust this storm, not with this much mana concentrated above us.' Mauka's voice was strained.

'I agree,' Relaan replied, her tone surprisingly calm.

'Really?' Mauka's brow furrowed, suspicion filling her voice.

'Yes,' Relaan said, holding out her hand. 'Give me the box, and I'll leave.'

'Oh god, why do you want it so bad?' Mauka exclaimed, her frustration rising. 'We can discuss it later. Right now, we should get out of here.'

Relaan refuses to back down even as the storm above them churns, making the situation worse and worse. She vanishes in another flash, leaving behind the crackling sound of electricity, suddenly appearing behind Mauka next to the tree where her blade is stuck in the trunk, grabbing and ripping it out of the tree, charging at Mauka.

Mauka met her charge head-on, their blades clashing in a flurry of sparks. They traded blows, each strike a blur of motion. However, Mauka soon gained the upper hand, her movements becoming more fluid and precise. She pressed her attack, aiming for a decisive strike—only for Relaan to vanish in another flash, reappearing back where she had stood before the fight began.

"This is bad," Mauka muttered, filled with worry. "That storm up there… it's not natural. And this kid—she's so stubborn! I don't want to hurt her, but if we stay here any longer, who knows what could happen? But she just won't listen!"

'Sister, I beg you,' Alfroth pleaded, his voice laced with desperation. 'Give her the cube, and let's go. It's not worth risking our lives for.' The sound of thunder rumbled in the distance as Alfroth did his best to find the safest way out.

For a fleeting moment, the thought of abandoning the cube crossed both their minds. But the arrogance that ran thick in their blood quickly snuffed out that feeble thought.

"Give up?" Mauka scoffed. "Is my brother such a coward? Doesn't he remember? We had to—no, I had to—fight a wayran all on my own for this! I busted my ass for this! And I… I can't stay useless forever!"

"I've traveled a long distance searching for something extraordinary like this. Maybe my brother is right, but I can't give up now. I've waited for something like this—something good enough to finally prove myself to him."

Alfroth's words had the opposite effect of what he intended. He wanted them to stop and find safety, but instead, both of them became more fired up than before.

'I promise you this much, brother—I'm going to end this quickly,' Mauka said, a grin spreading across her face as she readied herself for another clash.

Following Mauka's lead, Relaan quickly takes her stance. From their expressions, Alfroth can tell that even in this tense moment, both of them are excited to clash and prove which one is superior.

They charge at each other, their blades crossing as they exchange a flurry of strikes. With a sudden, powerful blow, Mauka sends Relaan stumbling back. But just as she moves to deliver the final strike to knock her out, Relaan vanishes into thin air with a flash. Sensing the shift in the air, Mauka spins around, her blade ready—but Relaan is nowhere to be seen.

As Mauka stands with her back exposed, a cold realization washes over her—she can feel Relaan's presence behind her.

Mauka tries to turn, but a sudden pain in her leg hinders her movement, making her a fraction too slow. Just as she's about to be struck, a figure tackles Relaan from the side, pushing her back and holding her down.

It's Alfroth—her brother.

'Get away from her!' Alfroth yells, his voice hoarse with fear as he struggles to restrain Relaan. She thrashes against his grip, trying to break free. Meanwhile, Mauka tries to push herself up, but her leg buckles beneath her.

'Please, leg—just work, goddamn it!' she mutters in frustration.

Relaan, sensing the desperation in Alfroth's grip, tries to reason with him.

'I don't want to hurt you,' she says, her voice tight with frustration. 'So please, just get off me. I'm not going to hurt her—I just want the box.'

She struggles to break free without harming him, but Alfroth's grip is surprisingly strong.

Relaan, reaching her limit, raises her hand, ready to strike Alfroth and force him to release his grip. But before she can connect, a blinding flash of lightning erupts from the storm above, striking the ground between them and Mauka. The earth shudders, sending a shockwave through the air, and both Relaan and Alfroth are thrown backward, tumbling away from the impact. Caught off guard, Alfroth loses his grip on Relaan and crashes hard onto the ground, stunned.

Relaan and Mauka both stare upward, their gazes drawn to the swirling storm above. The realization dawns on them simultaneously—this storm is far more concerning than their fight.

'How could this be?' Relaan whispers, disbelief and fear creeping into her voice. She stands, body tense, trying to get a better look at the storm. Another flash of lightning illuminates the sky, revealing a dark silhouette against the swirling clouds. Large, powerful wings span across the sky, attached to a massive body. Huge claws gleam menacingly in the light.

'It's the Wayran!' Mauka exclaims, her voice filled with dread. "It hid its presence—and this huge amount of mana—to trick us?" she ponders to herself before shifting her focus to Relaan.

'It's still here?' Relaan echoes, her confusion deepening. Her body remains frozen, paralyzed by fear.

'Kid, delay our fight,' Mauka says firmly. 'This situation just got ten times worse, and we're getting out of here now. And I'm not taking no for an answer.' Her gaze is unwavering, her tone leaving no room for argument. She knows they need to escape now—before something even worse happens.

'Kid, are you listening to me? Hey!' Mauka shouts again, but Relaan remains motionless, her eyes shifting toward Alfroth, who is just starting to rise to his feet.

'Sis, what happened?' Alfroth asks, his voice dazed.

'Al, get up—quick,' Mauka says urgently. 'We're getting out of here right now.'

'What happened?' he asks again, still disoriented.

'Get up, you idiot,' Mauka repeats, her tone firm. 'We don't have time—we have to move.' She knows there's no time to explain. They need to leave. Now.

'O-okay, fine. I'm getting up,' Alfroth says, his voice shaky. He notices the desperation in Mauka's voice and quickly moves to help her to her feet. Mauka, her leg still throbbing, uses her sword to steady herself as she stands.

Alfroth, realizing that Relaan is still frozen in place, rushes toward her.