Tale of Vanguard

Bastia and Thane faced off against Zephyr and Loria, who had combined their Aetheric Bond with perfect synchronization.

The sky of the capital roared with elemental fury as Zephyr conjured his fierce winds that whipped around them with unrelenting force. Added to that, Loria's illusions danced through the maelstrom, shifting and distorting reality, while her mirror-like power reflected every angle of their attack. Bastia grunted as her body was strained due to her effort to tried to keep up with their relentless assault. The mirages made it nearly impossible to pinpoint their true locations. Every time Bastia swung her colossal fists, it was only met by an illusionary duplicates that dissipated like a mist.

Thane was also in a rough spot, he moved through the shadows cast by the flickering illusions with his claymore in hand. He swung the massive weapon with absolute precision, with each of its swing slicing through the gusts of wind. The claymore's edge seemed to cut through the air as though it was butter, but still, the constant barrage of wind made it difficult to land a decisive blow on Zephyr.

Zephyr's eyed became narrowed as he summoned a particularly vicious gust, aiming to overwhelm Bastia and Thane with a massive storm. The wind howled with power that threatened to sweep the both of them off their feet. In turn, Loria projected an array of dazzling illusions around the two, further complicating their efforts to find and attack their real opponents. Bastia planted and focused her strength to her feet in an effort to steady herself against the relentless wind.

'How do we break through this?'

She desperately tried to find a solution to counter their onslaught on this one sided fight. Suddenly, she was momentarily stunned by a realization—An Aetheric bonds, although it was powerful, had its own inherent flaw: It relied heavily on the focus of the bonded individuals. Disrupting either one of their focus could lead to a catastrophic backlash.

"How stupid can i be?"

She turned to Thane, who was currently evading a barrage of wind blades and mirage attacks.

"Wait for my signal!"

Noticing her call, Thane looked at her with a puzzled emotion.

"What signal?"

Without waiting for a response, Bastia slammed her fists into the ground, drawing on the immense power of her Titan Veil. The earth trembled beneath her as she tore a massive boulder from the ground, raising it above her head. With a mighty heave, she launched the boulder into the air and sends it flying high above the battlefield.

The giant boulder rose into the air, casting a long shadow across the battlefield. Thane's eyes widened in shock.

"Holy... I guess that's my cue."

Recognizing Bastia's strategy, Thane melded into the darkness that was caused by the boulder's shadow that stretched and loomed over them.

Bastia saw Thane's responses and immediately took action. She leapt with all her might and threw a powerful punch at the boulder that was still suspended in mid-air. The impact of the punch shattered the rock, causing it to sent a flurry of small debris raining down on the battlefield. The sudden onslaught of falling fragments and the chaotic wind from Zephyr created a maelstrom of confusion. Loria's illusion flickered and wavered under the assault, causing her concentration to be momentarily disrupted.

In the ensuing chaos, Thane emerged from the darkness above Loria with his claymore aimed directly at her. She quickly jumped back from the sudden attack, but the disruption caused by Bastia's chaos and Thane's attack was enough to break the delicate balance of their Bond. With Loria staggered, her illusions begins to faltered, and the backlash of the uncontrolled energy from their bond surged through the battlefield, causing both Zephyr and Loria to lose their composure.

"How dare you, brat!"

***

Gravis' eyes swept over Serephira

"They've given me your picture before... You're one of the princesses, i assume?"

He flickered his gaze to the sky as he added:

"Looks like the Lady of Faith is on my side once again."

Serephira was bothered after hearing the man's word. Does their plan includes the targeting of the royalty? Or is it merely a part of a larger scheme?

The ground beneath him began to warp subtly as Gravis' stance shifted. Serephira's grip tightened around her rapier as she prepared herself for his move.

Without warning, Gravis snapped his fingers, and the air around him seemed to compress. A sudden wave of gravitational force surged towards Serephira, forcing her to brace herself. She leaped sideways, narrowly avoided the crushing pressure. The ground where she had been standing imploded, leaving a crater.

Serephira landed lightly on the ground with a swift and precise movements. She charged at Gravis with her rapier poised to strike him. Gravis reacted with a deft twist of his wrist, sending a wave of gravitational force that pushed Serephira back. She rolled with the force and used the momentum to spring back to her feet.

"Don't disappoint me, Princess"

Gravis raised both of his hands, causing a gravitational pull that slowly intensified around them. With a sudden gesture, he hurled a barrage of sharp stones towards Serephira. She spun gracefully, deflecting the projectiles with her rapier's edge.

As she closed the distance, Gravis's control over gravity became more aggressive. The ground rippled beneath Serephira's feet, creating an anomalies that sought to trip and destabilize her. Noticing the ground below her started to groan, she leaped upwards, making her form blurred as she avoided the destabilizing forces. Once again, with a powerful thrust, this time she aimed for Gravis's exposed side.

Gravis quickly retaliated by manipulating the gravity around himself, forming a shield of compressed air that deflected her strike, making her retreat for a moment. He then responded with a sweeping motion of his hand, generating a vortex that drew Serephira towards him and creating another barrage of stones from the ground that were ready to fall on her. Serephira struggled against the pull.

In a desperate move, she channeled her Veil of Light and summoned a binding flare that briefly obscured Gravis' vision. The sudden burst of light disrupted his control over his pull and the gravity, causing the debris and stones to fall harmlessly to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Serephira lunged forward with her rapier in front.

Her rapier finally slashed the disoriented Gravis, making him fell to his knees with blood splattering all over his body. His control over his power has faltered as the light from Serephira's blade enveloped him.