Shadow of Eclipse

Arena, the wind howled.

The sharp clang of metal clashing has long since replaced the sound of chewing, becoming a continuous melody on this ancient battlefield—dense, short, and endless.

Lupa's gun is the drumbeat that dominates this melody.

The Flame Banner Spear transformed into a crimson hurricane in her hands. Without grand, sweeping swings, each strike was precise, swift, and powerfully concentrated. Thrusts, parries, sweeps, smashes—the spear tip cut through the air with clean, crisp lines, carrying the ruthless aura honed through countless battles, attacking her opponent from all sorts of tricky angles.

Her opponent was the green-haired boy—who called himself Lai.

Lai held a pair of short swords that appeared out of nowhere. Though short in stature, he was exceptionally agile, weaving and parrying through the gaps in the spear shadows. His movements carried a shrewdness that belied his appearance, always managing to evade fatal thrusts by the slightest margin, or skillfully deflect sweeping spear shafts. However, he was clearly on the defensive, his feet constantly moving backward on the sand, crushing patches of dry moss under his feet.

"Ha...!"

Lai launched a straight thrust, sparks flying as his short sword clashed against the spear blade. He slid back slightly, creating some distance, his dark red pupils fixed on Lupa, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"What a fierce offensive... like a finely crafted spirit, burning the throat upon entry, with a lingering aftertaste... Excellent, very good!"

Lupa didn't answer. With a flick of her wrist, the spear shot out again, aimed straight at Lai's throat. Lai turned to the side, raising his short sword to try and parry, but the force contained in the spear tip made his arm sink slightly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield...

Linié's sword is a silent chorus.

Her weapon was a longsword made of highly condensed magic, with a faint halo flowing across its blade, and every swing or parry was precisely timed.

Her opponent was a boy with dark brown braids who called himself Roy.

Roy remained silent, wielding a short sword as well, his moves even more sinister and treacherous, targeting the slightest openings in Linié's movements. But Linié's defense was impenetrable. Her magic longsword would sometimes parry lightly, and sometimes suddenly accelerate for a few concise counterattacks, always forcing Roy to retreat or dodge, disrupting his offensive rhythm.

Roy deflected a diagonal slash, the magic emanating from the short sword making his hand go numb. He leaped back, his gaze sweeping over Linié's calm, pale purple eyes, then looking at his brother, who was being relentlessly pursued by Lupa not far away.

The two were forced back by the combined attack of gun and sword, and stood back to back.

The wind whistled through the gaps in the circular ruins. Lai shook his slightly numb arm, his playful smile widening. He licked his lips, as if savoring the intense exchange just moments before.

"Bingeating... Gluttony..."

He muttered to himself, then raised his voice, the sound echoing faintly in the circular ruins.

"I am Lai Badenkaitos, Sin Archbishop the Witch Cult, the 'Gluttony' of the Order—'The Gourmet'! This is my brother, 'Glutton' Roy Alphard!"

He gave his name, his dark red eyes seemingly moving back and forth between Lupa and Linié with great interest.

"We've all given our names." He spread his hands, twirling his short sword between his fingers. "This is an arena, after all. Gladiators in ancient times would exchange names before a fight, right? It's etiquette, and also a sign of respect for a worthy opponent."

He looked at Lupa, then at Linié.

"So, two such formidable warriors... what are your names?"

Linié blinked, her pale purple eyes looking at Lai, her lips slightly parted.

"I'm Lily..."

"Don't say it!"

Lupa's voice interrupted her decisively, her spear still pointing steadily forward, her heterochromatic eyes filled with calm vigilance.

"Master said! Don't give the enemy any information during battle! Name, abilities, origins... don't mention a single word!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she stepped forward again!

The spear flashed like a dragon, faster and more ferocious than before! The crimson spear shadows almost merged into one, carrying an unstoppable momentum that enveloped both Lai and Roy. It was no longer a test or suppression, but a fierce attack without reservation, aimed at ending the battle as quickly as possible.

Linié didn't mention the name again, and followed the moment Linne moved. The magic sword's light condensed slightly, and the sword's momentum suddenly became dangerous, targeting the gaps created by the two as they parried Lupa's spear. Her mouth was tightly closed, and her face remained expressionless, but the coordination and timing of her attacks were so precise that they were chilling.

The pressure on Lai and Roy increased dramatically.

The twin swords moved with near-illusionary speed, the clanging and parrying sounds blending seamlessly, sparks flickering in the dim light. Forced back by the suddenly intensified attack, their footsteps churning the sand in disarray.

"Tsk...!"

Lai fired a shot that nearly pierced the shoulder, his arm throbbing from the impact. A flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper, almost greedy interest.

"Binge drinking... Gluttony... humph..."

He gritted his teeth and resisted, the words squeezed out from between his teeth.

"A person who is both strong and intelligent... a hero, a savior, a person with a strong sense of justice... which one are you?"

He stared at Lupa's sharp attacks and calm gaze.

"Your master... what kind is it this time? I really want to eat it..."

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"I really want to eat this!! This kind of 'richly flavored' life..."

On the other side, Roy was in a worse situation. He silently parried Linié's seemingly simple but actually extremely tricky thrusts, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. After barely managing to deflect a Linié aimed at his ribs with a cross-parry, he quickly glanced at Lai and said in a low voice:

"Brother... they are really strong..."

He deflected the next sword strike, his arm trembling slightly.

"... I don't even know their names..."

Just then--

A cold glint flashed in Lupa's eyes. She seized the slight opening created by Roy's words and abruptly changed her spear technique! Instead of a straight thrust, she launched a vicious upward slash!

"Clang--!"

Roy's short sword was struck precisely on the spine by the gun barrel. A tremendous force was transmitted, and he could no longer hold on. The short sword flew out of his hand, spinning in the air and drawing an arc before landing with a "clang" in a pile of rubble some distance away.

Roy left the net wide open!

Without any hesitation, Lupa twisted her waist, and with her next shot, brimming with power, she struck like a red python pouncing on its prey, whistling through the air, aiming straight for Roy's unsuspecting heart!

This shot was swift, ruthless, and accurate, carrying the connotation of a desperate battle.

The tip of the gun rapidly magnified in Roy's field of vision.

However--

Just as the tip of the gun was about to touch Roy's chest fabric.

Roy's body suddenly leaned backward in an illogical way! It wasn't a dodge, but more like some kind of... internal collapse and reconstruction.

His figure was rapidly elongating and becoming more muscular. His dark brown braids disappeared, replaced by short hair covering long bangs and a neatly groomed, weathered mustache. The clothes that originally belonged to the boy were now covered by a set of light robes that looked old but exuded an aura of someone who had survived countless battles.

The most striking thing was the weapon that suddenly appeared in his hand—no longer a short sword, but two long swords.

"Clang--!"

With their swords crossed, they precisely parried the deadly spear at the last second! The deafening clang of metal clashing was more intense than ever before, and a violent shockwave exploded outwards from the point of impact, sending dust and sand billowing across the ground!

Lupa felt a tremendous, heavy force from the gun, which abruptly stopped her forward thrust and even forced her to step back to dissipate the force.

She steadied herself, holding her spear horizontally in front of her, her pupils suddenly contracting.

Linié had already slipped to her side, her longsword pointing diagonally at the ground, her pale purple eyes gazing quietly ahead.

The sand and dust settled slowly.

Standing before them was no longer the gloomy, thin boy Roy.

Instead, he was a tall, resolute-looking middle-aged man with long bangs and a mustache. He held two swords, his posture calm and composed. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of unwavering strength and composure honed through countless bloody battles and life-or-death experiences.

That's the demeanor of a true warrior who has been through countless battles.

Lupa's breath hitched. She recognized the aura; it vaguely resembled that of the legendary strongman her master had mentioned.

However--

"Oh dear..."

A soft, gentle voice came from beneath the mature, resolute face of a middle-aged warrior.

Her voice was clear and crisp, with a soft tone unique to young girls, her intonation slightly rising, revealing a touch of innocence, a touch of curiosity, and a hint of... a lazy playfulness that was completely at odds with her imposing appearance.

"That was close... I almost got pierced right through."

"Roy is really something, he panicked as soon as his weapon was knocked away, I had to fix it."

The "Hero of the South" stretched her wrists, which had just been used to parry with her sword, her movements carrying a lightness and grace like that of a young girl. She—or rather, she—raised her head, her eyes, which should have been deep and sharp but were now curved in a pleasant arc, looking at Lupa, who was on high alert, and Linié, who was tilting her head slightly.

"So..."

The "Hero of the South" opened and closed her lips, uttering a girlish voice that was extremely incongruous with her appearance.

"Hello, I'm Rui Anev. The third of 'Gluttony'... well, I guess you could call her the 'little sister'."