From Ashes To Scales

The battlefield was a swirling storm of chaos, but amidst the carnage, four duels stood out—each a test of skill, willpower, and sheer determination.

**Leona vs. Death Knight**

Leona stared down her opponent, a fierce smile spreading across her face. The Death Knight towered over her, its Flamberge raised high, its glowing red eyes locked on its target.

Leona, however, was unshaken.

"Come on, big guy," she muttered under her breath, gripping her sword tighter. "Let’s see what you’ve got!"

With a low growl, she activated her Red Flame Aura.

Her entire body ignited in a burst of crimson flames, a fiery mane roaring to life around her. The flames danced like an extension of her very soul, trailing behind her every movement and creating the illusion of a lion’s shadow looming over her. Her eyes gleamed with determination as the Death Knight charged.

"RAAAAAH!" the Death Knight roared as it swung its massive sword down toward her.

Leona met it head-on. Their weapons collided with an ear-splitting crash, a shockwave of energy exploding outwards, sending debris flying. Flames from Leona’s aura clashed against the dark, corrupt energy of the Death Knight, causing the air around them to shimmer with heat and power.

"You're not too shabby," Leona grunted, sliding back a few inches from the impact, her boots digging into the ground. "But not strong enough!"

The Death Knight was strong—immensely so—but Leona’s skill and strength had been honed over hundreds of battles. She was now level 310, and her power far surpassed that of ordinary warriors.

With a roar of her own, she pushed back, her aura flaring brighter. The red flames surged around her sword, and with a powerful strike, she shattered the Death Knight’s guard, sending its Flamberge flying from its hands.

"Time to finish this!" she shouted, her voice booming with authority.

Leona leaped into the air, her aura blazing like a comet as she brought her sword down in a devastating overhead slash. The blade cleaved through the Death Knight’s chest with ease. The creature staggered backward, its body engulfed in red fire. Leona then continued and sliced off chunks of it’s body as if he was made of paper.

With a final, defiant roar, the Death Knight collapsed, disintegrating on the ground. Leona landed gracefully, the flames around her slowly dissipating. She sheathed her sword with a satisfied grin.

"Too easy," she said with a smirk, her aura flickering out.

---

**Rusalka vs. Death Knight**

Rusalka faced her Death Knight with a determined glare, sweat already beading on her forehead. Her opponent was relentless, swinging its massive sword with bone-crushing force. She barely managed to parry each blow, her sword vibrating with the impact.

"Come on, Rusalka!" she muttered to herself. "You’ve got this. Just… stay focused."

She was the weakest of the group, but thanks to Magnus’s Experience Boost she was now at level 155 and because he also cast small buffs on her… she couldn’t lose no matter what. Her determination was unmatched.

She activated her Sword Core technique, a shimmering orange light enveloping her blade. It wasn’t as fierce or fiery as Leona’s aura, but it was sharp and precise, enhancing her speed and strength.

The Death Knight pressed its attack, its sword crashing down again and again. Rusalka struggled to deflect the blows, each one rattling her arms to the bone. Sweat dripped from her brow as she was pushed back, but she refused to yield.

The Death Knight snarled, bringing its sword down in a crushing arc. Rusalka sidestepped, her sword flashing as she parried the blow, redirecting the force to the ground. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, and the ground cracked under the Death Knight’s strength.

"Not bad… for a mindless brute! You have strength… but lack proper swordsmanship." Rusalka taunted, her confidence building.

She darted forward, slipping beneath the Death Knight’s guard and slashing across its knee. The creature let out a furious bellow as it staggered, its leg buckling under its weight.

"Take this!" Rusalka shouted as she leaped upward, her sword glowing brighter.

With a spinning slash, she drove her blade deep into the Death Knight’s, her Sword Core aura flaring with orange light. She literally managed to split the Death Knight in half. The creature roared in pain, dark energy spilling from the wound as its body began to crumble.

Panting, Rusalka landed on her feet, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"Phew… that was way too close," she said, wiping sweat from her brow. "But hey, a win’s a win!"

---

**Saphira vs. Death Knight**

Saphira’s fight was a deadly dance, her twin daggers gleaming with magical energy as she darted around her opponent. The Death Knight swung its massive sword in wide arcs, but Saphira was always a step ahead, her movements graceful and swift.

"Too slow!" she taunted, dodging another swing and rolling out of the way. "You’ve got to do better than that!"

Saphira, was also known as the Calamity Witch and her level was 287. However, given her nimble movements, you wouldn’t call her a witch. Saphira channeled her magic through her body, her daggers crackling with arcane energy. She was a mage, but unlike others of her kind, she thrived in close combat. Her power flowed into her blades, enhancing her strikes with explosive bursts of magic.

The Death Knight roared in frustration, swinging wildly at the elusive mage. Saphira smirked, her daggers flashing as she slashed across the Death Knight’s side, dark energy spilling from the wound.

"Alright, time to end this!" Saphira declared with a mischievous grin.

She flipped one of her daggers into the air and caught it by the blade. With a sharp throw, she hurled it straight into the Death Knight’s chest, the dagger embedding itself deep in the creature’s flesh. She followed swiftly, her palm already clad in magic. Her spell was ready and the moment she trusted her hand to push the dagger deeper, a surge of magic flowed through the blade, and Saphira’s eyes glowed with power.

"Incinerate!" she shouted.

Flames erupted from the dagger, engulfing the Death Knight from the inside out. The creature let out a blood-curdling scream as it was consumed by fire, its armor melting away and its body reduced to cinders.

Saphira flicked her wrist, detaching the dagger from what was left of the creature. She twirled the blade and sheathed it with a satisfied smirk.

"Not bad for a mage, huh? I hope this makes up for my previous blunder and my lord is now aware how capable I am in combat." she said to herself, admiring her handiwork.

---

**Rose vs. Death Knight**

Rose stood firm, her holy mace glowing with divine light. The Death Knight approached, its glowing red eyes locked on her, but Rose wasn’t intimidated. She tightened her grip on her weapon and whispered a prayer under her breath. Before becoming a sister of the Church of Light she was an adventurer, so facing danger was not uncommon for her. Under Magnus’s guidance she was now level 178 and… she was ready to let her other persona out. Bloody Rose.

"May the light guide me. And may it guide you… into oblivion!" she murmured, her voice soft but resolute.

The Death Knight charged, its sword raised high. Rose waited patiently, her eyes calm and focused. At the last moment, she raised her mace, and a blinding flash of light erupted from it, stunning the Death Knight.

"Now!" Rose shouted, seizing the opportunity.

She rushed forward, her mace crackling with holy energy, and slammed it into the Death Knight’s side. The impact sent a shockwave of light through the creature’s body, searing its flesh and armor. The Death Knight roared in pain, staggering back.

But Rose wasn’t done.

She chanted another prayer. She planned to make full use of the mace that Magnus granted her. A bright holy light was triggered with her prayer, engulfing her mace. And at the same time, she created a light that engulfed the Death Knight, blinding it completely and leaving it vulnerable. Rose raised her mace for a final strike, the weapon glowing brighter than ever.

"May your darkness be cleansed!" she declared, her voice filled with righteous fury.

With a mighty swing, she brought the mace down on the Death Knight’s head. The weapon’s unique effect triggered, and the creature was engulfed in a brilliant flash of holy light. When the light faded, the Death Knight was nothing but a pile of smoldering ash.

Rose lowered her mace, breathing heavily but smiling.

"Magnus… I hope you’re watching," she whispered to herself, feeling a sense of pride swell within her. "You’d better make sure to pay me properly for this later. I did it."

---

As the dust settled and the last of the Death Knights crumbled into ash, the battlefield grew quieter. Magnus watched from a distance, a satisfied smile on his face. His companions had proven their strength, each of them overcoming their own challenges with style and skill.

"Well done, girls," Magnus said softly to himself.

With the Death Knights defeated, Morthos was in complete shock. He stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief. His mouth opened and closed as if trying to form words, but nothing came out. Finally, he stammered, “Th-this can’t be happening… They were supposed to be invincible! Death Knights… losing to *one-on-one* fights? That’s impossible! If you all had ganged up on one, sure… but this—this doesn’t make any sense!”

Magnus stepped forward, shaking his head with a bemused smile. “You’re an idiot, Morthos. You couldn’t see the strength of the opponents standing right in front of you. And now you’re paying the price for underestimating them.”

Morthos clenched his fists, anger flaring in his eyes before he suddenly regained his confidence. He sneered at Magnus, his voice rising with renewed bravado. “So what? You’ve defeated a few Death Knights. Big deal. I still have my army of undead, and they vastly outnumber your pitiful forces. You and your little band won’t stand a chance against them!”

Magnus chuckled softly, his gaze calm and mocking. “Ah, Morthos. Thank you.”

Morthos blinked, confused.

“You're thanking me? What for?”

“For being such a fool,” Magnus said with a smirk. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he continued, “Because of your arrogance, my preparations are complete.”

Morthos’s brow furrowed in suspicion. “What are you talking about?”

Magnus pointed upward, his expression smug. “You didn’t notice, did you? Why don’t you take a look up?”

Morthos hesitated, then slowly raised his gaze to the sky. His eyes widened in horror as he saw what Magnus had been preparing—the sky was covered by a large pulsating dome, crackling with intense magical energy. Glowing sigils of light began to spread out like a net, surrounding the village, as if a massive spell was ready to be unleashed.

“What… what is this?” Morthos stammered, fear creeping into his voice.

Magnus’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “A little something I’ve been working on while you were too busy gloating about your army. Do you remember what I said earlier? These undead are very poorly constructed. No better than a puppet on strings. And now… it's about time I cut them down.”

Magnus placed both hands on his staff, took a deep breath and them spoke slowly in a menacing tone, the words that made Morthos lose all his mind.

“This is…

.

.

.

THE

.

.

.

LARGE SCALE

.

.

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SPELL BREAKER!!”

And at the same time he slammed his staff on the ground triggering the large scale spell.