CHAPTER 96 — THE DANCE OF FLAME AND LIGHT

They broke camp early that morning.

No one was rushing.

But no one was dawdling either.

William folded the map.

“Northeast today.”

Marcus looked around.

“Shadow movements are normal.”

Arthur rotated his arm.

“I'm normal too.”

Charlotte looked immediately.

“Wouldn't call you normal.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

Charlotte shrugged.

“Stone Man.”

Arthur closed his eyes.

Percy laughed.

Clara came to Percy's side.

“How are you feeling today?”

Percy thought for a while.

“Good.”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

Percy smiled.

“Really.”

Then looked at her.

“You?”

Clara nodded.

“Good.”

Percy held out his hand.

Clara took it.

Then they both noticed.

They looked for a second.

Arthur spoke from behind.

“Again?”

Neither let go.

Percy looked at Arthur.

“What?”

Arthur went quiet.

Charlotte smiled.

“Progress.”

The first aura came an hour later.

No one stopped.

They only slowed.

Marcus raised his hand.

“Two.”

William folded the map.

Arthur moved to the front.

Charlotte stayed in the center.

Clara spread out to the right.

Percy to the left.

Two green-eyed wolves emerged.

Three meters tall.

Both large.

Both growling.

But now...

The six children didn't retreat.

Percy looked around.

Master of Probability was active.

“First one, Arthur.”

Arthur nodded.

“Second one's mine.”

Clara looked immediately.

“Not alone.”

Percy smiled.

“I know.”

Clara moved beside him.

“Good.”

The first wolf attacked Arthur.

An earth shield rose.

BOOM!

Arthur slid back two steps.

But smiled.

“That all?”

Charlotte shouted.

“DON'T SAY THAT!”

The wolf attacked again.

Arthur's expression changed.

“Okay.”

“There was a bit more.”

William laid a line of ice.

“Ice Orbit.”

He narrowed the wolf's escape route.

Marcus entered a shadow.

Emerged behind the wolf.

“Shadow Bind.”

The wolf turned.

Exactly what they'd been waiting for.

Arthur struck from the front.

Marcus pulled from behind.

It lost its balance.

William:

“Now.”

An Ice Lance descended.

The wolf fell.

Arthur gathered pure Orin.

Brought his shield down like a fist.

BOOM!

The wolf stopped moving.

Arthur exhaled.

“Four minutes?”

William checked the time.

“Two forty-eight.”

Arthur's face lit up.

“THAT'S IT.”

Charlotte smiled.

“Stone Man's improving.”

Arthur looked at her.

“I take that as a compliment now.”

Charlotte went quiet.

Then smiled.

“Good.”

On the other side...

The second wolf attacked Percy.

Percy stepped aside.

Clara was already there.

A Spear of Light met the wolf.

The wolf turned back.

Percy sent fire.

The wolf leaped upward.

Clara brought her light down to the ground.

The wolf's shadow disappeared.

The wolf couldn't change direction in midair.

Percy raised Blaze.

“Chaos Fire.”

Flames struck the wolf from the side.

The wolf landed.

But didn't fall.

Percy laughed.

“Stubborn.”

Clara came beside him.

“So are you.”

The wolf attacked both of them.

Percy went left.

Clara went right.

Then...

They both turned back at once.

The wolf couldn't choose whom to attack.

Percy held out his hand.

Clara pressed hers against his palm.

Percy transferred his spin to Clara.

Clara spun in the air.

Her foot struck the wolf's jaw.

The wolf's head snapped sideways.

Percy completed the same turn.

Blaze struck the wolf's chest.

BOOM!

The wolf fell backward.

Clara lowered her wand.

“Resonance of Light.”

White burst outward.

The wolf didn't get up again.

This is a copied version of the chapter the author publishes at www., taken without permission.

William checked the time.

“Three minutes, eleven.”

Percy looked at Arthur.

Arthur looked at him.

Percy grinned.

“We're faster.”

Arthur raised a finger.

“Thirty seconds.”

Percy:

“Excuses.”

Arthur:

“There were two of you.”

Clara spoke immediately.

“Don't I count?”

Arthur froze.

Percy burst out laughing.

Arthur raised his hands.

“That's not what I said.”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

Arthur looked at Charlotte.

“Help.”

Charlotte smiled.

“Stone Man.”

Arthur held his head.

The mission progress changed.

[GREEN-EYED WOLF: 10/35]

Percy looked at the number.

“Ten.”

William nodded.

“Twenty-five left.”

Arthur looked at him.

William stopped.

“What?”

Arthur:

“I'll allow it today.”

William looked surprised.

“Why?”

Arthur smiled.

“I'm feeling good.”

Percy:

“Dangerous.”

Clara:

“Definitely.”

Two hours later...

Marcus suddenly stopped.

This time, his expression had changed.

Percy noticed immediately.

“How many?”

Marcus didn't answer.

He expanded his shadow.

Then raised his head.

“Five.”

William frowned.

“Alone?”

Marcus shook his head.

“No.”

Percy's smile disappeared.

“What else?”

Marcus raised two fingers.

“Two Nevr.”

Silence.

Arthur exhaled.

“Now we're screwed.”

Charlotte:

“Think positive.”

Arthur looked at her.

“There are seven targets.”

Charlotte considered that.

“You're right.”

Percy laughed.

“Great morale.”

The five wolves emerged first.

They weren't scattered.

They spread into a crescent.

The two Nevr were behind them.

One on the right.

One on the left.

William noticed immediately.

“Two command centers.”

Percy nodded.

“They complement each other.”

Clara raised her wand.

“Plan?”

Percy opened the possibilities.

All at once...

The field filled.

Hundreds of starting points.

Five wolves.

Two Nevr.

Seven separate sources of movement.

Percy's breathing changed.

William noticed.

“Too much?”

Percy nodded.

“A lot.”

Then grinned.

“But good.”

Arthur:

“You're sick.”

Percy:

“I know.”

The Nevr raised their hands together.

The wolves moved.

“Arthur, center!”

Percy's voice rose.

Arthur raised his shield.

“William, behind him!”

William set up his ice field.

“Marcus, right Nevr!”

Marcus entered a shadow.

“Charlotte, stay with William!”

Charlotte readied her buff.

“Clara.”

Clara looked at Percy.

Percy smiled.

“With me.”

Clara's face lit up.

“Always.”

The first three wolves rushed Arthur.

The earth shield grew.

BOOOOOOM!

Arthur slid backward.

Charlotte gave him a buff immediately.

“Grace of Life.”

Green energy wrapped around Arthur.

Arthur's feet held firm.

“BETTER.”

William sent ice.

One wolf's foot slipped.

Arthur turned his shield.

The wolf hit another.

The third leaped over them.

It was heading for Charlotte.

Percy saw it.

But didn't go.

Clara had already moved.

A Spear of Light struck the wolf from the side.

The wolf was thrown off course in midair.

Percy looked at her and laughed.

Clara:

“What?”

Percy:

“Nothing.”

Clara:

“Say it.”

Percy:

“Later.”

The Nevr on the right noticed Marcus.

Sent an Orin sphere.

Marcus entered a shadow.

The attack struck empty space.

Marcus emerged behind the Nevr.

But the second Nevr was waiting for him.

A new attack came.

William shouted.

“MARCUS, DOWN!”

Marcus dropped to the ground.

Orin passed over his head.

Percy saw it.

“They're protecting each other.”

William:

“So are we.”

Percy looked at him.

William smiled.

“Right.”

Two wolves came at Percy.

Clara didn't step in.

Percy didn't want her to.

The first claw.

Percy ducked.

The second wolf snapped its jaws.

Percy pulled back.

The first attacked again.

Percy jumped.

The wolves had drawn close to each other.

Clara saw it.

Spread her light across the ground.

Percy reached out in midair.

Clara caught his hand.

In an instant...

Percy's direction changed.

Clara pulled him toward her.

Percy turned through the air.

Passed over one wolf.

Brought Blaze down on its back.

From the angle Percy had opened...

Clara attacked the other wolf.

Both attacks landed together.

The wolves split apart.

Percy landed.

Clara approached him.

But didn't stop.

Neither did Percy.

As they passed each other...

Their hands touched for a moment.

Then they separated again.

Clara took the wolf on the right.

Percy the left.

Two steps later...

They switched places again.

Arthur saw them.

“There they go again.”

Charlotte smiled.

“Doing what?”

Arthur:

“Dancing.”

Even William looked.

“This is faster.”

Marcus saw from a distance.

“They're not talking.”

William nodded.

“They don't need to.”

Percy stepped in front of the wolf.

Clara was behind him.

The wolf attacked Percy.

Percy didn't retreat.

Clara sent her light.

Percy passed through it.

For a moment, the wolf couldn't see.

Percy's fist struck its jaw.

Clara touched Percy's shoulder.

Percy began to turn.

Clara used his turn.

Rose into the air.

Her light-covered foot struck the wolf.

The wolf was thrown sideways.

Percy caught Clara's wrist.

Didn't let her land.

Spun her again.

Clara flew toward the second wolf.

Swung her wand.

A line of light passed through its throat.

Percy turned back to the first wolf.

Chaos fire wrapped around his fist.

BAM!

The first wolf fell.

Clara brought down the second.

They both straightened at once.

Then looked at each other.

Smiled.

The universe fell silent.

Everyone froze for a moment.

Percy's smile disappeared.

Clara's eyes widened.

VOICE OF THE UNIVERSE:

[PERFECT MATCH GROWTH DETECTED.]

Arthur turned his head.

“No.”

Charlotte covered her mouth.

William's pen stopped.

Even Marcus forgot the battle.

[PERFECT MATCH +0.02%.]

One second of silence.

[TOTAL GROWTH: 0.03%.]

Percy turned bright red.

So did Clara.

Arthur shouted.

“WHILE FIGHTING?!”

Charlotte stifled a laugh.

William took off his glasses.

“How does that...”

Marcus:

“Harmony.”

Percy shouted at Arthur.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”

Clara was about to cover her face with both hands.

But the third wolf attacked.

Percy shouted.

“CLARA!”

Clara turned instantly.

Dodged the wolf's claw.

Percy burst out laughing.

“BE EMBARRASSED LATER!”

Clara shouted.

“YOU'RE RED TOO!”

Percy:

“FIRE ELEMENT!”

Arthur started laughing.

“WHAT AN EXCUSE!”

The Nevr attacked again.

Percy and Clara split up.

But something had changed.

Percy...

Could feel Clara's light.

Not just its position.

Its flow.

It wasn't warmth.

Wasn't weight.

But it was there.

Clara could feel Percy's fire too.

As she had for years.

But this time...

The bond was clearer.

Clara's eyes widened.

“Percy.”

Percy looked at her.

Clara put a hand to her chest.

“Justice of Light.”

The Voice of the Universe sounded.

[COMPATIBLE BOND DETECTED.]

[PERFECT MATCH.]

[ACCESS TO LINKED ELEMENT GRANTED.]

Percy's fire rose.

Mixed with Clara's white light.

The white spear...

Was wrapped in dark red fire.

Arthur's eyes widened.

“AGAIN?”

Clara smiled.

“Missed it?”

Arthur:

“NO.”

Clara threw the spear.

A wolf stepped forward like a shield.

The fiery light spear...

Pierced straight through its chest.

The wolf went flying.

But a Nevr's attack came.

Clara went on the defensive.

Percy looked at her.

Then...

Felt something.

Light.

It wasn't his.

But it wasn't foreign either.

Percy's eyes widened.

Clara noticed too.

“Percy?”

Percy raised Blaze.

“One minute.”

William:

“You're going to try it now?”

Percy:

“Best time.”

William:

“WORST TIME.”

Percy smiled.

“We'll see.”

Percy held out his hand to Clara.

Clara didn't understand what he wanted.

But gave him her hand.

Their fingers joined.

Light moved.

Passed into Percy's arm.

Percy's breath caught.

White energy...

Entered the chaos fire.

But didn't burn.

Nor did the fire swallow the light.

The two elements...

Began circling each other.

The Voice of the Universe came again.

[PERFECT MATCH.]

[BIDIRECTIONAL ACCESS DETECTED.]

Clara's mouth fell open.

Percy looked at her.

“I got it too.”

Clara:

“My light?”

Percy grinned.

“Yes.”

Clara's expression changed.

“GIVE IT BACK.”

Percy burst out laughing.

“CATCH.”

Arthur shouted in the middle of the fight.

“ARE YOU FLIRTING NOW?!”

Percy and Clara, together:

“SHUT UP!”

Arthur:

“DON'T SHOUT AT THE SAME TIME EITHER!”

The Nevr attacked.

This time, Percy didn't dodge.

He turned Blaze.

White light wrapped around the wand.

Chaos fire passed through it.

Percy raised his finger.

“Fire Sphere.”

A sphere formed.

But it wasn't red.

Its center was dark red.

Its surface was coated in white light.

William's eyes widened.

Percy spun the sphere.

Light...

Thinned its edges.

Fire...

Built pressure at the center.

Percy smiled.

“This is beautiful.”

Clara was watching him.

“My light.”

Percy:

“Our light.”

Clara blushed.

Percy noticed.

He blushed too.

Arthur shouted from a distance.

“THE UNIVERSE IS GOING TO AWARD POINTS AGAIN!”

Percy:

“ARTHUR!”

The first light-coated fire sphere flew.

The Nevr defended.

The sphere touched its defense.

Light pierced the surface first.

Fire exploded inside.

BOOM!

The Nevr flew backward.

William's mouth fell open.

“Layered effect.”

Percy looked at him.

“What?”

“Light penetration.”

“Fire, internal explosion.”

Percy nodded.

“Not a good name.”

William:

“I'm not naming it.”

Percy:

“Good.”

Clara came to Percy's side.

Two wolves remained.

Both Nevr were still standing.

Arthur and Marcus held one wolf.

William blocked the other's path.

Charlotte was buffing all of them.

Percy looked at Clara.

“Dance?”

Clara smiled.

“Dance.”

Percy stepped forward.

Clara half a step behind.

Then they switched places.

Clara released her light.

Percy released his fire.

White and red lines...

Filled the spaces between the trees.

Percy caught Clara's hand.

Clara spun around him.

A Spear of Light flew at one Nevr.

Percy sent fire after the spear.

Fire wrapped around the light.

The Nevr dodged.

Marcus emerged from a shadow.

Blocked its escape route.

The Nevr turned back.

Percy was there.

A light-coated fire sphere...

Struck it directly in the chest.

BOOM!

The Nevr fell.

The other Nevr attacked Clara.

Percy didn't pull Clara away.

Clara had already ducked.

Percy saw the line of light.

Stepped onto it.

For a moment...

The light carried him.

It wasn't full light speed.

Nor was it Clara's Light Form.

It was simply...

The path Clara had created.

Percy slid along that path.

Appeared in front of the Nevr.

The Nevr's eyes widened.

Percy was surprised too.

“Wow.”

Clara, from a distance:

“FOCUS!”

Percy:

“YOU'RE RIGHT.”

Blaze descended.

Chaos fire struck the Nevr.

Clara came from behind at the same time.

Spear of Light.

The two attacks joined.

The Nevr slammed into the ground.

The fifth wolf...

Ran toward Charlotte.

Arthur stepped in front of her.

Held his shield.

The wolf collided with it.

Arthur slid.

Charlotte put her hand on his back.

“Grace of Life.”

Arthur's strength increased.

Arthur grinned.

“Now it's bad.”

Charlotte:

“For whom?”

Arthur shoved his shield forward.

“It.”

The wolf was launched into the air.

William sent his ice lance.

It pierced the wolf's chest.

Marcus emerged from a shadow.

“Shadow Execution.”

The wolf fell.

Motionless.

Percy and Clara...

Were looking at the last Nevr.

Both were out of breath.

But they were laughing.

Clara held out her hand.

Percy took it.

“What are we doing?”

Clara:

“Something old.”

Percy's eyebrow rose.

Clara drew on his fire.

Justice of Light activated.

Percy felt the light too.

Opened his hand.

Two elements...

Met between them.

William saw it.

“Wait.”

Arthur:

“What?”

William:

“They're both using it.”

Charlotte's eyes widened.

For once, Marcus looked astonished.

Percy gave Clara fire.

Clara gave Percy light.

But neither used the other's element...

As their own.

They used it to each other's rhythm.

Clara formed white light.

Percy put fire inside.

Percy formed chaos flames.

Clara wove light around them.

The two techniques intertwined.

Then separated.

Joined again.

Arthur whispered.

“This...”

Charlotte finished.

“Is a dance.”

The Nevr gathered all its power.

A giant Orin sphere formed.

William pulled back.

“That's big.”

Percy looked at Clara.

Clara looked at him.

Neither spoke.

Percy stepped forward.

Clara at the same time.

They took each other's hands.

Then turned in opposite directions.

Light formed a spiral.

Fire entered it.

Clara raised her hand.

Percy lowered his.

The two energies rotated against each other.

The Nevr released its attack.

Percy and Clara spoke at the same time.

“Light.”

“Fire.”

Then...

Together.

“Now.”

The white-red spiral shot forward.

Struck the Nevr's attack.

Stopped for a moment.

Then light split the Orin.

Fire passed through the opening.

The Nevr's eyes widened.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The forest lit up.

Wind burst in every direction.

The Nevr's body fell.

Didn't move.

Silence.

Long.

Then Arthur spoke.

“What the hell did you do?”

Percy looked at Clara.

Clara at Percy.

They shrugged at the same time.

“I don't know.”

William covered his face.

“Of course.”

Charlotte started laughing.

Marcus nodded.

Arthur:

“NEITHER OF YOU KNOWS.”

Percy:

“Did it work?”

Arthur:

“YES.”

Percy:

“Then what's the problem?”

Arthur couldn't answer.

Clara burst out laughing.

The Voice of the Universe came again.

Percy and Clara froze.

Arthur slowly raised his head.

“No.”

[PERFECT MATCH HARMONY RECORD.]

Percy blushed.

So did Clara.

[SHARED COMBAT RHYTHM IMPROVED.]

Arthur covered his mouth with both hands.

Percy pointed at him.

“Don't.”

Arthur nodded.

“I won't say it.”

[NO ADDITIONAL GROWTH.]

Arthur couldn't hold it in.

“HAHAHAHA!”

Percy:

“BASTARD.”

Clara laughed too.

William nodded.

“Even the universe is trolling you.”

Percy:

“William.”

“What?”

“You too?”

William:

“Yes.”

The mission progress appeared.

[GREEN-EYED WOLF: 15/35]

[NEVR: 3/12]

Arthur looked at the number.

“Fifteen.”

Charlotte smiled.

“We're getting there.”

William calculated.

“Twenty wolves left.”

Arthur looked at him.

William continued.

“Nine Nevr.”

Arthur:

“Couldn't ruin my mood today.”

William:

“There's the Halmea too.”

Arthur's face fell.

“Bastard.”

Percy burst out laughing.

Far away...

Galahad sat in a tree.

Holar stood beside him.

Galahad was looking down.

For a while, he couldn't speak.

Finally, he pointed at Percy.

“He used light.”

Holar nodded.

“I saw.”

“Clara used fire.”

“I saw.”

Galahad looked at him.

“Is that normal?”

Holar stayed silent for a long time.

Then answered.

“No.”

Galahad smiled.

“Good.”

Holar looked at him.

“What's good about it?”

Galahad pointed below.

“They're not normal.”

Holar smiled despite himself.

“I know that.”

Galahad looked at Percy again.

“Perfect Match at zero point three percent.”

Holar corrected him.

“Zero point zero three percent.”

Galahad fell silent.

“That's worse.”

Holar raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

Galahad smiled.

“They're doing this with so little.”

Holar didn't answer.

Because he was right.

Below, Percy...

Was still holding Clara's hand.

Neither had noticed.

Arthur noticed.

Charlotte noticed.

William noticed.

Even Marcus noticed.

No one said anything.

After a while, Percy looked down.

So did Clara.

They noticed their hands at the same time.

Both blushed.

But...

This time, they didn't let go.

Percy smiled faintly.

So did Clara.

Arthur turned away.

“Didn't see a thing.”

Charlotte looked at him.

“Stone Man's improving.”

Arthur:

“A lot.”

William started walking.

Marcus checked the way ahead.

Charlotte packed her bag.

Percy looked at Clara.

“Keep going?”

Clara squeezed his hand a little.

“Keep going.”

Percy faced forward.

And First Spark of Hope...

Walked deeper into the forest.

On the battlefield behind them...

Fire still burned.

Light had yet to fade.

And where the two touched...

It was no longer clear...

Which glow belonged to whom.

CHAPTER 96 — THE DANCE OF FLAME AND LIGHT

END