History Repeat Itself

Lilith hurled fireballs at Ur while a tentacle from Ulgath'khal struck upward. Ur dodged the initial fireballs and sidestepped the tentacle's assault. However, Ayame, anticipating his movements, clapped her hands, activating a trap she had laid before. Flames erupted around Ur, and chains emerged from a magical circle beneath him, wrapping around his body. Though he effortlessly broke free from the chains, the distraction allowed Ulgath'khal to land a powerful hit. The tentacle struck Ur in the midsection, sending him flying half a mile away.

In the corridor, which was outside Ur's domain, Ji-Hye and Hyun-Ki continued their relentless assault on the champion. Their attacks were fast and powerful, leaving her with no chance to counter. Each time she attempted to strike back, she was met with a coordinated flurry of blows from both siblings, forcing her on the defensive. Ji-Hye's precise strikes combined with Hyun-Ki's brute force kept the champion pinned, barely able to keep up with them.

"You're not using your full power," Ji-Hye panted heavily. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to hurt you."

"You… your sister was taken by Ur, right?" Hyun-Ki asked, stepping forward. "We can help rescue her."

"Impossible." Zindra clenched her daggers tighter. "She's in another temple. In Grosek. If I want to see her again… I'll have to fight. I'm sorry."

Before the siblings could respond, the champion moved quickly, zig-zagging to dodge Ji-Hye's throwing daggers. She lunged forward, her blades a blur. Hyun-Ki parried one strike, but the second dagger grazed his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. Ji-Hye stepped in, her sword meeting the champion's with a clang, sparks flying from the impact.

She spun, using her momentum to slash at Ji-Hye's upper arm. Ji-Hye winced but didn't back down, countering with a kick to Zindra's side. The champion grunted, but she didn't falter. She ducked under Hyun-Ki's wide swing, her daggers slicing through the air, catching him across the chest with shallow cuts.

Hyun-Ki and Ji-Hye shared a quick glance, a silent agreement passing between them. They pressed their attack, moving in tandem. Ji-Hye feinted left, drawing Zindra's attention, while Hyun-Ki came in from the right, his flaming sword aimed low. Zindra saw the maneuver just in time, leaping backward, her feet barely touching the ground as she flipped away.

"This is bullshit!" Hyun-Ki yelled. "We don't have to fight! You don't have to listen what Ur says!"

"I have no choice!" Her voice was quiet compared to him. "I have to fight. I just have to."

"No, you don't have to." Ji-Hye lowered her sword, eyes locked on Zindra's. "Just let us help you."

"How?" The champion's voice wavered. "It's impossible to enter a temple's dungeon."

"We did it before and rescued imprisoned people." Hyun-Ki insisted. "We can do it again!"

"You had a blood mage with you!" Zindra's desperation seeped into her words.

"We can still save her." His voice softened. "Trust us. Please. Let's teleport to Grosek."

Zindra paced back and forth, her face tight with worry. "Ur would realize I'm gone."

"Then I'll go," Hyun-Ki offered, stepping closer. "But I have to do it alone. You keep pretending to fight with my sister, or Ur will get suspicious."

"That's not going to happen!" Ji-Hye stepped in front of him, her voice sharp. "You aren't going anywhere!"

"I have to, sis!"

"No! Know your place, Ki!" Ji-Hye's eyes blazed with rage. "You'll stay here and –"

"No, you know your place. I'm not letting history repeat itself!" He yelled, fists clenched. "Not again, sister. Not. Again."

Ji-Hye's voice softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't our fault, Ki. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't my fault. It was them. Not us."

"I know, sis." Hyun-Ki's smile was heartbreaking. "But still – I have to do this. I can handle the temple alone."

"You can't… you can't." She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "Don't be an idiot."

"Trust me…" He said, his voice steady. "I can… and plus, I feel useless. I gotta do something to prove myself. Prove my worth."

Ji-Hye looked at the champion, then back at her brother. "Okay… can you teleport my brother to Grosek?"

"I can," Zindra nodded, her grip on the daggers relaxing slightly. "But are you sure? It's… suicide."

"No. I am Minra-blessed." He explained. "If I pray at an altar, I'll get a temporary mana boost. So, that means I can use the invisibility spell for much longer than usual. I'll sneak into the temple, find the dungeon, kill the guards sneaky style, and release the prisoners. Simple enough, huh? Man, I'm genius."

A stranger's voice echoed from the stairwell, cutting through the tension. "No need to hide, I guess. They are not the bad guys."

Hyun-Ki cast a fire spell on his sword, illuminating the stairwell. There, he saw a blood mage wearing a mask like Soul's. Next to her were Esvor, Roderick, and Gale, weapons ready.

"Another blood mage, huh?" Hyun-Ki remarked, shaking his head. "This day couldn't get any weirder…"

"I'm with the King," the blood mage, Hope, explained. "He saw me scouting the place. After that weird rift opened, we slipped past the guards. What's with the kidnapped sister?"

"Her – what's your name?" Hyun-Ki asked, turning to the champion.

"Zindra."

"Zindra here is Ur's new champion." Hyun-Ki began to explain, hiding the fact that Soul was fighting with a god. "Ur kidnapped her sister so she couldn't run away and had to obey him. We were talking about saving her sister."

"Sorry to cut in, but we are tight on time," Esvor urged. "We need that mother dragon's egg, or this whole city will turn to dust."

"We got the egg." Ji-Hye pointed to the shadowy corner of the corridor. "It's there, in the ripped bag."

"I'll get it, King." Roderick retrieved the bag and handed the egg to Esvor. "Such a majestic thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is… shame we have to give it back." Esvor nodded. "Okay, we're going back upstairs, find that dragon and give her baby back."

"Okay." Hyun-Ki confirmed. "So, who's going to teleport me to Grosek?"

"Let me teleport." Hope readied a teleportation spell beneath herself and Hyun-Ki. "I'll come with you. It'd be suicide to defy a god's temple alone."

"Thank you, ma'am." Hyun-Ki said, stepping into the circle. "Sis… see you soon?"

"Don't die, Ki." She said with a cold voice, eyes locking onto his. "Okay?"

"I'll try."

"Not a good time for stupid jokes." Ji-Hye muttered, shaking her head. "Okay – I'll wait for you. Get back as soon as you have her sister, got it?"

"Got it. Good luck, sis."

"Good luck, Ki." She turned her attention to Zindra, raising her sword. "I guess we have to fight. Or Ur will get suspicious."

"You're right…" The champion said, raising her daggers. "Let's fight."