The Moonlight Swordsman

The institute's groups departed on their missions, their faces beaming with anticipation and joy as they chatted excitedly. They were only thinking about the rewards that had been promised.

'The Magic Artifacts.'

Certain objects in the land of Xelgar, where magic abounds, were imbued with an extraordinary amount of magical power. These were known as magical artifacts and had the power to alter the course of history.

In Xelgar, magical artifacts came in all shapes and sizes, from small trinkets to massive structures. Some were guarded by powerful creatures or lost in ancient ruins, while some were wielded by powerful mages.

The "Book of Nature" was one of the most renowned and legendary artifacts, once wielded by the great Cedric Felgura himself and now in the possession of this kingdom's royal family.

Aizel's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the artifacts that awaited them as rewards as he made his way towards a town in the southwest corner of Felgura Kingdom.

Their mission was to put an end to the town's riots and political unrest. Accompanying him was Soren, his partner for the mission.

"The Alcoberg Town" The town was well-known for its variety and flavor of alcohol.

Aizel wasn't a big fan of alcohol and only drank occasionally, but the prospect of trying out different flavors piqued his interest.

He had already sampled a drink called Alesmith, which had quickly become his favorite.

The horses galloped with full force as they rode towards their destination, their hooves pounding into the ground and their manes fluttering in the wind.

Meanwhile, a far distance away...

Two figures rode their horses towards the town of Ashford, on a path that would take them closer to Chester town in the distance. As they approached their destination, the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the countryside.

The duo was none other than Seraphine and Hazel.

The town of Ashford was ruled by the Paul family until their demise; after that, it was taken over by the Rosewell family.

A path leading to both Chester and Ashford town lay ahead, and the pair brought their horses to a halt at the crossroads.

"Is this the place they told us to meet them?" As she asked her question, Hazel's gaze wandered around their surroundings.

Seraphine's head bobbed up and down in agreement.

As they stood there, the distant sound of horses and a carriage grew louder and closer. It was a noble family's carriage that eventually came to a stop right beside them.

Several people emerged from the carriage door. If Aizel had been present, he would have recognized each and every one of them.

"You are the ones from the institute who have been assigned to us?" The woman took a step forward, her light blue leather armor gleaming in the sunlight. A bow was slung across her back.

Seraphine remained silent, scanning each member of the group, noting their appearance and weapons.

Her attention was drawn to a couple, the husband wielding dual swords and the wife wielding a pair of daggers. A blond man who was smiling like an idiot carried a shield by his side.

"Ah yes, I am Hazel, and this is Seraphine." Hazel quickly introduced her group.

"Okay, you can follow behind our carriage; we have a lot of things we need to prepare when we reach the town.

"And remember, follow our instructions. I know you are talented mages, but this is our family responsibility; we can't screw things up trying to be heroes." The lady with the bow warned them.

Seraphine and Hazel galloped alongside on horseback as the noble family group climbed back into the carriage and set off towards Ashford town.

*****

Another carriage was a blur as it raced down the road towards Freedom City in the far east, leaving a dust trail in its wake. Its wheels clattered against the uneven terrain, propelled by powerful horses with glistening sweat on their flanks.

The only occupants of the carriage were the coachman and two individuals. The first was a mage, the one who had arrived during the festival at the burned village to seek assistance.

The other passenger was none other than David himself, his expression unreadable as he stared out of the window.

David had used the small crystal ball that the mage had given him. He wasn't sure if he could use it because of his inability to use mana, but to his surprise, the ball worked.

"It's good you called for help, David; we all know what happened to you, and don't worry, we all have agreed to help you." The mage replied.

For some reason, fear etched the mage's face, beads of sweat trickling down his brow as he scanned his surroundings, unable to make sense of what was going on.

He had no idea what was going on, and his inability to perceive the situation only added to his growing anxiety.

David noticed the mage's uneasiness and inquired, "Is there a problem? Are we being followed?"

The mage paused for a moment before deciding to tell David about the situation.

"The thing is... I can't use mana."

"What do you mean you can't use mana?" David asked in confusion.

"I can neither sense nor use mana. It's different from before I met you. It appears that there is a domain around us as our carriage travels, blocking the mana within a large radius."

David's eyes widened with shock as his left hand instinctively reached for the purple crystal in his pants pocket. "Is this some kind of artifact that rejects mana?" He thought.

"So, you are telling me right now that you are just like me, useless?" David asked

The mage nodded his head while trying to sense mana again and again.

David's face lit up with a dark and ominous smile, capable of sending shivers down the spines of those who witnessed it.

The mage glanced at him and asked him worriedly, "Why are you smiling? We don't even know if someone is targeting us!"

David drew his face closer, his eyes fixed on the mage, his grin wide and firmly in place.

"Do you want to know how I managed to survive?

"The thing is, I am already dead. I already lost my light, my soul, and my happiness.

"What you see here is just an empty husk of a dead man wandering the lands of Xelgar. There is but one purpose." David raised his finger in a pointing gesture. "To watch the Felgura Kingdom burn in Chaos.

"I have become an existence that rejects the very thing that mages can't bear to live without."

David spread his arms wide, gazing up at the sky as if he were a celestial being bathed in divine illumination.

Realization hit the mage like a bolt of lightning. It wasn't the carriage or any artifact targeting them, but the person sitting right in front of him was enxguishing all mana around him.

"Y... You... Don't tell me... it's you?!"

"Of course, it's me you idiot… HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH" David's laughter echoed inside the carriage as he leaned against the window, staring outside with a maniacal expression.

"Let's Begin the Last Dance..."