Esmeria

As Peng Xian and Xiao Jie approached, they could finally make out two silhouettes locked in combat. Upon getting closer, they were stunned to see two girls who appeared identical, fiercely fighting each other.

“How is this possible?! She looks just like the princess!” Xiao Jie exclaimed, disbelief evident in his voice.

“Hmmmm? Is there another girl who resembles the princess?” Peng Xian murmured, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of the girl clad in a black robe.

“What could Gilles be planning, gathering girls who look like the princess?” Xiao Jie pondered aloud as they sprinted toward the battling figures, their hearts pounding in anticipation.

The girl in the black robe cast a spell, darkening the ground around her as shadowy appendages erupted from the darkness, striking the princess and sending her sprawling. With a triumphant smirk, she approached the fallen Wu Zhao, dagger poised to deliver the final blow.

“Not good!” Peng Xian exclaimed, realizing the peril Wu Zhao was in. He quickly cast [Lightning Spear], a bolt of lightning descending from above. The girl swiftly dodged the attack, her movements fluid and precise.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Jie dashed toward Wu Zhao, scooping her up and carrying her away from the assailant.

"Princess, are you alright?" Xiao Jie asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Ugh... I'm fine... Is that you, Xiao Jie?" Wu Zhao replied, her eyes slowly opening.

"Yes, Xiao Jie at your command, Princess!" he responded.

"You came back early..." Wu Zhao said weakly.

"No... I am late... but I'll take it from here. Please rest," he reassured her.

"Where is Jian Yi?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"He was killed," Xiao Jie replied softly.

"I see..." Wu Zhao murmured, her gaze dropping.

"Every single one of them is so useless!" the girl in the black robe sneered. "Oh well, I'll just kill all of you here."

"Who are you?" Peng Xian demanded, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I’m Annie. We meet again," she replied, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Again...? You don't resemble the girl I last saw!" Peng Xian exclaimed, confusion evident in his voice.

"How cold of you to forget my face," she retorted.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his tone laced with concern.

Peng Xian noticed a distinct change in the girl's aura compared to their previous encounter. The once-abundant earth elementals that had surrounded her were now diminished, their presence overshadowed by a dark spirit. The spirit, with a menacing horn, seemed to be consuming the earth elementals, its sinister energy gnawing away at the very essence that had once defined her.

"Ah… all of you are so annoying!" Annie exclaimed, her voice dripping with contempt as she cast [Shadow Crusher]. Dark appendages erupted from the ground, reaching out toward Peng Xian, Xiao Jie, and Wu Zhao with lethal intent.

Reacting swiftly, Peng Xian summoned [Earth Shield], a protective barrier of solid earth that rose from the ground. The shield absorbed the impact of the appendages, shattering the first wave of dark energy that threatened them. With a determined expression, Peng Xian stood firm, shielding his allies from Annie’s relentless assault.

"Just what exactly happened to her? Her magic is stronger now, and she is possessed by a dark spirit!" Peng Xian exclaimed, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.

Wu Zhao slowly rose to her feet, feeling a wetness on her back. She touched the spot and brought her hand forward, her eyes widening at the sight of blood. "I am ashamed of mineself; I should be the one protecting you," Wu Zhao said to Xiao Jie, her voice filled with regret.

"Princess, what are you talking about?" Xiao Jie asked, concern etched on his face.

"Do not try to hide it, I know you are wounded," Wu Zhao replied, her tone firm yet gentle, as she saw the strain in Xiao Jie's stance.

“'Tis just a minor wound, it’s nothing,” Xiao Jie replied, trying to downplay his injury.

“You should be the one to rest. Leave this to me and Peng Xian,” Wu Zhao insisted, her concern evident.

“No, I promised King Wu that I would protect you, and I will honor that promise even if it cost me my life. You should leave this to me and Peng Xian!” Xiao Jie countered firmly.

“Oh my, all three of us will work together then. Does this please you at least?” Wu Zhao said with a touch of frustration.

“You—” Xiao Jie began to protest, but Peng Xian interrupted, “Just listen to the princess; this is a dire situation.”

Xiao Jie finally relented, nodding in agreement. “Very well, we’ll work together as a team of three.”

“All three of you won’t be leaving here alive!” Annie screamed as she cast [Field of Darkness]. The surroundings grew dimmer, amplifying the effects and strength of her dark magic.

As the magic took hold, the mark on her wrist began to seep through her bandages, blood dripping from her fingertips and pooling on the ground. Despite the growing bloodstain, she felt no pain from it.

“Little girl, you should stop using magic that doesn’t belong to you,” Peng Xian admonished as he continued to deflect Annie’s onslaught with his [Earth Shield].

“Shut up, you annoying geezer! [Shadow Crusher]!” Annie screamed, unleashing a new wave of attack.

The shadow appendages pierced through Peng Xian’s [Earth Shield], but he managed to cast another shield while simultaneously launching a [Lightning Bolt] at Annie.

“Arghhh!” Annie shrieked as the lightning bolt struck her, but after a moment, her wounds began to heal.

“How can she recover so quickly? Does she have a high-level recovery spell?” Xiao Jie exclaimed, astonished.

“No,” Peng Xian said, observing Annie closely. “The dark spirit possessing her is healing her, but it's doing so at the cost of devouring the earth elementals still clinging to her.”

“I will create an opening for you two to hold her down!” Peng Xian said, determination in his voice. Wu Zhao and Xiao Jie both nodded in agreement.

“[Earth Spear]!” Peng Xian chanted, summoning a spike of earth to launch at Annie. However, the shadow appendages reached out and restrained the earth spear, preventing it from reaching its target.

“[Lightning Spear]!” Peng Xian chanted again, and a bolt of lightning shot down toward Annie. She tried to shield herself by using the shadow appendages to form a protective dome around her. However, the lightning pierced through the shadow defenses and struck her directly.

Xiao Jie seized the opportunity and charged toward Annie, swinging his sword, Zhan Lu, with the intent to strike her down. Annie intercepted the blow with her dagger, bolstered by the strength of the shadow appendages that shielded her.

"Zhan Lu is supposed to be able to strike down evil beings. How could she block it?!" Xiao Jie thought, astonished. His mind raced as he considered the implications of Annie's defense against the legendary sword.

Meanwhile, Wu Zhao quietly maneuvered behind Annie, gripping the sword she had taken from a fallen guard. With a swift motion, she drove the blade into Annie’s back, catching her off guard.

“Argh! Every single one of you is so irritating! I hate you all!” Annie screamed. The shadow appendages erupted from the darkness beneath her, violently blasting Wu Zhao and Xiao Jie away.

Blood began to seep from Annie's eyes, casting a red tint over her vision, but she was too consumed by rage to notice. Her nails elongated and sharpened, resembling claws, while a small horn started to emerge from her forehead.

“Little girl, please stop what you are doing! The spirit is consuming you!” Peng Xian implored Annie, his voice tinged with desperation.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Annie's face twisted into a more feral visage, her features morphing into something inhuman as she remained oblivious to her transformation.

“Ah… I didn't realize how liberating this could be,” Annie murmured, her voice steadier now as she settled into her new form. She resembled a beastmen of the Leporidae family, with elongated ears, a short, fluffy tail, and a prominent horn on her forehead. The transformation seemed to soothe her earlier rage, leaving her almost serene in her new skin.

“She can’t be saved anymore… the spirit has completely taken over her body,” Peng Xian lamented, his voice heavy with regret.

“Our objective remains unchanged—defeating her!” Xiao Jie affirmed, resolute in his stance as he prepared for the next assault.

In the dimly lit courtyard, the air crackled with tension as Annie faced off against Xiao Jie, Wu Zhao, and Peng Xian. Her poison dagger glinted ominously, and her claw-like nails were poised for the next attack. The shadows around her seemed to ripple with anticipation, fueled by her potent shadow magic.

Xiao Jie, despite his severe wounds, stood resolute with his sword, Zhan Lu, glinting in the moonlight. Wu Zhao, wielding her own sword and using martial arts, strategically positioned herself with her Mirage ability, creating after-images to confuse and distract. Peng Xian was ready with his arsenal of magic, his eyes sharp and focused.

Annie started the fight by casting [Shadow Crusher], sending shadow appendages arcing towards them. Peng Xian swiftly conjured an Earth Shield, deflecting the initial onslaught. The shadow appendages crashed against the earthen wall, splintering but not penetrating.

“[Lightning Spears]!” Peng Xian chanted, summoning bolts of lightning that streaked from the sky towards Annie. She deftly evaded, her enhanced beast-like body moving with unnatural speed and agility. The ground sizzled where the lightning struck, momentarily illuminating the battlefield.

Xiao Jie seized the moment, lunging forward with Zhan Lu. His blade sliced through the air, aimed at Annie’s torso. She parried with her dagger, her claw-like nails flashing as she counterattacked with a swift kick to Xiao Jie’s midsection, sending him staggering back.

Wu Zhao took advantage of Annie’s divided attention, her Mirage creating multiple after-images as she closed in. Her sword flashed in a deadly arc, but Annie’s [Shadow Blast] erupted around her, shadow appendages lashing out in every direction. Wu Zhao’s after-images were struck, but the real Wu Zhao managed to dodge, her movements a blur.

The battle intensified as Peng Xian launched his [Earth Crusher], spikes of earth shooting up in an arc towards Annie. She leapt nimbly, but one spike caught her leg, causing her to stumble. Xiao Jie, despite his injuries, pushed through the pain and charged once more, his sword finding its mark and slicing across Annie’s arm.

Annie roared in pain and fury, her form distorting further under the influence of the dark spirit possessing her. She lashed out wildly, her poison dagger slashing the air as she fought off Wu Zhao and Xiao Jie’s combined assault.

Wu Zhao, focusing all her strength and precision, maneuvered around Annie’s frenzied attacks. With a calculated thrust, she plunged her sword into Annie’s heart. Annie’s eyes widened in shock, her form stilling as the dark spirit's hold over her began to wane.

“W-why do you… get to have everything…?” Annie gasped, gripping Wu Zhao’s arm tightly. Her voice trembled with bitterness and resentment as she cursed her fate.

Suddenly, Annie's memories surged into Wu Zhao's mind, revealing her entire life from birth until the present, plunging Wu Zhao into a trance.

“Hmmm?! What is this?!” Peng Xian exclaimed, startled by the sight of the remaining earth elementals converging around Wu Zhao.

“What’s happening?!” Xiao Jie questioned, his voice filled with concern.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen elementals leave one person to surround another!” Peng Xian explained, bewildered by the unprecedented phenomenon.

The dark spirit possessing Annie attempted to seize control of Wu Zhao, using the earth elementals as a conduit. “Back off, lowly spirit!” Wu Zhao declared loudly. Still in a trance, she unleashed a surge of magic, eradicating the dark spirit.

After Annie fell, her body slowly shimmered into particles of light, drifting toward Wu Zhao. The scene looked surreal, like a goddess being surrounded by dancing fairies amidst a field of corpses under the moonlit sky.

To Peng Xian, who observed the scene with his [Elemental Eyes], it was even more breathtaking. Wu Zhao’s illusion elementals and Annie’s earth elementals danced together in perfect harmony, creating a mesmerizing spectacle...