The Dimensional War.

[Rin's POV.] 

the next 2 days felt like weeks, but it finally arrived. the day me and kael would be training under meika, the same person who wouldn't even allow us to look at a sword, now training us. it felt like a dream.

We both got ready and left the Dormitory, we arrived back at the woods where meika told us to meet at to train. We arrived.

Kael glanced at me, then around the trees. "You think she's late?"

I was about to answer when I heard a rush of wind.

Without warning, Meika was behind us, her foot swept out low. I barely jumped back in time, Kael tripped and hit the dirt.

"Lesson one," she said, stepping forward as I moved between her and Kael. "Never think you're safe just because it's 'training'."

I pushed Nyth through my body, the cold of ice gathering around my arms. She charged at me.

She didn't draw her weapon. Just her fists, fast as lightning. I ducked one punch, slid under her next, and threw out a wall of ice between us. It shattered in a second. she blasted through it with one sharp palm.

I backed up, panting. My legs burned, but my mind stayed sharp. I threw a thin blade of ice toward her shoulder, hoping to slow her. She caught it mid-air, melted it with fire, and flicked her wrist, launching a shock of wind that sent me flying into a tree.

I dropped down, coughing, and forced myself to stand.

"Still got fight in you?" Meika asked, her tone unreadable.

I ran at her this time, coating my fists in sharp ice, striking fast. She blocked with the flat of her palm, her eyes focused but not tense. She was holding back, ofcourse she was, but that didn't stop me from pushing everything I had into it.

For a moment, I managed to match her pace. She backed off a step, and that alone felt like a win.

Suddenly her speed increased dramatically, i could see, not react. as she hit me on my chest with her palm, breathing felt tiring, as i fell to the ground. i saw meika standing there.

"You pass."  Meika said, coldly as always.

Kael was already on his feet by the time I hit the ground. He didn't waste time checking on me, he knew it was his turn.

He ran at her with no words, flames flickering at his fists, but not flaring out. He kept them close, focused, like Kaito taught him. He went for a feint, then tried to swing low with a kick. Meika caught his leg and spun him, but he landed on his feet, sliding back

"Not bad." she said.

Kael didn't answer. He kept coming, faster now, pushing Nyth into his arms, legs, every part of him. He didn't try to overwhelm her—he aimed to outlast her. His footwork had improved, his speed was up, and every punch came sharper than the last.

But ultimately she stepped in. One strike to the gut, and Kael folded. He stayed on his knees, breathing hard, head low.

Then he looked up at her, fire still flickering in his eyes.

"Passed, Rin did better, Kael, you have to improve your nyth control, its extremely unbalanced. Rin, focus on making strikes stronger and more lethal. Nonetheless, you both did good." Meika said again.

We both lay in the dirt, staring at the clouds through the trees. My lungs ached. My arms were jelly. Kael groaned beside me. Though i felt proud, finally i got meika to notice me, i didnt know about kael, but he had to feel that way too. i was too tired to stand, kael was probably too, but he had some energy in him. he sat up, barely.

"when's... our first mission?"  Kael said, through pants. as i wished i could just hit him, but i was too exhausted to bother.

Meika raised an eyebrow, she looked done with kael. Though i couldn't blame her.

"Seriously? both of you, go home. ill decide if your ready or not." Meika said, as she walked off without saying anything else

"Help me get up..." i said, as kael sighed at meika's response, and me probably. as an hour later, we arrived at our shared room. it was barely 2 p.m and i felt sleepy as hell. kael slopped on his bed, not before me ofcourse. i managed to sleep. i don't know about kael, i woke up a few hours later, my body still ached but it felt much better then before. it was like 5 p.m right now, there goes my sleep schedule... kael was doing some burpees. 

His.. stamina always impressed me, he was a meathead. anywho, i got up, and ofcourse freshened up. took a shower and everything, i got out, drying. someone knocked on the door, me and kael exchanged glances. as i quickly wore my shirt, and opened the door, kael just sat on his bed, looking towards the door, it was a woman wearing the ADC uniform, it had a emblem above the chest. i didnt recognize her.

"Yes?" i ask her. door half open.

"Hello, rin? i assume?" the woman said. as i nodded. before i could open my mouth, she spoke. 

"I was sent by Miss Meika, she told me to inform you and your brother, kael. that she has officially approved a mission for you two, it will take place 2 days from now, she said if you have any questions regarding it, then come to her office on the day the mission is. not earlier or later." the woman said, i glanced at kaels bed, he wasn't there, just behind me, listening, either way we exchanged curious glances, as i nodded. looking back at the woman.

"uh, okay, alright, thanks." i said, closing the door in her face, as i look to kael, realizing that was kinda rude, i quickly open the door to apologize, but she's already gone. okay...

"So... our first mission." Kael said, as i closed the door. 

"yeah. im surprised meika decided already... don't you think its unusual?" i said to kael, it was odd, it was unlike meika, the training and now the mission.

"yeah, but either way, its our win right? we get to go on a mission without having to keep it secret! so stop being so gloomy!" kael said, grinning, as i nodded, he was right, it was our win.

Two days, they went by in a flash. me and kael were absolutely ready, we had gotten some basic iron swords, from totally legal means. as we were in our gear. we went to meika's office, opening the door, we saw Meika sitting at her chair, sae and kaito leaning on the wall on the sides, and two swords, and some armor.

"So, whats our mission?" Kael said, he was excited, i also was, but something just felt off, i looked right at meika, her usual cold stare, it was there, but it was less cold, with more... intent. Like i was a bar of gold in a pile of trash, it was the best way i could describe it. it wasn't something i was familiar with. it caught me off guard, but i tried not to focus on it.

"The sword and armor is yours, you brought your own for no reason." Meika said, kael sighed. grabbing the swords and tossing one to me, these were actual swords, for killing, demon killing.

"Frostshard?" i ask, admiring the sword i got, i knew Kael's sword was helliron. 

"bullseye." Sae said with a smirk. as kael swung his helliron sword a little.

"Lets go now, cant wait anymore." Kael said with a grin. as i nodded, Meika looked at us with approval, something neither of us had, i still thought something was off. Either way, just as we were about to leave. Kaito said something.

"dont get yourselves killed, especially you Kael." Kaito said, i could see he was concerned. as kael nodded, i smirked a little. we left. finally, our first mission, finally. we could leave Velmaris, finally, we could see the outside world. we stepped out the gates, it was, well sunny.

"its not like i imagined, no destruction, no rainy clouds. dang, underwhelming." Kael said.

"bro are you- nevermind. you ARE stupid, the weather isnt gonna change just cause we went a few meters from Velmaris, you retard." I said to kael, how stupid was he?

"I mean... you are right and all, but DO NOT call me a retard" kael said, pouting, as we continued walking.

i sighed. "Yeah, alright, just don't say some stupid shit like that please" i said to kael. as kael didnt say anything, we continued walking to the location we were supposed to get too.

an hour or so later, the weather didnt change alot, but we could see some ruins, not alot, but we still saw them occasionally, we arrived, it was a forest... this was eerie.

 [Kael's POV.] 

Dang, this forest was scary as hell, anyways, i glanced at rin, he didnt seem scared, maybe a little nervous, dude was always like that.

"Lets go in, we should stop wasting time." Rin said to me. as i nodded, we went in, it was silent, no birds. not even the crickets. i couldn't even hear the leaves. then suddenly, Leaves crunching, rin and i both pull our swords out immediately, we see a shadow in the tree, i glance at rin, my breath hitching, i was nervous. there was no hiding it, Rin looked relatively calm though.

I squinted into the shadows. The figure didn't move. Just stared.

Then it dropped.

Branches cracked as it landed — light on its feet, but heavy enough to shake the ground a little. It stood still for a second, letting us see it clearly.

It was humanoid, yeah. But not human.

It was tall, maybe 7 feet, but didn't look bulky. Skin gray, like scorched ash, and its face… wrong. Its mouth was too wide. No nose. Eyes like coals, buried deep in the sockets. Arms a little too long, hands curved into claws. It tilted its head.

Then it grinned.

I stepped slightly in front of Rin.

He tapped my shoulder. "Flank it."

Right. Simple enough. 

The demon didn't wait.

It moved like it had skipped time, one blink, and it was in front of me. My sword went up just in time. It struck, fast. Not wild, but precise. Every hit aimed to kill.

I blocked one, parried another, but my arms rattled with the force. The third swing grazed my shoulder, armor saved me, but I still felt the impact like a hammer.

"Kael, duck!"

I hit the ground and felt a rush of cold air as Rin's blade swung right over me, slicing the demon's arm. Not deep, but it backed up with a snarl. Blood or whatever it had dripped from its bicep. It hissed, like it didn't expect that.

Neither did we.

We circled it. I could feel my breathing pick up, but I wasn't panicking yet. Not yet.

"Think it's a Weaver?" I asked, quietly.

"Too strong. Not fast enough for a Weaver, not big enough for a Brute. Might be something else" Rin muttered.

The demon crouched.

Then it charged again, but this time, it didn't go for me.

It was on Rin.

I shouted, rushing to help, but it was too fast, it slammed Rin against a tree, claws digging into the bark beside his head.

Rin spat blood, raising his sword in defense. The demon knocked it aside.

I lunged, slamming my shoulder into its side. It barely flinched.

But it turned to me. Just long enough.

Rin grabbed a shard of ice from the ground and drove it into the thing's thigh.

That got it. It shrieked, staggering back.

I didn't stop, I swung my helliron sword and slashed it across the chest. It bled. But it didn't fall.

It screamed again, a sound like rusted metal tearing, and its skin started to burn, literally. Flames licked across its shoulders.

I backed up fast, dragging Rin with me. He was limping.

"Can you still fight?" I asked, panicked.

He nodded. Barely. "Not for long."

We both stood, shoulder to shoulder.

The demon charged. One last time.

I went low. Rin went high.

I cut its leg.

Rin drove his blade into its neck.

It staggered.

Didn't fall.

It reached up, grabbed Rin by the throat.

I screamed, adrenaline flooding my system, and tackled the thing from behind, plunging my blade into its back, again and again, until it finally let go. Rin collapsed, coughing, barely conscious.

The demon turned to me, stumbling, but still standing.

My blade was buried in its back. I had nothing left. No fire. No tricks.

I grabbed a broken shard of Rin's ice from the ground.

The demon raised a claw.

I jammed the shard into its eye.

It didn't scream this time. Just stopped moving.

Then it fell, like a puppet with its strings cut.

I stood there, panting. Chest heaving. Blood in my mouth, mine or his, I couldn't tell.

Rin groaned behind me.

I turned.

He was still breathing. Still alive.

I dropped down beside him, grabbing his arm.

"We did it..." I muttered. "You okay?"

"No.." he said, coughing. "But I'm alive."

We didn't say anything after that. Just sat there. Sore, bloody, and breathing.

Our first mission wasn't over yet. we still had to get out of this forest.

Oh but damn, i was tired. my arms sagged, sore. i glanced at rin, who was in much worse condition than me.

"What now...?" I said to rin, quietly. barely.

"dude... i dont know-" He said, which was unfortunately for me, a very valid answer.

"ughh... fine, get up, ill help you walk."  i said, reluctantly. i genuinely did not want to help him, i just wanted to lay down... But ofcourse, i signed up for this shit, so i gotta do my job.

After this, an hour passed and we finally arrived back at Velmaris. the gates opened, the guards recognized us. Some helped us get to a hospital. Our adrenaline had wore off, we felt like shit, more then before, right as i saw the entrance of the hospital, everything turned to black...