Encounter Battle of Fog and Chains
【Encounter Battle in the Forest】
Emerging through the parted mist was a youthful boy. His silver-white hair fluttered in the wind, and his golden eyes harbored a quiet flame. A star-shaped pendant swayed at his chest, and the greatsword slung across his back cleaved through the sea of fog like a sail.
Radix Brightmore Spencer—born to the noble martial house of Spencer, yet bearing the lineage of a swordsmanship distinct from his homeland’s traditions. Shinken-ryu—the spirit of this foreign style coursed through him, a visitor from afar. His name sought to revive pride in the hills and fields of Vestaz.
“I came upon hearing a trap had been sprung, only to find Superbia’s hounds. To defile the sacred veins of this land—such folly knows no bounds. With my greatsword, I shall sever both their chains and shadows.”
His voice resonated through the entire forest, and the collar of his black noble military uniform bore the unmistakable mark of forgotten pride. The greatsword, gleaming like a star, still quietly carried the echoes of the radiant blade that once felled the Beastman King in a single stroke.
At his side, a girl’s figure emerged under the moonlight. Her black hair was adorned with a floral ornament, and her ruby-red cotardie danced in the breeze. Her eyes sparkled like stars, and a spirited smile played on her lips.
“Radix! These guys are enemies, right? Fine, then—kneel on the ground and beg for mercy right now! Otherwise, I’ll blast you to bits!”
Her voice brimmed with youth and passion, marking the presence of Freida St. Clair Pembroke, the daughter of a noble knight. But as the vines writhed like serpents, she took a step back.
“Eek… snakes!? Wait, hold on, that’s seriously not okay! They’re totally gross!”
Her bold cry melted into the mist, but she quickly steeled herself.
“But… there’s no way I’m losing! Who do you think I am? The daughter of a knight!”
Next to appear was Radix’s sister, Mare Brightmore Spencer, a member of the Holy Knights’ Order, the Wardens. Her silver hair glimmered softly in the moonlight, and a star-shaped pendant swayed gently at her chest. Her azure eyes held both compassion and an unspoken secret.
“Shadows of the Empire, meet your end here. Surrender, and I promise your lives will be spared.”
Her dignified stance, as she quietly drew her dagger, exuded the resolve and majesty of a holy knight. She wielded her blade not out of anger but in the name of justice.
Meanwhile, Geva let out a low growl and drew the blade at his waist.
“Hmph… I thought you were the duchy’s lapdogs, but it seems you’re more like the goddess’s hounds. Still, those fangs don’t seem rusted.”
The fang-shaped ornament at his waist clinked against his chains, emitting a faint creak. That sound awakened the pride sleeping within him—the pride of the beastman, the wolf.
Leaf flashed a faint smile, but his eyes were sharp as honed blades, piercing through the depths of the mist.
“The goddess’s dogs, huh? That’s a sharp-tongued name. Allow me to introduce myself—Leaf. The bastard of Superbia, once feared as ‘The Blade.’”
The mist enveloped them like a stage set, and Leaf’s voice echoed quietly at its center.
“…This fog-laden forest is the perfect stage for me to bare my fangs at the past.”
【The Fog of the Battlefield】
The curtain of mist shrouded the forest, and an eerie glow seeping from a ring cast an ominous darkness across the ground. Over twenty soldiers raised a battle cry, brandishing daggers and drawing bows taut.
“In the name of the Empire—crush them!”
Radix stood his ground, raising his prized greatsword high.
“Fools,” he spat lowly, as his blade tore through the mist like a thunderclap.
“Chesuto!”
With a single strike, three soldiers fell, and the earth groaned. Branches quaked, and the sound of clinking chains filled the air.
“This greatsword is the one to sever Superbia’s ambitions—the soul of Shinken-ryu will never bow to your filthy desires!”
His sword roared again, sending soldiers flying with its sheer force. Defensive stances were futile; the pressure of his blade shattered their consciousness. His presence was akin to that of a merciless judge.
Meanwhile, Freida coolly notched her bow, firing three arrows in rapid succession.
“If you don’t want these arrows to pierce you, bare the filth of your souls!”
The arms and shoulders of the soldiers she struck burst, their groans fading into the mist. Yet, a faint tremble ran through her fingers as the writhing vines slithered like snakes, fear flashing in her eyes.
“What’s this!? The vines are alive…!? No way, this is ridiculous!”
Sealing her fear with resolve, Freida continued to fire her arrows.
“But I’m not losing! I’ll show you my spirit!”
Mare quietly drew her dagger and advanced toward the magical circle Leaf was chanting. Her steps were as graceful as a dance, her words laced with noble pride.
“It’s unfortunate you refuse to surrender… but so be it. Superbia’s ambitions will be severed here. Freida’s passion is the starlight that illuminates the night…”
A faintly glowing magical circle appeared at her feet, and her incantation made the air tremble.
“—Holy Light Strike.”
The radiant blade she unleashed turned incoming arrows to dust and sapped the enemy soldiers’ will to fight. Three remaining soldiers charged with daggers, but Mare gracefully twisted her body to evade, smoothly tripping them.
“The knight’s blade forces the darkness to kneel.”
Her presence was the embodiment of reason.
Geva gripped his dagger tightly, leading his men in a charge.
“The roar of the fang… I won’t forget it! These guys’ eyes are heavier than the Empire’s chains!”
Swords clashed, sparks flying. But Radix’s blade was too heavy, too sharp, and it sent Geva and his men crashing to the ground with a single blow.
The scent of blood seeped into the earth, and Geva groaned, clutching his necklace.
“Tch… what a guy. Is this monster human…?”
Leaf hooked his finger through his ring, chanting to summon the darkness.
“I’ll break the chains, you goddess’s mutts! My ambition will burn through this fog!”
Black mist swirled—but Freida’s arrow struck the ring, dispersing the magic.
“Lame magic like that? I’ll blast it away! I’m not letting Radix lose, no way!”
Her gaze held a resolve that transcended fear.
The last soldier fired an arrow, but Mare’s dagger silently deflected it, her blade quietly robbing the soldier of consciousness.
From beyond the mist, Leaf observed Freida, a smirk curling his lips.
“Hoh… didn’t the little princess say she’s scared of snakes? Then let’s play with this.”
He swiftly grabbed a large snake hidden among the vines and hurled it toward Freida.
“No way!? A s-snake!? Wait, what is this!? Someone, get it off, get it off!!”
The snake landed on her cotardie, and she flailed her bow, leaping about.
“What are you doing!? Are you messing with me!? I’ll never forgive you!! I’ll tear that filthy fox to shreds later!!”
Her floral ornament bounced, her blue eyes a mix of anger and fear.
Leaf laughed mockingly, supporting the injured Geva as they retreated into the mist.
“Retreat, Geva. The princess’s snake panic was a fine souvenir.”
Freida didn’t stop shouting.
“Wait… wait, I said!! Next time we meet, I’ll blast you and your snakes to oblivion!!”
Radix gently pulled the snake’s tail, setting it on the ground. Finally, Freida slumped her shoulders, her cheeks flushed red.
“Hmph. Fear of snakes… what an endearing weakness, Freida,” Radix said with a gentle smile, placing a hand on her head.
“Ugh, stop treating me like a kid, Radix! I fought properly, you know!”
Mare watched the two with a warm gaze.
Silence returned to the forest, with only the echoes of battle and the girl’s cries lingering.
Radix sheathed his greatsword and touched his pendant—a symbol of his sister’s will and the key to the future.
“The shadow of Superbia… the key of the goddess… Then, with this sword, I shall carve open fate. The principles of Shinken-ryu do not turn from the past but point their blade toward the future.”
A faint heat pulsed in his hand—a premonition of trials to come. In the young warrior’s heart, a calm resolve took root.
Freida, blushing, puffed out her chest.
“Radix! You saw my bow, right!? That fox really ticked me off, though!”
Her floral ornament swayed, her fear of snakes seemingly forgotten.
Mare clenched her right hand, a small smile touching her lips.
“The light of passion is like a star tearing through the night sky… But, Radix, the trials have only just begun. Fate is a capricious tailor, never cutting to measure.”
The pendant in her hand trembled faintly. The weight of its secret would, in time, solemnly and quietly test the path they walked.
【In Baron Sigurd’s Study】
The night deepened, and silence enveloped the study.
The soft light of a candelabrum in the Pembroke family’s study gently illuminated Mare’s pale cheeks, casting delicate shadows on her golden hair. Her refined presence was as solemn as an ancient portrait, yet tinged with a trace of melancholy.
In her hand was a document with its wax seal broken—a heretical missive bearing the seals of both the duchy’s king and the Empire’s crown prince. Having read its contents, Mare let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.
“…Even now, they refuse to abandon the mines.”
Her slender fingers trembled faintly. Clutching a match meant to light a fire, she hesitated to ignite it. The courage to consign the document to flames faltered in her heart.
A presence stirred outside the door. The butler, Clovan, appeared silently and bowed respectfully.
“Your instructions, my lady.”
“…This letter must never be shown to Radix. Under any circumstances, never.”
Clovan gave a brief nod and quietly withdrew. In the silence that followed, Mare leaned over the desk.
Her eyes were fixed on the parchment, as if it were draining her soul.
“To hand my brother over to the Superbia Empire? The pride of this nation’s sword, the king’s honor, may kneel at the Empire’s feet… Why, Father, have you not even told Radix?”
Her heart was in turmoil. The pride her father, Sigurd, had staked his life to protect. The ideals Radix held in his heart, reaching for the stars beyond. All of it was laid bare on this single sheet of parchment, teetering on thin ice. She could not find the words to tell her brother.
“Let my brother… keep dreaming. At least for now.”
Her whisper, unheard by any, was softly illuminated by the study’s lamplight. That light gently reflected the resolve and the anguish born of love hidden in Mare’s heart.
【Afterword】
Thank you for reading to the end.
This story aimed to depict the pride and struggles of young warriors standing on a misty battlefield, where ideals and the past intertwine with a "quiet fervor." Radix’s sword is not merely a symbol of steel but an expression of the redemption and conviction within him. Freida’s cries carry the clumsy nobility and love of youth, while Mare’s single strike embodies the resolve of a holy knight and the prayers of an elder sister.
Those who stand against them—Leaf and Geva—are also portrayed as individuals bearing their own pasts and pride, rising to fight for their own sense of justice. Rather than a simple dichotomy of good and evil, I believe the essence of this chapter lies in focusing on each character’s "reason to fight."
I plan to continue exploring the depths and light of this world in future installments. Updates on the continuation and behind-the-scenes details will be shared on X (formerly Twitter). If you’re interested, I’d be delighted if you’d follow me.
【X Account Here】
https://x.com/LordAshford584?t=q759uSBFUrqGR6fB-lsVyw&s=09
Until we meet again in the next story.
