“Now! This is our only opening, while she’s distracted with her spell, we’ll capture her and hit her with all we’ve got!” Captain Albin commanded.

    The band of knights began their assault and pushed through the waves of Fragmented. At last they arrived beneath her ready to employ their plan. There the Priestess used her magic to weave a band of light to bind the Fragmented Alena, her legs shackled to the earth. Pulling her away from the vision in the sky, they interrupted the convergence between two souls. The sphere of light seemingly returning to the great beyond, she managed to capture it and suspend it in time. Her attention now on them, she would make sure they wouldn’t be able to interrupt her again. The bindings of light were pulled apart with little effort as she simply cut them with her magic.

“She broke my binding spell with such ease!” Izabela was surprised. “This shouldn’t be possible… for it to be unaffected by the power of the Elohim… I’ve never seen such blasphemous power from a Fragmented!” 

“It’s not enough, try again and bind it with your magic!”

“I understand. Once more… Bi-“ Yet not only would her magic be useless, the priestess would soon find herself quickly silenced. She could not move, her very being frozen in place.

“Izabela! Kuh- Let her go!” Captain Albin kicked himself off the ground with great force and prepared to strike at the Fragmented Alena.

“I do not wish to harm you. I have done nothing to warrant such aggression. Now, return.”

“I-It speaks-!” Captain Albin felt the grip on his blade loosen. But before he could find his resolve. He found himself back on the ground. “Huh? Just now- that magic, just what did she…”

“Do not interfere. For it is my purpose to grant her desire, I shall see it fulfilled.”

“No… I can’t let you. It is my duty as a knight to protect the people from outside threats and that of The Fragmented. I’m afraid I won’t back down!”

    “A future in which we fight is a future that will never come to pass.”

“We’ll see about that-” Yet he couldn’t move. Not only him, but all of the knights and cantor beasts in the vicinity were left frozen in place.

“The foolish actions of mortals, I will not be made to suffer from your poor judgment.”   

Frozen in place yet still aware of their surroundings, they watched as their comrades fell victim to the powers of such an incredible foe.

“A bridge between this world and the next need no longer stay, it has served its purpose.”

Clasping her hands together, the vision of a world beyond our own had all but vanished; the sky returned to us once more.

 “Wandering soul, come to me, you need not return for you shall be given another chance.” 

Beckoning the sphere of light, she welcomed it and nestled it within her bosom. The final step in the convergence, its outcome unknown. It was all a lost cause, they were powerless in the face of such an imposing foe. Was this to be the end?

“I shall not see these good people kept imprisoned. Reprieve!” An old man shouted from high atop the city wall. The magic that had kept the knights frozen had been lifted.

“Saint Alfons!” Captain Albin and his men couldn’t be happier to see him. Was this to be their hero?

“A magic, not unlike my own…” She shifted her attention toward the old man. “How curious a mortal should possess such power, though it matters not for such power appears to be insignificant in the hands of man.”

    “Captain Albin, you’ve done well to protect the city. This fight ends here.”

    “We might just have a chance…!” Albin felt encouraged.

“To think it would be this powerful…” Saint Alfons hands trembled. “The amount of energy I conjured to invoke that spell nearly exhausted me. And yet her spell was incomplete, if she were to complete the convergence…” The saint muttered to himself.

    “Saint Alfons, what will you have us do?!”

“This is no ordinary Fragmented, the complexity of her Fractal is beyond anything I’ve seen. This power…” A grim look formed on his face. “Captain Albin, I shall attempt to seal its powers. However, it requires great concentration and I will need you to distract her. She is not yet in full control of her abilities, so there is still a chance for us to come out winning. However, there isn’t much time. I have cast a warding spell to protect you from her magic. I trust you know what to do.”

“Of course!” Captain Albin set his eyes on the Fragmented Alena. She was now in the process of consuming the sphere of light, its essence sinking into her flesh. “I won’t let you. Izabela, buff me!”

    “Featherweight!” She chanted. “Embody Strength!” 

    “Now then… I’ll prove you wrong and give you the fight that was promised!” 

    “Though my powers are yet to be realized, you stand no chance against me.”

    “We’ll see about that!”

“Very well, I shall entertain the future of this fight. For in the end, you shall see the futility of your actions.” The Fragmented Alena descended to the ground. “You need not bind me for I now stand on the very ground you walk, I believe this to be fair.”

“You need not hold back on my account!” Albin dashed toward her.

“Very well.” She began to cast an array of magical darts that began to attack him. And yet with incredible speed, Albin dodged every single attack evading them left and right as he grew ever closer to his foe. 

“Is that all you’ve got!” He managed to bridge the gap between the two of them. “You’re wide open!” He swung his sword and yet found himself swinging the other way. “Wha- Again this is… Tch!” He kept swinging his sword yet found that every hit could never land and was sent flying in the opposite direction. “Why!”

“I told you from the beginning, you could not hope to win, and now we have reached the end.” She pulled him close, face to face, both hands on his head.

“What are you-” He tried to pull away, yet he could not escape her grasp.

“I told you, I do not wish to harm you. It's time.” He eventually stopped struggling, and in an act of kindness, she caressed him and gently placed him on the ground. “Rest now. You shall live to fight another day.” 

“Captain Albin!” Izabela cried out.

“I sense our being becoming one, a union between souls. Yet it seems you’ve yet to awaken from your dream, then perhaps I shall let you dream a little longer. You two will be together soon enough.”

“Albin… Damn it all!” He cursed. “Had I been but a moment faster… Still, you’ve done well, Albin. I shall take it from here, It’s time we ended this. Hark! Hear me, Shedim. That which does not belong here and have trespassed upon this land without the permission of the Elohim. I condemn you and seal your fate!” 

“This is…!” In a piercing ethereal shriek, the Fragmented Alena was overcome by the power of the Saint’s seal. “I will not return- I will not! Your power has no hold over me!” Yet they were a moment too late, for the spell was not powerful enough to seal the Fractal possessing the body, her power now fully realized.

    “My spell- No… this can’t be… the convergence has been completed.”

“Saint Alfons, there must be something we can do!” Izabela cried out. 

    His eyes gave a distraught look. “I’m afraid that’s…” Yet at that moment he sensed something incredible. “Wh-What is this feeling… How can this be?! For there to be another… another Fractal of such power!? But where? Where is it coming from?!” And there he found him standing, a young boy with a look of determination in his eyes.

    “I’m here to save you, sister!”