In the heart of a desolate desert, where the night sky became an obscured canvas due to sand particles, a young woman with ebony hair confronts a robust man. 

Aleena asserts, “You can surrender, or we can duel, but I’m confident I’d win.”

The man, cloaked in a black-grey robe with three distinct chains encircling him, each adorned with a different coloured stone - yellow, brown, and red - meets her gaze.

Curious, Aleena inquires, “What’s the purpose of the red stone?”

The man cryptically responds, “You will see.”

Aleena wields a device in each hand. The one on her right bears a yellow and a brown stone, with a central green-white stone, mirroring the one on her left.

As Aleena prepared to advance, she found her feet ensnared in the treacherous sand. A cunning grin played on the man's face. His right hand grazed the ground, and the red stone began to radiate.

 Aleena deduced, I see... his red stone grants him control over the sand. That's why he led us to this forsaken place. I wonder when the others will arrive.

As the sand threatened to engulf her, Aleena's yellow stone responded with a vibrant glow. With a swift punch into the sandy abyss, the power of the yellow stone propelled her into the air, escaping the grasp of the shifting dunes.

The man seizes the chain adorned with the yellow stone, extending it toward Aleena. Anticipating the impending threat, Aleena swiftly activates the brown stone, forming a protective barrier by crossing her arms in front of her.

The chain clashed with the protective barrier, generating a force that sent Aleena crashing back to the ground.

As Aleena recalibrated her strategy, she acknowledged, "He's strong, especially on this sandy terrain."

With determination in her eyes, she uttered, "Not bad for an assassin."

Clenching her fist, the green-white stone on her device emanated a brilliant glow.

In her mind, she pondered, Labyrinth Of The Wild Forest, one of the five techniques passed down through the Miller lineage.

This technique expanded her attack range and fortified her defence. In the arid desert, a mirage of a lush, wild forest would materialise, concealing Aleena and confusing her opponent while she launched covert attacks with the aid of imaginary forest creatures.

As the man confronted Aleena's technique, a flicker of recognition crossed his face. "I've seen this before, but not with her. It was a man... 15 years ago," he thought, navigating the dense expanse of towering trees.

Abruptly, a colossal panther, comparable in size to a car, materialised and pounced, its massive claws slashing at the man. Quick reflexes spared him from the full brunt, leaving only a small scar on his face. Spitting out blood, he staggered back a few steps, regaining composure.

With determination, he propelled the chain adorned with the yellow stone, directing it with precision. As the panther weaved through the surroundings, the chain struck with force, felling trees in its wake.

The man, contemplating, muttered to himself, "I need to find this damn woman... No, this is the same as before... I must find the heart of this forest... the panther will lead me to it.”

As the man advanced, following the guiding panther, sinister roots erupted from the ground, ensnaring his feet in a malevolent grip, threatening to pull him beneath the surface.

Amidst his struggle, Aleena's voice echoed, "Now, you're the one sinking."

The man, with a subtle chuckle, produced a brown-black stone from his pocket, revealing, "This is the Weapon Stone."

[Info: The weapon stone creates weapons, brown and black in color, and gives them to its user. The weapon stone has a disadvantage—it consumes a significant amount of the user's internal energy. The same applies to Aleena's Labyrinth of the Wild Forest; her energy is draining immensely and will soon no longer sustain this technique.]

He replaced the brown (barrier) stone on the chain with the weapon stone. A virtual sword materialized in his hand, while Aleena, hidden in the jungle, maintained intense concentration.

Aleena, I need to endure a bit longer until the others arrive.

The man skillfully sliced through the attacking roots with his sword. Meanwhile, colossal lions charged at him. Swiftly conjuring a large hammer, he obliterated the approaching threat with a single blow.

The roots were no longer a menace, but Aleena's energy dwindled.

Aleena conceded, "This isn't good."

The man declared confidently, "It's my turn now."

Out of nowhere, a powerful white beam of energy struck the man's face, sending him stumbling to the ground.

Perched atop a tree, a woman with flowing white hair exclaimed loudly, "How horrendous!" followed by an uneasy smile.