[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Qvm9ihS.png[/img][/center]

Well that [i]someone[/i] certainly didn’t have a sense of fun, or any sense at all. Cecilia didn’t come to a halt, after all, not when her legs were still pumping easily through the ruinous terrain, and as she wondered why someone would be picking on someone as innocent and faultless as herself, the Spellblade simply allowed mana to flow back into her body once more, and with a lilting [color=FFE4E1]“Accelerate~!”[/color] she shot down the streets with enhanced speed again.

Needless to say, the second Dispel Magic didn’t land, not when she was diving into the labyrinth-like streets of the Forgotten Ruins, easily out of sight of any lecherous, magic-cancelling mages.

She vaulted over piles of rubble, kicked through dilapidated walls, slide down slopes of gravel, raced upon crumbling walls. Occasionally, she scaled a particularly tall building to gain a general idea of which routes were most congested, before the building broke underneath her feet and Cecilia hopped off, continuing through the multitude of paths before her. This was what she enjoyed the most, in the end. The euphoria of a race, and the steady thrumming of her heart. The challenge of terrain, fortune and misfortune dogging her as she trusted instinct and experience to see her through the demands of the Forgotten Ruins.

Everything was great, really.

Until, of course, it wasn’t.

She had seen, of course, the tents of the Galanon Military as she travelled southwards towards the Forgotten Ruins, but she certainly hadn’t expected them to start a whole goddamn [i]war[/i] here. The moment an explosion of flame rocked the ground, followed by warcries bursting out everywhere, Cecilia grit her teeth and doubled her pace. Wind gathered around her now, vespers of mana pounding through her veins as she sped through the Forgotten Ruins.

[color=FFE4E1]“Zephyrus Aria!”[/color]

An imperceptible barrier materialized around her, the Spellblade barreling through the dozens of small battlefields that had popped up all around the Ruins. Thank the Gods she avoided the congested areas, really…but that just meant that others who specialized in mobility would be pursuing the same narrow paths she did. Imperial skirmishers clashed with roguish adventurers, blades flashing and arrows flying. Cecilia dodged what she could, fully focused on evasion and escape as she ducked and wove. Her Aria diverted what projectiles slipped through her guard, but her Mana, great as it was, wasn’t going to last if she kept it up.

For a moment, panic began to settle in. Purely in terms of combat, Cecilia was middle of the road amongst adventurers, and didn’t have a group to rely on as well. If it came to a fight, she wouldn’t come out on top, not when literally everyone else was grouped up, either with parties or with military squads. And even then, one needed luck, rather than skill, to survive a large-scale battle like this. Luck to not get struck by magical collateral. Luck not to be pierced by an attack that wasn’t even meant for you. So much luck, when every day, her luck was used up more and more.

Her speed flagged. Why was she even still going to the center? Because she could buy her own safety if she recovered this star-gift first?

No.

Nothing changed.

She still wanted to be the first to witness something new.

Quashing down her terror, Cecilia gripped her spear until her knuckles turned white. The shortest path was the straightest path! The third spell laced through her veins, electrifying and exhilarating. Determination blazing as brightly as desperation, the lilac-haired lancer drew in a breath encompassing all her oaths.

[color=FFE4E1]“Storm’s Bo-”[/color]

But in that moment, someone else appeared from the corner of the alleyway.

[i]WHAM![/i]