Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 95: Mana Ties, Part Seven

Side by side, Lianna, Enverna, and Zura followed behind the Shields of Saren members.

Lianna’s eyes were tugged to the water. She watched the waves push and pull, knowing this serenity was doomed to be brief as, apparently, there were Fiends here.

Almost as soon as Lianna remembered that fact, someone ahead called out:

"Everyone, on guard! Fiends!"

The tranquility of the beach shattered, replaced by an immediate sense of tension. Shields of Saren members moved with practiced coordination, their weapons drawn and eyes scanning the shoreline.

Lianna shared a look with Enverna before they too hopped into the fray.

Zura beat them to the punch. The Paladin-class fighter took her shield and raised it in front of the Fiend, covering for one of their mages.

The chaotic dance between the Shields of Saren, their guests, and the Fiends began.

Each movement was an intricate step in the battle unfolding on the beach. Lianna, Enverna, and Zura tried to integrate themselves into the coordinated efforts of the other guild’s rookies.

There were four Fiends in general. Lianna scanned them all, just to know which ones to keep an eye on, but she didn’t say anything, knowing they were being recorded.

A couple of tentacles went to slam into her, specifically, but Zura was standing in front of her in the blink of an eye, shield up and ready. Enverna rounded the creature and poked at it with her spear, forming some shallow wounds and hopping away.

As the Fiends lunged and clashed against their defenses, Lianna’s eyes remained focused.

Lianna wielded her bow as best as she could, her arrows finding their mark amidst the chaos. During those ranged assaults, she activated {Lover’s Intuition}.

With that being done, Lianna began calling plays for Enverna, directing her movements.

"Enverna, dodge left and strike!"

Enverna, attuned to Lianna’s guidance, maintained her grace.

The way Enverna dodged away from the enemy’s tentacles made Lianna squint.

[Wait... She’s faster, isn’t she?]

Scanning her fiancé to find out, Lianna saw this:

Enverna Alteri

MP: 50/50

---

STR: B

END: B-

DEX: B+

MYS: B-

L: C-

[Wow... Is that because of her training or because of the RP I gained? If it’s like that, then, screw it, give me more quests, Lover!]

On cue, Lianna saw this:

Quest Gained:

{Give Enverna a kiss after this fight}

{Reward: 10 RP}

"Eh?" Lianna blinked. "I..."

"Lianna, focus!" Enverna called out. "What’s my next move?"

"R-Right!"

The beach continued to echo with the clash of weapons and the otherworldly roars of the Fiends.

Lianna, Enverna, and Zura kept going, working at a high level even as the fight stretched on. Zura misstepped once or twice, being the least experienced fighter there, but the others made up for her mistakes.

The Shields of Saren members looked even more practiced, remaining quiet as they took on their own enemies, but doing so with great efficiency.

Layla, a few steps away from the ongoing skirmish, relayed their battle to an unseen audience.

"Look at that precision! The Watchful’s archer Lianna, and their leader, Enverna, weaving through the Fiends effortlessly! It’s a dance of blades and arrows, a true collaboration on display."

Trying to block out the narration, Lianna skillfully assessed the battlefield, her eyes scanning the movements of both allies and Fiends alike.

As she continued to rain arrows upon the menacing creatures, she activated {Lover’s Intuition} again.

"Enverna, hit that Fiend from the right, now!"

Enverna, responding to Lianna’s guidance, executed the maneuver with grace. Her spear found its mark, creating a vulnerable point on the Fiend’s side.

The Shields of Saren members, witnessing the collaborative efforts, nodded in approval in between their own action.

As the battle progressed, the Fiends began to fall one by one.

Each creature faced a relentless assault from the united front of the two guilds.

The final moments of the skirmish approached, and with a series of coordinated strikes, the remaining Fiends were defeated, with Enverna delivering the final strike. A precise, calculated blow to her opponent’s center.

The first fight of the day ended in victory. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As the cheers of accomplishment subsided, a calmness settled over the beach.

As the last Fiend crumbled to the ground, a wave of cheers erupted from both the Watchful and Shields of Saren members.

Layla walked up.

"Fantastic job, everyone! The coordination and teamwork were impeccable. Now, before we move on, would you mind sharing a few words for our viewers?" She held up a microphone in front of Lianna.

"Sure thing," Lianna said, turning toward the camera. "Working alongside the Shields of Saren has been a blast, so far. You guys are really good! Hopefully, the rest of the fights are just as clean. And, maybe we’ll get to show a bit more of what we can do."

"Indeed, that is all we can hope for, is it not? Speaking of, did you know..."

Layla wandered off, speaking to the camera by her lonesome.

The Shields of Saren members continued to express their admiration.

"You two work so well together! Haven’t you only been in the same place for a few months?" One girl asked.

"Yep, but, what can I say?" Lianna grinned. "We were meant for one another."

There were a few giggles, likely from people thinking that was a very corny thing to say, but Lianna held firm.

Especially given what she had to do next.

Lianna, aided by the playful shift in the air, took a step closer to Enverna.

Lianna’s hands gently cradled Enverna’s face. The Shield of Saren members stopped, observing the ensuing scene.

Enverna was frozen by the sudden, unprompted proximity.

A fleeting moment hung in the air as Lianna closed her eyes, leaning in with a purpose. Time seemed to slow down.

And Lianna kissed the corner of Enverna’s lips.

She didn’t want to do too much.

[Hopefully, The Lover accepts this.]

As they pulled away, Lianna maintained an easy smile, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and genuine affection.

Enverna’s face flushed and she looked away, holding her spear tightly.

A notification popped up.

Quest Completed!

Reward:

{10 RP}

RP: 40

The acknowledgment of success echoed in Lianna’s mind, but it was Enverna’s face that lingered in her mind.

[I guess I caught her by surprise. Maybe I should have given her a warning. My bad.]

---

The serenity of the beach, once restored after the previous Fiend encounter, was shattered again by the haunting presence of more adversaries.

Fiends emerged from the shoreline, their grotesque forms casting ominous silhouettes against the evening sky. The Shields of Saren members and their guests braced themselves for another round.

This time, the dynamics of the fight took an unexpected turn.

Enverna, armed with her spear, positioned herself strategically, ready to strike at vulnerable points. Lianna, as the bow-wielding archer, aimed to provide support from a distance. The Shields of Saren members, skilled in various classes, coordinated their efforts seamlessly.

The battle began with a burst of spells and arrows, the adventurers working in tandem to weaken the approaching Fiends.

However, the situation took a sudden turn when Zura, perhaps overconfident from the success of the previous battle, made a critical mistake.

"Agh!?"

She misjudged the trajectory of a Fiend’s attack, leaving a vulnerable spot exposed as the Fiend’s tentacle went past her shield, slamming into her from the left.

In the chaos that ensued another one of the adventurers was nearly hit. Suddenly, like dominoes falling one after another, everyone was making mistakes.

The close call sent ripples of tension through the group.

Enverna, reacting instinctively to the impending danger, rushed to assist. In her haste, she overlooked the movement of another Fiend, putting herself in a precarious position.

Zura, recognizing her error, attempted to rectify the situation by diverting the Fiend’s attention away from Enverna. However, her timing was slightly off, and the creature’s tentacle grazed Enverna, sending her stumbling backward.

Their errors compounded one on top of the other.

The seamless coordination witnessed in the previous battle faltered, and the group found themselves struggling to regain control.

Feeling the urgency of the situation, something in Lianna’s mind burned.

The artifact she had obtained in a previous mission, a mysterious rock with the ability to control Fiends was active once more.

It was as though her subconscious was begging her to take the item out.

She hesitated for a moment, considering the consequences of what doing that might result in.

As Enverna fought to regain her footing and Zura attempted to redirect the Fiends, Lianna made a quick decision.

With determination in her eyes, she withdrew the artifact and focused on the nearest Fiend. The once dormant object pulsed with energy as she yelled:

"Stop!"

Time seemed to freeze as the Fiend, caught in the midst of an attack, abruptly halted.

Its tentacles paused mid-air, confusion evident in its monstrous form.

"Huh?" The adventurers all looked at each other. Enverna immediately looked at Lianna, before taking the opportunity and thrusting her spear into the opponent’s body.

All eyes turned toward Lianna, realization dawning on the faces of the adventurers. Lianna could imagine the people watching at home were thinking the same thing.

Lianna, holding the artifact in the air, met the gaze of her fellow adventurers.

The unspoken question lingered.

Why did the Fiend listen to her?