Lilia: A New Dawn

Lilia found herself in a familiar underground cavern, the air thick with the pulsing energy of raw magic. Within the vision, Lilia moved purposefully, her hands deftly selecting only the finest materials for her creation. Glittering ores, shimmering essences and potent herbs were gathered, each element imbued with latent power waiting to be unleashed.

The collected components floated in the air, suspended by invisible threads of magic. With each movement of a finger, the elements merged with a metal core sitting on an anvil, fusing together in a dazzling display of light and energy.

As Lilia watched the process, her understanding deepened, building on the knowledge she had gained from Merlin's tome and previous visions. She could now grasp the intricate techniques, the precise movements of ancient thaumaturgy and the delicate balance required to forge a blade of such immense power.

Lilia watched in awe as her predecessor began to shape the blade, folding the metal with inhuman precision. Each blow of the hammer echoed with purpose, infusing the weapon with the unwavering determination of its creator. The heat of the forge seemed to respond to Lilia's will, blazing brighter with each blow.

As the blade neared completion, Lilia witnessed something she had not been able to fully comprehend before. The vision made Lilia close her eyes, her forehead furrowed in concentration. A shimmering strand of energy emerged from her chest, a gossamer thread pulsing with the essence of her soul. With the utmost care, she wove this sliver of her being into the heart of the blade, forever binding a part of herself to the weapon.

The act of soul-splitting was a revelation for the Lilia of today. She now understood that each blade carried a fragment of the original Lilia's essence, giving it sentience and power beyond mere enchanted metal. The knowledge sent a shiver down her spine, the weight of the blades' significance weighing heavily upon her.

In a voice filled with solemn reverence, Lilia spoke the blade's name: "Compassionate Envy". As the last words left her lips, the obsidian blade erupted with pulsing thorns wrapping around its length, writhing with barely contained power.

The vision shifted and Lilia found herself witnessing the life of a blonde woman. Arja, a name Lilia knew instinctively belonged to the woman, dedicated herself to keeping the blade safe from those who would abuse its power. She moved cautiously through the world, always on the lookout for signs of the various factions seeking to claim the blade for their own nefarious purposes.

But when she met Song Woojin, a spark ignited between them, a bond that transcended the boundaries of their different worlds. Their courtship was a dance of stolen moments and secret rendezvous, each encounter filled with the thrill of forbidden passion. Despite the weight of her responsibilities, Arja's heart would not let go of these feelings.

After two years of nurturing their love in the shadows, Arja and Woojin sealed their bond in marriage. It was a small, intimate ceremony, a tribute to the depth of their devotion.As they exchanged vows, Arja felt a glimmer of hope that she might find happiness beyond her duty as the Keeper of the Blade.

But beneath the idyllic surface, a shadow loomed. Arja soon discovered that she was pregnant, and with this realisation came a startling revelation - the Blade had bonded with her unborn child, forming an inexplicable bond that defied explanation.

Torn between joy and trepidation, Arja sought to protect her daughter from all the powers that would claim the blade of death for their own nefarious purposes. She turned to the Kurogane Clan, her family's ancient allies who shared a sacred duty to protect the world from supernatural threats.

The scene shifted once more, and Lilia found herself witnessing the birth of Woojin and Arja's daughter, Naree. As the infant drew her first breath, an unearthly aura seemed to permeate her tiny form, a testament to the blade's influence.

Yet despite the blade's presence, Naree's childhood unfolded with a semblance of normalcy. Lilia watched as the girl celebrated birthdays, made friends and experienced the trials and triumphs of youth. All the while, Arja kept a watchful eye, ever aware of the looming threat that shadowed their lives.

The idyll was shattered on Naree's thirteenth birthday. Woojin was away on business, leaving Arja and Naree alone in their home. Lilia's heart clenched as she witnessed the brutal attack, robed figures swarming like locusts.

Arja fought valiantly to protect her daughter, urging Naree to hide while she fought off the attackers. But the odds were against them, and soon both mother and child were dragged outside, helpless in the face of their captors.

The leader of the robed men demanded that Arja reveal the location of the Blade of Death, threatening to kill Naree if she refused. Lilia felt a surge of compassion for the young girl as she watched the confusion and terror play across her innocent face.

In a cruel demonstration of their determination, the cultists prepared to sever one of Naree's fingers. The girl's screams ripped through the air, a symphony of terror and agony that shattered the night. And at that moment, something inside Naree snapped.

Naree's eyes turned obsidian, an unfathomable darkness swallowing her once gentle light. Thorny vines erupted from her body, lashing out at her tormentors with deadly precision. The blade of death materialised in her hand, its obsidian length glowing with malevolent intent.

Lilia watched in a mixture of awe and horror as Naree cut down the cultists, her movements a blur of graceful ferocity. The girl had become an avatar of vengeance, the power of the blade coursing through her veins like molten fire.

As the last of the attackers fell, Naree collapsed, her body suspended in mid-air by the thorny vines that now sprouted from her heart. Lilia's vision began to blur as the scene faded. She caught a last glimpse of the Kurogane clan arriving on the scene, their faces grim as they took in the carnage.

With careful reverence, they lifted Naree's unconscious form and carried her away to the safety of their shrine. Lilia felt a pang of sadness as she watched them go, knowing that the young girl's life would never be the same.

As the vision faded, Lilia found herself back in the present, the Blade of Death resting in her palms. She marvelled at the intricacy of its design, the weight of its history bearing down on her.

Looking down, Lilia was startled to see the thorny vines that had once ensnared Naree now crumble to dust at her feet. The girl lay motionless on the stone floor, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. The realisation dawned on Lilia - in taking the blade, she had severed its connection to Naree, freeing the girl from the burden she had carried for so long.

A wave of relief washed over Lilia, tinged with a flicker of uncertainty. She knew that the Kurogane Clan would soon arrive to reclaim both the blade and the girl. The question was, what would she do now?

Lilia carefully weighed her options. She could leave Naree here, trusting that the Kurogane Clan would take care of her as they had in the past.

But something about that choice didn't sit right with Lilia. Despite her limited knowledge of the clan, she couldn't shake the feeling that leaving Naree in their hands might not be the best course of action. What if they decided to use the girl for their own purposes, now that the blade's influence had been removed?

Making a split-second decision, Lilia bent down and scooped Naree's unconscious form into her arms. The girl was surprisingly light, her body almost frail in Lilia's grasp. With a deep breath, Lilia slipped into the shadows, blending seamlessly into the darkness as she made her escape.

As she moved through the dimly lit corridors, Lilia sent a wisp of mana into the blade of death, intending to absorb it as she had done with the previous blades. The katana responded immediately, its obsidian length dissolving into a mass of thorny vines that merged seamlessly with the tattoo of the snake and flaming chains that represented the other two blades.

Lilia marvelled at the sight, the intricate design now running the length of her arm. Each blade seemed to have its own unique way of integrating, a testament to their individual natures and the fragments of soul they contained.

Suddenly, Lilia's earpiece crackled with the voices of the phantom thieves flooding her senses. It seemed they had lost contact with her the moment she entered the space beneath the shrine, the ancient stations interfering with their communication devices.

"Lilia, can you hear us?" Tina's voice rang out, tinged with concern. "We've lost your signal. What's going on down there?"

Lilia tapped her earpiece, speaking in a hushed tone to avoid drawing unwanted attention. "I've secured the blade. I'm heading out now."

There was a brief pause before Aria chimed in, her words short and urgent. "Be careful out there, it looks like another group has launched an attack on the shrine. They must have been after the blade as well."

Lilia's heart skipped a beat at the mention of intruders. She was sure they were the dreaded Children of the Apocalypse she had encountered earlier, and if they were here, it could only mean trouble.

"What about Tristan?" Lilia asked, a flicker of concern in her voice. "Is he safe?"

"Don't worry, he managed to slip away in the chaos," Zymir assured her. "He's on his way back to the rendezvous point as we speak."

Lilia breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the enigmatic thief had managed to evade capture. She knew first-hand how resourceful he could be, and his skills would be invaluable in the battles to come.

As she approached the exit, Lilia could hear the sounds of battle raging above, the clash of steel and the crackle of unleashed power echoing through the ancient corridors. She knew she would have to tread carefully if she hoped to escape undetected.

"Listen, I've got someone unconscious with me," Lilia informed the thieves, adjusting her grip on Naree's limp form. "I'll meet you back at the hotel as soon as I've managed to get past the fighting."

"Understood," Tina replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "We'll wait for you there. Stay safe, Lilia."

With that, the communication was cut off, leaving Lilia once again alone with her thoughts and the precious cargo in her arms. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the challenge ahead.

Retracing her steps, Lilia made her way out of the mansion complex, moving as quickly as she dared while still maintaining a firm grip on Naree. The girl's added weight made the journey much more difficult, forcing Lilia to rely on her inhuman strength and agility to navigate the treacherous path.

Fortunately, the ongoing battle between the Kurogane clan and the Children of the Apocalypse proved an effective distraction, allowing Lilia to slip past unnoticed. The cultists, with their fanatical determination, seemed to be holding their own against the Clan's formidable warriors, providing the perfect cover for Lilia's escape.

Just as she reached the barrier that marked the entrance to the shrine, Lilia's keen senses picked up the faint sound of a sword being drawn behind her. Spinning around, she found herself face to face with a masked woman, her gaze filled with determination.

In the woman's hand was a katana glowing an eerie green, its blade covered in intricate sigils that pulsed with spiritual energy. Lilia assumed the weapon was imbued with the power to fight supernatural threats.

"Intruder!" the woman shouted, her voice ringing with authority. "Hand over the blade and the girl immediately."

Lilia's grip on Naree tightened. She knew she couldn't afford a prolonged fight, not with the precious cargo she was carrying.

Without a second thought, Lilia dashed in the opposite direction, her feet pounding the stone floor as she tried to put as much distance as possible between herself and the pursuing warrior. But the woman was fast, her movements fluid and precise as she gave chase.

Lilia was at a disadvantage, unable to accelerate or make sharp turns for fear of hurting Naree. She had to limit herself precisely to avoid the woman's slashing blade without harming the girl.

The chase seemed to go on forever, Lilia's breath coming in ragged gasps as she pushed herself. The woman was relentless, her blade a blur of green light as she tried to cut off Lilia's escape at every turn.

Finally, during Lilia's momentary lapse in judgement, the woman's katana came dangerously close to the demon's face, the razor-sharp edge just millimetres from her skin. In a last-ditch effort to protect herself, Lilia twisted away, the blade grazing the cloth that covered her features.

The cloth ripped away, revealing Lilia's true face to the pursuing warrior. For a moment, the woman froze, her expression changing from determination to confusion as she took in Lilia's familiar visage.

"Naree?" the woman whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief. "But how...?"

Lilia seized the opportunity, using the woman's momentary hesitation to gain one last burst of speed. She darted through the barrier, the ancient magic rippling around her as she crossed the threshold.

Behind her, she could hear the woman's cries of protest, but Lilia didn't dare look back. Concentrating only on putting one foot in front of the other, her heart pounding in her chest, she fled into the night.

As the sounds of battle faded into the distance, Lilia allowed herself a small sigh of relief. She had managed to secure the Blade of Death and save Naree at the same time, but it was only the beginning, for there were four more blades waiting for her.

With the Kurogane clan now aware of her involvement, Lilia knew she had to tread carefully. The stakes had never been higher, and the path forward was shrouded in uncertainty.

But for now, she had a promise to keep. The Phantom Thieves were waiting for her, and she knew she owed them an explanation for the night's events. With renewed determination, Lilia regained her hold on Naree and set off into the darkness towards their rendezvous point.