Aldric stood beneath the burning sky.
Crimson light danced across his face while hundreds of blood-red spears hovered above the battlefield in silent formation.
The holy knights below instinctively tightened their ranks.
Golden barriers layered atop one another.
Priests stepped forward.
Holy mana surged.
Yet no one dared move to attack.
Because everyone understood—
if they broke formation now—
they would die.
Aldric gazed down at them.
Then smiled.
Relaxed.
Almost polite.
Slowly, he raised a single finger.
And said—
"Don't forget to raise your shields."
A brief pause followed.
His grin widened ever so slightly.
"...Wouldn't want you complaining later."
Then—
his finger moved.
Down.
The sky descended.
SHHHHHHHHHHHHH—
Hundreds of crimson spears plunged toward the earth.
Not falling.
Accelerating.
The entire sky turned red.
The holy captain's eyes widened instantly.
"SHIELDS UP!"
"MAXIMUM OUTPUT!"
"PRIESTS—REINFORCE THE FORMATION!"
BOOOOOOM!!
The first spear struck.
Golden barriers trembled violently.
A second impact followed.
Then a third.
Then ten.
Then fifty.
Then hundreds.
The entire battlefield erupted into chaos.
CRASH!!
CRASH!!
CRAAAAASH!!
Each impact detonated with enough force to crater reinforced steel.
Golden light exploded outward.
Holy mana surged desperately through the defensive formations.
Priests cried out while pouring more and more energy into the barriers.
The defenses held.
For one second.
Then—
CRACK.
One layer shattered.
Then another.
Then another.
A holy knight shouted in alarm.
"THE SECOND LAYER BROKE!"
Another screamed.
"REINFORCE THE LEFT SIDE!"
Too late.
BOOOOOOM!!
A crimson spear punched directly through a weakened section.
The impact launched three holy knights backward like ragdolls.
A second spear followed immediately.
Then five more.
Then ten.
The formation collapsed.
Chaos erupted.
Explosions tore through the military district.
Holy barriers shattered like glass.
Steel platforms split apart.
Rows of soldiers scattered in every direction.
Above—
the rain never stopped.
Aldric simply stood there.
Watching.
Finger lowered.
Expression unchanged.
One priest looked upward in horror.
"...Monster..."
Aldric glanced at him.
Then shrugged.
"I warned you."
Another spear descended.
BOOOOOOOM!!
An entire defensive line vanished beneath a sea of crimson explosions.
Nearby—
Draven was already moving.
The battlefield behind him disappeared beneath fire, collapsing structures, and Aldric's endless crimson rain.
But Draven never looked back.
Never slowed.
His attention remained fixed entirely on the knight standing before him.
Steel screamed.
CLANG!!
Fist met sword.
A shockwave burst outward.
Sparks scattered through the smoke-filled air.
The holy knight slid backward half a step.
Only half.
The expression beneath his helmet had changed completely.
No hesitation.
No arrogance.
Only focus.
Because unlike the others—
he had already realized the truth.
If his concentration slipped even once—
he would die.
Draven stepped forward again.
Fast.
Too fast.
Another punch.
CLANG!!
The knight intercepted.
Holy mana surged through the blade as the impact traveled through both arms.
The steel platform beneath his feet cracked violently.
Then—
Draven's other hand moved.
A bow appeared.
Not summoned.
Already there.
The string was drawn instantly.
A mana arrow formed.
Point-blank.
The knight's eyes narrowed.
He twisted sideways.
TWANG.
The arrow fired.
The knight reacted immediately.
Golden light erupted from the insignia engraved across his chest.
HOLY BLESSING: RADIANT WRATH.
Effect: Heightened reflexes and battle awareness paired with blessed might. Time seems to slow whenever danger approaches, and every strike carries the force of a hammer of light.
Drawback: The blessing consumes vast amounts of energy and rapidly exhausts its user if maintained for too long.
The world slowed.
His perception sharpened.
Every detail became crystal clear.
His body felt lighter.
Faster.
The blue arrow passed mere centimeters from his face.
The pressure generated by its flight carved a thin line across the side of his helmet.
The knight accelerated.
His blade flashed.
SHIIIIING!!
The sword descended.
Draven tilted slightly.
The strike missed.
Then the knight changed direction instantly.
A second strike.
A third.
A fourth.
Holy mana exploded through the air.
His movements became a blur.
Golden afterimages spread across the battlefield.
The pressure generated by his attacks alone shattered broken steel nearby.
For the first time—
Draven stopped advancing.
He defended.
Moved.
Redirected.
His gloved hands collided against the flat of the blade.
His shoulder shifted.
His body rotated with minimal effort.
Every motion was precise.
Efficient.
Calculated.
The knight noticed.
And his eyes narrowed.
*He's reading me.*
Not reacting.
Reading.
Predicting.
The blessing intensified.
Golden light erupted around him.
His speed climbed even higher.
His sword vanished from sight.
For a brief moment—
he became motion itself.
Radiant afterimages overlapped one another as his blade descended toward Draven's throat.
SHIIIIIIING!!
A killing strike.
Fast enough that most people on the battlefield would never have seen it.
But—
Draven moved.
His left arm snapped upward.
CLANG!!
His gloved hand struck the flat of the incoming blade.
Not stopping it.
Redirecting it.
At the same moment—
his foot exploded against the steel platform.
Instead of retreating—
he launched himself upward.
Using the knight's own sword as a stepping stone.
His boot landed briefly against the blade.
Then—
he pushed.
The knight's eyes widened.
Too late.
Draven twisted in midair.
His leg came down.
BOOOOOOM!!
The kick slammed directly into the side of the knight's helmet.
Steel caved inward.
Holy mana burst wildly from the damaged armor.
The impact detonated across the platform.
The knight launched sideways like a shattered projectile.
CRAAAAASH!!
He tore through broken barricades before skidding violently across the steel deck.
His boots carved deep trenches into the metal before he finally stopped.
Still standing.
Barely.
His head rang violently.
Vision blurred.
The world tilted.
Blood trickled beneath the edges of his helmet.
His ears screamed.
His thoughts scattered.
Yet instinct forced him upright.
Forced him to focus.
Because—
something felt wrong.
He looked up.
And his heart dropped.
Draven had never landed.
Suspended in midair beneath burning wreckage and crimson skies—
the bow was already drawn.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
No recovery.
Blue mana condensed instantly.
One arrow fired.
Another formed at the same time.
The knight's eyes widened.
*Impossible—*
TWANG.
The first arrow vanished.
His blessing reacted instantly.
His body moved on pure instinct.
The arrow missed his head—
BOOOOOM!!
—and exploded through the platform behind him.
The knight didn't relax.
Couldn't relax.
Because Draven was still aiming.
TWANG.
The second arrow disappeared.
The knight crossed his blade immediately.
CLAAAAANG!!
The impact slammed him backward.
His arms went numb.
His feet left the ground.
Then—
a third arrow arrived.
Not aimed at his chest.
Not his head.
Lower.
His eyes widened.
*Wait—*
BOOOOOM!!
The arrow struck the ground beneath him.
The platform exploded.
Steel erupted upward in every direction.
The knight lost his footing.
His body was thrown into open air.
And Draven was already moving.
Descending.
Silent.
One hand released the bow.
The other reached forward.
The knight's blessing screamed warnings.
Too late.
Draven appeared directly above him.
Crimson eyes glowed beneath the hood.
Cold.
Focused.
Merciless.
His hand closed around the knight's helmet.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
Draven drove him straight downward.
The holy knight became a meteor.
Steel platforms shattered beneath the impact.
One layer.
Then another.
Then another.
CRAAAAAASH!!
The battlefield trembled violently.
Dust exploded upward.
A massive crater formed deep within the military structure.
Silence followed.
Smoke drifted slowly through the air.
Then—
a figure moved.
The knight.
Still alive.
Barely.
His armor was shattered.
One arm hung at an unnatural angle.
Holy mana flickered weakly around his battered frame.
He forced himself upright.
Breathing heavily.
Every movement was agony.
Yet he stood.
Draven landed lightly nearby.
The bow remained in his hand.
His gaze lowered quietly toward the battered knight.
Calm.
Steady.
As though everything that had just happened—
had merely been the beginning.