Theo ran after Eyril, midair, slipping through the sky, each step behind him thumped hard, one after another, like the ground was cracking open.
Exhaling everything left in his lungs, he forced his breath to steady. I'm running out of energy… He has to be tired too…
Theo leapt into the air, soaring after Eyril. Gripping his hand tight, he chanted, "Praesidium." A stick-like barrier erupted from his palm. Swinging it overhead with full force, he brought it down toward Eyril.
Eyril reacted instantly, thrusting his arm forward. The barrier shattered into ash upon contact.
Seeing it crumble, Theo immediately released it, and drop-kicked Eyril into the ground.
The crash left a crater. Eyril rose slowly, breathing heavily, murmuring, "What a pain…"
Glancing to the side, he spotted Cineris and Druven emerging from the far side of the forest.
"Having a hard time?" Cineris giggled, her voice laced with mockery. "Need help?" she shouted
Eyril sighed at the sight of them, then stood fully upright, glaring at Theo, who now landed like a hero, cape and plume swaying gracefully in the wind.
It infuriated him.
Eyril turned to Cineris and Druven, signaling with a subtle nod for them to join in.
"I get it. He needs help after all. Who would've thought?"
She smirked, then said to Druven, "I'll send you flying toward Eyril. He'll catch you, then you'll teleport back here in an instant. Understand?"
Druven exhaled. "Yes, I agree," he replied in a flat, monotone voice.
Druven vanished, reforming as a 'Spear' in Cineris's left hand. She pulled it far back, left leg braced forward, and hurled it with all her might toward Eyril.
As the spear flew across the clearing, Theo's eyes locked onto it.
"I know your cheap tricks. It won't work on me again."
He dashed forward at full speed, snatching the spear from midair, vanishing,
, then reappearing beside Cineris.
Druven dropped from the sky. Before he hit the ground, Theo grabbed his leg and squeezed, hard.
Druven groaned deeply.
Theo, legs rooted into the earth, swung Druven like a hammer, hurling him with full force across the clearing, over the treetops.
He crashed somewhere deep into the forest, a thunderous boom echoing seconds later.
Theo vanished once more, then reappeared crouched near Cineris's legs. His speed dwarfed hers.
He grabbed her ankle, and snapped it.
Before she could even scream, he swung her down with brutal force, crushing her into the ground. The impact silenced her. Unconscious.
Without pause, he swung again, this time at full force, sending her hurtling straight toward where Druven had landed.
Dead-on.
Eyril straightened, eyes narrowing at Theo.
"No… I remember him…" he muttered. "He's just like Makkalen."
"Ha…" he chuckled under his breath.
Eyril reached to his side for his sword, gripping air.
Gone.
He blinked, caught off guard, searching the ground. It was nowhere.
Unbothered, he charged Theo barehanded, close combat would do just fine.
Theo braced himself. Eyril's blows came fast, arrows slicing through the air.
One. Eight. Twenty. Sixty strikes in a blink, hammering the same point on Theo's defenses.
Theo was pushed back. Sensing an opening, he swung his leg at Eyril's liver, but it was a trap.
Eyril caught the leg, twisted his body, and gripped it tightly, each twist turning layers of Theo's aura armor into ash.
Theo clicked his tongue. With his other leg, he struck again. Caught, predictably.
But then Theo spun his entire body, catching Eyril in the rotation, breaking free.
In the same breath, he smashed his fist into Eyril's porcelain mask, sending him flying, bouncing violently across the earth.
Eyril slid, carving through dirt before slowing himself down.
And yet… the mask remained pristine. Not even a scratch.
Theo's eyes widened. He lunged forward. Headshots are pointless.
Instead, he slammed his full strength into Eyril's chest, arms and legs trembling from the strain.
Then,
A dragon.
A rotting dragon, bones exposed. Its entire stomach gone, ribcage yawning open.
It flew down from the sky, biting into Eyril, swallowing him whole.
Then it soared away.
Theo froze, stunned. He started to run after it, but halfway there he stopped, reevaluating his battered state.
Not worth it.
"Damn it…" he hissed.
His legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, armor slamming into the dirt.
He watched, helpless, as the dragon swooped low, snatching Cineris and Druven, then vanishing across the horizon.
From a distance, Mitch ran toward him.
"Damn it!!" Theo shouted, slamming his fist into the ground, punching through it.
He tore off his helmet and hurled it aside.
His black-haired, blue-eyed face was beet-red, sweat pouring down like a monsoon rainstorm.
He breathed heavily, chest heaving, his body on the verge of collapse.
"Captain!! Are you alright?!" Mitch's voice cut through the wind as he neared.
Theo turned slowly. Still kneeling, he picked up his helmet, set it back on, and faced Mitch, hiding the exhaustion flooding his face.
As calmly and steadily as he could, he replied, "Y-Yes. I'm alright."
Mitch skidded to a halt before him, saluted with his left, and slammed his right fist into his chest.
With honor and pride Mitch reported "Evacuation of Miss Young Lady Luna was successful."
A brief pause.
Theo closed his eyes.
Relief. It washed over him like a wave. He could finally rest.
But he didn't see this as a duty.
Rather It was his life's mission.
"Move, Mitch. We need to report to His Grace."
"Yes!" Mitch replied, voice brimming with excitement after witnessing the battle of his life.
He followed after Theo, who barely held himself together, yet concealed every bit of it behind his armor.