"Ha… haa…. haa…"
Cale pants heavily, a bloody sword gripped tightly in his hands. His body is covered in bleeding wounds, some small while others are bleeding profusely. The simple armour he wears is not enough to truly block the sharp claws of a bear. There are three gashes on his shoulder where the bear had struck. It was only through his quick shield that he was able to block the majority of the blow.
The dead body of a bear lays in front of him. Shards of glass sticking out from his eyes and a hole through the bottom of his jaw where Cale shoved his sword through his head.
Around him, bodies lay on the ground, a mix of bears and civilians. Fire burns around from fallen torches, setting piles of debris ablaze.
The soldier camp had been destroyed. Tents have been reduced to rubble. Bodies are peeking out from the debris, people that were not able to escape. Broken weapons are scattered everywhere. Blood stains the ground in puddles of red, mixing into the ash and turning it into a dark red, almost black, sludge. The air is thick with the smell of ash and blood.
In the distance, Cale can see Hans kneeling in front of someone. The body of a bear lays dead behind him with a dagger to his throat.
There is an anguished look on Hans' face as he presses his fingers to the woman's neck. Then, his expression turns into grief and he lowers his head. His shoulders begin to tremble.
They were not able to save everyone.
Out of a hundred soldiers that were taking refuge in the camp, only a couple survived. But their wounds are severe. Too severe to recover without the use of healing potions. But those have been prioritized for the soldiers in the Capital. The nearest temple is a week's trip away on foot.
Resources are too scarce to be used for everyone.
Cale raises his hand to brush back his hair, pushing away the red bangs from sticking to the blood on his forehead. Glancing behind him, he meets the eyes of a man kneeling on the ground with his head lowered.
"Hey."
The man lifts his head, allowing Cale to see his despairing eyes. There is a bleeding wound on his arm and the limb is barely attached to his shoulder.
Cale could have said anything. He could have knelt down and tore the soldier's shirt to make a makeshift bandage. He could tell the soldier to stand up and gather the survivors so they could head to the nearest town. He could have asked how the bear tribe decimated the camp so easily.
Instead, something else escapes his mouth.
"Why didn't you fight back?"
The soldier stares at him with a blank expression. He meets Cale's eyes. There is no light in his eyes. Just a swirling void of despair.
It is a contrast to Cale's reddish-brown eyes that still burn brightly with his desire for vengeance.
The soldier lowers his gaze. "What is the point? We would have lost anyway."
Cale clenches his jaw. "The war has only begun. Why have you given up so soon?"
"Look around you," the soldier says quietly without lifting his head. "The Bear Tribe are strong and we do not have the heroes to save us. There was no way we could have stopped them."
The soldier did not shed a tear. He had seen too many of his friends die in the past couple of years to cry anymore. When the bears had come for them, it was not a fight but a death sentence.
"You had weapons. You had numbers. Even if you would have lost a few soldiers, you still could have taken out a few enemies. But instead, you didn't even try. Why…"
Cale's expression pinches in a mix of confusion and anger. "Why didn't you even attempt to fight back?"
"Because we will all… die regardless. It… would be… futile…"
The soldier's words begin to slur as the blood loss starts to take effect. He does not look scared. Instead, he is almost expectant. He has accepted his death far sooner than this moment.
"The Indomitable Alliance… they will kill us all. What you've done… was only prolong… the inevitable, Cale Henituse."
"…"
Cale stares silently at the man. His expression pinched in a mix of emotions.
Rage. Disgust. Bitterness. Despair.
The war had only just begun. But the devastation of the Indomitable Alliance's attacks had already made waves throughout the entire kingdom. All because they had made a terrifying debut and showed their strength by destroying the Henituse Territory with wyverns and the Bear Tribe.
The destruction had set the pace of the war. It had stuck into the minds of the citizens.
Even with the sudden rise of heroes- the stranger that had beaten Cale up years ago, Choi Han- and his group, it was not enough to prevent this slow decay. Corruption within the people of the Roan Kingdom.
Hopelessness.
It had already caused the majority of the soldiers to falter. The ones were placed far from the Capital to continue monitoring the enemies' movement. They had already believed it was a lost cause. Because these people, mainly volunteers from the terrories that have been destroyed, have already lost hope of surviving. They had already lost everything and did not have a reason to continue fighting a fight they believed was futile.
They had come to quicken their death and join their dead friends and families.
Consumed by despair. They see no reason to continue to live in a world fated to be destroyed.
That sentiment had spread like corruption.
And it had killed more people than the direct actions of the Indomitable Alliance.
Cale doesn't say anything else. He sheathes his sword into its scabbard and turns away.
The soldier doesn't try to stop him. He merely closes his eyes and waits for death.
Cale doesn't try to convince him to fight. He had already made his choice.
All he can do is move on and continue fighting, however long it takes him. Because he still has a reason to fight.
He needs to take revenge against the people who killed his family and his people.
Until then, he will fight even death itself.
A gale of wind blows through the air, carrying the invisible chimes of Elementals as they sweep through the battlefield.
Cale is smirking toward the shores with a confident expression. A gust of wind blows against his hair, carrying the scent of an Elemental. As usual, the Wind Elemental greets him by ruffling his hair and blowing his clothes.
This is Rok Soo's plan. The Land of Death is close to the Caro Kingdom. The red dunes hid the home of the Dark Elves and kept them safe with their dead mana storms. It made perfect sense to let the Dark Elves join the battle.
The Dark Elf race is a race that was feared and scorned due to its affinity for dead mana. A race that was labelled as evil for just existing. But just like Mary, they are not evil. They are just people with special abilities that have been cast aside due to bias and fear.
Well, that ends today.
The Dark Elves will no longer hide in the darkness of history. They will shed the labelled that had branded them for centuries.
This time, they will be known as heroes.
"D-Dark Elves?!"
"Those are the Dark Elf race!"
The soldiers in the northern tower gasps in shock. Their eyes are wide, and they are in awe and wonder as they see the beings with skin as dark as a black pearl race through the sand as if they are riding in the air.
"Dead mana is not an obstacle to them," Cale says, his voice full of confidence and pride.
The Dark Elves' numbers are as many as a large knight's brigade. They sweep through the sand with the power of nature swirling around them.
Fire, water, earth and wind. These elements, aided by the Elementals, begin their attack.
Fire and wind arrows soar through the air toward the shores.
Water bombs explode against the heads of the bears.
The ground shakes and rumbles. The very earth rises to grasp the ankles of the soldiers and knights.
The people are in awe. Not just from the Caro Kingdom, but also the knights and mages from the Roan Kingdom.
They are all staring at the scene in rapt attention.
"It's amazing," Quinton mutters.
The Roan Kingdom is truly a force to be reckoned with. It takes a special type of person to view the world without any prejudice. Not only did the Roan Kingdom have a necromancer, but they also brought out the Dark Elf race.
These people had been hated by the Western Continent for centuries. Yet they have returned, brought by the commanders, to fight against the Indomitable Alliance. To fight and protect the people who would have hated them with prejudice.
There is also a rumour that the twin commanders had defended the necromancer from a representative of the Chruch of the Sun God during the military meeting. It stands to reason that they would later also protect the Dark Elves from any scrutiny in the future.
That type of person is truly incredible.
In addition, Quinton truly believes that they have no ill intention. There is no evil in their heart. Not even Commander Cale, who seemed to wrap himself in danger and violence, is not an evil person.
No, Quinton believes he is a good person who will do anything to protect others.
Dangerous does not mean evil.
These people… they will change the definition of evil. They will uproot the current status quo.
They will change the world.
'I am living inside a real legend,' Quinton thinks as he watches the battle proceed, watching in real-time as the tides turn in their favour.
Close to 100 Dark Eles run wild outside of Castle Leona. The one that stands out the most is the one leading the group, Tasha.
"Don't let even one of them escape!" Her voice rang with a clear command. If one were to describe her appearance, she looks like a hero who has stepped onto the battlefield.
Strong cyclones of wind surround her, fluttering her clothes and black hair. From within the tornado, numerous wind arrows begin to form. Swirling forms of wind shape itself into shape.
Invisible to the eyes of normal people, a Wind Elemental charges up the arrow. Then, with great force and glee, the Elemental sends the arrow toward the ship.
Arrows as long as up to 2 meters fly toward the ships.
Baaang!
Baaaang!
Baaaaang!
The decks of the ships explode from the numerous powerful attacks.
Following her attack, the other Dark Elves and Elementals join in the barrage.
Wind arrows break apart the decks. Fire arrows set the ships ablaze. Water bombs attack the bears. Soldiers fall to the grasping hands of the earth.
It is a chaotic battlefield. And the enemy is losing momentum.
"Dark Elves?! They exist in the Western Continent?"
"What the hell?! Since when do the Caro Kingdom or the Roan Kingdom team up with them?!"
"We're overwhelmed! We're losing men fast!"
The enemies on the ships yell in confusion and panic. Their ships are already wrecked from the attacks from the two whales, the person with the lightning attribute, and the alicorn. Their ranks are already weakened due to the glass.
They are quickly losing.
They are not in a position to defend against the Dark Elves.
"Grrr, all of you shut up!"
The polar bear yells with a growl. The soldiers flinch.
"We will proceed as planned! Mages and knights, defend against the attacks! Soldiers, support them! Bear warriors, step forward!"
The polar bear steps forward with a feral grin. He shakes away the shards of glass stuck to his knuckles. Ignoring the pain pulsing through his hands, he shouts loudly over the chaos.
"We will kill them all! They will die the moment they step into the dead mana!"
The polar bear feigns madness as he shouts.
"Rip them to shreds! This is going to be my first time killing a Dark Elf! It sounds fun! Kahahaha!"
The other bears begin to laugh as well. Although the Dark Elves are known to be strong, bears in their berzerk state are strong as well. The number of bears is almost twice the amount of Dark Elves.
Objectively, their strength and numbers will overwhelm them.
"Don't you dare take another step if you want to live, you Dark Elves! Our claws will rip you to shreds the moment you step out of the dead mana!"
The Dark Elves flinch just before stepping into the dead mana zone.
The bears smirk, baring their large sharp teeth.
The Dark Elves remain still, slowly turning their heads toward their leader.
Tasha, standing near Castle Leona, mumbles to herself with a shocked expression.
'Aren't the Bears supposed to be shrewd? Would a shrewd person say something like that?'
"…Are they idiots? Is he just an idiot?"
Tasha tilts her head in confusion.
It seems the only things the bear tribe has for them are their numbers and their strength in their berzerk state. Take those out of the equation and they are mere cannon fodder.
Tasha's voice rings clearly through the central shores.
"Drench yourselves!"
The wind howls like the call of wolves.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground bursts upward, scattering black liquid over the dark elves. Black rain falls over the Dark Elves, painting their skin a deep black colour.
Power courses through their bodies.
Their eyes shine through the void, a black diamond in the darkness.
The bears flinch as their expressions quickly turn to horror.
Tasha begins to smile. She is smiling because this is the perfect place for her race to fight. She is smiling at the enemies who do not know the true terror of the Dark Elves.
There is a reason they were rejected from the world but still managed to survive.
They had the power to survive in environments that no other races could.
"What a great battlefield."
Dark Elves are a race that was rejected from the world for their affinity for dead mana. Now, the Dark Elves have returned to the overworld that is coated in dead mana.
It is the perfect battlefield.
Amplified by the wind, Tasha's voice can be heard.
"Attack."
The Dark Elves, covered in dead mana and surrounded by Elementals, sprint toward the ships, crossing over the dead mana zone that amplifies their power. Their movement is as smooth as a predator on the hunt.
A monster in the shadows.
The bears flinch as their expressions quickly turn to horror. That sentiment is shared by the people atop the ships as realization falls on them like a splash of cold water.
"Shit!"
"We can't attack if they come at us covered in dead mana!"
"Hurry! Destroy the water wall!"
"Destroy it!"
The knights quickly urge the mages to attack the wall of water that is blocking their escape. Fear fills the hearts of the soldiers and knights as they push against each other.
They cannot fight the Dark Elves. Their only option for survival is to break through the wall of water and escape.
A mage atop the ship near the water wall readies a spell and aims it at the blue-haired whale. The air hums with mana as she begins to cast the spell.
Bzzzt!
A sudden flash of light and pain disorients her. She screams in pain, closing her eyes tightly as her hands throb with the pain of a cut across her palms.
Hans blitzes through the ships so fast that he only leaves behind a flash of light. He slices through the ranks of mages and knights, cutting their hands and forcing them to drop their weapons and disrupt their spells.
Bang!
"Don't forget about us, you fools!"
Archie smirks with his fists raised. He rears his arm back and punches through a mage's shield, breaking it into pieces through sheer power. He turns and kicks a sprinting knight overboard, sending them toward the Dark Elves.
Roooar!
Crack! Bang!
Ebony dives down from the sky, breaking through the ships with his body as if they were made of paper. The ships begin to tilt as water rushes into the newly formed hole.
The alicorn shoots into the sky and dives toward another ship. His horn lights up with a purple glow, creating a whip made of pure mana that he uses to strike the enemy.
The whip wraps around a group of knights, lifting them into the air as Ebony takes to the sky. With a flick of his head, he throws the group toward the Dark Elves, allowing them to capture the enemy.
Blood-red eyes look down toward the ships that are in disarray.
A wave of terror sweeps through the hearts of the enemies.
"Fuck! Stop them!"
"No! Focus on the wall!"
"The Dark Elves are coming!"
"Quickly! Make an opening to escape!"
"We can't escape!"
The enemy is in chaos. Too many things are happening. Too many forces are attacking them in all directions.
The churning waves of the ocean and the water wall block their path of escape.
The Dark Elves on the shores.
The alicorn from the sky.
The two individuals that are breaking through the ranks atop the decks of the ships.
The earlier attack of broken glass injured the majority of their forces.
Weakened. Trapped. Cornered.
They cannot focus on a single thing while they are being pressed into a corner.
The image of an overwhelming force that they had displayed the night before has been destroyed.
The Indomitable Alliance have been reduced to a bunch of rats stuck in a trap. They are nothing more than overconfident predators being turned into helpless prey.
The sight is a shock to the people watching from Castle Leona.
'This is not just winning a fight. This is a conqueror in action,' Quinton thinks to himself.
Crackle.
Crackle.
A sound begins to rise from the ground in front of the castle.
"W-what is happening now?" Quinton asks, looking around for the source of the sound.
"Ah, it looks like hyung has finally decided to end it."
The soldiers of the northern tower look toward Cale as he says casually. They look down at the bottom of the southern tower where the earth is begging to shake more violently.
Suddenly, something white crawls out from the black swamp.
A shiver runs down Quinton's spine.
It is like a scene from a nightmare.
From the black swamp of dead mana, pure white bones crawl out. The ground splits open as hundreds- no, thousands of bones begin to crawl out. Even the bones underneath the debris break through the pile to get to the surface.
'Was that what the Roan Kingdom was digging for?' Quinton thinks.
They had been digging holes in the ground to place the bones. Hidden under the earth where the enemy had trampled on without their knowledge.
They had laid a trap since the beginning.
The bones start to gather together as if they were being controlled by black spiderwebs.
"The necromancer."
They hear Cale respond to the soldier's words.
"The enemy wanted to turn this land into a place for death."
Cale smirks at their shocked expression.
"They get their wish."
At the central tower, Rok Soo looks ahead at the battlefield. He had just given the order to Mary to begin their attack.
It had always been part of the plan to let the Dark Elves and Mary take over the battle. It just so happened that the Indomitable Alliance had created the perfect battlefield for their skills to shine.
This is very favourable to him. Due to their combined efforts, Rok Soo barely had to step into the fight. He can just stand back and let the true heroes take the stage.
Crown Prince Valentino looks at Commander Rok Soo who has a bright smile on his face.
His expression is bright as if there is nothing to worry about. The Indomitable Alliance is quickly being subdued by the combined forces of the Roan Kingdom's dominating force and surprising allies.
Rok Soo's voice is full of calm confidence as he explains to the crown prince.
"The strongest existence, when surrounded with dead mana, is a necromancer."
A chill runs down Valentino's back.
The enemy had used dead mana to destroy the Caro Kingdom's defence. However, the situation has been reversed.
In front of the eyes of the Caro Kingdom's soldiers and the Roan Kingdom's forces, the bones reform into bodies.
The first to be created is a large foot and claw.
Next, is the body and head.
Finally, smaller bones reform into a pair of large wings.
Everyone watches with their breaths halting inside their throats as dozens of undead beings raise their heads.
Beasts of legends.
Beasts that had attacked the Roan Kingdom's Henituse Territory.
"…Wyverns."
Valentino is at a loss for words. He is staring at the skeletons of the beings that had tried to decimate the Henituse Territory. But now they had been turned into weapons to fight against the very organization that had sent them.
Their advantage had been turned against them.
"…You are…"
"Yes?"
Rok Soo looks at Valentino with a confused expression.
Valentino could only shake his head and laugh.
What else can he say to the person who was able to turn the enemies' strength against them?
"I leave it to you."
Rok Soo smiles at his response.
- "I am strengthening them now."
Mary's voice is heard from the video communication device.
'Strengthening?'
Rok Soo seems confused by Mary's sudden statement. However, he suddenly begins laughing when he sees what is happening.
"Hahaha!"
The pure white wyverns step onto the blackened ground. The white is a sharp contrast to the black. However, that contrast is quickly disappearing.
The black liquid begins to disappear from the ground. Like a drop of ink onto paper, the white bones begin to change colour, sucking the dead mana from the earth and staining the pure white bones into black.
Now, the wyverns resemble the miniature versions of the Black Bone Dragon that had protected the Henituse Territory.
Valentino watches all of this and can only say one thing.
"I guess we don't need purification."
Rok Soo smirks.
He had said it before.
He does not need anything from the Church of the Sun Gods.
"H-how?"
Quinton cannot help but ask as he watches the impossible sight. It is something out of a legend. A story meant to be told in fantastical elements, not experienced in real life.
How did the Roan Kingdom manage this?
How did the tides of the fight turn so quickly?
One moment, they were facing a situation that seemed impossible. Yet now, the problem of the dead mana is being solved.
Beings with the affinity of dead mana are using it to strengthen themselves to fight the Indomitable Alliance.
Undead creatures are rising from the ground and absorbing the dead mana, draining the ground of it.
They have turned a problem into an opportunity to get stronger.
"Mary is quite amazing."
Cale praises proudly as he watches the black bone wyverns take to the sky. One bone wyvern flies toward the southern tower to pick up its rider.
Choi Han steps onto that wyvern.
'Go be a hero,' Cale watches the two fly toward the ships.
Choi Han will decimate the remaining willpower of the Indomitable Alliance.
"Ah!"
Cale looks over as three bone wyverns fly toward the northern tower. The wind blows wildly from the force of the flapping wings.
The three bone wyverns stop in front of the ledge.
He looks at the people at the northern tower.
"I need three knights, mages, and soldiers."
"Wha- huh?"
Quinton's eyes widen.
Cale looks at them without hesitation. "You will get on the wyvern and attack the Indomitable Alliance from the air."
He had told Mary the night prior while they were planning to use the bones to attack.
["Please send three wyverns to the northern tower. I will send nine people to attack from above."
"Of course, young master Cale-nim. But may I ask why? Choi Han and Hillsman will be fighting."
Cale looks at Mary with a small, bittersweet smile.
These people have not experienced the true despair of war. Rok Soo had ensured that. He had created heroes to instil hope and fight against the enemy with excellence.
But because of this, they do not understand the need for the soldiers to learn to fight on their own.
"Because they need to feel that they have contributed to the victory. If they believe they had only won due to our interference, they will not be inclined to raise their weapon if the enemy returns, and we are not around."]
It may be redundant to send average soldiers to the battlefield when there are already exceptional heroes dominating the fight, but Cale is not willing to allow history to repeat.
Heroes are great.
But when heroes fall, who will protect the people?
"I have specifically asked for archers to join my tower because I need your skill," Cale says.
Quinton and the other soldiers look down at the weapon in their hands. Suddenly, the simple wooden bow feels heavy with the weight of responsibility.
"Mages will cast invisibility magic to hide you from sight. The knights will protect the team in case the enemy attacks. But I need three archers to attack. The arrows you are given and specially made."
The soldiers look at the quiver of arrows with red tips. There is a strong scent of blood on the arrows.
It is as if the arrowheads are crafted from blood.
Quinton takes a shuddering breath as chills run through his body. He looks up and meets the eyes of the commander.
Cale meets their gaze.
They are being asked to attack the enemy. Instead of standing back and allowing the Roan Kingdom to lead them to victory, they are asked to join the fight.
The words of the commander come back to the forefront of their minds.
'Stand up and fight against those who wish for your death. And kill them for their arrogance.'
Quinton clenches his hands around his bow.
'Can I do that?' he thinks to himself. 'Can I fight against the enemy that wants to kill me?'
He had joined the fight because he wanted to claim victory against a strong foe. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision driven by naivety and arrogance.
In the past hour, he had experienced a mix of emotions. He had seen the true despair of war. He had felt the deep-rooted fear of death. He had seen the enemy cover the land with dead mana and subsequently, the Roan Kingdom's overturn.
Now he has the chance to be part of the fight. He has a chance to claim the victory he desires.
But faced with this choice, he suddenly feels hesitance.
Can he do it?
He is not a hero. He is not as strong as the swordmaster, Choi Han. Nor does he possess special abilities like the necromancer, Mary. He does not have any ancient powers like the commander.
Does he have the right to stand on the same battlefield as them?
Does he deserve to fight with them?
He is a mere soldier. He isn't even at the top of the ranks. His skills with the bow are average at best. How could he fight among exceptional people like them?
What right does he have to join the fight meant for heroes?
'They are your people!'
The commander's words echo loudly in his head.
Suddenly, the anxiety in his heart dissipates. The words of the commander seem to reverberate inside his head like a call for battle. The truth of his words is etched onto his heart.
'They rely on you to keep them safe! So don't lose your wits and never let your heart be swayed by anguish!'
Quinton clenches his jaw and raises his head. He steps forward. "I will go!"
He feels the gaze of his fellow soldiers.
Quinton knows his place. He is not exceptional. He is not special. He is not a hero.
But he is a soldier of the Caro Kingdom.
'Remember who you are fighting for!'
"I came here to protect my kingdom. I won't stand back while I can leave a blow on the enemy. I…"
Quinton hesitates. Then he shakes his head and looks up, meeting the eyes of the commander. "I will make them regret attacking us!"
'Mother. Father. I apologize. This son of yours had been a coward,' He meets Cale's eyes firmly, his heart pounding with determination. 'And Carol, I promised you I would come back with a victory. I won't let you down. I won't cower from my duties.'
Bolstered by Quinton's declaration, another soldier steps forward. "I will as well! The Indomitable Alliance wants to take us down! Why should we let them?"
"Me as well!" another soldier says. He scowls in anger as he thinks about the enemy. "We may not be heroes but the Indomitable Alliance wanted to kill our people. It is only right that we make them pay!"
"Yeah!"
"They wanted to kill our people!"
"We'll make them pay!"
The other soldiers cheer on, raising their bows as their hesitance is swept away by the defiance growing in their hearts.
They do not truly know this, but this will cause a ripple effect through the hearts of the Caro Kingdom. When the fight ends, they will spread the word of the battle to their friends and families. The story of the Roan Kingdom's strength and the Caro Kingdom's determination.
A belief will form, one that will grow into a stubborn tree that will not falter no matter what.
Cale gives them a satisfied smile. "Good."
The new sentiment will erase the past that Cale had lived through and create a new future.
A future where hopelessness will never take root in their hearts.
It is much harder to destroy a kingdom when its people refuse to surrender.
Quinton feels his heart hammer as he steps onto the bone wyvern. The black bone feels sturdy under his feet. A rope is tied around their waist to keep them steady atop the bone wyvern.
Cale looks at them with a serious gaze. "If you are in trouble, do not hesitate to return to the tower. There is always another chance to win the war."
'It is similar to Hans' words,' Quinton recalls the words from the oranged-haired man. Winning is not a priority. Survival is.
He looks at the other two people standing on the bone wyvern with him. A mage to hide them from sight and a knight to defend them.
'Find someone who will increase your strength,' Quinton clenches his hands tightly around his bow.
Suddenly, he doesn't feel like he is fighting this battle alone. He feels reassured that these people will have his back and protect him.
It is an empowering feeling.
"Ready?" Cale asks.
The newly formed wyvern brigade nods.
"Mary, go ahead."
Mary, listening from the bones she controls, obeys the order.
The three bone wyverns take to the sky, joining the heroes in the battle.
The mages cast an invisibility spell. The three wyverns disappear into the darkening sky.
Quinton takes a steady breath. The wind blows against them as the bone wyverns approach the ships from above.
As they approach the Indomitable Alliance, he can see all the chaos below more clearly. Many ships are destroyed. There is blood in the water. The Dark Elves are attacking the enemies on shore while others are decimating the crew on the decks. A large wall prevents their escape.
It is already a winning situation. But until every single enemy is captured or dead, the fight is not over.
Unlike the wyvern that has the swordmaster, these three stay in the air circling the fleet of ships. They do not get close to avoid the enemy of the opportunity to shoot them down.
Quinton breathes out slowly. He reaches for his quiver and pulls out an arrow. Holding the arrow with one hand, he locks the end against the string of the bow and pulls back.
A pair of yellow eyes stare at the end of the red arrow as he scans the decks. He stops when he sees the navigator.
Without their navigator, the ships will have a difficult time leaving, if they manage to break through.
He takes a breath.
Feeling the tension of the bow on his fingers, he waits for a second. Then he releases the string.
The arrow flies through the air toward the ship.
"Aaaargh!"
The navigator falls from the arrow to his elbow. The blood within the arrow spreads a paralyzing poison, completely immobilizing the navigator.
"What was that?!"
"Where did that come from?!"
The knights yell in shock at the sudden attack. Then another scream rings across the decks as a mage falls to an arrow through the stomach.
Joining the fire and wind arrows, physical arrows coated with paralyzing poison attack from an invisible squad.
Quinton aims for a mage that is attempting to attack the person standing on the water wall. He releases his bow and lets the arrow fly, grazing against the mage's arm. The paralyzing poison takes effect despite the missed attack.
"Where are the arrows coming from!?"
"Find it! Find the archer!"
In the middle of the fleet of ships, atop the largest one, there is a group of mages. It is the Indomitable Alliance's mage brigade.
From the crowd of mages, one of them is standing still amongst the chaos. The hood of that mage falls down, revealing his face which is staring at the wyverns flying in the sky.
Quinton pulls out another bolt and aims down.
Suddenly, the wyvern stops.
"Huh?" Quinton mumbles in confusion. He lowers his bow.
"What is going on?" The knight with him asks, looking down at the bone wyvern.
The invisible wyverns turn tail and fly in the other direction, away from the ships. It is not just their wyvern, but the wyvern with the black swordmaster is flying away as well.
"What is going on?" Quinton asks, glancing at the fleet of ships. "Why are we flying away?"
"…Something is wrong."
It is the mage who had spoken.
His face is pale and his expression is pinched with worry as he looks back at the ships. Specifically at one of the mages atop the ship. The one with a skinny face and thin fingers.
There is something wrong with that mage.
Ooooooooong-
A very quiet noise brushes past them. When the three look back, they see a small thunderbolt appearing out of thin air.
A shield also appears atop the ship with the small thunderbolt landing on the shield and expanding into tens of mini thunderbolts. The thunderbolts spread across the shield and into the water, causing it to churn violently.
"Something is wrong," Quinton says.
Then, a different scream echoes through the air. It is accompanied by the unmistakable sound of an alicorn's growl.
Fear drops into his stomach.
He nearly falls off the wyvern and he turns around and screams in fear.
"Hans!"
Atop the ship, laying on his side in front of the skinny mage, Hans grits his teeth. His leg is smoking from the direct attack of the thunderbolt. A deep scorched wound on his left leg, paralyzing him from the pain.
Beside him, Ebony is unconscious as he lies on the deck of the ship. An extremely skinny hand is gripping his horn in a tight grip, almost to the point of breaking the sturdy bone.
Silver-grey eyes glare with anger, meeting the forest-green eyes of the mage.
"How pitiful."
The mage stares down at the man with a sorrowful stare.
Hans blinks his eyes open. Panic immediately fills his heart and he jumps up.
"Cale-!"
He stops.
Blinks.
Rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands.
Looks back up.
"…I'm dead, aren't I?"
Instead of the barren wasteland filled with dead bodies, fire, and blood, he sees a sprawling field of dandelions.
Green and white fluff stretches as far as the eye can see. On the horizon where white touches the sky, a blue sky spreads above, dotted with soft white clouds. A light breeze flies by, causing a ripple to sweep through the land and pushing white fluff into the air.
Hans takes a moment to look around the vast valley that seems to contain nothing but white dandelions. There is no sign of death or decay. It is as if he is in a place untouched by death.
A place where life grows unhindered.
"Hans Henituse."
Hans tenses at the call of his new name. A name that only his family knows. Nobody else has ever called him 'Henituse'.
He looks back, finding the eyes of a tall man with curly brown eyes speckled with flowery blooms and bright green eyes.
The man smiles at him.
"Welcome to my domain. Care for a game of chess?"
The situation around them is filled with chaos.
The waters continue to churn with violent whirlpools. On the shores, the Dark Elves are defending against the long-range attacks from the ships as they push forward, picking off the enemy one by one. Broken ships sink into the water with tens of dead bodies.
The elements are running wild—fire, water, wind, and earth. From the castle, magic spells fly across the central shores hitting the ships from a distance. The mages on Castle Leona cast spell after spell, assisting their new allies to subdue the Indomitable Alliance.
People run around in chaos. The Indomitable Alliance are in disarray.
However, all of it is ignored by the mage wearing a robe with a single red star.
Hans glares at the mage with anger. Caught by surprise by an attack, he had been injured by the mage. Ebony soon followed since he had been targeted by the mage.
'Dammit, I don't remember this bastard!'
Hans cannot claim he knows everyone fighting for White Star. While they had fought a lot of them, even side-by-side with the heroes, they had not fought all five members of White Star's close circle.
So this mage is unfamiliar to him. He didn't expect to see this mage during an attack on the Caro Kingdom. But he should have known. White Star is an annoying bastard who always kept an ace in his sleeve.
He would always send someone exceptionally strong into most of his attacks. Individuals who could decimate an entire army of soldiers without issue.
Out of everything White Star had done, the fact that he kept sending overpowered people into nearly every battle grated his nerves the most!
'I fucking hate this bastard,' Hans thinks angrily. 'Killing you would cripple White Star's strength even more-'
A glint of gold catches his eye.
He looks up and his expression changes.
A golden butterfly flutters around the mage. The skinny mage doesn't notice, but his focus is still on the alicorn.
The butterfly lightly flutters with the wind. It lands on the mage's head, golden wings flapping. It is translucent, slightly glowing in an ethereal glow that doesn't bounce off of the mage's head. A spectre.
Hans' brows furrows into confusion, suspicion, and surprise.
The golden butterfly continues to flutter around the mage.
"How curious. An alicorn following orders like a loyal steed."
The skinny mage looks at the man lying in front of him and the alicorn held in his grasp. He doesn't acknowledge the strange gaze the man gives him. Not when the alicorn is the most interesting thing in the current situation.
"How did you tame an alicorn? I thought they were useless."
He said this with a curious expression.
From his knowledge, alicorns are nothing more but creatures that are summoned when there are large amounts of dead mana. It is akin to maggots appearing in a pile of rotting flesh. The only thing driving them is to feast. A persistent pest that becomes more disgusting the more he sees them.
Much like the insect, alicorns would feast on anything around it, dead or living. The only difference is the amount of damage an alicorn can do when it is let loose out of the trash. However, whereas maggots eat to transform into flies, Alicorns seem to feast for the sake of it. There is no reason for them to consume endlessly. Their appetites do not cease.
Alicorns eat just to eat.
Mindless creatures driven by carnal hunger. It just so happened it could use mana. Nothing more.
Strictly speaking, there is no use for an alicorn. They are too mindless to put to use. Too unpredictable to tame. Even with their sturdy bodies, they do not have any valuable material to scavage. Moreover, their magic is so corrupt and chaotic that it is also useless.
His master had tried to put some use to the alicorn but could not find anything. In the end, he chalked the creature as a byproduct of dead mana. Nothing more than a pest to be rid of or else it would destroy everything.
"I will do you all a favour and be rid of this pest for you."
"Stay the fuck away from Ebony!" the man snarls. He pushes himself up with trembling arms. The expression on his face is more fitting to those of a beast.
"You named it?" the mage asks in disgust. He glances at the alicorn with a thoughtful expression. "Well, you did find a way to tame it. I will take you both to let the alchemists examine you."
Perhaps they will figure out how the Roan Kingdom managed to turn a useless beast into a loyal and powerful steed.
"I was getting bored just watching. I am glad that I stepped in. These people are useless."
He sounds disappointed, glancing at the panicking crew with disinterest.
Waves continue to crash into the large ships, rocking the remaining functioning vessels. The broken ships sink into the water, joining the bodies that litter the shores.
"All of this and they could not get past the shores?"
He snaps his thin fingers a few times.
Small thunderbolts appear in the air around him. Each one is smaller than a hand. A few shoot down into the water and the rest fly toward the water wall.
Paseton's eyes widen.
BAAAANG!
A loud explosion echoes through the shores. The water wall ripples unstable, losing its solid shape with large chunks of water falling into the ocean.
"Hah?"
Hans has an incredulous expression on his face as he stares at the calm God of Life as he sips his tea unphased.
They are sitting in the middle of the field of dandelions. A chess game sits between them on a table made of mahogany wood and he sits on a chair of twisting branches and soft moss.
Playing a game of chess with a god seemed less ridiculous than what he had just heard.
He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I don't follow."
"What is confusing about it?" the God of Life puts down his tea, smiling calmly at Hans. "I will grant your wish to be with Cale. The cost is that you become my priest."
A priest.
This unknown god wants Hans to be his priest.
Did he really die or is this just a dream brought by a bad concussion or poison?
"…I am not religious," Hans says bluntly.
Putting aside the ridiculous idea, he had lost his faith in most gods since the war began. His belief turned into dislike when the Church of the Sun God became involved.
Hans doesn't believe the god is asking for his faith. It would be a very stupid move that he doubted a deity would make. Aren't god supposed to know more than mortals?
"Good, because you will not get the typical abilities of a priest. You don't even have to pray to me or anything. I don't even have a proper temple."
The God of Life laughs.
Hans makes a face. This god is strange.
"Then why do you want me to be a priest?"
The God of Life waves his hand, moving his chess piece as he explains. "Gods are not omnipotent or omniscient. We have limits to what we can do. Each god has their own absolute rule and mine is this; every action has a cost. "
He gives Hans a meaningful glance as his lips curl up into a mischievous smile. "If I want to reincarnate your soul, there is a cost. That could mean different things."
Hans frowns. He moves his knight as he asks. "Which it?"
The god moves his bishop. "If you want to reincarnate, you must lose your body. If I want to move your soul into a different body, that body must be suitable. If you want to kill your enemy…"
The bishop takes out the knight.
"You must take action."
Hans looks at the chessboard.
"…So I had to die to be reincarnated." He looks up at the god. "But if you want to bring me back, what does it relate to being your priest?"
"I cannot just shove you into your body! Haha!" the god laughs as if Hans had just told him something absurd. He leans his head on his propped-up hand while grinning at him.
"Not only will that be incredibly troublesome for me, but your soul would have an overload. There needs to be a seamless absorption. Your old body needs to be receptive to a change. It would be like punching you in the face out of nowhere."
"…It would still hurt," Hans pointed out.
"But you would be prepared to take the blow," the god points a finger at him with a tilt of his head. "For one, your abilities would come with you. Imagine your young adult body suddenly infused with two decades' worth of memories and your aura. I'd imagine you do not want to be fried from the inside out."
Hans couldn't fault his logic for that. He had to endure a lot of painful things throughout the years. The memories would be overwhelming enough. But if he had his aura with him, it would be a bit problematic.
"What do I do as your priest?"
"You will be my conduit into the world. This will allow me to 'speak' to you whenever the need arises. Gods aren't allowed to mess with the world without a conduit. If they do, the price is very high."
Hans knows that much. Gods don't interfere with the world because their actions cause a large devastating effect. Legends are born from them for a reason. Even the smallest action from them will cause a great shift in the world.
Divine artefacts are prized, even when the majority of them cannot be used when not in the hands of the right person.
Gods can communicate through their followers, preferably their Saints and priests. If he recalled correctly, Cage had a connection with the God of Death, even after she was excommunicated after her rampage following Taylor Stan's death. Rumour has it that her curses would always come true because she was favoured by the god, despite her constant cursing at him.
He hadn't heard more after that because she didn't live very long afterwards. He suspected the grief of losing her best friend had shattered her.
Hans understood her pain.
The God of Life shakes his head as if he is thinking something annoying. "Of course, don't expect me to come all the time. I do not tend to meddle in the world. I prefer to let them choose for themselves."
"No matter the choice?" Hans frowns.
He cannot help but think of a few people.
White Star and his reign of destruction.
Alberu and the heroes's corruption.
Cale's self-harm.
All of their acts could have been avoided if someone had stepped in, especially a god. Their actions have devastated the world in a bloody war. White Star alone could be a call for action, but there had been silence from the deities that supposedly protected them from evil.
If gods only interfere when the fate of the world is at stake, why didn't they do something before it all went to shit?
His only response is the same amused look.
"…Then why bother?"
That is something Hans doesn't understand.
The God of Life said he doesn't meddle. At a minimum, the past decade has proven that. There had been no sign of the God of Life's involvement in anything .
There were whispers of divine intervention with the God of Death, but that did not lead to any permanent or significant change in the situation.
The God of the Sun seemed to favour the Crossman family since Alberu is still alive despite his devious actions. The Church had claimed actions to have been done by the god a few times, but Hans largely believed it had all been a ruse to justify their own actions.
Additionally, there had been nothing about the God of Life. Not even a whisper of his involvement or any divine intervention. No stories, legends, or rumours, and Hans had heard a lot of it, including tales of different gods.
So why now , of all times, did the God of Life choose to take action?
What is his end goal?
"Because in the future, you will encounter an old friend of mine. A prickly fellow who loves to cause misery to everyone."
The God of Life places his chin atop his propped-up, folded hands. His smile turns cryptic as he gazes at Hans with his glimmering emerald eyes.
There is something in his gaze.
Something knowing.
"…And old friend?" Hans asks cautiously.
"He has been in a predicament, you see. Trapped in a prison and largely forgotten. It has been a long… long time. He gets restless over the years, even when I visit."
An uneasy feeling rises inside of Hans.
"But someone from your world had heard his call. That someone will release him and let him roam free, unleashing his evil upon the world once more. All in pursuit of power."
"…White Star," Hans said. The look the God of Life gives him confirms his guess.
He grits his teeth.
"So what? You're interfering now because he's going to be loose again? Why now? "
"Because all the pieces have fallen into place."
Gasp!
Paseton and Archie's heads breach the water's surface. They look at the destroyed water wall in a mix of confusion, startlement and anger.
"The fuck!? Who is that bastard?!" Archie yells angrily. He had seen the thunderbolts shoot Ebony out from the sky and down Hans. When he saw the attack flying toward Paseton, he reacted and pushed him out of the way.
Paseton's eyes narrow at the ships. His whirlpools have been destroyed. The thunderbolts had broken his whirlpools and the water wall.
'That person is not a normal mage.'
He seemed to possess strength close to a Whale.
The only ones who come close are the Henituse twins and Choi Han. However, the mage is different. He doesn't feel human.
"There they are!"
"Kill them!"
The enemies find the Whales in the water and aim their spears and arrows.
The whales level them with an annoyed look. Archie dives into the water and transforms into his beast form.
Paseton lifts his whirlpool sword and swings, breaking the attacks that fly toward them from the ships.
Water swirls around him, gathering in a whirlpool as it lifts him up from the ocean. Raising his blade, the water follows his command. It rises into the air, towering over the enemy ships and casting a large shadow.
The faces of the enemies turn frightened.
Swinging his sword, he sends a large whirlpool to sweep across the decks of the ships.
Below the water's surface, Archie the Killer Whale slams into the large ships, breaking the exterior hull. Water rushes into the new breaches, filling the interior with water and throwing the ships off balance.
From the sky, a black bone wyvern flies toward the mage with its maw opened and baring its sharp fangs. Atop its head, a black blur flies through the air with a sword made from black aura.
The bone wyvern slams into the sail of the ship, using its teeth to tear apart the sail and rip the entire mast into chunks. Pieces of wood fall onto the deck and the enemies scatter to avoid the falling debris.
Choi Han doesn't acknowledge the small thunderbolts around him as he shoots toward the mage like a black arrow.
The mage snaps his finger- a small mana orb forms in the path between them.
Choi Han swings his sword and slams his aura-covered blade toward the mana orb.
Boom!
His near-black aura slams onto the mage's white orb.
However, neither of them exploded.
"Ugh."
Choi Han raises his black aura even more, pushing against the mana orb. However, the mana orb did not push back at all. It is like a sturdy wall.
"You are an interesting bunch."
The mage says, turning away from Hans as he stares at the swordmaster. His hand is still clutching Ebony's horn while the other is raised casually.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a human with a darkness attribute, but I didn't know your plate was so big."
The mage sounds curious.
Choi Han narrows his eyes at the mage.
He had felt something was wrong earlier. Before Mary turned away, he had seen the mage take down Ebony and Hans as if they were weak pawns. The power he displayed was strong, much stronger than the mages that Choi Han fought before.
But his instincts are screaming at him that something is wrong.
There is something off about the mage.
'Why is my aura unable to move forward?'
His black aura is pushing against the small white orb. The air ripples around him, pushing away dust and debris. No matter how much he pushed or extended his aura, the mana orb did not move.
'This person isn't that strong, so why?'
Choi Han's confusion must have shown on his face.
"Imperfect darkness cannot defeat perfect light."
Arm's mage said that as if stating a fact. He looks slightly amused by Choi Han's confusion.
With their close proximity, Choi Han can see the mage's dark green hair and forest green eyes. It reminds him of a lush forest when the sun is down.
It is a familiar colour. A very distinctive shade.
'Perhaps…?'
"Your darkness is not perfect yet. Do you know that? My light is perfect."
Snap.
The man snaps his fingers.
Light begins to shine from the mana orb. Beams of bright white burst from the mana orb in a dazzling display, as if the pure essence of light is breaking free.
"That is why you cannot win against me."
Choi Han can see his black aura beginning to break down. The beams of light shine through his imperfect dark aura, breaking it apart. Like shining a beam of light toward a dark cave, the imperfect darkness is being taken over by the perfect light.
The mage watches as his perfect light begins to overtake Choi Han. He almost smiled at the sight but there is a more pressing task that requires his attention.
"Tell me, where is your commander?"
Choi Han flicks his dark eyes toward the mage.
Despite his thin appearance, he easily lifts Ebony's head by the horn, showing the alicorn toward the swordmaster.
"This belongs to him, doesn't it? So where is he?"
The mage looks slightly angry as he speaks.
"Where is Cale Henituse?"
A tense silence briefly sweeps through the air.
Choi Han's expression changes for a second before an explosion of light blinds them.
BANG!
The mage raises his hand to block the light. He squints through the gaps of his fingers at the bright light.
He immediately twists his body, releasing the horn in the process as he dodges a slash of black aura that cuts through the deck of the ship. The path of the aura had destroyed the deck into splinters.
If he had stayed in place, the aura would cut off his arm.
The mage looks back just as Choi Han sprints toward him with his black sword.
"You're still alive?"
He could not hide his shock. The mana orb did not look like much but it had a bit of light essence in it. The explosion should have injured the swordmaster. Yet he is sprinting toward the mage without a single scratch.
He flicks his finger, moving the mana orb to attack Choi Han again.
Baaang!
The light mana orb runs into the black aura. Choi Han is glaring as he blocks the attack by holding the handle of the sword and bracing his other hand against the blade.
His feet skid against the wooden deck as he is pushed back by the mana orb. Yet his gaze is directed at the Arm mage. His eyes are as dark as his aura.
"Are you that upset about my question?" the mage asked curiously.
Choi Han ignores him. The light from the orb begins to destroy Choi Han's aura little by little.
"Where is he?" the mage asks again.
Tens of orbs surround Choi Han, each one humming with the essence of perfect light that burns through the darkness attribute aura.
"Will you die instead of telling me? Is his safety worth your life?"
The mage asked that with a bit of anger.
His master had told him, and everyone under him, to capture Cale Henituse. The man with red hair and blood-red eyes and has the ability to conjure glass.
The basic information is that Cale Henituse is a young noble of the Roan Kingdom, from the Henituse household. For the past few years, he had gained a reputation for being trash. Then, when the war began, he led the charge while displaying his ability with the demeanour fitting for a demon.
Before the battle at the Henituse Territory, his master had fought Cale Henituse and returned with a scar across his face. But he did not look upset or angry.
He was enraptured.
There was nothing but praise whenever his master spoke about Cale Henituse. Suddenly, the intricate plans he had been preparing for were thrown away as the pursuit changed to obtain the man with the striking red hair and abilities that could rival him.
The way his master spoke about Cale Henituse caused anger and hatred to rise inside the mage. There is something in his gaze as if Cale Henituse could do no wrong.
For the first time in a hundred years, the mage had seen affection in his master's eyes.
For the first time since he could remember, there was genuine warmth in his eyes.
Even when Cale Henituse left behind a scar on his face, White Star treated it like a treasure.
'Why does he talk about this stranger so highly?'
He had done more for the organization and his master than a stranger. Yet Cale had gained his master's attention and his affection.
'Why does his eyes grow warm whenever he speaks about that man?'
It angers him.
'What did Cale Henituse do to gain his adoration?'
"He's not worth protecting," the mage says, trying to get rid of the anger in his voice. "My master will not stop until he gets Cale Henituse. He will destroy this entire continent until he gets what he wants. So why don't you spare yourself the trouble and hand him over?"
Choi Han continues to fight against the mana orbs. His glare progressively becomes more enranged even as his cheeks begin to burn from the light from the mana orbs.
"It is not worth protecting someone who will cause you problems."
"How sad."
The mage turns around, dodging to the side as a flash of bright light shoots past him and hits a couple of the mana orbs.
Bzzzzt!
Bzzzzzt!
Orange flashes across the deck as a stream of bright light zooms past, brighter and faster than ever. At the same time, the black bone wyvern lands in front of the orbs and spreads its wings. It wraps the mana orbs in its wings as if it is hugging them.
Darkness is not the only thing that is the opposite of light.
Death is also the opposite.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
A pair of shoes skid across the wet deck to a stop.
Choi Han looks at the back of a man with short orange hair, held by a pair of glass hair sticks.
A gloved hand tightens around the handle of a blood-red dagger.
"Did White Star not give you enough attention?"
"Why should I do this?"
Hans asks, meeting the eyes of the God of Life with a firm glare.
The offer was tempting.
He can return to Cale, rewriting the devastating future that haunted them for years, and the cost is to become a priest of a god that nobody believed in.
Why?
It didn't make sense.
"I don't even know if you're on our side. Why have you decided to begin all of this? What is your goal?"
The God of Life continues to smile ominously. His gaze swirls with the look of someone who knows more than him. A stare of a person who knows the future.
"Let me put it this way; unlike my old friend, I rather like your world to continue existing the way it is. The destruction White Star caused would set him free, which is something I don't want."
"And our involvement?" Hans asks.
"You are essential to make sure White Star never frees him. Because the moment he does, you will all get a taste of true despair ."
The God of Life's eyes glow an unnatural ethereal glow.
"Unless you don't want to take this chance? But really, what do you have to lose?"
Hans' expression changes.
"Everything."
Hans glares at the mage, holding his dagger in front of his body.
"You…"
The mage looks confused.
"How did you recover so quickly?"
Hans rolls his eyes. He reaches into his pocket and throws Choi Han a highest-grade healing potion.
It would be foolish to fight without packing healing potions, especially if they are readily available. Hans had downed a highest-grade healing potion when the mage was distracted.
"Thank you," Choi Han said to Hans. He wipes away the liquid from his lips, throwing away the empty bottle of the highest-grade healing potion. His wounds have all healed perfectly.
Despite Hans' animosity toward him, he still pulled Choi Han away from the mana orbs.
Hans frowns without turning away from the mage. "I hate White Star more than I despise you."
Choi Han nods.
That makes a lot of sense.
"You…"
The mage narrows his eyes at them. "You are not what I was expecting."
Choi Han frowns at him. He holds his sword tightly, his gloves digging into the handle. "You better throw away all of your expectations then."
Grrrrrrr.
A low animalistic growl rumbles through the air.
Ebony scowls, pulling his lips back to bear his sharp fangs. His growls vibrate through the air as purple mana gathers around his horn.
There is rage in his eyes. Anger that drowns out the sadistic hunger that constantly swirls in his gaze.
The mage looks at them with a strange gaze. He looks at the ginger-haired man who had escaped. "You know who my master is."
The way the man had spoken. It is as if he knew White Star for years. But that should not be possible. He had been careful and only showed his face to his followers. Even when he left, nobody knew of his name, let alone his reputation.
So why did this man speak his name like he had known White Star before this?
"He's a creep who wants Cale," Hans said in disgust. "Here's a piece of advice, do not attempt to harm him. In fact, don't even utter those words near anyone if you want to survive."
"Or what? You would stop me?" the mage looks amused.
"No. His hyung will."
"The one who shares the same face as my master?" the mage frowns. "He is weak."
The only thing Rok Soo Henituse can do is create a shield. He is nothing more than an obstacle that his master told him to kill. His master had called the man a thief and an annoyance. Why should he be concerned about that kind of person?
Hans bursts into laughter.
"You have never seen young master Rok Soo, have you?"
Splaaaaaaash!
Suddenly, something shoots out from the water.
The water swirls into a large violent whirlpool. The wind howls through the air, fusing with the rapid whirlpools into a very distinctive shape.
It is not a Whale.
It is a large Dragon.
The combination of swirling whirlpools and tornados has formed a shape that is similar to the Black Bone Dragon that protected the Henituse Territory. The dragon towers over the ship, spreading its wings.
"…A dragon?"
The mage mutters as he stares at the dragon made of elements. He catches a scent of an existence that he admires and despises at the same time.
It is the faint scent of a dragon. But it is very faint as if it is the scent of a child.
The presence of a dragon enranges him even more.
'Not only does Cale Henituse have my master's affection, but he also has the protection of a dragon?'
Sensing the mage's inattention, Choi Han turns and immediately begins to run. He uses the ship's ledge as a stepping stone, kicking off from the ship and onto the head of the being made of water and wind.
At the same time, Hans jumps atop Ebony as the alicorn takes into the sky.
- Hans, the human told me to help you!
Raon's voice is heard clearly.
- That mage is not human! But he is half of one. He is a half-blood!
"Tell Rok Soo we need to capture him."
- Huh? That is exactly what human told me to tell you! Lightning butler! Did you read my human's mind?!
Hans doesn't respond to Raon's question. His eyes are focused on the dragon half-blood and the golden butterfly fluttering around his head, invisible to everyone but him.
"Fine, I'll do it."
Hans said it reluctantly with a distrusting frown. "I'll be your priest."
"Great!" The God of Life beams.
He reaches his hand toward Hans.
Hans stares at the hand. Uncertainty curls inside his heart.
What if he is making a mistake?
Dealing with gods? Especially an unknown one? What if this is just a trap? What if this is just a trick and he doomed himself to a deity that will torment him?
But if he doesn't take it, what is his other option? Move to the afterlife? Accept his death and move on? After everything he had been through?
All of the years fighting, struggling, and surviving through the worst despair of war. Would it all end there? Would he just accept that he died protecting Cale to the end?
Is he satisfied with that?
He presses his lips into a thin line.
'I didn't fight for my life to survive just to accept death so easily.'
If White Star wanted to be rid of him, he would have to burn Hans' soul out of existence.
He reaches out and grasps the outstretched hand.
Heat grows from between their clasped hands. It flows down his wrist, up his elbow, to his shoulder and down to his chest. The heat settles into his chest like a mild heartburn.
Hans frowns as he removes his hand. He doesn't feel any different. Hopefully, it isn't going to be a problem in the future.
"So what do I need to do?"
"Whatever you want. Your future is yours to decide how you want to live it. The only thing you have to do is keep an eye out for my clues. Some people and things are crucial if you want to win."
So the god will send them hints. That is marginally better than the scraps they had to comb through while in the war.
"How can I tell they're from you?"
"You'd know."
Woooooosh~
The wind suddenly picks up. It spreads across the field, gathering all of the white fluff into a visible cloud. The dandelion fluffs swirl around him, encasing him in the tornado.
"Oh, one more thing."
Hans looks over through the tornado of white fluff that begins to burn into a golden blaze.
The God of Life gives him a small but ominous smile.
"Keep an eye on that Cale of yours. My friend has a great interest in him."
He taps the corner of his eyes. For a second, it flashed to the colour of blood.
Hans catches the final words that are etched into his soul.
"If you don't, you might lose him to a fate worse than death."
- Choi Han, the human said we need to capture him.
The swordmaster listens to the child's words but his eyes are focused on the battle.
Some of the black threats that are keeping the bone wyverns its shape are falling. It barely manages to retain its shape.
- Don't worry, we are great and mighty! Even if your darkness is not complete yet.
Choi Han listens to the voice of the child who survived despair. He and everyone around him have survived the worst despair this world could bring.
Mary has his back with the bone wyverns.
Raon's wind and water dragon supports him from below as it roars and spreads its massive wings.
Hans is beside him atop Ebony. Orange lighting sparks out of him, flickering and spidering into the air.
- We are strong! They will not escape!
"Yes, they will not escape."
Choi Han agrees with that statement.
"We won't let them."
He calls forth his remaining aura. The imperfect darkness bursts from the tip of his sword like a blazing fire.
His darkness aura is rough and violent as it reflects Choi Han's struggle to survive.
He had crawled from the bottom of the food chain in the Forest of Darkness. All of the battles he won. The suffering he endured. All of it culminated in the aura that is a step away from pure darkness.
Choi Han loses his innocent smile. His eyes darken into two pits of endless voids. His expression smoothes out into one with no emotion.
His attribute is darkness.
It is despair.
His aura is a reflection of his despair. It gets stronger as he faces a type of despair.
It is himself.
At first, he wanted to hide this part of himself.
He wanted to move on from the darkness of his past. He thought he could live a normal life in Harris Village. Then it was destroyed.
When Rok Soo saved him, he fought a light. He felt afraid to show this bright, innocent person who looked like he could break from one wrong touch his true self. He thought he could hide it away.
But it was futile. In the end, some of his true self leaked out. The darkness and the despair. The pessimistic outlook on life and his ice-cold heart. The sliver of his true self slipped out.
Only, instead of killing the person with no hesitance with physical violence, he had dealt an unknowingly devastating psychological blow. He drove the brother of his saviour into a spiral reminiscent of his own downfall.
It is then when he set aside his pride and quietly observed, and as he talked to Cale, he finally opened his eyes.
He cannot hide his true self.
He cannot remove something that has become intrinsic to his identity.
Choi Han is not an innocent boy who is skilled with a blade.
He is a swordmaster who survived the despair in the Forest of Darkness.
He is darkness.
And he will not pretend to be anything.
"We are strong."
Choi Han's aura extends farther as it burns in a lightless fire.
The mage looks at him with a calm expression. The wind blows wildly from the combined auras that surround the ship. It lowers the hood from the mage's face, revealing more of his forest green hair that flutters wildly.
"What is this?" he asks calmly with a growing smile. "Do you want to fight?"
Tens of thunderbolts form around him. His robe flies wildly as the rough winds grow stronger.
"Sure."
Choi Han answers calmly. His chaotic aura burns wildly against his expressionless face.
"But you won't just be fighting me."
"Oh?" the mage smirks. "Who else will co-"
His instincts scream at him. He ducks.
Slash!
The mage jumps up from his roll and spins around.
At the spot where he once was, a blood-red sword lowers from its slash attack. The red colour glows under the setting sun.
Orange and golden streaks of sunlight land on the person who suddenly and soundlessly appeared behind the mage. The light of the sunset highlights his sharp and noble features.
Fair skin with pink cheeks and lips. Short red hair flutters with the wind as the man stares forward with an unwavering gaze.
Forest green eyes meet reddish-brown, almost blood-red, eyes.
'What- who is this?' the mage thought. 'This aura… I have never felt this type of aura before.'
It is a complicated aura. He can sense strength but also weakness. Beauty akin to a dragon but only harbouring human features. Violence and danger radiate off of him in an overwhelming rush mixed with an almost enchanting allure. Underneath all of that is the unmistakable scent of blood.
The mix of contradicting and complimentary auras confuses him.
"I felt left out," Cale Henituse said with a calm expression. He swings his sword to the side with one hand as he stands confidently on the deck of the ship.
The wind blows around him making his black cape sweep with the breeze.
'How- I didn't notice him!'
"Cale Henituse," the mage straightens as he glares at the noble. "My master demands your surrender."
Cale meets his gaze fearlessly. "Oh?"
Actually, he looks very calm. He is staring as if he is just having a normal conversation with a person.
"He will have to talk to my hyung about that."
"Your hyung?" the mage laughs incredulously. "He doesn't ask for anyone's approval."
"Then you will just face Rok Soo's judgement."
'Huh? What nonsense is he speaking?'
Suddenly, the sky begins to roar.
Boom!
Boom! Boom!
Dark clouds suddenly swirl above the shores. Thunder booms from above. The air grows with a sudden sense of doom and the smell of fire.
'What? This power!? It is similar to-!'
The mage looks behind him as the sky begins to darken. He finally notices that everyone else has escaped while he is distracted by Cale.
When he looks up, he sees a very familiar face staring at him with blazing bright red eyes. It is the same face he had seen and feared for hundreds of years.
"M-master?" he stammers in shock.
Rok Soo floats in the air surrounded by a whirlwind. His long red hair flies wildly around like a raging flame. But it is his eyes that are the most visible.
Glowing red eyes that pierce in a burning gaze.
He looks very similar to White Star, except for one difference.
White Star has always been cold. Even in his anger, he rarely shows emotion and only expresses chilling calmness. No matter what happens, it is as if he only knows indifference or frigid emotions.
This man looks very angry.
He looks like an angry Dragon.
Crackle!
A rose gold thunderbolt dances across the man's outstretched arm.
Anger fuels the Fire of Destruction.
From within his heart, an ember struck by his rage reaches toward the rose gold fire. The golden flame mixes with the rose gold thunderbolt. The two colours mix into a beautiful swirl.
The air ripples from the building heat. A bright red and gold light shines like a second sun.
"Aha…" Cale sweatdrops as he stares at the blinding light. He is standing atop a glass platform next to Ebony, Hans and Choi Han, watching his hyung start carnage from a safe distance.
They had come the moment they heard Ebony's cry. That meant they heard the mage talk about White Star and the target he put on Cale.
Overhearing that immediately put his hyung in a murderous mood. Cale should count himself lucky that his hyung still had the sanity of mind to inform the group of his plan to use Fire of Destruction and torch the ships. With no mercy.
It seems his 'no mercy' rings true.
'I should talk to hyung about this new… overprotective rage of his,' Cale thinks with an awkward smile as the red light grows brighter.
He turns to Ebony while conjuring a few glass diamonds. "Ebony, make a lot of very sturdy shields please?"
Ebony happily obliges.
- Human! Your power is very strong. Are you mad? That's okay, let loose! The great and mighty Raon Miru will make sure nobody but the enemy is hurt!
Rok Soo doesn't respond to the dragon. It takes great effort to temper the fire that had begun to churn inside his chest. It is an unimaginable heat. A raging blaze that keeps growing the longer he stares at the dragon half-blood.
A part of his mind finds his sudden burst of intense emotion strange.
The rest of him demands to burn.
- Rok Soo, are you trying to die?
Super Rock asks, sounding incredulous.
- Kehehehehe! I have never felt so powerful before! This isn't so bad!
- Let's xxxx kill them! All of the xxxx needs to die!
The Cheapskate and Crazy Kid say with glee.
- Sob! Rok Soo! Please calm down! I don't think I can heal the drawback if you overdo it!
Rok Soo narrows his eyes.
He takes a breath and reels in the majority of the power from the Fire of Destruction.
However, even with his power output only coming to 5%, the Fire of Hell continues to burn regardless. It infuses Fire of Destruction, growing its strength so even with the low output, it will still be devastating.
'This is as much I can lower it and still cause damage,' Rok Soo thinks. He meets the gaze of the dragon half-blood.
Something flashes in his red eyes.
Suddenly, the dragon half-blood felt the overwhelming fear of death.
"W-wait- wait!"
Rok Soo glares at the mage with burning eyes.
"Fuck you."
The fiery thunderbolt shoots down and pierces through the ship in a flash of light.
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!