Jyn had no time to waste. His body still bore the wounds from his battle against Kilma Kraus, the traitor of the kingdom and its sword. Kilma's blood had not yet dried on his armor, and the echo of his scream as he was cut in half still haunted Jyn's ears.
But when he reached the eastern borders of Valmair, there was no time for rest or grief.
The hills boiled with smoke, and the battlefields had been scorched by merciless flames. Thousands of enemy soldiers emerged from the dense forests, advancing towards the kingdom's walls as if the very earth had spat them out to swallow everything.
Jyn stood at the forefront of the forces, surrounded by the remnants of Valmair's army. Generals were dead, commanders had betrayed them, and the rest fought with trembling desperation.
A soldier shouted,
"They're attacking from three directions! They know our positions!"
Jyn clenched his jaw.
This was not a battle to win, but to endure… or die with honor.
Jyn charged into the chaos.
As the first wave of enemy soldiers neared, he raised his sword high, his eyes glowing with red mana.
He whispered,
"Heart Pattern – Short-Range Blast… now."
A crimson wave of energy burst forward, striking the ground and knocking down five soldiers at once. Dust and blood rose together, their screams turning into eternal silence.
He sprinted toward a commander, his sword gleaming with heat and pressure.
Using the skill "Deadly Slide," he dodged the enemy's spear by bending his body, then sliced the man's leg from below and swung his sword in an arc, cutting through the man's chest to his neck.
Blood stained Jyn's face, but he did not stop.
Around him, Valmair's soldiers shouted:
"The Prince Jyn is back!"
"He fights with us!"
"Do not retreat!"
In a fleeting moment, he used the skill:
"Shadow Flash – Double Step,"
vanishing from his opponent's sight to appear behind him and sever his head before he could react.
By the eastern palace gate, the ground ignited with blood and fire.
Jyn fought like a storm of wrath. His foes couldn't match his speed or ferocity.
He gripped his sword with both hands and summoned the skill he had mastered on the mountain two years prior:
"Metal Coating – Offensive Guard."
The sword glowed a dark silver, and a thin metallic layer spread over his right arm up to his shoulder. The sword seemed to become part of his flesh.
He charged an enemy wielding a massive hammer, colliding face-to-face.
Crack!
The hammer shattered, and his foe's head exploded violently under the blow. Blood splattered on the enemy soldiers behind him, who recoiled in fear.
One soldier cried out,
"He's the devil… no one can stop him!"
Jyn did not reply, only waved his sword again and severed the chains of a commander's armor with a single strike. He moved precisely, using the skill:
"Deadly Slide – Triple Arc,"
striking three rapid blows that severed the enemy's head, then kicked the corpse backward as it fell.
Jyn advanced steadily, carving a path through the heart of the battle where Valmair's banners fell one by one.
Amid the crowd, Jyn paused briefly, his red eyes watching a group of archers preparing behind enemy lines.
He raised his sword at an angle and murmured,
"Mana of Flame… awaken."
Suddenly, a burning heat surged from his body, and the entire sword ignited with a dark red flame, like hellfire.
The enemies watched in astonishment before one shouted,
"Protect the archers! He's coming at us!"
But Jyn did not advance.
Instead, he plunged his sword into the ground and shouted,
"Blazing Detonation!"
In an instant, a massive fiery explosion burst forward in an extended arc, like a meteor from hell crashing upon them.
Boom!!
The earth shook violently. Bodies flew, archers were torn apart, and their armor completely burned. Smoke and fire filled the sky above the soldiers' heads.
Even Valmair's soldiers gasped at the fierce spectacle.
Jyn moved slowly amidst the flames and smoke, like a hellish shadow risen from the gods' battle.
One enemy soldier stammered,
"What is that… a human?"
Jyn did not answer. He simply raised his sword again and prepared to break through the enemy's third line.
The upcoming strike reminded Jyn of his father, Ardan, teaching him in the training yard:
"This skill, Jyn, is called Dragonfire Veil. It has five stages, each stronger than the last, but we cannot use them all at once. You have only mastered the first stage so far, and that's enough to keep your balance in battle."
Ardan raised his hand, and faint dancing flames gathered on his palm.
"This is the first stage: Hidden Spark, the beginning of the dragon's flame control."
Jyn snapped back to the moment, feeling mana surge through his body. He gathered his strength and unleashed a faint but scorching flame toward his enemies, representing the first stage of his skill.
The flames flickered in the air, damaging enemy archers and tearing through their armor, restoring some balance to the battle.
Jyn advanced steadily through the ranks, the faint fire emanating from his hand as if born from his very core.
The first stage of Dragonfire Veil, simple as it was, instilled terror in the enemy's hearts.
He suddenly raised his hand, releasing a glowing burst of flame that roared with heat, spreading through the air like burning incense, scorching the enemy's weapons and armor, forcing many to retreat.
But Jyn did not stop; he knew this was only the beginning.
Behind him, General Darius and his companions fought valiantly but needed a strong fighting force to turn the tide.
As enemy numbers grew, Jyn appeared, igniting the battlefield with gentle flames, sparking hope in the soldiers' hearts.
The flames from him burned with balanced strength, consuming little mana but effective in disruption and offense.
One soldier shouted, "This fire is no ordinary flame, it's the Dragon's fire that Jyn learned!"
At that moment, everyone realized the battle would favor those who wielded strength of spirit and willpower.
Yet Jyn knew this was not the end. He still had to conserve his strength and see what fate awaited him next.
As the blaze raged on, suddenly alarms sounded from afar. Soldiers' voices rose in anxiety.
"It's Jyn's father! Ardan Argren is coming!"
A large, imposing man appeared, clad in old yet still gleaming metal armor, carrying the legendary sword Elthan – the Sword of Will, said to be unbreakable.
Ardan strode confidently into the battlefield despite the dangers.
With one hand, and letting out a thunderous roar, he attacked the enemy forces relentlessly, using the sword's power to wreak massive destruction.
In one strike, he crushed six enemies, tossing their bodies into the air like insects.
Jyn cried out, watching his father with courage and pride, "He has come!"
But his joy was short-lived; he noticed his father struggling to breathe, his armor bearing the marks of many battles.
In a brief quiet moment, Ardan met his son's gaze and whispered, "Hold onto our will, my son… Elthan will only break when our family falls."
While trying to protect his men, Ardan received a fatal blow.
He fell to the ground, the sword in his hand breaking in two.
A cry of pain surged through Jyn's body, but he composed himself and ran to his father.
He stood beside him, trying to hide his tears, but his heart was breaking.
Ardan smiled weakly and said, "I'm proud of you… don't let darkness swallow the light of Valmair."
With his last breath, Ardan collapsed into his son's arms, blood staining the ground beneath them.
A deep sorrow swept across the battlefield, but Jyn stood firm, believing the legacy would not die.
That moment, he knew the true battle had not yet begun.
After Ardan Argren's fall, the soldiers gathered cautiously around Jyn, surrounded by cries and moans of the wounded, under a dark cloudy sky that weighed heavily on the moment.
Jyn led the remaining forces, relying on his combat skills and battle experience, his inner calm, and unwavering will.
Slowly, the enemy began to retreat under fierce resistance, their ranks breaking and their morale collapsing.
Jyn and his comrades managed to regain control of the battlefield, but victory came at a heavy price.
Many heroes had fallen, and blood covered the earth like a mournful painting of courage and sacrifice.
In a quiet moment, Jyn stood amid the battlefield's ruins, gazing upon the bodies of his fallen comrades.
His tears, held back all along, finally escaped, but he hid his grief from everyone, accepting what had happened.
He ordered the burial of his father and the kingdom's heroes in the Cemetery of Honor near the field.
Only King Aldric, the Queen, Jyn, and his sister remained of the royal family.
In a soft voice, Jyn whispered,
"We have lost much, but Valmair will not die… I will protect your legacy with all I have."
And in his heart, he knew the battle was not over, and darker days might come, but hope would remain a flame that never dies.