While he was lost in his thoughts, an arrow came like whisper of death suddenly struck toward Ivaan, aimed straight at his head close enough to pierce his eye.
Ivaan reacted instantly, blocking the incoming attack with his obsidian blade.
However, a shattered fragment of the arrow grazed his neck, leaving a thin wound before flying past him and striking something behind.
It pierced a wild boar standing there.
That boar was larger than any of the others so massive it seemed unnatural, as if it had been created by magic, a monstrous guardian of the wild.
Ivaan was shocked at the sight of the "magic wild boar."
"Master, things are starting to get worse," Gabriel said. "Uh… it stings more than I thought."
Ivaan shifted his gaze toward Gabriel's hand. The moment he saw it, he understood that the situation was far worse than he had imagined.
"What happened to your hand?"
Gabriel shook his hand, blood marking the ground even though his wounds were wrapped in bandages.
"It was nothing but the result of my recklessness. If I had paid more attention, this wouldn't have happened."
"There are some things we cannot change," Ivaan said quietly. "If they are meant to happen, we cannot stop them."
The heaviness in his voice reflected the burden of the many years he had lived alone.
"Still, you must go to the second team. This much blood loss will not end well." Ivaan spoke in a firm voice that was not a request, but an order.
Gabriel knew it as well. He was no longer of much use to Ivaan now. His wounds might heal, and the bleeding might stop, but he had lost one of his fingers.
"A swordsman who has lost his finger… Even if I can still hold a sword or a gun… even if it is only the little finger…"
These words did not leave his mouth, but they echoed in his heart.
Gabriel clenched his fist tightly, causing more blood to drip onto the ground. His eyes were filled with frustration and anger ,anger at himself.
Just then, someone placed a hand on his shoulder. It was none other than Ivaan.
"Hurry up. We will move ahead for now. We will need you again," he said.
Hearing Ivaan's words, it was as if all of Gabriel's anger suddenly disappeared. He quickly ran toward his horse and, without wasting a second, placed one foot in the stirrup and mounted it swiftly.
As he forcefully stepped on the stirrup, it put the horse on high alert.
The horse almost fell backward, standing on its hind legs with its front legs raised in the air.
It let out a horrible sound"Hee… heee…"
The sound echoed across the whole ground.
Gabriel pulled the reins, calming the horse. He gently patted it once, then, with a faint smile, gave a silent farewell to the front line before riding toward the second battlefield.
Ivaan looked in the direction from where the arrow had come. It felt as if the ground beneath his feet had slipped away. He could not believe what he was seeing.
"You… what are you doing here? And that arrow… was it you who shot it?"
It felt as though his blood had begun to boil with anger.
The site was desgusting ,behind the bushes stood a tall, handsome man with silver hair the heir of a great magician, wearing a sly smile, and Ivaan's beloved friend, Sir Jihan Crowell.
"I never imagined, not in all the centuries of my life, that my own true friend would become the enemy of my life that you would strike me from behind."Ivaan's anger had risen to his head so fiercely that he could see nothing else.
The master who always appeared calm, showing no emotion as if nothing in the world could affect him, had finally let something break inside him. His sword lifted, steady and sharp, ready to aim for Jihan's head.
But we cannot blame him for it. He has endured so much for so long, and someone so close to him daring to betray him must pay.
He moved toward Jihan at great speed.
Still, Jihan did not even blink. He stood motionless, his presence giving the impression that he was mightier than the Whispers, even though only half of their blood flowed through his veins.
The moment Ivaan's blade struck, his hand was blocked by black thorny vines that suddenly appeared from the ground, preventing his furious attack.
Ivaan chuckled, a cold sound that held no humor.
"Do you really think this can save your life?"
He loosened his grip on the blade, letting it slip from his hand as if he had surrendered. The sword fell but before it could touch the ground, he caught it smoothly with his other hand.
The movement was swift, controlled, deliberate.
Jihan finally parted his sealed lips.
"No, it can't save me. This mere magic cannot save anyone from you."
Jihan stepped forward. Now there was no space left between them. No distance , no safety.
" but , brother…"
Their eyes locked onto each other like a lion and a hyena waiting for the perfect moment to hunt. One mistake, and it would become the other's final breath.