Puchi!
"Wh- What?" Okarino looked below and saw a spear impaling through his heart.
He looked back and saw with shock that Arash was standing with his hands and head slumped down. "How?"
The heart was where mages and warriors stored their energies, in the shape of a core. If one could destroy that core, it would spell immediate death.
Okarino fell to the floor, asking to himself, and later, Arash's body also followed behind him.
Thud (2)
"Lord…" The city guard captain whispered first before running and shouting. "LORD!!!"
She quickly came beside Arash and knelt on both of her knees. She picked up Arash's body and let him rest on his arms. She called with tears in her eyes. "Lord…"
To her, Arash wasn't only a lord but a father figure too. She was a warophan, so the only place she could call home was the dirty streets. But one day, when she was getting bullied by the locals as usual, Arash accidentally passed by her. Afterwards, he took her in and provided her with everything he could. He took care of her like his own daughter, and as a result, she vowed to protect him and this city with her very soul.
But… It looks like she failed to keep her promise.
"Do not cry…Nina." Arash glanced at Nina's crying face and said it with a low voice, while trying to make a smile on his face.
"I failed, I wasn't strong enough. I failed to protect you." However, Nina didn't listen, as she knew the only person she could be family with was dying in her arms.
"What a silly girl. You stopped so many bad guys for me. If you didn't, I would have died long ago." Even on his deathbed, Arash was laughing at Nina.
However, this made Nina more sad. "Please, don't say that."
"Hahahha… Nina, I do not have much time left. So can you fulfill these wishes of mine?" Arash said it with a soft smile. "After I die, bury me with my children and wives who died. Then, announce to the city that the new baron will be my eldest son, Arlon."
"What about Princess Ana?" Nina asked, feeling she was most suited.
"Let her continue on the path she had taken. Also, when she comes back, tell her that the ones who killed us are humans, sent by Prince Troy. I do not want her chasing demons and wrongly wasting her life." After saying those, Arash raised his right hand with difficulty, yet surely he was able to rest it upon Nina's cheeks. "Tell everyone—I love you. Don't let them be sad about me. I know they can be beautiful beings if they pour their hearts into what they love. Tell Ana, especially, to look after her family without diving too deep into revenge. Also, Nina, my daughter, I love you too."
Arash's hand fell from her cheek and landed on his chest, leaving Nina dumbstruck. Then, gradually, she came to her senses and hugged Arash's body softly. She buried her face in his shoulder and whispered. "I love you too, father."
…
"Ha!"
"What is wrong, Ana?" Mori, who was passing by Ana's seat, noticed her getting jump-scared all of a sudden.
Lily, who was beside Ana, came forward and supported her. "Is there something wrong, Ana?"
The entire class also noticed the abnormality and looked in their direction.
Ana, covered in sweat, wiped her forehead. "No- nothing."
Mori raised his eyebrows, seeing Ana deny it like that. So, he decided to let her open up, as these kinds of things should not be hidden, especially among his students. "Ana, you do not have to worry. I am here for you, what is there to worry about?"
"I…" Ana still hesitated, but thinking of Mori, she decided to spill it out, as Mori was a very reliable teacher. "Professor Mori, just now I felt that I lost something, like something is missing in my heart."
Mori looked down at his student's sad and anxious face, giving him flashbacks about similar experiences. He brought a caring smile to his cold face and rubbed Ana's head. "It is okay. If you lose something, then you just need to reimagine it to be in your heart and guard it safely from next time on. And if you want to bring it back, then you have to know that you have many friends and allies who will give their lives for you."
Ana stared at Mori's face, somehow bringing tears to her eyes. "I will, professor."
After giving her head a few rubs, he went towards the dais. On the way, he thought with sadness, as the sudden tears confirmed his guesses. 'I am sorry, my child. I had to comfort you with lies.'
Meanwhile, Ana sat in her place while wiping her tears. 'This sadness…feels so familiar.'
…
On the east side of the city.
"ARGHH!" Under Haitam's large sword swings, the demons were sliced in half like cotton.
He was leading the front charge while his army was in the back. His brave charge brought great courage to his army.
At that moment, Haitam's eyes widened as he felt a strong energy signature coming from the center of the city, where Arash's castle was. Haitam recognized that energy carefully, as he was fortunate enough to see Arash in his glory and also be able to learn about Arash's issue.
'This amount of energy…don't tell me.' Haitam's heart quacked, thinking of what might be happening if Arash had to exert this amount of energy, and he knew the consequences of this. 'Sire is in trouble. No, he won't even be able to move after that.'
Haitam's worry grew as Arash was the only one who could compete with the person who could make him use that much energy. 'I have to finish this fast!'
Haitam's eyes shifted to Vio and Savrena, who were commanding the demons from the very back. With rage filled in his eyes, he descended from his horse and stepped on the ground. But the moment his feet landed on the ground, he burst into the air, leaping towards Vio and Savrena.
"Oho~" Savrena got amused by Haitam's sudden charge directly toward them. As far as war goes, the commander of the army should not fight the enemy commander from the start because many factors could come in that might change the war. But if they fought from the start, the outcome of the battle would be decided immediately, which was irrational, and no one wanted to do it.
"Should I go?" Savrena asked Vio, implying she wanted to try out Haitam all on her own.
"No!" Vio instantly denied. He said this, glaring at Haitam. "Let's go together. You can't take him alone because he is strong."
Haitam raised his sword over his head and shouted. " [ Boulder Slash ] "
A shining, metallic aura shot out of Haitam's sword, in the shape of a crescent moon.
Vio and Savrena could already feel the sharpness of that strike. They dodged to both sides as fast as possible.
Bang!
The attack cleaved the ground in half, making a small crevice and slicing anything into half. Cries from many strong demons rang as their bodies got separated in half or they fell down the crevice.
Haitam landed on the ground and looked above at Vio and Savrena.
Savrena brought out a sword and dashed before Haitam in a matter of seconds, surprising Haitam.
Savrena's race, the Whisperers of Importance, was known for their speed. They were a race to deliver the messages of the lords. So to guard such information, they had to be loya, fast, and great at fighting, or else they would die the moment they set foot outside.
Ting!
Haitam skillfully used his sword to block Savrena's attack without much difficulty.
Savrena didn't get dismayed for failing to strike as she disappeared from her spot and appeared on the other side of Haitam.
Haitam quickly slashed to his other side, managing to deflect that strike. This couldn't help but make him wonder. 'Her strikes aren't strong, but her speed is the most dangerous. I have to keep an eye on that.'
Suddenly, Haitam heard the sound of thunder rumbling. He attacked the source of the sound without looking. " [ Boulder Slash ] "
A metallic slash shot out of Haitam's sword and clashed with a sea of violet thunder.
Boom!
Glancing to his back, Haitam saw it was Vio. He was floating above, with thunder running through his body. His fists were also enveloped in them.
Seeing his attack fail, Vio didn't get disappointed, as he wasn't good at long range in the first place. He dived into Haitam while saying. " [ Biddu's Rage ] "
Vio's fists got charged up with violet thunder as long trails were left behind them.
Haitam, who was using his mana senses to tackle Savrena's onslaught, noticed Vio's arrival. 'Damn it! This is going to take much longer.'
Cursing himself, Haitam used his other skill. " [ Blast of Sharp Edges ] "
In an instant, multiple sword slashes like [ Boulder Slash ] shot out everywhere, taking Vio and Savrena by surprise.
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