While Jagon was locked in a fierce battle against Sienna, Aiden, Jason—the three most powerful Heroes with Siara—another intense skirmish raged on a little farther away.
“Don’t be scared! They’re just kids, not real Heroes! We are the Heroes today, understood?!” Surag bellowed with his raspy voice, trying to rally his men.
A loud cheer erupted from his soldiers as they clashed with the Heroes and the knights sworn to protect them. Despite the chaos, a nervous but determined smile played on Surag’s lips.
Fortunately, neither the Divine Knight nor Elias, the other formidable warrior, were participating in the battle for some unknown reason. Surag couldn’t decide if this was a blessing or a curse. Their involvement could tip the scales against them, leading to certain defeat.
However, Surag held on to his faith. He believed in Jagon’s plan, and more importantly, he trusted Catnys. His mission was clear: buy as much time as possible to ensure the safety of their families.
SWOOOSH!
Just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, a powerful gust of wind swept through, knocking a dozen of his men off their feet and sending them sprawling to the ground with pained groans.
Surag’s eyes narrowed as he spotted a stunning blonde warrior. ‘Her again? She’s different from the other Heroes…’ he muttered, sensing something unusual about Gwen.
But he had no time to ponder. Through the breach Gwen created, a striking black-haired beauty charged toward him, her long sword gleaming menacingly. Aisha’s stern gaze was locked onto Surag as she infused mana into her weapon, activating her S-rank skill, Lightning Princess. Her sword crackled with electrical energy.
‘She is dangerous!’ Surag thought, steeling himself for the confrontation. He raised his arm defensively.
-BAM!
Aisha’s sword came crashing down, but Surag managed to parry the blow with his armored arm. The armor, imbued with a strange and formidable strength, held firm against the attack.
Surag gritted his teeth, feeling the force of Aisha’s blow reverberate through his arm.
Aisha frowned as her attack was deflected. Surag concealed a grimace of pain in his arm and swung his right fist at her. However, his fist suddenly froze mid-air, halted by a barrier of wind holding his hand in place. It was Gwen, her hand outstretched, controlling the wind.
“Where is he?” Aisha’s voice broke through the tension, her eyes narrowing at Surag.
Surag frowned, confusion evident on his face.
Aisha bit her lip, her frustration growing. “Where is Nathan?!”
Lightning crackled more fiercely around Aisha, striking Surag’s body and sending a painful jolt through him. “Guhh!” Surag grunted, jumping back and swinging his arm. “Four Star Earth Magic: Earth Spikes!” He punched the ground, causing several sharp spikes of earth to jut out, aiming to impale Aisha.
Aisha, however, used her lightning to enhance her speed, weaving through the gaps between the spikes. She wasn’t as fast as Sienna, but with her lightning, she could move swiftly.
“Where is he?” Gwen demanded, her irritation barely concealed. She wanted to end the battle quickly.
Surag remained silent, his mind racing. He had no idea who they were asking about. From his perspective, they were the ones who had attacked without provocation, shattering their peaceful lives.
“W…what do we do?!” Another girl, standing with Gwen, muttered with a pale face. It was Courtney, clearly worried about Nathan.
“Courtney, you should go ahead and look for him. Ask any Demons there if you have to,” Aisha instructed.
“Y…Yes!” Courtney quickly agreed and started to run past them.
Surag’s eyes widened in alarm. Asking Demons about something? He had grown accustomed to the hypocritical words humans used before killing them.
“Stay here!!” Surag bellowed, kicking off the ground and rushing toward Courtney with all his might.
Aisha quickly caught up with Surag, striking his side with her sword.
“Guhhh!” Surag groaned, sliding back from the force of the blow.
Seeing an opportunity, Gwen rushed toward him, gliding smoothly thanks to her wind magic. She gathered a tremendous amount of mana, preparing to unleash a devastating attack that would end Surag for good.
‘Gwen!’
A familiar voice echoed in her mind, warning her of imminent danger. Gwen halted midair and glanced upward.
A giant ball of fire loomed above her, radiating intense heat. She traced its source to a frail-looking demon, a stark contrast to the powerful mana he wielded. It was Silgor.
“Iphlea,” Gwen called out urgently.
“Geez, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful, Gwen?”
A new voice rang near Gwen’s ear. In a green glow, a green-haired, winged creature appeared, hovering next to her.
“A S…Sylph?!” Silgor was beyond shocked at the sight.
Iphlea ignored him, raising her small hand. Gwen mimicked her movement, and a sphere of wind, pure and powerful, began to swirl above Gwen.
With a flick of Iphlea’s wrist, the wind sphere collided with the fireball.
BOOOOOOOM!
A tremendous explosion rocked the sky, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Both sides paused, momentarily stunned by the spectacle.
“Take care of him, Gwen. I will preserve myself,” Iphlea instructed, her gaze shifting deeper into the village. “There are two other, even more dangerous threats that haven’t appeared yet.”
Gwen frowned. She thought the strongest enemy was the one fighting Jason, Sienna, Aiden, and Siara simultaneously. She couldn’t believe there could be two even stronger foes. However, Iphlea’s heightened senses detected two significant threats still hidden within the village.
The first presence radiated a vast amount of mana, indicating a powerful mage. Gwen doubted any of the Heroes, except perhaps Elias, could defeat him.
But the second presence was even more troubling. The mana was unique and extraordinarily pure, surpassing even Iphlea’s. It felt almost divine, like that of a demigod.
°°°°°
Meanwhile, Courtney, seizing the moment of distraction caused by Iphlea’s arrival, dashed into the village. Surag and Silgor’s attention was diverted, giving her a slim window to act. The village was eerily empty, the sounds of battle echoing behind her.
“Nathan!!” she yelled, her voice tinged with desperation.
Searching house by house seemed like an impossible task, knowing it would take too long. What if one of the demons chose to kill Nathan before she could find him? Panic gripped her as she continued shouting his name in front of each house, fearing he might not be in any condition to respond—or worse, that he might already be dead. She forced herself to push that thought aside.
“Na…Nathan!!” she cried out again, her voice breaking. Bent over, hands on her knees, Courtney struggled to catch her breath, her eyes brimming with tears. “It can’t be…please, Nathan…”
Thud!
“!” Courtney whipped her head to the right, the sound coming from the house beside her.
Raising her staff defensively, she cautiously entered the house. “Nathan?”
Thud!
Another loud thud came from below. Courtney pressed her ear to the floor and her eyes widened in realization.
“Please let it be him!” she whispered, running around the house until she found a trapdoor. Opening it, she saw a set of stairs descending into darkness.
Thud!
Taking a deep breath, Courtney stepped down the stairs nervously. When she reached the bottom, her heart pounded in her chest. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, her face froze in shock. But then, a smile of happiness and relief spread across her face.
“Nathan!!” Courtney exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and urgency.
Nathan was there, bound with his hands tied and mouth gagged. His eyes widened at the sight of her, and he shook his head vigorously, trying to warn her of something.
“Mmmm!” he tried to shout through the gag, but it was too late.
Courtney turned around, but before she could react, she saw a pair of red eyes. Darkness swiftly claimed her as she lost consciousness.
The red-eyed woman, Catnys, glanced at Nathan. “Is that finally over? Can we fight now?”
Nathan smiled, removing the gag from his mouth and freeing his hands. “Everything is ready. Go ahead.”
Catnys nodded and left without another word. Nathan turned his attention to the unconscious Courtney, brushing her hair away from her face gently. “Sorry for that,” he murmured.
He tied her securely against a pillar and activated the magic Catnys had placed on him. His ears became pointed, his eyes turned red, and his presence transformed. With the black mask now covering his face, even Radakel wouldn’t recognize him.
Donning the black robe that Catnys had given him, he exited the house, a sense of purpose driving his steps.
“Time to see how strong I’ve become.”