Sun Tie leaped from the platform, grasping at branches and trunks to soften the fall during his descent. He earned a few scrapes along the way but managed to land safely near James' motionless body.

Another arrow whizzed by, narrowly missing the young master. Sun Tie quickly took cover behind a tree trunk and peeked out as yet another arrow shot past, embedding itself in the now almost fully descended platform.

Staying low, Sun Tie grabbed James by his shirt, dragging him behind the tree for cover. Yet another arrow struck James' leg, eliciting a pained grunt from him.

“You’re alive! Okay, I got you.” Sun Tie realized he needed to remove the arrows from James's body to enable proper healing. "This is going to hurt," he murmured, hastily yanking out the arrows without the luxury of time for caution.

Quickly employing the [Identify] skill, Sun Tie saw that James's health was dwindling, reduced to less than half and dropping. As soon as the last arrow was out, James's life began to climb gradually. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sun Tie tuned into his surroundings, discerning the movements of more than one person nearby.

Are they coming instead of holding positions? Seems idiotic. It’s probably them.

The young master could now hear voices in the distance, and he was fairly certain they belonged to the brothers.

Peeking out again, he spotted one darting from one tree trunk to another.

“I know it’s you, Bruce, and Malcolm!” Sun Tie shouted as he peaked again. There was no movement, fireball, or arrow coming in his way.

Realizing his position had been compromised and James incapacitated, Sun Tie shifted locations. He seized the priest's sword and dashed to another tree, narrowly avoiding a fireball that tore the air near him. Not a hair burned again, he thought.

A volley of arrows and more fireballs targeted him, but he evaded them all. Peeking out, he noticed the two advancing in his position. Activating his [Mana Seer] ability, he discerned yellow orbs moving toward him. Bruce, the taller of the two, had his orb near his mouth, while Malcolm, the shorter one, had his situated in his belly.

Sun Tie kept peeking until they paused, then shifted to another tree trunk, his [Stealth] ability silencing his footsteps. He decided to wait, banking on the element of surprise.

Observing arrows shoot off in the wrong direction. Sun Tie felt his confidence bolstered. He closed his eyes and listened to the movements. One of them was drawing nearer. Sun Tie clutched the sword tightly and held his breath. One breath… Two breathes…

Then, a step too close.

The sword swung swiftly, striking the man on his leg. Sun Tie hadn't anticipated the strength of his swing, but Bruce's right leg was cleanly severed. Bruce collapsed, a look of sheer terror on his face, clutching his staff. Sun Tie could've ended it right then. He wasn’t certain if it was an arrow's whizz or something else that made him hesitate, but the next thing he felt was the sharp pain of two arrows as they embedded themselves into his shoulder.

Reeling from the impact, Sun Tie was struck by a fireball, igniting his hair. Overwhelmed by agony and desperation, he mentally railed, I can’t fall to these two fools. Frantically, he tried to smother the flames, narrowly dodging more incoming fireballs. As the blaze subsided, the young master finally discerned Malcolm's words, the man growing nearer with every second.

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“You killed our mother! You monster!” Bruce was screaming like a child in a tantrum. “You killed her! For what?”

“Unless your mother is a fire-boar, I didn’t--”

Another arrow shot forward, striking Sun Tie in the thigh, eliciting a grunt as he attempted to rise. Bruce had stopped hurling fireballs. Sun Tie was uncertain if the man was drained of mana or simply in shock.

Gradually, Sun Tie stood and locked eyes with Malcolm. The latter's bow was drawn, an arrow aimed directly at the young master's heart. At such close range, evading the arrow seemed impossible, but Sun Tie was determined to try.

“I have no idea what are you talking about…” Sun Tie muttered.

“You said you were going to slit her throat…” Malcolm continued, nodding negatively and crying.

“I was just provoking you.”

“Liar!”

"Why would I lie? I let you fools go once out of pity--"

"Pity?!" The man roared, reacting as if Sun Tie had uttered the most offensive word imaginable. An arrow zipped from the bow. Sun Tie managed to sidestep a direct hit, but the projectile lodged itself into his shoulder again, slowing his advance but not halting him.

With diminishing strength, Sun Tie charged at Malcolm, who frantically scrambled to nock another arrow. But time wasn't on his side. Despite his waning energy, Sun Tie refused to relent.

He swung the blade, and the smaller man ducked, losing his grip on the arrow. Sun Tie lunged again, but Malcolm sidestepped and circled to Sun Tie’s back, trying to grab another projectile. But the young master was quick to swing once more. This time, as Malcolm dodged, he lunged at Sun Tie, causing both of them to crash.

Sun Tie's breath left him, and the sword slipped from his hand.

Malcolm didn't waste time. He aimed a fist at Sun Tie, and in his wounded state, the youth found dodging impossible. Pinned and at a disadvantage, Sun Tie tried pushing Malcolm off, but the man just shoved his hands away, landing punch after punch. With every hit, Sun Tie's strength seemed to diminish. But, in a last-ditch effort, he launched an [Echo Strike], and Malcolm surely felt its force.

Sun Tie kept delivering one punch after another, but his [Echo Strikes] weren’t enough to end Malcolm. Soon, the youth’s fists were weak again. No mana left to use his [Echo Strike].

Malcolm recovered his posture and shoved once again the young master’s arms.

As they thought, a stray thought floated through Sun Tie’s mind, likening their scuffle to a childish dispute in a village square. What a stupid way to die.

Trying to gain the upper hand in a last effort, Sun Tie mustered his strength to spit a mouthful of blood onto Malcolm’s face. Preparing for a swift strike to follow up, he suddenly noticed Malcolm’s eyes grow wide with shock, piercingly locking onto Sun Tie's gaze.

The young master likely mirrored the expression, watching in disbelief as the man's head separated from his body. Behind him, James stood, clutching his sword with both hands, his face a mask of sheer shock.

Sun Tie collapsed backward, struggling to catch his breath. Adrenaline refused to leave his body.

"Thank you, James," Sun Tie managed to whisper between gasps for air.

"I killed him," the large priest murmured, his gaze fixed on the ground, lost in shock.

"You did," Sun Tie affirmed.

"I killed him," James repeated, his voice echoing in disbelief.

"It was either him or us, James. Sit down. Take a moment." Sun Tie's voice was gentle, though he struggled to heed his advice.

After a few minutes, Sun Tie gradually regained his strength and rose, his health visibly improving. He approached Bruce with deliberate steps.

"Why?" Sun Tie's voice quivered with a mix of anger and frustration. "Why did you do this?"

"He was convinced you were responsible," Bruce whispered, avoiding Sun Tie's gaze.

"Well, guess what? I wasn't! I know nothing about your mother!"

Bruce wiped away tears, "I had my doubts." He looked down at his healed stump. While the wound had closed, Sun Tie figured it might be a while before his leg fully regenerated, if ever.

"And you should've put some sense into your brother's head. Now, because of both of your idiocies, a good man has committed an irreversible act!"

"Doesn't matter, does it? Just go on, finish it," Bruce spat, his eyes seething with anger and determination. “Kill me!”