Rynra

"Bastard!" I cursed as I felt Yegson's death.

I do not like that bastard, but I do not want him dead. He is a powerful necromancer and one of the fastest casters, I had seen on the level.

Its why, he would love to get closer to his enemies to finish them off.

He had killed casters more powerful than him through that method.

His enemies tried to use that, but he was good at defending, too. He could have said to be too confident, with that protection tool, he had.

Even I wouldn't have been able to break through his defensive tool within a single attack, but the hidden assassin had somehow done it.

"How did you kill him?" I asked elder-blood.

The skill told me about Yegson's death and who killed him, but it didn't tell me how.

"How should I know? I am here with you," replied elder-blood. Though looking at the smile on his face, it's clear he knew how.

He is likely the one who planned it.

Anger burned in my heart. I wanted to use the strongest attack and kill him, but that was not wise.

He had proved to be a tough enemy.

Since the battle began, I had used a plethora of spells and skills, but he defended against them all; not a single one was able to hit him.

He is powerful as well as experienced; unlike the other elder blood, I had killed.

They didn't have much experience despite being older and were too confident in their abilities.

The man in front of me is grounded and cautious. I have to be the same and find his limitations, before attacking him with everything I have.

Until then, I will keep fighting as I have been doing.

I moved at him and attacked him with my flaming sword. He moved his halberd forward smoothly.

Clang

I tried to avoid it, but he didn't let me, and my sword clashed against his halberd.

The bronze energy clashed against the necrotic fire, and they canceled each other, but a moment later, returned to my sword, and I attacked again.

He defended it, but I kept attacking.

These attacks are not only helping me gauge his limitations, but also making him spend his energy. Which will help me a lot, when I use my full power.

Minutes passed, and I continued with the attack, using my skills and spells together.

It keeps the expenditure of the mana low.

I could absorb from the undead; it is the main reason I had kept them so close, but I would rather not absorb the energy until I needed it.

I still have enough mana in me to fight and with the undead, I could fight for a long time.

The elder-blood could not.

Hun!

The anger in my heart burned brightly as I noticed another three powerhouses disappearing from Yegson's battle.

He had died along with the pawn and now another of our powerhouse died, while the other two seemed to have surrendered.

In the next few minutes, I felt many people below Lv. 30 dying or surrendering.

It is not a small number, but still, every powerhouse we lose will affect the battle. My skill reduces that by the third, but still losing powerhouses isn't good.

I do not want a pyrrhic victory; it would be shameful for me.

Clang!

Our blades clashed again, and I pulled it back and moved to attack again, this time activating the skill I hadn't used before in this battle.

Hun!

I was about to swing my sword with enhancement from the skill when I stopped.

Even elder-blood's eyes widened in surprise before shock appeared in his eyes, which mirrored mine.

A feeling spread through the city, disrupting the skills, everywhere.

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So, powerful, that it touched me, I shook in my heart, while people around me shook visibly.

It shocked me. It is not something, I had expected to happen on this battlefield.

I quickly calmed my emotions and thought about who it was. It spread so quickly that I wasn't able to see who it was, but I knew the general area.

There are three groups engaging in that area. It could be one of mine or the enemy.

I don't want it to be one of mine. With this, they will shoot high, but I don't absolutely want it to be the enemy.

It will affect this battle, not much since they will barely have any control over it, but if they survive and gain control; they will be a terror.

Anyone who awakened it becomes it.

I looked at the enemy, who had the same questions and apprehension in his eyes. It made me relieved that even he didn't know.

I calmed my thoughts and focused on the enemy. The awakening had changed things.

I can not afford to wait anymore. I have to kill the elder blood and find out who awakened it.

If it is the enemy, I must kill them; killing them is most important.

More than this elder blood.

With that thought, I cast one of the most powerful spells in my arsenal and amplified its power with skill, before attacking the elder-blood.

…

Clang!

I stopped the attack with my rapier but felt like a hammer had crashed into my hand.

I felt even some of my bones cracking and wanted to let go of my rapier.

"You defended," he said with his voice of mirth and surprise.

He might be feeling funny now, but my heart is filled with terror. I am fighting for a Lv. 30+ powerhouse, whose casual attack had cracked my bone.

I had sparred regularly with Lv.30+, but not a single one of them had used their full power in the spar.

Even in the restricted power, they were careful not to hurt me too much.

Here, the enemy won't hold back and have reservations. He wants to kill me, and he will; I do not have the strength to resist him.

I should have accepted Stone's request and kept Jim with me. I wouldn't have been in this predicament.

Jim is more than capable of defending against an enemy like this.

"Let's see if you defend this one," he challenged and swung his sword again.

My heart shuddered, and I wanted to dodge the attack, but that would make the frozen woman and the child behind her the target.

The man had already shown his cold-bloodedness. He would kill those behind me if I dodged.

So, I moved my sword forward with the Blade of Gale and Mauling Strike.

Clang!

Our blades clashed hard, and I tried to parry the attack with Quick Parry, but the cruel bastard stopped it with a grin.

Making me take all the brunt of the attack, that broke my bone.

This time, I heard the crack, and the pain came visibly.

The enemy didn't wait for me to get used to the pain, instead; he moved to the left and attacked again, not me, but the woman.

To him, this is all game. He does not care about life, and does not care about the dishonor that killing a defenseless woman and child would bring.

The only thing he, cares about is toying with them and me.

I pushed the Blitz Steps as I had never done and appeared in front of the man while pushing my rapier forward.

Clang!

His sword clashed against mine with even more strength, breaking another bone, and nearly sending my rapier clattering.

It would have, if not for me, gripping my sword, like my life dependent on it and it is.

He moved again right after the attack, appearing behind the woman, while I followed after appearing in front of him as he attacked.

Clang!

My dagger clashed with his sword, breaking the bone of my left hand.

He seemed to have heard too as he attacked again, without changing his place, but used the skill, that he hadn't before.

His sword turned to multiple swords; there were nine of them, all looked realistic.

I didn't think and moved my sword forward, trusting my instincts, which I do against such an attack.

Clang!

I stopped with a rapier, feeling such pain that made me nearly throw my rapier.

Rip Ting Rip!

I was in those thoughts when I felt a cut across my body. Those eight swords, which I thought turned out to be capable of minor damage.

Cry!

That's when I released something, and horror appeared on my face when I heard the cry behind me.

I looked and deep cuts on the woman, but also her child. His back had turned blooded.

The horror in my heart deepened and the rage that was already burning in my heart exploded.

"You monster!" I roared and moved toward him without caring for anything.

I cannot just defend or wait for reinforcement. He will kill them; those injuries they got are like threatening. If they don't receive treatment soon, they will die.

I have to kill him. It is the only way they will be safe.

It is a monumental, nearly impossible task, but I have no choice but to attempt it.

If I wasn't able to save them, then how am I going to save hundreds of thousands of my citizens from the undead and other enemies?

"Hehe, the little Lord got angry, but what can little lord do?" he mocked as he raised his sword casually toward my attack.

Clang!

He defended easily against the rapier, breaking another of my bones, but I didn't care and attacked with the dagger.

Clang!

He repelled my rapier with sheer force and defended against my dagger, but saw my rapier coming at him again.

Clang Clang Clang!

His sword moved with grace, and he defended my every attack when suddenly a surprise appeared on his face.

He moved to dodge it, but my kick still hit the bastard. Sending him a step back.

Clang!

I tried to use this opportunity to attack when he moved forward with anger in his eyes.

All the mirth and play had vanished. There is now only anger left in his eyes.

Clang!

I was barely able to defend the attack with my rapier and dagger, which sent me back a couple of steps, hitting the wall of the collapsed house.

I thought he would use this opportunity to finish me off, but he didn't.

"You want to save them, right?" he asked, and a nasty smile appeared on his face.

"Save them, then," he said and moved toward the woman and child.

I pushed Blitz Steps hard and moved, but he had already appeared beside them and swung his sword while they watched in horror.

"No!" I screamed as I released as I would be able to reach them in time.

Some of my mages reacted but were quickly countered by heartless enemy mages.

His sword kept moving closer and closer to the child. I pushed the Blitz Steps, harder than ever, and I felt its speed increasing, breaking fast at its limit, but that speed wasn't enough.

His sword had reached near the child's neck, just a few inches away from it.

I screamed in my heart as the helplessness filled it. If he killed them; I would not be able to live with myself.

All the confidence I have will shatter into the pieces.

Why it would not?

When I couldn't even protect a helpless woman and child, then how I am going to protect hundreds of thousands of people, I am responsible for protecting?

I screamed in my heart in helplessness and pushed myself harder, while extending my sword, hoping it would reach there despite knowing it would not.

Hun!

That is when I felt something breaking out from deep within me.

It flooded my body, before bursting out.