Swish! Swish! Swish!

Poahf's eyes darted left and right, up and down, trying to keep track of Sorah's movements. The old man was like a phantom, flitting in and out of sight with impossible speed. His ZenFlow Kana made him one with the wind, allowing him to anticipate her attacks and counter with lightning-fast reflexes.

"That old bastard is incredibly fast," she thought frustratingly.

She had underestimated him, dismissed him as a feeble old man with outdated skills. But now, she realized that Sorah was a formidable opponent, a true master of the martial arts and a wielder of mysterious powers.

Twak-Boom!

She watched as Sorah deflected another Kana Bomb with a powerful kick, the explosive force created a shockwave that cracked the nearby wall.

Poahf's lips curled into a predatory smile as an idea formed in her mind. 'He's focusing on the wolves. On their attacks. He's not expecting me to strike.'

She waited for the next volley of Kana Bombs, and used the explosions as cover to close the distance between her and Sorah. Using the earth to propel her, she appeared behind him and executed a deadly strike.

Crack!

The energy blade sliced through Sorah's uniform, searing his back with a flash of pink light.

"Gah!" Sorah cried out in pain which caused his concentration to be momentarily broken.

He spun around and issued a counterattack, but Poahf was already gone. She flitted away like a shadow into the swirling dust and smoke.

After her feet settled, Warden Poahf noticed a few strands of her hair floating in the air, severed by Sorah's blade. She spat on the ground in disgust. "You'll pay for that, old man!" She waited for another opportunity to strike, scanning the courtyard for any sign of weakness.

Poahf's blow had left Sorah with a stinging back. The Kana Bombs that were raining down on him were being parried and deflected by him. The Sage Curse was burning harder and he was growing tired, but he was determined to keep going. To free his student and the other inmates, he needed to discover a means to vanquish Poahf and her seemingly eternal wolves.

Whoosh!

Poahf appeared before him once more like a tyrant. Sorah raised his blade to block he incoming attack, but she feinted, ducking under his guard and driving her fist into his stomach.

Oof!

Sorah stumbled back, gasping for air as the wind was literally knocked out of him. Poahf pressed her attack, raining down blows with her fists and feet.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

Sorah tried to defend himself, but he was too slow and too disoriented. She was treating this old wretch like a punching bag, yet he was still conscious.

"Tsk! Enough of this," Poahf bit her tongue then spat a mouthful of blood and saliva at Sorah's face, forcing him to close his eyes momentarily. She seized the opportunity, grabbing Sorah by the neck and lifting him off the ground. She held him aloft, causing his body to dangle limply in her grasp.

"Any last words, old man?" she asked.

Sorah's vision blurred, and he could feel his strength fading. The Sage Curse's burning intensified, consuming his very being. He knew he was close to his limit.

"The... winds... of... fate..." he gasped.

Poahf scoffed and tossed him towards one of her wolves. "Devour him, Okami!"

“HOOO!”

With a sudden rush, the wolf lounged at Sorah's body with its jaws agape. A burst of pink energy erupted from its mouth that engulf ed Sorah in a powerful Kana Beast Bomb.

Boom!

The explosion rocked the courtyard, sending turbulent energies rippling through the air. The upper half of Sorah's uniform vaporized instantly, revealing the intricate golden-black glyphs of the Sage Curse that adorned his skin. He was thrown back against the wall of Sector C with enough force to bury him inside. His body was limp and he was smoking, yet his chest was still heaving.

"What the... he's... he's still alive?" Poahf was shock.

"Master Sorah…! Damn you, Warden Poahf! Daichi screamed in anguish with tears streaming down his face as he charged towards Poahf with clenched fist. "You'll pay for that, you bitch!"

Poahf, annoyed by the boy's constant interruptions, turned to one of her wolves and commanded, "Silence him, Okami!"

The wolf lunged at Daichi, pinning him to the ground with its metallic claws. Daichi struggled, but he was no match for the creature's strength. He coughed and sputtered the dirt he was being force to eat.

…

Elara and Anya, along with the other Aerithran prisoners and villagers, watched in horror as Sorah lay motionless amidst the wreckage.

"He's... he's dead," one of the Aerithrans whispered despairingly.

"No!" Elara cried. "He can't be dead! He promised he would save us!"

Anya buried her face in her mother's shoulder as her small body trembled with fear and sorrow.

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…

With her anger subsiding, Warden Poahf surveyed the scene with a triumphant smirk. "Fools," she spoke with authority. "Did you really think you could escape Nathor Prison Camp? Did you really think you could defeat me?"

She turned to the trembling guards and frightened Sand Devils who were slowly picking themselves up from the ground. "Round up the remaining escapees. Secure them in Ethereum Handguards and prepare them for transport in the morning. And as for the old man..."

She gestured towards Sorah's seemingly lifeless form. "Throw him into the Geoderors’ barn. Let the beast feast on his bones."

“Yes, Warden Poahf.”

The guards and Sand Devils hurried to obey their orders. The fear they had concerning Warden Poahf outweighed any sympathy they might have felt for the fallen Aerithran.

…

“Noooo!”

“We’re done for.”

“I don’t want to be taken.”

“Just kill me now.”

“I should have never left the Floating Leaf.”

The Aerithrans cried out in despair as they were surrounded. They had lost all hope of escape.

“Fuhuhu, those fools.” Poahf watched with satisfaction as her guards rounded up the prisoners. She had proven her strength, her authority, and her ruthlessness. No one would dare challenge her again.

But…

Suddenly, the air around Sorah, who was still embedded in the wall, began to crackle with energy. A swirling vortex of wind formed around his body, lifting him from the rubble. The amber glyphs on his skin pulsed with an intense golden light, and wisps of Aether Steam emanated from his pores, forming a shimmering aura.

Whoosh!

"What the..." Poahf’s eyes widening in disbelief.

The swirling energy intensified, and within moments, Sorah's form was obscured by a blinding light.

"Is he... is he summoning his Vayrukumer?" one of the guards whispered fearfully.

"Or perhaps... his Titan Avatar?" another added.

Not wanting to take any chances, Warden Poahf turned to her Okami pack and quickly commanded, "Annihilate him! Now!"

Sensing their master's fear, the wolf pack turned their attention to Sorah. They got into formation and began unleashing a barrage of Kana Beast Bombs.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions rocked the courtyard, causing quakes that shattered windows and cracked walls. But when the dust settled, Sorah was gone.

"Where is he?" Poahf demanded while scanning the courtyard frantically. She could sense his presence, his energy signature, but she couldn't see him.

"Where did he go? Can anyone see that blasted old man?" one guard asked in disbelief.

"I don't know," another replied, glancing around the area with a wary eye.

“Hoo!”

Suddenly, one of the wolves let out a yelp of pain as an unseen force sliced through its metallic body, severing it cleanly in half.

“What just happened?”

“Grrr…” The other wolves twisted and turned as they searched for the attacker, but they saw nothing.

"There!" a guard yelled, pointing towards a flicker of movement near the prison wall.

A swirling vortex of wind, edged with sharp blades, materialized briefly before slicing through another wolf, causing its metallic body to fall to the ground in several pieces.

“Cutting Gust!”

“What in the realms is that?”

As their instincts screamed at them to flee, the remaining wolves scattered. But the wind was too fast, too precise. One by one, they were cut down. Chunks of metal and stone were ripped away, falling to the ground with a clatter.

Warden Poahf watched in utter shock as her beloved wolves were torn apart, moreover, their essence dissipated into wisps of Aether Steam. What was happening? Who was doing this?

While panicking, the dust ahead of her parted, revealing a swirling vortex of wind that charged towards Poahf with the speed of a hurricane.

"What is that?" she gasped, stepping back in fear.

"It's... it's the old man!" one of the guards yelled, pointing at the vortex.

The swirling wind had partially taken the shape of Sorah. His body was now a whirlwind of blades that was cutting through everything in its path. This was "Cutting Gust," an advanced Aeromancy skill that allowed the user to transform their entire body into a gust of wind, capable of slicing through even the toughest materials with ease.

“Why won’t you just die!”

Becoming frantic, Poahf tried to defend herself. She stomped her foot on the ground, summoning a series of iron walls that rose up before her, but they were sliced through like paper by the Cutting Gust.

"No!" she screamed as the wind enveloped her and commenced slicing through her armour and clothing, leaving her exposed and vulnerable in her not-so-sexy undergarments.

Seconds later, the Cutting Gust subsided, revealing Poahf on her knees, covered in a hundred shallow cuts and her armour and clothing in tatters. Her eyes were wide with shock and humiliation as she stared at Sorah, who stood before her with his Aether Sabre pointed at her throat. The remnants of the Okami pack lay scattered around them, reduced to piles of steaming scrap metal.

"It's over, Warden," Sorah said calmly, carrying the weight of the storm he had unleashed.

“Warden Poahf!” The guards yelled, rushing to their leader's aid, but they stopped abruptly as Sorah pointed his Aether Sabre at them.

"One step closer, and she dies," he warned.

“Huh!”

“He’s serious?”

The guards hesitated, torn between their loyalty to Poahf and their fear of the Aerithran who had just decimated their ranks and humiliated their Warden.

Sorah ignored them and turned his attention back to Poahf. He could feel the Sage Curse's burning intensifying, a reminder of the price he was paying for wielding such power. But he ignored it. He had to end this quickly, before the curse consumed him entirely.

“Daichi!” he called out to his student who was picking himself up from the ground, dusting off his clothes.

"Brokk! Elara! The rest of you!" he addressed the assembled prisoners. "We're getting out of here."

"But how?" Elara asked with uncertainty. "The gate is closed, and that... that dome of steel..."

Sorah glanced at the massive wall of steel that enclosed the prison. He knew that neither Brokk nor Plutak, despite their TerraFlow Kana abilities, could manipulate metal to such a degree. Only Poahf, with her mastery over that specific type of earth element, could lower the dome.

He turned to the Warden. The Aether Sabre was still pointed at her throat. "Open the gate."

Poahf glared at him defiantly. "Never," she spat. "I will not allow you to escape."

“Ah, I was afraid you’d say that.” Sorah sighed and with a small flick of his wrist, he sliced off one of her fingers.

"Aaaaaargh!" Poahf screamed in agony as she clutched her bleeding hand.

"Open the gate," Sorah repeated, sounding cold and emotionless.

“You… you cruel bastard…”

Poahf hesitated, her mind racing and heart kicking up a gallop. She was a proud and powerful woman, accustomed to being in control. But now, she was at the mercy of this old Aerithran, this seemingly ordinary man who possessed power beyond her comprehension.

‘What should I do?’ She was actually tempted to give this man her body a couple hours ago in the morning, and now he’s torturing her to set the captives free? Should she open the iron wall or continue to play tough and risk further dismemberment?

Sorah grew impatient with her hesitation. He raised his Aether Sabre once more, ready to sever another finger.

"Alright! Alright!" Poahf yelled in defeat. "I'll open the bloody gate!"

She focused her intent, channelling her TerraFlow Kana. The ground beneath their feet began to tremble as the steel wall that enclosed the prison started to shimmer and distort.

"You DARE?"

A booming voice echoed through the courtyard, cutting through Poahf's concentration. Immediately, two figures landed with a thud in the centre of the courtyard with their armoured forms radiating an aura of immense power. They were Duke Theodore's Imperial Guards, whose faces were still concealed by mirrored visors.

"Stop this rebellion at once!" one of the guards commanded.

"We are ordered to subdue the Aerithrans and secure them for transport."

“Huh, its these guys…” Sorah could sense the power emanating from these two newcomers, a force that rivalled even Warden Poahf's. The situation had just gotten a whole lot worse.