Leo leaped from the shattered statue onto the floor. He landed with a deep thud that echoed across the room, causing Venox and the king to turn their attention towards him. They were both surprised to see Leo still standing, neither realizing that Marem’s last move was not a desperate attack, rather, it was a sacrifice to bring Leo back to the fight.

Venox looked haggard, his dark robes were stained with his own blood. He had broken numerous bones in the fight, and Marem had knocked out one of his teeth. The king would rarely call for his aid, and this was the first time he doubted his ability to stop a threat to the kingdom.

The living legend spoke up, “Your majesty, I recommend that you open the doors and escape from the throne room.”

“Do not speak such madness. What king retreats in the face of the enemy? We have him weakened, and now is the time to take him down,” argued king Raegis.

“No. I cannot guarantee my victory, nor your safety. If you don’t escape now, then your life may be at risk.”

The king’s face dropped when Venox argued with him. The idea that some random adventurer could beat a living legend was preposterous, yet despite the absurdity of the idea, king Raegis complied. The king ran to the throne room doors, hoping that the royal guards outside would be enough to put down Leo.

Leo ignored the fleeing king, there was nothing to gain trying to chase after him. He just needed to handle Venox and get him and Marem to safety. They could figure out their next move from there.

He waited once more, faking a pause in his action. Venox didn’t allow this hesitation to go unpunished, lifting his staff as his eyes violently glowed once more. Leo was prepared to duck this time, narrowly avoiding the screeching blast that flew by overhead. He ran with his body low to the ground, rapidly closing the distance between the two of them.

Casters always had a space in between their spells, similar to the gaps that interrupted a fighter’s blows. This small moment, this breath of safety, was more than enough for Leo to end the fight. He managed to reach out and grab one of Venox’s arms, and he crushed it with no mercy.

The mage cried out in pain as he dropped his staff. Even with his staff dropped to the ground, Leo couldn’t risk the old man continuing to fight. With remorse in his heart, he slammed the man against the floor. The already broken body of Venox let out a gruesome crunch when it crashed onto the ground.

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The legend had fallen near unconscious from the pain. He had dozens of broken bones and was profusely bleeding. There was no more fight left in him. Leo took a breath as he realized that he had won. His body still felt like hell and they were now enemies of the kingdom, but at least for now, they have won.

He looked around the room, noticing the dozens of spilled items from his and Marem’s backpacks. There wouldn’t be time to try and gather most of them, but thankfully it was mostly garbage. What was in reach, however, was a potion that smelled of beetroot and thyme.

He grabbed the potion and popped the cork. He took a quick swig before pouring the rest into Venox’s mouth. It really did taste like boiled asparagus. He hoped that the pain dulling effect of the potions would stop him from suffering too heavily. The wounds were severe, but Leo felt confident that the royal healers would be able to save him. Even if they were enemies, he didn’t want to kill the man.

Leo heard the opening of the grand door, and dozens of guards dressed in golden armor began to flood into the room. He made his way to Marem, who was knocked unconscious with a brutal burn left on her back. Leo made sure to grab her staff, and he gently picked her up as the guards started to swarm around them.

They were hesitant to shout any commands, seeing not only their humiliated brethren but also the beaten body of Venox, a living legend. Their spears were cautiously held, attempting to stop Leo from walking out of the room. This was no issue, however, because Leo had no plans to walk out of here.

He looked above, viewing the beautiful night sky with its countless constellations. He remembered wondering how the roof worked, if it was just a reflection of the sky projected onto the ceiling. Then he saw Venox’s attack miss him, and it went flying off into the sky above.

Leo leapt into the air, far from the grasp of the guards. They could only look on in surprise as he left nothing but damage and newfound fears amongst them. Leo easily cleared the ceiling, surprised to find himself suddenly transported above the castle. When he looked below, the throne room was no longer visible.

The floating towers took notice of him flying through the air, but not a single one managed to land an attack before he landed on the ground far from the castle. He took the brunt of the fall, sparing Marem from any excessive damage. It wouldn’t be long before guards were sent to hunt them down, and soon the kingdom as a whole would be after them.

He searched through her bag, grabbing a healing potion that managed to stay intact through the fight. It didn’t take long after pouring it in her mouth that Marem started sputtering herself awake. She pushed the bottle away and took a moment before she grabbed it and chugged.

“So, are we now considered enemies of the kingdom?” she asked.

“Sure seems like it,” answered Leo.

She sighed. “Alright then. Let’s go see my dad.”