“Well,” Akengrad jumped jolly as she clapped her hand once. “That surely is a very good proposal, I’ll take a dozen, you can send it to me through the ma… ugh!”

Arkengrad’s words were cut as pollaxe was thrown out of nowhere and struck her hard on the chest. The female tempest paladin was dragged several metres before slamming into a fir tree.

Nubram was mortified at the sight. Renma had accidentally found a way to deal with Arkengrad, but now there was an outrageous intervention from someone he wished wouldn’t come to this location.

“You all go, I will handle this,” Manna, who somehow seemed distraught, commanded. She was dashing rapidly towards Arkengrad. Her HP was one third from maximum. That means she hasn't healed herself.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Nubram shouted.

“I have to,” Manna sighed as she passed Nubram. “ Not after he….”

Nubram stood motionless as there was a sombre determination in Manna’s eyes. He couldn’t fathom what was actually happening.

“This is why I hate playing nice!”

Arkengrad wailed at Manna. Her body thrashed around to break free from the pollaxe. The two female paladin then clashed moments later right when Arkengrad finally broke free.

“Goddamnit! Support Manna!” Nubram barked a command at the two, “Don’t let her die, else… arrgh! Whatever! [Winterblades].”

Nubram releases his ice blades at Arkengrad in quick succession. He then prepared a [Blaze Bolt].

Macepaw quickly jumped into the idea after he walked away from Arkengrad. “Messing with people, my specialty,” he said as he shot a water ball that bounced off a tree and hit Arkengrad hard. Nubram quickly freezes the water to stop her feet.

“[Heal]!”

“[Steadfast Martyr]!”

Right when Renma was about to heal her, Manna used a weird spell that bounces off the healing to Macepaw. Nubram was aghast to see such action.

“What are you trying to do?” Nubram hissed with protest. But there was no answer from Manna.

“What else do you want, Manna?” Arkengrad parried Mannna’s poleaxe. “[Cleanse]! Awh damn!” She then tried to remove the freezing effect on her feet but to no avail. And that made her angrier.

“I don’t have business with you, [Dazzling Sentry].”

Arkengrad thrusted forward. Above her appeared a giant light sword that performed similar thrusting motion. Manna managed to parry the real sword, but the light sword pushed her back.

“Also, didn’t I say my target was only Macepaw?” As the ice effect on her feed finally went away, Arkengrad dashed forward.

“Pitoy, what do I do?” Renma asked as his healing spell bounced off again.

“I don’t know! I can’t read her mind,” Nubram protested. His thoughts were a complete mess with all these annoying factors. He then quickly reached a breaking point and suddenly stopped casting spells. He gave up.

“Whatever, I don’t care anymore,” Nubram sighed and just sat down watching things unfold.

“What, but?” Renma alternatively looked at Nubram and the two fighting female paladins. “At least I can shield, [Guarding Radiance]!”

Renma’s shield managed to block one attack. Then Manna cut upwards to parry a slash from the other sword.

“I have asked Steven,” She said in the middle of the fight. “He said you have never killed a low level player outside a massive battle or war condition.”

“Therefore.” Manna turned her pollaxe and used the other end to stab Arkengrad. ”You do not have to do this. Macepaw was just an excuse you use to force yourself to do what Lyra and Slicer told you to.”

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“It’s easy for the likes of you to say that,” Arkengrad retorted as she stomped and lunged again. “How do you know the feelings of those people who were thrown away like trash? [Twin Flashing Blades]!”

“[Sanctity Edge]! I do not know despite having seen those like you,” Manna answered with a rather shaky voice. Her pollaxe was busy blocking attacks. “There might be still a way, as long as….”

Arkengrad raged, “There is no way, no matter how much we try. Do you think we haven’t tried? I tried to explain but you all threw me away because I had to deal with my personal problems in real life first. Have you ever tried to listen?”

Nubram sighed as he listened to the conversation in the middle of the duel. So much drama, for what? At least he agreed with Arkengrad about Manna not listening.

“Release!”

“[Twin Blade’s Hope]!”

Manna’s light spear counterattack was blocked by Arkengrad who crossed her then shining swords above her head. However, the energy from the light was too strong and exploded on the two paladins.

Arkengrad groaned, “When I returned. My position in the division, in Clashing Realms, even in guild was gone just like that. Even if… even if only in this world I can feel accepted. I used to… but now… do you think I have to accept their betrayal just like that? That their actions were just?”

Manna shook her head. “I never said what happened to you was not too extreme. But, are you satisfied being there with those kinds of people, doing as you please to hurt and disturb others?”

“They are the only one who accepted me!” Arkengrad wailed. She slashed her sword brutally and quickly destroyed the shield that Renma employed to Manna and whatever things Macepaw threw at her.

Even as she received so much damage, Manna was still silent. Arkengrad slashed three times then performed two spinning slashes. Every attack that hit made her sword glow brighter.

“Toy! Do something!” Renma asked. “She will lose her position.”

“That’s on her,” Nubram grumbled. “Wasting people’s time and sacrifice.”

“Can we get over that for now?”

Nubram shrugged. “They are paladin anyways, I can’t do much.”

“Eh, paladins?”

Renma suddenly stopped moving as if he was stunned by a very bright idea. The priest then pointed at Arkengrad and snapped his finger.

“Purification,” Renma whispered.

Nubram was surprised with the move as he had never heard it before. In that instance, all the glows that had been embracing Arkengrad suddenly disappeared. Her movements became sluggish right before she dealt the final blow to Manna.

The guardian paladin jumped back to avoid the attack. Her left arm glowed as she said, “We can accept you, but for now… [You Will Pay for Your Transgression].”

“[Guarding Radiance].”

Manna choked Arkengrad, flew to the sky, and slammed her opponent to the ground. Luckily Renma casted his shield before the crash thus Manna didn’t receive any damage from the fall, if she’s supposed to get any. Nubram didn’t know much. This is the first time he saw that one custom ability from Manna in its fullest form.

What a reckless ability… She risked Tier’s sacrifice for this?

The two female paladin lied motionlessly on the ground with both their HP being dark red and very short. Manna was the first one to stand up. She smiled and nodded honestly to her friends, which seemed to be a thank you gesture. But, Nubram was having none of those.

Manna then offered a helping hand at Arkengrad and said, “You can join my division later.”

Arkengrad was silent. For a moment it seemed that she was about to reach for Manna’s hand. Yet, she suddenly hissed, “Reality is not as easy at what you propose. Your words meant nothing to Rosdan.”

“But…”

“But what? Try to save yourself from this first! [Vengeful Finale].”

Arkengrad jumped at Manna. She spun her swords to the air, summoning several light swords to strike at Manna.

In that instant. Nubram suddenly remembered the fun times he had so far in Zurefgar whether it was playing alone or with his friends. Then, this one part was clearly shown in his mind. The image of a rakhs hunter trying his best to ensure the safety of his pack. The moment of that same hunter jumped in front of everyone, accepting certain doom for other people’s sake.

Would Nubram just let his emotions get the best of him and make those sacrifices go in vain?

“[Warp]!’

Nubram teleported to a point in front of Manna. As he drew his short sword, the undead mage roared, “Enough! [Mirror Force]!”

In one slash, Nubram turned the condition around. Every single light blade from Arkengrad acted as if it met an invisible magical mirror that made them bounce off and struck their master. The level 80 tempest paladin finally met her end at the hands of a wizard whose level and equipment were far below her.

Nubram stood motionless at the corpse of Arkengrad. He felt a weird tingle from using his latest custom ability in such a crucial moment. He then turned at Manna and gazed judgingly at her. Because of her, now one of his custom abilities has been revealed to Lyra’s gang.

“Thank you, Pitoy, I did not expect that,” Manna said with a smile.

Nubram still stared at her. His blade was sparking fires of fury. “Where is Pras, Eggi, and Fathan?” he asked in a growl that held back his emotions.

Manna suddenly turned sombre. She said half whispering, “Rina should be helping the two, and Grok.. I hope he made it.”

“My question is.. Where are they?”