“Got you!”
Red Eyes’ hand pierced the chest of a woman wearing a white mask.
“Oh?”
To his surprise, he destroyed a water body double.
Red Eyes touched his chin, thinking how the other white-masked woman also felt off when he killed her. Perhaps that was a body double too. Now, he couldn't sense their presence anymore. They had gotten away.
“Good. You both passed.”
Red Eyes said it aloud and he left.
***
“Whew. That was nerve-wracking,” Paina sighed.
“Truly. That guy is very powerful,” Sakuya agreed.
After a skirmish with Red Eyes the two picked up how dangerous the other person was and focused on escaping rather than fighting. For now, they successfully gave him the slip.
“Paina-san, your art of escaping is impressive. I didn't pick up the timing you switched with a water substitute,” Sakuya said.
“Well, if you have enough mock battles against soone with strength above normal asurents like Viers, who doesn't hesitate to stack the deck against you even with all his superiority, you’ll pick up a trick or two to stay alive,” Paina rembered painful mories in Viers’ soul training simulation. “Your speed and agility are impressive as well.”
“That’s because I’ve ninja training,” Sakuya pumped her fists in front of her chest, all cutesy-like. Even a girl like Paina found her cute.
She saw the cute assassin kill six soldiers with a single stab to the back of their neck within two seconds not too long ago. She also had a locust pet that ate plants and animals, the living and the dead.
“...You’ll fit right in with Viers’ group.”
“Hm?” Sakuya slightly tilted her head.
“Don't mind it. That’s enough rest. Shall we continue destroying the glowing pillars? To the opposite direction of the scary red-eyed guy, of course.”
“No objections.”
***
Theus received providence from the Goddess. She said it was ti for him to wed the woman of his dreams. Why else would Ciel Valentine, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and his crush since he was a young lad, fall from the sky into his arms?
Ciel was injured and unconscious. Nothing a loaded scion of a Latias duke couldn't fix.
“Theus, now’s your chance. Give her the love potion!”
The one who spoke was his vassal and teammate. He said in a hush-hush voice but with enthusiasm.
“I know, I know!”
The mission of sabotaging the fort? Who cared about it right now? Nothing was more important than this for Theus!
Theus pulled a red coloured vial and opened the cork with his teeth. He poured the product of the Blood Church's creation into Ciel’s mouth.
“I thought you would give it to her mouth-to-mouth,” Theus’ vassal said.
Theus gasped. “Dammit! I forgot!”
Still, Ciel drank it. Theus checked it to be sure. Satisfied with what he saw, he placed an Estellian Church’s relic with healing powers on Ciel’s bosom.
To use both Church’s items at the sa ti, such heresy. If anyone from either side found out, it would enrage both but Theus didn't care.
“Her conditions have improved,” Theus observed.
These are Fell affinity wounds... Did she go against the cults? Only high-ranking mbers of the cults can use Fell.
“Go patrol the corridor or sothing. She must see my face when she wakes up.”
“As you command,” the youth briskly exited the room.
Theus had no intention to move from this place until Ciel woke up. He set up barriers all around him. After a while, he thought that Ciel could use so more healing so he retrieved a healing potion from his satchel. Not wanting to repeat his previous mistake, he first put the potion into his mouth.
As he was about to administer the potion to Ciel the romantic way, he sensed soone approaching. Irritated that his vassal was coming back, Theus scowled. He didn't want to deal with him right now.
When he snapped his head, he saw a flying boulder.
The boulder hit Theus’ head before his brain responded. The potion inside his mouth was unceremoniously ejected. Soone was rapidly approaching, their figure was a blur because of the high speed. This ti, Theus managed to raise his defenses in ti and saw the figure of his attacker.
“Boram! You lowly slave!”
“We’ve got a score to settle. HA!”
With his hamr blocked, Boram let go of the hamr and grabbed Theus’ body with his arms. With a violent swing that was definitely personal, Theus was sent flying, separating him from Ciel.
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“Ghagh!”
Theus hit the floor on his side before rolling a few tis. The pain he felt only inflad his hatred. He was happy monts before, happy! It felt like Boram was tearing down his beautiful, promised future like a gorilla in a porcelain shop.
Theus snarled at Boram, one of his front teeth was missing thanks to the ambush. He saw there was soone behind Boram. The familiar face carried a severed head by holding the hair. The identity of the head was Theus’ teammate who left earlier and the one who did it was another great nesis of his!
Avel!
“Greetings, atbag.”
“YOU!” Theus’ Victa spiked. This was the last straw. He would wipe these eyesores right here, right now. No matter what it takes!
“Imaginary Domain.”
Along with Avel’s rciless words, Theus was being engulfed by a black curtain while a separate space ford. Sensing it was a true Domain, Theus was surprised. This ant Avel was a Level 4. The arrogance! How dare the peasant hide his Level? Such thoughts were quickly eclipsed by sothing more important: Avel and Ciel were not in the Domain!
Ciel who he had given a love potion that would cause her to fall in love with the first person she saw!
“Nononono NOOOOO!!”
Theus tried to escape before the Domain truly closed but he wasn't fast enough. The last thing he saw was the smug face of Avel.
“FUUUCK!”
Trapped in the Domain, Theus cursed and got smacked on the head by Boram who wasn't stupid enough to not hit the enemy when they were unbalanced.
The second clean hit was more damaging than the first ambush. Boram put his back into that swing.
“Khuk...” Theus coughed. “You dare raise your weapon at ? At the Dukedom of rcea!? Even if you fled to the end of the world, we will find you and make you pay! You and your stinking master both!!”
Theus held nothing back. He equipped his strongest battle equipnt and activated all items that could give him an edge in battle.
“I’m not going anywhere. You’ll die here.”
Boram used the ti for Theus to talk to execute his Arte. He made the earth under Theus’ feet to rise suddenly, launching his opponent into the air. Then two giant hands made of stone slamd together with Theus in the middle, like what one would do to a mosquito.
The stone hands were destroyed from the inside, scattering rocks everywhere.
“Die? That’s my line, lowborn trash! Kaaaah!”
Theus transford into a magma human. With blazing heat and power, he charged at Boram who received him with equal strength. He had to get out and prevent Ciel from looking at anyone but him! He had to destroy these misbegotten obstacles!
The quarrel between two bitter sides -schoolmates- who never got along ca to a life and death clash of earth and magma.
***
After checking Ciel’s condition, Viers looked at the black sphere in front of him.
This ti Viers used his Imaginary Domain to entrap his opponent from the outside. This was an advanced application. Usually, the user had to be the center of the Domain for it to form properly but Viers had many Level 4 souls and other avenues to learn and improve.
It wasn't that long ago that he fought a Magisterium Tower Master but Viers’ skill in Imaginary Domain had grown quite a lot. It also wasn't as brittle like back then. Theus would find it much more difficult to break it from the inside.
Deploynt from outside was not the only gimmick that Viers employed. The inside of the Domain was not filled with special abilities or anything. He used the Domain to solely entrap Theus and kept the affair a secret from allies and enemies alike.
While he could do the deed himself, he left the role of taking Theus’ life to his disciple. Not because of Stratos’ warning, Viers didn't care about that, but because it carried much importance to Boram. This would be good for his growth, ntally and physically.
He didn't expect to find Ciel here though.
...Oh, six Level 4s. And Ciel killed you all without using her Divine sword.
His soul sense picked up fresh souls from above and as easily as inhaling, Viers absorbed those six into his soul prison for future processing. He read those souls' mories, not Ciel's.
Since Ciel’s condition had stabilized, while keeping alert of his surroundings, Viers watched the battle between Boram and Theus. Boram used his Artes like the earthbenders.
Avatar: The Last Airbender, the cartoon one, gave Viers a wealth of inspiration on how to use elental powers. Viers wasn't shy of learning useful techniques from there for his gain. So techniques he spread around to his allies. He wasn't the master of four elents, after all.
Despite Boram’s power and brutality, Theus was still fighting. Viers expected as such. He was still an individual that House rcea reared and put so importance on.
Still, Viers was confident in his disciple's victory.
“Take his life, and step on his corpse to rise higher.”
Despite everything, Viers wouldn't fit into any kid’s cartoon villain role.
Kid’s shows couldn't handle the excessive amount of blood spilled when Viers took action.
***
For Viers, it was like a level 80 character was entering a level 60 raid dungeon.
The whole Grand Prix, even the battle in the flying fortress above Gryphon’s Reach, Viers was over-leveled for the stage.
It wasn't as if there wasn't any danger or he was the only one being overleveled. Nevertheless, the threat on Viers personally was way less because of his strength.
That was not the case for Croix.
The young Latias prince whose shadow Viers chose to hide under, was fighting tooth and nail in a most crucial battle of the fort and therefore, the entire invasion front.
At the central keep, there was the main energy node that kept the fort functioning. Which was why it was guarded by the highest ranking individual of the entire fort, Commander Birsk of the Harkelan Empire.
On the way here, Croix had t a few allies. The most noteworthy one was Princess Celestine and her dragon, Serena. They gladly joined hands. Later, Solany t up with them.
It wasn't that Croix didn't want to gather more allies before tackling the most important part of the fort. It didn't take a genius to know it would be guarded. However, the fort was huge and the strike team was scattered after the spatial trap. Not to ntion the empire’s soldiers running around in the compound. As the fight went on, those in the strike team felt the strain in their Victa reserves and had to fight more conservatively which made the soldiers who outnumbered them more bolder and dangerous.
The Empire was capable of grinding them to Victa drought. Ti was not on their side.
And so the dragon prince and princess fought their way to the central keep to end the battle as soon as possible, for everyone’s sake.
Commander Birsk was a Level 4 and he had his elite soldiers with him. Even though Croix had Falrion transford in his mature form, the battle wasn't looking good.
When facing the commander, Croix understood why the Sword Saint told him and Celestine had to go to the central keep.
Above the main hall of the central keep, hung the corpse of a huge dragon. Commander Birsk drew on the soul of the dragon, trapped in its bones, to empower his ice abilities to a frightening degree.
This was how the Empire controlled the brood of dragons outside. They must be the dead dragon’s children.
Seeing Commander Birsk enslaving a dragon’s soul filled Croix with fury. It was nothing like the bond between him and Falrion. His dragon also shared his sentint.
But his powers were great. Croix couldn't deny it. Celestine was in a similar state. They were both bruised and tired. The situation was dire.
In the midst of losing battle, soone ca from the way Croix and the rest entered. For a second Croix hoped it was reinforcents, soone like Ciel or Viers, even his half-brothers were fine.
“Great, looks like I’m not late for the party.”
It was a guy with red eyes.
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