Crestview's powerful army consisted of over ten thousand challengers, whereas Ascent had a ager three thousand. The challenge lay in their strength and numbers, but there was a silver lining – Crestview had no artifacts due to their previous clash with Xeloria.
As lightning raged in the sky, a figure descended alongside it, wielding a white spear that electrified his enemies. Blood clouds rained down on Crestview's soldiers, each droplet causing the death of one of their own. Silver roses blossod across the battlefield, killing anyone who ca into contact with them.
The gates of hell seed to open for Crestview's soldiers as another army marched forward to confront them. General Skyline, who had once been defeated by the Knight of Silver Rose, now faced him with a sense of helplessness.
"What kind of demons have you summoned, Jonathan?" Skyline asked as she observed her suffering soldiers being torn apart by lightning and blood. "Is Marshal not planning to show his face?"
"Marshal is no longer my lord," replied Jonathan as he unsheathed his sword. "We both know how this battle will end, Skyline. Tell your lord to stand down until the ti is right."
"Do you think I'd let a traitor like you insult my lord and back down?" Skyline retorted, gripping her greatsword. "Last ti, you had that abnormal man. But you're all alone now."
"From what I've heard, you rejected his offer for peace, and now your entire city will be trampled underfoot," Jonathan stated, looking at the soldiers standing behind their general, surrounding him. "Do you think these numbers scare ?"
"Numbers can't intimidate you," Skyline said, closing her eyes and sighing. When she reopened her eyes, they had transford into fiery red. "I heard that flas do."
Jonathan frowned as flas erupted from Skyline's body, enveloping him like a platoon. Surprisingly, Skyline had acquired the elent of fire, and it now encased his body. The Knight of Silver Rose began to tremble, but he forced himself to hold still.
"My lord, whom you disrespected, told an old story," Skyline said. "Jonathan of Silver Rose watched his wife and child burn alive. Even if he doesn't rember it, this makes his body tremble when facing flas."
Jonathan attempted to respond, but his throat failed him. He quivered before the flas, enduring a throbbing headache. Skyline, surrounded by flas, walked toward him with her greatsword raised toward the sky.
"The man you disrespected earlier can reveal secrets you don't even know," Skyline remarked with orange-glowing eyes, her sword now afla. "We ca here to defeat you."
With a shout, Skyline charged at him, her sword cleaving toward the knight. Her flas ford an arch heading toward him. She relaxed her shoulders, believing he had no way to avoid her attack. However, her ears perked up as she heard the sound of wheels turning.
Skyline's gaze locked onto a wagon that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, trampling her soldiers. Even as attacks rained down upon it, the wagon managed to reach the encircled knight in ti to block her attack. Her fiery arch exploded, destroying the wagon as two figures erged from the flas.
The pair, who had been hugging each other monts earlier with teary eyes, now stood side by side, a heroic expression etched on their faces.
"As we planned, Dorian," said the Red Waiga, Sarohan, with his arms crossed and a smirk playing on his lips. "We managed to save the Knight of Silver Rose in ti. My plan succeeded as always!"
"No doubt it would succeed, my dear Sarohan, as my execution was flawless to the end," said Dorian, his hand on his chin in thought. "I stand at the top as the pieces of this chess ga fall into their anticipated places!"
Despite the dramatic entrance, all that could be heard was the crackling flas consuming the wagon. The two newcors appeared to have forgotten their earlier display of emotions – snot and tears – while hugging each other. Unfortunately, no one else bought into their act.
"Too stunned to speak, I see?" Sarohan laughed evilly, placing his hands on his hips. "None of you could have foreseen the great duo making such a grand entrance! Everything went according to my brilliant plan!"
Skyline gazed at them with a frown, raising her sword once more and intensifying the flas. With a determined and serious expression, she leaned forward, ready for battle.
"I can't believe I fell for their trap," the warrior lanted, feeling devastated. "Did you anticipate exploiting his weakness? Is there already an army surrounding us like before?"
Silence once again fell on the crowd, as this ti even Dorian and Sarohan were too speechless to reply. The two knew their act was good, but the result was too good! This woman believed they had so diabolical plan, although it was obvious to all soldiers that they just rushed and got here in the nick of ti.
"As long as you retreat now, no one will be hard," said Dorian with a determined face as he glared at Skyline. "We fought once before in the Battle of Bandits, and that ended with your city losing the only artifact you had. The sa would end your chances of obtaining the artifacts we have!"
"That ans you are the one who spread the rumors about the artifacts being in Final Valley? For what purpose are you doing this?" asked the General with confusion.
"We are giving the lords a fair fight to determine who is the strongest," said Dorian with a grin. "Instead of exhausting our armies, it would be wiser to retreat and wait for that chance! That is… as long as you trust your lord would win against the others."
Skyline stared at him for a few seconds before lowering her sword, seemingly convinced. Then, with her other hand, she signaled for the soldiers to retreat. This resulted in an outcry from her more insightful followers.
"General Skyline! These two are obviously just lying. There are no armies around this place, as their only army is engaging with the other divisions!" cried one of her soldiers as he rushed forward. "If we retreat now, our losses will be aningless."
"What? There are no armies?" asked Skyline with surprise as she turned toward Dorian and Sarohan. "You two lied to ?"
"…I spoke nothing but the truth," said Dorian with a sincere face. Skyline seed stumped for words and decided to continue with her retreat. As she spared them one final glance, she left them with a ssage.
"My lord can see through people, and he has given a single command," said Skyline as she stared at Dorian. "If I et Dorian Stormblade, I should trust his words."
After that, Crestview began to retreat. Ascent did not give chase, and the lightning stopped raging as the blood clouds disappeared. Dorian and Sarohan rushed to help Jonathan, who was collapsed on the ground. His face was pale as his hands almost crushed his skull.
The flas crackled as the army retreated. Jonathan was facing an entire division, bespeaking his great powers. However, he seed utterly defeated once he saw the flas.
Dorian sat beside him with sweat rolling down his face, unable to believe that he managed to convince the enemies to retreat. However, he knew that this happened because of the weird trust Crestview's Lord placed in him.
Sarohan slapped Jonathan a few tis to wake him up, but it was to no avail. It seems that the knight had a feverish dream where he kept muttering pleas for soone to stop.
As the flaming carriage was eye-grabbing, Seraphine soon arrived. She was the one hidden in the sky, raining blood attacks on the enemies. "What happened to him?"
"We have no idea," said Dorian with a shake of his head. "As we ca back from Rosewood, we saw the battle from afar. Jonathan remained standing as flas almost engulfed, so we rushed forward to intercept."
"And how did the army spare your lives?"
"This kid convinced them to retreat," said Sarohan as he pointed at Dorian with his thumb. "You have so many people believing in you, kiddo. I am envious!"
Dorian did not answer and simply stared at Jonathan. Seraphine saw his concern and kicked him away before placing a hand on the knight's forehead. Then, she closed her eyes.
"His entire mind is shutting down. He has entered a dream where… he is seeing burning bodies," said Seraphine as she opened her eyes. "We need to get him back to camp. His condition will deteriorate if he remains near these flas."
Sarohan nodded and carried Jonathan with ease, taking him back to camp. Dorian rose from the ground as well as he looked at the departing two. "I have not caused his pain."
"You can still feel it," said Seraphine as she rose as well. "Your empathy has expanded enough to sense the emotions of those around you. Is it because of what the scholar told you about Seika?"
"I don't know just yet," said Dorian as he stared at the gloomy sky. "I can just tell… that he is returning soon. At that ti, I can ask him about what Robert said about his past."
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