_Pitter-patter_
The sound of the heavy rainfall hitting against the tomb-like glass structure of the hall echoed,
the dium size hall that was empty a while ago started to fill with twenty or so soldiers bearing the insignia of the Ekari kingdom on their backs.
Their cautious steps echoed in the hall, their gaze lingering on the two people standing with their backs pressed close to the wall.
"Amun-Ra's blessing: Second form: sefīgá."
"Azariah!!"
The soldiers tensed up as the boy with purple hair mumbled those words before stumbling a little, his vision blurring while Inës tried to rush towards him.
"Back off."
But the next instant, he steadied himself, gesturing for Inës to stay where she was.
Azariah's entire body glowed brightly in sliver hue, his skin flushed red from the overwhelming mana crushing through his body.
By exchanging three months of his life, he filled himself with mana equal to that of 6th Prival.
But it cos with a consequence which Inder—Azariah will have to face.
"Haah."
Taking a deep breath, Azariah touched his bracelet before taking out an orb-like object from it.
"....."
It was an orb given by his mother that she herself created on his fifth birthday....
Looking at the orb, unpleasant mories started to fill his mind, 'Azariah's' childhood.....
Taking a step back, Azariah passed the orb to Inës.
"What is this?" She asked, looking at the orb.
"A barrier," Azariah replied, his gaze on the soldiers in front, "...It can withstand attacks from anyone below Overlord."
"What?"
Ignoring her, he reached out for the orb to activate it, but Inës grabbed his hand.
"... We both can stay inside the orb." She pleaded, her eyes on the verge of crying, squeezing his hand. "... Please don't risk your life anymore."
"I can't, Inës." Gently removing her hand, he replied, "...It's the third and last ti I can use this. Don't make regret it."
"Please, Azari—."
Ignoring her, he took a step back as a transparent orb engulfed her entirely.
"Princess!!" The one wearing more refined silvery armor shouted, forcing her to focus on him.
"Sir Dave?"
"...Your life is in danger, we need to move out now!!"
Inës' expression turned hesitant as he started to walk towards her.
"...Stay there." But he quickly halted his steps as Azariah blocked his way, taking out his katana and axe-hamr from his bracelet.
The soldiers mirrored him, drawing their own weapons.
"...Put your weapons down."
Inës ordered them firmly, glaring at the soldiers, her voice shrill yet throaty from crying.
"...Princess!!"
"...That's an order, sir Dave!" She bellowed, her hand firmly clasping the brooch.
"...Tch."
The one wearing the silvery armor clicked his tongue before focusing on the boy protecting her.
"...Why are you risking a stranger's life, princess? All of us are stronger than him. He will just die a worthless death."
"...Azariah." She whispered, biting her lip, looking at his back shielding her.
"...Like I said, princess, I am not saving you." Azariah mumbled, his voice cold, making Inës doubt if he was the sa person as before. "....I am saving myself."
"We don't have ti, sir!"
One of the soldiers standing behind the leader shouted, his voice laced with urgency.
"...Move aside, boy—"
SWISH!!
The leader's words were cut short as an axe-hamr flew toward him.
He shifted his body, narrowly dodging the axe that brushed past him.
Crack!
"Gaugh, gaugh."
He turned back abruptly, only to see the axe cleaving the head of one of the soldiers standing behind him.
Blood and brain matter sprayed into the air before the soldier's body fell helplessly to the ground.
The leader turned back to the boy, whose hand glowed brightly in a silver hue.
"Kill him!!"
he roared, prompting three soldiers to launch themselves at Azariah while the rest retreated, readying long-distance attacks.
Placing the katana's sheath close to his waist, Azariah lowered his posture before glancing back.
"Close your eyes, Inës."
"B-but—"
"Trust , you don't want to see what's going to happen."
Hesitating, Inës lowered her head and closed her eyes, her back against the transparent wall.
Three of the soldiers rushed at him, flanking him from three sides.
"Huppp!!"
The one charging straight ahead plunged his sword forward, aiming for Azariah's head.
Slick!!
In the next instant, the sound of flesh tearing echoed before a hand fell to the ground.
"ARGHH!!!"
The soldier scread in agony, clutching the stump where his hand had been monts before.
Azariah placed his Katana back in his sneath, before shifting his focus to his left.
As the second soldier aid to strike from the left, Azariah spun, his katana cutting through the soldier's midsection.
Blood spurted, and the soldier collapsed, lifeless.
The third soldier, coming from the right, hesitated for a mont.
Azariah took advantage of this brief pause, yanking his axe-hamr back into his hand with a swift motion.
CRACK!!
The third soldier's helt shattered as the axe-hamr struck his head with a sickening crunch.
The next instant a swift overhead swing of the Katana cleaved his head open.
A uncomfortable silence hung in the hall as the soldiers who retrieved back looked at the boy frozen in place.
"H-how?"
One of them asked shuttering, wondering how the boy killed three trained soldiers in a short span of ti.
"Do not flatter!!"
The leader shouted bring them out of there daze, "...the princess is our priority.... prepare the magic circle for assistan—."
But his words abruptly stopped as Azariah, with his legs glowing brightly, rushed toward them, his katana and axe-hamr firmly clasped in his hands.
"ARGHHH!!"
Catching the closest soldier off guard, Azariah kicked his knees, making him kneel before plunging his axe-hamr into the side of his head.
Blood sprayed as the axe lodged deep, and with a swift motion, Azariah decapitated him with his katana.
The soldier's head rolled on the ground, leaving Azariah's clothes soaked in blood as he jerked his axe-hamr free.
The expressions of the remaining soldiers hardened as another one of their own was slain.
"Change formation!"
Dave shouted, bringing them out of their shock and terror.
But by the ti the command registered, Azariah was already close to his next target.
The soldier barely had ti to react before Azariah's katana sliced through his armor, cutting him down.
Crack!!
Azariah spun, his axe-hamr following through and crushing the skull of another soldier who had attempted to flank him.
"Magic circle, quick!!"
The scream of the leader woke the terrified soldiers standing at the back before they extended their hands forward, closing their eyes in concentration.
Two soldiers rushed towards Azariah, their swords aid at his flanks.
CLANG!!
The sound of tal clashing resonated as Azariah used his katana and axe-hamr to parry their attacks.
He spun and drove the axe side into a soldier's collarbone.
"ARGhh!!"
The soldier scread while the other slashed his sword downwards, aiming for Azariah's wrist, forcing him to leave his axe embedded in the soldier's shoulder.
CLANG!!
Using the katana, Azariah blocked the slash before punching the soldier in the gut.
"ARGhh!!"
The soldier groaned in pain, doubling over, but his agony was short-lived as the katana pierced through his body from the back of his throat.
"AHHHHH!"
Azariah abruptly shifted his focus as a soldier with a war hamr in hand rushed towards him.
Closing in, the soldier brought his hamr overhead before swinging it down at Azariah.
Leaving the katana behind, Azariah turned around, digging his heels into the ground, and brought both his hands forward.
Neplh.
Azariah's bare fist, now covered entirely in crystalline ice, collided with the head of the war hamr while his other hand grabbed the handle.
In the next instant, the handle and the head of the war hamr began to freeze.
Muspelh.
Crackle!!
The crystalline ice shattered before crimson flas erged in its place, lting down the war hamr.
"ARGHHH!!"
The soldier scread as the molten steel fell on his hands.
Crack!!
His scream abruptly stopped as Azariah pushed his hands inside the soldier's mouth, breaking his jaw wide open.
'Thud'
The soldier's body fell lifelessly to the ground.
With his hands still glowing with residual heat from the flas, his gaze swept around the place, noting the soldiers retreating away from him, relief evident on their faces.
Then his gaze fell on the three soldiers who had conjured three transparent magic circles in front of their palms.
Despite taking more than a minute, they had finally completed the spell.
Azariah looked at the magic circles deeply, as if trying to morize it.
"Fla Lance!!"
The three soldiers shouted simultaneously, ecstasy and happiness brimming in their voices.
The happiness of bringing him down, once and for all.
Three lances made of crimson flas conjured through the circles, rushing towards Azariah in the blink of an eye.
Muspelh.
Extending his hand sideways, Azariah thought before making a semicircle with his hand.
A trail of crimson flas ford a semicircle, and as the fla lances approached, they were imdiately absorbed by the semicircle, vanishing completely.
'Thud'
Two of the three casters fell to the ground, their faces twisted in horror.
"M-monster," the third one croaked, his voice trembling at the absurdity of what he had just witnessed.
As if to prove him right, Azariah tilted his head, clenching and unclenching his fist before extending his hand.
A 'symbol' that Azariah—Inder was using for the first ti ford at the center.
A 'Sign' of different size and structure that he has no knowledge of adorned the side of the 'symbol.'
And a 'circle' enclosing it all.
It took him seconds to replicate the circle that he just saw before Azariah muttered,
"Fla Lance."
SWISH!!
The next instant, his mana started to diminish before being filtered by the circle, and a fla lance ford and rushed at them from the other side.
"Brace!!!"
"BOOOM!!"
Even with the leader's warning, as soon as the lance hit the ground in front of them, it exploded, burning a few of them alive.
Azariah moved leisurely, retrieving his katana and axe-hamr, ready to finish the remaining soldiers.
But his steps abruptly halted.
Slowly moving his gaze, he looked upwards.
And...
On the other side of the glass...
With her body covered with a thin layer of mana shielding her from the rain....
'She' stood at the edge....
'Her' beautiful yet terrifying obsidian eyes looked at Azariah coldly....
User Comments
0 comments from readers