Zap

"Biii!"

A fiery wisp with a tiny humanoid body, a little smaller than a clenched fist materialized and started circling on top of Nina's head.

"You know what to do, Emby!"

"Biii!" Emby responded as it bobbed its head.

The fiery wisp started vibrating as if forcing something out of its body, like a fire slime. But although it didn't discharge a powerful burst unlike the slimes, it created several fire arrows that are floating and moving in conjunction with Nina and Emby.

"Eight arrows... You finally managed to create eight at once, Emby!" Nina said proudly.

"Biii!"

"Looks like you and your friend has grown yet again, my young sister. I'm proud." Karen interjected with her womanly alluring voice, gazing down at Emby with her featureless, opaque eyes. "Now let me have a taste of your heightened strength!"

One of Karen's eyes that appeared like a mirror began transforming into a shade of fire, like Emby. Shortly after that, eight fire arrows started taking shape over her head.

"Mirror Image!" Right as she said that, the arrows finished materializing, a perfect copy of Emby's ability. "You may now release your Reilaea Vanguard, Payapa Kalasag."

"Yeah, I'll leave it to you two!" Kalasag replied as he and his men released Reilaea Vanguard, making them defenseless before the enemies' barrage. "Men, this is the moment we go for the offensive!"

"Right!"

Indeed, it was now their time to strike back at the enemy! Kael watched as Kalasag and the others jumped out of their horses and scattered around the road. The long-range attackers stopped their attacks. With Reilaea's soldiers scattered all over the place, fighting, capturing, killing every one of their allies, the archers and magic casters were lost in confusion.

"W-Who are we going to attack, the Payapa?!"

"Which one? There's two right here!"

"You fool! Shoot the ones who are riding their hor–!"

The high commander couldn't finish his sentence, for it's not the convoy that is approaching them soon, but one of the fire arrows that had been released.

"S-Sh*t!"

Before the fire arrow struck the high commander straight to his face, the arrow started bulging into an endlessly increasing manner until its features resembling an actual arrow could no longer be recognized.

"I'm dea–!"

Bugohm!

Yet again, the high commander couldn't finish his sentence. For his soul had already traveled to the other side, his body turned dark by the incredible heat.

"Uwagh!"

The ones standing close to the high commander suffered the same fate. But perhaps it was for the best. After all, they are criminals who were freed by Uruk and turned into his loyal soldiers, unlike most of their forces.

The ones near the explosion got flung due to the force of the fire arrow exploding. Grazed, badly wounded, they all fell to the ground helplessly. But unfortunately, that explosion was just the start.

"Now let loose, Emby!"

"Biii!"

"Then I shall do the same and bring destruction to the enemy!"

Emby and Karen proceeded to release every single one of their fire arrows as Karen and Nina continued to follow Kael's lead.

Bugohm!

Large explosions, screaming, and the rumbling sound of structures crumbling resonated as they pushed through the road, heading toward the plateau lying in front of them. The ones that managed to avoid the explosions were given company by Kalasag and the others with their shields and fists as they tried to maintain distance with Kael, Nina, and Karen from the sidelines.

"Take this!"

Pow!

"Wahk!"

"Make sure no one is on their tail!"

"Yes, Payapa Kalasag!"

The last of the fire arrows were thrown forward.

Bugohm!

But even after getting rid of a lot of enemy soldiers on the way, there doesn't seem to be an end to their numbers.

"Even if most of them are not even experienced in battle, their numbers are quite annoying," Karen said as the color in her eye disappeared at the same time she finally blinked for the first time after copying Emby's fire arrows. "We're gonna need more fire arrows, Nina."

"Emby, please!" Nina pleaded, to which her Emby responded with the same vibration that lets Emby summon fire arrows.

"Biii...!"

However, creating those arrows actually takes time, and with Kalasag and the others being on their tail, they have no protection from the enemies in front of them. Or so they thought.

"So you need time to create more, correct?"

Karen and Nina's attention got distracted by the young knight they're accompanying towards the royal castle. Kael slowly unsheathed his rapier.

"I shall buy you two all the time you need."

They watched as the knight jumped out of his mount and started dashing straight at the enemy.

"Kael, wait!" Nina tried to stop Kael from going ahead, only for her older sister to pull her arm back down.

"He's gonna be all right," Said Karen, assuring Nina. "Come on, let's not waste every millisecond he's giving us."

"Y-Yes, big sister."

While the two sisters are readying the fire arrows, Kael managed to get the enemies' eyes on him.

"Who's that?"

"It's a Malaya!"

"Coming straight for us, eh? Kill that fool!"

The soldiers of Kruule threw everything they got on the lone knight bravely charging at them. Despite that, there's no hint of fear or hesitation in his movements. Only total concentration. And...

Crackle... Zap!

"Huh...?"

"H-He disappeared!"

"No, he's right in front of you!"

An urge to clash blades with his enemy.

"Worry not, soldier of Kruule." Kael's grasping hand began projecting sparks of lightning. "I will only put you to sleep."

Kael grasped the man's head tight. "Grasp Lightning!" The lightning channeled from Kael's left hand into the man's body before eventually electrocuting him out of his consciousness.

"Gah...!"

The enemy soldiers fell helplessly to the ground. Another one came behind Kael in an attempt to strike the young knight with a spear, only for Kael to precisely intercept the tip of the spear with his rapier's false edge.

"What?!"

The young knight gazed at the Kruule knight as lightning traveled from his right arm to his rapier. "Chain Lightning." The current that entered the rapier traveled further into the spearhead. Failing to throw the spear out of his grasp, the lightning current crawled into the man's hand before suffering the same fate as the one who had a taste of Kael's Grasp Lightning.

Crr-crr zapp!!

"Guuuh!!"

"Two down, a lot more to go and reach the royal castle." Kael's feet began discharging lightning current.

In a fit of nerve-wrenching panic, the melee fighters used their Body Enhancement magic and charged at Kael all at once.

"Lakas!"

"Liksi!"

"Tibay!"

Countless swords have been swung, endless numbers of spears have been thrusted forward, fists soar left and right. Just like Karen said earlier, most of the soldiers of Kruule are inexperienced fighters.

Those majorities were once just normal civilians who are only forced to fight for Uruk's sake, they probably didn't even receive any minor training the moment they got elected to be his soldiers. Hence none of their attacks would hit Kael, nor even graze him. Still...

"It's unfortunate, but you all are obstacles standing in the way of our goal, therefore I apologize in advance."

Crackle... Zap!

Again, he disappeared once more from the enemy's sight. The moment he reappeared, he was already behind the long-range attackers who were waiting for an opening to fire their all at the young knight. Kael thrust his rapier into one of the archers' defenseless backs, but not thoroughly piercing him.

Just lightly tapping him with the tip of his rapier, allowing the lightning current to enter the oblivious Kruule knight's body.

"Chain Lightning!"

"Huuh!"

Failing to notice the young knight, another one of them Kruule knights fell victim to Kael's lightning.

"Y-You bast*rd!"

Kael's sudden appearance brought the long-range defenders' formation in disarray. And that precisely is what Kael was hoping for. He turned his back on them and continued on his way to the royal castle.

"That guy is..."

There was no need to keep everyone's attention on him. After all, he already bought the time needed to create more of it. Before the archers and other long-range defenders realized it, a sounding explosion and screams came from the direction of the melee fighters.

Yes, that explosion was made by a fire arrow. And there are a few more heading their way.

"W-Watch out!"

Even if they could command their own body to move out of the fire arrows' trajectory, it was already too late.

Bugohm!

The wide explosions still caught many of them, the ones who failed to move their bodies suffered more than just burns and wounds throughout their bodies while the rest got violently pushed back by the blast.

There is still a seemingly endless number of enemies coming his way, but Kael will not stop moving forward. For it is his and the other soldiers of Reilaea's task to open a path for both Aran and Lyrica who'd arrive soon.

"Don't let them reach the castle!"

One of the fire arrows that are on Kael's tail began soaring past him.

"Don't you dare stop, Kael!"

The high commander Karen and her sister, Nina are slowly catching up with the young knight with their horses.

A fire arrow blasted a crowd of soldiers in front of Kael. Soon after that, the rest of the arrows that are on Kael's tail flew past him and got rid of the mob after a mob of soldiers.

"We got your back!" Kalasag shouted from the far back as he and his men confront enemies while running forward.

Amidst the endless confrontations, explosions, and screams, Kael who's leading the way, found himself getting closer to the plateau. However, at that exact same moment, Nina and Karen are in the process of recreating more arrows, Kalasag and the other soldiers of Reilaea don't get a break from dealing with the enemy soldiers that Kael and the two had ignored.

"Psst!"

Kael called out on his mount that was quietly running at the same pace as him from the sideline. His horse approached him upon his call. However...

"We're almost there...!"

Kael was about to mount his horse when suddenly, a figure he couldn't recognize due to its agile movements came and tackled him.

The Payapas and the rest had their eyes widened in shock as they watched Kael being dragged back by an unknown knight in black armor.

"K-Kael!"

Leaving their backs defenseless for a split second, they failed to notice that the enemy had already launched their attack.

Bagoohm!

Nina and Karen received a direct hit from a burning boulder.

"Kuhg!"

"Aah–Nina!"

Kalasag and the Malayas got startled by the sudden rumbling sound made by the boulder hitting the ground and the two sister's anguishing cry.

"Nina! Karen!" Right as he shouted their names, Kasalag caught a glimpse of red light coming from the dark sky. "C-Crap!"

Only then did he realize how many burning stones were launched in the sky just to stop them on their tracks. Kalasag inhaled deeply as he commanded the Malayas:

"Watch out!!"

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