Fear

"The Hari is waiting for you up top."

"What?"

Before his feet had touched down the surface, one knight's words bewildered Kael even more. But!

'The Hari is waiting for me? Ah!"

At that moment, Kael felt a sharp, sinister glare from the top of the plateau. But although he felt it, he couldn't bring himself to look up. But more than that...

'This feeling... Fear?'

Not just any kind of fear, it felt ever so similar to the fear he felt back then. Where Kael and the Anino that killed his parents' eyes meet for the first time.

'Impossible...!'

Kael knew he'll only have this feeling that made his feet so heavy that he can't even move an inch, sweat profusely, and even hold his breath unconsciously if the Anino that gave him that terror back then was the one looking down at him from the top right about now.

"What's wrong, Kael? Come here!"

Though it was against his will, Kael was forced to look up and saw the face of the Hari of Kruule, Uruk.

"I see, you haven't changed since back then. You're the same kid who froze in fear when our eyes meet, Kael. It seems that you still have no use for me even now... probably."

Behind Uruk, Kael's fear showed itself.

'That face made of black fire... Red glowing eyes...'

There was no denying it. It was indeed the Anino from thirteen years ago, the one who killed Kael's parents and destroyed his town.

"I guess we can just chat for a while, yes? I will be waiting for you up here, Kael."

Just like that, Uruk walked out of the edge of the cliff. As if finally emerging from the deep water, Kael began desperately gasping for breath. He can also move his legs like usual, but Kael cannot decide what to do.

'Should I remain in this place until the others arrived?'

Keeping enemy soldiers out of the way to the plateau is their plan, but every millisecond that he remained in the same spot he was standing is making Kael feel like he was about to puke blood. Though he can move, he could still feel the fear creeping all over him like a stench of a dead animal corrupting its surroundings.

'Should I go back and tell the others what we're dealing with and wait for the adventurers to come instead?'

It might take a lot longer for the adventurers Reyna Amaya called to arrive in Kruule, Kael also doubted they'd be able to continue fighting against the forces of Kruule for that long. But again, now that he knows the true enemy's identity, even if Aran and Lyrica arrived earlier than the adventurers, do they even stand a chance against an Anino who took many lives in the past including Kael's family?

'Wait!'

A striking thought just hit Kael's mind.

'Come to think of it, everything that happened was from thirteen years ago. The adventurers that fought it couldn't defeat it, but they somehow weakened it to the point that they successfully sealed the Anino in exchange for the light magic user's life. It was a mystery how the Anino was able to escape from the seal eight years ago, but if Lady Lyrica was right that the Hari–no, the Anino wanted the people of Kruule to hate Uruk to regain the power the Anino had lost, then...'

It would mean that the Anino is no longer as powerful as it was back then.

'It was three years ago when Uruk seemingly showed his true colors to his people, or in other words, it was the time when the Anino decided to regain the power it lost by using the people of Kruule as its food. But...'

Only recently, a battle between the Anino and the hero who turned into a mindless Anino took place in the town of Kabba.

'Judging by the aftermath of their battle in Kabba, it would be safe to assume that the Anino used the power it gained since three years ago to defeat the fallen hero. Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to win against the other in any other way. Adding everything into account, the Anino that killed my parents and destroyed my hometown is currently...'

Stomp!

'...At its weakest!'

CRACKLE!!

Kael hard pressed his feet flat on the ground as he crouched slightly at his knees, in preparation to jump. A tremendous surge of lightning began discharging from underneath his feet.

"Remember your past, Kael..." Kael mumbled to himself as he began picturing his family and the late Hari of Reilaea.

The two knights of Kruule unconsciously took a step back as the surge of lightning extend far wide from Kael.

"...Let not my memories breed fear and hatred, but let it give me the courage to move forward and climb this plateau."

Zap!!

A large outburst of lightning shook the standing Kruule knights as it sent Kael up in the sky. Before long, Kael found himself even higher than the plateau itself. There, he could see the big royal castle standing in the middle of the wide, grassy plateau.

And walking away from the edge of the plateau was the Hari who had no guards to protect him or himself.

'Either it's a trap or not, I could only gamble...'

The moment, Kael touched the ground, Uruk paused.

'... With this strike!'

Crackle-crackle! Zap!!

Kael launched himself toward Uruk. Before he swung his rapier, Kael and Uruk's eyes had met one more time. Not letting his fear put a crack on his resolve, Kael reminisced his past once more.

'Remember my past! Do not fear! Let my memories give me strength to move forward without regrets!'

Pouring his mana onto his rapier, Kael's blade became overloaded with his lightning magic.

CRACKLE!!

"Chain Lightning!"