Chapter 70

The angel kept his eyes on Xain as he took down the mercenaries one by one. "How many did he beat at this point? Like fourteen?" The angel muttered to himself, thoroughly impressed by Xain's skills, which far exceeded his own. He observed as the armor shielded Xain from another potentially lethal hit. "He still would have been screwed if I didn't give him the armor though," he remarked as Xain landed a kick on a mercenary's chest.

Feeling a surge of impatience, the angel's knuckles itched with the desire to fight. "By Michael, I want to get involved!" he exclaimed, but kept himself in check, knowing that his interference could jeopardize their plan. "What's taking them so long? How big is that damn house if it's taking them this long to get to the basement and attic?" he grumbled aloud, his frustration evident as he scanned the mansion's exterior.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught the angel's attention through one of the upper-floor windows—a person, a young girl wearing a maid uniform, staring directly at him. There was no hint of surprise or fear in her gaze; instead, it held an almost unsettling sense of understanding. "What the?" he muttered, his confusion evident as the girl briefly met his gaze before hurrying away into the mansion's depths. "Shit! She's going to tell the others!" the angel exclaimed, hastily reaching for the device to warn Grace. However, before he could, his focus was once again drawn back to Xain.

Xain's chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, the weight of exhaustion bearing down on him after dispatching the last mercenary with a decisive blow to the temple. "Agh! I'm so tired!" he exclaimed, his voice strained, as he wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Glancing up towards the front door of the mansion, his eyes narrowed at the sight of a man stepping out, unsheathing a curved saber lined with colorful gems.

"Looks like I underestimated you," the man remarked, his tone measured as he surveyed the unconscious mercenaries strewn about.

Recognizing the man's face, Xain's muscles tensed involuntarily. "You're the one that chased us into the village, right?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of apprehension. The man nodded in affirmation. "I am. The name is Marcus Pax, leader of The Razorcharge Company," he declared with authority, his presence commanding respect. Gulping audibly, Xain clenched and unclenched his fists as he took in a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to steady his nerves.

"Well, one of us is going to have to charge the other, so why don't you do it?" Xain quipped, attempting to inject a note of bravado into his voice to mask his unease. Something about Marcus made him feel tense.

"As you wish," Marcus replied curtly, his movements fluid as he surged forward, his saber gleaming menacingly in the sunlight. Xain braced himself, his muscles tensing as he prepared to meet the impending attack head-on.

As Marcus closed the distance, he swung his saber, aiming towards Xain's neck, but Xain's quick reflexes allowed him to duck under the swing just in time. Before he could counterattack, Marcus sent a powerful knee to Xain's face, the impact sending him sprawling backward. Xain barely managed to block the blow with both hands, his arms straining under the force. *Holy crap, he's strong!* Xain thought as he rolled from the force of the blow, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Without giving him a moment's respite, Marcus closed in, attempting to slash at Xain's chest while he was still on the ground. Reacting swiftly, Xain leaned back, narrowly dodging the deadly arc of the saber. With a swift motion, he attempted to counterattack with a kick aimed at Marcus's stomach. However, Marcus absorbed the blow without flinching, his grip powerful as he seized Xain's leg.

Helpless as Marcus brought down the saber once again, aiming directly for his head, Xain's heart pounded with fear. Yet, just as the saber was about to strike, a shimmering golden light emerged from his armor, shielding him from the lethal blow. *Thank goodness for this armor,* Xain silently thought, relief flooding through him.

But to his astonishment, the gems adorning Marcus's saber began to glow ominously. As the saber made contact with the golden light, it shattered like glass, the fragments scattering in all directions before evaporating into nothingness. Xain's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. *What the heck!*

With the saber mere inches away from his head, poised to slice it off, Xain's fear peaked. However, in a stroke of miraculous intervention, at the very last microsecond, Marcus was tackled by the angel. With a grunt of effort, the angel dragged Marcus across the cobbled ground before hurling him into the air, disrupting his attack and providing Xain with a narrow escape from certain death.

"Are you okay, kid?" The angel exclaimed, turning his head to look at Xain, who gave him a shaky thumbs-up. "I'm okay," Xain replied, his voice slightly trembling with residual fear.

Meanwhile, Marcus, about to hit the ground, rolled at the last possible moment to safely land before standing up to face the angel. "So, he was telling the truth. There is an angel protecting Wolfdale," Marcus remarked, his tone laced with a mix of intrigue and disdain.

"Fucking bastard, you better get ready to pay up," the angel retorted, his voice dripping with venomous anger. Xain felt a pang of gratitude mixed with apprehension at the angel's protective stance. *He really cares about me that much?* he thought, momentarily touched. However, his admiration was short-lived as the angel continued, "That enchantment costs a shit ton!" glaring at Marcus with fierce intensity. *Never mind.*

"Don't worry. I doubt I permanently destroyed it," Marcus replied calmly, his demeanor unaffected by the angel's threats. His eyes scanned the angel, assessing him with a calculated gaze. "For your sake, I hope that's true, because I don't forgive people who break my things," the angel warned, his voice low and dangerous. With a swift motion, he clicked Heaven's Inventory together, producing a crackling sound of electricity followed by black lightning that vanished instantly. In his right hand now rested the same whip he had used on Jakel.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering to the whip and the bracelets on the angel's wrists before refocusing on the angel himself. Both of them braced themselves, tension thick in the air as they prepared to engage in battle.

"I'm also still here," said Xain, reminding the readers that he is in fact still present.