The Deadly Shadows
The clashes between the Imperial Knights and the Shadow Knights began, with the Imperial Knights having the upper hand for now. Meanwhile, Henry was facing Alan on the other side.
"Show me your best, Henry!" Alan shouted forcefully as he rushed toward Henry. Shadows appeared from several directions and began attacking Henry. Henry absorbed them while charging at Alan with great force. Alan drew his sword and started clashing with Henry.
"You're good at dueling compared to your father," Alan said admiringly as he delivered powerful strikes with his sword.
"How do you know about my father?" Henry asked in astonishment as he tried to block Alan's strikes.
"There are things children shouldn't know," Alan said, delivering a strong blow that pushed Henry away. He formed shadow spikes and sent them toward Henry. Henry absorbed them as well. "I must not absorb the Serra until at least 30 seconds have passed." Henry distanced himself from Alan, counting the seconds to himself.
"Why are you backing away? Are you scared?" Alan taunted, still directing his shadows at Henry. Henry spread his aura around to avoid the shadows. The seconds completed, and Henry began his attack, white shadows appearing around him and starting to attack Alan.
"Aren't these my shadows that attacked him? They've changed color, but they're just as strong!" Alan thought to himself while fending off the attacks.
"So that's how you escaped that day... Your Serra is really special, boy," Alan charged at him again, delivering quick strikes from multiple angles. Henry used shadow spikes to protect himself and moved to another side.
A crimson whirlpool appeared among the trees on the other side, making Alan smile in its direction, saying, "It seems the shadows are enjoying their time."
"I wonder what happened to Celesia?" Henry looked in that direction, wondering with concern.
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Meanwhile, on the central border, the support formation members were engaged in fierce battles with special-level monsters.
"Where are these monsters coming from? Didn't they disappear seven years ago?" Carlos said as he launched a powerful attack against the monsters.
"It must be the Shadow King's doing."
"The weakness of these monsters is the area between their eyes, so everyone should aim their strikes there," Mirabella responded as she delivered her attacks.
"Understood," Sophia said.
"All knights, strike the monsters in the area between their eyes," Alxar shouted loudly. "We must defeat them quickly to support the main formation."
"Yes, sir," the knights responded loudly and began taking down the monsters one by one by following Mirabella's instructions.
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"The presence of the shadows is disappearing one by one!" "I didn't expect the Imperial Knights to be this strong," Alan thought in amazement as he clashed fiercely with Henry. He launched violent shadow attacks that Henry absorbed, quickly retreating.
"He's retreating every time he absorbs one of my abilities and then charging back after about 30 seconds," Alan noticed Henry's strange behavior in their fight. "This must be his weakness," he looked confidently and began launching multiple attacks toward Henry.
"It seems he has discovered my weakness; I must avoid his attacks until the seconds pass," Henry thought with a tense expression as he tried to dodge the attack.
One attack after another, the seconds passed, and Henry absorbed the Serra.
Alan suddenly attacked him from behind, causing Henry to fall to his knees, breathing heavily, while trying to stand again.
"So, my assumption was correct..." Alan smiled after seeing Henry's condition and prepared to launch another attack.
"If he attacks me again, I might lose consciousness at best... or die as a result," Henry looked at him, his face showing signs of exhaustion and fatigue.
"Let's see what happens to you now... Nemiron," Alan directed a shadow resembling a giant snake toward Henry, who remained in place, bracing for his fate.
"Water Shield!" Water swirled around Henry at the last moment, forming a shield, causing Nemiron to dissipate upon impact. Henry turned around in amazement. "Celesia!... You're alive!" he said happily. Celesia was approaching Henry slowly, breathing heavily, with blood starting to seep from her wounds again.
"You must be the one who defeated Nuwara," Alan looked at her with a menacing gaze.
Celesia stood ready, holding her sword, but her legs were trembling due to not receiving proper treatment for her wounds.
"Celesia, get back; your wounds need immediate attention!" Henry shouted loudly while trying to stand.
"Don't worry, I've bandaged them to stop the bleeding; I can fight until you regain your strength," Celesia said calmly as water droplets gradually swirled around her.
"You're confident despite knowing you won't last long; your wounds have already started bleeding again, and your legs can't even support you," Alan said mockingly.
"I don't really care," Celesia charged at him with great speed. Alan directed his shadows toward her, piercing her in an instant.
"Is that all she has?" Alan thought, feeling bored of fighting her.
Celesia turned into water droplets that flowed to the ground. "A water clone!" Alan looked in shock, feeling something behind him, and quickly ducked. Celesia's sword passed over him in an instant.
"I missed him," Celesia looked angrily at him. Alan quickly backed away, trying to understand what had happened. "If I hadn't ducked in time, I would have lost my head now."
"The problem is, I didn't even sense her intention to kill me," Alan thought in astonishment, drawing his sword and charging at her, saying, "You reminded me of someone with the same skills, a lady who used the rare Thunder Serra... Do you know her?" Their swords clashed fiercely.
"...What happened to her?" Celesia said hesitantly while dueling him.
"I killed her, of course," Alan said coldly.
Celesia was shocked for a moment and increased the intensity and speed of her strikes. "That's why she said we probably wouldn't meet again..."
"Don't mess with the shadows," her teacher's voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"...but the shadows are already within me," thought Celesia to herself.
"Given the increased power of your strikes now, you were right to know them," said Alan, a smile spreading across his face. Celesia remained silent, intensifying her aura around her while Henry watched them, regaining his strength.
The sound of clashing swords echoed through the place. Alan stepped back and began launching ranged attacks. Celesia blocked the attacks and gradually closed the distance, anger evident on her face.
"I will cut off your head, Alan," she swung her sword toward his neck after breaking his defense, but she suddenly froze in place.
"It's good that the moon is full tonight," Alan smiled, standing before her.
"I can't move!" Celesia said to herself, worried.
"I have bound your shadow, so how about we test my poison on you," Alan extended his hand towards her, and black ripples appeared on his face. Celesia waited for her fate with anxious eyes.
"Celesia!" Henry shouted forcefully, trying to walk towards her.
The black ripples extended to Alan's hand, ready to direct the poison towards her. A cold breeze suddenly blew, and Leo appeared, quickly carrying Celesia. However, Alan managed to poison him during the rescue.
On horseback, Felix emerged from the trees and approached Henry to heal him. Leo took Celesia to them and then turned to face Alan with determination.
"Oh, you must be Archduke Ryoger, nicknamed the Lion of the Arena," Alan looked at him in astonishment.
"I don't have time to talk to you," Leo drew his sword and looked at him seriously.
"Right, the poison will soon spread through your body, so you don't have much time left," Alan replied with a sinister smile.
Leo's mark glowed intensely, and snow began to fall gradually around the area. Large shadows formed around Alan and started attacking Leo one after another. Leo gradually froze the shadows as he approached Alan. Their swords clashed with great force.
Meanwhile, Felix was treating Celesia's wounds after she lost consciousness from losing too much blood. Henry watched Leo and Alan's battle beside them.
The poison started clogging Leo's blood vessels, and his strength weakened gradually.
"I am indeed growing weaker," Leo thought to himself, "I couldn't even stop the poison's flow after revealing the Serra mark."
"Frozen Snow" Ice crystals formed everywhere, slowing Alan's movements. Leo directed icy spears towards Alan rapidly. Alan dodged most of them with his shadows, but one struck his right shoulder deeply.
Leo's hands weakened and turned purple. Alan swiftly directed a shadow at Leo, who deflected it with his sword but was pushed back violently against a tree.
"Father!" Felix hurried to check on Leo. Leo's face turned purple, and his veins swelled. Felix tried using his power on him but couldn't make any improvement.
"Felix... stop," Leo pushed Felix's hands away while speaking with difficulty, "Serra doesn't work with poisons... so don't waste your energy."
"But..." Felix said hesitantly.
"I rely on you to lead the duchy... and protect... what's left of our family," Leo said in a hoarse voice and turned towards Celesia lying on the ground, "I hope Celesia forgives me for my behavior towards her," he said with sorrow.
"Don't worry, she has surely forgiven you a long time ago," Felix replied, tears gathering in his eyes.
"I hope so," Leo smiled as his eyes slowly closed. Clara's smiling image appeared before him.
"Clara!" he said in surprise.
"Well done... Leo," she said with a smile.
The poison reached Leo's heart, stopping its beat. Felix gently laid his head down, and tears slowly streamed down his cheeks.
"Goodbye... Father," Felix rose, his face marked with intense anger. He looked towards Alan, who was bandaging his wound in the distance. Felix searched around but couldn't find Henry. "Where could His Highness have gone?"
"I sense a hidden dark power in that girl," Alan focused his attention on Celesia.
Felix drew an icy sword and started attacking Alan. His aura glowed brighter, and he fought with great speed.
"His speed is greater than his father's!" Alan tried to match his pace. Felix swung his sword towards Alan's face, striking his left eye after narrowly missing and retreating quickly. Suddenly, white shadow creatures emerged from behind, deeply wounding Alan's back.
"Ugh... what is this all of a sudden?" Alan turned around to find Henry behind him. Felix and Henry charged at Alan simultaneously, who could barely stand. The ground suddenly shook violently beneath them, "What's happening?" Felix and Henry quickly retreated as a dark black monster resembling a whale emerged from the ground. Alan rose high in the air and looked towards Celesia, "I'll free her before I go." He clenched his fist, and his marks glowed. The monster opened its giant mouth, swallowing Alan whole, and returned underground. The shaking stopped moments after his disappearance.
Henry went to Felix, who was near Leo's body, and knelt, saying with deep sorrow, "He was a hero until the end... he completed his mission and left in peace. May he live on in the hearts of the Empire's people."
"Yes... but I'll miss him dearly," Felix replied in a broken voice. Henry extended his hand to Felix, helping him stand up, saying, "Come, let's check on the others and take Celesia to a better place." Felix looked at him, his face marked with grief, took his hand, and stood. They headed towards Celesia.
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"The monsters' behavior is strange," Carlos said, delivering blows.
"They are gradually retreating," Sofia said.
"Brother... finish fighting the remaining monsters. I need to go to the main formation," Mirabella shouted while riding her horse swiftly towards the northern border.
Everyone was surprised by her actions but continued the fight.
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The Empire's knights defeated the shadow knights, and few escaped after Alan's disappearance.
Felix carried Celesia and approached his horse while Henry mounted his, leading the way.
They started moving slowly, surveying the surroundings.
"Yawn"
"...I haven't woken up in a long time."