An Arm for Four Lives

Leon's heart pounded rapidly, veins bulging on his forehead. 

He collapsed to the ground, his wide eyes filled with panic as he clutched his chest tightly, dropping to his knees. 

With eyes widened in horror, he watched as the shadow slowly approached him. Five more shadows appeared beside it, all advancing toward Leon in unison. 

Then, his body exploded— 

"Huff! Huff!" 

Leon's eyes fluttered open. He stared at the clear sky above, his breathing ragged. He was tightly bound by a rope, gasping for air. 

"Are you okay, Leon?" Zara asked, her tone laced with concern. 

"I'm fine, Mom," Leon replied with a nod, finally taking in his surroundings, his brows raised in surprise. 

"Good. We'll be reaching safety soon, so hang in there, okay?" She kissed his forehead gently, a warm smile softening her features.

"Oka—" 

Leon froze, his hand brushing against a solid arrow lodged deep in her back, almost entirely embedded. Blood gushed out in a steady stream. 

"Mother, you…" 

"It's fine, just a normal injury," Zara said flatly, her expression unreadable. 

"Let's stop for a second, Mother. I think I can heal you," Leon insisted, his voice trembling. 

"No. I said I'm fine," she replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. 

"..." Leon fell silent. He knew speaking further would only make her worry and give her a headache. 

For the rest of the journey, he kept his thoughts to himself, watching Zara's back with a mixture of guilt and concern. 

After what felt like an eternity, Zara finally broke the silence while they traveled: 

"Do you know about our surroundings, Leon?" 

"Yes. Our Karalux Kingdom is surrounded by two strong kingdoms. One is a sorcerer kingdom called the Hermit Kingdom, which borders our mountainous region. The other is a merchant kingdom known as the Golden Kingdom, which shares three borders at the east, west, north with us."

"...Where do you think we should go if we escape?" she asked. 

"Umm," Leon hesitated, pausing to think. "Hmm, I don't know." 

"What's your analysis, Leon?" Zara asked with a soft chuckle. 

"Well, based on my analysis, neither kingdom is truly safe. The Hermit Kingdom is a sorcerer kingdom, like us, isn't particularly welcoming to sorcerers, they're unwelcoming to Warriors like us. Although they wouldn't attack us outright, living there would still be dangerous. As for the Merchant Kingdom, our family's reputation as the King's guard for generations would make us stand out. If we go there…" 

Zara's lips curled into a faint, blooming smile:

"We might be able to hide for a while but we'd eventually be discovered. So, what's our safest possible place?"

"Near the border of the Merchant Kingdom, in the flatlands," Leon said, but he immediately frowned. "But if we can think of this, then our enemies can think of it too. That would be really troublesome…" 

"We'll still go to that place," Zara said firmly. 

"Hmm?" Leon paused, confused. "Why?" 

"Because your father will come back for us after killing Norman. Then we can go into hiding until the situation calms down. I'm certain of it," Zara said with a smile. 

"Isn't he injured…?"

"You underestimate the power of the Limitless Tyranny, Leon," Zara replied, her tone carrying a quiet confidence. 

…

"Alex, Alex, did you think I was foolish enough to come after you alone, after all the preparations I've made?" Norman sneered. 

"I didn't expect you to be a coward," Alex replied, his voice steady despite the blood trickling from his severed arms, staining the grass beneath him. 

Four figures stood beside Norman, all generals of the kingdom. Their lips curled into cruel smirks as they encircled Alex like a pack of hyenas, ready to pounce at any moment. Yet, despite their advantage, they didn't attack him.

"You can't blame me, Alex. You're too strong for your own good. It's only natural that I'd ask for a little help," Norman said with a mocking shrug. 

"Fine," Alex growled, raising his greatsword with his remaining strength. His eyes burned with defiance. "Since you've forced my hand...which one of you wants to die first?" 

They instantly backed away, their eyes filled with hesitation and fear. 

"He might be able to use Limitless Tyranny again... I'm not sacrificing myself for nothing," the same thought echoed in each of their minds, unspoken but understood. 

"Damn it," Norman muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth in frustration. 

... 

"Mother, I can walk on my own now," Leon said with a hint of embarrassment. 

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes." Leon gently stepped out of her tight embrace. "I'm not injured at all. In fact, I feel power coursing through my veins instead."

"…I see. Try to keep up with me," Zara said, her tone calm but firm. 

"The Art of Needle: Coiled Launch." 

In a flash, Zara shot forward with the speed of the wind, her figure soaring through the air like a streak of lightning. 

Curious, she glanced to her side, only to see Leon keeping pace right behind her, a confident smile on his face. 

"He really must have awakened the bloodline of the Gods," Zara murmured to herself. She maintained her speed, and Leon followed silently, his movements smooth and effortless. 

Their journey stretched on, long and grueling. The sun had long dipped below the horizon, replaced by the soft glow of the moon rising in the cloudy night sky. The wind howled heavily and dark clouds gathered.

It was then that a shadow emerged behind them, looming ominously in the distance. 

"Who is that?" Leon asked, turning sharply. He closed his eyes, focusing inward as the red chakra at the base of his spine began to circulate rapidly, its energy surging through his body. 

His senses, already enhanced, heightened further as he could directly perceive everything—from the wind to every vibration on the ground.

"Now that I'm using the Earth Rune again, it's gotten a bit better, huh?" Leon muttered.

His ears twitched as he picked up a faint vibration. 

It was the breathing of an injured man, blood slowly trickling down...

"Father." Leon turned abruptly and changed direction. 

"Leon, who is it?" Zara called out, quickly chasing after him.

With the surroundings grassy and filled with trees, the path was difficult to tread as Leon ran at full speed.

Before long, his eyes fell on a bloody man with a severed arm. 

"Father." Leon froze, his knees hitting the ground as he bowed his head to the floor. 

Tears welled up in his eyes, gradually blurring his vision. The whole world seemed to fall silent around him, all echoes fading as he helped his father up, offering his shoulder for support. 

"How did this happen, Father?" Leon asked, his tone cold and steady. 

Alex paused, tilting his head toward the sky before bursting into a fit of maddened laughter. 

"They took my right arm, but I took four lives with me." 

He waved his mutilated arm with a hearty, almost maniacal laugh.