Ambush

"It's an ambush."

As soon as Rylen said that, green aura-surrounded arrows tore through the air. Each shot came from a hidden angle—precise, fast, deadly. They were all heading toward the group.

Rylen's eyes narrowed. "Throne, guard Winston! Seraph, cover the front!"

Without hesitation, Throne turned toward Winston and raised his large hands. Out of nowhere, Throne conjured a large sack into existence. No chants, no gestures—just an effortless pull from nothing. The sack was old, stitched roughly with thick thread, and covered in strange burn marks.

He dug his massive hand inside and started pulling out runes—some made of wood, others carved from bone, a few metallic, cold and humming with energy. He released them into the air one after another. They didn't fall—they floated. Each rune hovered around Winston briefly before disappearing with a faint shimmer.

The space around Winston warped. The air turned heavy, dense. He could sense the barrier forming—a net of ancient protections locking into place, invisible yet undeniable.

Behind Rylen, Seraph took position. She stood still, eyes glowing faintly. Her hands moved with purpose, casting spells in swift, fluid motions. The ground rose in front of her, then turned metallic black. All the arrows collided with it and lost their power.

Behind Winston, Rylen drew his sword in a smooth motion and slashed it diagonally through the air. It cut through, dragging the air with it. All of them felt a sudden pull toward the blade as it thrust forward, encased in a translucent white aura.

A massive gust of wind exploded from the blade—laced with force Winston instinctively knew wasn't natural. It was qi. Raw, compressed, and deadly. The blast moved like a shockwave, tearing through everything in its path.

All the arrows behind them were shredded midair. Green shards scattered like glass.

The attack didn't stop there—it tore through a large section of the forest behind them. As the trees disappeared, many men could be seen falling from the treetops—probably a dozen. Their bodies were flung back, bones snapping audibly as they struck trees and tumbled across the forest floor. They were carrying bows made from strange black material with crystals embedded in them.

But they weren't moving—now lying still on the ground.

All of them were either knocked out or killed by the attack, except for three men dressed in black attire, standing there as if the attack never came. They had somehow avoided it completely. From the confidence they radiated, it was clear they were not like the men lying on the ground. Each of them held a sword.

Rylen attacked them without hesitation—steel meeting steel in a clash that echoed through the forest. His sword danced with brutal precision, each strike fueled by qi and years of training. Sparks flew. The ground shook beneath their feet.

Meanwhile, Seraph moved.

With a sharp motion of her hand, the earth barrier submerged back into the ground. Her hands glowed orange as the front part of the forest ignited in flames. Fire erupted in a wide arc, swallowing trees in roaring orange and red. The air became thick with smoke and ash.

Hidden men were exposed—some screaming as they burned, others vaporized by Seraph's precise mana blasts. She didn't speak. She simply moved and destroyed.

But not all fell.

Two men survived—stronger than the rest. They deflected Seraph's attacks with swords that shimmered with some unknown energy. They were faster, more coordinated.

Seraph blasted many spells at them. Her spells collided with their blades, exploding with light and force. Then she conjured whips made from water and slashed at the two men, the water moving as if alive. She let go of the whips, yet they continued to attack the two men, who detected every strike.

Then, something moved. Fast.

One man came from the side. He moved with such speed toward Winston that neither Winston nor Noah could track him. It was as if the space between them had folded. He had his sword ready to pass through Winston's chest—but suddenly, the man stopped.

Bang!

He collided with an invisible barrier, a loud crack echoing through the air. A jarring, physical impact.

But he didn't stop to think.

Though rune barriers were known to be impenetrable, they were not absolute. They always had a condition—a rule. But there was no time to think about it.

Without pausing, he disappeared before Winston's eyes. Winston's heart raced. He knew the man was about to come for him—but he could do nothing. These people were in a rank completely above him.

And then—he reappeared, right inside the barrier.

Right in front of Winston.

The man's blade slashed forward at incredible speed, aimed directly at Winston's throat.

Winston didn't even have time to blink.

Bang!

His sword was knocked back so hard it spun through the air, completely wrenched from his grasp.

And then—

A punch.

A half-giant's punch.

It landed with the force of a boulder dropped from a cliff.

All the man's teeth shattered instantly. His head snapped back violently. He didn't scream—there was no time. His body was lifted off the ground, launched like a doll.

He crashed to the ground, most likely dead.

Winston blinked, frozen, his breath caught in his chest.

Throne exhaled slowly, still standing over him.

The battlefield shifted again.

Now, of all the enemies, only one man remained—locked in combat with Rylen. The others were either knocked out or dead.

During the combat, Seraph had conjured her most powerful spell. She just needed time. And now, with the two men distracted, she conjured a serpent made completely of flames. While the two men were busy with the water whips, the serpent lunged forward. They felt the heat, their eyes widened with horror as they were engulfed in flames—burned alive.

And so, only one man remained. He looked around.

He saw the now-dead assassin with a missing lower jaw.

He saw Seraph standing amid smoldering corpses.

He saw Throne, still ready to strike again.

And he vanished.

Not ran—vanished. Into thin air.

They waited in silence.

The forest burned behind them.

But no more men came.

The battle was done.