One of Alenās allies had perished, killed in an instant.
For a fleeting moment, the military squad had believed they were holding their own against the Cerebus Guild. Their spells were strong, their coordination tight. They fought as a single unit, fire and lightning working in rhythm. It hadnāt felt hopeless.
But now, seeing one of their comrades obliterated without warning, without even leaving a body behind, they finally understood the truth.
They hadnāt even managed to land a mark on any of the five golden-winged mages. The difference in strength wasnāt a gap. It was an abyss.
And yet, despite the despair clawing at them, the soldiers of Alterian didnāt give up. They were military. They had stood against worse odds before.
āThis isnāt the first time Iāve felt like this!ā
one man thought, gritting his teeth. He slid across the ground using wind magic to boost his movement, then slammed his hands down. A wall of jagged earth erupted around one of the Cerebus mages, pinning them momentarily in place.
āWeāve felt helpless before, but if we let that feeling consume us, it becomes real!ā
Above them, lightning and flame rained down from the skies. The soldiers combined their magic perfectly, one attack after another, their teamwork refined from years of battlefield experience. The explosion of energy crashed onto the Cerebus Guildās position, shaking the very soil beneath their feet.
The death of their comrade didnāt shatter their morale. If anything, it ignited it.
But the reality was merciless.
Despite their efforts, the military force was being completely overwhelmed, especially by Tonto and Yellum, who werenāt even using their radiant golden forms. They were fighting with standard elemental magic and still dominating.
Yellum flicked her wrist, releasing jets of water that twisted like serpents toward her attackers. Three mages joined forces, raising their barriers in unison. The impact cracked the air, but together, they held the spell back.
āTheyāre coordinated,ā Yellum noted, narrowing her eyes. āThey arenāt some random group of rebels. Could it be a guild? But which one would be stupid enough to come here? A hired investigation team? No, if that were the case, theyād have run the moment we showed ourselves.ā
As her gaze swept the battlefield, she noticed two figures who stood apart from the chaos, two who were actually managing to fight on equal footing.
Alen and Beatrix.
Beatrix was locked in a duel elsewhere, her movements sharp and radiant, but it was Alen who caught Yellumās attention most.
He fought differently than any mage sheād ever seen. His speed was unreal, so fast that even the trained eyes of a Cerebus elite struggled to follow him. Every motion of his hand was deliberate, each snap of his fingers releasing another spark of fire that burst into full flames.
The Cerebus mage facing him couldnāt even finish a spell before Alenās attacks struck. His wrist was scorched, his casting interrupted, and the next moment, a flaming shockwave sent him flying. Golden beams meant to counterattack streaked through the air but missed, carving trenches into the ground instead.
Alen didnāt let up.
He closed the distance in a blur of motion, pressing forward like a relentless inferno. When he was close enough, he clapped both hands together, mana surged through him, and a constant stream of fire poured outward, swallowing his opponent.
The flames wrapped around the Cerebus mage, dragging him to the ground. The blaze consumed nearly his entire body, glowing bright enough to sear through the night.
Then, with a single beat of his golden wings, the man broke free. The light surrounding him shimmered violently, and before Alenās eyes, his body began to heal. The burns vanished, his flesh knitting back together almost instantly.
It was the same one Alen had fought before.
āAt some point, that healing ability has to falter,ā
Alen thought fiercely.
āIf I have to kill him a dozen times before he stays dead, then thatās exactly what Iāll do.ā
The Cerebus mage retaliated, hurling a sphere of radiant energy straight at him. Alen reacted on instinct, he jumped and fired a fireball at the ground beneath his feet.
The explosion launched him upward, flipping him through the air just in time to dodge the attack. The golden beam struck the earth below, detonating in a blinding flash that scorched the field.
The way Alen fought left everyone who saw it stunned. He didnāt battle like a mage. His movements were too physical, too fast, too close. He was blending the precision of magic with the unpredictability of a warrior.
It was reckless. But it worked.
He was a six-star mage fighting against opponents who outclassed him in both rank and raw magic. But Alen had always known that one day heād face stronger foes, people like the Cerebus elites. He had trained for this exact situation.
In truth, his motivation ran deeper than pride or duty.
He still hadnāt forgiven himself for failing to protect his sister, Aurora. The thought of her, alone, suffering somewhere, drove him to train harder than anyone else.
He hadnāt been able to increase his star level fast enough, so heād searched for other answers. Inspiration had struck while watching the warriors of Pagna, fighters who relied on movement, rhythm, and instinct rather than sheer magical force.
Heād studied them. Adapted their style. And now, here in the chaos of battle, he was testing it for the first time.
The Cerebus mage raised his hand to summon another golden beam, but Alen was already on him. Two fire dragons erupted from either side of Alenās body, coiling outward with deafening roars.
As they rushed forward, Alen hurled several smaller fireballs straight ahead, forcing his opponent to split his focus.
The mage froze, unsure what to defend against first.
In that split second of hesitation, the ground trembled. Someone landed hard between them, dust exploding outward. A fist slammed into the soil, and a burst of golden energy erupted in all directions, covering the field in radiant light.
When the dust cleared, the newcomer stood tall.
Tonto.
"It looks like this oneās too much for you," he said with a grin, his golden aura flaring to life. "Why donāt I take him on instead?"
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