"Protect the princess!" The Headguard yelled as he clashed his sword against that of the assailant.
The entire street was in disarray. People running away here and there. Children were screaming for help, and the distress of the guards was palpable.
As for why, it was simple: Sofamy, the daughter of King Charlie, was attacked and nearly killed by an assailant. Luckily, the Headguard, Cronos Chandav, noticed the impending danger and countered it immediately, thus protecting the princess.
"Argh!" Chronos grunted as he stepped back slightly before delivering another horizontal slash with his sword, imbuing his attack with Vyr, only to have it blocked by the assailant's sword, one that wasn't even infused with Vyr.
It must be made of a high-level mineral. That was the only explanation he could think of. Considering that his sword was made of Magile, a mineral created by mixing steel with magic, blocking it would require immense durability, especially when the sword is fused with added Vyr.
Looking at the assailant, Cronos could tell that he was dealing with an experienced fighter. Wearing a cloak, the attacker's face was completely hidden, yet some of the pale skin, as well as the long, jet-black hair, were clearly visible, making him deduce that this was a woman he was dealing with.
Narrowing his pinkish-grey eyes, Cronos sighed as he observed his opponent. His [Appraisal] had failed, merely showing him a pitch-black darkness that never ended. She was far too strong to analyse.
"Out of my way." The assailant spoke for the first time since initiating the attack. It was a woman, just as expected, with her voice cold and without any room for argument.
"Haha! Nice try, but no. I ain't letting you harm his majesty's daughter." He replied, his piercing gaze directed at her.
Just then, she immediately jumped aside as the ground momentarily rose to attack her, a result of Cronos' [Land Manipulation]. Before he could process her movement, she swung her sword faster than anticipated.
Fortunately, he ducked under in time, though barely, as it grazed his short orange hair. Gritting his teeth, he manipulated the ground and rose it to attack her from several different angles, all of which she dodged elegantly.
She then delivered another strike, forcing him to block her attack. Using this, she fired a spear of ice using [Water Manipulation] directly at the group of soldiers who had gathered around the princess to protect her.
"No!" Realizing what just happened, he immediately tried to shoot a [Flame Bullet], but before he could do so, his chest was struck by her sword, forming a clean slash and destroying the Epic Class armor that covered his chest.
"Urghh..." Blood was seeping fast, and the pain was immense. Her sword didn't have any enchantments, yet it seemed to have completely bypassed his [Pain Resistance].
Cronos has attained gruesome wounds throughout his life, yet nearly none of them could ever go against his [Pain Resistance]. There were only a few instances where wounds caused by Vyr-infused weapons were able to ignore his [Pain Resistance].
However, the assailant's weapon wasn't amplified by anything. It was a simple, silver blade with a black crossguard and handle. Even if the weapon was made of an advanced mineral, it shouldn't have bypassed his [Pain Resistance] with such ease.
As for the ice spear, it successfully pierced one of the soldiers guarding the princess, yet Sofamy was able to create a barrier in time before it could pierce her.
Analysing the barrier, Cronos found that it was made of pure magic, highlighting how skilled Sofamy was with controlling Vyr, allowing her to gain [Magic Manipulation], which further made her suitable to be a mage.
"Tch. Dirty trickster." Muttering this, the assailant then pushed Cronos aside, making him crash several meters away, before rushing to the princess.
The guards, using their Vyr-infused swords, charged at her, but in a blink of Sofamy's eyes, all of them were decapitated, the assailant's black cloak covered in their crimson blood. Sofamy's eyes widened, panic flowing through her mind as she began to charge up Vyr in her hands.
"Time to end this." The assailant declared before lunging at her.
However, before anything else could happen—
Clang!
Huh? The princess seemed stunned, her jaw dropped slightly, as her eyes landed on the figure who blocked the assailant's attack with his sword.
Who stood before her was General Vekas Lundarve, clashing his sword with that of the assailant. The assailant went rigid for a split second, betraying her surprise, which allowed Vekas to push her back, causing her to land on her feet a few meters back.
"Are you alright, Your Highness?" asked the general as he held his gaze at the assailant.
"Y-yeah..." She muttered, still stunned from his sudden arrival.
Meanwhile, Vekas used [Appraisal] on the assailant, finding that she was mainly a user of Water Magic and [Energy Manipulation]. She was strong, her clothing coated in Vyr, and her sword was made from Amphylette, one of the rarest and strongest minerals in the world.
"Sierra. No last name, huh?" He asked, having learned her name from his analysis.
"That's right, Vekas Lundarve." She replied, her voice as even and cool as a cucumber.
"I see. Why do you attack Princess Sofamy?"
"My reasons aren't for you to know."
"Then I have no choice but to intervene." Finishing with that, he charged at her, his sword ready, before delivering a diagonal slash to the left, which she side-stepped with ease.
Immediately catching himself, he blocked a strike from her. What followed next was a series of clashes between the two as they tried to outmaneuver each other. Their swordsmanship was clear for everyone to see, a sight that all the bystanders, including the injured Cronos, marvelled at.
"Damn... they're really going at it," muttered Cronos, his voice barely audible as his [Regeneration] worked on healing him.
Ignoring everything around them, they continued their duel. Neither of them seemed to be backing down, their strikes creating tiny ripples around them.
Suddenly, she dashed behind and delivered a vertical slash, one that seemed too lethal to endure. As she unleashed the attack, Vekas was barely able to side-step away as it ended up severing everything in its path; the buildings, the shops, and everything else were reduced to dust.
"What the hell?! How did-?" Cronos found it difficult to believe what he had just seen.
Narrowing his eyes, Vekas observed the damage done. She seemed to have used [Energy Manipulation] to deliver such a strike, unleashing an attack that could destroy a whole town if left unchecked.
"A little fiesty, eh?" Hearing an unexpected voice, Sierra turned to her right, spotting a handsome man with jet-black hair staring at her with a small, enigmatic smile.
Before she could process his words, she quickly blocked an attack from Vekas, his sword amplified with a golden light, one that she knew all too well.
"A Holy Magic user... tch! As expected of Aethelgard's general." She muttered under her breath before pulling back and coating her sword with pure energy using [Energy Manipulation].
She's going to use that attack once more.
Thinking this, Vekas infused his whole body with Vyr, ready to counter her attack. His black eyes seemed to glow like divine pearls as he charged his sword with Holy Magic. Deflecting her destructive attack wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either.
"Get ready," warned Sierra. "Face your fate. [Energy Strike]!"
A slash was unleashed, seemingly deadlier than before, as [Energy Manipulation] was used to create a sword strike meant to cut everything it came across. Having prepared for it, Vekas unleashed his own sword that was infused with Holy Magic, ready to counter her attack with a deadly blow of his own.
"[Holy Slash]!" He declared as their swords collided, forming a great explosion that seemed to cover the skies. Nothing was visible to the bystanders anymore, not even themselves. For all they knew, the explosion might've covered the entire city.
I am probably dead... but then why can I still think? As Cronos tried to make sense of the situation, the light died down, only to find himself completely unharmed. Not even the princess had a single scratch on her.
"Huh? What the hell...?" He blurted out, unable to hold his shock, as to wonder how he was still alive in the first place.
As for the two fighters, Vekas remained crouched, covered by the dust that emerged from the impact. He then slowly stood up, his eyes hollow and betraying exhaustion.
Didn't expect to use that attack so soon... especially since I didn't even rest after returning from the battle withBroshasa.There was still a concern, however, as he found Sierra nowhere to be seen. Was she disintegrated by the attack or pushed back too far from the battlefield? He honestly couldn't tell.
Just then, pain coursed through his chest as a blade pierced through it from behind.
"Gghh!" He grunted, blood seeping from his mouth and the sword that seemingly emerged from his chest.
"Hah!?!?"
"Sir Vekas!!" Both the Princess and Cronos widened their eyes at the scene, their eyeballs nearly bulging out.
With the strength he barely had left, he turned to spot Sierra behind him, holding the blade with a cold expression, completely unharmed. It's as if the attack didn't even scratch her.
The cloak was finally removed, unveiling her face. It was a beauty that words couldn't describe. Her ocean-blue eyes shone like divine orbs as she fixed her gaze on the wounded general. Her robes were black, similar to her cloak, and her jet-black hair flowed freely, reaching up to her waist. She was a beauty, a cold one at that.
"That was impressive. You actually made me attack you from behind. I must commend you, Vekas Lundarve." She coldly remarked before pulling her sword out of him, causing him to groan before collapsing to the ground.
"Hahahahahah!"
Surprised, Sierra turned to the handsome black-haired man once more after hearing his laughter. Despite having the general of Aethelgard stabbed and near death, the man still dared to laugh. Something was horribly wrong, and she dreaded what was to come.
"Now this is interesting. Unfazed by a blast that could've taken out the entire province, now that piques my interest. You are certainly an amusing one." The man spoke, his voice ethereal yet seemingly boisterous as he approached the limp general.
"What's more surprising is that you used such a powerful attack as a mere decoy. You knew the hit wouldn't land, so you used it as a feint instead. How creative." Stretching his hand out, a bright light shone from his palm.
What she saw next widened her eyes as Vekas was completely healed in a mere second. How? She had struck him in a way that not even the best of healers could heal him so easily.
And yet, this man was undoing the damage she had inflicted like it was nothing. She clicked her tongue, slightly annoyed by the sudden turn of events.
"Are you the reason everything here is still intact?" She asked, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared daggers at the man in an enriched yet ominous dress.
It wasn't one she was familiar with, despite encountering many nobles in her life. A clear, white shirt and a black coat, as well as black pants and shoes, accompanied by a black tie that was messily attached to his shirt.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Couldn't let everything around me be destroyed, now could I? Good thing my barrier is quite sturdy." The man replied, his smile fixed in place, as he looked down at the general, whose wound had disappeared.
"Sir Revan..."
"Rest now, Vekas. I'll handle it." Hearing this, Vekas closed his eyes, losing consciousness.
"Revan... are you sure it's not something like Raven?" She asked, her eyes narrowed as she began analyzing him, only to find pitch-black darkness, with the only light being his name.
"Yup. Revan, not Raven." He replied with a slight bow as he pushed Vekas towards Sofamy with his foot.
"You're strong, alright..."
"Hahahah, you aren't too shabby yourself. Having [Sage Insight] isn't normal, you know, even for stronger beings." Sierra's eyes narrowed at his words. He could see through her perfectly, whilst she couldn't tell a single thing about him other than his name.
In fact, she couldn't even be sure that she was actually capable of seeing anything at all. What if he was simply letting her see his name? It was fully possible. She herself wasn't a stranger to manipulating a person's analysis, so this wouldn't be surprising.
Regardless, it was concerning. There weren't many people who could block her analysis, especially when [Sage Insight] was an evolved version of [Appraisal], one that could analyse even the natural laws of the world up to intricate details.
And yet, it couldn't analyse him. It was mind-boggling. How? Why? It was unthinkable. Most beings in the world aren't even strong enough to attain [Appraisal], yet even her [Sage Insight] failed. He was in a league of his own; that much she could tell.
"Now then, why don't you tell us why you're out here attacking the Princess of Aethelgard?" He asked as he stepped forward, his ruby-red eyes staring at her ocean-blue ones.
She had momentarily considered running away, but his words brought her out of that trance. Of course, her main objective was to hunt down the princess. No way could she just abandon that. No matter the danger, she must kill the princess, even if it means fighting the man before her.
"That isn't for you to know." She replied, readying her sword to face him. "Now, out of my way. I shall complete my mission."
Finishing her words, she charged at him, lunging her sword at his neck in a diagonal slash. Neither Cronos nor the princess could even see her moving clearly, merely comprehending a slight blur as she moved.
And yet, the blade suddenly stopped. Not by a sword, or by Magic. But rather, all Revan needed was his right index finger to prevent her sword from reaching his throat.
"What?"
"Huh!?!?"
"What the hell!?!?"
Sierra, alongside both Sofamy and Cronos, exclaimed in pure shock as they witnessed something that should have been impossible. Not only did he just stop a blade with his mere finger, but the fact that her sword was made of Amphylette made this feat all the more unbelievable.
Sierra narrowed her eyes not a moment later, whilst the other two remained wide-eyed, unable to comprehend the sight before them.
"Is that all?"
"Tch!" Annoyed by his taunt, as well as the widened smirk on his face, Sierra pulled back and unleashed a series of sword strikes, her movement creating massive sonic booms as she tried to land a hit on him, all while he continued parrying her sword with his finger.
He must have coated his finger with Vyr. She then decided to coat her own sword with Vyr, her eyes glowing as power rushed inside of her. She then used [Energy Manipulation] to create another [Energy Strike], planning to override his defenses by striking him with an enormous amount of pure energy.
Yet, as she collided her sword with his finger, he simply deflected her attack to the right, making the burst of energy destroy the buildings in its way. Even an energy blast wasn't enough. She had to go all out.
"Enough of this." She growled under her breath, her pupils fading in the blue glow of her eyes. She no longer planned on holding back.
She suddenly disappeared before reappearing behind the Wanderer, who simply turned around and parried her barrage of attacks with ease. His smile didn't fade, which further frustrated her. Her moves slowly became faster and more elegant despite her growing frustration as she began using all the martial arts she had learned throughout her life.
"You're an interesting one," he began. "Despite only having lived for a thousand years, your strength could make even some demons shake in their boots."
Tch. He even knows how old I am... His analytical ability existed beyond normal Techniques like [Appraisal] or [Energy Strike]. It might be an Authority, or maybe something that even transcends that.
No. It can't be an Authority. Authorities are meant to harness control over something, such as [Energy Manipulation] or [Water Manipulation]. This was something far beyond that.
She then began moving at a speed unlike any other, practically becoming invisible to the naked eye, as she continued her swarm of attacks. Cronos and Sofamy were unable to see her at all, her speed being too fast for them to comprehend. It was as if she had transcended even light in terms of speed alone.
And yet, here Revan was, parrying all her attacks with ease, his expression showing the slight amusement that she hated. He was still playing with her, even though she was attacking him at full speed and full power, her sword and body coated in Vyr.
Her control over Vyr was beyond advanced, so her power was immense. Still, she felt like it was smaller than an ant when compared to who she was fighting. Her speed kept increasing, yet he was still unfazed.
The two began moving throughout the street as they parried each other. Sierra's movements were swift and elegant, as if a dancer were performing a stunning performance.
"You should be a dancer, you know? The role would suit you." Revan teasingly remarked as he did a high backflip whilst dodging a diagonal slash. As the top of his head faced the ground, he blocked another horizontal slash with his finger, his smug expression facing her cold one with an intensity that couldn't be scoffed at.
Landing back on his feet, the two then continued parrying each other's blows elegantly. Stepping back, Sierra unleashed [Ice Spear] at him, which he deflected to the ground with ease, before perceiving her attack from behind. It was a blade made of Dark Magic that she had created as he dealt with the spear of Ice.
"[Dark Blades], eh?" He muttered whilst analyzing the magic blade before erasing it from existence. Just then, more blades emerged and attacked him at the same time, to which he responded by waving his arm, which then erased the rest of the blades from existence as well.
"Tch!"
"Hahah, getting frustrated now, are we? That expression doesn't really look good on you." He teased as he dodged another [Dark Blade] aimed at him, noting the scowl on her face.
Bringing her hand forth, everything around them began to wobble and ripple, as if space itself was acting funny. She then began to slowly curl her fingers, which prompted Revan's smirk to widen slightly as he felt pressure acting on him from all sides.
"Oh? Bending the space to your will?"
"Exactly," she affirmed. "I will limit the space for you to move to such an extent that it will place heavy pressure on you for merely standing. You will be crushed by the weight of this pressure, and thus... I will win."
It was a technique unlike anything Cronos had ever seen. Never before did he think that space could be manipulated like this. No wonder she was too strong for him to analyze.
And yet, he noticed how Revan didn't seem to be bothered by this at all. His smirk remained, his eyes still had that glint of amusement, and his stance was straight with his hands in his pockets.
"Your [Spatial Manipulation] is impressive. Still, that doesn't give you an edge over me." He told her before taking a step towards her, widening her eyes as she realized that her authority did not affect him.
"Damn it... There's nothing I can really do against you, is there?" She asked, her teeth gritting together and her brows furrowed.
"Hmm... what do you think?" Revan forwarded the question back to her, and her first thought was a no. It didn't seem like there was anything she could do against him.
Channeling her sword with Light Magic, Dark Magic, Water Magic, and pure energy, she readied herself to deliver one final strike. Her sword glowed from the amplification as her body oozed a massive oathweight; one that immediately pushed both Cronos and Sofamy to the ground.
"Shit! She was holding back this much power?!" Cronos muttered to himself as he gazed at all the buildings around him collapse instantly.
"Here goes..." she declared, her whole body shining with a blinding blue light. "[Multi-Magic Slash]!"
The attack was straightforward and deadly. A combination of several types of magic coming together to deliver one slash of destruction. She lunged at the Wanderer at an incomprehensible speed, her sword ready to strike him down.
BOOM!!!!!
An explosion erupted from their clash, blinding everyone as the entire place was engulfed in a blinding light. No one could tell what was happening. Even the people who were just minding their own business had no clue what was going on. The entire capital- no... multiple provinces of Aethelgard seemed to be affected by this one attack.
After what felt like hours, the light finally dissipated as people began to regain their vision. As both Cronos and Sofamy reopened their eyes, they spotted both Sierra and Revan in the same position as before, though there were some changes.
Sierra's expression was one of pure shock. Her clothes were tattered, her body was trembling slightly, and her hair was completely disheveled. Meanwhile, Revan stood unharmed, his smirk still present, as he held her sword between his index and middle fingers.
The outcome was clear. Revan had won.
"Aww... must be sad to lose this badly. That attack was pretty destructive, so I had to protect the entire region of the blast from destruction. You really pack quite the punch." Revan commented as he let go of her sword, making her collapse alongside it.
"Commend yourself, girl. That attack had me using two fingers instead of one." He added as he patted her head gently, widening her eyes as she turned her head up to look at his smug face.
It was an unfamiliar feeling. How many years had passed since she was last patted on the head like this? She couldn't recall it anymore. Centuries had passed since that happened... she couldn't recall any happy moment of her life from then on.
Her eyes remained wide and dazed as she lowered her head, comprehending what just happened. An unknown man tanked her strongest attack and overpowered her with ease, and then proceeded to treat her gently by patting her as if she were a cute little puppy.
It was not something she could have ever predicted, no matter how deep she looked into it. None of this was supposed to even happen. She just had to sneak up on the Princess and decapitate her before she could even realize what was going on. None of this was part of the plan at all.
"Oh? Did I daze you that much?" Revan asked with a confused look as he then created a burrito out of thin air using Vyr.
[Material Creation] ... no, it seems more advanced.
[Material Creation] itself was a technique that could nearly fully replicate something made manually by creating the object with Vyr. However, this burrito seemed too genuine to be created by this technique, implying another method for this.
"Here," he handed it to her. "Try this burrito. It has tasty beef in it."
His smile was now wry and sweet—a far cry from the cocky smirk he had just a moment ago. It wasn't a change she was expecting, prompting her to hesitate as she took the burrito from his hands.
Taking a bite, her cheeks warmed up slightly. She had a slight suspicion of it being harmful or poisonous, yet it was super delicious, and not even a little harm was felt. It was as if he were genuine about treating her.
"It's... good? But why do you give me this?" She looked up and asked, eager to know his true objectives.
"To get you out of your trance, of course. Losing to me wasn't in your expectations, so I figured you were too shocked to answer my questions." He replied as he knelt next to her.
"Questions?" She asked before glancing at Vekas, slowly getting up, as his consciousness returned after some time.
"Sir Revan..." The general called out weakly, prompting Revan to turn to him.
"Oh, hey Vekas. Don't worry, I dealt with her." Revan remarked as Vekas struggled to stand up, with Cronos rushing to his assistance.
"Sir Revan... we must interrogate her..." The general weakly remarked, to which the Wanderer responded by chuckling a bit.
"I know, I know..." he replied as he turned to him. "But let her ease up first. Can't get anything out of her in this state."
He's fully aware of just how dazed I truly am... he is perceptive, alright. Sierra chuckled slightly as she thought this, finding it amusing yet ridiculous that not only was he strong, but also smart.
"Guess you're back to your senses," Revan remarked calmly as he crouched to her level. "Now then, start by-"
"Sorry for the late arrival." A voice boomed before Revan could finish, prompting each of them to turn to where it came from, spotting the King of Aethelgard, Charlie, on his horse.
"I must thank you for capturing this fiend for me, Sir Revan," Charlie remarked as he got off his horse, with his soldiers surrounding them all.
Widening her eyes, Sierra sharply turned to Revan. There was no way such a powerful being was serving Aethelgard... right? Her expression gave away her thoughts to the Wanderer, who shrugged and winked in response.
"Now then, assailant," began Charlie, his voice menacingly deep. "You shall explain to us why you targeted my daughter before we execute you. You have nowhere to run, so surrendering is your only option."
Hearing this, Sierra narrowed her eyes as Revan stood up, his small, enigmatic smile complementing his features as his hands rested in his pockets once more, anticipating how she would react.
"Tch! I won't be held by the likes of you. Your kingdom has fallen, and I have no intention of being its victim." Declaring them, she launched a kick on the side of Revan, which he blocked with one finger, as expected by her.
Lunging her other hand, she unleashed a beam of light that blinded everyone in the area. Not even Charlie or Vekas could see anything. After some time, the light dissipated as everyone's vision returned, only for Sierra to be missing, having used the light as a distraction to run away.
"What?! Such blasphemy!" Charlie roared in anger as he turned to the black-haired man. "Sir Revan, why didn't you stop her?!"
"She blinded everyone with a [Light Boom]. I am a Wanderer, not an omnipotent god. Of course, I couldn't perceive her escaping." Revan retorted whilst shrugging, arguing that he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
"Tch! Guards! Search the whole kingdom and make sure she's found." Charlie ordered as he climbed back on his horse.
"Please help us on this, Sir Revan. That fiend went after my daughter's life. It's an unforgivable sin. Vekas will provide you with anything you need." The king requested, his voice slightly tamer, before turning away and heading back to the palace.
"Sir Revan..." Vekas approached him, whispering to his ear. "You could've easily deflected the attack and stopped her, correct?"
Vekas had witnessed Revan wipe out the entire army of Broshasa without effort. There was no way a mere assassin was able to catch him off-guard... right?
Yup, his smirk confirms my suspicion.
"Why, Sir Revan? Is there perhaps something we don't know yet?"
"You could say that, Vekas," Revan replied as he ruffled his jet-black hair. "Something was up about her, and I am eager to find out what it is."
"I see..." The general muttered before turning to Cronos, finally able to stand straight without the headguard's help.
"Cronos. Take the princess back to the palace. Make sure she remains unharmed."
"Yes, Sir Vekas!" Cronos affirmed before taking the princess's hand and leading her to a new carriage that Charlie left behind for her.
As time passed, all the soldiers left the scene, with some of them carrying the fallen casualties of the incident. Vekas sighed, his eyes narrowed, as he contemplated the loss of his comrades.
"His majesty... really planned on letting this place become a republic... when all of this was going on..." He muttered under his breath, shivering slightly as he remembered what they were discussing back in the throne room.
"You really seem to love this kingdom, eh?" Revan asked, a smirk on his face as he noted Vekas' devotion to Aethelgard.
"Of course. This kingdom is the reason I am still alive in the first place. I became a protector of Aethelgard for that sole reason. No other kingdom could've granted me the mercy this kingdom had."
Revan whistled in interest as Vekas finished his words, finding his statement to be worthy of interest. Something must have really happened for him to regard Aethelgard in such a high position.
"Say, what exactly happened for you to attain such devotion for a kingdom that's clearly falling apart." Revan asked, to which Vekas responded by pursing his lips, his eyes narrowed. His story wasn't an easy one, and recalling it was not an activity he wished to indulge in.
"It's a long story... I don't really wish to waste your time by indulging in my past." The general replied, his gaze downcast as he avoided Revan's eyes, finding the ground seemingly interesting.
"I see... must be pretty interesting." Revan remarked before leaning in slightly. "Come on! I have loads of time!"
Gazing at his widened eyes that seemed to resemble that of a cute puppy for some reason, Vekas sighed heavily, realizing that Revan seemed to really want to know more about him.
"Fine... I'll tell. Let's indulge in this as we walk back to the castle." Vekas relented as he turned to walk away whilst Revan diverted his gaze to the right, seemingly staring at a distant place.
"So, when I was born—"
"Hey, isn't that the beef guy?" Surprised by Revan's interruption, Vekas turned to him, only to find him missing.
"Huh? Sir Revan? Where did you go?!"