Alrain reflexively raised his sword to the side, blocking the heavy strike of a fire sword. The red-haired man he had kicked earlier had apparently risen once more. Blood flowed from the corner of his lips, but his eyes burned with hatred.
"You again?" Alrain cried out in irritation, the veins on his forehead bulging. "You're just a nuisance! I'm waiting for a marriage answer from My Lord! You insensitive, stupid fool!"
"I don't care!" the red-haired man shouted.
He swung his sword made of fire magic fiercely. Intense heat lashed out, trying to burn Alrain. And now his slashes grew faster, as if a personal grudge was implied behind every swing.
Alrain held the attack with one hand, while his mind refocused on the responsibility Arvin had given him. He didn't want to let his feelings ruin the battle or cause a loss for his master.
"Troops!" Alrain shouted, his voice booming to the entire rear line, full of the authority of a war general. "Scour the northern and southern forests! There are many ambushers hiding there! Kill all enemy forces there and don't let a single rat slip through to disturb Lord Arvin!"
"Yes, General!" answered the Vanzhas troops in unison.
Like a split wave, the Vanzhas troops spread to the left and right of the main road, entering the forest to hunt the enemy. Thousands of armed citizens also ran along with the soldiers, ready to clear the path for their leader who was fighting on the front lines.
Clang!
The sound of heavy impacts rang out incessantly amidst the chaos of the battlefield, creating a deafening rhythm of death.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Every time Alrain's wind sword met the blade made of solidified fire belonging to the red-haired man, a shockwave exploded, scattering dust and gravel in every direction. Scorchingly hot air collided with the sharp, cold wind, creating an elemental vortex that tore up the ground around them.
The red-haired man gave Alrain no chance to breathe. He lunged forward aggressively, swinging his fire sword in a series of lethal vertical and horizontal slashes. Trails of fire lingered in the air like a devil's dance, attempting to burn anything they touched.
"So, you're the general? No wonder you're so strong!" the man shouted through labored breaths. His wild eyes sparkled with a passion for battle, as if he had long awaited a worthy opponent. "You can withstand my fire without getting burned at all!"
"I'm not even serious yet." Alrain retorted with a casual, intentionally provocative tone. His sharp gaze dissected every move of his opponent. "Your movements are full of openings. You'd better not hold back, or your head will be separated from your neck before you know it."
However, the man's reaction was unexpected. Instead of getting angry or provoked, he leaped back, creating a wide distance between them. He lowered the position of his fire sword, letting the tip lick the grass, which instantly turned black.
His gaze shifted drastically. The bloodlust faded, replaced by complex eyes as he stared at Alrain.
"Is being by his side... pleasant?" the man asked suddenly. His voice was heavy, as if the question had been held in his throat for a long time.
Alrain instinctively halted his intention to counter-attack. He could feel that the question wasn't just a stalling tactic. There was a weight of real emotion there. But he remained vigilant, his wind sword buzzing softly in the air.
"You mean Lord Arvin?" Alrain asked to confirm.
"Yes, of course about him!"
Alrain fell silent for a moment. Images of his master's face, the coldness, the frequent harsh words, yet the constant protection, flickered through his mind. A faint, almost invisible smile etched itself onto his lips.
"Yes, being by his side is very pleasant." Alrain answered honestly. His voice was firm, without a trace of doubt. "Even though he often acts cold and merciless, he is the one who saved me when I had almost given up on my life. He gave me a reason to live."
The red-haired man smiled bitterly at the answer. He looked down slightly, staring at the scorched earth.
"To be honest..." the man added with a slightly raspy voice, as if talking to himself. "I liked him very much back at the academy, too. He was the most prominent figure in our year. He was the legendary 'King of Terror'."
Alrain's brows furrowed. "King of Terror?"
"Yes. You might know him as the grand Duke now, but at the academy, he was a nightmare for the arrogant nobles." the man continued, his eyes looking far into the past. "He never cared for rules or etiquette. He brutally beat down anyone who stood in his way. He broke their bones without batting an eye."
The man chuckled softly, a sound that seemed pathetic. "But without him realizing it, the terror he spread actually saved us. We, the commoner students studying at the academy, were often targets for the nobles. But because Arvin was there... because those bullies were too afraid Arvin would go on a rampage if he saw someone breaking the rules in his territory... we became safe. He protected us with the fear he sowed."
Alrain was stunned. He never knew that side of his master's past. Arvin, in his cold and sometimes brutal way, had always been a protector for the weak.
"Then why are you fighting against him now?" Alrain asked sharply, his sword pointing straight at his opponent's chest. "If you admire him, why do you stand in the ranks of the enemies who want to destroy him?"
"Because I'm a coward." the man replied quickly, his voice filled with self-loathing. "I saw what he did to Allen in the past. He destroyed that boy's mental state in public. He humiliated him mercilessly, crushing his pride into dust. Seeing that cruelty... my courage failed me."
The man gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. "I realized I would never be able to stand beside a monster like him. I was afraid. I was afraid he would destroy me too, even if I made just a small mistake. My fear overcame my admiration."
"I was treated harshly by him as well." Alrain cut in. He looked straight into his enemy's eyes. "He often hit me during training. He even choked me until I begged him to kill me. He called me stupid over and over again. But I remain loyal by his side. Because I know, behind his harshness, he does it for my own good so that I don't die a pathetic death on a battlefield like this."