Ordion lunged at Alrain after speaking his truth. There was no more hesitation, no more talk. Only the ring of swords.
Clang! Slash! Clang! Slash! Clang!
The two fought with fierce intensity, but the atmosphere had shifted. There was no more hatred or malicious intent. Strike after strike was traded as a final tribute, a way to end their battle with dignity.
Both Alrain and Ordion held a deep respect for one another. To honor his opponent, each fought with absolute seriousness, communicating only through the clash of magic.
At that moment, they both realized they shared the same tragic fate. They both loved Arvin, yet the chances of truly having him were slim.
Ordion hadn't dared to reveal his feelings after seeing what happened to Allen. The fear of rejection and mental destruction had made him retreat. As for Alrain, he felt his desire to have Arvin was blocked by a massive wall, his master's inability to forget his first love, who was none other than Allen. He concluded that all these tangled threads led back to one name: Allen.
I am so curious to see what this man named Allen looks like. Alrain thought, his curiosity piqued as he parried Ordion's fire slashes. Who is he? How great is he that he could make Lord Arvin so obsessed and turn someone as strong as Ordion into a coward? Once this battle is over, I will catch up to Lord Arvin immediately! Perhaps I will encounter that man there.
The battle continued, draining their stamina and mana. However, Alrain, who had been trained efficiently by Arvin, possessed superior endurance. Meanwhile, Ordion, who had been constantly forcing his body to regenerate, was reaching his limit. The fire on his body began to flicker like a candle running out of wick.
Ordion's movements slowed for a fraction of a second, and that was all Alrain needed.
Zrash!
A swift and precise wind sword slash pierced through Ordion's weakened defense. Alrain's blade plunged deep, skewering Ordion's stomach until it emerged from his back.
Alrain immediately leapt backward, staying alert as he waited for his opponent's regeneration.
But this time, no fire appeared.
The wound remained open. Blood gushed out without any sign of stopping. The mana within Ordion's body had been completely depleted from using his Holy Healing Fire too many times to reconstruct his body and head.
The red-haired man staggered. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground with a severe wound to his abdomen. His fire sword went out.
"It seems..." Ordion wheezed, his breath becoming shallow and heavy. His vision began to blur as he stared up at the sky. "This is the end of my life."
Hearing his confession, Alrain walked closer and knelt beside his opponent. He felt no victory, only a sense of emptiness.
"You were too reckless with your mana!" Alrain stated, though his tone was gentle, like a friend offering advice. He looked at Ordion's helpless, paling face. "If you had been on Lord Arvin's side, he would have trained you to be stronger. He would have taught you how to optimize your abilities to the maximum without draining your mana like a fool."
Ordion tried to laugh, but only a cough of blood came out. He smiled weakly, looking into Alrain's eyes.
"You know... that can never happen. Time can't be taken back." Ordion whispered. A tear escaped the corner of his eye, mixing with the dust of their battlefield. "I truly regret... I regret becoming his enemy. I regret never telling Arvin the truth."
Alrain bowed his head, looking at Ordion's face with a mixture of respect and pity.
"To be honest, I also regret meeting Lord Arvin so late." Alrain added softly. "If only I could have met him sooner, I'm certain I could have prevented all of this. Lord Arvin wouldn't be filled with such regret and bitterness after Allen came to hate him. And perhaps... we could have been comrades-in-arms by his side."
Ordion, lying weak with his life force beginning to fade, widened his eyes. Alrain's last words seemed to strike him harder than the wind sword that had just pierced his abdomen. A single tear fell once more, this time not from physical pain, but from a suffocating spark of relief.
"I... just found out that Arvin regrets his actions in the past." Ordion whispered, his voice nearly lost in the gusts of the battle wind.
He smiled bitterly, staring at the sky darkened by the smoke of war above him. "But... I feel satisfied. At least I can die on the land that is Arvin's domain. May this place be the best place to atone for... my... reg...rets..."
Those words were followed by one last long breath. His eyes slowly closed, and Ordion's body went completely limp. The Eternal Flame had truly been extinguished, leaving a brief silence amidst the chaos still roaring in the distance.
Alrain fell silent for a moment, gazing at the corpse of the man who had once shared his master's youth. He crossed his right hand over his chest, giving a sincere final salute.
"Rest in peace, Ordion." Alrain said in a low yet respectful tone. "I will ensure you are buried properly here after this war ends, just as you wished."
Alrain immediately turned around. His focus was sharp once again: he had to reach Arvin's side immediately. However, fate seemed unsatisfied with testing his patience. He had only run a few dozen meters when his steps were forced to a halt. Five shadowed figures suddenly emerged from the dust haze, standing tall to block his path.
"It seems it won't be that easy for me to arrive at Lord Arvin's side." Alrain lamented, letting out a long sigh.
He stared sharply at the five men. They wore no heavy armor, but rather tight black garments that identified them as a special unit. "Are you the ones who will be my next opponents?"
"I never imagined you would succeed in defeating the third strongest person after Allen and 'that person'!" one of them spoke, his voice sounding cold and emotionless. "It seems the five of us must exert all our abilities to fight you!"
Woosh...
Without warning, the five men vanished from sight. Their movements were incredibly silent, almost without the sound of footsteps or the friction of air. Alrain tried to rely on his eyes, but this time the enemies moved beyond normal visual range.
Zrash!
A scratch appeared on Alrain's shoulder. Blood seeped out, soaking his clothes. The attack was so fast that he didn't even have time to see the weapon that had wounded him.
Dammit! Alrain cursed in his heart, irritation beginning to burn in his chest. My path is blocked again, and they even managed to wound me. The five of them are very strong and well-coordinated. I have no choice but to use that method.