Alrain closed his eyes for a moment and focused his mana to create a wind that spread around him.
Woosh!
A cool breeze blew softly from Alrain's body, encircling a ten-meter radius. The wind was so subtle. It couldn't even move his hair. Yet behind that magic, every air molecule disturbed by even the slightest movement became a crystal-clear signal for Alrain. He could feel the movements of the five assassins.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In one precise circular motion, Alrain parried five attacks from five different directions simultaneously. His wind sword clashed loudly against the black daggers of the assassins.
"You can detect the movements of the five of us, who are assassins?" one of them muttered, his tone conveying genuine shock.
"You don't need to know anything about that!" Alrain answered firmly. His usually calm face now looked incredibly cold. "This is a battlefield, and I must reach Lord Arvin immediately! You are only wasting my time!"
Zoom!
The sound of a supersonic boom thundered through the area. The ground beneath Alrain's feet cracked from the sudden air pressure. Alrain's immense speed left only an afterimage that confused the enemies' eyes.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
In just one second, five synchronized slashing sounds were heard. Alrain landed a few meters behind them, with his magic sword of wind and lightning swinging downward in a decisive motion. The five assassins didn't even have a chance to make a sound before their heads were severed from their bodies, falling to the ground at the same time.
"I admit you were indeed fast and undetectable." Alrain said as he resumed his pace without looking back. "But, my wind can detect your presence very easily."
Alrain resumed his fast run. He knew Arvin was far ahead, at the epicenter of this war. However, once again his journey was interrupted. Someone suddenly staggered out from the thick forest on the southern side of the main road. His body was covered in wounds and blood, and the Vedegra army armor he wore was partially destroyed.
"I wish to report, General!" the man cried while trying to stand straight and salute, though his breath was ragged.
Alrain stopped, even though his heart screamed to keep moving forward. "What is it?"
"In the southern forest, there is someone extremely strong... he isn't a normal human. He destroyed most of our soldiers in an instant. Right now, the commanders are trying to hold that man back, but they won't last long!"
Hearing the report, Alrain gritted his teeth. He looked toward the front, the path to Arvin, then glanced toward the southern forest. And as a General, he could not let his master's troops be slaughtered just like that by someone who might lead them to defeat.
"Dammit... fine, I'll be there immediately!"
Zoom!
Without waiting for further explanation, Alrain darted into the southern forest. His speed this time far exceeded his limits. He moved five times faster than the supersonic speed he had used before. The trees around him looked like blurred brown lines.
It only took a few breaths for him to find the battle site. There, the sight was horrifying. Dozens of soldiers lay lifeless, while three commanders were struggling desperately to hold back the attack of a large-bodied man rampaging with a massive sledgehammer.
Alrain, who was already feeling irritated and fed up with being constantly blocked, did not give the enemy even the slightest chance to react.
"Begone!"
Zrash!
Even the commanders who were fighting did not notice Alrain's presence. They only saw a flash of green light that was incredibly fast, and in the next second, the large man who had been incredible human just moments ago had lost his head. The massive body fell with a thud, already lifeless.
Shock. That was what the commanders felt. Their General had just finished a fight that had overwhelmed them in a matter of milliseconds.
"Because of you, I had to delay going to Lord Arvin!" Alrain shouted in annoyance. He approached the man's head lying on the ground and kicked it so hard that it flew far away, disappearing behind the trees.
Alrain turned, staring sharply at the soldiers who remained. "Treat the wounded and after that, continue your sweep in this forest! Ensure no enemies remain!" he commanded firmly. "I must immediately help Lord Arvin face the enemy forces on the front lines!"
"Yes, General!" all the soldiers answered in unison, their voices trembling between fear and awe.
Alrain nodded in relief and then hurried away from the forest to meet his master. His wind magic cut through the thick trees, helping him glide swiftly until he finally emerged into a very vast open area.
Lord Arvin, I hope you are still up there. Alrain said worriedly in his heart. Wait for me! I will arrive there soon, My Lord.
The scene before him suddenly changed drastically. The vast area had now turned into a terrifying ocean of ice. Everything, the ground, grass, trees, and even thousands of enemy soldiers, had died frozen in various positions, as if their time had been forcibly stopped by magic that was extraordinarily cold and eternal.
Alrain didn't care about those frozen corpses. His goal was only one: his master.
I'll be there soon, My Lord. Alrain thought, a sense of relief beginning to seep into his heart as he felt Arvin's very dense mana presence ahead. After this war ends, I'll make sure you become my husband. I won't let you bear that burden of the past alone anymore.
As he reached the center of that ocean of ice, Alrain's pace slowed. His eyes were fixed on a sight he had never imagined before.
There, in the midst of the cold destruction, a pink-haired man appeared to be kneeling on the frozen ground. His head was bowed, his body trembling violently, and he was not holding a weapon.
However, what happened next was that the man screamed hysterically, a sound full of despair and madness that shattered the silence of that frozen battlefield.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH.....!!!!!!!!!"