Andre arrived at the devastated battlefield and, upon seeing Dario unconscious among the rubble and remains of deformed creatures, he couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh.
"Hah! Seriously? This is what took you down? Hahaha! You've gotten rusty, Dario!"
As he spoke, Andre began to calmly walk towards the infirmary. With each step he took, the deformed creatures still lurking in the surroundings began to disintegrate, as if his mere presence annihilated them. He moved at such an absurd speed that, to the untrained eye, he didn't seem to be moving at all, but simply appearing and disappearing among the shadows.
"Hahaha, what are these weird things?" Andre said with a laugh, disdainfully kicking the viscous remains of one of the creatures.
'Time to end this,' he murmured, more to himself, with unshakable confidence.
In a matter of seconds, Andre finished off all the remaining threats in the area. Then, he hoisted Dario's unconscious body onto his shoulders and quickly headed towards the main infirmary. However, upon arrival, the scene was desolate: the place was under attack and had already been almost completely destroyed. Among the rubble, he managed to make out two students fighting desperately, defending the wounded.
Andre joined the fray, eliminating several attackers with precise and lethal movements, but he soon understood the battle wouldn't end quickly. The situation was bigger than it seemed.
"Guys, we have to go! This isn't going to end soon!" he shouted to Sara and James, who in turn were trying to help Azrael.
Sara and James obeyed immediately, supporting Azrael between them. But the young swordsman's condition was critical; even with their help, he could barely move forward, dragging his feet with effort over the debris-covered ground.
When they finally managed to reach the other infirmary—an emergency one located in the east wing—they encountered even greater chaos. There wasn't just one infiltrator: there were dozens. The attackers, mages and swordsmen alike, were mercilessly slaughtering the students. With no time to lose, Andre left Dario in the care of his companions and ventured into the devastated building, desperately searching for any healing potion that could at least stabilize his friend.
On his way to the supply storage, he was intercepted by an enemy swordsman. Andre defeated him quickly, but upon returning, he discovered he had been followed: a group of mages and warriors blocked the path, surrounding them. At that moment, Andre knew he had no choice but to face them.
It was then that Dario, between coughs and spitting blood, briefly regained consciousness.
"Andre… run… you're not young anymore," he managed to say, his voice broken.
Andre looked at his friend and smiled, a spark of his old pride shining in his eyes.
"Seriously? You think I've lost my touch? Watch… and you'll see."
With a battle cry, Andre launched himself into combat. He managed to take out several enemies in a flurry of movements, taunting them between each strike.
"Hahaha! Really? Is this all you've got? You're weaklings!"
But his euphoria came to an abrupt halt when, from the shadows, an imposing figure emerged: a muscular being wielding a sword as long as a man, its blade gleaming with an ancient essence, a shimmer that seemed to breathe with the power of dragons.
"Hahaha, did you really think you were fighting true warriors? These were just pawns," said the newcomer, his voice rumbling through the air.
Andre held his breath. He couldn't believe it. Not just because of the threat the man represented, but because of the weapon he brandished: a mythical artifact, a dragon-tempered sword he himself had searched for years without success. Even so, with the determination that had defined his entire life, Andre tightened his grip around his own sword and adopted a fighting stance. There was no time for awe. Only for battle.