THERE was a sudden commotion inside the headquarters of the Akatasuna Guild upon hearing Krecia’s report. Jie was still recuperating his energy from the sparring, and he could not calm down, knowing Nyssa had probably lost her life at this very moment.
Everyone gathered inside the war room. Damien and Ryker were busy contacting their subordinates who were available to aid them. Since the schedule of the Bestowing has changed, some members of the guild who needed to travel to Ankhe would not make it in time.
“Our force will be weakened compared to what I originally planned. Some guild officials went to Astraea since the chief called for them,” Ryker said, mentioning their main base. He kept tapping the hologram in front of his face, coming from the communication crystal. “This communication device is unreliable sometimes.”
“Probably the magic waves around your estate are messed up. Don’t forget you are on th
THE Orb of Oblivion required everyone to be together to fully utilize its power. It was risky since they were in one group, but they had to take their chances. Jie strengthened his resolve not to look at the skirmish going on in the peasant district below.“The Bestowing is almost done. Let's hope the Helios will disperse. Although I highly doubt it, they wouldn’t fortify the tower like this if nothing is going on.” Damien’s gaze was fixed on the group of imperial soldiers in red armor.Behind Habicht were four other gigantic birds—a hummingbird, a raven, and a kingfisher—each carrying two people, most of whom were members of the Knight of Terra aside from Krecia. And then there was Sigurd, who rode alone in his smaller-sized ifrit bird.Each of them wore the communication crystal in one ear given by Ryker to avoid misunderstandings during the operation. So far, everything has gone smoothly according to their pla
ZORA and Criston were positioned on each of Jie’s sides as they continued to advance, going to the emperor’s chamber.“I can’t be wrong. The holder is inside,” Zora said.“I can feel the presence of the Luominen, too.” Criston seconded. He carefully cracked the invisible shield located at the chamber’s entrance without alerting the dragon riders hovering around outside. Criston ensured it was safe to get in.When Jie finally set foot in the emperor’s chamber, he and his companions were immediately greeted by the vast hall with a golden throne a few meters away from them. Beside the throne, there was a twin crystal similar to the one they found in the high mage’s tower. One had a green liquid, and the other was empty, but there was a luminous swirling sphere connected to the other crystal.As Jie went closer, he was petrified when the realization hit him. He could now see a child ins
THE tension was all over the left wing of the imperial palace, where the emperor’s chamber was located. The shield covering the area was such a huge help that even though a surge of magic clashed in there, the royalties had not yet noticed.In the hall, Krecia had created the illusion that no one was there, despite Damien and the high mage having already been aggressive in putting down each other. However, she was not sure if the illusion would last long.Taftani lived to his name as the strongest mage in Vatre, because despite Damien’s effort along with the other Knights of Terra, the vast difference in their powers was obvious.“Do you really think you can defeat me? I am the high mage of Vatre! A mere lowly mage like you would never stand a chance!” Taftani unleashed his blue flame. Damien and his knights had dodged it, while Krecia countered it with her water magic.“No matter how strong you are, we are enou
THE situation was worse than Jie had imagined. He did not hesitate to unleash his hellfire, and a few hundred soldiers were caught in it. The first wave seemed to be effective, but for the next attack, the thousands of armies summoned their fire shields to protect themselves from the raging hellfire.Damien ordered him to halt his aggression when the emperor appeared before them.“Don’t overdo yourself, Ethros. Let us handle your escape; the priority is Luominen,” Damien said. He was already sweating hard and barely catching his breath.“We are surrounded. Do you really expect me to just stand here?” Jie was losing patience. There was no way out, especially now that they were cornered like rats and had nowhere to go but surrender.Damien’s jaw flexed. He knew very well that if they kept resisting, no matter how strong their power, they’d end up dead. They wouldn’t stand a chance against the thousand soldiers, plus the emperor himself was there.“Calm down and surrender,” Damien said i
IN THE White Center District, Ryker grew impatient, waiting in the Silver Mansion, holding his binoculars. He could see the skirmish going around because the flying dragons hovering around seemed restless. When he saw a massive fire shield enveloping the imperial palace, he knew it was time to go.Clad in his assassin’s cloak, he exited one tunnel connected to the Silver Mansion. He ordered everyone via communication crystal to mobilize.“Be careful, I can sense the presence of the Candela from here,” Ryker said.“Yes, my lord!” everyone answered simultaneously.The Candela was the mother orb of fire that gave the empire its tremendous power. And with the mother orb’s presence on the battlefield, they were at a great disadvantage. Even though members of the Akatasuna Guild were a force to be reckoned with.Blood had started to spatter as everyone from the reinforcement unit moved like the wind witho
NACHT, the man in a dark-hooded robe, ensured the safe passage of Ethros carrying Nyssa to the watchtower. He took advantage of the turmoil around him for Ethros to exit unnoticed, even though most of the high-ranking officials were specifically targeting the siblings. “Run faster!” Nacht muttered as he kept checking Ethros’ progress. When the emperor unleashed the gigantic magic circle, he was agitated about the safety of the two. He silently prayed that, by now, Ethros had already crossed the portal and exited Asterig. They must be away from the city as much as possible to be safe. Nacht was relieved when the massive magic circle was gone and the emperor, along with the king and the high mage, left the battlefield. “Deputy Chief!” A voice called him. It was not long when the scarlet-cloaked man came bearing the same insignia of the Akatasuna Guild. “Ryker!” Nacht immediately recognized the man, despite wearing a mask covering half of his face. “Are they safe?” Ryker asked
AS Jie approached the highest part of the watch tower carrying Nyssa, he was not expecting to see the princess standing beside the portal as if she were guarding it.“I was right, you were after the Luominen. I shouldn’t have told you about the Orb of Oblivion.” Princess Tzeitel’s face was nothing like the meek look she had when he first met her.The princess appeared strong and cunning, not the usual damsel in distress. But how could she recognize him now, even though he was under the imitation charm during the empress’ banquet?“Let us in, I don’t want to fight with you,” Jie warned. He remained calm as much as possible because alerting the Helios outside the watchtower would only put him and Nyssa in a difficult situation again.The princess chuckled. “Just like the others, you think I am weak. Anyway, I know your secret, Ethros Aridame.”“My secret?”“Or shall I say... Jie Tan?” Her lips quivered, and she added, “A traveler from another world.”Jie’s eyes widened in shock. “How di
THE warm temperature inside the portal made Jie calm his raging mind. He loosened up, thinking that he had been led into a trap. He walked in a straight path for a few minutes, but he felt like he was doing it for a long time. “Nyssa, we’re near the end of this. We’ll be free,” he mumbled as his grip on the little girl’s body tightened. Jie hastened his pace, and he reached the end of the portal. He suddenly materialized in an unfamiliar, barren forest. The gigantic trees were dried, and the burning sandy soil penetrated through his leather boots. “Is this in Asterig?” he asked himself. Jie recalled the masked man who helped him, and he imagined that the type of forest that would greet him was a lush one. He gazed around, looking for a possible water source to quench his thirst. He lost a lot of energy since they infiltrated the watchtower, and even though he successfully entered the portal, their safety was not yet guaranteed. Jie alerted his senses when he heard the snappin