The group continued their journey under the scorching sun as Lilia recounted her experiences in the royal capital of Asura. Her voice carried a nostalgic tone as she spoke of the ruthless political games within the palace.
"There were many princes and princesses, but the games in the palace are cruel. One by one, they died... I don't know how many remain now, but the favorite to inherit the throne seemed to be the firstborn, Grabell Zafin Asura."
Rygar was about to ask other questions when suddenly his ears perked up, the hairs on his arm stood on end, and he looked in a specific direction.
Instantly, the others felt the change and their hands moved to their weapons.
The reaction was automatic. They had learned to trust Rygar's perception, whose long-range detection ability was unmatched. Not even Skoll could surpass him in that.
He stayed alert for a moment, analyzing; he picked up the presences with his keen hearing, and he could also sense the smell, then activated his Demon Eyes.
His vision expanded, seeing the flow of mana in slow motion, each particle moving distinctly before him. He couldn't see the mana flow far away, but he could see a blur moving. After that analysis, he said:
"There are two people moving along the same path as us. But I sense no hostility, even though they are laden with magical items... And by the way they walk, one of them is probably a warrior."
The group relaxed a bit. Eidar then commented:
"They're probably travelers like us. Skoll probably sensed a powerful Red Dragon before."
Skoll growled, as if in agreement. Ghislaine crossed her arms and nodded.
"We can ask them about the Fittoa region. Since they're carrying magical items, they must be important, so they probably have some information."
The group then continued their journey, but Rygar remained cautious. He thought to himself:
'Well... I don't have any bad premonitions... But also no good ones... It must be all right.'
As they continued, the two travelers gradually approached under Rygar's watchful attention, who was walking outside the carriage along with Ghislaine, Eris, and Skoll; the rest remained inside the carriage.
When they were close enough, he noticed something strange. His gaze narrowed, and his demon eyes caught something absurd.
'What an absurd amount of mana is that?!'
This guy had even more mana than the mage who ambushed him in the Kingdom of the Dragon King, and besides, his Touki was completely different from anything she had ever seen.
It was then that he realized that only he continued walking.
The rest of the group had stopped. The horses, too, were paralyzed.
When he turned, he saw Lilia holding the reins of the paralyzed horses, her face pure fear. Her face was pale.
He looked around and everyone was in the same situation. Ghislaine was gripping the hilt of her sword so tightly that the blood had stopped circulating.
Aisha, inside the carriage with Lilia and Eidar, was clutching the warrior's sleeve and hiding her face, completely terrified.
Eidar, Eris... Even Skoll was paralyzed. The wolf's hairs were completely bristled, and he didn't even dare to let out a growl. No one was breathing loudly.
Rygar was extremely confused. He didn't understand what was happening. The travelers were getting closer and closer.
After not understanding the situation, he pushed his Demon Eyes to the limit.
Time slowed down. The world around him became sharp. Every detail, every speck of dust in the air, every slight muscle contraction on his allies' faces was visible to him.
Then, he observed them.
The first was a tall man with silver hair and golden eyes. He wore only a white coat made of some kind of leather, but Rygar immediately saw that it had magical properties.
The man's gaze was penetrating and intimidating. His irises were so small that one could see all the white around them.
When he looked at him, when he saw that silver hair and those golden eyes, he felt a thirst for blood. A part of him wanted to tear him in two right there.
But he was now in control of himself, and he wouldn't start growling like a beast. So, despite an unsettling feeling, it was just that. An annoyance.
After all, looking closely, he was certain.
He couldn't win.
It wasn't just his mana capacity. It was everything. He felt that he was facing a superior being. In strength. In status. An absolute predator at the top of the food chain.
That was the feeling.
Then, he looked at the girl.
And his mind short-circuited.
'What is this?!'
One of them had more mana than any other being he had ever encountered. And the other... had nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She was a girl with long black hair – something very rare in this world. And, for some reason, he felt that she was slightly familiar. She wore various magical items all over her body and a white mask, which was also a magical item.
These two were anomalies.
But again, even though both were clearly coming toward his group, he felt no hostility whatsoever.
'Aren't they the source of this?'
His pupils darted quickly, scanning everything around. No magic. No magic circle. No hidden monster.
Then why did everyone suddenly freeze like that?
He noticed all of this in milliseconds using his eyes. He even noticed that Lilia had peed.
But he couldn't find the focus.
He wouldn't be able to carry everyone and flee from there, so the only option was to talk.
At that moment, his magical eyes reached their limit. The world returned to normal. He placed his hand on the sword hilt and said, in a firm voice:
"Stop right there!"
Rygar stepped in front of Ghislaine, positioning himself at the forefront of the group.
His body was tense, and his mind teemed with questions. The man with silver hair and golden eyes stopped along with the girl by his side. His cold gaze swept over Rygar's group before he spoke, his deep voice.
"Hm? An Ebony Wolf?"
Rygar maintained his firm posture, holding Tsukikage tightly, but without unsheathing the blade.
"Who are you? What have you done with my companions?" he asked, his voice laden with caution.
The man, without changing his expression, observed the group. All the warriors in the group were ready to attack, weapons in hand, eyes fixed on him, as if facing their worst enemy and greatest nightmare.
"What an unusual group to encounter..." he murmured. "Ghislaine Dedoldia, Eris Boreas Greyrat, Lilia Greyrat..."
His gaze narrowed slightly. "And is that Aisha Greyrat?"
Ghislaine growled aggressively.
"How do you know our names?!"
Rygar was confused. Ghislaine's reaction was extreme. What was happening? He looked at his group.
"Do you know him?" he asked, his voice calm yet full of inquiry.
"No!" answered Eris, Ghislaine, and Eidar simultaneously, their voices trembling, their faces pale.
The man turned his attention to Eidar and Skoll, his eyebrow furrowing.
Rygar sensed the hostility.
"Reidar? What are you doing here? You should be dead."
Eidar clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.
"I don't know you! And my name is Eidar!"
Rygar felt his confusion and tension increase. Why was everyone reacting with such fear and hostility?
If they didn't know this man, why did they treat him as a mortal enemy? Why did the man become hostile as soon as he saw Eidar if they didn't know each other?
Finally, the man looked directly at Rygar. His gaze seemed to pierce his soul.
"And you... who are you?"
Rygar remained cautious. Without turning around, he ordered the group:
"Don't attack him! Under no circumstances!"
He knew that a battle there would be suicidal. To prevent the conflict from escalating, he lowered his sword.
Eidar did not like that.
"Rygar!"
The look Rygar gave him made him stop. Then, Rygar turned his attention back to the stranger.
"Answer first. Who are you and what ability did you use on my group?"
The man raised an eyebrow, looking slightly curious.
"Don't you avert your gaze? Aren't you afraid?"
A brief silence ensued before he answered.
"I am Orsted. Now, who are you?"
Rygar narrowed his eyes.
"I am Rygar Adoldia."
Orsted seemed bothered by that answer.
"That's impossible. Who are your parents?"
Rygar did not avert his gaze.
"Who are yours?"
Orsted maintained his impenetrable expression.
"I did nothing to your companions, they are just afraid. I am the Dragon God, Orsted. Now, it must have been you who used the Earthquake spell. Who taught you that magic?"
Rygar paused for a second and thought, 'Perhaps he is a friend of the Master?'
He replied, "My master is Verdia Solarion."
Orsted furrowed his brows again, appearing ill-humored.
"Verdia Solarion is dead."
An intense anger grew within Rygar. His body tensed, and an almost palpable pressure emanated from him.
"She seemed very much alive while teaching me magic..." his voice was low and sharp as a blade.
Orsted appeared to ponder something for a moment. The tension in the air was suffocating. Then, he spoke:
"Have you ever heard the name Hitogami?"
Rygar reacted before he could restrain himself. Even though he quickly hid his expression, it was enough. Orsted saw it.
In the next moment, Rygar saw death.
His instinct made him activate his Demon Eyes. Everything around him slowed down, but Orsted was still fast, impossible to dodge. His hand was aimed at his heart.
Rygar raised Tsukikage and engulfed the blade in faint flames. Orsted's strike collided with his sword. The impact made him tremble from head to toe.
He immediately began conjuring a Physical Barrier magic on his chest.
Orsted said, "I see, two apostles then. Then, die."
"Eidar! Grab Aisha and fall back!" shouted Ghislaine, advancing at full speed, wielding the Longsword of Light.
Rygar tried to attack as well; as soon as he slashed with Tsukikage, the blue blade was stopped by the Dragon God's arm, creating only a small cut, all happening in milliseconds, and the flames had not yet accumulated.
What happened next was confusing—Rygar unsheathed Nighthunter and struck the enemy's abdomen at lightning speed, but a blow he didn't even see broke his wrist, forcing him to let go of the blade.
The man instantly noticed the barrier on his chest.
The next thing he saw was an elbow to his jaw, and shortly after, felt a punch hit his temple. Rygar felt his brain shaking inside his skull as a crack formed and he spun in the air.
It almost killed him. If he were an ordinary warrior, his brain would now be just a messy, gloppy mass.
In fact, Rygar felt the intent to kill—the man wanted to kill him with that blow, but underestimated Rygar's physical and bone resistance.
His vision swirled, his perception became a jumble.
Orsted even noticed that he was still alive and was about to finish him off, but Ghislaine was already on top using the Longsword of Light.
Before he could recover, a brutal kick struck him in the stomach. He felt his ribs break and was launched like a projectile, flying violently.
Eidar didn't hesitate for a second; everything happened in an instant, and he grabbed Aisha and ran in the opposite direction.
Eris, however, advanced to fight alongside Ghislaine.
Ghislaine reached Orsted with a perfect Longsword of Light.
But even the stance he took after the kick he gave to Rygar was a way to lure Ghislaine into a trap.
It was as if, from the beginning, he was in control, every step, every action, and every movement calculated to bring him closer to victory.
"You're faster than usual, Ghislaine Dedoldia."
Hiramune slid along Orsted's hand without injuring him.
He manipulated the blade as if the warrior were willingly handing it over.
And Ghislaine, whose grip on the blade was strong, was guided along with the blade by an irresistible force.
Before Ghislaine realized it, one of his hands naturally flowed along the surface of the blade and struck her neck, rendering her unconscious instantly.
All the speed and strength that Ghislaine had used against him only aided him. Orsted redirected the power, spun her body, and hurled her off the cliff.
Ghislaine vanished in the fall.
Orsted remained impassive, his golden eyes analyzing each enemy before him with cold precision.
"Haaaaaah!"
Without even a second's pause, Eris emerged from his blind spot, his sword whistling through the air in a fierce cut aimed at the Dragon God's neck.
At the same time, Skoll charged with his exposed fangs, attacking from another angle.
But Orsted neutralized them with ease.
All he did was gently stop her sword with the palm of his hand. Or at least, that's what it seemed.
And yet, that was enough to send her spinning through the air. She flew toward the mountain wall, as if struck by a direct blow.
The stones disintegrated upon impact and she fell with a dull thud.
Skoll met a similar fate to Ghislaine; Orsted dodged his fangs by mere millimeters and only slightly pushed Skoll, accelerating his charge as he hurled him off the cliff.
"You have potential, but you still need time to grow, Eris Boreas Greyrat."
He turned to the stones and said thoughtfully, "Magic without enchantment... you are certainly very resilient."
At that moment, from the rubble, a roar echoed.
Rygar emerged, his body covered in dust, eyes burning with contained rage.
His healing magic quickly repaired the superficial damage to his brain tissue. But even that "quickly" was enough for half of his group to be neutralized.
This was dangerous—if the damage were just a little greater, he wouldn't be able to heal with his current level of healing magic. His senses were still a bit dulled.
He quickly activated his eyes and processed everything with his senses.
Ghislaine, having just awakened mid-freefall, used Hiramune as support to cling to the cliff.
Eris, with several broken bones, but not life-threatening.
Skoll, falling freely toward the bottom of the cliff, but conscious, will survive.
'I need to hold him until everyone can escape! This guy cannot be defeated!'
Orsted spared not a second's glance at him; instead, he turned his head toward Eidar and Aisha, who were closer.
Lilia was in front of him, sword in hand, but her hands trembled uncontrollably. Her face was pale with absolute terror.
Orsted paid no attention to her; he simply moved with superhuman speed toward the fleeing ones.
"No!" Rygar roared, activating his Howling Magic and beginning to run at full speed to catch him.
His voice reverberated with power, but Orsted was far ahead. At the same time, he prepared a Lightning spell to launch directly at the Dragon God.
But Orsted merely casually raised a hand.
"Ran Ma."
The magic was instantly undone in the air, dispersing like smoke in the wind.
Rygar's eyes widened. "Wha—?"
He accelerated his run even more while wrapping Tsukikage in furious lightning.
But Orsted was already in front of Eidar.
The Water Saint, realizing there was no escape, turned at the last moment. With his sword in one hand and Aisha in the other, he struck with the Flow, reaching a level he had never before attained.
But against this opponent that wouldn't help him; one hand deflected the sword naturally.
Eidar turned his back and pressed Aisha against his chest, instinctively protecting her.
Orsted's hand pierced through Eidar's back like a spear, destroying his heart.
The world seemed to stop for a moment. Blood streamed down Orsted's arm, and Eidar's body trembled, his eyes wide with surprise and pain.
Aisha, clinging to him, looked at the bloody hole with tear-filled eyes. Eidar's warm blood began to soak her clothes.
She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound that emerged was a strangled sob.
The Dragon God said, "Sorry for the rudeness, Aisha Greyrat."
He turned to Eidar, who was bleeding, and said, "Reidar, tell the Man God... that the one who will kill him is the Dragon God, Orsted."
Orsted's voice was cold, definitive. He slowly withdrew his hand, letting Eidar fall to his knees. The warrior smiled faintly, even with blood dripping from his mouth.
He looked at Aisha, his expression softening. "It will be all right, little one..."
Aisha sobbed, clinging to him, refusing to let him go. Her small fingers tried to close the wound, but the blood continued to gush.
Rygar felt a part of him shatter.
A growl of pure rage and despair echoed through the mountains.
Orsted turned his gaze to Rygar, assessing him.
"Was he your close friend? I can see why Hitogami would bind you two together."
But Rygar couldn't hear anything.
His mind was blank.
Hatred consumed every coherent thought. Escape? Even if he wanted to, he couldn't.
'Eidar is dead! Dead! I can't heal him from this!'
He couldn't leave Aisha and the others behind. He couldn't let his companions die. He couldn't let this man get away.
'I need to fight, I can only fight!'
Tsukikage burned with furious lightning.
Rygar launched himself at Orsted with everything he had.
The Dragon God blocked his charge with his arm, as before, but was slightly surprised when he felt a deep cut on his arm.
"You use magic in an interesting way... or is it that sword?"
But Rygar did not answer.
He attacked again. Blow after blow, his fury was channeled in every movement, but Orsted was faster, stronger.
His technique was unmatched. He began evading the sword, learning Rygar's patterns with terrifying speed.
The fight lasted shortly.
Rygar barely noticed when his hand was crushed and Tsukikage was wrenched from him.
The pain came next: a punch to the chin made him stagger, dazed. In the next moment, three brutal strikes pierced his torso, easily penetrating his Barrier.
Lung. Kidney. Heart.
He staggered. 'What...?'
His body was failing. Blood flowed freely from his wounds. His knees buckled. His vision blurred.
He collapsed against a wall, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.
He tried to get up, but his body wouldn't obey. He looked around and saw the girl.
Eris, who had been trying to drag herself into the fight to help, looked at him with an incredulous stare.
"A-aah… R-Rygar… Rygar…!"
Eris screamed, her voice full of horror and despair. She crawled toward him, trying to reach him.
Rygar thought, 'Damn... Is this how I'm going to die?'
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!" she screamed. "Rygar, get up! Someone save him! Rygar's going to die! He's bleeding so much! Anyone!"
Rygar, feeling his consciousness gradually fading, thought, 'Really... a world full of superhumans who can kill you without any consequences....'
He had trained. Not like he had dedicated his life to training, but he never relaxed. He had talent, but even that couldn't save him in the end.
'I didn't even leave any descendants... Perhaps it's just fate...'
Orsted looked at Eris with a neutral expression. "Was he important to you? I'm sorry, Eris Boreas Greyrat, but eventually you will understand. Come, Nanahoshi."
But the masked girl hesitated. She looked at Rygar, bleeding and struggling to breathe, and then at Orsted.
"About that... don't you think it would be better to let him live?"
That was the last thing Rygar heard before his consciousness finally faded away.
-----
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