At the Cultist's Site…
Aeron gritted his teeth, trying to inch closer to the cultist, but the invisible blows kept coming from random directions. He barely managed to dodge, relying on his time-slowing ability, but even that wasn't enough. Damn it… I can't keep this up forever.
Aeron winced as another attack struck his side, knocking the breath out of him. His body ached from the repeated hits, and he knew he couldn't keep dodging for long.
"It's hard to fight them without Mihon…" Aeron thought to himself, trying to regain his footing.
Meanwhile, Kael, standing behind the cultist, picked up a handful of rocks and hurled them at their enemy. But as soon as the projectiles neared the cultist, they stopped mid-air, crashing harmlessly against an invisible shield.
Julian, who had already cut down every last beast, leaped high into the air, bringing his sword down with a devastating slash—but the shield blocked it.
Aeron clicked his tongue in frustration.
"How do we penetrate the shield?" he muttered.
"Can't you see? You cannot kill me!" the cultist sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Aeron clenched his fists. "Ugh… this guy is getting on my nerves."
"I have a plan," Aeron said suddenly, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Julian and Kael exchanged glances.
"What plan?" Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aeron didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath and casually started walking toward the cultist.
"O mighty and powerful mage," Aeron called out with an exaggerated tone, as if praising him. "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"
The cultist narrowed his eyes, confused by Aeron's sudden shift in attitude. Even Julian and Kael looked at each other, unsure of what Aeron was planning.
"We acknowledge our insignificance," Aeron continued, bowing his head slightly, his voice laced with mock humility. "We can't possibly defeat someone of your caliber… We accept our defeat."
The cultist let out a booming laugh, his confidence swelling at Aeron's words.
"Hah! That's right, you insects! Now you finally understand your place!" he declared, his ego inflating with every word.
Aeron forced a grin, suppressing his disgust. "Then, if it is not too much to ask, may I at least know the name of the great mage who has defeated us so effortlessly?"
The cultist straightened his back, lifting his chin as if soaking in the admiration.
"I am Mordian," he announced, his voice echoing through the forest. "A member of the Demon King's Representative Cult!"
Aeron's smile faltered for a split second. "Tch. Another one of these lunatics…"
Still keeping up his act, Aeron tilted his head. "The Demon King's Representative Cult, what a Fascinating name. Could you tell me more about this… divine order of yours?"
Mordian's eyes gleamed at the opportunity to boast. "We serve as the true justice of this world. We rid it of impurity in the name of the Demon King!"
"Justice?" Aeron's expression darkened. "You mean like slaughtering innocent people?"
Mordian's smug grin faded as Aeron locked eyes with him.
Aeron continued, his voice growing sharper with anger. "I met an acquaintance of yours. Nyvra. You know him, right?"
The moment Aeron mentioned Nyvra's name, Julian's expression changed instantly—his body tensed.
Mordian, however, scoffed. "Nyvra, huh? That worthless scum…"
Aeron continued, his voice rising with fury."Nyvra took the lives of some low-life criminals. But weren't they entitled to a trial? Weren't they still human?" Aeron's fists tightened. "And what about the cadets you murdered? What was their crime? Coming from another world?"
"Even the smallest sin…" Mordian snarled, his rage boiling over, "must be paid in blood!"
Aeron who is raged with fury but smirked. "You let your guard—"
Before Aeron could even finish his sentence, there was a blinding flash of steel.
Julian moved like lightning, his blade slicing cleanly through Mordian's neck.
Aeron barely had time to get a grip of what just happened.
"What the—?!" He took a step back, eyes wide with shock.
Mordian's severed head hit the ground with a dull thud, his body following moments later.
Julian stood over the corpse, his sword still dripping with blood, his expression unreadable. Julain turned to Aeron, narrowing his eyes. "Where did you meet Nyvra?" he asked, his voice laced with urgency.
"I saw him in Riverbranch Village," Aeron replied
Aeron studied Julian carefully. "You know him, don't you?"
Julian's jaw tightened, but he quickly composed himself. "No. Maybe the cultist cast a spell or something." He dismissed the question flatly, turning his back to Aeron.
Aeron wasn't convinced.
Before he could push further, Kael pointed ahead.
"Look! It's Mihon and Miley!"
They saw Mihon emerging from the trees, his clothes torn, his right arm wrapped in bandages. Beside him, Miley walked with confidence, her once fearful eyes now steady.
Aeron let out a breath of relief.
"Looks like our mission here is done," Aeron said, his exhaustion finally catching up to him. "let's get back to camp."
A moment later...
"You're back so soon," Lieutenant Zei greeted as Aeron, Mihon, Miley, Kael, and Julian returned to camp, their clothes stained with dirt and exhaustion evident in their eyes. "That means your part is done?"
"Yes, Sir," Aeron replied, his voice steady but lacking relief. "Although… we couldn't get much information from him."
"Same here. Couldn't find out anything about that boy," Mihon added, his usual smirk replaced by a rare look of frustration.
"Our job here is done as well," Zei said, crossing his arms. Then his tone lowered slightly. "Because of your plan, we succeeded… but we lost six cadets."
Aeron's breath caught in his throat. Six people died. His chest tightened, the weight of guilt pressing down on him. His plan had saved many, but it had cost lives. Six lives. His face darkened as he clenched his fists.
"Don't dwell on it too much," Zei said, noticing Aeron's expression. "It could've been worse. A hell of a lot worse."
Aeron remained silent, glancing around the camp. The sight before him was different from before the battle—there were no bodies piled up, no overwhelming stench of blood. Instead, the remaining cadets were tending to their wounds, getting stitched up, and resting. There was a sense of survival, a victory, even if bittersweet.
"Yeah… it could've been worse."
Zei let out a sigh. "You guys go rest now. You're dismissed."
A Quiet Moment…
Aeron wandered through the camp, still lost in thought when—
"BOO!"
Aeron jolted, his instincts kicking in as his heart leaped to his throat. He spun around, only to find Emma grinning at him, barely holding in her laughter.
"You should've seen your face!" she teased.
Aeron exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Not funny, Emma."
She giggled but then noticed the serious look on his face.
Aeron's eyes fell on her left arm, where a deep gash ran just above her wrist. His brows furrowed. "What the hell, Emma? You didn't get stitches?"
Emma glanced at her wound and waved him off with a carefree smile. "The medical site is packed, so I thought I'd just go later."
Aeron shot her a deadpan look. "That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard."
"Says the guy who loves getting himself injured," Emma countered with a playful huff.
Aeron sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… you're not wrong." He suddenly turned on his heel. "Wait here."
Emma blinked in confusion as he disappeared into one of the supply tents. Moments later, he returned with a medical kit.
"I'm not great at stitching, so this is gonna hurt," he warned, kneeling beside her.
Emma didn't protest as he gently cleaned the wound and threaded the needle. She watched him in silence, her golden eyes softening. "Even though you've changed, but your love for others didn't change a bit"
"It's already been 4 years ,huh? Time sure flies by" A small smile formed on her lips.
Aeron caught the expression and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you smiling? Did you get hit in the head or something?"
Emma just smiled, watching as the boy she once knew—the boy who always looked out for others—stitched her wound with quiet care.