**Sst.**

A fierce wind battered Kao's face. He soared as fast as lightning, piercing through the majestic clouds beneath a dark sky pierced by the golden light of the late afternoon. He rode a giant black-winged dragon monster that moved swiftly through the air. Behind him, a dozen purple-cloaked elite soldiers followed on flying horses. Trails of bright purple magical energy were left behind every time the horses' hooves struck the air.

Kao bit his lower lip. His gaze was fixed straight ahead.

*Is this the end...* Kao muttered in his heart.

Kao shook his head. *Think, think! I must bring Uni back to the village first! The capital is Toba and Villavia's territory; that place is too dangerous for her. We must move the monster ritual to the village to repel that red dragon!*

"Speed up!" Kao shouted loudly. He spurred his monster to fly even faster through the swirling wind.

Elsewhere.

**Tap.**

**Tap.**

**Tap.**

Footsteps echoed on the cobblestone path. The surrounding scenery was extremely serene. A thin mist shrouded the green pine trees and the mountain cliffs in the background. A traditional wooden building stood gracefully with a dark, curved roof. The white gravel courtyard and small pond were adorned by a short, circular stone wall.

A man wearing a black mask with glowing purple lines walked casually through the rock garden. His white clothes were stained with splashes of fresh blood. The man was Vival.

Behind him, a red-haired woman with dragon horns followed. Illfa wiped her blood-soaked sword blade with a piece of cloth.

"Too smooth," Vival muttered. He turned his head, looking around the empty courtyard.

Illfa raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Too quiet," Vival answered flatly. "There are indeed some troops, but far too few. It is as if they are guarding nothing."

"Just trust him," Illfa said. The woman stepped forward, walking past Vival.

Both of their footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

Dozens of Husa Clan soldiers ran from the front toward the fortress area. The troops stopped abruptly upon seeing Vival and Illfa standing in the middle of the courtyard.

"There are people," Illfa said quietly. She channeled energy into her weapon. Fire instantly ignited, blazing across her sword's blade.

Vival did not answer. He raised his right hand, preparing to snap his fingers.

The atmosphere turned dead silent.

Both sides stared at each other. The Husa Clan troops observed Vival's clothes and Illfa's sword, which was dripping blood onto the white gravel.

No one spoke. The evening wind swept against their skin under a sky that was beginning to turn reddish-orange.

An officer stepped forward, breaking the silence. The man had red horns, red eyes, and black hair. He wore an all-purple body armor.

"What division are you!" the dragon general shouted.

Silence. Vival and Illfa stared straight ahead wordlessly.

The general frowned. He looked back at his troops, then turned his gaze forward again.

"What clan are you from!" he snapped louder.

Whispers began to emerge from the ranks of soldiers behind him.

"Who is he?"

"A madman?"

"An assassin?"

"Look at her weapon."

"Have you ever seen them?"

"Not yet."

"Beggars?"

One of the soldiers walked forward and gripped his general's shoulder. The general let out a long sigh. He understood the situation. The man drew his sword and led his troops, walking slowly toward Vival and Illfa.

Vival and Illfa also took slow steps forward.

Vival's mask glowed even brighter. His thumb and middle finger rubbed together. Illfa tilted the position of her fire sword behind her back.

**Tap.**

**Tap.**

**Tap.**

The distance between the two sides narrowed.

Right as the Husa Clan troop general lifted his foot to step forward.

**Sst!**

The general's leg was cleanly severed from the knee down. A massive fire instantly flared, burning the remaining stump of flesh.

"Aaaaaaa!" The general fell to the ground and screamed, clutching his leg.

Several soldiers widened their eyes in shock. They simultaneously ran forward, raising their weapons straight ahead.

**Sst!**

In a blur of motion, Illfa dashed at an extremely high speed to welcome them.

**Sst! Sst! Sst!**

Illfa swung her sword diagonally. The fiery blade completely severed a soldier's right arm. Fresh blood sprayed, soaking the green grass.

Another soldier prepared to slash Illfa's back from behind. Illfa twisted her hips and unleashed a straight backward kick.

**Dug!**

The sole of Illfa's foot struck the soldier's chest flawlessly, throwing his body hard against the building's wooden wall.

The other Husa Clan soldiers prepared to charge at Vival from the front.

**Click.**

Vival snapped his fingers.

**Boom!**

The gravel ground beneath the Husa Clan soldiers' feet exploded upward. Giant, sharp stone thorns rapidly jutted out.

**Srk! Srk!**

The sharp stones impaled the stomachs and chests of a dozen running soldiers. Their bodies were pierced through, hanging on the tips of the blood-drenched rocks.

A few soldiers in the back row managed to jump back and evade. One of them took a deep breath and blew a massive blast of fire from his mouth toward Vival and Illfa.

**Woshh!**

Vival dashed forward, piercing right through the roaring flames. His right hand was raised forward, a thick layer of ice freezing over its surface. Vival lunged at the fire-breathing soldier's face. His fingers tightly gripped his enemy's lips and jaw.

Vival pulled his hand downward with full force.

**Rip!**

The skin of his face, lips, and flesh were forcefully peeled off his skull. Fresh blood spilled, drenching his neck. The man convulsed and fell.

Vival grabbed the dead soldier's arm, pinned his body down with a foot, and pulled with all his might.

**Crack!**

The soldier's arm was torn off from its shoulder. Vival spun his body, using the blood-drenched severed arm as a club, and struck the head of another soldier beside him.

**Thud!**

The soldier was sent flying to the ground with a broken nose.

The remaining Husa Clan soldiers shuddered in horror. Their hands and knees trembled violently at the sight of the brutal scene before their eyes. Some of them released their weapon hilts. Iron swords fell, scattering across the ground.

They dropped to their knees, bowing their heads.

"We surrender! We surrender!" one of them shouted, begging.

"We surrender! We have—"

**Squelch!**

The ground where they were kneeling suddenly rose, tearing their skin. Stone spears pierced their jaws and chests from the bottom up. Blood dripped heavily, flowing from the tips of the stones. The corpses went rigidly still in an instant.

Vival and Illfa stood in silence, staring at the pile of bloody corpses in the serene garden.

"A mission is a mission," Vival muttered flatly behind his mask.

"We are only following orders," Illfa added, flicking the remaining blood from her sword's blade.

"Whatever happens is destined to happen," both of them murmured simultaneously.

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