Branches rippled as Lyriana moved—a streak of crimson slipping between leaves, almost invisible except for the faint shimmer of mana hugging the demon spawn to her chest.
Below, another knight wandered too far from formation.
Lyriana struck.
A blood spear hissed downward—clean, precise—and the knight crumpled before he could scream. No wasted motion. No sound.
She vanished into the canopy again.
But this time… Thane was ready.
He didn't know how many more were hiding above, but he had seen enough death to recognize a pattern.
His thoughts sharpened beneath the helmet:
She attacks fast, killing instantly, always from above. She reads our movements and reacts before we can. Only if we coordinate flawlessly—move as one, anticipate her strikes—might we stand a chance. But the order is clear: eliminate her. To do that, I must predict her next move.
His visor tilted up, scanning the treetops.
One of the younger knights whispered shakily,
"Captain… we're being picked off one by one. If this keeps up, we'll be wiped out."
Thane didn't answer.
He just raised his shield.
A moment later, Lyriana descended again—silent and lethal—aiming to cut through the knight directly beneath her.
Her heel was inches from the man's helmet—when steel erupted upward.
CLANG—
Her kick slammed into Thane's raised shield, sparks exploding between crimson and gold mana.
Lyriana's eyes widened—just slightly.
He blocked me…?
Thane's thoughts clicked together:
Fast, agile, but burdened. She keeps her arms tight around the demon spawn—cannot strike freely. She avoids hitting the ground. She fears being surrounded.
His shield pushed upward, forcing her back a full meter.
—she will not risk a direct exchange.
His sword swung toward her torso, holy mana roaring across the blade.
Lyriana twisted midair, her form flaring with crimson light. A sheet of blood-forged mana sprang into existence—a thin barrier that met his slash with a crack of red lightning.
BOOOOM—
She was thrown backward, boots skidding across a branch.
Elenya whimpered. Lucifer slept on.
Lyriana tightened her hold around the demon spawn, voice a whisper:
> "Got you."
Leaves trembled under her feet.
Below, Thane re-centered himself, shield steady, blade humming.
Demon spawn… She won't abandon them. She attacks only when safe. If I pressure her, she will be forced to defend, and then… I strike.
"FORM UP!" he barked.
Knights closed ranks beneath the tree she perched on—shields overlapping, spears pointed in a disciplined wall.
Lyriana clicked her tongue softly.
> "Tch… They're learning quickly."
She shifted the demon spawn slightly, tucking them closer, securing them so neither would feel the recoil of her next move.
Blood magic pulsed in her fingertips—a quiet, living glow—crimson mana tracing across her arms. Her aura thickened around the demon spawn, forming a stronger protective barrier.
Then she moved.
She blurred sideways, launching toward another tree—but Thane had anticipated her path.
His shield slammed into the trunk ahead, mana exploding outward.
BARK SHATTERED. THE TREE TREMBLED.
Lyriana stopped—mid-air.
Crimson sigils flared around her feet as she bent the drop, twisting and landing sideways against the trunk to redirect momentum.
> "Persistent brute…"
She slashed her hand through the air. Blood condensed into sharp spears—dozens—which crashed down into the knights like falling stars.
THUD—THUD—THUD—
Screams erupted as shields buckled and armor split.
But Thane charged straight through the barrage, shield raised, refusing to falter.
His mind narrowed:
Every move she makes is to protect the demon spawn. If I force her hand, she will expose herself. And when that moment comes, I strike.
He leapt.
His blade cleaved upward toward her.
Lyriana snapped a barrier into existence—thicker this time—a domed burst of mana that wrapped around her and the demon spawn.
HOLY LIGHT CRASHED AGAINST CRIMSON—
A deafening shockwave tore through the forest, scattering leaves like a storm.
The branch beneath her cracked. Split. Fell.
In that heartbeat before it gave way, Lyriana swept the demon spawn tighter to her chest—no fear in her voice, only calm urgency.
> "Hold on."
The branch collapsed.
She jumped. Not back. Not down. Forward. Straight toward the next tree—toward higher ground—toward any position that kept the demon spawn out of reach.
Thane's boots hit the earth with a heavy thud. He didn't chase immediately. He watched her leap, watched her guard the bundles, watched her pivot to the next vantage point.
You're strong… but not free.
His sword pointed upward.
> "She's fleeing into the upper canopy! Surround the base!"
Knights roared in response.
Lyriana perched high above, breath steady, hair sticking to her cheeks in the rain. Her blood magic pulsed again, wrapping the demon spawn in a thin, warm cocoon.
> "I won't let any harm touch them."
She prepared her next move—because this was not escape. Not yet. This was positioning.
And Thane didn't realize it.
Not until the fallen knights on the ground began to glow red. Not until the air tasted like blood. Not until the forest itself hummed with her blood magic.
Lyriana whispered:
> "Your turn…"
And the forest responded.