"Aelar's disciple…" Eldrin muttered, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes lit with life once more—hope blooming in the wreckage of his certainty.
Meanwhile, near the edge of the golden teleportation circle, Icariel stood, hand outstretched. A second spear of flame blazed into existence. His stance sharpened—legs rooted, breath focused. His White Sense fed him precise data, his vision clearer than even an elf's.
He could see through the houses, through the smoke and chaos, all the way to the battlefield.
That's why his first throw had struck perfectly.
"Damn it… why does it always have to be so difficult and complicated?" Icariel muttered, frustration bubbling beneath his breath.
He launched the second flaming spear.
FOOM—
The burning projectile arced high above the elven rooftops, whistling through the sky like a comet, then struck Grinis again.
"AHHHH!" she screamed, her body already scorched, now set ablaze once more.
"Who is it?! WHO IS IT?!" she shrieked, twisting in pain.
Eldrin stepped back in disbelief, his gaze drawn upward to the flaming strike. "That magic… that throw… I'm sure of it. The one attacking from range…"
He narrowed his eyes, breath caught in his throat.
"…It's Icariel. Aelar's disciple. But… what is he doing here?"
Back behind the stone homes, Icariel summoned three more flaming spears, mana surging around him in a whirlwind.
"Icariel!" Elif called out. "What are you attacking?!"
He gripped one of the spears tight and prepared to throw again. "Tch… damn it. How did this spiral so fast?"
He gritted his teeth.
A short while earlier…
Right after the conversation with the voice, Icariel made his decision.
"We go east," he said to Elif and Elena.
They nodded, and together they sprinted forward—past the winding stone paths of the capital, sticking to the narrow alleys and roads between the houses. Every step brought them closer.
"I can see them now," Icariel thought, eyes glowing with mana. "I can see them clearly with my vision. Just a few blocks away…"
He glanced at Elif and Elena. "We're really close. Keep going."
Both girls smiled in relief.
Then—WOOP.
A massive golden circle—100 meters wide—blazed to life beneath their feet.
Void Swap.
The teleportation skill Grinis had activated had caught them too. They were within the circle's range.
"What is this?!" Elif asked, alarmed.
Icariel halted mid-step, eyes wide. "What is this, Voice?" he asked mentally.
From deep within his mind, the voice replied calmly.
"A teleportation skill. It'll take a bit to fully activate from the range of it, but once it does—everyone inside this circle will be transported to a location chosen by the caster."
"What?!" he nearly screamed aloud. "Shit—I should run outside its range!"
"No. You can't." The voice's tone turned stern. "It's an energy barrier. You won't be able to pass through it. It's sealed until the teleportation is complete."
"Can I break it?!"
"You can try—but it will regenerate as long as the caster still has mana. Either analyze it, or destroy it with brute force. But you don't have time for either."
"Shit… shit…!" Icariel cursed, his hands tightening into fists. "What do I do?! We can't even escape! Where will we go? Will we be separated from each other?!"
"Wait," the voice said, calmer now. "The skill won't split you up. You'll be teleported with the same spacing and distance you have now—technically just swapping somewhere else. You'll still be with elves—just in a new location."
"How much time do I have before it activates?!"
"Not much," the voice said. "It's already nearly complete."
Icariel's mind raced.
"I could go to her now… join Eldrin. Two against one. If we're fast, we might stop her. But… if I go, and leave Elif and Elena behind… they'll be defenseless if we fail and we teleport."
"Damn it!" he screamed inside.
"What the hell was that elf doing?! How did he let her activate this?! And why am I—me—caught in this too?!"
Then, suddenly—
"Why don't you attack from here?" the voice advised.
Icariel's eyes narrowed. "From here…?"
"Yes,"it continued calmly. "With your White Sense, even if something is beyond your detection range, you can still perceive their presence. You can see them through the mana they possess. Focus. Attack. Your new awakened body can throw spears of flame with ease—even from this distance."
Icariel didn't hesitate. He summoned the spell.
Flame Spear.
A second fiery spear blazed into life in his hand, illuminating the narrow alley. The sudden burst of heat shocked Elif and Elena, who recoiled slightly at the unexpected intensity.
"Icariel—what are you doing?!" Elif gasped.
But he didn't answer. His gaze cut straight through the stone houses ahead. He could see them—beyond the dust and fire and battle.
"I know the mana signature of the royal captain," Icariel muttered under his breath. "And this one… it's different. Twisted. Easy to pick out."
His WhiteSense had evolved through the Superhuman Awakening, dramatically amplifying both his mana detection and enhanced vision. Ultimately, it was his newly strengthened body that made this possible—a weaker vessel could never withstand the constant flood of such vast sensory data. Where the ability had once adapted to his limits to protect him, now that was no longer the case.
FOOM!
Icariel exhaled slowly—then moved.
"One shot. One breath. One kill.""Miss, and it's over.""Like the stag. Cold morning. Steady hands."
And suddenly, he was back on the mountainside, knees in the snow, breath steaming in the morning air. His hands were raw from cold, gripping a spear far heavier than his young frame could command.
"Don't watch the world,"Galien had said, crouching beside him, eyes on the distant elk. "Watch the mark. Air is nothing. Distance is nothing. Only the kill matters."
He'd loosed the spear. The stag had fallen.
Now—years later—the memory ended in flame.
The spear tore through the wind with a sonic boom, fire trailing in a golden arc. Rooftops blurred beneath its path.
The spear struck in the next breath—a shriek of burning air and burning flesh.
Grinis screamed as the burning projectile tore through her, flames devouring her body like dry pine.
Icariel didn't flinch. His eyes stayed locked on the blaze.
"Yes," he whispered. Bullseye.
Present
Icariel caught one of the three flame spears he had summoned earlier. His hand clenched around its shaft, ready to strike again.
"Tch… Why isn't that idiot royal captain attacking her? I've hit her twice already! What the hell is he doing?! He should've finished her off by now!"
His sharp gaze shifted back to the distant battlefield, where Eldrin stood—hesitating—as Grinis writhed in agony, her scorched skin blistered, her once-elegant hair reduced to a fiery mess.
"He really did it", Eldrin thought, stunned. "That disciple of Aelar… he actually hit her. Twice. From that far away."
His hand tightened around his own spear. "If I don't act now…"
"This may not be honorable," he muttered to himself, "but there is too much at stake."
For the first time, Eldrin smiled—his mind made up.
"I finally got that one-thrust opening I so desperately needed."
He stepped forward, adjusted his stance, and thrust his spear with all his strength. The green aura flared, coating the weapon in a surge of life energy.
FOOOP—
The spear tore through Grinis's armor like paper, puncturing her abdomen with brutal force. A gaping hole opened in her belly—blood sprayed across the stone road. The flames finished what the spear began, devouring her skin, leaving nothing but ash and ruin.
The glowing golden teleportation circle beneath her feet flickered—and vanished.
A faint shimmer pulsed beneath her skin—almost invisible. Not flame. Not blood. Something colder.
"We… we did it," Eldrin breathed, collapsing onto the stone pavement. He glanced at the burning corpse. "Guess I owe that kid my life. Aelar's disciple… I'll thank him properly after this."
Meanwhile, back with Icariel…
The golden circle vanished beneath his feet as well.
"Ah… Yes," he exhaled, a faint smile curling his lips. "He finished her off. Good work, Royal Elf."
A sharp contrast to the frustration he felt moments earlier.
He turned to Elif and Elena.
"That teleportation circle could've killed us. I saw where the enemy was, so I acted. Your Royal Captain was already fighting her—I just helped him end it."
"We need to go," he added. "Now. Somewhere safe."
The group began to move.
But Elif looked at him suspiciously. "How did you know exactly where they were? Your Spirit Zone has a fixed range, doesn't it? That distance… it was too far. Or maybe—you have eyes like..."
She shook her head. "Ah, never mind. You even fooled our lie detectors before. No point asking."
Icariel met her gaze calmly. "I will answer all the questions later," he said. "Let's just save our heads first."
"Who cares how he did it, Elif? I trust him—completely." Elena's voice softened, her gaze distant. "None of it makes sense. Maybe it never will. But I saw his eyes when he made the choice to protect us. He didn't hesitate. That's what matters to me."
She drew a breath, steadying herself. "And more than that—I've said it before—I trust your father. He left us with Icariel for a reason. That's enough for me."
Elif's eyes widened. "Yes, Mother… I was just curious."
Icariel turned his head, surprised by Elena's unwavering faith. She was too understanding—far too understanding.
He was doing things that should've raised countless questions, countless doubts… but she brushed them all aside.
And chose to trust him.
"Let's run," he said as he faced forward, eyes narrowing. "Soon… we'll be safe."
Back with Eldrin…
He sat quietly for a moment, catching his breath.
"I should rest a second," he muttered. "Then regroup with the princess and the army."
Grinis's burned body lay motionless on the ground—skin charred, hair gone, a pool of blood beneath her.
A voice rasped through the smoke.
"You sure are thinking about your future, you idiot… when I'm still right here."
Grinis.
Eldrin's heart dropped.
He turned slowly—and saw her.
Alive.
Burned, bloodied, barely standing—but alive.
His body moved before his mind caught up — trained reflex overriding disbelief.
"She survived?!"