"Well, once you see her, you'll know exactly what she is."
"Okay, Master."
Both of them smiled at each other before continuing deeper into the forest.
They could both feel her energy growing stronger.
But they had barely taken a few steps when Saya suddenly collided with something invisible.
"Ouch!"
"Are you alright, Saya?"
"Yes, but… I bumped into something."
"There's a barrier here. One she created. We need to get through it."
"But how?"
"It's actually pretty easy, don't worry."
"Open Inventory."
"Summon Aunguru Mask."
"Saya, here, wear this. If you put it on, she will allow you to pass through the barrier."
"Sure, Master."
But before either of them could put on the mask, a sharp icicle spike shot toward them at high speed. Julius sensed it just in time.
"Da... Le... Wind Shield!"
He swung his right hand behind him—towards the direction the spike was coming from—and conjured a wind barrier.
The icicle struck the shield and shattered into frozen dust.
It had come from above, but the forest canopy was so dense they couldn't see who launched it.
Saya immediately unsheathed her black katana, ready and alert, while Julius prepped his offensive spells.
"Saya, the next attack could come from anywhere. Stay alert."
Just then, a voice echoed through the leaves:
"Hello again, Mr. Koruto."
From the trees above, a figure floated down, hands calmly behind his back, a sinister smile across his face.
Julius narrowed his eyes.
"Wilhelm... You did this?"
"'Wilhelm'? I told you to call me Mr. Reign. And yes, I launched that attack."
"But why?!"
"Well, you see... She doesn't allow anyone to reach her. But I want to get to her. I just didn't know how to pass the barrier."
"Huh? And how did you know I knew how to cross it?"
"That was just a lucky guess. Marcus Valley doesn't get many visitors. And when someone does come, they're almost always adventurers looking for her. We've been watching every one of them. But unlike the others who all turned back... you didn't. That told us you knew how to cross this barrier."
Julius and Saya remained silent but on full alert. Julius wore a faint grin.
"Now, how about you two be good little adventurers and hand over those Aunguru Masks?"
Julius leaned slightly toward Saya and whispered,
"Saya, when I give the signal—we attack together."
Saya gave a subtle nod, visible only to Julius.
Wilhelm landed softly on the ground and began walking toward them.
"By the time I get to you, I want those masks placed on the ground. Then, walk away."
"Do you really think I'm just going to hand this mask over to you?" Julius replied coolly.
"Such confidence... Do you have some kind of plan against me?"
Wilhelm had hit the mark—but neither Julius nor Saya gave anything away.
"No? How boring. Most adventurers would've cooked up some kind of plan by now."
He was now just five meters away.
Julius and Saya carefully placed the Aunguru Masks on the ground.
"That's more like it. Good kids. Now go ahead and—"
"Now!" Julius shouted.
Before Wilhelm could react, Saya dashed forward with blinding speed and launched a powerful katana strike.
CLANG!
Wilhelm conjured an ice shield, blocking the blade just in time.
"Did you really think I wouldn't see that coming? Such lame techniques."
"DA... SE... WIND BLADE!!!"
Julius unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp wind blades, all hurtling toward Wilhelm, but he blocked them one after another using his shield of ice.
"Now, Saya!"
Saya followed up with another fierce strike—shattering the ice shield.
But she didn't stop there.
With lightning precision, she launched a second strike aimed to behead Wilhelm.
However, Wilhelm calmly raised his right hand—and with just a single index finger, reinforced by ice, he stopped the katana mid-swing.
It was like her blade had slammed into solid steel.
The forest erupted in chaos as Julius and Saya engaged Wilhelm Reign in a ferocious battle. Wind howled through the dense trees, stirred not by weather—but by the relentless fury of Julius' magic.
"DA... SE... WIND BLADE!"
Julius hurled the first wave of cutting wind. Blades shot forward like invisible scythes, ripping through leaves and vines, aiming directly at Wilhelm.
CLANG! Wilhelm raised a small, perfectly timed wind shield, just large enough to deflect the blades. The shield flickered with bluish air, dissolving each wind blade on contact.
Another wave.
"WIND BLADE!"
"WIND BLADE!"
Julius didn't let up. His attacks rained down like a storm—sharp, fast, relentless. Five, six, seven—dozens of wind blades launched in rapid succession. They came from all directions, slicing horizontally, diagonally, even from above. But Wilhelm kept blocking with precision, each shield shrinking, conserving every drop of mana.
In the chaos, Saya flashed forward. Her movement was a blur—speed and grace merged with raw power. Her black katana came down in a brutal arc.
CLANG!
Wilhelm blocked again, his shield sparking as it absorbed the impact.
But Saya wasn't done.
She followed with a rapid spinning slash, a downward strike, then a rising sweep—all at blinding speed. She twisted mid-air, flipped over Wilhelm, and attacked from behind with a cracking horizontal slash. Each strike could shatter stone, but Wilhelm met every blow with tight, disciplined shields.
"WIND BLADE!" Julius shouted again from a distance, launching another round—twenty blades at once, fanned out like a vortex of death.
Wilhelm crouched, spinning a narrow wind shield around himself like a shell, deflecting blades while pivoting to block another of Saya's devastating strikes. His breath grew heavier, beads of sweat lining his brow, but his stance didn't falter.
Saya disappeared in a flash-step, reappeared above Wilhelm, blade aimed at his skull.
SLAM!
A direct strike—blocked again, barely, Wilhelm now forced to drop to one knee.
"WIND BLADE!" Julius sent in another combo, mixing sharp gusts with pulsing wind bursts. Wilhelm rolled, throwing up his smallest shield yet—barely larger than a plate—to absorb a blade aimed at his throat.
Saya landed, slid low, swung her katana at his legs with lightning speed, followed by a high slice toward his neck. Wilhelm parried both using tiny shields flickering to life only inches from impact.
The ground around them was torn, leaves shredded, bark stripped from trees by stray attacks. Dust and energy hung heavy in the air.
Finally, all three leapt back, panting, the clash momentarily halted.
Julius's shoulders rose and fell from rapid breath. Saya gripped her katana, a slight tremble in her arms from the relentless onslaught.
Wilhelm stood across from them, his coat torn, his shields flickering erratically, eyes sharp but breath uneven.
"My mana... I've completely exhausted my mana..."
Julius was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. Even Saya was visibly worn out, panting hard from the intense battle.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed into Julius's stomach, and his vision began to blur. Blood started dripping from his mouth.
Saya's eyes darted to Julius.
"Master, NO!"
Before she could move, someone wearing a deep crimson cloak appeared on her left, seemingly out of nowhere. The figure struck her across the face with a powerful punch, and Saya was knocked to the ground. Her black katana flew from her hands, landing far out of reach.
Even as she hit the ground, Saya's eyes stayed locked on Julius.
Julius slowly looked down at his stomach—
a sword had pierced straight through him.
Before he could even turn to see who had done it, his strength gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping, blood trickling from his lips.