Lyra's second arrow screamed through the air and struck its target cleanly in the head. The bandit dropped instantly, his body twitching once before going still, his greatsword clattering beside him with a dull clang.
The next moments blurred into chaos.
Scarlet was locked in combat with a tall, whip-wielding enhancers whose every motion cut through the air with a metallic hiss. His chain weapon shimmered faintly with mana, making it unpredictable and deadly. Scarlet's daggers flashed left and right as she dodged, barely keeping up with his range advantage.
The man sneered between strikes, his voice dripping venom. "You've got spirit, sweetheart. I like that. Maybe I'll keep you for myself before we sell the rest of your friends for more money especially if we find a healer."
He licked his lips again, eyes gleaming with the kind of hunger that made my stomach turn.
Scarlet's expression didn't change, but her jaw tightened. She was fast faster than most grown fighters but even then, the whip forced her to stay on the defensive.
My fists clenched. I wanted to move, to help, but my rational mind screamed that I'd only get in the way. Against a trained adult enhancer, a five-year-old boy even one with combat experience in another life was a liability.
So I watched. Powerless.
Every clash of steel echoed like a taunt. The barrier of wind hummed around us, trembling slightly as Alina channeled her mana to hold it together. Arrows still whistled through the air, deflected harmlessly by the protective shiled.
Through the translucent swirl, I caught sight of Darrin. His left hand was pressed to the ground, veins of mana pulsing up his arm into the earth. The stone wall he'd summoned earlier still stood, though cracks were beginning to spider across its surface.
He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the archers above the cliff. A single line of earth split open before him a narrow slit through which he could see his targets.
Then, his voice boomed.
"HËÊD MY WÔRD, MÕTHÈR ÊÀRTH RÏSĒ AÑD STRĪKË MY ĒÑÉMY!"
[ÉÅRTH SPÉÅR]
The ground shuddered. A heartbeat later, jagged spears of stone erupted from the dirt like a forest of blades. Screams tore through the air as the spear impaled the bandits on the ledge. A few leapt aside just in timebut most never got the chance.
When the last stone settled, silence lingered for a breath before being drowned again by the chaos below.
Darrin looked drained pale and sweating but he held his ground, one knee sinking into the dirt as he steadied his breathing.
Inside the carriage, I noticed my mother fumbling with something hidden in her robe. A wand. Her fingers trembled around it before she froze, exhaling shakily and shoving it back.
Instead, she wrapped both arms around me again, pressing my head to her shoulder. Her heartbeat was uneven fast and panicked.
"Don't worry" she whispered, though her voice trembled.
I didn't answer. My eyes were still fixed on the battlefield.
Lyra had tied a cloth around her wounded calf. Blood had stopped flowing thanks to her quick reinforcement spell, but she was clearly pushing herself. Still, she kept shooting, calm and composed even through the pain.
For a brief moment, I thought we were winning.
Ronan fought like a serpent, weaving between slashes as his spear bent and whipped unnaturally, enhanced by mana. His weapon moved like flowing water smooth, unbroken, lethal.
He must have been a Water-type Enhancer someone who channels mana to reinforce their body and weapon, giving it fluid precision and adaptability. Enhancers use mana externally, shaping it to their movements and strikes, unlike Manifesters, who draw mana into pure elemental form and release it as spells.
The difference between the two could determine an entire battle. Enhancers dominate in close combat speed, control, adaptability. Manifesters control the battlefield itselfdistance, power, destruction. Together, they form the balance of war.
And right now, both sides had plenty of each.
Ronan's opponent, a dual-bladed fighter, struggled to keep up. Cuts ran along his arms and chest, blood glistening as he stumbled backward.
The clang of weapons filled the mountain pass. Scarlet's daggers deflected another lash of the whip, sparks flying where steel met steel. She gritted her teeth, side-stepped, and lunged forward, slicing the man's shoulder before dancing out of reach again.
Her opponent's smirk finally cracked into a grimace. "You little!"
Before he could finish, Lyra's next arrow grazed his leg, forcing him to stumble. Scarlet didn't hesitate her daggers crossed in a sharp X, slicing deep across his chest.
The bandit staggered, clutching the wound as disbelief filled his eyes. "You!"
He never finished the sentence. Scarlet spun and plunged one blade through his throat.
He fell soundlessly.
But victory was fleeting.
A thunderous crack boomed through the pass, shaking the ground beneath us. I turned just in time to see part of the earthen wall explode outward, chunks of stone flying like shrapnel.
Through the dust, a massive figure stepped forward one of the bandit leaders, his axe glowing faintly red from the mana surging through it. The beast beside him a horned hound nearly twice his size snarled, fangs dripping with saliva.
Father was standing before him, gauntlets raised, blood already dripping from a cut above his brow. He blocked the first swing, but the impact sent him crashing back into what remained of the wall.
"Father!" I shouted, but my voice was drowned by the roar of the beast.
He coughed blood, bracing himself on one knee, trying to push off the debris. The mountain air grew heavy with mana the kind that made even breathing feel like wading through water.
The barrier around us flickered. Alina gasped, her concentration breaking for a split second as the shockwave hit.
Darrin turned toward Father, shouting something I couldn't hear then raised his hand again, gathering what little mana he had left.
But before he could cast
The beast lunged.
And everything blurred into motion once more.