Chapter 544: Enemies Arrive

Chapter 544: Enemies Arrive

Aya Bandstone

He stopped. I pulled the reins of my mount and stopped as well.

We followed him for nearly an hour without question as he moved backward through a different route.

It was strange, but we followed.

"What is happening?" I asked finally, and there was no reply. I turned to Ulo and saw her expression become cautious, with a grimace emerging on her face.

"A group of people are coming toward us," Ulo said openly. A moment later, I heard the faint sounds, which became louder every second.

I looked at him and saw no worry in his eyes. Instead, he looked relieved.

He looked back at me before dismounting from his beasts. I did the same after looking at Ulo.

Less than ten seconds later. I saw a group of creatures, tens of them, coming out toward us through the darkness, with people riding on them.

Most of them are humans, with a few orcs mixed in.

Leading them is a man in his early forties. He is a soldier. They are easily recognizable.

Beside him are two beautiful women. They are wearing expensive light armor and blades at their waists.

One on the right looked similar to the original appearance of the man beside us with the same silvery grey eyes, while the other was a blond woman with deep blue eyes.

"My lord, it fills me with relief to see you unharmed," greeted the leader, bowing once he dismounted.

So, he is a noble.

"It's good to see you too, Zaris," he replied before his expressions became grave.

"How far are they?" he asked. "Around five minutes," he replied.

"Then we should prepare," he stated. The man called Zaris nodded and began to give orders while the young man walked toward the other people.

A few seconds later, I saw the bracelet of an older, beautiful woman turning to liquid and turned into a whip.

As the whip moved, the trees began to fall apart cleanly. A moment after that, the others used the spells. Upon seeing those spells, my eyes couldn't help but become wide.

'Those are Grade IV spells,' said Ulo in shock while all I could do was nod.

People are moving around us. They glanced at us but didn't say anything. They simply followed the orders while the young man talked to person after person.

We tried to remain close, but two people appeared beside him—a good-looking woman in mage robes and a muscled armored orc.

Suddenly, he turned and looked at us. "I would advise both of you to leave immediately. It's going to get dangerous here," he suggested.

"As for what I promised. I have informed my people, you will get it at the Archmage city," he added.

"I will stay," I replied before I could think, surprising him.

'Aya!' screamed Ulo telepathically. She is not happy.

'Look at these people, they are strong, but there is still fear in their eyes.'

'Whatever enemy is coming is powerful; we should get out while we can,' she said, and she was undoubtedly correct, but I don't want to leave.

'We were not taking advantage of him. He is rich and alive because we have helped him.'

'So, there is no need to feel indebted to him,' she said, and she is correct, but I don't want to leave.

'You are sick, Aya. It would be bad if you stayed here,' she pleaded.

'I know,' I replied, understanding what she was saying.

I do not have a death wish, nor do I feel that much indebted to him, but I want to stay. Even I don't fully understand the reason for this foolish decision.

'You leave. It will become very dangerous here,' I advised my friend.

It had an ivory handle with a beast pommel. A thick bronze semi-transparent coiling knuckle bow protects the fingers and joins the guard.

The saber's blade is dark red, and when I saw it clearly, I noticed the scaly pattern, like it was forged out of scales instead of metal.

However, the most prominent part of it is the big ruby on a protecting langet on one side.

No, not ruby, but faceted diamond, and it is captivating.

"The answer is the same," replied the young man, but with a far more severe expression.

The enemy grinned in the subsequent moment. The diamond shone brightly before a dark red fire came out of it. It was unlike any other fire I have seen before. A fire of many facets resembles a living gem, an intricate blaze that dances with myriad hues and patterns.

It is a diamond fire, and it looks like millions of micro diamonds are burning inside it. The flames' movement is hypnotic: sharp, angular leaps and mingles with pale, rounded flickers that radiate heat and hunger. The crackling sound of the fire mirrors its geometry, a symphony of sharp pops and low growls as if each flame sings its own crystalline note.

It is as enthralling as it is horrifying.

"Since you want to do it the hard way, I will show you the hard way," he said, raising his fiery saber.

"Attack!" he ordered and slashed his saber in the air.

Immediately, a vast arc of fire came toward us, and behind it was a shower of spells and arrows.

Overwhelmed by the site of it, a horror couldn't help but rise in my heart.

This attack is too powerful. I know there is no way they could defend themselves from it.

'I made a mistake,'

The thought rose in my heart, and I stepped back before stopping and looking around in surprise.

Ulo and I were the only two who had taken a step back, while all the others remained in their places. Every soldier, woman, and, most importantly, those three in front remained where they were.

That young man had even taken a protective step forward.

At that moment, I understood why I had stayed.

I had joined the army at fourteen. I was excited but became disenchanted with its politics, pettiness, and betrayals; I suffered under it.

Most importantly, I had never seen loyalty in the eyes of any soldier like I am seeing in these people.

I had never known such loyalty.

It made me curious. Desperate for answers, I decided to risk my life for it, and now I got the answer, seeing that this young man took a step forward toward the arc.

The fiery arc arrived quickly and crushed through everything.

The wooden spikes, the earth wall, and everything else in its path before reaching the young man.

His eyes became unbending, and in the next moment, a suppressive atmosphere filled the battlefield.

I could see Ulo's eyes mirroring mine, once again in shock at this man, as we felt it.

It is Aura.

This very young man had awakened the aura.

The feeling only lasted for a moment before receding, but I could still feel it faintly.

As it happened, he acted.

He slashed his rapier toward the attacking arc. It was not a blade he used when fighting against the bandits and monsters. That was a sword; this is a rapier.

Bang!

The rapier clashed with the arc of fire and, to my repeating shock. It stopped it.

The arc of fire struggled against it for a moment before it was repelled back toward the enemies while everyone watched in shock.

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