A few minutes ago...
"Pathetic pests!" Jagon snarled, his irritation palpable.
He was surrounded: Sienna to his right, Aiden to his left, Jason in front of him, and behind him, Siara was providing support. He had clearly underestimated them.
Initially, he handled them with ease, but their strength surged when they activated their Main Skills. Jagon had learned about these abilities. All summoned Heroes would awaken their first skill, known as their Main Skill, which essentially determined their potential and strength. Once activated, their power increased several times over.
Now, all of them had activated their Main Skills. Jason radiated a golden light, Sienna's sword shimmered with a blue aura, Aiden was enveloped in an orange flame, and Siara was surrounded by a fiery red glow. The air crackled with their combined energy, their mana immense and formidable.
If it had been anyone other than Jagon, they would have been obliterated instantly. Jagon could hardly believe it. Hadn't it been less than two months since they were summoned to the Empire of Light? How could they have grown so strong already?
Initially, he hadn't taken the threat of the Heroes seriously. But now, if left unchecked, they could become exceedingly dangerous, especially the three who were engaging him head-on.
"I will kill them," Jagon resolved. It was no longer just about buying time; it was about eliminating a potential future threat.
He wanted to conserve his strength in case the knight who had entered the village returned, or worse, if Radakel joined the battle. But he couldn't afford to hold back any longer. Releasing his mana, he watched as all four Heroes flinched, feeling the full force of his terrifying power.
With a single swift step, Jagon appeared beside a stunned Jason.
BANG!
He delivered a powerful kick to Jason's side, who couldn't react in time to shield himself.
"GUH!" Jason groaned in pain as he crashed into a nearby house.
"Jason!" Siara's face turned pale as she rushed toward him, but Jagon wasn't about to let her get away. She had been a persistent annoyance, attacking and pestering him throughout the battle. Now, he decided to eliminate her.
Jagon lunged at her with his sword, aiming to cut her down.
"TAKE THAT!"
From the side, a massive figure, Aiden, leaped toward him wielding his toothed sword.
"Ug!" Jagon quickly caught Aiden's sword, injuring his hand in the process, but managed to block the attack just in time.
Aiden was shocked to see his attack thwarted, but he quickly smirked. "Explode!"
BADOOOM!
The sword glowed red before a tremendous explosion engulfed Jagon. However, Jagon had anticipated the move and prepared a strong earthen shield, which crumbled instantly as he jumped back.
But the assault was relentless.
BADOOOM!
No sooner had Radakel finished speaking than a powerful blade of wind struck him square in the face. It would have obliterated him if not for his light shield. The attack came out of nowhere, unseen by everyone—except Radakel himself.
They locked eyes for a brief moment before both vanished.
BADOOOM!
Powerful shockwaves rippled through the sky as Radakel and Catnys clashed violently.
"Ugn!" Catnys was hurled backward, a deep gash on her arm where Radakel's strike nearly severed it. It was clear Radakel had no intention of playing with her.
Radakel smiled coldly as he raised his hand high. "Hundreds Light of the Light Gods."
The sky above Uteska turned gold in an instant, startling Catnys. Hundreds of light spears materialized, all aimed directly at her.
This was not good.
Catnys clapped her hands together, summoning her immense mana. Radakel's cold voice echoed as he lowered his hand, "Die buried in your village, demon."
All the light spears shot down toward Catnys and the surrounding area. She remained still, focusing intensely, blood dripping from her nose.
"Seven Star Rank Dark Magic! Black Dome!"
The golden sky turned pitch black as a magnificent dark dome enveloped the entire village. The light spears struck the dome, but after fifty lances, cracks began to appear.
"T..That monster," Catnys muttered, biting her lip and glaring at Radakel, who stood unfazed.
"It would have taken less mana if you chose to protect yourself alone. With your strength, you could easily escape death if you ran away, yet you used all this mana to protect the entire village and your filthy demon companions," Radakel chuckled slightly. "Now look at you, defenseless."
Catnys groaned as the lances of light continued to hammer her dome. The spears could have injured some of the Heroes and Radakel's men, but he didn't seem to care. Or perhaps he knew Catnys would act to protect everyone?
With a slight smirk, Radakel stretched out his hand to end Catnys. "Now die."
Catnys closed her eyes. 'I'm sorry, everyone,' she thought of the people still fighting below her, feeling a deep sense of failure. She couldn't last long against Radakel. He was too powerful. Now she wished for only one thing. The face of a masked man flashed in her mind.
'I count on you. Take them to a safe place.'
At least the children and families would be safe.
Catnys waited for death to claim her, but after a few seconds, nothing happened. Confused, she looked up and saw Radakel with a serious expression. He had lowered his hand and was staring past her.
A cold chill swept over the entire village, sending shivers down everyone's spines.