Chapter 858 From Ashes

The Knights Captain stared at the fallen man, unsure about what had transpired here. After all, the old man stabbed the one he was carrying, to the crowd's dismay. Then, he seemed to lose all strength and signs of life.

"Is he… crazy?" asked one of the knights while staring at the old man's bleeding leg. "He used his severed leg to drag this man into the forest… what kind of relationship could they have had?"

"That is something we'll know once this man wakes up," said the knight's captain as he walked toward the collapsed young man. "This one is still alive, so carry him to the…."

As the captain gave his commands, something left the young man's body. Twirling mana raged around him as a giant azure phoenix materialized out of thin air. Its wings could fit a dozen men, and its eyes seemed to hold infinite wisdom.

"Prepare!" roared the captain to his knights, molding them into the battle formation. The melee fighters advanced while the mages took the rear. "He is using something!"

The phoenix didn't spare them a glance, and the man was still on the ground. However, the giant bird stared at him with tranquil eyes that revealed more sadness than anger. It raised its beak, and azure fire gathered on it, making the knights take a step back.

"An attack is coming!" shouted the captain, making the knights brace themselves. However, the giant monster didn't throw the flames at them but at the young man on the ground.

The flames burst as they touched his body, and the brightness made it impossible to see what was happening. Finally, the smell of burnt flesh was enough to tell them that this phoenix was not their enemy but the man on the ground.

"What the hell is happening here?" asked the Knights Captain with confusion as his mana was deployed in preparation to form a wall. The flames suddenly started spreading until they formed a circle, which prevented the knights from approaching. "Stone wall!"

The Knights Captain slammed his hands on the ground, creating a wall to protect his knights from the flames. As the flames touched his wall, they left it without a scratch, and the knights couldn't feel any heat coming from beyond the wall.

"A cold flame? Can it be an illusion?" asked a knight. However, the captain knew it was no illusion. This was an astral being that had manifested as a deme-ranker. It means this man had an astral blessing.

"Can an astral being be summoned before the Astra-rank?" muttered the captain with confusion as he watched the phoenix spread its wings over the walls. As beautiful as it was, the sight was alarming. "And, since when did astral being attack their contractors?"

None of these things made sense. The smell of burnt flesh told him that the body was burning as they stood there, and soon, nothing would be left of it except for ashes. Finally, the flames started dying, compelling the captain to bury his wall.

As they had imagined, the flames turned the body to ashes. It was clear that the old man did something that resulted in this phenomenon, hoping to erase any evidence of their identities. The knights relaxed since both the monster and man were gone. All that was left was the dead old man lying inside the flames.

"Let's clear the area!" one of the knights said, advancing. The captain didn't attempt to stop them since he couldn't feel any life force from that area. But, as the knights started marching toward the dying flames, a mighty wind blew from somewhere.

The ashes drifted in the wind, disappearing from existence. The knights covered their eyes and noses, ensuring none got into their bodies. As for the captain, he felt that something was off.

The wind blew from the east, but the branches above swayed west. This made him realize that this wind wasn't a part of nature but an anomaly.

"Get back!" shouted the captain, but it was too late. As the wind passed through the soldiers, who turned toward their captain, they started falling one by one with blood flowing from their necks. "Stone wall!"

The captain shouted, creating a wall around him. The wind slammed to the wall, leaving deep gashes over them, but no sound was produced. It was eerie, but the captain knew the strike was aimed at his neck.

After the wind disappeared, the captain created holes through the wall. His knights were killed, and standing between them was a naked man whose body looked like a hybrid. One half was flesh, while the other was the azure wind.

"That is… the same man who burned?" muttered the captain with confusion, feeling like he had seen the naked man. The azure phoenix, wind, and this man's appearance fit the description perfectly. "Are you… the Knights Commander, Lyle Mantra?"

His voice was loud enough to be heard, but the man didn't answer. Instead, he was staring at the old man on the ground, whose life force was so weak that it was negligible.

"I should have been the one to kill you," said Lyle Mantra to the old man, his eyes shining an azure color. "Yet, you sacrificed your leg and your life just to save me. How am I… supposed to feel?"

His voice was confused, and the captain could tell he felt conflicted. However, if this was indeed Lyle Mantra, then this matter is more complicated than he thought. Thus, his stone wall got torn down, and the captain walked toward the man.

"If you are indeed Lyle Mantra, you have betrayed the empire. This project is a secret from everyone in the empire, even the commanders. Are you the culprit behind the base's destruction?"

Lyle Mantra ignored him again and crouched on the ground. He stared at the old man with sad eyes before sighing and turning toward the knight's captain. Then, he advanced.

​ "I know who you are," said Lyle Mantra with apathetic eyes. "As a nobleman, you should have high-tier healing cards or even artifacts. I will have them."

"You think I would listen to a traitor?" said the Knights Captain with rage as he unsheathed his sword. "You must take them from my dead body, Mantra dog!"

"I never planned to have them any other way," said Lyle as he raised his hand and reached toward empty air. But, instead, that same air started condensing to form an azure sword, which glittered in the sun. "You have seen too much already."

"I might lose if this was any other day, but I can tell you are drained and injured," said the Knights Captain. "Since you have betrayed the empire, killing you might make me the new commander!"

"…petty ambitions."

"Die!" shouted the Knights Captain as he stomped on the ground and rushed forward. Earth spikes exploded with him at the center, aiming toward Lyle alongside the captain's sword. "Earth has always been stronger than the wind!"

"…but a lot slower," said Lyle as he grabbed his azure sword and waved it circularly to create an azure ring. Then, he pierced it with his sword, making it explode while getting bigger.

The ring expanded and passed through everything, slowly slashing it in half. However, moments before his legs were torn off, the captain jumped while raising his sword.

"You are not the only one with a blessing!" shouted the captain as he raised his sword, summoning a giant sword replica in the sky. It was ten meters long and descended toward Lyle to cut him in half.

"Your blessing is… still unevolved."

Lyle muttered incomprehensible words before his body burst with azure flames. He glared at the sword and its user before raising his hand toward the sky. Then, he clenched it, and the captain could no longer breathe.

The astral sword disappeared, and the captain fell to the ground, suffocating. He struggled to breathe, but no air could enter his lungs. Lyle stared at him with apathy as he died.

"…how… can you be… this strong…" asked the captain as he tried to breathe, but that right was stolen from him. His chest grew tighter until he could no longer stay awake and lost consciousness.

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***

After the knight died, Lyle walked toward him and started looking through his belongings. As he figured, a high-tier runic card was inside his robes for emergency healing. Unfortunately, however, the captain couldn't use it when he needed it the most.

"I cannot let you die an easy death," said Lyle as he took the card toward the old man and used it on him. Then, the old man started recovering, and the wound on his leg started closing. "Get better, so I can kill you."

The old man didn't wake up, even after being healed. It might take him to heal, but Lyle would wait. However, he was still disoriented about what had happened. After all, he burned to ashes.

"Can it be the Supernova?" muttered Lyle with confusion. "In any case, the spiritual enlightenment is complete. My revenge is…."