“Why? Without our crests, we can’t use its power to defeat that Shadow.” Lemi worryingly said.

It’s true. When I looked at the back of my hand where my crest was, I could barely see it. I didn’t pay too much attention to it before, but it looks like most of its magic power was sucked away. By what? By that Shadow Wizard?

Without our Crests, I couldn’t see any chance of victory. The five of us were trying to flee the castle filled with mindless soldier blocking our path. As the others worked together to fight off the attackers, I was being carried through the escape because of the injuries I still have. Lemi’s used up half her supplies and some magic to speed up my recovery.

We managed to find a room to hide and take a quick breather.

“Kihet, you were right. I should’ve listened to you.” Shiba punched the wall. “Instead, I dismissed your warning as if I treated you like a fool. I’m the fool here.”

“You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

“I’m worried about Miyabe and my dear sister. Who knows how many soldiers Eizan brainwashed back in Xu. I must get back immediately.”

-I’m worried too. I hope they’re safe as well. I hope Sorah and Martha are doing well.

“Prince, you don’t address the Holy ones with their title?”

“It’s by my request.” I answered. “If you want, you guys can drop the titles too.”

“Same here. I actually feel uncomfortable being given a title.” Lemi added. “Kihet, how are you feeling?”

I tested my body, jumping around and exercised my limbs. With Lemi’s treatment and my mysterious mark closing the injuries, I was up on my feet, but my tail remained cut.

“I can run now. If I have a weapon I can also fight.”

“Good, we can use all the hands we can get.” Salith passed me her spare dagger. “Sorry, I don’t have anything else suited to your size.”

“This will do. It feels like a sword to me.”

“In any case, we seem to be in a predicament. That Shadow is one of the enemies of the world and Eizan summoned it.”

“Were you not aware or at least suspicious of him at all?” Kridas asked.

“I was fixated on the disappearance of my people and at the time, I thought he was my most trusted subject to lead the investigation. He was able to mislead my judgement by controlling the information passed onto me. Once I return to Xu, I will prepare an army. What about your Queen?”

“Her majesty is safe. As soon as we got Kihet’s information, we escorted her out of the capital before the traitors could get to her.” Salith looked out the window. “That’s enough talk for now. Carmyn shot us a signal. I’ll take point. Grandfather, cover our rear.”

The five of us followed Salith through the castle, killing every enemy intercepting us. To be honest, I’m glad someone like Salith was on the team. I’ve experienced her strength firsthand but was still impressed how easily she broke through enemy blockade. I couldn’t believe I survived that.

The rest of us followed her lead. Kridas was in charge of decimating heavily armored units and Shibata slew the lightly armored ones. Lemi used her magic scarcely to prevent overburdening her frail body while I took down strays rushing her.

We fought through the great halls, finding Alam, Carmyn and the others under cover. They took shelter against enemy archers.

“Carmyn, give me the situation!” Salith waved.

“No, stay back! Take cover!”

A burning projectile shot through the wall into a few pillars and the rubble that made up the ceiling collapsed. Luckily, we had Salith with her tower shield protecting Lemi, Shibata and me. Kridas and the other giants were able to shake off everything that fell on them. Giants were durable.

I heard screams and shouts outside. The Shadow Wizard levitated in the air above the city outside of the castle, indiscriminately dropping meteorites into the city. That was only the beginning as hundreds of magic circles blanketed over the sky, suddenly being unleashed all at once.

This was chaos. Buildings caught on fire, everything’s collapsing. Why is this happening?

“It’s now or never. Everyone, the enemy is disarray! We must pave the way for Xu’s Prince and the Holy Enuis! Advance!”

Despite the horrific scene engulfing Halsgrof in flames, Salith was the first to keep her composure. She regrouped her soldiers and rushed the gate. They caused mayhem among enemy ranks and prevented the enemy’s ability to rally themselves.

“The gates are still closed.” Alam swiftly cut down a guard. “I’ll go and open it.”

“I’ll go with you.” I volunteered.

“You sure? You just recovered.”

“I’m fine. I can handle myself.”

“In that case, I shall join you two.” Shibata declared. “I believe a rush with three swift fighters is enough to break through the enemy.”

“W-wow, this is making me nervous. I’ll be fighting with Xu’s Prince and an Enui.”

“Ha! Consider it an honor. I am also curious about to see how one of Rozzosea’s elite fighters fare. Do your best to protect me.”

In order to get the gates opened, Alam, Shiba and I ascended the tower’s staircase, carving into the mass of Giants trying to impede our advance. The path in front of us became crowded. Alam brute forced through their muscles. Shibata’s blade cut through their armor gracefully while I took a more rouge like approach.

While I’m not as strong as Alam or as nimble as Shiba, I was raised as hunter. I climbed up wooden beams, sniping unwary foes. I snuck behind the enemy lines from above, silently take down two before I was discovered. I quickly leapt off the stairs, mimicking Shiba’s butterfly axe kick into the guard’s helmet and plunged my dagger into his face.

“Move back!”

I pushed my entire weight forward and kicked off, causing the guard to crash into his comrades. The guards fell one after another. Their numbers tumbled down the stairs allowing us to pick them off one by one.

“Nice job!” Alam complimented.

“I can see why Miyabe was impressed by you. Your ability to learn from one look is fearsome.” Shiba added. “We’re nearly there. I will lead the charge. Hurry!”

Archers waited for us with bows drawn when we stepped out of the tower. From here, it was a straight line making us easy targets. Shiba remained unfazed as he ran out, holding his sword firmly. He knocked down all of the arrows and raced towards the enemy. It was amazing how easily he’d did it.

That’s something I can’t just copy.

“How’d you do that?”

“Awareness, prediction and years of training.”

Somehow, he sounded like he won with that smug on his face.

Alam and I followed close behind him as Shiba batted aside another wave of arrows like it was nothing. The three of us fought past the last line of guards and unlocked the gates.

“It’s opened!”

“Good, let’s regroup."

I surveyed the courtyard, searching for Lemi and others in this mess. She summoned magic barriers around Salith, Carmyn and Kridas as they moved past the gates through a storm of arrows.

I saw more enemy soldiers pouring out from the castle. The one leading them was the King while Eizan trailed behind.

Eizan noticed us on top of the walls and made a smirk.

“Tch. That snake’s aiming for my crown.”

“Shiba, we have company!” I raised my weapon.

Reinforcements made their way up the stairs and blocked our path down. They were Devils hypnotized by golden dusts. Judging from Shiba’s reaction, he recognized some of their faces from missing posters and some were elite soldiers.

Suddenly, Alam pushed Shiba back. A small figure fell on Alam’s back and repeatedly gouge his shoulder.

“AAAARGH! You little!”

Alam caught the child’s arm and tried slamming him onto the ground. With cat like reflex, the child slipped free of Alam’s grip and safely landed a few meters away from us.

-That’s Eizan’s son.

There was a spot of tore up flesh. Alam was bleeding like a fountain. The skin turned purple with some sort of viscera around it. I didn’t have any supplies to treat it. I hurriedly pressed over the injury with my rags.

“He’s poisoned!” I exclaimed. “We need to treat him!”

“Kihet, the enemy’s rushing us!” Shiba warned.

Three Devils locked blades with Shiba while I was preoccupied two. They weren’t ordinary soldiers. They were Shiba’s elite guards turned against us. We were struggling to push them away.

“Because of the Royal family… I lost everything!” The child climbed back onto the merlons and pounced at Shiba with a vengeful cry. “Everything is because of you ----!”

“Duck!”

Alam dashed forward fully extending both of his arms. Shiba and I quickly dropped down, watching him sprint between us. His long arms caught the Devils and the child in mid air and hurled them into the tower.

He then held us over his head.

“What are you doing?!”

“Sorry, Kihet. I’d just slow us down.” He coughed. Blood dripped down his mouth. “Salith, two packages incoming! You better keep them alive!”

Alam threw us out of the walls where Kridas caught us.

When I looked back, a Devil stabbed Alam’s side. He swatted the attacker, throwing a punch at another foe. Alam yanked out the weapon lodged in him and hacked into his next foe.

“Wait, we have to help Alam!” I shouted.

I saw grim faces as everyone continue running. They were purposefully ignoring me.

“He… will buy time for us.” Kridas muttered. “I’m sorry, but we can’t afford to lose you and Lemi.”

“But-!”

“Do you think Carmyn and Sal wanted this? The three grew up together. It’s tough for them as well.”

At that time, I realized the others knew sacrifices had to made. With the Shadow Wizard whisking endless barrage of spells and the enemy in hot pursuit, the warriors that joined Salith were aware of slim chances to escape. Even so, they were prepared to die for Lemi, Shiba and my sake.

I just can’t accept reality. There were faces I haven’t seen, people I haven’t talked to much. Yet, they’re willing to give up their lives.

Alam knew the enemy was aiming to open the gates for the King’s warriors to chase us. Before I turned into the alleyway, I saw his last moments as he raised his good arm defiantly and howled a war cry. He and shoved his entire arm into the mechanism. The gears grinded his arms, spitting bones, spilling blood and tearing flesh. He was then brutally pierced by spears, swords and arrows from all direction.

There was a sounding boom. The gates closed as they had to deal with Alam who jammed the gate’s mechanism.

The only ones that made it past was Carmyn, Salith, Kridas, Shiba, Lemi and me. Everyone else stayed behind to hold the enemy back.

Carmyn pursed her lips, fighting the tears.

“If those warriors were Xu’s soldier, their loyalty would allow him to soar through the ranks.” Shiba admitted. “I’ll swear on my pride, Xu will take revenge on behalf of Alam.”

“And I will give my prayers to Alam.” Lemi held her hands together solemnly.

“Thank you.” Carmyn responded. “I’m sure he’d be grateful.”

“Let’s make sure everyone escapes first.” Salith added. “Over here.”

We snuck around blockades and soldiers by going through ruins and hiding behind rubble. Most of the soldiers weren’t looking for us, and instead rushing towards the Shadow Wizard.

“Carmyn, let’s stop here for a second.” Kridas suddenly demanded.

“It’s not time to go drinking, Grandfather.”

“I could go for some but look. The stable is still standing with some Giraxes in there. We can use them to ride out of here.”

“Indeed. Travelling by foot will make us easy prey to catch outside the city.” Shiba commented.

Giraxes were a bull like monster that are commonly used to pull carts similar to Felks in my village. Their large muscular build allows them to carry the giant’s supplies. Unlike the Felks, they were slower in exchange for unmatched endurance that allowed them to travel longer distances than any other mounts and move past difficult to pass terrains.

We stopped at a familiar location. From the shape of the half standing building, it looked like the tavern Kridas and Lemi invited me to when I first arrived to Rozzosea. It was burning from a meteorite. Tables, chairs, broken barrels were stained with blood. There were corpses half buried in debris. One of them was the barkeeper holding his children.

I was seething with anger. I gritted my teeth and made a fist and my nails dug into my palms making them bleed.

 “I’m sorry.” Lemi reached out, closing the barkeeper’s eyes.

How long will this nightmare last?

I then noticed Shiba swaying a bit.

“Shiba, are you okay?”

“H-huh? Oh, perhaps I’m a bit fatigued from all the running.”

-He’s definitely overexerting himself. I mean, I am too. We have an entire city of soldiers trying to hunt us down.

“Luckily, there are four.” Kridas tossed aside the door to the stable. “Lemi, you and Kihet will share one. Sal and I will be front and rear guard.”

“I suppose I’m riding with this fair lady?” Shiba looked at Carmyn.

“I apologize, but do you mind taking the reins? It would be best if I can shoot my bow.”