"Scrrchh"

The blade sang and Tormund's head rolled. Clean. Too clean.

For a second the world narrowed to the sound of steel and the soft thud of a body hitting red sand.

"Nexar, did you secure the rewards?"

[Of course.]

I moved among the bodies, eyes scanning for pouches, trinkets, anything that might help.

Hundreds of them fell for the oldest trick in the book. Armor bent, arrows snapped, faces gone pale. It felt empty and efficient.

Why didn't any of them have mana-resist artifacts? I wondered as I kicked at a fallen soldier's pouch. You'd expect even low-tier resistance charms in a force this trained.

There are multiple C and D tier artifacts that repel mana attacks to some extent.

None of these hundred men possessed any... Merin is not the type to underestimate her enemies either...

Why did they fail to secure those artifacts in masses?... its not like they didn't have time either..

Seems like SBV is going through a tough time.

Was this the case in my past life too?

[Open the pouch.]

I fished one out, the cleanest-looking one I could find, and unfastened the stitching.

Inside were coin-stacks, a folded scrap of paper, and a small glass vial that glowed faintly blue.

I poured the coins into my hand. I felt like a bandit... but it kinda felt good..

[Dog on throne is still a dog.]

'Shutup!'

I filled the pouch with Advance potion and drank some basic potion.

Enough to patch wounds that normal kits take a while.

I somehow spent all the points I got from Sera's affection. I worked my mind over purchases I'd already made: the mythic potion I'd used the first time I sparred with Lydia, the mana potions I'd bought in that undergrown for capturing Drane, the blood purifier I'd splurged for saving Lydia... Damn! I checked its cost later.. and I am not lying when I say it costed more than the mystic potion.

The reason Nexar gave is that the items that are from another world costs a lot more than the ones available in this one.

Apparently there are no blood purifiers in this world.. understandable since this world is heavily dependent on magic and martial arts.

Except for some shady organisations like that umm.. Ebok? Ebon?.. Ebos.. syndicate.

They developed some bio weapons for the war against demons, and they worked well in the first half of the war too.

The bio genesis pod Kuro used is one example of their tech. His family must have had close connections with Ebos syndicate.

Well... Points from Sera's affection? Spent. Credits from earlier quests? Mostly gone. The numbers never stop eating at you when you're a man who loved business and never succeeded at it.

'Phase two should have started by now.'

[Yeah. You took too long with Tormund.]

"Not my fault my aura went erratic," I said aloud, because it sounded better than admitting I'd almost been dog-walked to death.

[Well, that made you breakthrough and now you possess intermediate aura.]

I flexed my fingers and felt the new edge of power, a lot steadier now.

Crimson sparks hiccupped along my skin and died away.

Intermediate aura.

The thought made a slow grin creep over my face despite the blood and the noise and the smell.

It was a step. A real step. Towards my peak.

"By the way, Nexar... what's that AP card mentioned in rewards for the 5-star quest.?" I asked, curiosity sharper than the aftertaste of fight.

[Hehe…]

****************

I climbed the cliff, my boots scraping against the stone, hands catching on the cold edge as I pulled myself up.

The climb wasn't hard, but my body still ached from the fight with Tormund, even though basic potion patched me up a little.

I exhaled slowly once I reached the top and crouched low, my eyes scanning the other side of the ridge.

The settlement spread below me. The air reeked of iron and smoke. Huts burned, screams echoed, and the once-busy dirt roads were now rivers of blood.

I could still see the path Tormund would have taken if I hadn't stopped him. If that bastard had made it past me, he would've circled around and killed everyone left here, women, children, the wounded.

Then he'd have struck the main force from behind. The thought made my jaw tighten.

As my eyes moved toward the horizon, I saw the real battle unfold.

The battlefield stretched wide and uneven, the ground torn apart from magic and steel.

The orcs had clearly taken control. I could tell at a glance, the prismal conduit tampering worked.

The healer camps were empty, just like I expected. Without their conduits functioning properly, their healers were forced onto the frontlines.

Their magic, twisted by the interference, was backfiring. What a mess.

The humans were still holding some form of order, tight formations, coordinated flanks, disciplined timing.

Typical SBV training. They were drilled for this. But drills only go so far when you're outnumbered three to one.

There were around five hundred orcs here. Five hundred hulking monsters, each one twice the size and strength of the average soldier.

I watched as one orc cleaved through three soldiers in a single swing, his roar drowning out their screams.

The humans retaliated with spears and fire arrows, but their lines wavered each time the orcs charged.

The only reason they hadn't been completely crushed yet was because of those damn tactics, formations, retreats, calculated sacrifices. But it was only a matter of time. This wasn't a fight they could win.

My eyes caught a flicker of movement near the center of the field, a familiar form.

"Is that Sera?" I asked quietly.

[Yeah, seems like it. She's torn between helping the orcs and joining the commanders. Poor girl.]

I frowned. "Damn it… why won't she just follow the plan? I bet Tugnier's fighting with his life on the line right now. I literally told him to stay on the defensive until Merin self-destructs after taking the Aether core."

[He's totally the type to do that. You should pickup Sera and hurry.]

"Yeah." I exhaled, letting crimson aura flicker to life around my legs. Then I moved.

The world blurred. The sounds of steel and screams stretched and twisted as I flashed through the chaos.

Arrows froze mid-flight, blades swung where I had been a heartbeat before.

Crimson crackles trailed behind me as I passed through the battlefield, orcs and humans locked in combat, their faces mere streaks of motion as I passed.

I stopped beside Sera. Wind trailed after me.

She froze instantly, her hand already gripping her sword's hilt, half a second away from slashing me in half.

"Whoa, whoa," I said, catching her wrist before she drew.

Her eyes widened. "Rune!"

"Yup," I said, smiling despite the mess around us.

Before she could react further, I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Ah!" she gasped, startled. Her chest pressed against me, soft, warm, trembling slightly.

"Shouldn't you be following the plan?" I asked, my tone half teasing, half serious.

"But…" her voice faltered. Her eyes darted toward the orcs still fighting nearby, her brows drawn in conflict.

I sighed. "Once we defeat Merin, all this stops. Look at the bigger picture."

For a moment, she said nothing. Then her expression softened. She took a small breath, her arms sliding up around my neck as she met my gaze.

"Shall we go?" I asked with a small grin.

She nodded, silent but certain.

Crackle.

Crimson aura burst around my feet, sharper now. I bent my knees slightly, and then.

Boom!

The ground shattered beneath us as I launched forward, the world blurring once more. The wind howled in my ears, streaks of fire and smoke passing below as I flew over the battlefield.

Sera clung tighter, burying her face in my chest. Her grip was firm, her heartbeat fast against me.

She did well. Really well. Despite not having aura, despite being outmatched in power, she still played her part.

Guardian Knight, that title wasn't for nothing. But with only a first circle, she couldn't draw out even half of what that title promised.

Still, her courage carried her through battles that would break most.

As we cut through the sky, I saw flashes of the fight ahead.

The flank field, that's where Merin's camp was. The shockwaves coming from that direction were intense enough to shake the air itself.

I slowed instinctively, my aura reacting to the pressure. I could feel two distinct signatures, Tugnier's and Merin's, clashing.

Of course, that idiot was fighting her head-on. His aura was wild and heavy, like a thunderstorm tearing through earth.

Merin's, on the other hand, was sharp and cold, steady even in exhaustion.

"Sera," I said, my voice raised over the rushing air. "Can you hold this?"

I pulled out Tormund's head, still wrapped in cloth.

Her eyes widened. "Is that.."

"Yeah."

Her lips twisted in disgust, but she didn't hesitate. She took it carefully, holding it as far from herself as she could.

"I'll take it back once I'm done," I said.

"Gladly," she muttered under her breath.

I smirked and reached for Bloodraven. Mid-flight, I unsheathed it with one hand.

The crimson aura flared along its edge, meeting the swirling black mana that flowed into it naturally.

The fusion of the two forces painted the blade in chaotic red and black streaks. The air around it trembled.

I twirled the katana once in my grip, feeling the familiar hum of power through the hilt.

My eyes locked ahead, on Merin and Tugnier.

Merin stood her ground, swaying slightly. Her daggers glowed with a faint, pale aura, her breathing uneven. She looked on the verge of collapse but refused to back down.

Tugnier stood opposite her, bleeding heavily, his massive club slick and dark with blood. His own, mostly. He was pale, his aura flaring like a bonfire ready to die out.

Their next clash would kill one of them. I could feel it. The pressure from both was enough to make the air vibrate.

"Not good," I muttered.

I didn't think twice. I pulled my arm back and threw Bloodraven. The blade spun through the air, leaving a trail of crimson light that tore the wind apart.

It shot between the two just as they lunged, the impact exploded, shoving both back, breaking their focus.

The crimson energy rippled outward, dust and debris flying in every direction.

I landed on the ground moments later, the shockwave rippling through my boots. Sera clung to me until we steadied.

I gently set her down and reached out to Tormund's head.

I looked at Tugnier first, alive, though barely. Then at Merin.

She turned toward me, surprise flickering across her face. Her black hair was a tangled mess. Yet her eyes still held that same fierce clarity.

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

"Yo! Merin!" I called out, my voice echoing across the field.

Her expression hardened immediately.

"I'm glad you're still alive," I said, holding Tormund's hanging head in one hand.

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