Morning came like a lie.
The carriage sped across the open fields, leaving behind the deathly silence of county of Kingswell where nothing remained alive.
At the front
Michael drove the carriage with steady focus.
Beside him, Lexus sat tense with confusion written all over his face.
Above them, Seth remained seated on top of the carriage.surveillencing the perimeter.
Inside—
Yelena sat beside Olivia, her eyes burning with rage.
"So this is your celebration, right? You destroy everything whenever you are happy."
Olivia smiled faintly.
Yelena continued,
"That's the very reason why the Empire and the Kingdom despise your kind."
Olivia tilted her head slightly.
"My lady… it is a presumptuous to think of us that way."
She paused, then continued calmly,
"We were not annihilated because of who we are…"
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"But because of what we can become."
Suddenly—
A shout echoed from behind.
"There! Those barbarian bastards are running away!"
Michael, Lexus, and Seth turned back.
A royal army with the head was chasing them soldiers on horseback with swords and bows, arrows ready.
At the rear, mages stood in formation, conjuring fireballs.
Inside the carriage
Yelena and Olivia turned toward the window.
The army was closing in.
Yelena looked forward again, her expression cold.
"Now… do whatever you can."
Olivia's face turned stern.
At the front of the carriage,
Lexus frowned.
"Where the hell were they till now?"
Michael replied calmly,
"It's no use thinking about where they were."
Then he added,
"Lexus, cover the carriage with aura."
"Yes." Lexus answered with firm tone.
At once, aura surged from Lexus's body spreading outward and enveloping the entire carriage.
Except for Michael and Seth.
Inside the carriage,
Yelena suddenly felt it. A strange warmth wrapped around her.
"What is this… warmth?" she asked.
Olivia replied calmly,
"This is the Drake Guard done by Lexus"
"Drake…?" Yelena confused,
Olivia glanced at her.
"Yes. Lexus is a Dragonnewt."
Yelena's eyes widened in shock.
A Dragonnewt…?
Her thoughts trembled.
What is a Dragonnewt doing under a barbarian…?
Outside at the battlefield,
The army closed in rapidly.
From the front lines, four commanders rode ahead—
The Commander of Sterling.
The Commander of Westbrook.
The Commander of Visconnia.
The Commander of Kingswell.
Their voices roared in unison.
"Remnant soldiers of our fallen counties! Do not let them escape!"
"Those bastards turned our homes into graveyards!"
And the commander of sterling,
"You bastards, we will retrieve our lady and make you pay for slaughtering our county and our lord"
By hearing his voice, inside the carriage, Yelena's lost hope started to gather in her hearts.
Michael glanced at them and smiled faintly.
"Look at them, Lexus."
His voice was calm.
"That's what I was trying to say."
"If you leave remnants in the past…"
"They will come back to gouge your eyes in the future."
A pause.
"For example… us."
Lexus titled his head down because due to his wavering mindset for.questioning Michael earlier.
Behind them
Nearly six hundred soldiers charged forward.
One of the commanders raised his sword.
"Archers! Fire!"
The first volley of arrows rained down.
They struck the carriage but it did nothing.
The aura barrier held firm.
Above the carriage,Seth moved.
Every arrow that came toward him—
He evaded effortlessly.
The commanders stared in disbelief.
"Fire the second volley!"
The archers, still riding, released another wave.
Arrows filled the sky again, But this time—
Seth vanished.
Eyes widened across the battlefield.
"Where did he go?!"
Then only pure shock awaited for them.
Seth was above them, stepping on the arrows themselves.
Climbing the very volley they had fired.
Inside the carriage,
Yelena's breath caught.
"What… is he?"
Olivia smiled faintly.
"Don't be amazed just yet, my lady."
"He is at the peak of the Manifestation Stage in aura cultivation."
"So this… is expected."
Outside at the carriage,
Lexus's eyes narrowed.
"Is he an idiot?"
"He's only at the peak of Manifestation—not High Manifestation or Domain Stage."
"How can he possibly dodge and evade all of that?"
Michael said nothing.
But the faint smirk on his face slowly faded replaced by concern and sense of responsibility.
At the outside of the battlefield,
Seth descended.
Not like a man falling but like lightning striking the earth.
The commanders barely had time to react.
Their eyes widened.
Fear crept in.
Before they move,
SLASSSSH
The blade flashed.
The head of the Commander of Sterling flew clean off.
His body collapsed from the galloping horse.
And Yelena's heart and hope once again shattered.
While Seth landed in his place, sitting firmly on the saddle, arrows still embedded in his body as if they meant nothing.
The remaining commanders froze.
The Commander of Kingswell's voice trembled.
"Get away from him! Don't let him get close!"
Immediately, they split apart.
Using their horses' speed—
They distanced themselves.
The Commander of Kingswell moved far to Seth's right.
The Commander of Visconnia followed behind him at a distance.
While the Commander of Westbrook circled to Seth's left.
Far behind—
The mages raised their staffs again and began to chant.
A massive fireball began to form and released.
It hit the carriage.
Inside the carriage,
Yelena felt the impact. The Drake Guard trembled violently.
The fire collided and stopped.
But the barrier cracked.
Lexus gritted his teeth, barely holding it together.
At the battlefield, The Commander of Kingswell shouted,
"That's it! Another round!"
The mages began chanting again—
But Seth had already moved.
SLASSSSH
He used the soldiers behind him as steps.
Leaping from one moving horse to another. Killing one soldiers to another.
Advancing forward at terrifying speed.
Straight toward the Commander of Westbrook.
"No—no—NO—!"
The commander's voice broke.
At the final moment—
"LONG LIVE VALEDRYN!"
SLAAASSSHHH
His body split. Falling lifeless from the horse.
Seth didn't stop.
He moved forward—
Using soldiers and horses alike as his path,
Closing the distance toward the mages before they could release the second round.
From behind the formation,
The remaining commanders saw it.
Shock turned into desperation.
"Soldiers!"
One of them roared.
"This is our chance!"
"Fight till the end!"
The army behind them erupted in a unified roar charging towards Michael, towards death.
Seth moved like a storm unleashed.
Slashing and dashing, leaping from horse to horse.
Blades flashed and bodies fell,
But—
He had reached his limit. His movements became slowed. His senses became dulled.
The precision that once defined him began to crack.
His Null Step lost its edge.
Each step became heavier.
Arrows were still lodged in his body. Cuts from earlier clashes reopened.
Blood flowed freely from his cuts and wounds,
His breathing turned rough.
But still he didn't stop.
At the front of carriage,
Michael showed no reaction. He simply drove the carriage faster.
Beside him, Lexus clenched his jaw.
"This won't do… I have to do something."
Michael's voice came, cold and sharp.
"What will happen to the Drake Guard?"
Lexus hesitated.
"It… will disperse. I'm already at my limit."
Michael's gaze snapped toward him.
"Don't you dare."
His voice dropped into warning,
"My love is inside."
Lexus froze,before he could respond—
Michael stood. He handed over the reins to Lexus.
"I'll take care of it."
Lexus looked at him with awe flickering in his eyes, as Michael climbed onto the roof of the carriage.
Wind roared around him.
Then—
"SETH!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
Seth, standing unsteadily on a moving horse, lifted his head.
Michael's voice followed.
"Come to us."
"I'll take care of it."
Without any hesitation and reply,
Seth turned the horse and rode toward the carriage.
Inside the carriage,
Olivia leaned toward the window, excitement lighting her face.
"Wow… my Liege is going to act."
Beside her,
Yelena's chest tightened.
Something in her felt… wrong.
Outside,
The remaining commanders smirked,
"How the hell is he going to take care of us!!"
Then realization struck.
Their faces drained.
"No… no… NO—"
Michael raised his hand.
And then— BOOOOMMMM
Gravereaver descended from the sky struck the mages's formation.
Their bodies burst into pieces before the spell could even form.
Silence shattered into horror.
The Commander of Kingswell trembled.
"How… how did we not realize…"
"That this monster was here…?"
Michael's voice echoed calmly,
"When you had the chance…"
"You should have fled."
And a pause.
"But now—"
His hand moved.
"Prepare to die."
Gravereaver danced.
Not in his grip,But in the air itself.
Following his will.
Each movement of his hand—
Another life ended.
Soldiers split apart one by one.
The battlefield turned into a slaughter.
The commanders' courage collapsed into fear.
Inside the carriage—
Yelena stared. Her eyes widened and her breath became shallow.
Besides her—
Olivia smiled with pride.
"That's my Liege for you, my lady."
Yelena whispered,
"How… can he do this…?"
Olivia's voice remained calm.
"My lady… this is the King's Authority."
"Through it, Gravereaver answers him—no matter where it is."
"He can control it… anytime. Anywhere."
Yelena's fists clenched.
Rage burned within her.
Disgust,fear,hatred all at once.
Michael continued to burst the bodies one by one, only two remained.
The Commander of Visconnia.
And the Commander of Kingswell.
And then commander of Visconnia burst into bits by the impact of gravereaver
The Commander of Kingswell stared at Michael, trembling—
But his voice did not break.
"Remember this… you bastard."
"There will be someone… who will stop you."
"Someone who will destroy you."
Michael looked at him unmoved grab his throat and lifted him,
"So be it."
BOOOOMMMM,
Michael squeezed his head with brute force and blown into bits and pieces.
Michael raised his hand.
Gravereaver returned,sliding into his grasp as if it had never left.
He looked at the weapon for a brief moment.
Then, softly—
"Your purpose is over for today."
A pause.
"Go… enjoy the sky."
With a single motion, he hurled it upward.
The giant axe shot into the heavens, disappearing like a falling star in reverse.
Silence followed.
Then—
Seth arrived,still on horseback.
His body swayed,arrows still embedded.
Blood trailing behind him.
Before the horse could even slow he became unconscious.
Michael watched him for a second.
Then he spoke casually,
"Now it's your time."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"Start practicing aura cultivation."
He stepped down and said,
"Lexus, stop the carriage. Let's put Seth inside."
No response from Lexus's side for an brief moment, So Michael turned.
And saw him—
Lexus slumped over, unmoving.
His grip on the reins loose.
He lost his consciousness.
The strain of the aura had taken him.
Michael looked at him quietly.
Then said,
"You too…"