Arvaris moved like a being that travels faster then sound itself through the chaos, cutting down goblins and humans alike with casual swings of his blade. Each strike was precise, merciless, leaving trails of crimson across the dirt. His cold voice echoed between the burning houses.

  "Ahh is that all you got dumbasses?"

  No one answered. Some tried to run, some tried to fight, but still everyone meet the same fate all of them were getting merciless deaths and all ended the same—lifeless bodies littering the ground.

  A group of goblins ran at Arvaris from behind, trying to surprise him. Without even looking back, Arvaris flicked his wrist. His sword moved so fast it cut through the air—and the goblins. They were cut in half and died before they even hit the ground.

  Far away, Grok watched with angry, wide eyes. He screamed orders to his last few soldiers. But then he saw something that made him go cold with fear. Arvaris wasn't just walking around. He was moving straight toward the entrance of the basement, as if he knew exactly where it was.

  Grok's chest tightened. 'No… he's getting closer.' This time, Grok broke into a sprint, determined to cut him off.

  Meanwhile, in Arvaris's mind, a cruel smirk tugged at his lips.

  'I can feel it. Someone used magic here. Clever… very clever. Whoever it was hid their mana trail completely, not even a trace left for me to sense. But…'

  Then, he heard it—soft, broken sobs. The cry of a little girl, no older than seven or eight.

  Arvaris tilted his head, amused.

  'Ah… a child. Hmm because Leo and that witch is not coming how about.... I kill her.' Arvaris smirked.

  He raised his hand, frost forming into a spear of ice sharp enough to pierce through her chest.

  Just as he was about to strike, an arrow whistled through the air and slammed against his wrist, shattering into sparks. The blow didn't wound him, but it knocked his aim aside.

  Arvaris's eyes narrowed."…Huh? Who dares?"

  Before he could finish, a storm of arrows rained from the treeline—some glowing, others burning with fire. They hissed through the night, forcing him to weave aside.

  From the distance, Grok's heart leapt as he recognized the barrage.

  "You took your damn time, Sara!"

  And there she was—stepping out of the shadows with her bow drawn, her expression sharp, her eyes blazing with fury. She smirked.

  "You goddamn bastard… I'll put an arrow through your skull."

  Arvaris's gaze darkened. The temperature around him plummeted. He conjured massive shards of ice and hurled them toward her at blinding speed, each one like a frozen spear meant to tear her apart.

  But Sara moved like the wind—rolling, sliding, her bow flashing as she danced between death itself. Every shard missed, shattering against the earth, erupting into jagged frost around her. As Arvaris realized that this alone won't stop her he start using fire balls that summoned in mid air and they all launched at her yet she moved so fast that each and every single fire ball or ice shards wasn't even able to touch her.

  Her lips curved into a grin. "That all you got?"

  As Arvaris prepared to launch another deadly spell at Sara, the air around him suddenly grew cold—unnaturally cold. Without warning, a massive shard of ice, sharp as a spear, shot through the smoke and struck him square in the chest.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  It didn't pierce his body, but the sheer force behind it hurled him backward, crashing him into the ground.

  Thud!

  Arvaris slowly stood, brushing ice fragments from his shoulder, his eyes narrowing.

  "Huh… who the hell did that?" he growled, glanced toward the trees.

  Then he saw her. A slender elf girl, standing tall with her staff still faintly glowing from the spell.

  "Who are you, ? Do you wish to die?" Arvaris spat, his tone venomous.

  Lyra met his gaze, her expression burning with defiance. "Shut up… You're going to regret this."

  Before he could react, she darted forward, scooping up the terrified young girl who had been crying moments earlier. With a burst of agility, Lyra turned and ran, carrying the child away from Arvaris's reach.

  "Huh what the she just came to save that kid ?" Who care's Die !" Arvaris whispered.

  But then.

  Arrows suddenly rained down from multiple directions, streaking with fire and speed. Arvaris cursed, swinging his arm to shatter and deflect them, but the relentless volley forced him into a defensive stance.

  SUddenly his movements lost their precision. His attacks grew sloppy, his aim faltering as he dodged and countered.

  "Tch… yeah, yeah…" he muttered to himself, realizing the truth. 'That girl… she must've been the one using magic earlier. Clever brat—she didn't leave behind a single trace of mana. Which means… there are others hiding here too.' He thought.

  Then, from the chaos, Grok emerged with a horde of goblins at his back. His voice bellowed across the battlefield.

  "Goblins! Attack that bastard!"

  Arvaris clenched his jaw, rage and hatred was clear in his eyes as more flaming arrows rained down. None of them could wound him—but their sheer number forced him to keep dodging, disrupting his every attempt to retaliate.

  "Seems like you all wish for death," he snarled.

  As Lia sat huddled in the dark basement, her small hands trembling, her thoughts spiraled.

  'Where is big brother? He promised us he would come soon. But he hasn't… Are we all going to die here?'

  Her chest tightened, fear eating away at her fragile hope.

  But then—suddenly—the heavy wooden door swung open. Lyra rushed inside, carrying a young girl in her arms. Gasps filled the room.

  The girl's parents and brother immediately ran to her, pulling her into a desperate embrace. Tears streamed down her mother's face as she cried.

  "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, my dear."

  Her father wrapped his arms around all of them, holding on as if he would never let go again.

  Lyra, panting from the run, allowed herself a small smile. She stepped into the center of the basement, her young figure standing tall despite the chaos outside.

  "Don't lose hope," she said firmly, her voice steadying the frightened hearts around her. "We haven't lost this battle. Our people are still fighting—and I'm sure… we will win this."

  But deep inside, her thoughts whispered a harsher truth.

  'That's different though… We don't know how many more will die before this ends. Leo… please, come soon.'

  While at the battle area. Arvaris faced Sara, annoyance etched on his face. She loosed arrow after arrow, each one infused with different elements—fire, wind, lightning—but none of them pierced his defenses. He keep rushing to her but she keeps making distance from one tree to another and then another and another but Arvaris also wasn't stopping and keep trying to go in close range but she keep aiming and launching arrows on Arvaris Still, he couldn't land a blow on her either.

  He clicked his tongue.

  "Tch… you're starting to piss me off."

  Raising both hands, dozens of glowing magic circles formed across the battlefield, hovering ominously in the air.

  Sara's eyes widened.

  "Wait—damn it, I have to run!"

  A heartbeat later, every circle detonated, exploding in a devastating chain reaction.

  Meanwhile, elsewhere—Lili and Ezo clashed.

  Ezo crashed down from the sky with such force that the ground split and caved beneath his landing. Dust and shards of rock burst outward.

  But he didn't pause. With terrifying speed, he launched himself back into the air, his blade gleaming as he dove straight toward Lili. She, however, darted back to the ground, narrowly dodging his strike.

  The moment his feet touched down, she was already gone—her figure blurring, darting unpredictably from place to place.

  Ezo's brows furrowed.

  'What… what is she doing?'

  Before the thought could settle, a pulse of darkness filled the air. From every direction, countless orbs of shadow materialized, swirling with malice.

  In the next instant, the magic balls shot toward him in a deadly barrage.