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POV: Cordelia Coralia
The forest was dim, breathing like a giant creature.
The smell of wet soil lingered, leaves trembled from earlier battles, and traces of mana floated in the air like fine blue dust.
In the middle of all that…
Arthur and my brother were fighting in terrifying harmony.
My brother's spear spun around him, drawing turquoise arcs of shimmering water, as if the element itself rejoiced in serving him.
Every step he took left behind a watery imprint that evaporated instantly, while his muscles moved with a precision shaped since childhood.
As for Arthur…
He was something else entirely.
His movements were soundless.
His jumps were short, but impossibly fast.
His strikes were heavy, yet clean—like a routine he had mastered over long years.
The two of them attacked the Awakened in perfect sync;
my brother from the front, Arthur from behind—no words, no commands.
As if their bodies spoke a language no one else could hear.
This wasn't normal teamwork.
This was a legendary level of understanding.
The third Awakened began to crumble under their pressure.
Suddenly—
Arthur released his stone armor, and a dense shadow rose beneath him like smoke—yet heavier… deeper.
The shadows swirled around his hand, forming a dark vortex, then stretched like a demonic hand that grabbed the Awakened's leg.
The Awakened's scream was too short.
He didn't even realize what happened.
My brother didn't wait.
• "Jetstream Thrust."
Water mana clustered at the tip of his spear, then burst forward in an explosive surge.
My brother shot forward like a human spear, carving a bright blue line through the air.
The hole he pierced through the Awakened's chest was clean…
frightening…
fatal.
The Awakened froze for a heartbeat, then began to fall—
his body swelling, skin cracking, darkness seeping from every opening…
And he exploded.
The smell that came out of him?
Worse than a corpse left rotting under the sun for a month.
Before any of us moved, we heard slow clapping.
A voice of sick satisfaction—someone who enjoyed watching others die.
The leader of the Awakened appeared.
He wore a torn cloak, eyes wide like those who had lost their sanity, but his smile…
that was the smile of a killer who savored blood.
He said in his rough voice:
"Lovely. Truly lovely. A marvelous duo… unfortunately, our orders say to take the girl only. As for you two—just die."
He pointed at his three subordinates.
"If they're not dead within five minutes… you all die."
The three lunged at Arthur and my brother.
I was ignored.
As if I were a burden.
A fatal mistake.
I had just finished preparing my spell.
---
Spell: "Steam Bomb"
Water wrapped the first Awakened from all sides.
Then—
I raised the temperature for a single heartbeat.
Steam blasted out from inside his body.
His skin peeled, his flesh boiled, and his scream…
anyone who hears it will never forget it.
Arthur seized the moment.
The shadows on his arm thickened into a long dagger—
his movement was swift,
precise,
deadly.
He stabbed the second Awakened straight in the heart.
Too clean…
too perfect…
too terrifying…
This man… was no ordinary person.
Nor from an ordinary family.
---
Arthur finished the second one, then dashed toward the third to support my brother.
And I did not remain still.
Mana gathered around my body, forming a solid water-like layer that protected me.
Arthur's enhancement made my mana denser… tougher…
in a way that was both incredible and frightening.
I jumped, and before the third Awakened noticed—
I drove my sword into his side.
My brother followed instantly, unleashing his killing skill once more.
The Awakened fell—
and his body exploded.
Suddenly—
the one I had boiled alive…
came back to life behind me.
Burned, deformed, but alive.
He kicked me.
My body flew several meters.
I crashed into a giant tree, breaking it with the impact.
My brother tried to reach me, but two more blocked him again.
I closed my eyes expecting pain—
but felt nothing.
When I opened them…
I found myself carried in Arthur's arms.
His face was exhausted…
smeared with dirt…
covered in sweat…
But even through all that chaos, his features were…
ethereal.
Striking.
Like something painted in a fantasy artwork.
His gaze was steady—
annoyingly so… or beautifully so…
or both.
He said something, but I didn't hear it.
Only when his serious voice cut through my daze did the world return:
"cus....Focus"
I jolted, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
He commanded firmly:
"You're the only one here with long-range damage. Prepare your spell. We'll make you an opening."
I nodded confidently.
I began gathering my mana—
Then something heavy…
so heavy…
fell over us.
A massive mana pressure.
Like a mountain crushing our chests.
The entire forest fell silent.
The air froze.
The leader smiled his venomous smile:
"Five minutes are up. I was merciful. But it seems you need a lesson."
He raised his hand—
the remaining two Awakened lifted into the air, their bodies swelling…
And th—
they exploded.
Black blood rained over us.
From between the trees, three men emerged.
My heart stopped.
Basic Consumption Rank.
A rank so far above ordinary Awakened it might as well be another world.
The leader pointed at them:
"Kill the two… bring me the gi—"
He froze suddenly.
Shock spread across his face… then fear.
Real fear.
Then he shouted, panicked:
"Go—stop him! Now! I'll take the girl myself!"
Before we could understand, Arthur said with his usual coldness:
"Looks like your luck just ran out… the King of Coralia has arrived."
The man turned slowly toward him, veins trembling:
"You…"
Arthur cut him off—
with one word that drowned the leader in terror:
"Isn't that right… Lord Klein?"
He froze.
Everything around him froze.
Arthur continued, quiet but razor-sharp:
"Or rather… your real name—Head Butler Derik."
My legs shook.
A name whispered only inside the palace walls.
A name we trusted—
The man could no longer move.
Even the air around him faltered.
And we…
no longer knew if we would survive the next few minutes.
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