I kept my focus locked on all four of them, tracking their movements with my perception.
Steve reached his target first. His sword flashed, slicing through the air toward the man's throat. But the guy leaned back just enough to dodge it.
Steve didn't hesitate. He shifted his footing, twisted his grip, and reversed the swing, aiming again for the neck. The man jumped back quickly, barely dodging.
Then came a sharp whoosh.
An arrow tore through the air, aimed clean at the man's head. He tilted just slightly, and the arrow whizzed past his cheek.
In the next second, a barrage of attacks followed. Wind blades, bursts of elemental force, all fired at once. The man twisted and jumped, weaving through it all with fast, sharp movements.
Just as he dodged a wind blade, Steve reappeared behind him, his sword flashing again toward the man's neck.
This time, the man had no space left.
But before the blade could land, a shockwave exploded from his body. The force blasted outward and sent Steve flying across the snow.
That was my moment.
I dashed forward, arriving near where my staff had landed. I grabbed it, surged Essence into it and leapt.
My body spun as I brought the staff around in a wide arc, aiming straight for the man's side from behind. I boosted its weight mid-swing.
He turned too late. His arms came up in a cross to block—
Crack.
The staff slammed into his guard, and I heard something break. The impact launched him across the snow-covered field, smashing him through cracked patches of earth left from earlier shockwave.
Before I could press the attack, I noticed the other cloaked man, the one I'd knocked down earlier, getting back on his feet.
I made a quick call as I saw Sarah and the others arriving on the field.
'Perfect timing.'
"Sarah, help Steve!" I yelled, already shifting my body toward the second man.
Essence flared through me as I dashed across the snow. I reached him in a blink, driving my staff forward in a direct thrust toward his chest.
He moved fast, raising one hand to catch the shaft of the staff near the middle.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a glimpse beneath his hood, but the shadows clung tightly.
Then he spoke, his voice disguised—fake, warped, almost cartoonish.
"Don't get too cheeky, kid."
I snorted. "Is that so?"
I suddenly let go of the staff with one hand. My right fist pulled back.
Essence flooded into my arm as I activated [Seismic Burst]. I punched the bottom end of the staff like a hammer striking a nail.
Boom.
The force traveled through the staff, tore it from the man's grip, and smashed directly into his chest.
He choked as the breath left his lungs, his body skidding back again.
I didn't stop.
My hand shot forward, caught the spinning staff mid-air, and I leapt, lifting it high overhead. Then I brought it crashing down in a brutal arc.
The man stepped aside just in time.
The staff slammed into the ground where he'd been.
Boom.
The ground cracked and splintered from the impact.
Before I could move in for another strike, the man made his move.
His leg shot up fast, aimed straight for my head.
He was quick, no doubt, but my Psynapse was sharper. With [Psynapse Boost] active, everything around me slowed just enough. I saw his movement clearly, down to the angle of his knee and the twist in his hip.
I ducked under the kick, feeling the air shift just above my head as his foot cut through it.
While crouched low, I activated [Havoc Sfera].
Violet Essence surged through my body like a flood. I shifted its state into fire, and a spinning fireball burst to life in my palm—hot, wild, and roaring with power.
Without giving him a second to recover, I thrust my hand forward.
The fireball smashed straight into the man's balls.
Boom.
Flames exploded outward, heat rippling through the air as the shockwave sent him flying. His body lifted off the ground like a ragdoll, then crashed back down hard.
And then, finally, I heard him scream.
No fake voice. No weird tone.
Just a real, pained, very human scream.
The man hit the ground with a thud, snow scattering around his body as he rolled once, twice, then came to a halt on his side.
Steam rose from his lower half, his cloak singed, blackened, and torn wide open around the waist.
His pants were nearly gone, burned away by the explosion. Charred skin peeked through the shredded fabric, and his legs trembled from the pain.
He clutched himself, groaning, before his scream turned into a furious snarl.
"You filthy little shit!" he barked, his real voice hoarse and cracking. "I'll kill you! I'll rip you apart with my bare hands!"
He struggled to stand, one hand still gripping his scorched thigh.
I tilted my head slightly, letting the tip of my staff rest on the snowy ground. A soft chuckle escaped me as I replied.
"You know, I always wanted to do that."
The man coughed, his body still trembling from the blast, and started to speak again,
"I'll cut your—"
But I didn't catch the rest. My focus shifted completely. Through my perception I saw the man I'd left behind was now dashing toward Steve's group.
The rest of the nineteen were doing their part. Steve, Sarah, and five other boys surrounded the man, attacking up close with blades and fists.
The others kept up the pressure from a distance—spells, arrows, wind blades, never letting him breathe.
But I noticed the man was heading straight for North.
'Fucking bastard.'
Without sparing another glance at the half-burned man still screaming behind me, I launched forward, racing to cut the other one off.
My eyes flicked to the battlefield behind us. Arkas was still fighting. Streaks of green and gold Essence clashed in the distance, shockwaves rolling out with every strike.
I couldn't tell if Arkas was holding back or actually being pushed. But I assumed it was the latter. Arkas wouldn't allow himself or his soldiers to be captured otherwise.
I exhaled deeply, focusing on my channels. I needed more Essence and fast. I reached inward, drawing in every bit of surrounding energy. My heart pulsed hotter, stronger, burning through the incoming force and converting it to pure Essence.
My gaze locked onto the charging man. He had dropped all pretense of hiding now, moving in full view. He saw me coming and raised his palm toward me.
I narrowed my eyes, bracing for whatever he was about to throw.
But the attack didn't come from his hand, it came from beneath.
The ground rumbled.
'Shit.'
I reacted instantly, pushing my legs to leap. I wasn't fast enough.
A jagged black spike burst from the ground and grazed my calf, slicing through skin. Pain flared, but I landed low, crouched, and pushed forward again without losing momentum.
In a blink, I was in front of him. My staff spun in my hand as I roared and swung it in a wide arc toward his ribs.
He didn't try to dodge. Instead, he raised a hand and said.
"Arise."
A thick black wall erupted from the earth between us just in time.
Boom.
My staff crashed into it, the shock of the impact shooting through my arms. Cracks webbed across the surface, but the wall held.
The man's voice came through the cloak again, distorted and deep.
"You are strong."
I nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. I know."
I let the staff fall to my side and raised my left palm toward him. My voice came out calm.
"Arise."
At the same time, I activated [Havoc Sfera] again. Violet Essence surged through my channels and twisted into a spinning fireball. I slammed my will into it, compressing it tighter and tighter until it burned red-hot. Then I fired.
A concentrated beam shot forward, screaming through the air.
The man tried to move, but he was too slow. The beam struck him square in the chest.
Boom.
He flew back, crashing into the snow with a blast of steam and ash.
A grin tugged at my lips.
"Arise. Sounds good."