Kaiden was momentarily starstruck when he saw Victoria's beautiful eyes staring with worry, "Ria... I mean, Lady Victoria. I... am perfectly fine."
"R-really? But I... I saw you were hugging your head so badly. Y-you must have been in pain." Victoria reaffirmed.
Despite her attempt to hide her fear, she was clearly trembling but she was trying her best to restrain it.
"I am definitely fine, milady. I'm sorry to have worried you like that." Kaiden replied.
"Oh, okay." Victoria said feeling a little down. She looked at him again and gave him some sort of pill. She said, " When it's just us, you can just call me Ria like old times, Big bro. Don't forget to eat that Restoration Pill, okay?"
Victoria stood up and sat cross legged to enter meditation.
She cleared her mind of all thought and started focusing on recovering her energy.
Hawks looked at Victoria worriedly before turning his attention to Kaiden.
The middle-aged man asked, " Kaiden, what happened to you? You suddenly fainted all of a sudden."
"I'm not entirely sure... but there was this-" Before Kaiden could even finish what he was going to say, he heard a familiar sound.
It was the sound he heard during his severe headache.
*Boom!*
Hearing that sound, Hawks immediately entered combat mode as he rushed outside.
He shouted but halted midway, "Men, what is happening here? Did the-"
"No... this can't be..." When Kaiden saw Hawks' expression, he realized that what Hawks saw may very well be the same scene he saw when he fainted.
He rushed out to verify his assumption.
Like he feared, he witnessed the same scene he saw.
He saw thirty figures of people with the cultivation base of Mortal Severing.
They were not wearing cloaks so you could distinguish them easily.
They wore different things but their most distinguishable feature was the tattoo of a demon with a castle on its forehead.
The one leading them was also the same woman who was leading the last group of attackers.
The sexy woman with the demon tattoo on her neck!
Every single detail that he saw was completely identical to this moment. It was as if he had been able to see the future.
'What..." But Kaiden felt that there was something off because when he was seeing this scene an indescribable rage and sorrow was blooming in his heart.
He held his chest that was filled with these strange feelings. It was like this was a very painful memory.
"It's the same... This can't be happening..." Kaiden said out of fear and confusion.
Suddenly, the woman looked at him and smiled interestingly like she did in his vision.
'Agh, his face filled with fear... It's making me~ feel hot... I can't wait to bring him in my little torture house. Hehe~' The woman's smile became more and more filled with bliss.
Her face was painted red as if she just had her climax.
Then, almost instantly, she changed her facial expression and wore her previous seductive smile but her gaze never left Kaiden.
"Big bro Kai, Uncle Hawks, what's happening?" Victoria was forced to exit her meditation.
She also rushed out of the cave to check out what occurred.
Seeing the same scene, she froze and saw the sheer number advantage that the other side had over them.
Her mind blanked and she did not know what to do because all she thought was, 'Am I going to die here?'
Suddenly, the tense and silent atmosphere was broken by the seductively beautiful woman.
The woman shifted her gaze towards Victoria. This was the first time she got a glimpse of her face without the cover of her cloak.
She clasped her hands and said merrily, "Oh my~ Lady Victoria is such a doll. If we weren't assigned to kill you, I might have enjoyed 'playing' with you. Hehe~"
She then looked at Kaiden, "From what I heard your name is Kaiden but she seems to call you Kai. What a close and sweet relationship you two have... It makes me want to rip it apart~"
"But, I'll give you a chance, Kaiden. If you choose to serve me, I'll let you live and even re~ ward~ you." The woman offered with anticipation.
"I would rather die than to betray the Cross Clan that took me in and Lady Victoria whom I serve. Come, you vile woman. I will make you regret your words." Kaiden unhesitatingly said.
"...." The woman did not answer. Then, the woman held her chest tightly and lowered her head
Hawks, who was beside Kaiden, whispered as he handed over something to him behind his back, "Kaiden, take Ria away and run! We will hold off the others. You must escape now! Use this Void Flicker Stone and run away with her!"
Kaiden wanted to reject but Hawks cut him off, "There's no way I will abandon the group-"
Hawks' voice became much more deeper and stern, " You fucking punk! Do as I tell you and let my only niece live! If you're not going to do it for me! Then, take the girl you love to escape from this mishap and let her live!"
"Captain, you-" Kaiden was shocked as he did not expect that Hawks would actually know.
Hawks started recounting, "You think I would not know from all your obvious staring at her while we were escorting her? You think I would not notice that you still are wearing the charm she gave you when you first became her personal guard? I know you've been in love with her ever since you became her guard five years ago!"
"I..." His words made Kaiden become even more embarrassed.
But they did not have any more time to continue their little talk as the other side would start to attack.
The woman trembled as she raised her head with a face of ecstasy, "Ahhh! Kaiden, you being so rebellious like that... might actually make me fall in love with you! I, Yumi, can't take this anymore. You're mine!"
Yumi jumped forwards and grabbed the whip on her hips. Without restraining, she loosened the whip and attacked while she injected her dark Innate Energy, "Beautiful Scars!"
Her whip lashes formed numerous dark blades that aimed for everyone except for Kaiden.
The attacks were manipulated so that Kaiden would be separated from Victoria and the rest
This made everyone evade the incoming attacks which also caused Kaiden to not get the Void Flicker Stone that Hawks meant to give to him.
"Oh no, the stone!" Kaiden cried out as if he was not able to reach the stone when he dodged.
"Oh no, milady!". Kaiden looked frantically. Then, he saw Victoria on the other side who was behind Koma and Erca protecting her. This made him sigh in relief.
A long haired man from Yumi's group sighed and ordered, "Haaayst, there she goes again. After finding a toy she liked, she gets all crazy. Men, move out and help the Commander by obliterating these Sword Knights!"
"Yes, sir!" The twenty eight other men nodded and followed the long-haired man's orders.
They attacked the now separated Sword Knights with all of their musical techniques in a frenzied manner!
They all were laughing in delight as they insulted their opponents.
"Come here, you chicken knights! I'm gonna crush you all to meat paste." A burly man carrying a large hammer said.
He casted his powerful attack that was using water from the rain to form icicles.
"Hahaha, it's been awhile since I have tasted blood! I will slaughter you all!" Another lanky man said as his body bloated and became more hairy.
He became something along the lines of a man and a bear as he swiped his claws that created wind scars!
The others pretty much did the same actions as they either transformed into a dark demi-human or had a weapon appear from them and used it to attack. They all used different sorts of attacks that showered on the Sword Knights.
*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*
Meanwhile, Yumi appeared in front of Kaiden and said delightfully, "Kaiden, I will make you mine!"
"Die, woman!" However, Hawks appeared in front of them and slashed his sword upon Yumi's head.
"Tch!" Yumi clicked her tongue as she defended with her whip.
Her attack actually caused Hawks to be at a disadvantage and forced him several meters back.
With a blur, she maneuvered herself a meter away from them.
She roared, "You meddlesome old man, get out of my way if you don't want to die!"
"Hahaha, your cultivation might be stronger than mine but we of the Cross Clan have something in our sleeves! *Twuh* We don't go down without a fight!" Hawks said as he spat some blood in his mouth.
Yumi replied confidently, "Is that so? But it seems like that the little princess and all of your subordinates have already died from my follower' attacks. I have twenty nine top notch evil cultivators while you have nine exhausted Sword Knights. There's no way you will be leaving this place alive."
Yumi looked at Hawks with blatant provocation and disdain.
She did not think that Victoria and those seven Sword Knights would be able to survive that attack.
Contrary to her expectations, Hawks did not become pale as the man simply laughed, "Hahaha, you're right. Judging the situation we are in, it seems bleak that we could all survive your attack. So, why not die gloriously in battle?"
"What are you trying to say?" Yumi became somewhat hesitant seeing Hawk rambling on like that.
It was as if he still had something in his sleeve.
Hawks added, "But, we still have a mission to do! That's why I sent a spiritual transmission to all of them so that they could ignite their blood and protect Lady Victoria by fighting to the death."
"What?! You would burn your bloodlines?!" Yumi was shocked.
He forgot that those of the Cross Clan could still pull off something like this when they were pushed on the brink of death.
On the other hand, Kaiden was shocked as he did not receive any orders that would allow him to use Bloodline Ignition.
He wanted to clarify the orders too.
But Hawks had already sent a spiritual transmission to him, 'I, Hawks Cross, order you Sword Knight, Kaiden Knight to heed this order. You shall retreat with Victoria Cross and ensure her safe escape from this encirclement even if it means to give up your very own life!'
This message made Kaiden swallow his words and turn around.
He bitterly ran as he went to Victoria and the others!
While he ran, his head suddenly started becoming much more painful.
However, this time he did not succumb to it, 'I don't have time to deal with this right now! The other's life is at stake- What... No, that can't be!'
"Don't think of escaping from me!" Yumi tried to stop Kaiden but was intercepted by Hawks.
Hawks smiled as he assumed a different fighting stance, "We of the Cross Clan have proud blood bestowed upon by the heavens to our Ancestor and made him a True King! That's why we will protect the main bloodline of our ancestors with pride! BLOODLINE IGNITION!"
...
Meanwhile, screams were heard from the other side of the battlefield
. The twenty nine evil cultivators were actually forced back by seven people!
"Vice-commander, they were able to block our earlier attacks and suddenly became stronger. The others are hesitating to charge in because of their oppressive air." A petite female reported.
"Tell them to form groups of four. Then attack all sides at once." The long-haired man said.
However, these people have already activated Bloodline Ignition. Their auras were already in berserk but it was emitting ten times more strength than their average power.
Their hairs seemed like they were burning as they floated chaotically in the air!
Their complexions were apple red with veins coming out of their muscles!
Their pupils became different as it formed a cross-like slit that resembled a sword!
They were forming a circle with Victoria inside as they repel those who try to get near them!
Victoria, who was in the center, had stopped trembling from her trauma but her tears would not stop flowing.
Without even stuttering like she would always do, Victoria cried out in frustration.
Her vision was hazy from her tears but she knew what their berserk auras meant, "Everyone, stop the Bloodline Ignition! You will all die at this rate!"
Koma smiled at her and said, "Lady Victoria, if it wasn't for you earlier, we would have already been dead. You saved our lives so we will repay it with our lives and make sure that you live."
"No! I saved you but that does not mean you should save me too. They're after me, so you might be able to escape if you all run. There's no need to forsake your lives for me!" Victoria cried even more as she tried to dissuade them.
Another man said after repelling his foes, "I'm sorry, Lady Victoria. We have already decided to give up our lives so that you could escape. Plus, the Captain ordered us to forge a pathway for you to escape even if it cost our lives."
Victoria tried to straighten her teary face as she tried to sound more authoritative, "No! You... you should follow my orders, instead of him! I am the daughter of the Clan Head. That means you should follow my orders by chain of command! I, order, all of you to cancel your Bloodline Ignitions this instant!"
Erca looked at her with tears, "Lady Victoria, we are very sorry for being incompetent guards because we can't follow such orders. We want to apologize for making you stain your hands with blood at such a young age. We are really failures as adults and guards."
Victoria broke down, "No, that isn't true! You guys treated me kindly. You fed me with good food and prepared a comfortable bed for me every time. I was just repaying the kindness you showed to me. You all... *sob* I don't want to lose you..."
Her words caused the Sword Knights to tear up but they also became even more determined to protect her!
'Those words are enough...' They thought to themselves.
Their eyes fixed on the enemies that were moving in groups to attack each one of them!
"We will kill all of you who dared to lay their hands on milady!"