Zorro's thoughts were pulled back to the present as Valeria's voice cut through his memories. "Zorro! Earth to Zorro! Are you with me?"
He blinked, his focus shifting from the past to the lively streets of Amberhelm. Valeria's concerned gaze met his, and he realized he had drifted away into his thoughts for a while.
"Sorry, Valeria," he said, shaking his head slightly as if to clear away the remnants of memories. "I got lost in my thoughts for a moment there."
Valeria raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "Lost in your thoughts, huh? It must have been quite a captivating daydream."
Zorro chuckled, his serious demeanor lightening up once again. "You could say that."
Valeria laughed, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, at least you enjoyed the food. But seriously, Zorro, you've got that far-off look in your eyes quite often. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." Zorro shrugged it off. She patted his arm gently. "Now, finish up that skewer before it gets cold, okay?"
Zorro nodded, and as he took one last bite of the skewer, Ed and Adante showed up outside. "Let's get back, guys. It's getting late."
Zorro looked at Ed, eyeing the skewer he had in his hand, and with a smile on his face, he held it out. "Want a bite?"
---
[Back to Ed's POV]
The aroma of saffron chicken was mouthwatering, and it hit me right when Zorro's voice broke through my annoyance. "Want a bite?" he asked, offering the skewer as if extending an olive branch.
My initial irritation softened at the camaraderie he always seemed to effortlessly foster. I'd arrived to find them devouring the chicken skewers without me, and I admit, it ticked me off. But seeing Zorro's genuine gesture, I couldn't hold onto my annoyance.
"You guys just went ahead and ate without me?" I said, a touch of hurt mingling with my words.
Yet, even as I spoke, something else captured my attention. A group of figures, masked and determined, were advancing toward us. They moved with a confidence that demanded attention, and I couldn't tear my gaze away.
"Hey guys, do you see them? My voice wavered, pointing out the masked figures to the others. Valeria had noticed them too, her curiosity evident in the furrowing of her brow.
Hmm, yeah, don't seem like much of a threat to me," Valeria quipped nonchalantly, her focus more on finishing her chicken. But Adante, ever vigilant, drew his catalyst with fluid grace.
Squinting against the distance, Zorro's expression darkened, casting a foreboding shadow over the moment. His hand drifted to his ornate sword, a subtle yet foreboding gesture. "This is going to be trouble," Zorro muttered, his voice laced with apprehension. Three of the figures continued their approach, but one lingered behind, their hands conjuring a bow in an instant.
There was a relatively large group of people behind them, numbering to around forty people.
The realization hit me like a splash of icy water—they were armed with catalysts, just like us. Adante's gravity and Valeria's nonchalance shifted into an air of readiness as the masked figures closed in, their identities hidden behind the masks they wore.
"Who are you, and what do you want? Valeria's voice, normally lively, carried a note of stern authority as she addressed the advancing figures, demanding answers.
Yet the masked figures remained unresponsive, their determination unyielding as they ignored Valeria's inquiry. My heart pounded in my chest, an instinctive sense of danger hanging in the air. Zorro, Valeria, and Adante readied their weapons, forming a unified front against the enigmatic threat.
The tension crackled like lightning as the figures closed in, while the fourth drew a bowstring with an arrow that materialized from thin air. The arrow was released into the sky, its path uncertain, and my heart raced as I followed its trajectory.
"Valeria, look up! Do you see anything coming at us? Zorro's voice pierced the moment, urgency coursing through his words.
Valeria's eyes shifted upward, scanning the sky with a practiced gaze. "Yeah, I see something alright," she replied with a touch of annoyance. But annoyance transformed into action as her eyes turned green, and she surged skyward to intercept whatever threat loomed above.
"Ed, are you ready for a practical lesson? Adante's calm voice cut through the chaos, his focus unwavering as he prepared for what was to come.
"Uhh, yes?" I replied, and I was really impressed by Adante's ability to remain cool in such a situation. I am here almost pissing my pants, yet Adante is just so unconcerned with this situation that it almost feels uncanny.
"So, what do I do here? I asked, gripping my sword. "Rule number one is to calm down and feel relaxed. He said, as all three of them charged at us, that the enigmatic figure in the distance was watching with her bow at the ready. "Only then can you feel your energy and channel it. Adante said, and without even looking at the enemy's direction, he blocked the first strike.
I blocked the oncoming attack with my sword, sparks flying off as the bell of battle was rung with the clashing of the swords.
This time, like he said, I tried to calm down and feel the energy flowing within me, and the scar in my hand started to glow as I continued to weave and dodge the assailant's strikes.
"Good." Adante's voice pulled me back to the present, his encouragement a buoyant force. "Now, envision that energy taking shape. Imagine it forming around your sword."
"Feel the power within you."" Adante's words seemed to reverberate through the air, infusing me with newfound determination. "When you're ready, release it."
The idea was difficult to grasp at first, but then I remembered Hagen using a similar technique, and I visualized an aura of energy around the blade, and sure enough, with my enemy's next strike, which I aimed to parry, a shockwave was imparted from my blade to his, sending him sliding back a bit, creating distance between us.
"Congratulations! You now know how to imbue attacks with energy consciously." He said this as he made quick work of the enemy in front of him, overwhelming him with a flurry of strikes and stabs, and he fell.
Just at that moment, the sky lit up with brilliant flashes of light, and Valeria soon landed right next to me, seeming to have neutralized the threat above.
"Is that perhaps Aurelia?" Zorro said as he confronted the other assailant with no seriousness. His sword danced with lethal grace, each strike accompanied by a flurry of sparks that seemed to mirror his determination. He was overwhelming his opponent too, and the man on the other end seemed to be at a loss for words.
I immediately remembered Aurelia. She is one of the five commanders of the Legions of Herakles, along with Zorro and Hagen. She leads the Fifth Division, a division that mainly consists of archers, mages with long-range spells, and other ranged attackers.
Her division specialized in destroying the enemy from afar. Why is she attacking us here right now? And on whose orders? Did the news of Isabelle disappearing reach others? If it did, that would spell doom for us, since there would be a power vacuum left by the queen's sudden absence.
A lot of powerful people had been sidelined by Isabelle just because of how powerful she was. All those people waiting in the shadows have now started to come out.
Valeria's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, her lips curling into a grin that held a touch of excitement. "Oh, that old hag? I can't wait to put her back in her place. Her words carried a mixture of confidence and anticipation, as if the challenge before her was a thrilling game she was eager to win.
"Let's get this done quickly. I'll take the one with the bow. You three deal with this lot of peons. Valeria's tone was a blend of excited determination and playful annoyance as she brushed aside the approaching assailants with an almost dismissive wave of her hand. With that, she dashed towards the figure in the distance, her steps purposeful and her energy resolute.
"Let's finish this quickly. My back hurts." Adante said with a tinge of urgency in his voice.