Freya was getting pretty exhausted, she had been using magic non-stop for the past 30 minutes now.
"*Pant* Seriously, are you going to keep laying there all day?"
Ryan sighed, flipping back onto his feet, and held out his hand.
"Make me a spear."
Freya didn't like him ordering her around, but complied nonetheless, creating a solid, icy spear.
Ryan was ready to use some wind slashes against the shadow creatures, but noticed a presence coming from above.
"Move!"
Ryan pushed Freya and him away from their spot, narrowly avoiding the muscular man who jumped onto them from above.
Ryan got into a battle stance, parrying the man's sword slash before trying to kick the man away, who jumped away before being hit. Ryan didn't waste even a moment, channeling wind energy into his spear and using a powerful wind slash.
The maroon-haired man smirks, just slashing the wind attack away with his sword, shocking Ryan.
The man starts channeling fire magic through his sword, lighting the area in a crimson color. The ice around the two begins to melt due to the intense heat emitting from the fire, including Ryan's ice spear.
[Shit!]
Ryan quickly cools off his ice spear by coating it in wind energy. While Ryan does that, the man rushes forward, attempting to behead Ryan who narrowly blocks the attack with his wind-coated spear.
The man uses this chance to swerve past Ryan toward Freya, who is still on the ground exhausted.
Ryan ran after the man.
"You bastard!" He yelled, tossing his ice spear at the man who was now forced to give up his attack.
Ryan quickly stood in front of Freya, glaring at the man.
"Why are you and that white-haired bastard trying to kill her?!"
The man just rolled his eyes, not wanting to talk. He kicks Ryan hard in the stomach, breaking the ice that was sealing his wound. But Ryan held his ground, grabbing the leg of the man.
The man tries to get out by slashing at Ryan, but the boy takes the slashes before using his absurd strength to slam the man hard onto the ground, causing the man to cough up blood.
The man quickly jumped back, still shaken up by the slam.
[How the hell does a kid have such absurd physical strength?! And also how the hell is he still able to fight with all those injuries?!]
The man was baffled at the stamina of this young man. The boy's magic attacks may be quite weak, but his physical prowess was no joke.
Ryan wasted no time, picking up his spear before launching another wind slash at the man, who shakily dodged the attack.
The man was getting frustrated now, lashing out at the boy.
"Who the fuck trained a kid like you!?"
Ryan looked a bit surprised at the man's anger but replied the same way the man reacted when he asked him something prior.
"..."
Ryan started creating a ball of light. However, instead of launching the ball of light energy at the man, he instead coated his spear with it. The ice spear glowed with a blinding light.
He gets into a throwing stance, next charging wind into his spear.
The man started to coat his sword with fire in response. Running towards the boy in an odd pattern, trying to throw off the boy.
Ryan took deep breaths and stood still, concentrating.
The man had already already reached him by the point, smirking before slashing at Ryan's neck. Ryan predicting this fell on his back, using this opportunity to stab his spear through the man's chest.
Before the man could even register the stab, Ryan quickly grabbed the man's face, slamming him into the ground, and finishing their battle.
Ryan couldn't even celebrate his win when a bloodied-up Rowan walked up to the scene carrying the corpse of somebody very familiar to him.
"Well, well, well. Guess this is what happens when you try to do a job you're not assigned to do, huh Xander?"
Xander coughed up blood, wanting to bicker back but was currently being crushed on by Ryan's foot.
Freya looked at the corpse Rowan was holding in complete shock, tears began flowing from her eyes.
"Emerald Knight!"
Ryan was completely devastated, standing there frozen in shock.
Rowan just smiled, tossing the body on the ground.
"I got to say, you're mentor was pretty tough, probably the strongest guy I've fought yet."
Ryan just stared at Edward's lifeless body unresponsive, making Rowan even more fulfilled.
"Savor this image into your eyes, little spy. This is the fate of those who get in the way of the Dark Legion."
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Flashback…
"Dark Void!" "Zephyr Burst!"
The two call out their final attacks. The two balls of elemental power collide, trying to absorb one another.
Edward and Rowan were putting their absolute all into the attack.
BOOOOOM!!!
The two attacks canceled each other out, creating an explosion that shook the entire city. The explosion destroyed most of the buildings within a 50-meter radius.
When the smoke settled, the two had sustained major damage. Edward's armor was completely destroyed and Rowan's body was covered in bruises.
But in the end, the one who wins is the last one standing, and that person is Rowan.
Rowan clutched his arm in pain before he slowly walked up to Edward.
"Any last words, Emerald Knight?"
Edward just started laughing, which annoyed Rowan a lot.
"Just wait until my apprentice learns where those demon creatures come from, he'll tear your organization apart! Man, I wish I could see that."
Rowan was surprised by the Emerald Knight's positivity, even in the face of death. He sighed before stabbing Edward in the heart using his very own sword. The light in Edward's eyes slowly faded, but a smile remained on his face.
"Goodbye, Emerald Knight."
Picking up Edward's corpse, Rowan looked up at a nearby rooftop.
"Xander, what are you doing here alone?"
Xander looked down at him, tossing the corpse of a B-rank Mage onto the ground.
"I was just finishing up one of your loose ends," he answered while holding out a yellow gem.
Rowan just rolled his eyes.
"I told you I was going to get to that."
Xander just tossed a gem to Rowan and smirked.
"Look at the state you're in, I'll go handle your other task for you."
Rowan glared at Xander, "I don't need you doing my tasks for me."
Xander turned around, waving Rowan off.
"Maybe I'll get a promotion too for doing a better job than you," Xander said before running off.
Rowan just rolled his eyes, pocketing the yellow gem.
[The mistress won't be pleased.]
Flashback End…
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"What do you mean she's missing?!" A middle-aged man slammed his desk.
This was Duke Josiah Clarimont. Currently, he was in a panic due to Freya being missing since the incident had started.
"W-we have looked everywhere, there has been no sign of her or the runaway criminal anywhere," his attendant explained.
Josiah stood up from his desk, walking past the attendant.
"I'll go out and look for her, tell Aden that I'll be out looking for her."
The Duke put on his coat and walked out of his room in a hurry.
[Don't tell me that man's gotten to her.]