Set attacked Relon with even greater speed and strength, landing blows on the young king numerous times. Relon was knocked down several times during the fight, but rose each time, severely wounded. Wavebringer and Leviathan were no longer an advantage for the young king; his determination was all that kept him standing.
Alexandria smiled as she watched, taking obvious pleasure in the situation. Ionna, on the other hand, was impressed by Set's strength. She had studied about the Aquarion family, which her late king had considered an enemy, and knew the artifacts Wavebringer and Leviathan were extremely powerful. Before leaving Volkaron, Ionna had told the guards to immediately flee with the young Flamarion if something happened, fearing the wielder of those relics could end everything.
The legends said the bearer of those artifacts had a power comparable to the great heroes of antiquity. Books reported that each artifact alone had the power to wipe out an entire legion of common soldiers. However, Set had received the powerful magic of the artifact twice and remained fighting with few wounds. Ionna began to fear Set, realizing he was more powerful than she had imagined.
Relon received many attacks, and though Set could clearly win the battle at any moment, the young king continued defending as best he could. Set then raised his rapier and attacked Relon's face. The king raised his arms to protect his face. Set, far swifter, saw an opportunity to strike, but knew he could not attack the chest area protected by Leviathan. He noticed gaps in Relon's hips and legs.
Observing closely, Set noted Relon's left foot was his bracing foot. With totally calculated fencing, Set deduced that if Relon lost his support, the fight would easily end. Taking advantage as Relon raised his guard, Set kicked with great force at the young king's left knee, breaking his leg and knocking him to the ground.
Relon cried out in pain feeling the bone break. He fell to the ground with his spear Wavebringer rolling away. The impact from the kick was devastating and the pain excruciating. Set approached, his expression cold and resolute.
"I said I would end this," murmured Set, looking at the young king on the floor. "You fought well, young king. But this battle is mine."
Relon, though fallen, tried to rise again, his face a mask of pain and determination. "I... am... not... finished," he said, his voice trembling.
Set admired Relon's resilience and shook his head. "You are stubborn, young king. But stubbornness will not be enough to win this battle."
Alexandria, observing from her carriage, cackled again. "Finish it already, Set. Show this usurper the price of his stubbornness."
Set raised his rapier, ready for the finishing blow. Relon, without strength to rise, looked at Set with eyes full of determination. He knew he was at his limit but refused to surrender.
Arthan who was restraining himself on the outside could no longer resist and took a step forward, however before he could run to help his king, a feminine voice came from behind him.
"No!" cried the voice. Arthan looked and saw the princess Lilla, sister of the king standing looking at her brother's battle.
"The king's orders were not to interfere, honor is the motto of his house Arthan, so let your king have an honorable fight!" she concluded.
Arthan understood Lilla's point and contained himself. He realized the princess was also restraining herself, she was holding her own sword, trembling. Arthan did not know if this was an expression of anger, fear or sadness. He thought that if the king's own sister was containing herself, he had to as well, after all the dragon's blood has always been honored and Arthan wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.
The tension in the battlefield was great. The few soldiers from both sides watched in silence, awaiting the outcome. Relon, breathless, looked and saw his sister, as Arthan had, Relon also noticed she was nervous, "after all, seeing your beloved brother being killed like this can't be a good thing," he thought. So he closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on his remaining mana. He knew Wavebringer and Leviathan could still answer his call.
Set, realizing Relon would not surrender, prepared for the finishing blow. But before he could deliver it, he felt a slight resistance in the air. Wavebringer, which had fallen, began vibrating and slowly floated back into Relon's hand.
With a final effort, Relon grasped Wavebringer and focused all his remaining mana. "Eighth Circle Water Magic - Raging Sea!" he shouted, unleashing the powerful magic one last time.
An immense whirlwind of water formed again, enveloping Set with overwhelming force. Surprise was evident on Set's face as he struggled against the powerful current. Relon, exhausted, maintained his focus, determined to win.
But unlike the other times, the magic was not as powerful and Set quickly escaped in a rapid movement, with the magic soon dispersing in the air. Relon fell exhausted and without mana, imagining that was his last chance to win that battle.
While battling, Relon wondered why he was so weak. He compared himself relentlessly to his siblings. "Morfrey was the strongest of us all, he was born with an extraordinary talent worthy of an Aquarion, perhaps he was stronger than Set," he thought about his older brother. "Aster was cunning and had great diplomatic skills, she was always an imposing lady worthy of royalty," he continued, this time about his sister Aster. "And Lilla, crybaby Lilla, the determination of Aquarion was born alongside her. From our family, she's the only one who possesses a unique skill. We came out of the same womb, but it seems I'll depart before her!" thought the young king, closing his eyes.
Set approached Relon. "Congratulations, young king. You managed to unleash an eighth circle magic three times. You truly are worthy to be king, but your misfortune is that your opponent is the Crimson-Eyed Demon." Set then attacked Relon with his rapier, aiming for his head. But Relon, with a final adrenaline burst, dodged so the rapier struck his left eye instead of a fatal blow.
Set laughed and asked if Relon still had strength to fight. "I can fight you for a month straight without stopping," he said, attacking the prone Relon again. The young king simply closed his good eye and said a small prayer: "Gods, I know I'm not worthy for being a weak king, but please, don't let me be the last of my lineage, protect my sister..."
Before Set could strike, Relon disappeared, and in his place Alister appeared. Set retreated, surprised. "Change magic!" he exclaimed. Alister, now in the young king's place, smiled and said: "I will be your opponent, warlord!"
Alexandria, who was counting on Relon's death, grew furious when he vanished. She screamed in rage so loudly the soldiers in camp went on alert. "Kill them all! I want Relon's head!"
Thirsty for the blood of Aquarion, Alexandria ordered her soldiers to attack the capital and find Relon, bringing his head to her. Ionna, realizing Alexandria's orders came from a complete amateur in war matters, tried in every way to stop the soldiers from advancing. After all, it was clearly a trap.
"No! Do not attack the capital now! It's a trap!" Ionna shouted, trying to contain the soldiers' advance. She knew that without a clear, organized plan, the offensive could end in disaster.
Meanwhile, in the battlefield, Alister wielded two short swords. Without waiting for Set to prepare, he attacked. Set realized Alister's movements were completely different from the young king's. A new fight began between them, and the intensity of battle increased every moment.
Alister attacked with speed and precision, his short swords cutting through the air with calculated movements. Set, still surprised by the sudden change, defended as best he could, but soon realized Alister was a formidable opponent. Alister's agility contrasted with Set's strength and technique, creating a combat spectacle that held everyone's attention.
Alexandria's fury continued to grow as she observed the fight. "This cannot be happening! Kill them all!" she vociferated, her voice laden with hatred. But Ionna persisted in trying to contain the soldiers, shouting contradictory orders and trying to restore some semblance of order.
Set, focused on the combat, studied each of Alister's movements. He knew underestimating him would be a fatal mistake. "You are different from the young king," said Set, breathing heavily while blocking one of Alister's fast attacks. "But do not think that changes the outcome."
Alister, with a confident smile, replied: "We'll see, warlord. I'm not the king, and you will not emerge victorious from here." With these words, he redoubled his attacks, forcing Set back.
The fight between Alister and Set continued fiercely, each blow and defense becoming more intense. Relon, now safely in another part of the field, watched the battle, his heart beating fast. He was confused by his disappearance, Shun was beside him saying: "We know we went against your orders, but Lady Suzannah could not let you die today, she masterminded this plan without anyone realizing and now she will change the course of this war!."
Meanwhile, Katara and Gwen finally arrived at the battlefield, witnessing the intensity of the confrontation. "Alister is fighting," said Katara, her eyes wide. She searched the battlefield for Kal until her eyes fell upon Set. She realized the mana of that warrior was similar to Kal's. Set also had silvery hair like Kal's and this was making Katara frightened and curious.
On the battlefield, Alister and Set continued to fight, their movements fast and precise, creating a spectacle of strength and skill. Alister had excellent swordsmanship and was also fast and strong, however Set remained superior and despite having a great deal of trouble in this combat, he still managed to land blows on Alister.
Alexandria was enraged, continuing to shout for the Volkaron army to attack. The Volkaron men quickly obeyed, running toward the battlefield. Ionna, as an excellent general that she was, looked in all directions, trying to understand what Nannu's plan was.
Meanwhile, Set was growing faster still. Even the skilled Alister was struggling. Set greatly increased his focus and attention, realizing Alister too was powerful. This only served to make Set faster and stronger, wounding Alister several times. Arthan and Lilla also prepared to attack since Relon had been removed from the battlefield. However, before they could advance, Suzannah's voice echoed in their ears and in Katara's and Gwen's ears. "Leave the battlefield immediately, the king is safe and you must leave now!"
Imagining Suzannah had planned something, they left quickly and moved as far away from the battlefield as possible. Ionna, seeing this, became alert and fearing for the life of the young King Flamarion, who was at the camp, ran toward him. "I have to get the king out of here!" she thought.
Set, increasing the strength of his attacks, forced Alister back. Alister sheathed his swords and raised his arms. "I think we're out of time, we'll have to finish this another time, if you survive, that is!" At that moment, Alister disappeared and in his place appeared Suzannah. She had a powerful red glow surrounding her, and her mana flowed like a torrent of terrible waters.
Set immediately realized who had appeared on the battlefield. Seeing Suzannah's overflowing mana, he imagined she was preparing a magic spell. "Red Queen, how much mana she is overflowing. With this amount of mana, it is an extremely powerful magic," he thought, quickly moving away from Suzannah. However, when he looked back, Set saw that the Volkaron armies were advancing in a grand charge.
Like Ionna, Set realized it was a trap. Thinking it was too late, he positioned himself defensively. Suzannah, opening her arms, began to levitate. Her red hair flew like an erupting volcano. When she reached a good height, she spoke from above so all the Volkaron soldiers and the golden-eyed soldiers of the duchy could hear: "Seventh Circle Fire Supreme Magic: Solar Eruption!"
The flash divided into beams of solar light, which fell upon the enemy armies, rapidly incinerating them. Cries of desperation and pain echoed across the battlefield as the Volkaron soldiers were defeated one by one. The overwhelming power of Suzannah's magic transformed the battlefield into a blazing inferno, the flames consuming all in their path.
Ionna, running to protect young King Flamarion, looked back in horror at the destruction. She knew there was no time to lose. "I need to get the king out of here now!" she thought, redoubling her efforts to escape the chaos.
Suzannah, still levitating, looked down at the burning battlefield, her gaze firm and determined. "You should not have underestimated the Red Queen," she said, her voice echoing like thunder.
Katara and Gwen, observing from afar, felt a mixture of relief and admiration. "Suzannah is truly a force of nature," said Gwen, her eyes wide at the sight.
"Yes, she is. Now we must ensure the king's safety," Katara replied, already moving to check on the king's condition.
Relon, now far from the battlefield, was injured but safe. Arthan and Lilla were at his side, helping him recover. "We did it, Your Majesty. Suzannah did her part," said Arthan, trying to reassure the king.
Above, Suzannah gazed down at the devastation she had caused that battlefield - most of the Volkaron men had been incinerated by Suzannah's magic and above, only smoke rose. She imagined it was over until golden glows began to appear from within the smoke, and from within them, two crimson eyes. Suzannah felt a chill run up her spine. "If anyone down there survived the magic that incinerated demons, they are truly powerful!"