The people of Veyrain looked ahead, witnessing the once vast Copperhaven army now completely vanished. The feared army, the army that brought nightmares, the cruel and heartless army. Now, they had been defeated by their hands, something that should have been impossible. Not with their new weapons, the Constructs, and the presence of Captain Zayn, who was the sword of Copperhaven. After this, all those stories would change, stories that marked the beginning of a new era.
Not far in front of the kingdom, the figure of the iron Construct that made all this possible could be seen. A savior, a warrior, someone who would bring forth that new era.
Ailord took a deep breath as he observed the large crater left by the explosion. His hands were trembling, still in disbelief that he had managed to help save a kingdom from destruction. He, who was a nobody, just an ordinary man with so many flaws, had managed to change the course of the war. Something that had only ever happened in his mind, in mere imagination, could now be felt in reality, making his heart race with happiness.
Not only he felt it. They all could feel the sense of relief, the sense of calm, the sense of full spirit.
As Ailord leaped onto the wall with the two HMs, they made room, moving back so that the hero could land safely. The vibrations could be felt with each thud as they landed. However, they were not afraid; instead, they felt happy and safe with his presence.
Slowly, Ailord reached for his helmet, opening it and surprising those who still didn't know that a human had been controlling the Construct from within. His black hair moved with the direction of the wind, appearing even shinier under the soft sunlight. It felt so warm and comforting.
Reyn suddenly jumped onto the parapet, raising his hand high, shouting, "WE WON!"
Instantly, they cheered, filling the kingdom with victorious shouts accompanied by wide smiles on their faces. Even though they had lost relatives, family, and friends, it was all paid off with the defeat of the Copperhaven kingdom, which they believed would think twice before attacking them again. They also became the first kingdom to defeat Copperhaven, something that would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention.
Hearing each of those cheers gave Ailord a certain feeling he had never experienced before. Something new, unfamiliar, but beautiful. Something that made him smile with happiness.
"Hey, are you okay?" asked Glok as he approached.
His smile widened, "Of course. We did it, didn't we? We won the war."
Glok nodded in agreement. "Yes, thanks to you."
With the remaining energy, Ailord commanded Walker to open up. His body immediately fell backward, hitting the wall hard. Glok rushed over, shocked to see that Death's Touch had already spread quickly, covering Ailord's neck, leaving him pale, drenched in cold sweat, and gasping for breath.
"TEENA!" he shouted.
Teena and Heyla ran over, immediately using healing magic to try to suppress the terrifying skill. However, their mana was depleted, insufficient to counter the high-level skill despite their best efforts. Glok slammed his fist against the wall, creating cracks, cursing himself for never learning healing magic.
Reyn also jumped down, providing them with additional mana using his remaining reserves, even though it would endanger his life. He remembered what he had said to Ailord in the room, words that should never have been spoken to someone willing to sacrifice himself to save them. Strangers he had never met but who were willing to protect them despite not being trusted. Reyn wanted to apologize, to take back all his words if Ailord could just hold on. That's why he channeled more mana until his chest ached, as if bound by iron chains.
However, that feeling vanished instantly with the appearance of a bright golden light on the kingdom's wall.
There, the residents began sharing their mana with Teena and Heyla, experiencing a fraction of the pain Ailord was enduring. When mana is shared, the donor can temporarily feel what the recipient feels to a certain extent, as their mana transforms into the recipient's mana. They couldn't fathom how Ailord managed to keep moving despite such agonizing pain, a pain so intense that many residents fell to their knees, clenching their fists tightly.
"From the beginning, his life was hanging by a thread," Heyla said. She could slowly feel Ailord's life force fading, his skin turning pale and his heartbeat weakening.
"Damn it! Is there nothing we can do!?" Reyn shouted in desperation.
The elders rushed over, hovering in the air as they observed what was causing so much mana to converge above the wall. Their eyes widened at the sight of three iron Constructs and a human whose body had turned entirely black with glowing white cracks. Seeing the back of the iron Construct open, they were certain it was the young man brought by Glok and his comrades.
"Death's Touch? He's afflicted with Death's Touch?" Elder Ferna asked, unable to imagine his suffering now.
Elder Leynar nodded. "Zayn gave it to him during their fight." He descended, surprising them with his now missing left arm, but he reassured them with a soft smile. "It's okay, at least I didn't die," Elder Leynar said to Glok and the others, then examined the spread of Death's Touch. "It's not enough. Whatever we do, it will never stop the spread, only slow it down. We need high-level healing magic with both light and dark attributes to remove Death's Touch completely. Otherwise, he will continue to suffer."
"No one has seen dual-attribute magic in a long time. Moreover, light and dark magic are rare types, possessed by only one in a hundred thousand people. High-level magic of these types?" Elder Olva shook his head, joining in to give mana and immediately winced in pain. "Damn, how could he fight with a body like this?"
"Your eyes were truly not mistaken, Glok," praised Elder Leynar, then sighed deeply as he observed the condition of their savior. "We will only torture him further if we continue this."
Elder Erna approached, gently placing a hand on Elder Leynar's shoulder. "For now, this is all we can give. You also don't want to see him go just like that, do you?" She gave a warm smile and then joined the others.
The elders directed their palms forward, beginning to gather and channel their remaining mana. The gathered mana mixed with the collective mana that now enveloped the area in a beautiful golden light, surprising the mixed forces who had just entered the kingdom to check on Veyrain's condition. Who would have thought they would witness a scene that would be forever etched in their memories?
A human body slowly rose into the air, into the midst of the mana gathering, with the body gradually glowing, accompanied by the warm light of the sun shining directly upon it, making it appear as though someone had descended from heaven to aid them all. Not a single person blinked, mesmerized by the sight, a story that would later spread across the entire continent. The tale of a young foreign human with the power of his iron Construct, stepping in to save the kingdom of Veyrain and the leaders of various races, the saviour from destruction, with the name Ailord being uttered by everyone.
At the same time, Zayn's group could see the golden light from afar, along with the sunbeam that seemed to spotlight the area through the lingering smoke in front of the kingdom.
For a moment, they were stunned, awed by the sight, before they realized that they were looking at the enemy who had just celebrated their victory.
"What will we do now, Captain?" Helbert asked. The arrogance on his face was gone, replaced by a hollow emptiness.
Zayn continued to observe the scene before him and took a long breath. "Nothing. All we can do now is return to the kingdom, devise a new plan, and train as usual. Moreover, now that we know how strong our new enemy is, we can prepare ourselves to face them. That figure won't last long with Death's Touch lingering in his body; there will be an opportunity to thwart their plans to save him." He glanced at Veronica, who was already smiling broadly.
"Don't worry, there's already someone inside. We won't be short on information and can intercept them while the kingdom prepares its next attack," she responded confidently.
Zayn grinned as well, eager to face the figure now just a dot in the sky again. He stared intently, his heart pounding at the thought of their next battle. "Ailord... You are our greatest threat."
Luna, unable to tear her gaze away, could only hope he would be alright and silently vowed to help him, even if it meant endangering herself. She clutched the necklace that had been hidden beneath her clothes, a gift from someone on her tenth birthday, with the letter 'A'. She had never allowed anyone to touch it, not even Zayn. "Mage Emperor... What should I do?" she murmured to herself.
Her thumb traced an engraving on the back of the letter, a name that had been a mystery to her since she received the gift. The name of someone she had finally seen with her own eyes and even spoken to. No longer just a story or a shadowy figure. A dream come true, though not as she had hoped.
The engraving read:
'Ailord'.