They could only remain silent, watching the battle unfold before their eyes. No one wanted to move to stop them or help because they knew they would only become a burden. The battle resembled tales of the dark age, an era filled with great powers and terrifying magic. Stories that always made them wonder and marvel, now rendered them immobile, consumed by fear that had taken hold of their hearts.
Both of them gave their all, especially Zayn who no longer held back. The sword in his grip was completely shrouded in a black aura that extended with a menacing power, making gravity seem heavier. Many fell to their knees before this absolute power, a power that always made him feel proud and confident, now made him feel so small in the presence of the Construct.
No matter how he attacked, there were no serious injuries, only small scratches as if a child was playing with a trained knight. Those powerful attacks consumed mana, but not the Construct's attacks. Somehow, it could still move so quickly without consuming much of it. Zayn was sure that if he kept stalling, the Construct would deactivate on its own.
"Damn it, what are you really!?" he shouted, frustrated.
"I already told you, if you have power, find out for yourself."
He appeared in front, gripping Zayn's neck tightly and bringing him down at high speed. A strong tremor ensued, accompanied by a thunderous sound and billowing dust. However, Ailord didn't stop there; he continued to dash forward while pushing Zayn's neck into the ground, creating a deep and long groove with Zayn's hair and face now dirtier than a beggar's.
He threw the knight towards the two Constructs, smashing their bodies even further with large parts falling on Zayn. The Copperhaven knights shouted for their captain, worried he was severely injured, and glared at the Construct now standing in the middle of the field.
Its helmet opened, revealing a human figure with dark hair that gleamed under the reflection of the fire. Many of them were stunned, not knowing how to accept the fact that all this time, they had not only been fighting an iron Construct but also someone controlling it from within. The Copperhaven knights trembled, instinctively stepping back, unable to accept that someone, a human who was not one of them, possessed a far superior Construct.
"Y-you... a human?" Veronica asked in disbelief. Both hands gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, directing it at Ailord with intense anger. "From which kingdom do you come from, huh!? TELL US OR WE WILL DESTROY BOTH OF THOSE KINGDOMS!"
Ailord glanced over, spotting the beautiful blonde knight who now, unfortunately, looked more like a mental hospital patient. "I don't come from anywhere. Why? Don't believe me?" he asked as he saw her frown deepen and chuckled mockingly. "Does it matter to someone who won't live much longer?"
"YOU!" Veronica's pink aura grew larger until every vein around her eyes turned the same color. She raised her sword high, above which hundreds of mana swords formed, shooting down at high speed as soon as she directed her sword at Ailord.
The Copperhaven knights behind her hurriedly moved out of the way to avoid the attack from their vice-captain, grumbling in annoyance. If she had lost control like this, only Zayn could stop her, and their captain was still nowhere to be seen.
However, before Ailord could dodge, the swords disappeared, turning into pink particles that merged with the air. At the same time, Veronica was thrown forward by an explosion that hit her back. She fell to the ground, rolling over before she could see who had interrupted the fight.
"TEENA!!"
Teena was shocked to hear the scream filled with anger, something she never expected to come from someone who looked like Veronica. The scream was more fitting for an old woman in a swamp than the vice-captain of the White Knight.
"Don't think our fight is over; I'm still not satisfied facing you," she challenged, jumping back several times, dodging Veronica's attacks while also drawing her away from Ailord. Teena glanced over, giving Ailord a wink that said, "I'll handle her."
Seeing this, not only Teena but others as well quickly took over the attention of the remaining Copperhaven knights, ensuring they wouldn't interfere with the battle between Ailord and Zayn.
"Hey, now it's just the two of us. Are you still going to lie there?" Ailord asked, watching the black hole in front of him. Without needing a system notification, he knew Zayn wouldn't be defeated that easily.
From within the darkness, a pair of bright white eyes stared back at him. Suddenly, an ominous aura emerged from there, far greater than before, causing someone to scream for Zayn not to use that power. Hearing the voice, Ailord was surprised and turned toward it, finding the same girl now looking at the hole with a worried expression.
Because of her, Ailord was late to notice Zayn, who had already dashed toward him with his five fingers right in front of his face. Zayn grasped Ailord's face, making him feel intense pain, causing him to groan loudly. Zayn grinned widely, lifting him into the air while continuing to grip his face. "It turns out, even though your Construct is so strong, you inside it are much weaker than I thought." He slammed into Ailord's body to the part that was still damaged, successfully breaking it further.
Ailord's eyes widened, knowing he had to move quickly or he could die—
But the second blow had already been delivered, hitting the bottom left rib. He could feel the bone breaking with a pain so intense it made him scream loudly, causing Glok and the others to look in that direction. Zayn's grin widened, aware of his opponent's weakness.
He chuckled, trying to hold back his laughter that finally burst out. Never had he felt so satisfied as he did now, making the once terrifying Construct kneel before him. "Ohh... What a pity. I really thought I would face someone with extraordinary power. Who would have thought I'd find a rabbit behind the armor?" He moved closer, staring intensely into those trembling red eyes filled with tears. "How does it feel? Painful? Where is your arrogance now? Why has it vanished so suddenly? From your still-clear eyes, I know you've never done anything like this, right? A person pretending to be strong behind others' protection or, more accurately, behind this Construct of yours."
He slammed the figure to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth. Zayn lifted him slowly with another blow to the same spot. The tears that had been held back now finally flowed. Not only that, but sweat was also clearly visible, drenching his now pale face.
"Did you think you would be different because of your Construct? Become someone extraordinary while you just hide inside?" Zayn leaned in close to his ear, whispering, "You are so naive."
However, before he could deliver the final blow, Elder Leynar appeared behind him, delivering a powerful kick to his head, sending him crashing into the forest, disappearing among the trees.
He wanted to help Ailord earlier, but Helbert and another person had kept him at bay with all their might, overwhelming him as he faced the two Copperhaven knights ready to lay down their lives. Fortunately, Elder Ferna intervened after ensuring the remaining people were protected within the kingdom, allowing him to assist immediately. However, he realized he was too late.
Ailord fell to the ground, drained of energy and unable to stand, his vision blurred. He could barely hear what Elder Leynar was saying and couldn't clearly see his face. This pain was the most excruciating he had ever experienced. He didn't understand what was happening to his body; all he knew was that it felt like he was being slowly and painfully burned alive, making death seem like a relief.
Elder Leynar was puzzled as to why Ailord was completely unfocused and writhing in pain. He then looked at the spot where Zayn had struck and his eyes widened, noticing the dark black mark slowly spreading. "Oh no." He quickly chanted a spell, creating a small green magic circle above his right index finger, which he then directed at the coal-like blackened skin.
Ailord screamed loudly, tears streaming down his face, his body trembling as he tried to endure the pain.
Glok and the others hurried over while the elders fended off the Copperhaven knights' attacks.
"What happened?!" he asked worriedly.
"Death's Touch," Elder Leynar replied.
Glok's eyes widened, his hair turning a bright white as tribal red tattoos reappeared on his skin, indicating his Berserker skill had activated. "Damn you, Copperhaven scum!"