Faelar, his face grim, leaned close to Kaelion. "You and Lirael go ahead. The assassins and I have this handled." With a swift nod, Kaelion unleashed a powerful wind spell, creating a swirling fog that obscured their escape. They sprinted towards the heart of the battle, leaving Faelar and his assassins to engage Darius and his remaining knights
The assassins moved like phantoms, silent and deadly. Each knight fell swiftly, their armor offering little protection against the assassins' precise strikes. Soon, only Darius remained, his face contorted with rage. Faelar, his fists clenched, advanced. A brutal flurry of punches landed squarely on Darius's stomach, forcing him to his knees, coughing up blood
"You don't know who I am!" Darius gasped, his voice thick with pain and fury. "My father will have you executed for this! You bastard!"
Faelar sneered, his eyes blazing with cold fury. "I don't care if your father is the King or a god. People like you, consumed by greed and evil, don't deserve to live. You and your father's greed caused this destruction, the deaths of hundreds… I would kill you right now if I could, but Ivel has other plans." With one final, devastating punch, Faelar knocked Darius unconscious. He instructed his assassins to hide Darius while he rushed to aid Ivel
Meanwhile, Ivel, battered but unyielding, continued his relentless assault on the dragon. His attacks, however, seemed to have little effect on the monstrous beast. Drawing upon Caelum's legacy, he unleashed "Caelum's Sundering Strike," a technique that concentrated all his power into a single, devastating blow. With a mighty leap, he soared high above, then plummeted, bringing Zelfur crashing down onto the dragon's leg. The blade pierced the thick scales, eliciting a roar of agonizing pain
Simultaneously, Lance Gareth and his elite knights arrived, their faces grim. Gareth commanded his knights to unleash a barrage of fire spells, a wave of searing flames engulfing the dragon, but to no avail. The dragon merely shook off the attack, its fury intensifying. It unleashed a devastating fireball that incinerated Gareth's elite knights, their screams echoing through the ravaged city. Only Gareth, protected by his unique armor, survived, his face a mask of horror as he witnessed his knights perish in agony
He retreated to King Cedric's castle, demanding a mysterious orb. Cedric, his face etched with weariness, sighed. "It's time," he murmured, handing Gareth the orb
Kaelion and Lirael finally reached Ivel, finding him on the ground, his body bruised, his breath ragged. Lirael swiftly healed his wounds, her magic restoring his strength
"Why did you do this alone?" Kaelion asked, his voice filled with concern
Ivel coughed up blood, a weak smile playing on his lips. "This is my problem, my empire. I had to do this alone."
"We're your friends, Ivel," Kaelion insisted. "You're not alone. Let us help."
Lirael nodded in agreement. "You can't do everything alone, Ivel. Put some faith in us."
Ivel laughed, a genuine laugh that reached his eyes. "Thank you," he said, his voice still weak but resolute. "For being such good friends." He turned to Kaelion. "Use your wind powers to boost me. Lirael, cast a defense and damage buff."
They obeyed, bolstering Ivel's strength. He channeled his energy, resonating with Zelfur. "Grandpa Caelum, the Seven Swordsmen... lend me your power! The Empire is in chaos, and I need your help!"
Ivel's eyes glowed a fierce yellow, mana erupting from him in a torrent of raw power. He charged, his blade singing as it met the dragon's wings, piercing its flesh, causing it to collapse with a thunderous crash. But the dragon, in its death throes, unleashed one final, devastating blast of dragon's breath. Ivel, with a surge of pure mana, countered with a powerful blast of his own, colliding with the dragon's breath mid-air, creating a deafening explosion. However, the dragon's breath, fueled by its dying rage, proved stronger, its force pushing through the explosion, a wave of searing heat engulfing Ivel, Kaelion, and Lirael. Kaelion and Lirael were thrown backward, their bodies slamming against the rubble, but Ivel, though severely wounded and scorched, remained standing, a defiant silhouette against the fiery aftermath. A chilling presence emanated from Zelfur, a power far beyond anything they had ever witnessed… The ancient sword hummed, resonating with a power that could either save them all, or herald their destruction.