He quickly stepped back, expertly whipping out the Armed Sword from his waist. The moment the blade was in his hand, the mercenary halted, turned aggressive, and swung his sword viciously at Lokhak.
Killing a slave might mean a loss, but the mercenary knew that only a swift and decisive show of force could keep these overbold youths in check.
Even Lokhak, in his rage, could feel the bone-chilling closeness of death as he saw the sword blade falling.
With no weapon to deflect, no Armor to protect his body, and no distance or space to dodge, Lokhak futilely raised his arms. He thought he saw death itself—a flash of his parents' agonized faces, his sister's tear-filled eyes as she was dragged away, and the blade cutting through his arm, chopping off his head along with a spray of blood...
The breeze seemed to hang, slow in midair, and Leon felt as if time itself had slowed... His left hand raised, with the middle and ring fingers curved intricately, just as that mysterious illusion had shown, while two fingers of his right hand came together, pointing like a sword toward the mercenary.
Leon didn't even have time to pray that the strange gestures would work before his body was overwhelmed by a sensation of his blood rushing toward the tips of his left hand's index and little fingers.
His right hand appeared to be yanked backward by some inexplicable force...
...and then, he saw a miraculous burst of light.
A Light Arrow bloomed, scorching the air, the dazzling flash shooting out along the trajectory his right fingertip had pointed.
It flew instantly.
Light pierced the mercenary's right arm—a gut-wrenching thud!
Flesh ripped, bones snapped, and the sound of tearing Chain Armor was painfully clear, freezing Kantadar mercenary's snarling face in place.
Pure power spiraled, shredding flesh and Chain Armor, flinging the disconnected right arm into the air.
"Arghhh—! Arghhhh!!—"
At the moment his brain processed the pain, the mercenary's eyes bulged, his face a mask of disbelief and utter agony as he screamed. In his torment, he clutched his remaining stump of an arm, retreating and weeping uncontrollably.
Listening to the mercenary's agonized howls, Leon hadn't even started to feel the thrill of success when dizziness overwhelmed him, and he collapsed, blacking out...
...With the mortally injured mercenary retreating, Lokhak, narrowly escaping death, didn't feel the sword's blow. Charging for his life, the robust youth crossed the final gap and knocked the one-armed mercenary flat on the ground.
Azeryan stumbled and fell in a heap with them.
As they collapsed, Azeryan caught sight of the Armed Sword falling alongside the severed arm. He was the first to react, stretching out his shackled hands to reach for it.
"Arghhh!! You damned brats! I'll kill you, I'll kill all of you!!!" cried the toppled mercenary, struggling violently, his instinct to survive momentarily overcoming the searing pain of his torn arm. He clutched at Lokhak's neck with a grip strong as a vice, making the young man gasp for air.
Lokhak couldn't immediately fend off the dying man's counterattack but managed to grab the Dagger Blade on the mercenary's other side.
Without hesitation, the youth plunged the long dagger into the mercenary's flank. But even with all his strength, the Dagger Blade couldn't pierce through the thick Chain Armor and armor lining. Despite the pain, it wasn't enough to make the frenzied and terrified man let go.
Until, with a wet thrust... —
Blood splattered.
Accompanied by the sickening sound of flesh being sliced, a sharp sword tip emerged from below, stabbing through the mercenary's jaw and into his head, delivering the fatal blow that ended the struggle.
The dying mercenary's eyes popped, his mouth spewing blood, twitching a few times, and then he was still.
Seeing this, Lokhak freed himself from the dead mercenary's grip, panting, and turned to his companion.
Azeryan was leaning beside him, holding the Armed Sword he had managed to reach, the blade turned upside down, allowing him to stab into the gap not covered by Chain Armor or helmet.
"Whew... whew... good job..." Lokhak said, getting up from the corpse and helping Azeryan to his feet while catching his breath and expressing his gratitude.
Azeryan struggled to stand, glancing at the dead mercenary with a mix of relief and satisfaction of vengeance for his family.
Now that the crisis was over, they suddenly realized and looked toward Leon, who lay motionless on the ground.
The boy who had just conjured a Light Arrow like a deity was now collapsed, lifeless.
"Hey! Leon! What's wrong?" Lokhak rushed to check on his companion, tripping over the chains in his haste.
"Wait, find the key and unlock these cuffs!" Azeryan was much calmer. He crouched down and searched the dead mercenary's body, quickly finding the simple cylinder iron key.
They helped each other unlock their cuffs. Freed, Lokhak hurried over to Leon, whose life hung in the balance.
Azeryan didn't rush to join him. Instead, he crouched down and began stripping the mercenary's body of Chain Armor, clothes, and anything useful, knowing their flight had just begun.