While the conductor fought against Silstoner, Fenris noticed that all those who had been mining earlier were now locked in their cells. Using the key, he began unlocking the cells, freeing the enslaved prisoners who remained inside. However, instead of fleeing, they stood frozen, their faces filled with fear and despair.
"What's wrong? Come on, you're free now," urged Fenris.
"It's useless," murmured one of the prisoners, an older man covered in bruises. "Even if we escape now, he'll catch us. There's no point in running away from him. Please, leave us here and run. None of us have the will to escape."
Fenris frowned, seeing how all these people had completely lost their hope for life.
"That's not true. I'm here because one of you begged for help." The prisoners exchanged glances and clenched their fists. "That girl knew that if she ran away, she would be caught and killed, yet she still did it. I'm sure her goal was to find someone to save all of you."
As Fenris spoke, he heard the cries of a woman from the far end of the cell.
"That woman…"
"She's Chloe's mother, the girl you were talking about. Unlike us, she always had hope of escaping. This morning, she told a few of us to escape with her to find someone to save us, but no one listened. In the end, she escaped alone. She was a good girl…"
"And you're going to let her sacrifice be in vain?" Fenris muttered. "Listen, you are not slaves. You are people. You don't deserve to be bound by these chains."
The prisoners looked at each other with skepticism. Gradually, hope seemed to return to their eyes.
"The boy's right," said one trembling voice. "We must fight for our freedom."
One by one, the prisoners stood up, and Fenris looked at them with pride.
With Fenris leading the way, the group of former prisoners moved quickly toward where Kayn was battling Silstoner. Along the way, they overpowered several guards who tried to stop them. When they arrived, they saw the conductor being completely overwhelmed by Silstoner's power. The noble wielded a whip crackling with energy, keeping the young man at bay due to its long reach. Silstoner noticed the prisoners with Fenris and cast them a contemptuous glance.
"What are you doing here? Return to your cells," Silstoner commanded.
"No, we won't bow to you anymore."
"Fine, then I have no use for you," Silstoner said, pulling a lever with his whip. The floor beneath the prisoners opened, sending them plummeting into a pit where a massive Virdrak awaited. The creature used its tendrils to ensnare the prisoners, immobilizing them completely. Fenris managed to grab onto the edge before falling in.
"A Virdrak?" the young man murmured as he took in the scene. His moment of distraction proved costly, as Silstoner took advantage and charged at him.
"Behind you!" Fenris shouted, but it was too late. The whip struck the young man, and although he managed to block it with his sword, the impact sent him staggering several steps back. He barely had the strength to keep fighting. The noble laughed at the sight of the weakened youth.
"I expected more from someone who uses the Zenith style. But it seems you haven't even mastered all its techniques."
The young man gritted his teeth, clearly irritated by the comment.
"Looks like I hit a nerve," Silstoner said with a grin, then delivered a kick to Kayn's stomach, leaving him writhing in pain. Yet Kayn stood again and launched himself at Silstoner.
"Zenith Style: Slash—" Before he could finish his technique, Silstoner struck him down again, sending his sword flying through the air.
"Too slow," Silstoner mocked. The young man fell to the ground, exhausted. Silstoner approached him slowly and knelt in front of him. The impact had knocked back his hood, revealing light brown hair and emerald-green eyes. Silstoner grabbed the wounded youth.
"Well, well… isn't this interesting? Aren't you the infamous fugitive? Kayn Ashborne, isn't it?"
Kayn remained silent, his silence widening Silstoner's grin.
"Shall I take your silence as confirmation?"
From a distance, Fenris couldn't believe what he was hearing. He recalled the "Wanted" posters in the village. Kayn's face was identical.
"Is that true?" Fenris asked, unable to believe what the man was saying. Kayn didn't respond, knowing that saying anything would only worsen his situation. "Answer me!"
"After everything you've said, it turns out you're a criminal. You have no right to judge me."
"Shut up. You have no right to compare me to you. I…"
"You're a murderer," Silstoner interrupted. "From what I've heard, you've taken the lives of dozens of people. But don't worry—" Silstoner raised his whip, ready to deliver the final blow to Kayn. "Today, you'll atone for your sins."
Kayn barely had the strength to move. Evading the attack was impossible. He looked toward Fenris, his gaze filled with disbelief.
"So, this is the end…" he whispered, closing his eyes. "Even so, I don't regret my decision. Soon, I'll be with you… Lyra… Burst."
"Just this once… I'll help you."
"Don't give up just yet!"
Kayn watched as Fenris charged at Silstoner, wielding his sword. Flames erupted around the blade, dancing wildly. Fenris didn't understand what was happening, but at that moment, it didn't matter.
"What do you think you're doing? He's a criminal!" Silstoner exclaimed. Kayn lowered his head. Even he knew he didn't deserve to be saved.
"Even so, I'm sure Kayn had his reasons for what he did. Deep down, he's a good person. When we fought the Virdrak, he didn't hesitate to save me, and now he's done it again. If he were truly a criminal, he wouldn't have done any of that."
"Fenris…" Kayn murmured, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
"If that's all you have to say, I'll deal with you too," Silstoner snapped. Despite the noble's threats, Fenris charged with ferocity. It was the first time he had wielded a sword, yet he seemed to know exactly how to use it, as if someone else were guiding his movements. The nobleman retreated, surprised by the intensity of the attack.
Desperate, Silstoner attempted a counterattack, lashing out with his whip, but Fenris evaded every strike.
"It's over!" Silstoner roared. He began spinning his whip in the air, which crackled with immense energy. A dense cloud formed around him. Kayn could feel the overwhelming power—it was unlike anything he had seen before. Silstoner raised his hands to the sky, channeling the energy of the storm that had erupted above him. "Witness the power of a Sacred Guardian. I summon you—Raiden!"
The electricity surrounding Silstoner transformed into sharp claws made entirely of purple lightning, radiating bolts of crackling energy.
"So, this is the power of a Sacred Guardian," Fenris muttered.
With incredible speed, Silstoner lunged at Fenris, who managed to block the attack with his sword. The pressure of the strike was immense. The electricity coursing through the sword surged into Fenris's body, paralyzing him momentarily.
"You see? This is the difference between a mere binder like you and someone blessed by a god," Silstoner sneered.
Fenris breathed heavily, the attack having caused significant internal damage. Yet he refused to give up.
"Shut up. This isn't over until one of us falls," Fenris shot back. Flames began to swirl around him, forming a fiery aura that engulfed him completely.
Silstoner attacked again, his claws moving in a deadly arc, releasing massive electrical discharges that destroyed everything in their path. Fenris planted his hands on the ground, summoning a wall of fire that rose to block the oncoming projectiles.
Silstoner leapt back, his claws glowing even brighter as he dove toward the ground with immense force. Fenris narrowly avoided the strike, but the impact triggered a shockwave that rippled in all directions.
The wave struck Fenris mid-air, sending him spinning uncontrollably. He tried to cushion his fall with an explosion of fire beneath his feet, but the landing was still painful. He felt the ache reverberate through his body as he hit the ground hard, his flames flickering and dimming as he struggled to maintain his focus.
Silstoner emerged from the crater created by his attack, a smug smile on his face. He advanced toward Fenris slowly, confident in his impending victory.
"It's over, boy," Silstoner declared, raising one of his claws to finish Fenris off once and for all. "I've had enough of your nonsense."
Fenris, panting heavily, stared at Silstoner with unyielding determination. Despite being cornered, he was still intent on winning. Glancing behind him, he thought of a desperate plan—his only chance.
"As I told you before… this isn't over… until one of us falls," Fenris gasped, rising slowly. Instead of gripping his sword, he let it fall to the ground.
Silstoner paused, confused. Why had Fenris dropped his sword? Had he surrendered? The momentary doubt caused him to lower his guard, even if only for an instant.
"Zenith Style: Lightning Flash!" Kayn seized the opportunity, darting forward to grab Fenris's sword before it hit the ground. In a flash, Kayn's attack shattered Silstoner's defenses, making the nobleman cry out in pain as his electric claws dissipated, leaving him armed only with his whip.
Desperate, Silstoner lashed out with the whip, but Kayn dodged each strike. Finally, Kayn wrapped the whip around Silstoner himself, electrocuting him with his own weapon. With a final push, he threw Silstoner into the pit where the slaves were held. Flames quickly spread, consuming the Virdrak and defeating it, thus freeing the captives. Kayn surveyed the scene, worried about the fire.
There was little time before the blaze engulfed everyone in the pit. Looking around, he spotted some water, but not enough to extinguish the flames. Then, his eyes fell on barrels of wine at the far end of the chamber.
He remembered reading in a book that wine could potentially put out fires. He didn't have time to think about how reliable that information might be. At the moment, it was their only option. Though if it turned out to be flammable, they'd all be doomed. Without hesitation, Kayn grabbed one of the grape wine barrels, and just as he was about to throw it, Silstoner's voice called out from below.
"Wait! Don't throw that barrel of wine! I beg you, please!" Ignoring Silstoner's pleas, Kayn hurled the barrel into the flames.
"Noooo!" Silstoner screamed as the barrel smashed onto the ground, spilling wine everywhere. When it made contact with the fire, the flames began to subside.
"It works!" Kayn exclaimed. "Fenris, give me a hand here!" Fenris nodded and grabbed another barrel. As they threw more barrels, Silstoner's desperate pleas echoed in the background.
"Please… stop…"
After extinguishing the fire, they helped the slaves climb out of the pit with a rope. One by one, the captives emerged, their faces filled with joy at finally escaping Silstoner's clutches. Only one person remained in the pit—Silstoner himself.
"What should we do with him?" Fenris asked, eyeing Silstoner sprawled on the ground. Kayn regarded him for a moment. The defeated man seemed to be muttering to himself.
"It's over… I'm finished… Dying in the fire would've been better…"
"Leave him," Kayn said finally. "He doesn't even seem to want to get out."
Together, they turned and led the freed slaves toward the cave's exit. When they finally emerged, the former captives wept with joy at seeing the outside world again. Some collapsed onto the grass, savoring the soft touch of nature.
"We're free… We're free!"
Kayn watched the scene with a smile. He approached one of the slaves, a middle-aged man holding the body of a young woman.
"So, what will you do now? You can come with us if you'd like," Kayn offered.
The man wiped his eyes and looked at Kayn with gratitude.
"No, you've done enough for us. Thank you so much." The man turned his gaze to the lifeless body in his arms. "We owe all of this to Chloe. We'll make sure to honor her properly for everything she did."
After bidding farewell to the former slaves, Kayn and Fenris mounted a white horse waiting outside the quarry. Kayn clicked the reins, and the horse began to gallop, leaving the quarry behind.
"So, what are we doing next?" Fenris asked eagerly.
"Well… how about we head to a labyrinth?" Kayn replied with a grin.
Fenris nodded, his smile even broader.