Elian's Perspective
The scene before me was filled with movement—at least forty men stood ready for battle, wielding swords and axes, while archers positioned themselves atop the hill and to our right, their arrows aimed at us with tense anticipation.
But what caught my attention the most were three individuals standing firm amidst the chaos. They wore white cloaks with hoods that concealed their faces, their robes embroidered with shimmering silver threads that glowed under the moonlight, giving them an aura of mystique—like priests or sorcerers.
I glanced around to assess those by my side. Turning to my mother, I found her standing behind me, wrapping her arms around me as if shielding me with her very being. Her voice was calm yet filled with quiet desperation:
"Don't worry, everything will be fine..."
In truth, I was more worried about her and my father than about myself.
I looked at the others—everyone was fine. My father, General Adrian, Colonel Kaedric, Colonel Valerian, Captain Rainar, and Lieutenant Luciana were all prepared, their eyes locked onto the enemies, hands gripping their weapons cautiously.
Then, the silence was broken by a rough, confident voice laced with an underlying threat:
"We don't want any bloodshed here. Just hand over the boy."
I lifted my gaze toward the speaker. He was a massive man, clad in a light leather cuirass that seemed almost ill-fitting against his bulky frame. In his hand, he wielded an enormous sword, and a scar ran from above his right eyebrow down to his chin, adding an even more intimidating edge to his already harsh features.
Then, he turned to the hooded figures in white and spoke in a cautious tone:
"This is all you want, right?"
There was a hint of tension in his voice, as if even he wasn't entirely comfortable with their presence. A faint chill crept down my spine.
What exactly was going on? And why did they want me specifically?
One of the hooded figures silently nodded in response.
General Adrian Valmyr let out a powerful laugh, one that filled the air with confidence and pride. Then, in a firm, unwavering voice, he declared:
"As if I would allow this… You stand before General Adrian Valmyr! Who dares to step forward?"
I reached for the dagger—Luciana's gift—trying to draw it… but my hand froze midway.
I remembered my sparring sessions with her.
I am just a five-year-old child now…
How the hell could I possibly face them?
Just the mere thought of it was enough to make me feel powerless.
But suddenly, an overwhelming killing intent swept through the area, so intense that the very air seemed to grow heavier on our chests.
The source was clear—General Adrian.
In an instant, about twenty people fell to their knees, clutching their throats as if suffocating.
Even I, despite not being the target of his killing intent, felt a crushing pressure piercing through my body for a brief moment.
But this was only the beginning.
At that very moment, Adrian's blade became engulfed in flames, burning as if fueled by pure rage. In a single swift step, he struck like a phantom—five men fell dead before they could even comprehend what had happened.
I had read about this before… In my previous world, it was called the "King's Domain"—an ability possessed by those who had bathed in blood, warriors so fearsome that the weak couldn't even meet their gaze without succumbing to paralyzing terror.
And at that moment, I realized—General Adrian Valmyer was not just a commander… he was a monster on the battlefield.
But what happened next was the strangest thing of all…
A chill ran down my spine, and I wasn't the only one. I saw fear creeping into the faces of everyone around me—even General Adrian himself stiffened for a brief moment, his eyes locked onto the scene before him with sharp focus.
One of the hooded figures stepped forward silently. With a slow, deliberate motion, he moved his hands in a circular pattern, as if tracing something unseen in the air.
Then—the impossible happened.
The bodies that had been cut down just moments ago… moved.
The men the general had slain—those whose final breaths I had witnessed—rose again as if death had never touched them.
My heart pounded wildly, my mind screaming with questions that had no answers.
"What is this?!"
I tried to sense the flow of mana, but… there was nothing. No energy gathering, no whispers of magic in the air. Everything was silent… eerily so.
I whispered to myself, barely able to hear my own voice:
"What in the name of the gods…?"
This wasn't natural. It was impossible.
I saw the corpses that General Adrian had cut down rise once more, as if death had never touched them.
But that wasn't all…
Even Adrian himself, despite his overwhelming might, remained silent for a moment, his eyes locked onto the scene with deadly focus.
At that moment, I wasn't the only one frozen in place. I felt my mother clutch me tightly, whispering in fear:
"This isn't natural magic… What is happening here?"
But we had no time to think.
"To battle!" my father shouted, breaking the silence with his commanding voice before charging straight toward the enemies.
The moment he advanced, the reanimated corpses lunged at General Adrian, like mindless puppets controlled by an unseen force.
But then…
BOOOOM!
Infernal flames erupted around General Adrian, and his sword blazed with an even fiercer fire than before.
In an instant, Adrian spun around, engulfing everything near him in flames. But what shocked me the most was that the burned corpses… began to rise again!
"How?!" Adrian growled, his gaze locking onto the hooded figure who still stood motionless.
But there was no time to focus on him—because more fighters charged from every direction!
Dozens of arrows rained down from the mountain above, their target unmistakable—my mother and me!
"No!!!"
The moment I saw the glint of arrows in the sky, my father moved swiftly. Before they could reach us, he stomped the ground with force!
Boom!
A massive stone wall erupted in front of us, completely blocking the incoming arrows.
But there was no time to rest—five warriors tried to take advantage of the moment, circling around the wall!
"Elian, get back!" my father roared before slamming his fist into the ground.
Suddenly, stone pillars shot up beneath the enemies' feet, launching them into the air like ragdolls!
Without hesitation, he leaped onto the stone pillars, slashing through the necks of any who came within his reach.
At that moment, Rainer was in the heart of the storm.
I saw five heavily armored warriors surrounding him, believing their numbers would give them an advantage.
But they had no idea who they were facing.
"Too slow."
In an instant, Rainer moved like a shadow, his twin swords igniting with deadly flames.
In less than three seconds, they were all on the ground, writhing in agony.
"Don't let them get close to Elian!"
That was the voice of Valerian, the colonel who wielded water.
I saw a group of enemies rushing toward us, but before they could reach—
"Burst."
!
Suddenly, a massive water column erupted from the ground, sweeping all the enemies away. Then, he summoned multiple water spears and launched them straight into their midsections.
But at the same moment, I saw another group of warriors charging forward.
"You will not reach him."
Kaedric raised his staff, waving it lightly before striking the ground.
And suddenly…
!
The battlefield floor froze entirely!
The warriors who had been sprinting at full speed… slipped violently, crashing down one after another!
On the other side, Luciana stood alone, facing four warriors at once.
I watched her dodge their attacks, moving like a swift dance between shadows, before striking one opponent with her elbow and slashing another in a rapid motion.
"Is that all you've got?"
But suddenly…
A scream!
I turned quickly, my heart nearly stopping—
One of the warriors was about to reach my mother!
The moment the sword was about to touch her, my father moved swiftly, pushing her away and taking the hit on his shield!
But…
This was the moment the enemies had been waiting for.
While everyone was busy fighting, one of the men in white robes appeared behind me.
I didn't sense him… I didn't see him… I only felt a cold grip seize me.
"Elian!!!"
Everyone screamed, but before anyone could intervene—
We vanished.
The last thing I saw was their faces, widening in terror…
Then came the darkness.