"Vaelthir...." The masked figure slowly murmured. It seemed like the masked man spoke to his horse with a reassuring voice. The masked man spoke in a different language, which was not understood by the villagers or the rogues.
Listening to the masked man's words, his horse began to walk toward the villagers, while he stood still, gazing at his horse slowly approaching.
The rogue leader demanded, "Stop your horse, or else." His voice was cunning as ever.
But the rogue leader's threat had no effect on the advancing horse. The horse continued to walk towards the village center, passing every rogue in its way as if they did not exist for him.
"Fine, I'll kill all of you," the rogue leader spat, his voice dripping with cruel intentions.
"Burn that horse and that man," the rogue leader commanded.
Listening to their leader's new command, half of the rogues surrounded the masked man while the other half surrounded the masked man's horse, stopping it from advancing.
The first half of the rogues that surrounded the masked man's horse earlier began to chant a spell, "Azure Inferno!" They spoke in loud and clear voices, synchronizing with each other.
As they chanted the spell, the village temperature began to rise significantly, making the rogues themselves sweat. In the blink of an eye, blue flames erupted in each of the rogues' hands.
The flames grew larger and larger with each passing second, and the temperature rose with the flames. With a quick glance at their hands, the rogues unleashed their blue flame attacks toward the defenseless horse.
As the rogues launched their attack, smiles of satisfaction appeared under their hoods. But their satisfaction was temporary. As their blue flame attack was about to reach the horse, it stopped mid-air. It looked like the rogue's fireball attack had hit a wall, which caused it to stop in mid-air.
"Fsshhhhhhh........"
Then, the blue flames suddenly extinguished right before the rogue's eye, leaving them in shock.
As the blue flame attack extinguished, a barrier became visible around the horse. "Ethereal Shroud!" A voice could be heard casting a spell.
A spell was cast, and another horse became visible next to the masked men's horse, which Hiroshi was tied to. This new horse was milky white in color, contrasting with the masked man's horse. On this new horse, two people were riding.
Both of them were females. The female in the front had long peach hair with emerald green eyes and wore lightweight armor in green and blue. Her fierce gaze was fixed on the rogue's leader while her fists were clenched in anger.
The female in the back had short black hair with gray eyes. She was also wearing lightweight armor in gray and black. Her gaze was fixed on Hiroshi. She had a worried expression on her face as if she could feel the pain Hiroshi was suffering.
The rogues were startled by their sudden appearance, but before they could do anything, the woman in the front spoke.
"Shadow, let's go, hurry up," She said to the masked man's horse which whose name is Shadow.
As Shadow the horse heard her voice, it started to sprint at full speed toward the villagers, reaching them before the rogues could cast another spell.
With swift movements, both females dismounted their horse. "Sanctum Shield!" peached hair girl cast another spell.
Just as the spell was cast, her hair started to float in the air, and her eyes began to glow blue. Magic surged from her body toward her hands, forming an invisible barrier around her and the villagers.
The black-haired girl carefully lifted Hiroshi from Shadow and gently put him on the ground. "Flesh Mend!"
She cast a healing spell on Hiroshi. As she cast her spell, Hiroshi's cuts and bruises slowly began to revert back to their original condition.
Meanwhile, the masked man stood still, doing nothing, while the other half of the rogue group also stood still, shocked by the sudden appearance of the girls and their strength.
"There's nothing you can do about them anymore," the masked man spoke up to attract the attention of the rogues.
The entire group of rogues combined and surrounded the masked man. "Azure Inferno!"
The rogues cast their spell again, quickly releasing their blue flame attack on the masked man, leaving no chance for him to run. The masked man stood still like a wall; he didn't even move a single inch. It was like the masked man was waiting for the rogues to attack him.
But before the rogue's fireball attack was about to reach the masked man, it vanished into thin air as if their attack was removed from existence itself.
Seeing their attack fail again caused the rogues to speak up. "What the...." a rogue spoke, shocked by the attack's failure.
The masked man saw the rogue leader walking toward the barrier, trying to breach it. "Let's see what you're made of...."
The rogue leader spoke as he extended his arm to touch the barrier. Just before the rogue leader's fingertips were about to touch the barrier, the rogue leader's hand was gripped tightly by the masked man.
"You were there, how?" The rogue leader was startled and shocked by the masked man's teleportation.
The rogue leader was confused by the instant teleportation of the masked man. The group of rogues was also confused by the instant teleportation of the masked man. The rogue leader tried to release his hand from the masked man's grip, but the more he tried to resist, the more the masked man's grip tightened on his arm.
"I'm everywhere...." the masked man's, his grip tightened on the rogue leader's hand as he spoke.
"Release my hand now, or else!" the rogue leader spoke with a demanding tone. "Fine," the masked man released his grip as he spoke.
"What are you doing there? Come here now," the rogue leader ordered his men to accompany him in fighting the masked man. All the rogues rushed to their leader's side as they heard his words.
The masked man stood in front of the barrier like a wall. Against him, all seventeen rogues were ready to unleash their true power against the masked man.