The forest fell deathly silent.
Ten pairs of eyes remained fixed upon the young man standing atop the shattered carriage.
Bereshith slowly exhaled.
Then stepped forward.
"It's me."
His voice was calm despite the danger surrounding them.
"I am Bereshith."
He stared directly at the masked leader.
"What do you want?"
A low chuckle echoed beneath the assassin's mask.
"So... we've finally found you."
He slowly twirled the poisoned dagger between his fingers.
"Our client has only one order."
He pointed the blade directly at Bereshith.
"Bring you back..."
His voice turned cold.
"...dead or alive."
The moment those words left his mouth—
SHING!
A poisoned knife flew toward Bereshith's face.
Years of relentless training took over.
Bereshith instinctively tilted his head.
The blade narrowly missed his cheek before burying itself into the broken carriage behind him.
Without even looking back, Bereshith shouted,
"Cyse!"
"Run!"
"Everyone!"
Cyse immediately understood.
His hands slammed together.
A massive violet magic circle spread beneath everyone's feet.
"Acceleration!"
A surge of mana flowed into Bereshith and Cyte.
Their bodies instantly felt lighter.
Their muscles responded faster.
"The barrier won't last long!" Cyse shouted.
"So don't stop moving!"
Cyte grinned.
"That's more than enough!"
The first assassin rushed him.
Cyte swung the massive wooden axle with all his strength.
BOOOM!!
The impact shattered the assassin's guard and sent him crashing into a nearby tree.
Before Cyte could recover—
Another blade flashed toward his neck.
"Behind you!"
Bereshith lunged forward.
He caught the assassin's wrist before the poisoned dagger could strike.
With a powerful twist—
CRACK!
The man's wrist snapped.
The dagger fell.
Bereshith immediately drove his elbow into the assassin's jaw.
The attacker collapsed unconscious.
"Move!"
Bereshith shouted.
The group resumed running.
The assassins pursued relentlessly.
They moved through the trees like shadows.
One appeared above.
Another from the left.
Three more burst from the bushes ahead.
Cyte swung his makeshift club again.
Wood splintered.
An assassin blocked the strike with twin daggers.
Before he could retaliate—
Bereshith drove a straight punch into his ribs.
The masked man coughed blood before flying backward.
Yet another immediately replaced him.
"They're endless!"
Cyte growled.
Behind them—
Cyse struggled to maintain his spells.
The floating barrier protected Princess Inoha, Princess Alesh, Lexy, and the trembling Levanah.
Every arrow...
Every thrown knife...
Every sudden attack...
Struck the barrier first.
Each impact consumed more mana.
Crack.
Tiny fractures began appearing across the magical shield.
Cyse's breathing became heavier.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
Sweat poured down his face.
His vision blurred.
"I..."
"I can't..."
His mana continued draining.
Still...
He refused to lower the barrier.
"I won't..."
"Let anyone..."
"Touch them..."
He poured even more mana into the spell.
The violet barrier stabilized once again.
But at a cost.
His legs began shaking.
Inside the barrier...
Lexy watched everything unfold.
Bereshith's fists were bleeding.
Cyte's shoulders were covered in cuts.
Cyse looked ready to collapse.
Yet...
They continued protecting everyone.
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
"...Damn it."
Princess Inoha lowered her head.
"...I'm useless..."
Princess Alesh hugged her knees.
"...I can't even help..."
Even Levanah, despite still trembling from terror, forced herself to look outside.
Every blow Bereshith took...
Every time Cyte blocked another attack...
Every breath Cyse struggled to draw...
Made her heart ache.
"...I'm sorry..."
"...I'm only slowing you down..."
None of them could fight.
None of them could protect anyone.
All they could do...
Was watch.
"Cyse!"
Bereshith shouted while deflecting another poisoned dagger.
"Can you keep going?"
Cyse forced a smile.
"...Of course..."
Immediately afterward—
His knees nearly gave out.
"Haa..."
His breathing became ragged.
The magic circles around his hands flickered.
His vision doubled.
"So..."
"This..."
"...is my limit..."
Three assassins suddenly rushed Cyse at once.
"They're targeting Cyse!"
Cyte roared.
He tried to turn—
But another assassin intercepted him.
Bereshith dashed toward Cyse instead.
Two poisoned daggers slashed toward his chest.
Bereshith ducked beneath one.
Twisted away from another.
Then slammed both palms into the attackers' shoulders.
The force sent them tumbling away.
Yet...
The third assassin slipped past.
His dagger descended toward Cyse.
Cyse couldn't react.
His vision had become too blurry.
Everything felt distant.
"So..."
"This..."
"...is where..."
Suddenly—
CLANG!!
Steel collided.
The poisoned dagger stopped inches from Cyse's face.
A familiar sword had intercepted it.
The assassin's eyes widened.
A powerful kick followed immediately.
BOOM!!
The masked man flew backward through three trees before crashing into the ground.
Lucas stood between Cyse and the assassins.
His sword remained lowered.
His expression was calm.
"...You all did well."
Cyte couldn't help smiling.
"Master!"
Bereshith finally released the breath he had been holding.
"Father..."
Lucas glanced over his shoulder.
Cyse was barely conscious.
Bereshith and Cyte were both wounded.
The girls remained terrified.
His expression hardened.
"You've bought enough time."
He slowly raised his sword.
"I'll take it from here."
One by one...
The assassins shifted their attention toward Lucas.
The leader narrowed his eyes.
"So..."
"The infamous Sword Saint's disciple finally arrives."
Lucas pointed his blade toward them.
"No."
His voice was unwavering.
"I'm simply..."
"...their father."
The forest once again fell silent.
This time...
It was the assassins who hesitated.
Meanwhile one other side of forest.
As the battlefield split into two fronts.
One side was a desperate retreat, where Bereshith, Cyte, Cyse, Lucas, and the girls struggled to escape the assassins.
The other...
...was where the future of the kingdom stood.
Prince Rayryn remained inside the shattered remains of his carriage.
His breathing was calm.
His golden eyes burned with restrained fury.
Before him stood the two men who had sworn an oath to protect him.
Now...
...their swords were pointed at his heart.
The older knight slowly raised his blade.
"What is the meaning of this, Sir Raduron?" Prince Rayryn asked, his voice cold.
Sir Raduron gave a faint smile beneath his helmet.
"I apologize, Your Highness."
He slowly bowed.
"But I believe there is one misunderstanding you have never realized."
His eyes narrowed.
"I never worked for you."
"...!"
Prince Rayryn's eyes widened.
Then realization struck him.
"You bastard..."
His voice became sharp.
"You're working for my brother, aren't you?"
Sir Raduron smiled.
"That is correct."
He slowly lifted his sword.
"But none of that matters..."
"...when you're about to die."
BOOM!!
Sir Raduron disappeared.
A violent slash crashed against the emerald barrier surrounding the prince.
The entire shield trembled violently.
Crack!!
The magical shield rippled.
Before the prince could recover—
FLASH!!
The younger knight appeared from the opposite side.
Lightning exploded around his blade.
CRACKKKK!!
His sword struck the barrier simultaneously.
Electricity crawled across its surface.
The emerald shield began to fracture.
Prince Rayryn clicked his tongue.
"Tsk..."
"You brought this upon yourselves."
Golden light erupted from his body.
His pupils shone like molten gold.
Mana flooded the battlefield.
Vines burst from beneath his feet.
They wrapped around his body before hardening into brilliant metallic armor engraved with ancient royal symbols.
A sword of condensed golden mana formed within his hand.
The moment the barrier finally shattered—
Prince Rayryn moved.
SWOOOOSH!!
One horizontal slash.
A wave of golden energy swept across the battlefield.
BOOOOOOM!!
Sir Raduron crossed his blade.
The younger knight reinforced himself with lightning.
Even so—
Both knights were hurled backward, crashing through trees and tearing long trenches across the earth.
Dust exploded everywhere.
A figure descended from the sky.
THUD.
Lord Ascirick landed beside the prince.
His white hair fluttered gently.
His gaze never left the assassins.
"Your Highness."
He spoke calmly.
"Allow me to escort you to safety."
Prince Rayryn tightened his grip.
"No."
His voice trembled—not with fear...
...but anger.
"Not until I kill those two traitors."
Silence lingered.
Ascirick looked at the prince.
He saw it.
The rage.
The betrayal.
The pain of discovering that trusted guardians had become executioners.
After several seconds...
The old lord nodded.
"...Understood."
His expression became stern.
"Then allow me to eliminate them."
He stepped forward.
"You will leave afterward."
The prince said nothing.
He merely tightened his sword.
Sir Raduron slowly stood.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"So..."
"The Hero of Heirora himself."
Ascirick smiled faintly.
"I am no hero."
He lowered his stance.
"I am merely an old man."
The younger knight laughed.
"An old man?"
Lightning burst around him.
"Let's see how long old bones can keep up."
BOOOOOOM!!
The younger knight vanished in a flash of lightning.
His speed was monstrous.
He reappeared behind Ascirick.
"Die!"
A blade wrapped in thunder descended toward the old man's neck.
CLANG!!
The sword stopped.
Not against steel—
Against two fingers.
The younger knight froze.
"...What?"
Ascirick calmly pinched the blade between his fingers.
"You rely too much on speed."
CRACK!!
He twisted.
The enchanted sword snapped in half.
Before the younger knight could retreat—
THUD!!
Ascirick struck his chest with an open palm.
No flashy movement.
No grand technique.
Just one perfectly timed strike.
BOOOOOOM!!
The knight blasted backward like a cannonball, smashing through several enormous trees before disappearing into the forest.
Sir Raduron's eyes narrowed.
"So that's your strength..."
Without hesitation—
He charged.
His sword ignited with crimson aura.
Every swing became heavier than the last.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
Steel rang across the battlefield.
Ascirick drew the his belt at his waist and turn into a sword metal as his energy maintain it into a solid straight!
Unlike Bereshith's precise movements...
Unlike Cyte's overwhelming strength...
Ascirick's swordsmanship was elegant.
Every movement was economical.
Every parry effortless.
Every step perfectly measured.
Sir Raduron attacked relentlessly.
Vertical slash.
Horizontal cut.
Thrust.
Feint.
Spinning strike.
Each one carried enough force to cleave stone.
Yet...
Not one landed.
Ascirick deflected every attack with the smallest possible motion.
The older knight's breathing gradually became heavier.
"...Impossible..."
FLASH!!
The younger knight returned.
Lightning exploded around him once more.
"I've got him!"
He attacked from behind.
At the same moment—
Sir Raduron attacked from the front.
Perfect coordination.
Perfect timing.
Two killing blows.
Prince Rayryn's eyes widened.
"Lord Ascirick!"
Ascirick closed his eyes.
For a single heartbeat...
Everything became silent.
The wind stopped.
The dust settled.
Even the birds fled.
Then—
His eyes opened.
They were calm.
Like still water.
One step.
He sidestepped Sir Raduron's blade by the width of a finger.
The younger knight's lightning sword missed by mere inches.
Their attacks crossed paths.
Now—
They stood directly in each other's line.
Ascirick whispered softly,
"...Too late."
One swing.
A single, clean arc.
Nothing more.
SHIIIIING—
The battlefield fell silent.
Sir Raduron froze.
The younger knight also stopped moving.
Several long seconds passed.
Neither moved.
Then—
Crack.
Both swords split cleanly down the center.
A heartbeat later—
Blood burst across the air.
Both knights collapsed onto one knee simultaneously, deep sword wounds carved diagonally across their armor.
Their eyes filled with disbelief.
"...One..."
"...strike..."
Sir Raduron muttered weakly.
Ascirick lowered his blade.
His breathing remained perfectly steady.
"I warned you."
"You chose the wrong prince."
The two traitorous knights struggled to rise once more.
The forest fell silent.
Sir Raduron and the younger knight remained on one knee, their broken swords lying beside them.
Blood dripped steadily onto the scorched earth.
Both struggled to breathe.
Sir Raduron looked up toward Lord Ascirick.
"...Finish it..."
The old lord regarded the two traitors without hatred.
Only disappointment.
"You swore your swords to protect the royal blood of Heirora."
"You abandoned that oath."
"You chose treason."
Sir Raduron gave a bitter smile.
"...Then carry out your justice."
Ascirick slowly raised his sword.
"I shall."
A single step.
A single swing.
SHING!
The blade flashed like silver lightning.
Two heads fell cleanly from their shoulders.
Their bodies collapsed a heartbeat later.
Silence returned once more.
Ascirick closed his eyes briefly.
"May God judge your souls with greater mercy than this world could."
He cleaned the blood from his blade before sheathing it.
Then, without hesitation, he picked up the severed heads of the two traitors by their hair.
Turning around, he walked back toward Prince Rayryn.
Prince Rayryn was still gripping his sword tightly.
The anger that had consumed him moments ago slowly faded as Ascirick approached.
The old lord stopped several steps away before placing the two heads upon the ground.
"Your Highness."
"The traitors have been dealt with."
Prince Rayryn stared silently at the heads.
His clenched fist slowly loosened.
The fury in his eyes gave way to exhaustion.
"...Thank you..."
His magical armor dissolved into countless golden particles.
The sword of light vanished from his hand.
He finally allowed himself to breathe.
Ascirick reached into his robe and withdrew a rolled parchment.
"A teleportation scroll."
"I have carried one with me since our departure."
"If Your Highness permits, we should return to the capital immediately."
Prince Rayryn looked toward the burning remains of the battlefield.
Then slowly nodded.
"...Agreed."
However, before Ascirick activated the scroll, the prince spoke once more.
"My Lord."
"Bring the heads."
Ascirick looked at him.
"They are proof."
"The Royal Court must witness the faces of the men who betrayed the Crown."
"They shall answer for this conspiracy, even in death."
Ascirick gave a respectful bow.
"As you wish."
He secured the heads within a cloth before gripping the teleportation scroll.
With one motion—
RIP!
Brilliant light enveloped them.
The forest disappeared.
Meanwhile.
Far in the distance...
The sounds of Bereshith's desperate battle still echoed through the forest.
The fight...
...was far from over.
Ten Minutes Earlier...
Steel rang across the battlefield.
Lucas stood before the children like an immovable wall.
His sword flashed again and again.
Each swing drove another assassin backward.
One attacker fell.
Then another.
Then another.
The remaining assassins slowly realized they could no longer overcome him.
The leader clicked his tongue.
"...Retreat."
Smoke bombs burst across the battlefield.
The surviving assassins disappeared into the forest.
Lucas remained alert for several moments.
Only after confirming the danger had temporarily passed did he lower his sword.
He immediately turned toward the children.
"Everyone!"
"We're leaving."
"No arguments."
He reached into his cloak.
"This teleportation scroll will take us directly inside the capital."
Cyse could barely remain standing.
Princess Inoha supported Princess Alesh.
Lexy steadied Levanah, whose trembling had not yet stopped.
Bereshith stood quietly at the rear, watching the forest.
Lucas tore open the scroll.
Golden light erupted beneath everyone's feet.
The teleportation circle rapidly expanded.
"We're almost—"
A faint sound.
Almost impossible to hear.
Bereshith's eyes widened.
"...!"
A poisoned dagger spun silently through the smoke.
Not toward him.
Toward Lucas.
Toward his unprotected back.
There was no time.
No warning.
No thought.
Only instinct.
Bereshith smiled faintly.
Then he moved.
"Father."
Lucas turned just as Bereshith threw himself forward.
THUD!
The dagger buried itself deep into Bereshith's chest.
His body struck Lucas, pushing him fully inside the teleportation circle.
Lucas's eyes widened in horror.
"...Bereshith!"
The young man staggered.
Blood slowly stained the front of his noble attire.
Yet...
He smiled.
The same warm smile he had always worn.
He looked directly at Lucas.
His voice had already become weak.
"...Tell..."
"...Yareach..."
"...everything..."
"...will be..."
"...alright..."
The light intensified.
Lucas desperately reached forward.
"No!"
"Bereshith!!"
Their fingertips almost touched.
Almost.
But the teleportation spell had already completed.
The last thing everyone saw...
Was Bereshith smiling peacefully.
Standing alone.
As the brilliant light swallowed everyone else.
"...Beres—!"
Their cries vanished together with the light.
The capital.
A crowded plaza.
Brilliant light erupted as Lucas and the others appeared.
The moment the teleportation ended—
Lucas looked around wildly.
"...Bereshith?"
Silence.
He wasn't there.
The truth struck him instantly.
The scroll had activated...
Without him.
Lucas's sword slipped from his hand.
His knees hit the stone pavement.
"...No..."
His breathing became uneven.
Then, unable to contain himself any longer—
He slammed his forehead against the ground.
BANG!
Again.
BANG!
Again.
BANG!
Blood ran down his forehead.
"You fool!"
His voice cracked.
"WHY?!"
"WHY DID YOU JUMP?!"
His cries echoed through the plaza.
"BERESHITH!!"
The bustling crowd fell silent.
No one understood what had happened.
Behind Lucas, the children stood frozen.
Cyte lowered his head.
Cyse stared blankly, unable to speak.
Lexy covered her mouth as tears streamed down her face.
Levanah collapsed to her knees.
Princess Inoha's eyes trembled with disbelief.
Even Princess Alesh could not hold back her tears.
Lucas remained kneeling upon the cold stone.
His fists struck the ground again and again.
"I was supposed to protect you..."
"I was your father..."
"And yet..."
"...you protected me."
His voice broke completely.
For the first time in years after restoring his sanity...
Lucas wept openly before everyone.
And somewhere, far behind in that forgotten forest...
Bereshith remained alone.