Chapter 76: Chalu’s Journey (52)     

As Colerio faced off against Athos, the tension between them thickened. Rowena Lomius, now back on her feet, watched the scene unfold from a short distance. Her breath was still ragged from the previous battle, but her focus had shifted entirely to Colerio.

Cevic, noticing her unease, approached cautiously. "Ma'am Rowena," he said softly, his voice respectful. Rowena turned her gaze towards him, her expression calm but distant, still caught in the swirl of emotions she had been suppressing.

"Are you okay?" Cevic asked, his brow furrowed with concern. Rowena gave a small nod, though her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice steady but tinged with something deeper. Her eyes drifted back to Colerio, who stood poised in front of Athos, their confrontation on the edge of igniting. "It's just that... Colerio."

Cevic followed her gaze, understanding the weight of what she wasn't saying. Everyone in the kingdom knew that Rowena and Colerio shared a complicated history, tied to their positions as vassals of King Sugan. Rowena was the first vassal, a title that came with immense pride and responsibility. Colerio, the third vassal, had once been a legendary figure within Eldoan—a shadow knight, Teacher and the leader of the mercenary group known as the Raven Squad.

To the people of Eldoan, Colerio had once been a symbol of honor and loyalty, a paragon of strength who embodied the very ideals they held dear. Rowena had admired him deeply during those times, back when they fought together in service to the king. She had seen firsthand the ruthlessness and cunning with which he carried out his missions, and she had respected him for it.

But then, everything changed.

After Colerio had been accused of aiding a full-blooded beastfolk, Rowena felt a deep, personal betrayal. The beastfolk had long been the mortal enemies of the Eldoans, a race locked in a bitter and ancient feud due to their past. Rowena's own hatred for the beastfolk was rooted in a tragedy close to her heart—her brother had been killed during a raid led by a beastfolk warband. Since that day, she had sworn vengeance on their kind.

The moment she learned that Colerio, the man she had once revered, had saved a beastfolk, her heart sank. It wasn't just the act itself—it was the realization that Colerio had knowingly crossed a line, one that could never be forgiven in the eyes of Eldoans. It felt like the ultimate betrayal, not just to her, but to the kingdom itself.

Colerio had become a wanted man after that incident, branded a traitor for harboring the enemy. And yet, despite everything, Rowena couldn't fully let go of the admiration she had once felt for him. That was the source of her inner conflict—how could the man she had once respected so deeply now stand as a criminal in her eyes? The man she had believed in had chosen a path that defied everything they stood for, and she couldn't reconcile the two versions of him.

Cevic looked at her, sensing the storm of emotions she was trying to hide. He respected Rowena, not just as a warrior, but as a leader. She had always been strong, always steadfast in her beliefs. But when it came to Colerio, there was something more—a hesitation, a vulnerability.

"Sir..Colerio was once a great man," Cevic said, breaking the silence, his voice gentle but firm. "I understand why you're conflicted. But we have to focus on the battle ahead. Whatever Colerio's reasons were, he stands with us now, against Athos."

Rowena clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. "I know," she said softly, though her voice wavered slightly. She couldn't deny that, despite the betrayal she felt, part of her still saw the man who had once stood as the Raven Squad's leader. "But it's hard to forget."

Her eyes remained locked on Colerio as he confronted Athos. She couldn't help but wonder—was this the same man she had fought alongside all those years ago? Or had his decision to save a beastfolk changed him forever? And if so, what did that mean for her own beliefs?

The battlefield around them seemed to fade into the background as Rowena grappled with her thoughts. Colerio had chosen to stand with them today, to fight against the evil threatening their world. But could she trust him? Could she ever truly forgive him for the choices he had made?

As she watched Colerio face down the monstrous Athos, the weight of her inner turmoil pressed heavily on her chest. She would fight beside him in this battle, but the scars of the past ran deep, and she wasn't sure if they would ever fully heal.

For now, Rowena Lomius would focus on the task at hand. Athos had to be stopped, and if Colerio was their best chance at victory, she would put aside her feelings—for the moment. But in the back of her mind, the questions lingered, unanswered.

...

The battlefield had descended into chaos as the forces of Eldoan mages, knights, and beastfolk clashed with Athos, Ash Minse, and their dark army of skeletons and the newly created lich, Shen Mort. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the smell of death and the crackling of magic. Athos, despite his imposing form and menacing aura, felt the pressure mounting. His gaze swept over the battlefield, focusing on the two formidable opponents standing before him—Colerio Sapher and Aro Lupe.

Athos sneered inwardly as he assessed them. "Two mages... and one a knight as well," he thought. "Colerio Sapher, the magic swordsman. This could be a problem." His tentacled face twitched in annoyance, his claws flexing instinctively. He wasn't at full strength, not after the draining battle he had fought earlier with Rowena Lomius, the strongest Eldoan mage. Her power had pushed him to his limits, leaving him weakened and vulnerable.

"As expected of Rowena Lomius," Athos mused, his thoughts darkening. "Truly the descendant of Belz Lomius... tsk, to think I'm still not at full strength yet."

His sharp, predatory eyes flicked to Colerio and Aro, both standing poised, ready to attack. Their power radiated around them, a force Athos knew would be difficult to overcome in his current state. He needed more time—time to recover, time to regain his full strength.

He glanced at Ash Minse, his loyal yet darkened subordinate, who was locked in combat against a fierce combination of foes. "I need Ash to buy me some time," Athos thought. "If he can delay them long enough, I can escape and fully restore my power."

Ash Minse swung his staff with a dark flourish, his magic weaving through the air like tendrils of shadow. Before him stood Kenjo, a beastfolk warrior armed with a gleaming katana, his swordsmanship precise and deadly. Beside Kenjo was Lenora, a seasoned Eldoan knight instructor, her blade flashing in the light as she engaged Ash's summoned skeletons, slicing through them with practiced efficiency. Despite their strength, Ash's undead army kept pressing forward, overwhelming the Eldoan forces with sheer numbers.

The ground shook as the skeletons marched in relentless waves, their hollow eye sockets glowing with an eerie green light. Shen Mort, once an Eldoan alchemist, now a mindless lich enslaved by Ash's dark magic, lumbered through the battlefield, his decayed form barely recognizable. He unleashed bolts of necrotic energy at the Eldoan students who dared to oppose him.

Rika, the Eldoan knight student, moved with deadly precision, her sword cutting through the skeletons in a blur of motion. "Ronnie I will free you..." she muttered under her breath, her heart breaking as she recognized one of the skeletons as a former friend, now just another puppet of Ash's evil.

"Monster!" she shouted, her voice filled with anger and sorrow as she slashed through the remains of her former comrade, her sword glowing with righteous fury.

Beside her, Brando, the usually lazy and half-asleep knight student, was now fully awake and alert. His face was grim as he struck down skeleton after skeleton, his resolve hardened by the gravity of the situation.

Not far from them, the group of mage students—Roki, Bax, Lory, and Lucy—were doing their best to hold their ground against the overwhelming undead forces. Roki, always confident and cool, adjusted his sunglasses as he blasted a group of skeletons with a powerful fireball, the explosion lighting up the battlefield.

"There are too many of them," Roki muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.

"These bastards..." Bax growled, his fists clenched as he sent a surge of lightning crackling through the air, electrocuting a group of approaching skeletons. His face twisted with fury as the stench of burning bone filled the air.

Lory, the prideful noble mage, struggled to maintain her composure. She tried to keep her chin high, but her hands shook as she fired off spell after spell, the devastation around her making it hard to stay focused. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm, even as the horrors of the battle weighed heavily on her.

Lucy, meanwhile, had collapsed to her knees, her body trembling. She had vomited at the sight of so many dead, her heart unable to bear the trauma of what she was witnessing. Her eyes were wide, filled with terror, as the undead army pressed closer.

Petra Haws, Teacher mage with her heart set on freeing Shen Mort, stood determinedly against the lich. Her gaze fixed on the mindless creature, her memories flashing back to when Shen had been a brilliant alchemist—when he had been a man, not this abomination.

"I'll free you, Shen," Petra whispered under her breath, her voice filled with sadness and determination. "I swear it."

She charged at the lich, her magic stuff cutting through the air in a deadly arc. Shen Mort retaliated with a blast of dark magic, but Petra dodged, her movements swift and precise. Her heart ached as she fought, knowing that the man she once admired was now gone, replaced by this soulless husk. But she would not give up—she would free him from his misery, no matter the cost.

The surroundings were a twisted landscape of death and magic. Bodies of Eldoan knights and beastfolk littered the ground, their blood staining the earth. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the sound of clashing steel and crackling spells filled the air. Above them, the sky was dark, the sun hidden behind ominous clouds, as if the heavens themselves mourned the carnage below.

Despite the overwhelming forces of darkness, the Eldoan fighters pressed on, their resolve unbroken. But for how long could they hold out against the relentless onslaught?

....

Athos watched from a distance, his tentacles twitching as he calculated his next move. The battle was far from over, and he knew that if he didn't act soon, his plans would crumble. He needed time—just a little more time to escape and regain his full strength.

And for that, he would rely on Ash Minse and his army of the undead to buy him that precious time.

In the midst of this chaotic battlefield, Athos' voice thundered across the battleground, his deep, guttural shout carrying above the sound of clashing steel and magical explosions.

"Ash!!!!" he roared, his voice filled with urgency and command.

At that moment, Ash Minse, who was already locked in a fierce fight with Kenjo and Lenora, instinctively knew what it meant. He didn't need an explanation. It was a call for help—an order to cover Athos' retreat. Ash's cold, calculating mind kicked into overdrive. He knew Athos couldn't escape by teleporting as he would be disrupted in the middle of such a heated battle. That meant Ash had to be the distraction, the scapegoat, the one to create a path for Athos to flee.

Ash glanced at his undead army of skeletons and the lich, Shen Mort, still battling fiercely against the Eldoan students. Rika and Brando were relentlessly cutting down skeletons, while the mage students Roki, Bax, Lory, and Lucy held their ground against the waves of undead. Petra Haws was dueling the lich, desperately trying to free Shen from the dark magic controlling him.

But now, Ash knew he had to step up. He gritted his teeth, pushing his magic to its limits, summoning more skeletons from the depths of the earth. "I need to keep them occupied," he thought. "I have to give Athos the time he needs."

As Ash prepared to execute his plan, Aro Lupe, the eldoan mage, noticed the shift in the battlefield. His eyes narrowed as he saw Athos preparing to escape.

"What are you doing, you bastard?!" Aro shouted, his voice filled with fury as he raised his staff high. The air around him crackled with energy as he summoned a massive flame, its intensity growing with each passing second. The fire blazed in his hands, an inferno ready to strike.

With a shout, Aro unleashed the spell, the fire blazing through the air toward Athos, its heat searing the ground beneath it. The flames roared as they closed in on their target, the heat unbearable for anyone caught in its path.

But Athos was ready.

With a flick of his clawed hand, he summoned a swirling vortex of darkness, a barrier of black magic that absorbed the incoming flames. The fire collided with the dark shield, but instead of scorching Athos, it was consumed by the black magic, disappearing into the swirling void like it had never existed.

Aro's face twisted with anger and disgust. "Monster!!" he spat, his eyes burning with hatred as he watched his spell dissipate uselessly against Athos' dark power.

Meanwhile, Colerio Sapher stood silently, his sharp eyes assessing the situation. Unlike Aro, Colerio wasn't one to act out of anger. He was a knight and a mage, a master of both sword and sorcery, and he knew that charging blindly at Athos would be a mistake. His mind worked quickly, calculating the best approach.

"Athos is trying to escape," Colerio thought. "He's weakened... if we press the attack now, we can corner him."

But Colerio wasn't just thinking about stopping Athos. He knew Athos was relying on Ash Minse to create a diversion. If he could take out Ash, Athos would be left vulnerable, unable to recover his strength. Colerio's gaze shifted to Ash, who was now rallying his undead forces, summoning more skeletons from the ground in a desperate attempt to hold off the Eldoan fighters.

To be continue