-1652- The strongest player

"Whoosh—!"

The clash between the fairy sword and the great sword sent a shockwave outward like a halo, blowing away the surrounding clouds.

One could only imagine the force behind that strike.

Rozen, in a charging posture, used his own acceleration to deliver a sword strike with astonishing speed and precision. Combined with the power of the fairy sword itself, the attack unleashed a terrifying might.

"Urgh…!"

The warrior who had raised his sword to block Rozen's strike groaned as he was knocked back by the force, sent hurtling downward like a cannonball.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous sound, the warrior crashed into the forest below, raising a pillar of dust.

"General Eugene!"

"General Eugene!"

One by one, the Salamanders cried out in shock at the sight.

It appeared that this "Eugene" they were calling was the warrior Rozen had struck. Given that he was called a "General," his status and rank were clearly significant.

Rozen had managed to strike down such an important figure with a single blow, burying him in dust and rubble.

But Rozen, based on the feeling in his hand, could say confidently, "That guy isn't finished yet."

Indeed, that was the case.

Holding the fairy sword, Rozen hovered in place, flapping his wings slightly as he pulled back, creating some distance from the Salamanders' main force.

"You…!"

"Dare to attack General Eugene…!"

Seeing Rozen withdraw, the hot-headed Salamanders grew furious. Shield in hand and spears at the ready, they arranged themselves into a spear formation.

The formation's precision was near perfect. Even Rozen, who had mastered many intricate formation tactics through Puppetry Arts, could barely find any flaws. Clearly, the Salamanders had spent a lot of time perfecting this formation.

If they charged with that formation, the impact would be undeniable.

Rozen simply smiled, stopping midair with his fairy sword hanging naturally by his side. Holding the sword with one hand, he held onto Leafa with the other, facing the Salamanders' main force head-on.

At this point, Leafa finally managed to catch her breath.

"You… are you insane?!"

Leafa couldn't help but yell in reprimand.

While it seemed he'd arrived just in time, the experience of being whisked along at such blinding speed wasn't exactly a pleasant one for someone like Leafa, who loved speed.

If her balance and physical coordination weren't so good, she might have been sick by now.

"We were in a hurry, you know?" Rozen shrugged, letting Leafa go so she could unfold her wings and hover beside him.

"Clang!"

Leafa drew the long sword at her waist without hesitation and stood shoulder to shoulder with Rozen, facing the Salamanders' main force.

"I wonder if Sakuya and Alicia have noticed the commotion here and managed to escape."

Leafa glanced back, hoping aloud.

As long as the two of them could hold back the Salamander army and buy time for the leaders of the two races to escape, then once they entered the Cait Sith territory, the mission would be considered a success.

However, that would leave Rozen and Leafa alone to face the Salamanders' main force, an undeniably dangerous situation.

Yet if they could ensure the safety of the two race leaders, it would be worth dying once.

With that resolve, Leafa raised her sword.

Only Rozen remained calm, even with such a formidable enemy in front of him.

Then…

"I think your plan's about to fall through."

Rozen said to Leafa with a smirk.

"What?"

Leafa was taken aback, then her expression changed.

Behind them, shadows flew closer.

"Leafa?"

At the front was Sakuya, who looked at Leafa in surprise.

"A Sylph?"

Alicia also looked at Rozen and Leafa in surprise, as if she hadn't expected to see Sylph players in front of the Salamander army.

The Sylphs and Cait Sith that accompanied Sakuya and Alicia were similarly astonished.

As for the Salamanders, they fell silent upon seeing the two leaders appear, then unleashed an obvious killing intent.

"Sakuya!" Leafa flew to Sakuya, shielding her with her own body and anxiously shouted, "Why didn't you take this chance to escape?"

Perhaps Sakuya and the others didn't understand what was happening, but with her intelligence, she should have deduced that the Salamanders were targeting them. They should have seized the opportunity to flee.

Instead, Sakuya and Alicia had led everyone over here, which made Leafa anxious.

However…

"We wanted to escape too," Sakuya said helplessly. "But our retreat has been blocked."

"Blocked?" Leafa froze.

"The entrance to Butterfly Valley leading to the Cait Sith territory is now shrouded in a dense fog. Once inside, you can't see anything and lose all sense of direction," Alicia explained grimly. "It's not magic; it seems to be the effect of a rare item someone used at the entrance from the Cait Sith territory after we entered Butterfly Valley."

Most likely, it was Sigurd or another Salamander spy who had done it.

If trapped inside, Sakuya and Alicia would end up lost, becoming easy targets for the enemy.

Under such circumstances, they chose to return here and stand together with Rozen and the others. Perhaps that way, there was still a sliver of hope.

"Not that I think this place will be so easily breached." Sakuya looked in one direction. "Isn't that right, General Eugene?"

Just as Sakuya finished speaking, a voice responded to her.

"Of course."

Eugene, who had been knocked down earlier, rose back up, greatsword in hand, floating back to the front of the main force.

His HP bar appeared on the side, now in the yellow danger zone.

"To think that despite my equipment and stats, even after blocking, my HP has dropped this much."

Eugene fixed his sharp gaze on Rozen.

"Who are you, exactly?"

All eyes turned to Rozen.

Enduring everyone's gaze, Rozen's expression didn't change.

"Isn't it proper to give your name first before asking someone else's?"

Rozen simply smiled at Eugene.

At this, it was Sakuya and Alicia who answered Rozen, not Eugene.

"He is the brother of Mortimer, the leader of the Salamanders. Unlike his brother, known for his intellect, he excels in combat. He holds the rank of General among the Salamanders, being Mortimer's most trusted person and the Salamanders' second-in-command."

Sakuya's expression was serious as she explained.

"While his rank may be second, in terms of combat strength, General Eugene is undoubtedly the strongest among the Salamanders, and the most formidable warrior in all of ALfheim Online."

Alicia kept her gaze on Eugene, speaking in a low voice.

"The strongest player?"

Rozen glanced back at Eugene.

There was now a hint of interest in his eyes.