Chapter 24

The swings of his huge sword were like flashes of lightning, and his body, loaded with armor, moved so quickly and plastically that at times it looked like a mirage that could not be hit.

Two killers, having waited for the time when the paladin's sword was busy repulsing arrows and shurikens flying at him, attacked from the back, and exposing their blades made a double lunge forward.

"[Palm of light.]" the warrior said fiercely, waving his free hand.

Shining like a piece of the sun, the palm of the paladin flew with incredible speed towards the two blades that intended to rip open the mighty back of the Herold.

Hit! And in the hands of the killers, only the handles of their once enchanted swords remained.

Another hit! And liters of blood gushed out of the ripped necks.

But the technique didn't end there, grabbing one of the broken arrows with his radiant hand, the paladin threw it back hard at the sniper's crossbowman, hitting him in the head, killing him instantly.

Then, spinning ninety degrees, he swung his sword and whistled through the air as he unleashed another technique.

[Sword Skill. Windy blade.] - an arcuately twisted gust of wind, cutting everything like a huge knife, rushed at the attacking Herold, poisoned by shurikens, a mercenary with wild speed. Which, in an attempt to dodge, jumped to the side, but due to lack of speed, set himself up, and lost both legs.

"Aaaghhaaaa," he cried, writhing on the ground in indescribable pain.

He'll be bleeding to death in a couple of minutes, the paladin thought, and turned away from the thug arriving in pain shock.

"So that means five more, right?"

The mercenaries still alive looked at each other.

Perhaps they no longer wanted to fight, but there was no choice.

One of them took a dark brown stone out of his pocket, threw it on the ground and recited a spell.

The paladin reacted instantly, and pushed off the ground forcefully, launching himself into the air. The ground he was standing on collapsed with a crash, revealing numerous stone spikes at the bottom of the pit that had been formed by the stone magic technique.

At the same time, as the Herald was launched into the air, the second mercenary, crossing his arms, belched a fireball the size of a ball, which rushed straight towards the floating paladin.

Wasting no time, the third assassin, using the same technique, fired from his staff a stone bullet compressed to the strength of a diamond.

Observing this twin technique, which was almost impossible to dodge while in the air, Herold only smiled. And intercepting the sword so that it would be possible to strike a vertical blow with the side of the blade, he swung it with all his might.

The air masses provoked by this movement literally blew the fireball back at the summoner, and the paladin was thrown in the opposite direction, which allowed him to avoid the stone bullet.

The screams of the mercenary burning in his own technique reverberated around the area.

Four left, the champion thought to himself.

***

Enjoying the hot spring in complete solitude, Inmir, closing his eyes, plunged headlong into, albeit primitive, but still pleasant sensations that were possible only in this human form.

Inmir's real body was too resistant to temperature fluctuations, and could barely tell the difference between magma heat and ice.

And even on a subtle plane, Vladyka could easily recognize a snowflake falling in a snowfall, as well as count how many blades of grass he crushed on the field with his titanic body. None of it was a physical sensation.

Remembering Birgit, blushed and numb with shock, Inmir smiled. Psychological games with living intelligent beings always amused him. For someone who has everything, it was one of the few fun he regularly resorted to. For his subjects, he was always a "man" with a thousand faces, no one really understood his character and motives, which often raised many questions about how best to behave so as not to inadvertently arouse the wrath of his master.

Of course, those who knew the Lord for a long time realized that it was impossible to solve this puzzle, and the best solution is to be yourself, instead of adapting to the ruler. They simply sincerely expressed all their desires and fears, fears and conjectures, which, in their opinion, was accepted by Inmir best of all.

Needless to say, each such psychological puzzle game was not just a whim, but a way to get to know this or that creature better, to bring it to light.

The lord knew that often living beings lie even to themselves, about their motives, actions and desires. Therefore, asking them directly, or reading minds, was not a thankful and very inaccurate occupation. But if you put an individual in a certain situation, providing the necessary external stimuli, then his true essence will manifest itself, giving the researcher-observer all the necessary information.

And of course, the pleasures themselves, of a physical or psychological nature, which were derived from these actions, were a pleasant bonus, complementing all of the above.

Vladyka considered experiments with female psychology and behavioral habits to be a special pleasure. The non-rationality and psychological leaps of which, he carefully systematized and calculated, becoming a real master of unraveling puzzles called a woman. After which, by the way, it was not difficult to figure out the rational male psychology.

Inmir was sure that knowledge is the most powerful force on earth and the one who possesses it to a large extent is the strongest.

But the main thing, as he believed, is not to confuse knowledge with ordinary awareness. Knowledge is understanding, understanding of the very essence, one or another area of ​​the universe. And awareness is only the possession of information about something, which, without understanding, awareness of the very essence, is worth nothing.

At that moment, the Vladyka, enjoying carnal sensations, was interrupted by thoughts - an impulse.

- What's the matter Kaisar. Something happened?

- ...

- Well, if so, then move to me.

A flash flashed over the source, from which appeared the faithful servant of the Lord of Life, Kaisar, the king of the fallen.

First of all, having descended a little, he bowed:

"O great one, please forgive me for interrupting your rest, but I consider that the matter is urgent, therefore I could not hesitate.

- Speak.

"My lord, the shadows have just reported to me that," Kaisar raised his head and looked at his master, with eyes in which fear flashed, "that about an hour ago, Sen and Leiko… Disappeared…

The ruler's face did not change even one iota.

"Hmm, it seems the evening is no longer languid.