Tempo Shift.

"Nooooo!" I screamed, the sound of my own voice echoing in the cold night air.

Time seemed to slow down in that second, and with Isabelle, my heart also fell into the abyss. My legs gave way, and I fell on my knees to the floor, sobbing. "Why did you do that?

Valeria didn't speak another word, and I heard the sound of a sword being drawn. I heard the same hum as before, and in the blink of an eye, Valeria's blade was mere inches away from Abaddi's face.

I watched in awe as, just before the blade made contact, A metallic clang echoed in the room; it's advance stopped by Abaddi. A dark purple column of energy materialized in his hand, revealing a blade.

Valeria gritted her teeth and tried to force her way through, but was pushed back by him, and even Valeria's jaw was agape at the blade Abaddi summoned out of thin air, but she quickly recomposed herself and stood her ground again.

"How did you do that?" Valeria asked, and as the sound of crunching leather on her hilt could be heard, the entire sword and her eyes started to glow a brilliant green, and a low-pitched hum was emanating from the sword.

Abaddi seemed to look at Valeria for a bit with an inquisitive face, and he turned around, his foot on the windowsill. "Not worth my time; we will run into each other eventually, so farewell."

A huge explosion rocked the room, and a storm of dust blew up. I instinctively covered my face, and when the dust settled, the entire portion of the windowsill had been blown to smithereens.

I peeked down, and I saw Zorro standing, and I also spotted Isabelle being carried away by one of the cloaked men.

Abaddi had crashed into a watchtower's side, obliterating its brick wall and tumbling to the other side, and he stood back up as if nothing had happened.

"That was quite impressive, but I don't want to cause a commotion here, so I have to go now." He stretched his arms and started to walk with his back turned to Zorro and his hands in his cloak pocket. He wasn't the least bit bothered by Zorro's attack that had blown him through two walls.

Valeria instantly disappeared beside me like a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye, she reappeared right above Abaddi. "Take this!" Valeria screamed as the sword glowed a brilliant green, and the blade was brought down upon him with such great force that the ground shook, and it felt like there had been a mini-earthquake.

"Retreat!" Abaddi gave the command to his underlings, and all of them complied, scurrying away into the thick of the night. Abaddi pulled out a conch and blew it with all his might.

The sound of the conch echoed throughout the castle, and it was enough to wake up the royal guard that was stationed in the castle.

From the cloud of debris, both of them emerged on opposite sides, and Zorro hopped in to tag team Abaddi.

They glanced at each other for a moment, and with a decisive nod, both of them disappeared from my view.

*Kaboom!*

Another cloud of dust and debris was thrown my way as I watched in awe the battle that was unfolding right in front of my eyes.

I could only helplessly watch as all three of them went at it with their full power, and I couldn't even perceive their movements. Zorro and Valeria, despite not being in the master tier, could keep Abaddi busy.

As the battle raged on, the earth bore the scars of the conflict. Deep craters marred the once-pristine battlefield, their jagged edges testament to the furious clashes that had taken place.

I strained my eyes, trying to keep up, but it was all just a blur to me—an intricate and deadly dance beyond my perception.

I could feel that this was a different dimension from the scuffle I witnessed between Hagen and Gelidra earlier. 

The shockwaves from their clash were strong enough to knock over nearby trees and rip plants from the ground.

After a flurry of clashes and multiple craters in the ground, Abaddi was still standing, though visibly tired, and opposite him were Valeria and Zorro, both of them heaving. The toll the battle was taking was visible.

"Valeria, the way you move, there's something odd about it. I've never seen the power of the wind used like that." Abaddi commented, a playing smile on his face.

"I don't care. I just want to end you here right now." Valeria grumbled, frustration evident in her voice.

"It's nifty, but it's a shame that you can't utilize it to its fullest." He said, and a familiar dark energy crackled all around him this time, much bigger than it did at the start of the fight.

Abaddi's laughter reverberated through the battlefield, a chilling sound that seemed to mock their efforts. "Valeria, your strength is admirable, but you lack the insight to truly harness the wind's potential. It's not just about speed; it's about control."

And then, in a heartbeat, it was over.

I felt a gust of wind strike my face; it's force was akin to that of a galestorm. Refocusing my attention, I saw Valeria and Zorro lying on the ground, knocked out cold. Amidst both of their inanimate bodies stood Abaddi. The aftermath of the battle was etched across the landscape: cracked earth, shattered trees, and an eerie silence that hung heavy in the air.

As my eyes locked on Abaddi, a shiver raced down my spine. It was as if the very fabric of the world recoiled in his presence, a testament to his unmatched prowess on the battlefield.

I gripped my sword as Abaddi slowly walked towards me, his eyes piercing into my soul. I lifted it, seeing my own reflection on my sword, and I was terrified.

He stood opposite me, and his hand reached for my sword and slowly pulled it down. I did not even have the courage to resist, for if I had, I probably would have died. I wasn't just physically outmatched; even the power dynamic was overwhelmingly in his favor.

"You thought you could challenge me? Abaddi's voice was a low, menacing growl. "You are nothing."

Drops of sweat rolled down my face as I stood facing this formidable man, his eyes burning with the fire that seemed to have won countless battles.

But then, as swiftly as a passing storm, his demeanor shifted. His grip on my sword loosened, and his eyes softened, shedding the piercing intensity they had held just moments ago. A warm smile spread across his lips, and his voice took on a gentle tone that was worlds apart from the growl that had chilled me to the bone.

"I shouldn't have said that; I'm really sorry. I didn't want to do this either, but I had no other option than to kidnap Isabelle. I cannot state the reason why, but I'm sure you'll understand. He softly held my hand, and a metallic clang reverberated as my sword hit the ground.

"What do you want Isabelle for?"

Abaddi's gaze held a weight of regret, as if the burden of his actions were etched into his very being. "Isabelle has a role to play in something much larger than us. A matter that's beyond the horizon of our personal conflicts. The truth is, her unique abilities are crucial to... altering the course of events."

"Events?" I was intrigued, and I didn't know what Abaddi was doing or saying, but I felt like he didn't want to do this either. It just felt like his hand was forced to do this too.

"We all have our reasons, Ed. I don't need to tell you my reasons now, and trust me, you will understand them later."

I was at a loss for words, and as I was processing what Abaddi just said, I heard a rustle behind me.

Abaddi's eyes widened "Look out!", as he pushed me out of the way. I felt a huge surge of power behind me, and as I fell out of the way, a flash of brilliant blue flashed past me, and a deadly clash ensued with Abaddi.

The ground seemed to rise up to meet me far too quickly, and my body collided with a solid, unforgiving mass. Agony radiated through my spine as my back struck the unyielding trunk of a nearby tree. The world spun in a whirlwind of pain and dizziness, my vision swimming as I struggled to make sense of what had just transpired.

Both Abaddi and Hagen stood back up, and Hagen had this raw feeling to him. The tip of his sword pointed towards Abaddi.

"I'm gonna kill you."