He's different

  Stepping into the light, a man with fiery red hair, along with a mask covering his mouth revealed himself. Exuding a threatening aura, he stopped a few meters before the duo.

Luke realized that he was the man inside the carriage he at the end of the secret passage.

Glancing around the aftermath of the fight, he spoke in a monotonous tone.

- Impressive, to think the 4th princess and the 2nd son of the duke were able to take a whole squad out. It seems that you aren't like those sheltered brats, unfortunately, play time is over.

he unsheathed his sword, coating it in a blood red liquid-like energy.

'Aura!'

Luke instantly realized that he was someone he couldn't beat in his current level.

The man looked at the princess with his dull brown eyes.

- Now come quietly or I'll have to cut your limbs.

He started formulating an escape plan. The princess on the other hand raised her sword, inserting an immense amount of mana into it.

'She's not seriously thinking of fighting him??'

Despite being able to gain the upper hand against the earlier group due to her massive mana pool and technique, but it was also possible due to them being of similar ranks. The opponent in front of her was a whole rank above her, a rook class knight.

Luke thought she couldn't sense it, but quickly discarded once her saw her expression.

- Hey, he's a rook class knight, you can't fight him.

Hearing those words, she snapped at him.

- shut it, I didn't ask for your opinion!

'This girl!'

Luke couldn't believe it, she clearly knew she was their goal, and she had just fought minutes ago, plus he was clearly on a different league than the others.

He reached for her arm.

-Wake up princess, He want to capture you, also you're not at ful…

Layla shook him off with a look of disgust.

- You're all the same…

She murmured those words before charging the man in front of her.

Closing the distance in seconds, she brought her sword upward in a diagonal angle, the mana condensed on its blade with the intention of splitting her opponent apart.

The man effortlessly deflected her sword, covering his knee with aura, he delivered a strike at her ribs.

The impact sent her looing on the ground, luckily, she managed to coat her body with mana, preventing her ribs from being broken, but the impact took the air out of her lungs.

The man taunted her with his open hand, a smirk appeared behind his mask.

-Next.

The princess got up after catching her breath, she raised her sword again, this time assuming a defensive stance.

Luke was impressed by her judgment'.

'She realized from that one exchange that she wouldn't be able to land hit if she stayed on the offense, impressive'.

-Ohhh, so you want me to charge, fine I'll indulge your little game.

The man wasted no time, with his blood red sword he closed the distance in an instant, executing a horizontal slash.

Layla circulated her mana throughout her body, using reversal stream, the stream-like mana flowed out of her sword, disrupting her opponent's aura and sword path.

The man's sword missed its target, striking the ground.

Using the momentum, she aimed at his neck.

However, he let go of his sword, landing a huge uppercut on her shin.

Layla flew a few meters, sliding into the ground.

She slowly got up, unable to keep her balance due to the earlier punch. Her dress was now full of dirt, ripped in several places, looking like a street beggar.

- I'm disappointed, princess, I played along with your game to see if you could entertain me. And by the look in your eyes you won't surrender, so I'm going to rough you up a little more.

Giving no time to recover, he rushed at her. Layla hurriedly raised her sword to meet his attack.

At the last moment he condensed his aura, the upward slash demolished her guard like paper, he delivered a variety of stabs in quicky succession, followed by a roundhouse kick.

*crack.

-AHHHHGGGRR

This time, the kick successfully broke her ribs as she crashed into another tree.

This time he did not wait, increasing this aura output, he charged towards her. The princess managed to notice the incoming danger, rolling out of the away, evading the dangerous sword stab.

But he did not give her time to rest, relentlessly pursing her. Slowly colleting various cuts, her condition began to worsen, allowing for more strikes, each one delivering a numbing sensation to her arms.

- HAHAHAHAHA, that's it princess, struggle a little more!!!

Despite having the ability to quickly end this fight he decided to play with her. Slowly inflicting pain until she could no longer stand.

'Yes, just like that time'.

Luke, watching the battle from afar, decided to intervene at the man's sadistic outburst. He began to cast his magic, drops of water appeared in the air, condensing into a 2-meter-long javelin.

(2nd rank water magic, aqua javelin)

The javelin flew toward the fiery haired man's side, aimed at his exposed side.

The man noticed the incoming spell. With a single swing of his aura infused fist, he demolished the javelin with ease.

The princess tried to exploit the short opening left by the distraction, but he instantly connected with a back kick to her stomach.

He turned his attention to the silver haired boy.

- I was going to let you live, but since your so adamant in interfering, I'll let you join in on the fun!

He raced towards Luke, a maniac expression could be seen on his eyes.

He unleashed another spell, the ground instantly turned into a pool of mud, but the man instantly infused aura into his legs, jumping over the created pool.

But Luke was already waiting for him, 2 magic circles floated above his head,2 fists of wind flew towards the masked man. Which were easily deflected with a simple sword swing.

He took out both revolvers, unloading all the bullets at his vitals, again he blocked some with his sword and dodged the others.

Just as his sword was about to reach his neck, dark tendrils surged from the ground, stopping the sword and the man on its spot.

(2nd rank dark magic, dark bind)

The masked man rapidly broke through the spell, but it was enough time for Luke to step out, making way for Layla to strike at the small opening.

An immense amount of mana as condensed into her sword.

(royal guard sword style 2nd form, wave ripple)

Blood red aura clashed with azure wave of mana, the former wining, but it fulfilled its purpose, stunning the man with internal damage for a few seconds, enough time for Luke to finish his magic.

A massive amount of wind converged in front of medium sized magic circle, transforming into compressed storm rotating at immense speed.

From his pale expression, it was evident that most of his mana was depleted.

Even so, he decided to gamble using the strongest magic he knew.

(3rd circle wind magic storm blast)

The compressed storm shot forward expanding itself,ravaging everything in its path towards the  unprotected target.