Betrayal

|Arthur|

My body was on the brink of collapse, begging me to give up and crumble to the ground. But I refused to yield. With every ounce of strength left in me, I managed to stand, thanks to the healing power of Realmheart coursing through my body. However, I was well aware that once I released the power of Realmheart, the backlash would be severe, potentially resulting in death or severe injury.

As I prepared to face my fate, something unexpected happened.

We didn't have to do anything.

The red-tinted barrier surrounding the school shattered from above, showering the ground with broken fragments. They reflected the vibrancy of the Aurora Constellation, which was almost in full bloom in the night sky, transforming the bloodstained academy into a scene straight out of a fairytale.

As we all looked up, four figures descended gracefully amidst the shimmering rain of broken barrier shards. Even before I could make out their identities, the overwhelming pressure they radiated was unmistakable.

The Lances.

|Bairon|

As I surveyed the blood-soaked academy before me, anger boiled in my veins at the sight of the fallen students. Most members of the Paladins were fighting against the four most powerful enemies, doing everything to hold them back.

I turned my gaze to the others beside me and felt a sense of unity as we all released our mana in unison, ready to take on the enemy before us. Even under the pressure of four opposing Lances, the two enemies in front of us stood firm, their expressions unflinching.

The enemy, a lanky figure, taunted us with amusement as he spoke, "Are the four of you the so-called Lances?"

I gritted my teeth, my resolve strengthened by the sight of my fallen comrades. We would show him what the Lances were truly made of.

"I am Uto, one of the retainers of Alacarya, and today I shall execute four more Lances of Dicathen in the name of the Vritras!" Uto announced with a sneer, his eyes glinting with malice.

The younger but more powerful enemy stepped forward, his voice dripping with superiority. "Uto, deal with them swiftly and make sure they do not interrupt me."

Uto bowed in deference before turning his attention towards us.

Without hesitation, we sprang into action. Alea rushed to aid Princess Kathyln against her two assailants, while Varay, Olfred, and I focused our attention on the two enemies in front of us.

With lightning coursing through my body, I darted towards Uto, emulating Gary's lightning magic. I concentrated the energy in front of me, increasing my attack power.

Despite the intensity of my lightning, Uto easily blocked my attacks with his fists. The electric current danced around his body but failed to inflict any significant damage.

"You're not bad," the retainer taunted before delivering a sharp blow to my stomach.

While Uto was distracted, Varay unleashed a barrage of ice magic, but the retainer countered with a flurry of black spikes that materialized out of thin air, unlike metal magic.

Meanwhile, Olfred focused on getting the wounded students to safety, while Varay and I continued our assault on Uto.

Despite my lightning magic empowering me with heightened reaction time and movement speed, Uto effortlessly dodged my attacks while simultaneously keeping Varay at bay with his metal magic. His movements were so quick and precise that it was almost as if he could predict our every move.

Without warning, Uto's fist connected with my gut, sending me flying a significant distance. I managed to avoid losing consciousness, but the blow left me gasping for breath.

Varay, who was attacking with all the strength she could muster, was clearly outmatched. Uto deflected her ice magic with his metal magic, leaving her struggling to make a significant impact on him.

As the magma and earth walls drew nearer to Uto, Varay and I were relieved, thinking we finally had a chance against the retainer. But as we watched, the walls began to shift, surrounding Varay and me instead of Uto.

"What is the meaning of this, Olfred?" Varay's voice was cold and laced with anger as she glared at him.

"I'm simply doing my duty as a dwarf," Olfred replied, bowing to Uto. "I'm here to assist you, Sir Retainer Uto."

The realisation hit me like a ton of bricks. 'It can't be,' I thought, 'The artifact binds Lances to their masters. Could it be that all dwarves have betrayed us?'

Varay's expression twisted with anger and disgust as she too realized the same thing.

Varay and I were ready for battle, with her ice magic and my lightning spear at the ready. But Olfred stopped us with a serious voice, "Stop right there, fellow Lances. Don't attack us unless you want the students to die."

I looked behind him to see several golems holding up Prince Alistair, Arthur, and Prince Tessia hostage.

"Hostages?" Prince Alistair scoffed. "By a weakling like you?"

Suddenly, the golems shattered, and a sword pierced through Olfred's back. I was shocked to see that the Prince had attacked him from behind without any of us being able to react.

"Know your place, lesser," the Prince taunted as he kicked Olfred in the gut. Olfred tried to trap the Prince with his earth and magma magic, but it wasn't enough. A web of purple bones sprang out and stopped the earth from expanding, halting Olfred's spell completely.

"I will show you the difference between us," Prince Alistair said as he grabbed Olfred's hair, pulling his head back to meet his gaze. A moment passed before a terrifying scream escaped from the dwarven lance. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain from whatever torture the Prince was subjecting him to.

|Lancelot|

The enemy before us was a formidable opponent, moving with lightning-fast speed and striking with a ferocity that left us struggling to keep up. His attacks were simple and direct, but each blow carried an incredible amount of power that we couldn't ignore.

Despite the three of us being as powerful as Lances, we couldn't seem to gain the upper hand against him. It was as if he was holding back, allowing us to attack him with all our might while he easily evaded and countered our moves. I couldn't help but wonder how strong he would be if he unleashed his full power.

Jezebeth effortlessly sent Professor Fejalk flying out of his Spirit Dive with a single punch, signifying that the game was now over and he was ready to finish us all off.

"Lancelot, what are you doing?" Rachel asked in disbelief. "You can't take him on alone, he's too strong for any one of us to handle."

I gritted my teeth, knowing that she was right. However, I couldn't just stand by and watch my friends get hurt. "Rachel, step back," I said firmly. "I'll handle this on my own."

"What? That's insane!" she protested.

"Please, Rachel," I said, my tone softer this time. "Trust me."

Reluctantly, she stepped back and left the battle, leaving me alone to face Jezebeth. I took a deep breath and steadied myself, preparing to face the strongest opponent I had ever encountered.

Jezebeth took confident steps towards me, his foot sinking into the earth with ease, generating the pressure and power of a volcano.

But I didn't falter. I steeled my resolve and stepped forward to meet my adversary.

'Lancelot,' Bell's voice echoed through our telepathic bond, 'if you use that power right now, you will die. Your body is not strong enough.'

'But I can kill him, right?' Lancelot asked.

There was no reply for a moment, until Bell finally spoke up. 'Yes.'

'Bell, please be my spirit in my next life as well,' I pleaded, 'Please stay with me through all of our lives and reincarnations.'

Tears welled up in Bell's eyes as she replied, her voice choked with emotion. 'I-I will, Lancelot! I will always be with you and support you!'

|Jezebeth|

The invasion of Xyrus City had been dull and uneventful. The Paladins and Lances were no match for my power, and even the young Asura Paladin was barely worth my attention.

But then, as I faced off against a boy my own age with the wind spirit at his side, something shifted within me. Despite his strength being nothing compared to mine, there was a strange excitement that I couldn't explain.

As he took his final stand against me, it felt like the entire world had shifted. Each step he took caused the very mana around us to tremble, as if he was the epicenter of all mana.

It was a breathless sensation, my own mana being stripped away by his. If I wasn't an Asura, I may have been defeated in a single attack.

And then, he announced his trump card.

"For the next minute, I will be the Mana Sovereign," he declared arrogantly.

It was a bold move, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. This battle was far from boring now.

"Show me, Lesser!" I challenged him with a smirk, reveling in the anticipation of a real challenge. "Show me this power that you are so proud of!"

Just then, a new sensation enveloped us, a powerful presence that made my skin tingle in excitement.

A thrill ran down my spine as I realized that he was in this world as well.

|Uto|

As I watched the young Asura clad his right arm in mana, a sense of foreboding washed over me. But there was something else, too -- a thrill of anticipation, as though something exciting was about to happen.

"You're next, Vritra," he announced, his voice low and dangerous.

Before we could launch ourselves at each other, however, a powerful presence suddenly filled the Academy. I spun around to see a young boy descending from the sky: silver-grey hair, purple eyes, and a build that seemed unremarkable at first glance. But the sheer force emanating from him left me in no doubt that this was someone not to be trifled with.

It was the same feeling I'd ignored when I'd fought Jezebeth, only even more intense.

Jezebeth and the young boy stood face to face, their eyes locked in a tense exchange. As they got closer, I realized that I was caught in the middle, feeling like a pawn in a game of chess.

The young boy, who was at least a foot shorter than me, stopped right in front of me. Despite his small stature, the pressure he emanated was overwhelming. It was as if he had the power to crush me with a single glance.

"Out of the way, weakling," he said, his voice laced with arrogance.

My body almost involuntarily moved to obey his command, but I managed to stop myself. I couldn't let him treat me like a doormat.

"What if I don't?" I said, trying to hide my fear and put on a brave face.

His hand gripped my shoulder, and I felt the icy fingers of death close around my neck. It was as if the grim reaper's scythe was hovering over my head, ready to strike.

"I won't repeat myself," he said, his voice cold and menacing. "Move."

I quivered in fear, feeling like a helpless animal trapped in a corner.

"You aren't his match, Uto," Jezebeth said, breaking the tense standoff. "He is my enemy."

I stumbled back, nearly collapsing on the ground as I moved out of the way.

|Third POV|

The two figures drew closer, causing a palpable sense of suppression to ripple through the surrounding people. The first figure moved with the cadence of a sovereign, displaying complete indifference to his surroundings. Yet his powerful aura leaked out of him, causing almost everyone in the vicinity to fall to the ground in submission.

The second figure had the bearing of a conqueror, exuding an air of dominance and strength. His fierce, uncaring aura clashed against that of the sovereign, each refusing to give ground.

The air around the two figures crackled with intense energy as they came to a sudden stop, causing a ripple effect that distorted the space around them. The world itself seemed to pause, as if holding its breath, as everyone present took in the monumental confrontation between the two most powerful beings from another universe.