Fort Jukis

"Hehe!" Nayala smiled and pressed forward. "Then I shall make good use of those extra perks!"

The last soldier on the bike noticed that his friend was shot down by their own army's weapon, feeling terrified. He was only a Level One Magus, while Nayala was at Level Two. The Magic Energy she could add to the bullets not only made them stronger but also faster. She definitely could shoot from further away without losing power.

Without thinking twice, he turned around and tried to drive away. However...

*Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...*

Alvin, Kafril, and Connor used their Magic Energy and rained down attacks on the guy's path. There was a river nearby, and they were down in the valley. There weren't many paths for him to run. Even though Alvin and the others were only Level One Maguses and Familiars, he would definitely be severely injured if he threw himself in the middle of those attacks. "Fuck!"

Without another choice, he changed the direction and tried to go around the attacks. The decision wasn't wrong, but it also couldn't save him.

Different from the enemy, Nayala didn't need to dodge Alvin's group attacks. She charged through the dirt and dust in the air and came out right behind the guy's bike. "You came to the wrong country!"

Bullets were shoot from both sides, but Nayala was able to defend against the enemy's bullets due to her higher level of Magic Energy. The Magus on the bike wasn't as good, though. He used his Magic Energy to create a barrier between him and Nayala, but her Red Magic Energy covered bullets easily pierced through. 

*Puc, puc, puc...*

Holes quickly filled the guy's back, causing him to fall to the ground with his bike. He didn't die, but he wouldn't go anywhere anymore, either.

Finally, Nayala stopped and checked the last guy's condition. Her eyes were cold, and her fist raised. The Magic Energy from both her and her Familiar gathered, and she punched out.

*Bang!*

However, the moment she was about to smash the guy's head, a blast of Wind happened between her and the man, forcing her back. "Who is it?!" Nayala quickly checked the surroundings, just in time to see the Magic Energy around Linfel's Core stabilizing again. "What the hell are you doing?"

Linfel faintly smiled. "There is no need for that, right? He is already out of combat. It is hard to say if he will survive or not, even if we leave him here. Let's end it here."

"Hmph!" Nayala snorted. "For a while, I wondered if you were truly a new Familiar. Now, however, it is pretty clear you don't have much experience. Volztain started a war against our country, and you want to save his life? He will come back later for revenge for his friends, and that will mean the possible death of more of our people. Do not get in my way again, or I will crack this Core of yours."

Linfel shook his head. "There is no need. He is gone."

Nayala was taken aback and turned her attention to the soldier on the ground. He stopped breathing... "Fucking lucky guy. He went easier than I wanted."

*Brumm...*

Alvin, Kafril, and Connor arrived by Nayala and Linfel's side a moment later. They brought the bike from the second guy who had died. "Senior Nayala, what now?"

Nayala glanced at Linfel for a moment, her doubts increasing. Nonetheless, she cast those thoughts aside and pointed at the other bike on the ground. "Two of you, take the other bike and hope on. You can drive Magic Bikes, right?"

Connor raised his hand. "I can. My father has one, and I often played with it. I don't know about Alvin and Kafril, though."

Kafril and Alvin looked at each other and quickly shook their heads. Neither of them had driven a bike for sure. "We can try to learn... perhaps?"

"No," Nayala quickly gave up the idea. "Alvin, come with me. Kafril, you and Connor use the other bike and follow me. The terrain is hard to maneuver, but these bikes are made to travel in such places. Just be careful and should be able to stay close. In any case, two bikes are harder to notice than three."

A moment later, she exchanged the ammunition on the weapon by taking the other dead guy's one. She raised it a moment later and pressed the trigger to test. However, the weapon didn't shoot. "Hum? Why did it stop working? Didn't you alter its system?"

Linfel shook his head. "Not really. I just used a loophole. If you want the weapon to work, I will have to keep myself attached to it."

Alvin and Felia glanced at him. It was obvious Linfel had copied the Soul Waves and Magic Energy from the dead guy. They knew Linfel could connect to anyone, but it seemed like Linfel could even copy Magic Energy Signatures, which they had never heard about.

"Forget it," Nayala threw the weapon to Alvin on her back. "Hold it in case I need it later. Connor, follow me."

*Brumm!!!*

Immediately, the two bikes dashed out of there. Since they were located earlier, it might happen again. No one knows if the Volztain Country had sent reinforcements to those three who died, either. They couldn't stay there for long.

"Senior Nayala," Kafril called her attention from Connor's bike. "Don't these Magic Bikes have trackers as well? Is it really wise to use them?"

Nayala nodded. "They probably have, but they are also our best chance. Considering there is so much going on, it will be hard to pay attention to just two bikes moving out. With some luck, we can reach Fort Jukis, where part of the army on the Volztain Borders is located not far from here. The only doubt is how things are going on there."

"You mean, they might already have been wiped out?" Connor asked nervously.

Nayala didn't try to hide. "This attack was too sudden and without warning. Usually, such events do end with the first lines of defense being taken down quickly due to the element of surprise."

"In that case, shouldn't we ignore the Fort Jukis and simply take an even further path and go straight to the back?" Linfel asked.

"It is still our best chance," Nayala explained. "These guys who attacked us were obviously scouts sent further ahead to check the terrain. Otherwise, there would have been more of them. That means Fort Jukis is most likely still there. If it has been taken, well, we will have to abandon the bikes and think about something else."

And so, they drove through the night while Nayala guided them. She did not try to take a longer path this time, though. If he went too far away, the trackers on the bikes would stand out in the enemies' radars like beacons. The less they caught anyone's attention, the better.

Fortunately, they were indeed lucky enough to reach Fort Jukis. It's just that when they arrived, they saw hundreds of airships fighting in the air while the ground armies prepared to receive the enemy not too far behind.

"Halt!" Suddenly, several soldiers came out of the dark, pointing their weapons at Nayala's group.

However, Nayala quickly noticed their uniform and, especially a man leading that group. "Wait, Haffard, it is me, Nayala!"

"Everyone, hold your fire!" The man quickly shouted and came running forward. "Holy shit, Nayala! You are still alive!" He quickly looked to the side and saw Linfel's group. "Oh, right! You were tasked to guide the kids in that academy task or whatever. Is it them?"

"Some of them, at least..." Nayala sighed in relief and came out of her bike. "We need to send them away. This is not a place for kids."

Haffard nodded. "Come with me." He then looked back to his soldiers. "Clarion, you take the command and continue the patrol. I'll be right back after leaving them in the base."

"Understood!" Clarion didn't waste time and brought the soldiers away.

Around thirty minutes later, their group finally entered Fort Jukis.