Chapter 7: - Einar.

Captain Merek stood in front of the injured and unconscious Harrison, his thoughts drifting back to the rumors he had heard years ago. A man, known only as the Black Dragon under the White, had led the charge beside Duke Silverhelm on the battlefield fifteen years ago. He was said to be the most skilled warrior anyone had ever seen, second only to Duke Silverhelm himself. This man had been on the brink of becoming a grandmaster, a rank few could ever hope to achieve. But then, it was said, he met his match and was mortally wounded, never to appear on the battlefield again.

Merek gazed down at Harrison, recognizing the faint remnants of the formidable aura that had once surrounded him. The green aura he had manifested earlier was a shadow of its former self, a mere beginner's realm. Merek's face softened slightly as he whispered to himself, "So it was true. You have suffered an injury to your mana circuits, unable to absorb any more mana from the surroundings. You have been crippled, and your strength has declined."

He looked at Harrison with a mixture of respect and pity. "If you were at your prime, then a mere advanced realm master like me wouldn't have been able to defeat you," he muttered, his eyes reflecting a deep, unspoken sadness. The man who had once been a legend on the battlefield was now lying helpless before him. It was a sobering reminder of how even the mightiest could fall.

As he stood there, contemplating the fallen warrior's fate, the sound of footsteps approached. Serah and her group returned, soldiers carrying an unconscious Welkin. Merek's eyes flickered momentary at the sight of the boy.

"Serah," Merek called, his voice steady and commanding. "Have someone treat him," he said, pointing at Harrison. "Then tie him up. We will be leaving for the capital shortly."

Serah nodded, her face betraying no emotion as she issued orders to the soldiers. Merek watched as they carefully handled Harrison, tending to his wounds. Despite his role as an enforcer of the king's will, Merek couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for the man who had once been a hero.

As they worked, Merek's mind wandered to the events that had led them here. The king's orders had been clear, and Merek had followed them without question, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something is deeply wrong.

"Serah," he called again, this time more softly. "Make sure they are secure, but do not harm them any further. We have our orders, but we must remember our humanity."

Serah glanced at him, understanding the meaning of those words. "Understood, Captain," she replied.

Just as Serah turned to carry out the order, a thunderous boom erupted from behind them. The ground shook violently, and a soldier was hurled through the air, crashing into a nearby house with a sickening thud, rendering him unconscious. Merek and Serah spun around, eyes wide with shock and alarm.

What they saw was a scene of utter devastation. Soldiers lay sprawled on the ground, brutally wounded and unmoving. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning wood and the metallic tang of blood. At the epicenter of this chaos, a powerful energy surged and condensed, its pearl-white brilliance making it difficult to see anything else. This energy crackled with an intensity that resembled lightning, illuminating the destruction wrought around them.

The nature of this power was unclear; it was neither purely aura nor mana but something far more potent and enigmatic. As the intense light began to fade, an eerie silence fell over the area. In the midst of the carnage stood a figure, eyes closed and face devoid of emotion, radiating an aura of raw, unbridled strength. The boy was unmistakable; it was Welkin, their target. Residual white energy crackled around him like bolts of lightning, each spark a testament to the immense power he now wielded.

The destruction was vast: house nearby was splintered, trees uprooted, and the ground itself was scarred with deep fissures, emanating outward from where Welkin stood. The sheer force of the explosion had not only incapacitated the soldiers but also left an indelible mark on the landscape.

Merek's mind raced, struggling to make sense of the scene before him. The boy, Welkin, who had been unconscious and seemingly helpless just moments ago, now stood at the center of an incredible surge of energy. The sheer magnitude of the power emanating from him was staggering, unlike anything Merek had ever encountered.

"What in the world...?" Merek muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he tried to comprehend the nature of this power. It was neither purely aura nor mana but a something otherworldly.

Serah took a step back "Captain, what do we do? He's... he's not the same. This power..."

Merek took a deep breath. This was no longer a simple mission of capture. It had become something far more complex and dangerous.

"Captain. What are your orders?" Serah asked not knowing what to do.

Merek's eyes never left Welkin as he spoke. "Surround him, but keep your distance. We need to contain this situation without escalating it further. And be prepared for anything."

Welkin's eyes slowly opened, revealing a gaze that was both distant and intense. His presence exuded an overwhelming sense of power and control, yet there was something else – sadness, a lingering shadow of the boy who had once been.

Welkin looked at his hands, examining his body with an eerie calm. He clenched and released his fists, feeling the surge of energy coursing through him. "Only a beginner stage grandmaster, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Looks like it will have to do."

He then looked ahead, locking eyes with Merek. As Merek stared into Welkin's eyes, they turned pitch black, as though they held the secrets of the universe. Merek felt a chill run down his spine as he gazed into those eyes, seeming to see stars flickering in the vast space within them.

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Kellian and Carl, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but be shocked. The boy they knew to be harmless, with only a special connection to Anima, now stood at the center of such destruction. There was no desperation in his eyes anymore—no, to be precise, there was no emotion at all. They couldn't help but feel a bit of fear in their hearts, even though they knew the power the boy currently possessed was only at the beginner stage of a grandmaster, and it would be no problem for them to subdue him if necessary.

As they were watching the scene, a sudden change occurred. Welkin, who had been looking at Merek just a few moments ago, was now looking directly at them.

It's impossible, they thought, We have set up an invisibility spell. There is no way anyone can see us.

But suddenly, the boy smiled at them. It was a smile with no emotions behind it, coupled with his black eyes—it looked eerie and sinister.

Kellian's heart skipped a beat. "Carl, can he see us?" he whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Carl swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving Welkin. "I don't know, but it sure feels like it."

Welkin's smile widened, though it lacked warmth or humor. It was a chilling expression that seemed to pierce through their very souls. The blackness of his eyes, coupled with that unnatural smile, made him look almost otherworldly.

Kellian felt a shiver run down his spine. "This is not good. We need to reassess the situation. This boy is not the same."

Carl nodded, his mind racing. "Agreed. But we need to be cautious. Any sudden moves and we risk escalating this even further."

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Welkin had changed—no, to be precise, someone else was controlling Welkin's body. The figure that had taken over looked up at the sky, where two people were floating and observing the situation. They were using mana to form an invisibility spell around them, but it was useless in front of him. Looking at them, he thought, Aren't those the same pups he saw when he first awakened? These amateurs almost killed his host.

Yes, he was the same star that had formed inside Welkin when he first met them. It was conscious and now had taken over its host's body. He turned his gaze back to Merek and his soldiers and thought, Let's take care of these pests. He said nothing, his emotions void, but thought, Let me test this body out first.

In an instant, he moved, appearing in front of Serah and holding her face. He slammed her into the ground with such force that the earth cracked beneath her. Only then did Captain Merek and the rest of the soldiers react. Captain Merek unsheathed his sword and swung it at Welkin. But Welkin didn't seem to care. Still holding onto Serah with his left hand, he caught the blade with his thumb and index finger.

"Is that all you've got?" he said, his voice void of emotion.

The soldiers, seeing their vice-captain incapacitated, charged at Welkin with a mix of fear and determination. Welkin's eyes flickered with a cold light. With a swift motion, he tossed Serah aside, her body skidding across the ground but still breathing. He then turned his attention to the oncoming soldiers.

One soldier swung his spear at Welkin, who effortlessly dodged and struck the soldier's gut with the back of his hand, sending him flying into a nearby tree. Another soldier tried to attack from behind, but Welkin spun around and kicked the man in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to collapse.

Captain Merek's eyes narrowed as he saw his men being effortlessly taken down. "Stand down!" he ordered, trying to regroup his soldiers. "This isn't an ordinary opponent!"

Welkin's expression remained cold as he faced the captain. Merek charged again, his aura flaring blue, attempting to slice Welkin in half. Welkin sidestepped and countered with a swift punch to Merek's stomach, causing the captain to stagger back, clutching his midsection.

"Your aura... it's strong for a master," Welkin said, his tone almost bored. "But strength without precision is meaningless."

Merek gritted his teeth and stood up, determination in his eyes. He launched a series of attacks, each more powerful than the last. Welkin deflected them all with minimal effort, his movements a blur.

Welkin, seemingly getting bored, took the offensive and swiftly incapacitated the remaining soldiers. Captain Merek, despite his best efforts, found himself on the ground, wounded and exhausted. He looked around at his fallen comrades, his vice captain Serah laying unconscious beside him. Desperation and confusion clouded his mind as he muttered a single question towards the person responsible for the chaos.

"Who are you?"

He knew the boy in front of him couldn't be the same Welkin he had encountered before. It was impossible for someone to change so drastically in such a short amount of time, to hide so much power. Welkin's black, emotionless eyes met Merek's as he replied nonchalantly.

"You already know. I am Welkin Silverhelm."

Merek's eyes widened in disbelief. "No, you can't be the same kid I saw before. Who are you?" he asked again, his voice trembling with both fear and defiance.

Tilting his head slightly, Welkin responded, "In that case, call me Einar."

With a wave of his hand, Welkin exerted enough force to kill him but it only knocked Merek unconscious, He looked at his hands and clicked his tongue in frustration. "Why are you interfering?" he muttered, seemingly to no one. "They were here to capture you and send you to your deaths."

Suddenly, the strength began to leave Welkin's body, and he started to fall. "Only five minutes, huh?" he whispered, those being the last words Pride spoke before losing consciousness. Before his eyes closed, he saw the two closing in on him.

As Welkin's body collapsed, the eerie silence of the battlefield was broken only by the distant rustling of the wind through the trees. The aura of power that had surrounded him dissipated, leaving the scene in stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded.

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