"Papa... Papa..." Elfie screamed, her small body shaking as she tried to unfurl her wings.
A cold wave of energy burst from her, freezing Emilia's hands the moment she touched her.
Lyria quickly stepped in, grabbing Elfie gently, pulling her close, trying to calm her down.
"Elfie... calm down... Papa will be okay... Papa is the strongest," she whispered, her voice soft and steady.
But Elfie was too panicked to hear her. Her breaths were short, eyes filled with fear. It took all of them working together—Lyria, Emilia, and even the knights—to finally calm her down a little.
Emilia looked at them, her eyes still wide with worry.
"Will he be alright?" she asked in a small voice.
The four Black Knights stood in silence, watching the battlefield without saying a word. Their expressions were stiff, unreadable.
"Kael was an A rank, wasn't he?" Jess said suddenly. Her voice was low, tense. "But that bastard... the way he moves, he might be S rank... maybe stronger."
