Beside me, the Tier-6 mage raised his staff, and the wards of the estate cracked apart like glass. Golden runes shattered in midair, leaving the Duke's home naked—defenseless. Lightning speared across the ceiling, burning nobles to ash before they could even scream.
The mage unleashed another spell, and before I knew it the ballroom's roof and doors were blown apart. I barely avoided being flung back by the shockwave. The mage dropped down through the opening, staff glowing with crackling power.
Outside, the courtyard thundered. Yogh, the Horseman, charged astride a black steed whose hooves struck sparks with every step. Behind him, mercenaries in Evangel's service poured through the gate Grain's body had blown apart, blades and torches in hand.
For a moment, I couldn't help but wonder where Regard was—but now wasn't the time. I had a mission, and nothing else mattered.
Get the Duke's children. Mathis. Elise.
And deep within the castle, Regard sat in chains.
Chaos erupted inside the ballroom. The Duke and the two royal families were surrounded by their special guards, steel clashing against mercenaries as they rushed to shield their kings and queens. The Tier-6 mage hurled bolts of lightning into the fray, forcing the guards to split their formation, struggling to hold back the storm.
The blast had torn more than the roof—it had ripped people apart. In the confusion, three figures were separated from the main hall: Mathis, Elise, and the Falsies princess. They stumbled through the haze of smoke and falling debris, cut off from their protectors, too far for the guards to reach.
The world rang with fire and steel. Mathis's ears buzzed from the blast, his tiny frame staggering beneath the weight of smoke and falling stone. He could barely breathe. Elise clung to his arm, her face streaked with tears, while the Falsies princess—her jeweled gown torn and smeared with ash—stumbled beside them.
"Brother, I'm scared!" Elise's voice cracked, high and trembling.
Mathis wanted to answer, to comfort her, but his own chest burned. He was only five. Five—and yet the hall looked to him as if he were already grown, already strong. He had fought in a dungeon. He had killed slimes. He had trained every day. But this—this was no dungeon. This was war.
Through the haze he caught glimpses of the battle raging at the center of the hall. The Duke and the two royal families stood in a knot, their elite guards forming a wall of steel against the mercenaries. The Tier-6 mage's lightning ripped through shields, leaving smoldering corpses where men had stood. Screams rose with the music of clashing blades, drowning the ball in madness.
Mathis pulled Elise and the princess toward the corner of the ruined hall, trying to shield them from falling debris. His light magic flickered at his fingertips—dim, frightened sparks he barely controlled.
Then the shadows stirred.
They slid across the fractured marble like oil, moving against the flame's natural pull. A boy emerged from them, black hair wild, crimson eyes gleaming. Rings pulsed faintly at his fingers, each one throbbing like a heartbeat.
Xavier.
Mathis froze, his body tensing though he barely understood why. Elise whimpered and clutched tighter. The princess's gaze sharpened southings off with that kid
Xavier's lips curved into a grim smile, cold and sharp. His eyes locked on Mathis.
Mathis straightened his small frame, light magic gathering at his hands in defiance. For he would be king he couldn't fall here
Two boys.
The prince of light. The child of shadows.
And here, in the ruins of the Duke's ballroom, they finally faced one another
Xavier observed his surroundings. Behind him raged the brutal battle between royal knights, mercenaries, and a Tier-6 mage, lightning ripping apart stone and steel. But he knew it was only a matter of time before the elite royal guard finished their side. And if the Mage Tower got word of the situation?
Everything goes to shit.
The objective was right in front of his face. If he failed here, Evangel would kill him herself.
Think… think… THINK, Xavier!
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning struck, sending a massive piece of the roof hurdling toward Mathis, Elise, and the Falsies princess.
In quick action, Xavier rushed toward them.
Mathis, despite being only five, had real training. He had even braved a dungeon. He wasn't a stranger to bad situations. Quickly scooping up Elise, he turned to the princess and shouted:
"If you want to live, then follow me! I'll make sure you're safe!"
The princess couldn't help but blush, scrambling to her feet as fast as she could. But the shadow of the collapsing roof grew larger and larger.
Xavier, slipping into deception, put on a mask—pretending he was helping them. He would complete his true objective later.
But almost as if to tell Xavier this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought, Mathis began to chant:
"LIGHT MAGIC, HEAR ME—SUN'S ARROW!"
A blazing arrow, burning with the heat of the sun itself, shot through the air like a ballista bolt. It tore the falling debris apart midair.
Everyone in the ballroom froze. For the first time, nobles understood why the Duke never stopped boasting of his son. Even the King himself leaned forward, eyes narrowed in thought.
"MY BOY AND DAUGHTER ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS MADNESS!" the Duke roared. "Someone help them! Send word to the Mage Tower!"
He turned sharply to a squire. "Aquaresis—GO!"
"Yes, Your Grace!" Aquaresis saluted and began fighting his way across the battlefield to deliver the message.
Far away, an old man overlooked the chaos, using a power similar to Evangel's.
"Hehehe… things have finally taken quite the turn," Evangel whispered from her chamber, watching through her connection. "Everything is going according to plan. Soon, this kingdom will be mine. A small step… but the first of many."
The roof was gone, vaporized by Mathis's light.
Xavier clicked his tongue. "What a pain…"
He offered the princess his hand, helping her to her feet, wearing an eerie smile that made her shiver.
"My name's Kelvin. Got separated from my family. What's happening here?" he lied smoothly.
Xavier knew he could die here. But what did living even mean for him? His life had always been about killing. Looking at these nobles—their fine clothes, their safe futures—it wasn't fair. But life had never been fair to Xavier, so why should it be now?
"Let's leave this place. Wait for things to settle down," he suggested, already noticing that Yogh was gone, already in position.
But Mathis hesitated. He wanted to get back to his father, to help others. He wasn't eager to take Kelvin's offer. He was about to suggest that "Kelvin" take his sister and the princess away when something dawned on him.
He hadn't seen this boy's face all night. And the way he appeared… from the shadows? Wrong. Strange.
Mathis prided himself on being perfect, on noticing details others overlooked. So, he pulled out the guest list he'd memorized to greet the important nobles.
And there was no "Kelvin."
Curious, Xavier used his Ring to form an eye from Mathis's shadow, peering at what he held.
But to his disappointment—it was indeed the guest list.
"Tch. Guess the jig's up," Xavier muttered. "This shitty note's gonna be the end of me."
The shadow-eye sharpened, ready to pierce Mathis's heart—
"LIGHT MAGIC—DAWN!"
The eye burst apart, burned by radiant light.
Xavier backed away, a grin twisting beneath his face. "What a bad matchup…"
Shadows cloaked him. A mask of black formed, shaped like a raven's face, red eyes glowing through it. A greatsword of shadow, forged like a demon's snarl, appeared in his grip.
"There's no hard feelings, kid. But it's you or me. And I'll pick me every time."
Mathis steadied himself, shaking but resolute. If Xavier got closer, Elise and the princess would die. There was no room for failure.
"LIGHT MAGIC, HEAR ME—SUN'S ARROW!"
Xavier disappeared, slipping through shadows with his First Ring. He reappeared above, free-falling from the roof.
Another arrow blazed toward him.
"FIRST RING!"
Again, he vanished—reappearing behind Mathis.
"LIGHT MAGIC—DAWN!"
The duel raged, light clashing against shadow, leaving nobles screaming in panic.
Mathis's arsenal was limited. Four spells: Dawn, Sun's Arrow, Light's Guardian, and Sun's Beam. But Sun's Beam would drain him completely. He needed to wait, tire Xavier out.
Xavier clicked his tongue. Five more minutes… if reinforcements arrive, we're finished. Evangel knew this too. I have to end this.
Another arrow fired—
And again, Xavier slipped away.
But then—
"AHHHH!"
Mathis turned. His heart froze. Elise and the princess were bound in Xavier's shadows, blades pressing to their throats.
"LET THEM GO, VILLAIN!" Mathis shouted.
"Hahaha… why don't you make me, hero?" Xavier sneered, pressing the shadows tighter.
Mathis's father's words echoed in his head: Not everyone can be saved. Not everyone deserves the chance.
Gritting his teeth, Mathis began his strongest chant.
"LISTEN TO ME, ELEMENT OF LIGHT! I ASK A FAVOR—LEND ME THE SUN'S HEAT AND RAYS!"
"SUN'S BEAM!"
A scorching blast like a dragon's roar tore the hall apart.
Xavier cursed. "Second Ring—SHADOW LORD!"
A vortex of shadows formed, swallowing the beam. A monstrous entity rose, its jaws charging a violet beam—a twisted reflection of Mathis's own attack.
Mathis collapsed, drained. But at least Elise had escaped.
Xavier, tears in his eyes, thought: Thank the rings. Without them, I'd be dead.
An old man entered. His presence crushed the hall like a storm. White robes trimmed with gold fluttered as he stepped forward.
The Tier-6 mage paled and fled instantly, screaming:
"RUN! It's the Mage Tower's Master—A Tier-7 mage! The Grandfather of the Elements!"
The mercenaries followed, scattering.
The old man raised his hand. Xavier's monstrous beam evaporated like mist.
"Children, playing with forces beyond them…" he said calmly.
Xavier scowled. With the last of his energy, he hurled the Falsies princess into the shadows and vanished after her, escaping through the ballroom into the garden.
Silence.
There was no one there—everyone focused on the chaos inside.
Except for one.
A black horse. A rider.
"Yogh," Xavier gasped, stumbling. "Let's get out of here."