The Dark Crows fighting against the army noticed the aura belonging to the killer of their leader and his heir surging toward them. Before they could make any move, star-like thrusts pierced through them, followed by a cutting motion that struck them down. After that blow, they found their enemy rushing toward them at tremendous speed, a vortex forming around his sword. They could not stand against him—any crow faced him was torn apart and crushed—until their enemy reached the center.
Shion Lan stood there, surrounded by a vortex of stars. When the crows approached him, he swung his sword rapidly.
"(Star Tide)!"
Inside the barrier, his attacks erupted with power, ripping through many crows and opening a path forward. He dashed along it and switched his technique.
"(Cutting Flames)!"
Shion targeted only first- and second-level crows, their bodies scattering into pieces. When third-level ravens approached—
"(Paths of Fire)!"
—he struck the eye of the one in front to disrupt their advance, then immediately reverted to his previous techniques.
"(Star Tide) (Star Surge)!"
He slaughtered the ravens, evaded the area, and shifted to a new position, thinking to himself…
"But Master Aiten, I already killed the heir, so the crows will focus on me."
Shion had been speaking with Aiten in the office.
"Don't worry. Enslavement magic will limit their ability to distinguish targets and force them to follow the commander's orders. I'll also give you many tools to keep you alive—even against the fifth level—but I'll need something from you."
Aiten leaned closer and said, "The moment the balance of forces collapses or we become vulnerable to enemy attacks, I want you to stir chaos among the crows so they focus on you. Even though they're controlled, there are limits they'll cross that will make them fixate solely on you. As for the fifth, sixth, and seventh levels, I'll disable them."
…
Shion Lan, wreaking havoc in the midst of the Dark Crows, kept switching his techniques: star-based techniques to fight those of the fourth level, retreating swiftly to water techniques for the third level, then fire techniques for the second and first levels. His body and mind were in turmoil. When the blood on his body glowed again, preparing to explode, Shion clenched his teeth.
"(Annihilation Art: Blood of the Dead)."
The blood vanished from his body. He became even more exhausted, but thanks to the ring and necklace he had received from Amy, the Fire Sorceress, he managed to endure longer. He surrounded himself with a vortex of water, pulled out potions, and began drinking to restore his stamina and mental stability.
"Aura depends on the body, magic depends on the mind, and inheritance depends on the soul. I don't think I can last much longer. Aiten—end this now!"
After recovering some strength, he decided to continue his massacre and attacked the Dark Crows with ferocity, constantly replenishing his power. Fifty crows, a hundred crows, two hundred crows fell. At first, the crows relied on their numbers, but the blood aura around Shion finally made them realize that he was a calamity—a natural enemy to them. They grew cautious, then began to flee. Even so, the fourth-level crows chose to attack together.
Shion, drenched in blood, could barely stand properly. His potions were depleted, and the ring and necklace could no longer keep up—until a clear voice rang out.
"(Earth Battle Technique: Earth Defense)!"
A stone wall formed around Shion, blocking the crows' assault. A massive figure moved forward with an axe.
"(Earth King: Earth Cleave)!"
Aura gathered around the axe as it was brought down vertically, splitting the ground and cleaving everything in its path. But that wasn't all. A calm female voice approached.
"(Shadow Whip: Shadow Net)."
The whip moved at tremendous speed, forming a web of shadows that sliced the ravens into cube-like pieces. Violet Night stood alongside Commander Shilte, protecting the surprised Shion.
"What are you doing?" Shion asked.
He had been creating an opening for the army, yet they had come to him. Shilte spoke.
"The army reorganized its ranks quickly, but the commanders saw the scale of destruction you caused among the crows alone. They decided to leave you here with some elixirs and protective measures so you can continue your work."
"What?!" Shion felt betrayed at that moment.
Violet Knight spoke to ease the situation. "Don't worry. We'll take turns protecting you from the fourth level. We just want you to wipe out the lower levels—and spread chaos through their ranks."
"…"
Shion was speechless. His intervention had been meant to delay the crows slightly, but from their expressions, it seemed he was now tearing their ranks apart from within.
'I should've left the Dark Crows as they were…'
He stopped complaining, grabbed the elixirs, and began drinking. Focusing on his stellar body, the fatigue faded, and his gaze and vitality returned. Shilte pulled out some gear.
"Arm and leg guards. You can wear them—they've been enhanced with support magic from five-circle mages. They increase strength and speed."
Shion didn't argue. He put on the guards and activated his stellar power. Suddenly, he felt strength coursing through his body.
"I think I can now face the fourth level easily on my own."
He looked at Violet Night and Commander Shilte. "What do you say we have a little fun?"
A smile spread across his face amid the blood…
...
"(Purification Orbs)!"
Four magic circles appeared, launching white spheres with a golden glow. They sped toward distant Dark Crows and struck their heads, briefly disorienting them. A crimson-red flaming sword flashed and severed their necks.
"(Crimson Sword: Final Cut)."
Heads fell before a white-haired, black-eyed youth wreathed in a fiery aura. From the force of his strikes, four stars could be seen within them. Yet both he and the mage supporting him were unstable—not because they were too strong, but because they were weak. The mage looked ahead and sighed softly.
"I didn't expect things to be this difficult."
He drank a potion, restoring his mental capacity and dispelling fatigue, then requested more orbs to support his remaining followers. Techniques and spells spread across the devastated battlefield. At this moment, the most crucial force was the Rain Battalion, whose bows and long-range attacks prevented crows blood from reaching them.
The first prince Jaiden Joul thought,
'If Shun Ranus and I get out of this place, our status will change. Shon Ranos will be hailed as the hero who withstood the pressure of the Second Princess and proved himself. With clearing his family's name from Shion Lan, we'll become the talk of the realm… but what's happening over there?'
Within sight, a group of crows clustered around three shadows who were slaughtering them with ease, moving freely through their ranks. One wielded a massive axe, a hammer strapped to his back, and a great shield in his other hand, crushing crows with earth techniques. Another was a black-haired girl with a shadowy aura, wielding a whip that shredded targets with a single swing and swift movements. But the most striking was the white-haired youth with silver eyes blazing with starlight. That wasn't the only reason he stood out—most attacks were focused solely on him, yet he evaded them and killed his enemies with an air of dignity.
Prince Jaiden clenched his teeth.
"Shion Lan!"
…
"(Star Tide)" "(Earth Cleave)" "(Shadow Net)"
All the attacks surged toward the crows, forcing them to retreat as the stronger ones advanced. Shion looked at what was coming and said,
"The third and fourth levels will attack now. I want you to keep up with me."
"Isn't that my line?" Violet said as she prepared for the next round.
But Shilte replied, "Shion will create the openings—we'll exploit them."
As soon as the words ended, they moved, attacking the third-level Dark Crows while maintaining distance from the fourth level. Shion thought,
'Thanks to training, we can deal with them even in groups. But because of the field, it won't be as easy. Their attacks will grow more intense.'
As Shion killed crows, one attacked him from behind, channeling aura into its claws. Shion twisted his body swiftly.
"(Star Vortex)."
He deflected the attack, and before the crow could move again, a shadowy whip struck, severing its head. Auras flared around Violet Night and Shilte as well—the fourth level. They moved swiftly to engage the crows. Shion focused solely on defending against fourth-level enemies, leaving the third level to the others. Whenever an opening appeared, a fourth-level crow was swiftly killed.
The tools Shion used helped him endure well, and thanks to (Annihilation Art: Blood of the Dead), he nullified the explosive blood effects on himself, Violet, and Shilte without them even noticing. This allowed them to focus entirely on combat without fear of sudden detonation. Shion observed them coordinating their attacks seamlessly, never obstructing each other—two bodies with one mind.
…Wait. Two bodies, one mind.
Shion paused.
I also have two bodies within me. I can use two different elements. Even while switching techniques, traces of the previous element's aura remain alongside the current one… does that mean—?
He raised his right hand with his sword to block an attack, while preparing his other hand, concentrating. As a fourth-level Dark Crow approached, a thin line entered its eye—and its face exploded.
"(Paths of Fire), (Star Tide)."
Before it could react, Shion struck, sending its head flying. He smiled.
'Even though my left hand is weaker due to the fire element's limitations, I can still create stealth attacks—and even develop this spell further. The only issue is that I can't use (Water Bomb) unless I return the first body to my arm—meaning only my left arm transforms into the fire element.'
He turned to Violet as she felled another raven.
"Lady Night! I need your dagger!"
Violet didn't know what was happening, but she threw her dagger to him instantly. Shion caught it and swung it alongside his sword.
"(Star Tide), (Cutting Flames)."
Although (Cutting Flames) was only at the first level—causing merely a shallow wound on the raven's neck—Shion's excitement grew.
"It's time to raise the level a bit."