Chapter 53: Break Through the Barricade
Early morning light bathed the outskirts of Brymia Town in a pale golden hue. Zoro, Ramiro, and Elton made their way towards the main entrance, moving swiftly but calmly. Around them, the atmosphere was tense. Warrior enforcers clad in armor, each wearing those strange, gleaming shackles around their necks, moved in coordinated groups. They questioned townspeople, inspected debris, and scanned the area with focused eyes.
Ramiro sighed and gave a subtle groan. He glanced at Zoro out of the corner of his eye but shook his head, dismissing the rising suspicion building in the back of his mind.
As they neared the gate, a cluster of guards stepped forward and blocked their path.
"Hold it. We are currently doing a serious investigation. Youre new faces so tell me your purpose," one guard demanded, eyes narrowing.
Elton stepped forward with a polite but steady voice. "Just passing through. We toured the town yesterday and picked out a place to stay. Nothing more."
Another guard spoke up. "What about the missing monkey demi-human? Seen him?"
Elton shook his head. "We parted ways earlier. Haven't seen him since."
The guards didn't look convinced. After a few murmured words among themselves, one of them stepped closer, his aura faintly flaring. "Orders are clear. No one leaves town until the investigation is concluded. You're to stay put."
Ramiro's brows furrowed. "We didn't do anything worth this kind of trouble. We're not gonna sit around for some witch hunt."
The guards tensed, energy building. "Orders are orders. You'll stay."
Elton placed a hand on Ramiro's shoulder. "Easy. We'll stay."
They turned, appearing to comply, but just as they began walking, a sudden burst of movement erupted.
Zoro, Ramiro, and Elton each launched surprise attacks, catching the guards completely off guard. Three were sent flying, crashing into the dirt. A fourth barely managed to halt one mid-air, but the momentum had already shifted.
In a flash, the trio sprinted away from Brymia Town, kicking up dust as they tore across the fields.
A loud alarm blared behind them—a deep, metallic chime that echoed across the town. Enforcers poured into the streets.
Four sleek magical vehicles roared to life near the town square. A towering Gold-Tier Guard, neck shackled with a more elaborate seal, stepped into the lead vehicle. His eyes glowed with killing intent.
"After them! Don't let them leave Brymia!"
The chase was on.
The trio ran at top speed, wind howling in their ears. But it wasn't enough. The vehicles were too fast.
Elton skidded to a halt, breathing heavily. "Grab onto me. Now!"
Zoro and Ramiro didn't hesitate.
In his mind, Elton shouted: "Show me! Show me how to use that escape technique! The one with the White Star Sword Aura Transformation you used before!"
His Inner Voice laughed, arrogant and amused. "Heh… So you finally ask. Watch carefully, boy. It ain't just about power—it's about rhythm, will, and clarity. Now do exactly as I say."
Behind them, the magical vehicles emerged into sight, tearing across the fields.
The Gold-Tier Guard raised his hand. "HALT! This is your final warning!"
Elton's 4 meridians flared to life. Ki Essence and Arcane Essence surged through him as his Blue Heavenly Star Destroyer Sword rose into the air, expanding and glowing with a blinding white-blue light.
The Gold-tier Guard roared, his shackle bursting with violent energy. He hurled a massive ball of flaming Ki toward them.
"I SAID HALT!"
Elton stepped onto the sword, Zoro and Ramiro holding tight.
In the blink of an eye, the blade rocketed forward like a comet, narrowly dodging the exploding Ki sphere. The shockwave tore up the earth behind them.
The Gold-tier expert cursed and jumped back into the vehicle. "AFTER THEM! NOW!"
The four vehicles surged forward in furious pursuit, but Elton's group was already vanishing into the distance.
Elton soared through the sky on his Blue Heavenly Star Destroyer sword, with Ramiro and Zoro clinging to him tightly. The landscape below became a blur as they weaved past trees, boulders, and winding rivers, their speed breaking the sound barrier. Behind them, the magical vehicles of the Brymia Town Guard vanished from sight completely outpaced.
But the escape came at a cost. Elton's breathing grew ragged, and his muscles trembled as the White Star Sword Aura Transformation began to falter. Sparks of blue-white energy fizzled out, and the sword lost its supernatural sheen.
"Brace yourselves!" Elton yelled.
The trio crashed hard into the ground, skidding across earth and stone, carving a trench in their wake. Dust and debris shot into the air as they finally came to a stop.
"Damn it..." Ramiro groaned, soot covering his face and armor. Zoro, ever the silent one, rose calmly, eyes scanning the area. Elton stumbled to his feet, shaking off the dirt.
"What the hell happened?" Elton demanded inwardly. "Why couldn't I maintain it for even half the time you did when you took over?"
His inner voice responded with an arrogant scoff. "Your body was barely holding together back then. I pushed it beyond its limits. I nearly overdrafted all of your potential—and more importantly, I'm a prodigious genius. You? You're just... you."
Elton grit his teeth. "Smug bastard."
Despite their exhaustion, the group pressed on, traversing gardens choked with magical vines, eerie swamps buzzing with spirit insects, and tiny villages where hostile beasts and wary locals forced them into brief skirmishes. Each moment was a struggle, slowing their advance.
From the distance, battle echoes rumbled through the air. It seemed the Brymia Town pursuers were also facing setbacks.
After hours of relentless running, rationing what little food they had, and barely treating their wounds, they finally saw salvation—a grand city in the distance, surrounded by towering walls. The air was filled with noise and activity, as various races moved in and out freely. Elton's eyes lit up.
"There! A real city—and look, there are Shackleless!" he cried. "Let's go!"
They sprinted toward the city with renewed hope, but that hope was nearly crushed when the earth behind them erupted. The Gold Tier guard from before landed with a thunderous quake.
"You're not going anywhere!" he roared, unleashing a barrage of Ki blasts.
Elton, Zoro, and Ramiro scattered, barely dodging the deadly strikes. They launched various defensive counterattacks but the guard, likely a Gold Tier 2 or even 3, batted them aside with ease.
"We're not gonna make it like this!" Ramiro growled.
"Then let's give him something to chew on!" Elton shouted.
Zoro and Ramiro launched a volley of ranged attacks to suppress the enemy while Elton summoned his magic.
"White Lightning Ignition!"
A blinding white bolt of lightning shot forward, crackling through the air. It struck the guard square in the chest, launching him ten feet backward as energy danced across his body.
The trio surged forward again, adrenaline pumping. The city gates were near.
"You little insects!" the guard bellowed, erupting with rage. He gathered a monstrous ball of burning Ki in one hand and released it as a beam straight toward the city.
The crowd outside the city screamed and scattered. Then a voice boomed from the gates.
"YOU DARE ATTACK OUR WHISPERING HAVENS CITY?!"
A wide, radiant barrier flared to life, runes glowing along its surface. The beam slammed into it, exploding in a fiery shockwave, but the shield held firm.
From behind the shield, a green-skinned man with white hair and robes emerged. He held a long staff, and his aura surged with Gold Tier 5 power.
"Leave now," he said coldly. "Or be slain."
The guard's face contorted in frustration. "You have no idea who I serve! Do you really want this fight?"
The mage smirked. "I could care less. Perhaps those who command you should worry instead."
The guard grunted and backed away, sitting down to meditate a safe distance from the city.
The green-skinned mage vanished just as swiftly as he had appeared, while Elton, Ramiro, and Zoro limped into the city of Whispering Havens.