Together they eliminated the remaining four drakes. Marshal's blades carved two into pieces while Glacielle's ice spears caught the other two mid-lunge.
All twenty-eight drakes have been taken out.
The battlefield was quiet. The only sounds were Lucian and Glacielle's heavy breathing and Marshal's solar aura crackling.
Then slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the valley.
Corvus stood next to his injured wyvern and clapped in a dramatic way. The crazy smile was back in full force.
"Wonderful! WONDERFUULLLLL performance from Marshal Sunbreake...r!" He was so happy, like he had just seen his favorite show. "You've completely exceeded my expectations!"
Marshal turned to face him, both blades ready to end this, but something stopped her. Corvus wasn't getting ready to fight.
He was preparing to retreat from this confrontation.
"I came here for fun, and you've DELIVERED it well enough!" Corvus was already taking items from his gacha inventory to help him heal and feeding glowing orbs to his wyvern. "This fight has given me SO much information...!"
"So many different ways to get even better!"
He started to heal the wyvern's broken wing with something that looked like an emergency recovery orb. It was a very expensive item, but it works.
The wing started to grow back slowly.
"But you know what...? I'm satisfied for now." He carefully climbed on the wyvern that was only half-healed. "I don't want to kill all of you right now because you're too interesting and valuable as a future opponent."
Marshal charged forward, blades ready for execution. "I don't leave enemies alive!"
But Corvus had planned for this. Control seals hidden in the ground were activated. Explosive runes that had been placed during the earlier fighting detonated all at once.
Between them, there was a huge explosion of dirt, fire, and debris. Marshal had to build a solar barrier to keep Lucian and Glacielle safe from the blast wave.
A few seconds later, when the smoke cleared, Corvus was already gone. A fading teleportation circle showed where he'd been standing.
His voice echoed from far away, thanks to magic. "Marshal, we shall meet again in the near future!"
"And next time, I'll have an army that can beat you!"
"Tell your Master that this was just a preview and that the real fun will start soon!"
The crazy laughter stopped and went away.
Marshal stood there, solar barrier still active, staring at the empty space where the villain had been. She looked like she was going to explode.
She hit the ground with her fist in anger. The impact made a small hole and sent cracks all over the rocky ground.
"DAMMIT!" She stood up and shook her fist. "I should have killed him first and not paid attention to the drakes!"
"That was a basic tactical mistake from me!"
The criticism of oneself was harsh and quick. She thought she had failed because she had let the enemy commander get away.
The fact that she had saved two lives and killed more than forty monsters didn't matter because she had failed strategically.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and thought that the fight was done. The enemy had pulled back.
Even though her Master was being stupid and careless, she had protected him.
As she calmed down, her solar aura got a little less bright. Then she walked slowly around to where Lucian lay in a pool of blood.
Each step was full of power. With each step, the ground seemed to recognize her.
Even though the aura was fading, she was still giving off heat. The air sparkled.
There was no sign of emotion on her face now. There was only a stoic expression and a firm determination on her face.
Lucian's vision was still blurry, but he could see her coming. He felt like her presence was too much to bear.
It wasn't exactly hostile, but it was scary enough that he wanted to say sorry for being there.
A system alert flashed in front of him, but it was hard to read because he was losing so much blood.
[Second Warrior: Marshal Kyrathiel Sunbreaker - SSS Rank - Level 45]
He tried to talk, but it was challenging for him to get the words out. "Th-thank you..."
Marshal didn't say anything. She kept walking, her amber eyes on him with that same judging look.
She walked up to him and stopped, looking down from her full six-foot height. She stood there for a long time, looking at him like he was a piece of equipment that had broken the first time she had used it.
Then she held the banner of the Unbroken Sun high above her head with both hands.
SLAM!
She drove it into the ground right in front of Lucian's face, putting it just inches from his nose. The impact shook the ground, making small rocks bounce.
The pole of the banner stopped just a few centimeters from his head, making a clear point without using words.
Lucian observed every detail of the cloth that had endured numerous battles. There were stains of blood that would never wash away, marks from dragon fire, and cuts from enemy blades.
This flag had been through real wars, and it still carried the weight of those fights.
She crossed her arms and looked down at him. The height difference seemed impossible to overcome.
She looked like a monument to his failure, standing over him like a giant.
A long, heavy silence followed just ten whole seconds of looking. Her amber eyes bored into him, weighing, measuring, and finding him lacking.
She finally spoke.
She uttered a single word that was harsh, flat, and filled with hatred. "Pathetic."
That was it.
No more details. No explanation. Just straight-up judgment given with military accuracy.
She kept looking at him with her arms crossed and a look of disappointment on her face. She looked at him like a drill sergeant would look at a recruit who had just failed basic training for the tenth time.
Even though he saved everyone and fought against impossible odds, Lucian felt ashamed. Because she was right.
He had been a loser. He almost killed everyone by charging into a fight he couldn't win without thinking.
He couldn't even make a case. He couldn't answer because he was too weak and hurt to defend himself.
His vision was fading to black again, and he was losing consciousness.
Glacielle was too exhausted to shield him from the side. She felt conflicted because Marshal had saved their lives.
She had saved them all.
"Please," Glacielle said in a weak voice. "He did his best."
He didn't even look at her. She kept her eyes on Lucian, and her judgment didn't change.
The sun was rising behind Marshal now, making her look dramatic in silhouette. Her shadow fell on Lucian's body like a heavy weight, as if the universe itself were agreeing with her decision.
Lucian's mind finally gave up. The last thing he saw was Marshal standing over him with his arms crossed and that one word ringing in his head.
Pathetic.
Then darkness completely took him over, and he didn't know anything else after that.
[Second Warrior Successfully Integrated]
[Marshal Kyrathiel Sunbreaker - SSS Rank - Level 45]
[Combat Specialties: Solar Magic, Military Tactics, Army Leadership]
[Weapons: Dawn Reapers (Dual Curved Blades), Banner of the Unbroken Sun]
[Current Bond: 0.5 Hearts - "Obligated Professional"]
[Relationship Status: Master-Servant (Cold)]
[Note: This warrior requires RESPECT to be earned through COMPETENCE]
[Warning: Low bond level results in reduced cooperation]
[Master must prove worth or face constant criticism]
As Marshal Kyrathiel looked down at her new Master's unconscious body, a thought came to her mind.
"So this is the chosen one the prophecy talked about? A careless kid who can't even control himself in battle?"
"Tch. I've taught kids who are smarter than this."
She changed her weight and stance, but she didn't move away. Even though she said mean things and judged harshly, she stayed on guard.
Even when he was asleep, she kept him safe.
"To get my respect, he will have to work for it. I don't give out participation trophies, and I don't praise stupidity."
"If he wants to be a real Master, he needs to start acting like one."
But even though she was thinking about how disappointed and critical she was, her blades stayed drawn. Her solar aura stayed active.
She never moved from her place between him and any possible threats.
She would be very harsh on him.
She would point out every mistake in strategy.
She would push him harder than anyone else had ever done.
But she would also keep him safe, because that's what soldiers did.
You never left your commander, even if he or she was an idiot.
The banner waved in the wind above Lucian's unconscious body, protecting both Master and warriors. The sun rose higher and turned the sky red and gold.
The fight was over.
But Lucian's real test was just starting.