Salvos

“For their crimes against the people of Elutra, and for their crimes against the glorious Inoria Empire, these criminals shall be sentenced to death!”

The man standing on the wooden platform continued, reading from his scroll as he ordered the execution of princess Hope and prince Iance to begin. Willow glanced over at Zane and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

She aimed her crossbow carefully at the executioner walking up to the stand as her companion vanished into the shadows. In the distance, the rest of the resistance moved. Amongst the crowd. In the alleyways. Into the palace. On the rooftops.

There were dozens of them. All high-leveled. And their leader, Gavyn, wasted no time.

At the gates of the palace, a man strode forward, clothed in full hooded robes. The guards moved to stop him, but with a single swing of his sword, the gates smashed open. Dust and debris shot up as he cleaved the earth in half.

“The palace is under attack! The rebels are targeting the emperor!”

A voice shouted.

There were gasps— screams. Soldiers moved quickly to the gates of the palace as the executioner paused. He was standing over princess Hope, a great axe in hand. Then he was on the ground, dead. A crossbow bolt in between his head.

[Rapid Reload]. Willow fired shot after shot, taking down the guards on the stand before they could react. The man with the scroll glanced back and blinked.

“They’re trying to free the princ—”

And a shadow appeared behind him. Zane smiled, whispering before slitting him in the throat. Willow nodded and moved positions. She provided the man with a flurry of covering fire as an explosion blasted up in the distance. One of the resistance [Mages] sent [Grand Fireballs] at the running guards. The blasts distracted them, throwing their movement into chaos.

Another pair of [Rogues] appeared behind Zane, and they secured princess Hope and prince Iance. It took prince Iance a moment to register what was going on, while princess Hope was quicker to react. She clung onto one of the [Rogues], clearly crying even from afar.

Zane and the [Rogues] moved to escort them out, but their first hurdle appeared. From amongst the crowd, a heavily armored figure moved. Willow recognized him immediately. Igor Shardsling. He was one of the most prominent generals of Inoria. A Level 110 [Warrior]. He earned the Title General of Bloodlust for his cruelty in the battlefield.

And he moved quickly, barking orders.

“Stop those rebels! [Field of Ardor]! [Rally of the Ravagers]!”

The entire courtyard shimmered briefly. Zane and the other [Rogues] suddenly slowed in their movements. Sluggish. A red aura flickered around them, trailing behind wherever they went. It clearly marked their positions, even when they vanished into the shadows. The encroaching guards, on the other hand, moved faster. Their eyes were bloodshot— seeking out their targets with a savage look on their faces.

Willow watched as things went awry— as the situation devolved further and further. One of the [Rogues] was shot down by a homing arrow coming from a nearby window. Even if Willow couldn’t see the attacker, she knew only of one [Archer] with that capability who was presently in the city.

It had to have been the Valkyrie Sniper, Jillian. A Level 115 [Archer] and a Diamond Ranked adventurer. Before the war, Willow had looked up to her for her prowess on the battlefield. But once the war broke out, Jillian left her company to join the army. That was when Willow lost all respect for her.

But even still, Jillian’s accuracy with the longbow couldn’t be rivaled. Her arrows swerved around the courtyard, dancing around innocent civilians before striking their targets. Zane narrowly managed to parry one of the arrows, only for another to shoot out from the fallen arrow. An ethereal one that zipped straight for his head— like a phantom rising from the cut down bolt.

His eyes grew wide as it nearly struck him. He couldn’t react in time. But Willow could. Her crossbow bolt clashed with the arrow, and the two projectiles went flying. Zane stumbled back as she landed lightly behind him, nodding.

“Go! I’ll hold them off!”

“What?”

He glanced up at her, staring for a moment.

“But that’s not part of the—”

“Fuck the plan. We need to get princess Hope and prince Iance out of here no matter what. Even if it means the emperor gets to live.”

Willow had a pivotal involvement in the next step— in aiding Gavyn and the others in carrying out their assassination. But if they couldn’t even get at least one of the royal family out alive, it would have all been pointless.

“Now go!”

She shouted, and Zane nodded. He hefted princess Hope over his shoulder and turned to the other [Rogue] carrying prince Iance. Just as they were about to leap away, the air flickered. A fissure formed, obscuring the world around them. It was a dome— one made entirely out of wind.

Zane stepped back, and Willow tensed. They watched as a figure emerged through the barrier enclosed around them.

“[The Prisoner’s Terrarium].”

“Typhest the Wind Lord.”

An old Baron from the Inoria Empire. And a well-known [Grand Mage]— one who’d served as the headmaster Inoria’s Cedric Academy for over a decade. He was rumored to be Level 125 in both his Classes, but there was an obfuscation effect preventing Willow from using [Identification] on him.

He smiled at them, waving his staff as parts of the dome opened up, letting in Jillian and Igor Shardsling. They surrounded Willow and the rest of the rescue team. Princess Hope squirmed as she watched their approach.

“N-no… please—”

“We will protect you, princess.”

Willow raised her crossbow, but a single flick of the finger from Typhest sent her weapon flying. The old man sighed, shaking his head.

“Do not resist. You have already lost.”

“We will not surrender to you or your emperor, Wind Lord.”

She spat, drawing a dagger. Typhest just gestured vaguely around her.

“You are trapped in a barrier that a flock of Lesser Wyverns would find difficulty in breaking through. Even a group of [Senior Centinel] would struggle to burrow a hole through this wind dome.”

He spread his arms wide as Jillian and Igor edged forward.

“To someone like you, this dome is nigh impenetrable—”

And the dome fell.

In an instant, the solid cage of wind that had been surrounding them was dispelled. Blue flames burned away the air as the sky opened up once more. Willow blinked, taking in the courtyard once more. Typhest’s eyes bulged out of his sockets as he stared at his fallen barrier.

“I-impossible. How—”

And a figure wreathed in blue flames approached them. A young woman with silver hair and a blue jacket. She smiled, looking at princess Hope. Then she frowned, eyeing Willow.

“Hey, I know you!”

“That was one of my greatest Skills. And you destroyed it, just like that. Just how did you do that?”

The old man stared at me, his jaw looking like it was about to fall from his mouth. I glanced over at him. I couldn’t identify him— he had some kind of Pendant of Obfuscation or the like. However, judging by his Skills, I was pretty sure he couldn’t be above Level 130.

I shrugged.

“I just threw some fire at it.”

“What?”

He didn’t know how to react. He was entirely speechless. I looked past him, searching for the person I’d come here for. Princess Hope. She was being carried by a dark-skinned man with black hair, standing next to another [Rogue] and the hooded woman I recognized. She just stood there as I waved at her.

“You’re here too! That’s good. I told you this was a good idea, Willy. Now we can get both her help, and the princess’ help to find Daniel!”

Willy flitted by behind me, still against the idea.

“Stupid.”

“It’s fine. If anything happens I can just teleport away.”

“Still stupid.”

The [Mage]’s eyes widened as he took in Willy.

“That’s… a [Will O’ Wisp]. But no— its magic is… is that a Grand Spirit?”

He narrowed his eyes, warily looking at me.

“Are you a [Summoner]? I didn’t know the resistance had one of this level.”

“Resistance?”

I cocked my head. Willy scoffed.

“Them.”

I looked at the hooded woman. They were trying to get the princess— and his brother, I guess— out of here. So that they were a resistance group made sense.

“Hey! You guys should get out of here! I’ll deal with these guys then catch up to you, alright?”

They exchanged confused glances, uncertain of what to do. A fancily clad Inorian [Warrior]— one of the three who’d been surrounding the princess— stepped forward, raising his greatsword.

“I know how to deal with these [Summoners], Baron. Worry not. You just have to strike them down before their Spirit attacks you.”

The bowlady standing next to him nodded.

“I’ll distract the Spirit. Go for it, Igor.”

“Wait, both of—”

The old man started, but they moved regardless. The [Warrior] charged me as the [Archer] loosed a flurry of glowing projectiles at Willy.

The [Will O’ Wisp] easily evaded the attacks, even as they came at him from all sides.

“What do, Salvos?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

I spoke simply as the [Warrior] reached me. He grinned savagely, swinging for my head.

“I got you now! Take this, [Obliterating Strike]!”

I stepped under his attack, reaching into my [Dimensional Pocket] as his slash tore open the earth without even coming into contact with the ground. The tiled roads went flying into the air. I produced a Nebular Scythe. One that wasn’t gray or black, but made of some iridescent metal. Forged from rainbow flames. The same one I had created when I was still under the effects of my Divine Essence.

It didn’t vanish, despite the Grand Skill ending. One of the perks of my [Nebular Constructs]. The [Warrior] spun around, screaming.

“You won’t get—”

“[Radiant Slash].”

And I sliced up with ease. He fell, cut in half in an instant.

“She killed him… just like that…”

Willow stood, frozen, unable to process what was happening before her. Igor Shardsling lay on the ground, his armor cut through like it wasn’t even there. It had to have been a High Grade armor. And yet, the silver-haired woman’s attack didn’t even slow when it went through him.

“Huh. I thought his armor would’ve been stronger. I shouldn’t have wasted that Skill…”

“Y-you— how dare you! You’ll pay for that!”

Jillian the Valkyrie Sniper screamed. She pulled out a glinting arrow— one that shimmered at the arrowhead, radiating an immense amount of mana.

“I never thought I’d have to use this. It is the only one I have, but I’ll kill you and your Spirit with it for what you did. The Giant Killer Arrow.”

The Giant Killer Arrow. Willow had heard of it. She’d never seen one herself— of course not. It was rumored to be Epic Grade at the very least. Jillian took aim at the silver-haired woman.

“[Crescendo of—”

And the silver-haired woman appeared behind her. The Valkyrie Sniper whirled around in surprise, only to find her arms detached from her body.

“W-what…?”

“I’ll be taking this.”

The silver-haired woman grabbed the Giant Killer Arrow, and it vanished. She smiled before swinging for Jillian once more. A blue blaze overcame her scythe. And in the next moment, Jillian was lying dead on the ground.

“Huh. This is easy. Too easy.”

She murmured as Willow just stared. Now was the opportunity to escape. It was their chance to leave, but Willow, Zane, and the others were all too captured in the moment. They watched on as only Typhest was left.

The Wind Lord stumbled back but caught himself. He took a deep breath and pointed at the silver-haired woman.

“I see now. You have a Necklace of Greater Obfuscation, don’t you? Or perhaps you’re showing your second Class. But that doesn’t matter. I know your goal.”

His eyes flickered to the prince and princess of Elutra. Willow’s gaze snapped over to them. She raised a hand, finally breaking from her stupor.

“Zane, get them out—”

But she was too slow. Typhest spun around, unleashing a localized hurricane at them.

“[Thunderwind Vortex]!”

His voice bellowed throughout the courtyard. Even audible through all the fighting and explosions. The spinning gale crackled with electricity, sending a flurry of wind blades at Willow and the others.

She braced herself— prepared to be torn to shreds. But a voice cut through the roaring spell.

“[Protection of the Sentinel].”

A blue glow overcame Willow. A kind of flaming armor that didn’t burn. It protected them from Typhest’s attack. He looked on as even the injured prince Iance came out unscathed when his spell ended.

“What… just how? Y-you… are you an Elite? But why are you with the Elutra Kingdom?”

He backed away from the silver-haired woman as she casually strolled up to him. Typhest gritted his teeth and slammed his staff into the earth.

“Try to stop this, you monster! [Lightningwyrm]!”

The silver-haired woman cocked her head. She watched a serpent made of lightning came into existence around him. It roared a thunder before lancing out at her.

She simply snapped a finger.

“[The Primordial Spark].”

And a similar serpent— one made of blue fire— was conjured up behind her. She was mimicking his Skill with her own, Willow realized. It completely overwhelmed his Skill, tearing through the lightning and blasting him back.

Typhest collapsed to his knees, dropping his staff.

“I-I… can’t win. Someone— guards! Stop her!”

He screamed, looking around for help. Inorian troops closed in on their position, but the Grand Spirit just floated up and sent a wave of flame out, incinerating all those that came close.

“No.”

The Grand Spirit spoke simply, supporting the silver-haired woman from behind.

She continued her casual walk as Typhest unleashed spell after spell at her. She blocked them with ease, coming to a halt before him. He trembled as she loomed over him.

“Just… w-what are you?”

Baring her teeth, she leaned closer and raised her scythe.

“Me? I’m S— I mean, I’m here to save the princess.”

Willow flinched as she swung down.