Feeling a weight lift off their stomachs, Xaryus and Zadius were shell shocked.
They got what they wanted but was that it?
"Grab the girl and run, protect her with your lives!"
Not even taking time to inspect the mental states of his dear 'Blades' Valon dashed towards Balki. Each of his steps digging deep into the ground.
Their blades screamed as they crashed into one another. Valon had successfully pushed Balki away from Rosaly, all the brothers had to do now was grab her and go.
But Xaryus and Zadius were stuck.
Was it that easy?
Were they really free?
It didn't feel right.
Valon was a meticulous planner; he would not have broken their seal if it did not provide any benefits.
He believed that he could find them even if they ran away. But he knew that they wouldn't try, because deep down they had already become attached to him…
They loved him.
Yet he wasn't entirely correct, they did love him.
But the hatred he had planted in their hearts far outweighed whatever unstable and detestable love they harboured.
"He really thinks that after all he's done… That I'm still going to follow his commands!" Zadius thought.
"He was going to use you as a way to get back into the concord, Xaryus... He doesn't care about you or Zadius, he has to die… You're right. I'm gonna kill that bastard!" Xaryus thought.
Valon was taken aback at the fact that Xaryus and Zadius had hesitated, that wasn't like them at all.
He had already exchanged several potentially lethal blows with Balki, each of them being evaded or pushed away by another equally lethal strike.
He wished to reprimand his dear 'Blades' but he didn't have the luxury.
Balki's blazing weapons were waiting to bite into his flesh if he lost even an ounce of focus. But Valon wasn't worried, he was still more skilled in combat than Balki.
Evading two sharp attacks from Balki's aspects, he allowed his ability to consume his animus at an alarming rate. The white mist around him suddenly roared like an abominable beast filled with rage.
With his sudden surge of strength, Valon swung his blade up and into Balki.
Reacting to the sudden burst in speed, Balki brought his aspects together to block the monstrous blow. The sheer strength of the attack had launched Balki into the air.
He allowed himself a moment of surprise before activating his [Reaching Flame] ability.
"To think he can still muster such strength… It's such a shame he had fallen so far."
Balki's animus burned away just as the flames around his blade grew stronger and more impatient, as if they were ready to rush away from him.
In the next moment, he flashed his aspects through the air releasing two arcs of fire.
Each arc plummeted towards the ground, carving deeply into the earth before erupting just beneath its surface.
But neither of the attacks found purchase, Valon's boon of strength still remained and allowed him to easily avoid the attack. The white mist around him still wisped across his body like a protective yet violent armour.
After a few strides, Valon was approaching the approximate area where he thought Balki would land.
"All I need is one good hit…"
Valon's mind was swarming with a variety of methods on how to defeat Balki. Simply having an advantage in rank didn't necessarily mean that he would lose, it just meant he was at a great disadvantage.
Although, many awakened saw the difference in ranks as insurmountable.
But it wasn't.
Once again Valon dashed from side to side, dodging a plethora of blazing arcs of fire. Each of them powerful enough to fatally wound him.
However, he just needed Balki to land on the ground; using that brief moment to strike.
Timing the moment that Balki would return to the ground, Valon dashed forward, reeling his sword back and preparing himself to perform a devastating blow.
By the time Balki landed, Valon had already started to swing his weapon towards him.
Balki however, didn't try to evade. He didn't have enough time to do so, hence why he opted to trade blows with Valon.
"Let's see which of us lives, Valon!"
Balki roared with a smile on his face as he launched his broadsword in a wide arc towards Valon.
He intended to cut Valon in half whilst from the trajectory of his opponent's attack, Smiling Blade intended to cleave down and through Balki's shoulder.
The Smiling Blade that was revered within the Concord would have pressed through such a simple predicament. But Valon was no longer the same.
"Crap!"
Struggling to change the path of his attack, Valon shifted his waist midair barely slamming his sword into Balki's. The loud sound of metal rang out as the aspects rammed into each other.
The force of the clash sent a shockwave throughout the entire clearing.
Valon had lost his balance from shifting his weight recklessly.
Gracefully, he hit the floor and rolled over his shoulder, effortlessly coming back to his feet.
His gaze returned to the clearing, where Balki was staring at him with an ecstatic and satisfied look.
***
Coming back from his senses, Xaryus noticed the gruesome battle that was unfolding between Balki and Andrew.
He dashed towards Rosaly, using the moment Andrew had created for them. As he arrived, the young girl was clearly shaken.
Taking her by the arms, he pulled her up and stared far into her red eyes for a moment.
"I can't stand this!"
His mind raced with a litany of emotions before he raised his sword into the air. Xaryus' sudden movement had quickly brought Rosaly back to reality.
She was about to be cut down…
A blood curdling, muffled scream rushed its way out her mouth as she winced her eyes and tried to move away.
However, the blade never struck her, instead she felt cold steel press against her skin rather cautiously. When she opened her eyes, she saw the masked young man carefully, cutting through her bounds with his sword.
"Geez, there could have been a less extreme way to do that!"
Her bounds came loose a few seconds later, and she could still see the fierce battle happening only a few strides away.
If the man referred to as Valon, wasn't holding the bald awakened back he could have reached where she stood in a single moment.
"You have to run! Go, now!" Xaryus commanded, shoving Rosaly away.
Almost falling to the ground, Rosaly glanced at the second masked individual stepping towards the one that freed her. They both shared a brief glance before facing the monstrous battle that was rampaging through the vast clearing.
"W-Why are you helping me!?"
Rosaly was surprised at their behaviour. They had no logical reason to set her free, that would only spell disaster for them.
There was a moment of pause. Then, the grey-haired individual shared her a glance.
"There's no reason to let you die with us." Zadius responded.
"What?"
Rosaly was once again perplexed. If they decided to escape now, they had a good chance of survival, how were they going to die?
She had not known the strife and suffering they endured.
Now that their shackles were undone, there was no way they could fathom a world where Valon walked free without consequence.
They were going to seek out justice… Even if it killed them.
But before they could even unleash their abilities.
Off in the distance, Valon wasn't able to defend against a flurry of Balki's attacks. As such he had to retreat or lose an arm in the process.
In the short moment Valon used to step away from Balki's potentially debilitating attacks, Balki took the opportunity to dash towards Rosaly.
Catching his footing, Valon grimaced and rushed behind Balki but he was too far behind.
"Are you trying to run, princess!? I'll have to cut off one of your legs, so you don't go scurrying off!"
Balki's words echoed throughout the clearing, the look of despair and utter fear in Rosaly's eyes quickly returned.
The only person that could've protected her against Balki's attacks was many steps behind. Her logical mind screamed to run but her legs wouldn't move.
Seeing Rosaly crumble under her fear, Balki flashed a dark smile.
Now only a few steps away, he intended to remove one of her legs and dispatch Valon as fast as he could.
He had expected Smiling Blade to quickly trail behind him to continue their battle. However, he didn't expect the two young masked awakened to get in his way.
And to add to his surprise, the palpable killing intent behind their advancement was far greater than what he had expected.
Metal rang out as Balki used each of his aspects to defend against Xaryus and Zadius' attacks.
Xaryus' blade was covered in a layer of searing light empowered by [Solaris] but its enhancement was far weaker than the flames encasing Balki's blade.
His body was then fueled by his [Solar Augment] ability, and his eyes shone a bright yellow.
Spite Ability: [Solar Augment]
Ability Description: By harnessing the power of light and animus, you are capable of further enhancing your physical capabilities.
On the other hand, Zadius had willed the shadows surrounding him to flow around his long daggers.
Unlike his brother, coating his weapons in shadows wasn't meant to provide a substantial boon of strength; rather, it was to utilize an insidious trait of his stigma.
Stigma Trait: [Fanged Darkness]
Stigma Description: As a prince without an army, your darkness reluctantly bares its fangs against your foes. Its teeth are sharp and penetrating, even compromising miracles.
Subtly, the shadows nestled around Zadius' daggers were biting against the bright flames encasing Balki's aspect.
Although Balki hadn't noticed the strange nature of the shadows surrounding Zadius' weapons. He was, however, surprised at the fact that they were able to stop him in his tracks.
"I intended to blow right past them… Yet they're still standing in front of me, Valon has raised some monsters!"