However, whoever this archer was, he demonstrated a great deal of strength. Even an ordinary arrow was a threat to Cale.
The archer would be the first one he kills.
Crumpled and splintered, the arrow plopped to the ground, squished together as the force from the blow was too strong for it to withstand.
Cale stepped forward, his eyes progressively darkening with each step.
The atmosphere surrounding him darkened, and a simmering rage swelled in his chest. 'Someone sent them here.' Just hearing this in his head made him angrier.
Not only was he supposed to be relaxing, but they dared to do this with the ones he loved so close.
--
The archer climbed up from his crouched position and drew another arrow. "He managed to expel my mana from it and block the arrow. I guess Yorine was right, he's nothing to joke about." He muttered with respect concerning Cale.
The lady creased her brow in surprise and sighed, "And that is why we're here to kill him. Even without the words from the higher-ups, everyone knows if he reaches the 7th pillar, he'll be a threat to the nation." The man from before peeked over, "As a 7th Pillar? I thought only 10th and above were a national threat." He wasn't wrong, each nation had their handful of 10-12th Pillar soldiers, but one specifically designed to counter-act mages was something they couldn't take lightly.
"True, but think about it. He can kill 7th Pillar soldiers while only being a 5th Pillar. His mana pool is high, and his abilities are probably one of the best in the world. He has already accumulated a high degree of experience while being 20 years old, and is classified as a sword master. 9th Youngest in Latuth history."
She paused, and a bead of sweat dribbled down her temple, "It's no exaggeration to say if he reached the 10th Pillar..." She trailed off, her eyes glaring at the ground underneath her. "He might be the most powerful being on Earth."
She reached to her hips and pulled out two swords, slightly longer than a traditional one, and began stepping forward. "Keep that in mind when we're fighting him. The weight of this mission will heavily decide the outcome of Horas in the future. Don't let him fool you, and don't give him any of your mercy. He must die."
They nodded and pulled out their weapons.
The other man, lithe and tall, pulled out a long spear, and the tallest of them all reached around to his back and brandished a gigantic hammer. On top of it was a curved blade that expanded his possible attacks. Simple modifications could open many different possibilities, as versatility was an important factor in combat.
"And please, as a reminder," The lady decided to add at the end, peering back to the rest of her cohort, "Do not piss him off."
--
Cale neared the mana signatures, and they were approaching him at a slow rate. "They have the capabilities to attack from this far, I guess they're trying to talk first. Interesting." He whispered to himself. Separately, he made sure to scan the surrounding area, fishing out any possible traps or hidden soldiers. Lucky for him, however, it turned out he could sense all of his enemies, and that put him at rest.
Eventually, they came into sight, and both parties came to a halt.
The lady stepped out ahead of the rest and stood still, interlocking gazes with Cale before she spoke, "Surrender and come with us, and this village can remain peaceful."
Cale tilted his head in curiosity and responded, "Why would I listen to the words of a soon-to-be dead woman?"
Although he said it casually, the deadly intent he was suppressing leaked out, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. Cale took this brief moment of idleness to scan his eyes over the members and come to conclusions.
Instinctively, his eyes settled onto the blonde archer who peered at him calmly. The archer narrowed his eyes as sweat broke out from his hairline. 'Don't tell me I'm his target first...'
Reina, the woman, scoffed in response. "Even if we fail, there'll be more to come. In fact, deem yourself lucky. We have good morals. The ones who'll come after us don't." Words before combat were a good tactic to scare, provoke one into launching a wild attack, or get one to surrender.
Achieving your goal without bloodshed would always be a goal.
Cale's smirk faded instantly, and the air around them grew thicker. The forest seemed to drown out the sunlight as it mysteriously faded away, leaving them in deep shadows. "I'm not too happy that you're suggesting my family might be in danger."
Of course, words can always backfire on you.
Mana enhanced adrenaline, and being angry induced the effects of adrenaline. Some had more potent adrenaline, able to utilize its effects to greatly bolster their physicality.
Some became ruthless.
Some had both.
Cale continued. "You seem to have come here with a death wish, and I'll gladly do that for you. Now, tell me your name. I tend to have respect for the people I kill." The provocative words caused the burly man behind the lady to step forward, his eyes glowing a pale gold.
Reina chuckled. Years of battle sharpened her mind so she would not be influenced by threats. "You have a way with words, y'know that right, mister Cale." Mused Reina.
"Ah, so you've done some of your research on me, I see."
[Omnidrift]
Cale, who was standing aloof one moment, fluttered from existence and emerged right in front of Reina, who broadened her eyes in shock, instinctively throwing both of her swords in front of her.
"I have my way with my sword."
His sword blitzed forward, the apex of his blade digging into her shoulder. Before it could go any farther, Alan, the man in front of her, conjured a string of mana from his fingertips and wrapped it around his sword to prevent it from going any further. Light blue illuminant strings glowed on the silver blade, and Cale frowned. He felt a counter-acting force as he drove his blade forward, reducing the effectiveness of his attack.
Reina sharply tilted her body backward and hopped off her back foot, creating distance between him and herself.
[Extend]
As she anticipated, a stream of mana shot out, and she swiftly slashed her swords downward, wholly breaking the attack as the residual motes of blue mana dissipated in the air. Immediately after, Orin shot out two arrows at the same time, each traversing a different arc to create a pincer attack.
Cale deliberately waited till the last second to move out of the way, causing the two arrows to clash into each other. At the same time, he raised his sword and battered it against the hammer of Alan, who took no time to cover for his teammate.
The shaft of Alan's weapon warped under the robust force of his swing and smashed through the sound barrier.
The lanky man who stood at the back pierced forward with his spear at threatening speeds, nicking Cale a few times, to which he merely shrugged off.
Orin quickly drew another duo of arrows and shot them forward, aiming for a more direct trajectory to maintain speed and shorten the time to react.
[Attach]