"You were not the target," the raven-haired boy said in a detached tone.
Arlienne looked amused by the situation, while the kid's eyes widened in horror.
"W-why… why did you do that?" the kid asked, looking at his savior. He hadn't expected the person who called his father a fraud to save him.
"I don't need a reason to do the right thing…" Emerion said as he pulled his palm away from the sword's edge. He had used it to block the strike. He paused, then looked back at the raven-haired boy whose long hair reached his shoulders.
"That kid was coming for me… not you. So he isn't your target either. I hope the misunderstanding is clear," Emerion said, staring into the boy's green eyes.
The boy didn't respond. He simply stared back at Emerion.
"The misunderstanding… is yours, not mine," the boy said almost quietly. But it was loud enough to be heard.
Emerion looked confused for a moment.
"What do you mean?" Emerion asked, his brows knitting together.
One of the raven haired boy's guards stepped forward.
"There is a rule for the people of House Corvus," the guard said as he removed his hood. He had brown hair and wore a cocky grin. "If you draw your blade toward something, you must finish it."
The other guard removed his hood as well. He had curly hair and a mocking smile.
"If you think Mui is going to back off now, you are misunderstood, peasant," the curly haired guard said with a smirk.
Emerion's expression turned serious as understanding dawned on him.
"I told you not to call me by name," the raven-haired boy said coldly, looking at the two guards who were probably eight years older than him.
'Just as I thought… two ravens facing opposite of each other. Dear brother, you really should pause for a moment before always playing the hero,' Arlienne thought to herself. Yet her expression was more amused and curious than fearful.
"You have come between me and my target, so I shall finish you off," the boy said, gripping his sword tightly once again.
"My, my, Mui. You seem so eager to fight. Perhaps we can solve this by talking," Arlienne said as she looked directly into Anathema's eyes.
"You are interrupting as well, so I shall finish you off too… besides, you called me by that name," Anathema replied. His expression darkened.
Arlienne understood instantly that talking wouldn't help. She extended her hand into the air, summoning her trident. Blue mana flowed through it, while its edges gleamed gold.
"So you can use magic, huh? But you are still outnumbered. You'll lose even if you had the numbers," the cocky brown-haired guard said, looking at Arlienne and Emerion.
"It will be over in an instant," the curly-haired guard added as he took position.
Emerion prepared himself as well. He had no staff, and he understood that clearly. But he couldn't let them harm the kid. Once again, he found himself at a disadvantage.
Anathema moved toward Emerion with speed and grace. Before his strike could land, Arlienne blocked it with her trident.
"You forgot about me. How rude," Arlienne said mockingly as she pushed Anathema back a few feet with her trident.
Anathema quickly composed himself. His eyes flickered with surprise for a brief moment before returning to their detached calm.
Emerion aimed for Mui, his hands beginning to glow blue but Arlienne stopped him.
"No, brother. You can't use it here. If you use Zaltreign, people might discover our identities," Arlienne said firmly.
Emerion was about to protest, but he realized she was right.
"You let your guard down," the brown-haired guard said as he appeared on Emerion's left in the blink of an eye.
Before Emerion could react, the guard grabbed the kid and vanished, reappearing a few feet away.
'What was that? He was so fast… I barely had time to react, let alone counter,' Emerion thought as he clenched his fists.
The kid struggled in the guard's grip.
"Let me go! Hey!" the kid protested, but the guard's grip remained firm.
"Give him back," Emerion said sharply.
"Why don't you take him yourself?" the guard replied, throwing the kid toward Emerion.
"What the~!" Emerion rushed forward to catch him, but before he could, the guard reappeared, snatched the kid again, and kicked Emerion in the stomach.
Emerion slammed into the ship's wall.
"Haha! Did you really think I'd give him to you? I'll toy with you while my lord takes his time dealing with that woman," the brown-haired guard said, glancing toward Arlienne and Anathema, who were still locked in battle. Neither was gaining the upper hand.
"Nebelschlag," Emerion whispered so quietly that almost no one heard him.
The brown haired guard wasn't taking Emerion seriously. Dark smoke suddenly spread across the area, catching him completely off guard.
The smoke even interrupted Arlienne and Anathema's fight.
Using the distraction, Emerion retrieved the kid from the guard and punched the man in the face only the caster could see clearly within the spell.
"You okay, kid?" Emerion asked, holding him close.
"Huh… y-yeah…" the kid replied in a confused tone. He couldn't see anything, but he recognized Emerion's voice.
"This smoke won't last long. Let's get you somewhere safe," Emerion said.
He quickly guided the kid inside the ship. As the smoke faded, the kid could finally see again.
"Go hide somewhere," Emerion said, setting him down before turning back toward the deck.
"Aren't you… coming with me?" the kid asked hesitantly.
"I wish I could. But my sister is still fighting out there. I have to go," Emerion replied before leaving.
When Emerion returned to the deck, he noticed his spell slowly losing its effect but at least it had done its job. Unlike his fight with Pristilia, where she had made the spell look ordinary.
"You dare trick us… I will find that kid anyway. After I finish you off," the brown haired guard said, taking a sprinter's stance.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and punched Emerion in the face.
Then again.
And again.
The assault didn't stop.
Emerion tried to track him, but the guard was too fast. His defenses couldn't keep up. He couldn't even follow the movements.
The brown haired guard continued striking Emerion relentlessly with overwhelming speed. The punches seems like coming from every direction.
Meanwhile
"You're not bad… but how long can you keep this up?" Arlienne asked Anathema as he continued to hold his own against her.
"I think you should ask your brother that, not me," Anathema replied, gesturing toward Emerion's fight.
Arlienne frowned slightly. Even she was struggling to track that guard's movements. Without a staff and unable to use Zaltreign, her brother was clearly at a disadvantage.
She sighed and tightened her grip on her trident.
"I'll deal with your dogs after I finish you. My brother can last a little longer… perhaps," she said, her grin returning.
"You have too much confidence. It's annoying," Anathema said as he raised his sword toward the sky.
Mist spread rapidly around Arlienne.
"Mist… huh? So you have other abilities," Arlienne said, her tone turning serious as her vision blurred.
Anathema vanished.
'I can't even sense his mana… how strange. He just cast magic,' Arlienne thought.
Suddenly
"Game over."
Anathema appeared behind her, his sword drawn toward her neck.
Arlienne's eyes widened.