'It doesn't add up.'
Why was a member of the Jestal family attacking their own allies? Amaharpe and Proximus had close ties with one another since the Seventh War of the Titans. While Izroth was not clear about all the details surrounding that war, he knew that as one of the top three noble families in Proximus, the Jestal family was among the oldest. They fought side by side with the Proximus, Aragon, and Rutazou families, then later helped establish what is now known as the Proximus kingdom.
The Jestal family may have been reclusive in recent years, but they never showed any signs of rebellion. Then, could Dolos be acting alone? There were too many questions and not enough answers. But, Dolos did not seem like the type to talk willingly.
Woosh!
Aurie evaded another spatial ripple as she darted forward at incredible speeds. She knew how dangerous spatial magic was, especially the one wielded by the Jestal family of Proximus.
While this was her first time fighting against a member of the Jestal family, as a Commander of the War Brigade, she learned of their natural affinity for spatial magic and what it entailed.
In terms of difficulty, spatial magic was one of the hardest branches of magic to learn, let alone master. It was to the point where one could dedicate their entire life to studying it and only manage to scratch the surface.
However, it was different for those who possessed the Jestal bloodline. Some believed their ancestor made a deal with a being from the divine realm or that they came across an item from the True World that transformed one's bloodline. Whatever the case, using spatial magic was as easy as breathing for members of the Jestal family.
But, this alone was not the reason why they were feared and respected throughout not just the kingdom of Proximus but other kingdoms as well. Their manipulation of space held a unique aspect—its ability to tap into the power of time! This gave birth to a new terrifying branch of magic known as Spatial Tempus Magic.
"Spatial Tempus-" Dolos halted his words as a spatial vortex encompassed his body, causing him to disappear.
Woosh!
Not even half a second later, an azure blade slashed through the air where Dolos previously stood with an overbearing and destructive force.
A spatial vortex opened up several meters away from Dolos' last location as he stepped out. However, the instant he did so, a fissure appeared in the earth beneath his feet, slowing his actions.
Dolos looked down at the fissure with disdain as he said, "Meaningless. I permitted you to keep your life until I finished the Commander, but it seems that you are in a hurry to die."
That level of attack was not enough to harm Dolos, and he did not perceive the other party to be a threat, which is why he ignored their presence. However, if they insisted on being a nuisance, then he did not mind sending them to an early grave if they so desired.
Dolos motioned his hand forward, but a frown soon found its way onto his face as a ringing silence filled his ears.
"Something is interfering with my spatial magic," Dolos said to himself. Just now, he tried to use Spatial Collapse, but the structuring of his magic sequences had been thrown into disarray by an unknown force!
"That Commander should not possess this kind of skill. Then… Him? No, how can a mere Captain disrupt my spatial magic to this degree?" Dolos internalized.
"Did you forget about me so soon, Dolos?" Aurie's voice sounded from behind Dolos.
"?!" Dolos swiftly turned his body and attempted to open a spatial vortex to escape; however, there were only slight ripples as a full vortex was unable to form.
Bang!
A pair of tonfa crashed harshly into Dolos at a devastating speed as he was blown off his feet and several meters into the air!
Simultaneously, two crescent moons formed from pink and golden energy manifested next to each other in a mirrored fashion behind Dolos' back.
"Double-Cross: Savage Moonlit Cleave." The two moons drew closer to each other and made contact as a frightening energy was discharged.
BOOOOM!
Dolos was covered by the energy as the twin moons devoured him, and two massive blasts detonated in the sky above!
Woooooosh! Crash!
Dolos crashed down from the sky after the explosions, creating a small crater in the ground from the impact. He laid motionless and covered in wounds under a pile of rubble.
Aurie took a deep breath before exhaling. Even with two working arms, using that attack generated a lot of backlash. However, she understood that now was not the time to let her guard down.
Still, Aurie was surprised. That opening was not a slip up on Dolos' part, nor was it a random lucky opportunity. She saw for herself the strange ripples that spread out from Izroth's location.
When Aurie first witnessed it, she could not believe her eyes. The ripples were actually disrupting Dolos' spatial magic! Not only that, but even the surrounding mana was being destroyed or pushed aside in the wake of the ripples.
Given some time to recover, a skilled magic caster like Dolos would have unquestionably found a way around the disruption by reforming his magic sequences. But, Aurie did not intend on waiting around and immediately took action.
"You still have quite a few secrets, Captain," Aurie said to herself as she carefully approached the edge of the crater where Dolos crash-landed.
At the same time, Izroth also made his way towards the crater as he briefly reviewed his battle logs.
'I didn't expect it to activate after using my fourth sword form.'
〈Battle Alert: The passive for «Ninth Sword Form: World Quelling Ripple» has been activated!〉
Izroth's Ninth Sword Form: World Quelling Ripple's passive granted him a 1% chance with every sword attack to release a Quelling Ripple. This Quelling Ripple only dealt 50% damage, and the effects were much shorter-lived than the active part of the skill; however, Aurie did not let the skill's magic and mana disruption effects go to waste.
Aurie immediately realized what was going on and acted accordingly—a testament to her experience on the battlefield.
The first thing Izroth did when he reached the edge of the crater was to use his Energy Vision Sense to examine Dolos.
'His flame reveals he is alive but weakened. He should no longer be a threat in this state. Still, to think he would be done in by one blow. What is it that players call it again..? A glass cannon?'
A glass cannon referred to an individual who had extremely powerful offensive capabilities but virtually no defense to back it up. Capable of dealing vast amounts of damage, yet could be easily destroyed with one or very few good hits—this was a glass cannon.
"The communication talismans are still malfunctioning due to spatial interference, and it's too dangerous to move him carelessly. I will stay here and guard his body while applying some restrictions. In the meantime, I need you to contact General Solomon and Captain Yan and inform them of this matter. Since it involves a member of the Jestal family, if things are not handled properly, it could have disastrous effects on the current state of affairs between Amaharpe and Proximus. This is something we must avoid at all costs. This whole situation is a real headache." Aurie sighed.
If news got out that a Proximus representative from one of its top three noble families tried to assassinate a Commander of Amaharpe, it would drive a wedge between the two kingdoms. While the alliance would not be disbanded, it would undoubtedly plant a seed of distrust. In the end, this would only benefit Tempest and those who sided with them.
"Then, wouldn't killing him and erasing all evidence be the easiest route?" Izroth suggested.
Aurie shook her head and replied, "Do you think I have not already considered it? It's just that it is too risky. Just because you cannot see something with your eyes does not mean it is not there. More ways than one exist to capture the unseen and recover that which has been lost."
She then jumped down into the crater and was greeted by a bone piercing chill. It was to the point where Aurie could exhale and see her own breath due to the cold air.
"Only a few steps yet such a drastic drop in temperature. Is it a protective magic item?" Aurie questioned as she felt a dark and invasive cold energy flood the atmosphere within the crater.
All of a sudden, a smokescreen poured out from Dolos' body that gave off a malicious intent. Sensing this, Aurie withdrew from the crater and looked on with furrowed brows.
Aurie's instincts told her that staying down there with that wicked energy was dangerous.
'This vile presence… It definitely belongs to them.'
A pair of blood-red eyes could be seen through the smokescreen of dark energy with white specks floating inside it. A few moments later, the smoke cleared up as a figure emerged that resembled Dolos, but his appearance was different.
He had gotten at least half a meter taller, and his eyes, along with his skin, turned a deep shade of red. His hair was now white and reached down to his lower back, and his fingernails were replaced with razor-sharp claws.
"Unforgivable." A demonic voice echoed. But intertwined with that voice was one of familiarity—Dolos, and his current appearance was similar to that of a Shadahi's!
