A terrible loss

"You seem to be losing your mind. I think beating you will bring you back to your senses," declared the knight.

Before the knight could give orders to the other guards, Ashen launched himself directly at him. Two fire and ice balls were hurled his way, but Ashen's reflexes were much sharper this time, and he effortlessly evaded them.

He leaped forward, His target changed, and he was aiming for the fire mage this time, but his instincts sent him a warning signal. Reacting swiftly, he positioned his daggers to his left side. Just a second later, the sound of metal colliding filled the air, and Ashen was sent hurtling backward.

"You've truly become a mad dog, but don't worry, everyone submit after the right amount of beating," taunted the knight.

With his sword now unsheathed, it emitted a foreboding black aura. the knight stood confidently and ordered with his hand for the mages to not interfere .

Despite the knight's confident words, Ashen launched another attack, moving even faster this time, and he held his daggers in a reverse grip.

Despite his increased speed, Ashen found himself at a disadvantage when they clashed. It didn't take long for him to be pushed into a corner, his body accumulating more wounds with each passing moment.

The injuries caused by the black sword not only bled badly but also refused to heal and caused an immense amount of pain that would distract him from time to time causing him to get even more injuries.

Were it not for the Bloodviolet daggers and their bloodsucking skill, healing him from time to time, he might not have been able to continue the fight.

As Ashen's wounds continued to mount, his mind gradually cleared, and the previous madness and the violet glow from his eyes disappeared. And as the madness disappeared completely, he got his mind back.

However, in that brief moment of pause when he regained his mind, the knight didn't miss the opportunity.And with a powerful swing of his sword, he inflicted a severe injury from Ashen's left shoulder to his right side. Then, with a swift kick to the head, he sent Ashen crashing into the wall of a nearby building. Upon impact, the wall crumbled, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Debris rained down onto Ashen's battered body, exacerbating his injuries.

"Oh, looks like I hit him a little too hard," the knight mocked as he began to approach Ashen.

However, when he was about five meters away, a figure sprinted out from the dust, covered in crackling lightning bolts, and holding daggers charged with electricity.

As if the knight had anticipated Ashen's move, he thrust his sword directly into Ashen's chest.

A mixture of shock, confusion, and pain washed over Ashen's face. It was as if the knight could read his thoughts, as he gazed directly into Ashen's eyes and said,

"Did you truly believe that I thought you were incapable of moving? Do you take me for an amateur fighter? I've been trained since childhood to be a guard. Observing people's expressions, predicting their thoughts and actions – it's my job. I had already noticed the change in your demeanor before I struck you. You had regained your sanity, and the injuries you had sustained weren't enough to stop you. Moreover, I was well aware of your skill that enhances your speed. In the end, it was your own poor judgment and arrogance that led to your defeat."

Ashen felt his consciousness slipping away as he listened to the knight's words. He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth, and his vision grew increasingly blurry. He could hear the twins' desperate screams in the back, but everything seemed distant.

As he teetered on the brink of losing consciousness, he caught a glimpse of a man in assassin's attire appearing behind the knight.

As Ashen's eyes closed, the assassin behind the knight poised to strike with his dagger, but an arrow halted it just centimeters from its target.

At that moment, sensing the danger behind him the knight swiftly turned around and retreated. This sudden motion sent Ashen's body flying, and the assassin acted with incredible speed, snatching him and ran to the shadow of a building and then vanishing into the shadows and disappearing completely.

The knight turned around in the direction where the twins had been held captive, to only see the muscular man and the man with an air of authority that previously were watching Ashen. Each of them held one of the twins, while the five guards around them lay defeated.

Infuriated, the knight yelled, "Julius, you fucking piece of trash. Stay here if you dare."

Julius calmly replied, "Save it for another time, Edward. We will certainly come to visit," before retreating with the muscular man, leaving the scene.

__________

"Ah, my head, what a headache," Ashen muttered as he slowly opened his eyes, gradually regaining consciousness. "Wait, I can feel? I'm alive?"

Thought Ashen as he attempted to move from a lying position to a sitting one, but piercing pain surged throughout his body, and a voice entered his ears.

"I wouldn't recommend that. Even though I was able to close your biggest wounds and save your life, too much movement will cause the wounds to reopen."

At that moment, Ashen realized that someone was sitting beside him. He attempted to turn his body toward the source of the voice, but the pain once again flooded his senses.

"Are you an idiot? I just told you that too much movement will open your wounds, and the first thing you do is move?" The woman's voice echoed again dripping with annoyance this time.

With a cold tone, Ashen inquired, "How are you, and why am I here?"

"What's with that tone? If it weren't for my hours of hard work, you'd be dead by now. The least you can do is say thank you," she retorted with even more annoyance than before.

Ashen fell silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on the woman. He observed her white coat, resembling that of a doctor's attire, and noticed the clear annoyance on her face and the dark circles beneath her green eyes. And as he continued to observe her face, he was captured by her adorable face that remained undiminished despite these signs of fatigue. Her flawless wheatish skin and silky black hair tied in a ponytail captivated him briefly. However, he quickly regained his composure and apologized.

"I apologize for my rude behavior. I was a bit anxious. I passed out thinking I was dead, and then I woke up in a room with no knowledge of what happened. You were the first person I saw, so my reaction was a bit rude. Can you please tell me what happened to me?" he inquired politely.

"Good, that's much better," she acknowledged. "As for your question, I have no idea. They simply brought your injured body to me and asked me to treat your wounds. After I finished, I took a short nap, and when you woke up, you woke me as well. However, don't worry; I already sent a message that you've awakened, so someone will be here soon."

Ashen had a worried expression on his face as he inquired further, "Were there two other people with me, specifically, a twin, a brother and sister?"

"No, you were alone. But now that you mention it, I think I heard children crying earlier. Perhaps it was them," she replied.

After hearing her response, his worried expression relaxed a bit as he started thinking.

Ashen's thoughts swirled, a torrent of self-blame and regret filling his mind. How had he lost like that? What was he thinking, letting anger control him? And that overwhelming rage, where had it come from? Even if he is very angry, it does not mean that his anger can control him. He should have been more rational, recognizing that he was outnumbered. Retreating with the children using his speed would have been the wiser choice. And who was that knight that had beaten him up? He couldn't even fight back.

His brooding thoughts were interrupted by the doctor's voice. "What the hell are you thinking about? You look like you're about to explode with worry. Considering the condition your body was in here, I can assume that you lost badly, but that doesn't mean you have to tear yourself apart. You're alive, and you can seek revenge another day."

Ashen felt a twinge of embarrassment after the scolding but managed to reply, "Thank you for your concern."

The doctor retorted, "Oh, I'm not concerned about you. I just don't want you to shatter your mind after I spent hours fixing up your broken body."

Ashen's eyebrows twitched violently, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. In a trembling voice, he managed to say, "Thank you anyway."

As Ashen finished his words, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from behind the door. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and the twins burst into the room.

Pausing for a moment to survey the room, their eyes locked onto Ashen. With half-crying eyes, they rushed toward him, each embracing him from one side. Tears streamed down their faces as they mumbled words that were difficult to decipher amidst their sobs.

Ashen returned their hugs, wrapping his arms around them, and gently rubbed their backs, allowing them to cry freely.

As the twins continued to cry, the man with an air of authority entered through the open door.

When he saw the emotional scene he remained silent and only nodded at Ashen, who returned the gesture. The man then engaged in a conversation with the doctor while Ashen comforted the twins.

After some time, Ashen gently tapped the twins on their heads and spoke in a soothing tone, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm okay, as you can see. I need to have a conversation with this man. Can you let go for a moment?"

Upon hearing Ashen's request, the twins slowly released their hold on him and stood by his sides. The man, Julius, noticed this and rose to his feet. He extended his hand toward Ashen and introduced himself.

"Hello, Mister Ashen. Congratulations on your recovery. My name is Julius, and I'm the leader of the resistance army. If you've ever heard of us."

Ashen was surprised by Julius's identity but quickly recalled that he had likely been saved by this man. He shook Julius's hand and replied, "The honor is mine to meet someone like you."