To Battle!

[Elijah's POV]

<<January 14, 2023>>

<<Manila, Philippines>>

Handsome, outspoken, yet very mysterious. That's how "The Silver Warlord", William is popularly known. But unlike his elder brother, who's overflowing with charisma, William is more on the quieter side. People would tend to get intimidated being in his presence, because of the cold expression he would always have.

Like his elder brother, William has contributed a lot of things to society, especially in the earlier days of the catastrophe. Being a second-generation transcended, he and his brother led the Hunters of the Philippines in protecting the country from total annihilation. He also helped his brother in creating and building the Philippine Hunter's Association. Extremely strong and powerful, this 18-year-old young man, fearlessly charges into battle, leading his legion into victory.

Wielding a spear on his right hand, William raised his fist in the air, then activated the Warlord skill, War Banner, popularly known as his beard and butter. Whenever William has activated this skill, it is said that victory is imminent.

As a gigantic flag appeared in his hand, William firmly planted it to the ground, as its majestic appearance fueled valor to anyone who could see it.

From what I remembered from my research, War Banner is a buffing field skill, that raises the caster and the caster's allies' physical and magical damage by 20%, as long as they are within the skill's radius. The duration of the skill lasts for an hour, but it could end earlier if the banner is destroyed.

After William's majestic display, the volunteer hunters and I, all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"About time!" I murmured as relief washed over me, making me finally breathe comfortably.

I could also hear the other hunters rejoice upon seeing William's arrival.

"It's the Silver Warlord!"

"The hunters from the association have finally arrived!"

"Oh my God! The pictures on the internet don't do William justice! He's a lot hotter in person!"

Not long after William's arrival, his legion also arrived. Many popular and well-loved hunters started appearing, but one particular face really stood out to me.

"Zehira!" I was surprised when I saw a familiar face.

"Coach?!" The bubbly young lady exclaimed when she saw me. She immediately rushed to me while her comrades started charging into battle.

"You're part of the first legion?" I ask, still in deep surprise to see her actually part of the Association's pride and joy.

"Yeah! It kind of just happened." Zehira said shyly, but then she quickly regained her composure. Looking like a mature young woman, far from the cry baby I used to train.

"Coach, we'll have a lot of time to catch up later. For now, we have a Gate to close." Zehira said with an urgent tone in her voice.

"I agree! Also, you guys have to be extremely careful. This is an abnormal gate break. Stay on your guard! We managed to hold them off for the time being, but with the Kobolds' number, we are at a great disadvantage. You guys have to take care of the Kobold commander as soon as possible." I gave Zehira a brief report of everything we've gathered so far.

"Thank you so much, Coach! This info will help us a lot!" Zehira said gratefully, before rushing off to William's side, where I assume she's sharing the information I told her, to him.

After William had heard everything Zehira had to share, he turned his head towards Jonathan and I's direction, giving us a brief glance that's hard to read. All of a sudden, both William and Zehira walked in our direction.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, I'm William." William politely introduced himself, extending a hand towards me.

"Nice to meet you as well," I said as I take his hand to mine and shook it.

"I've heard your report through Zehira. and I believe that it would be best for you to take command, just as you have already done before our arrival." William spoke calmly as he's always done.

"Are you sure? I mean, will your legion even listen to me?" I asked with great uncertainty. I mean, it wouldn't be surprising if his legion refuses to follow someone that's their leader.

"That will be no problem," William reassured before speaking in a booming voice. "First Legion, all commands in this battle will be coming from 'The Nurturer'! Follow his every order as if you are taking orders from me, am I clear?!"

"Yes Sir!" Every hunter from the first legion responded.

Suddenly being thrown into a situation with great responsibility placed on my hands, I had no choice but to quickly adapt. Don't get me wrong, I'm nervous and terrified as hell. And my brain wants to do nothing more than to shout at William at the top of its lungs, for passing me his responsibilities. As if sensing my uneasiness, Jonathan held my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Giving me an encouraging and soft smile, I felt like all my worries were washed away. Besides, with the situation that we are in right now, I don't really have time to complain, as the Kobold Commander let out another loud howl.

So on the top of my lungs, I gave my first command.

"First Legion, rally to me!"

And without delay, they all swiftly did as they were told. It just goes to show that the prestige and fame that they held, aren't all just for show.

Thankfully, I've studied and researched most hunters in the association, so it didn't look like I was walking in all of this blind.

"Albert, use Grand Fortress! Make sure that none of the Kobolds affected by the Kobold commander's skill, Feral Instincts, takes any damage! We have to wait until the effects of the buff wear off." I instructed. Although everyone in the first legion gave me a strange look, they all still obeyed.

As Albert pierced the ground with his sword, a great stone fortress arose from the ground, successfully halting the Kobolds in their charge.

I understand why they're giving me that look though. Yes, I know they have the capability to survive a Kobold explosion, but the thing I'm worried about is how much more cost the association will have to pay for property damage, caused by the suicide bombers. If we can prevent further property damage, then it's a huge W, not just for the association but for the residents as well.

William was among the people that gave me a strange look, but being the bright young man that he is, his expression quickly changed upon realizing my intentions.

"Zehira, help Albert by restraining all the Kobolds that are affected by the buff," William instructed, to which Zehira swiftly complied.

With wand in hand, Zehira flicked and swished her wrists like a professional conductor, leading an orchestra, as she began chanting. Finishing her chant, a powerful magic circle appeared above the army of Kobolds, encasing them in a dimension prison.

"You're a Dimension Witch!" I exclaimed in disbelief, feeling like I was just sucker-punched.

"Yeah! Hehehe..." Zehira replied shyly as she blushed in embarrassment. But what shocked me, even more, was the expression-filled with adoration that William sent her way. It was just for a split second, but I caught it in 4K. Who would have known that the stoic William can show such emotions as well? What's more, it really made me curious as to what kind of relationship he has with my former trainee. Leaving that matter for later, I directed my focus on the battle once again.

"The second the buff wears off, William, War stampede! Your goal is to trample on the enemy's formation and reach the Kobold commander. Once you get there, I'll leave you to deal with the Kobold commander to you. I assume you can get the job done, correct?"

"Consider it done," William replied with a curt nod. Truly a man of few words, but what's important is that he lets his actions do the talking for him.

"Excellent! Jonathan once William successfully forces his way into the enemy formation, follow close behind him and start dealing with the Kobold archers. Everett and Louie, don't let anyone or anything disturb William's battle with the Kobold leader. Also, provide him with your outmost attention. Support him in every way you both can. Sahara, Zehira and Alana, you guys deal with the Kobold warriors and riders. With your guys' firepower, I'm confident you guys can get the job done. Finally, Roderick and Chen, give the Kobold scouts the most painful death, you guys can give them."

After giving out command after command, members of the first legion were taken aback by my commanding aura. It only took them a second though, because after they regained their composure, each and everyone started showing their excitement through their faces. Everyone's body started to buzz with anticipation and restlessness, as it was obvious that they couldn't wait to go all out.

I then looked at Jonathan and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Be safe, okay?" I told him with a soft voice.

"Yes, Master!" Jonathan replied with a tender smile.

What I didn't know was that the entire first legion had just witnessed my intimate interaction with Jonathan.

According to my calculations, Feral Instincts only last for about ten minutes. When the nine-minute mark hit, I let my passive skill, Commanding Presence, to spread throughout the first legion, since I have successfully gained influence over them. I can see that my skill has already done its job, as the expression on the first legion's faces were filled with marvel.

"It's the coach's special skill!" Zehira exclaimed when she felt a familiar feeling spread throughout her body.

Curious to see what's William's reaction would be, I snuck a quick glance towards his direction. And I have to say that I wasn't at all disappointed with what I saw. William stared at his hands with wonder, as he turned them a couple of times over.

As the Kobold commander's buff wore off. I immediately gave the first legion the command to charge forward.

"First Legion, to battle!"

And with that, the first legion let out a battle cry, as they charged into battle. William brandished his spear in front of him, as a powerful aura started enveloping his whole body. In a flash, William suddenly disappeared from where he stood, as he charged forward at an incredible speed, bulldozing his way through the enemy defenses. Everett, Louie, and Jonathan immediately followed after him, not a moment's waste.

The Kobold vanguard didn't stand a chance at William's destructive power, as everything in his path was either flung to the side or died.

Successfully, making a way through the enemy defenses, like he was parting the red sea, William finally came head to head with the Kobold commander.

Jonathan on the other hand, turned into a deadly storm as he whipped and slashed every Kobold archer on sight. Still, in great shock, the Kobolds weren't able to quickly react to the sudden onslaught of attacks that hit them. The Kobolds trembled in fear as their commander suddenly became too occupied to give out commands. Lesser Kobolds are practically useless without their leader, leading them. Without their leader, they just revert back to being dogs who go by their instincts.

The Kobold scouts that hid in the shadows, fell to the ground, one by one, as they started bleeding to death, courtesy of our sadistic Wraith and Phantom Edge. The Kobold warriors and riders became way too confused to even realize their comrades were being torn apart by mini black holes, melting in acid, or being suffocated to death, specially prepared by our Void Princess, Dimension Witch, and Creator.

The Grand Marshal, Albert, stuck by my side to protect me. And I have to say that, having the chance to witness William in battle is truly a sight to behold. He, along with his Paladin and Templar, was extremely in sync. They worked so well with each other, to the point of not needing to communicate with each other verbally. The two tank-supports perfectly did their jobs. Tanking, healing, and protecting William without any second of delay. The three of them worked just like a well-oiled machine.

Everything was going well until once again, the leechers screwed everything. One of the leechers that threw out an attack earlier threw out another skill, but this time it's a freaking fireball. As the fireball zipped into the air, I immediately noticed that it was headed straight for Jonathan. The freaking leecher actually threw out a skill without even looking at where it's going to land.

Jonathan's still preoccupied with the Kobold archers, that he didn't even have the time to see the fireball flying straight towards him. Everyone else was also preoccupied that they also didn't see the incoming fireball. As the fireball quickly neared Jonathan, and with my very limited choices, I cast A Master's Sacrifice, took out the highest grade of potion that I have, and braced myself for impact.

When the fireball landed on Jonathan, I felt like my body was engulfed in flames, burning me from the inside out. It was so painful that I had to grit my teeth so hard, that my jaw almost locked. When I dropped to my knees in agony, Albert became alarmed and rushed to my side as soon as he saw me fall. I was in so much pain that, I couldn't even drink the potion that I had prepared. Seeing the potion that I was gripping hard, on my hand, Albert swiftly took it from me and immediately tried to help me drink the potion. But I was writhing in pain, that I could even drink the potion properly.

I didn't know how long I was in pain but the next thing I remembered was hearing Jonathan's voice full of worry as he cradle me in his arms. Jonathan grabbed the potion in Albert's hand before chugging it. He then force-fed me the potion through his mouth, which actually worked. The moment I gulped down the potion, I instantly felt the pain in my body slowly fade away.

It only took about a couple of seconds before, my entire body recovered. Seeing me getting visibly well, Jonathan enveloped me in a warm and tight embrace.

"Please, don't ever sacrifice your own wellbeing for my sake!" Jonathan said with a raspy voice, as the extreme worry in his voice flooded my ears.

"What do you mean?" I said with a tired voice, as I tried feigning ignorance. I didn't know why I did it, maybe because I didn't want Jonathan to keep worrying, but the effect had been the complete opposite of what I intended.

"I know you absorbed the damage that I was supposed to take. You think I didn't notice you doing it a lot since earlier. At first, I only had a hunch, but seeing you in so much pain after I felt a blast of fire hit me, I knew that you took the damage that was meant for me!" Jonathan said. I could hear the mix of anger and sadness and frustration and shame in his voice. It was clear that he was blaming himself for what happened to me. It just goes to show how much he cares for me, even when we've just met not too long ago.

Feeling bad for causing him so much anxiety and negative feelings, I gently cupped Jonathan's face with one hand and gave him a soft reassuring smile. "I'm okay, Tan. I'm stronger than I look. Besides, since you gave me your life, it's only natural that I take care of and protect you."

"But I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, and I failed!"

"No, you didn't. In fact, you were too busy protecting me, that you didn't even have the time to protect yourself. So, if you're busy protecting me, who's gonna protect you? You have to understand that, while you want to ensure my safety, I, as well, also want to ensure your safety. That's just how this relationship works, we protect each other. Okay?"

Jonathan just nodded in understanding as he hugged me closer to him even tighter. Letting out a small smile at clingy Jonathan, I wrapped my arms around him and returned his embrace. Thankfully, I've managed to calm down Jonathan.

I honestly didn't expect that being hit by a single fireball was going to hurt like hell. I thought that being a transcended, it wouldn't hurt as much. But I guess the reports of my co-trainers' trainees being rushed to the hospital because of being accidentally hit by stray magic, weren't all exaggerations. Also, the fireball that hit Jonathan must've been a high-level one, since with me leveling up at an extremely fast pace, low-level magic shouldn't have hurt as much.