To Protect

Esvor lunged forward with his sword and Soul dodged to the side with nimble agility, narrowly evading the blade. Meanwhile, Gale hurled her mace at Soul, aiming for his flank. With a quick motion, Soul deflected the incoming projectile with his dagger, sending it flying off course.

Gale summoned her magic to retrieve her mace, causing it to loop back towards her. But as it returned, the mace unexpectedly hit Soul in the back with a loud thud. The unexpected blow caught him off guard, causing him to stagger forward, momentarily stunned by the impact.

Yuki seized her chance, letting an arrow fly from her bow. It plunged into Soul's shoulder, cracking his armor.

"Ugh…" He removed the arrow and threw it on the ground.

Esvor swung his sword, slashing Soul's stomach, leaving a shallow wound. Soul instinctively held his wound, stepping back with a grunt of pain.

"First, The Topple and now a blood magic user." Esvor readied himself for his next attack. "What's going on in Gum'n…"

"He didn't do anything!" Nia interjected, frustration clear in her voice. "He killed The Topple! Why are you attacking him?"

"Wait, he isn't working with The Topple?" Esvor raised one eyebrow in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! The guards attacked him for no reason!"

"Huh…" The Rebel-King and Gale traded glances. "Why did you kill The Topple, blood mage? What was your purpose?"

'I can't just say to protect Ruby. They'll suspect her of knowing me...'

"To protect Gum'n," Soul answered evenly. "I mean no ill intentions."

"Noble." Esvor nodded. "Then why hide your face, friend?"

Soul's blood from the ground levitated, entering through his wounds. Gradually, the injuries on his shoulders and stomach began to close, the torn flesh knitting back together as if by some unseen force.

"So I don't get attacked in the streets after this commotion ends."

"Fair."

"Tell them to stand down, King," Soul gestured toward the guards with his dagger. "I said I mean no ill intentions... But if I get attacked, I will have to defend myself."

Small rifts materialized above each guard that entangled with the branches. Tentacles with grotesque textures and bodies covered in countless twitching eyes appeared from these rifts. These tentacles tightly ensnared the guards, restraining them with an unnerving grip, leaving only their fear-filled eyes exposed. The moment the tentacles made contact, the monster within the rift let out a scream so chilling that even the birds above froze in terror.

Esvor sheathed his weapon without averting his gaze from Soul. Then, he raised one hand and took a step back.

"Stand down, men," he ordered firmly. "Let's be civil."

The guards, their mouths covered by tentacles, could not speak, so they simply nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a massive rift tore through the sky, slicing through the clouds. As it threatened to widen further, Soul extended his palm and directed his power, exerting immense effort. With a visible struggle, he closed his palm, and the rift above vanished.

"You are struggling to control your power," Esvor observed. "Close these damn rifts, friend."

"Hmm..."

Tentacles retreated where they came from and all the rifts disappeared, into thin air. The guards, who had been ensnared by the tentacles, breathed a collective sigh of relief, some rubbing their necks where the pressure had been most intense.

The moment of peace shattered as a sudden rift tore open in the sky again. Soul groaned, his hands outstretched, palms facing the rift as he struggled to close it.

"Is that normal?" Esvor asked in a panic, unsheathing his sword. "I don't think it is."

"It's... not," Soul admitted, taking a deep breath. "Shit... Ugh..."

"Close that right now! Or the Void will be all over this realm!" Esvor insisted.

"I'm trying..." Soul responded wearily.

The rift slightly opened, revealing a black background with stars.

"Well, shit. Try harder!"

Huge tentacles extended from the rift, stretching into the sky. Ruby, Nia, and Lore watched in horror from the sidelines, their faces pale with fear.

But despite the imminent threat, Soul remained focused. He summoned all his strength to close the rift. With a surge of power, he managed to seal the tear in reality, forcing the tentacles to retreat. As the rift closed, Esvor sighed in relief.

"Fuck – that was close, blood mage."

The Topple's blood, staining the entire street, levitated and flowed into his body.

'Feels good. I can teleport away with this.'

A single droplet of blood fell from Soul's finger, striking the ground and forming a magic circle. Within seconds, the circle glowed, symbols materializing within its confines. Then, a strong light flashed, and Soul vanished in an instant. Only the burnt remnants of the circle remained on the cobblestone.

"Huh," Esvor remarked as he approached the circle. "He's gone, Gale."

"Yes, he is… Hopefully far away."

"Did we do the right thing?" Tamiko questioned, joining her mother and sister as they walked over. "We let him go."

"We had no choice. A single cut and we were dead. And besides, he didn't seem like a dangerous guy. He protected the citizens of Gum'n."

"I guess... you are right, King," Tamiko conceded.

"So, what do we do?" Yuki asked. "Are we going to hunt him down, King?"

"No. We'll let him go for now. If he does anything bad – then yes. We will," Esvor said. "But, just in case, some of our men from Snow Fallen should come here."

His wounds were gone, but the pain was still there. The place where he was teleported was where he had trained for the Family Match with Ji-Hye, Hyun-Ki, and Nia – the outskirts of Redhaven. Rain slapped his dull face as he lay on the ground, clutching his stomach and trying to catch his breath. Once again, he was all alone.

"Well, well," Liana said calmly, stepping into his view from the side. "You're messed up again. You really should stop getting yourself beaten up."

"Liana?"

"One and only." She joined Soul on the ground, lying down next to him. "I watched what you did."

"Hmm." His eyes returned to the sky.

They lay there in silence, the only sound the steady patter of rain against the ground. With dull eyes, they looked up at the dark clouds in the sky. As the rain kept getting stronger, Liana summoned an air spell, weaving it into a protective barrier that shielded them from the downpour.

Soul turned to his right, looking at Liana. Her shirt was soaked through, revealing her black bra underneath.

"Stop staring at my breasts," Liana said with a boring voice. "At least try to hide it."

"Sorry," Soul mumbled.

"Should we head back?" Liana asked.

"Yeah," Soul agreed, getting to his feet and brushing dirt from his shirt. "Let's go. Gotta see how Ruby is doing."