The patrol squad continued cautiously along the forest path, bathed in moonlight, heading toward the royal capital.
Patrol Captain Duncan furrowed his brows slightly, his arms gripping the metal box like iron pincers.
Each of his steps was steady and forceful, his gaze as sharp as a blade, constantly sweeping over the ghostly silhouettes of the woods on either side.
The air was thick with the scent of earth and decaying leaves. It was so quiet all around that not even the sound of insects could be heard; they had long since fallen silent.
However, Duncan seemed to sense something. He suddenly halted, his heavy boots sinking deep into the soft forest ground, his pupils constricting as he shouted sharply:
“Stop! Ambush!”
Before his words had even faded—
“Swish! Swish! Swish!”
Dozens of dark shadows shot out from the dense forest on both sides of the road like specters.
They were all shrouded in voluminous black robes, each face hidden behind a Faceless Mask, only their eyes flashing with a cold gleam, their target clear—
The metal box in Duncan’s arms.
“Form up! Shield Warriors to the front! Mages, prepare!” Duncan’s voice was steady and thunderous in the crisis.
The well-trained patrol responded instantly.
The outermost Shield Warriors let out a low roar, simultaneously slamming their Heavy Tower Shields—engraved with Defensive Runes—into the ground with a booming crash.
The shield edges locked tightly together, instantly forming a Steel Bastion that shimmered with an earthy yellow aura.
Inside the formation, the Mages pounded their staves on the ground, chanting in unison as dazzling magical light flared around them.
“Rumble—!”
Almost the moment the defensive formation solidified, the first wave of attacks from the black-robed assailants arrived.
Scorching [Fireburst] spells, trailing long tails of flame, fell like meteors from the sky, smashing brutally into the shields and magical barriers, bursting into blinding fireballs and waves of searing heat.
The shields buzzed from the impact, the arms of those holding them going numb as they grit their teeth and held fast.
“[Water Screen]!” A water-type Mage in the patrol raised his staff high, a surge of blue mana pouring forth to form a flowing azure barrier above the squad, neutralizing most of the incoming fireballs.
Hissing evaporation filled the air, and thick white steam instantly blurred everyone’s vision.
“[Wind Blade Barrage]!” Another wind-type Mage seized the opportunity, waving his staff as countless crescent-shaped blades of green wind tore through the mist with piercing shrieks, covering the densest cluster of black robes.
“[Shadow Barrier]!” From the black-robed ranks, a burly figure barked coldly, thrusting his hands forward. A wall of dense shadow energy materialized out of nowhere.
The wind blades slashed against it with tooth-grinding screeches, but were mostly twisted and devoured.
“[Earth Tremor]!” A black-robed Mage squatted down, pressing both hands to the earth. Instantly, the ground beneath the patrol quaked violently, undulating like waves in an attempt to break their formation.
“Hold the line!”
Duncan roared, lightning crackling at his feet as [Static Field] spread outward from him, a weak but persistent current interfering with the approaching black-robed enemies and causing their movements to falter.
“[Rock Wall].” The patrol’s earth-type Mage reacted swiftly, pounding his staff to the ground.
A thick wall of stone erupted, barely holding back the rolling earth, though cracks began to appear in the trembling wall.
Chaos erupted in full! Brilliant magic flared wildly, turning the gloomy woods as bright as day.
A young patrol fire Mage, his face still boyish, roared as he launched a highly condensed [Fireburst] at a black-robed figure trying to break in from the flank.
The fireball struck home, exploding with a thunderous bang. The black-robed attacker was sent flying, his robe ignited in flames, a blood-curdling scream tearing from his throat.
Before the young Mage could catch his breath, a sinister [Fire Arrow] shot from another angle. His comrade shoved him aside just in time, taking the arrow to the arm instead.
The armor sizzled and burned, flesh crackling as pain forced a muffled groan and sweat beaded on his brow.
“Heal! Quickly!” An auxiliary light-type Mage at the rear hurriedly chanted, a gentle white glow enveloping the wounded teammate, barely holding back the spreading corrosion.
On the other side, two black-robed attackers worked in perfect sync. One cast [Muddy Mire], turning the ground beneath an overextended Shield Warrior into sticky swamp, trapping his movements.
The other grinned wickedly, gathering a surging [Blazing Storm] and slamming it down!
At the critical moment, a fierce [Water Screen] shot in from the side, canceling out the fire magic with a sizzling hiss.
It was the patrol’s water Mage coming to the rescue. He shouted to the Shield Warrior, “Fall back! I’ll cover you!”
Close combat was equally fierce.
Magic wasn’t omnipotent—when mana ran low or the enemy got too close, cold steel took the spotlight.
A black-robed enemy accelerated, darting past magical barriers with uncanny agility, a poison-tipped dagger stabbing straight for the back of a Mage.
A Swordfighter from the patrol, quick-eyed and swift, roared as he swung his sword to block. Sparks flew as sword met dagger, and the two locked in a deadly struggle, blades flashing and shadows weaving.
Across the battlefield, roars, screams, magical explosions, clashing blades, shattering shields…
Amid this symphony of destruction, the requiem of death played quietly.
Furious elemental energies ran wild—tongues of fire licking at trees, frost gnawing at the grass, thunder blasting the sky, rocks erupting and shattering.
The air was thick with the scent of scorched earth, blood, and ozone.
With their tight coordination and solid magical prowess, the patrol held on desperately, but the black-robed assailants had superior numbers, striking ruthlessly and disregarding casualties.
The defensive line wavered again and again, patrol members falling and being dragged back into formation by their comrades at great risk.
As the battle reached its fever pitch, both sides suffering heavy losses—
A figure, like a rift tearing through space, appeared at Duncan’s side with speed too fast for the naked eye to track, ignoring all magical and physical barriers along the way!
It was the Seventh Seat of [Black Utopia]!
Alarms blared in Duncan’s heart.
Without a second thought, he clutched the metal box and retreated, his right hand gripping his staff instantly wreathed in blazing firelight—a savage [Fireburst] blasted straight at the Seventh Seat!
A cold smile seemed to twist beneath the mask of the Seventh Seat. Unmoving, he merely raised his staff-bearing right hand.
A wave of intense cold burst forth. The air before them seemed to freeze as razor-sharp [Ice Spikes] exploded outward.
“Boom—!”
Wild fire and sharp ice collided violently, unleashing a deafening blast.
Between the two, the duel was about to erupt.
And atop a distant mountain peak, Sefina, in her “Holmes” disguise, her snow-white hair fluttering in the wind.
She stood quietly in the moonlight, ice-blue eyes reflecting the chaotic, fierce battlefield below.
Everything was unfolding just as she had foreseen.