Sorry! Helos
Julius gritted his teeth.
The moment he hurled the Amulet, the long sword that had been lowered suddenly rose again, the tip pointing straight at the Black-robed Man’s throat.
He intended to seize the split second when the Amulet drew his opponent’s attention to deliver a fatal strike.
The Black-robed Man snorted coldly: “Hmph, petty tricks.”
Purple light flashed from his fingertips like lightning, striking the black orb flying toward him with deadly precision.
However, at the exact moment the purple light collided with the orb, the Black-robed Man suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest.
Instinctively, he tried to retreat—but it was already too late—
The black orb abruptly changed shape upon contact with the purple light, its surface patterns spreading rapidly like living things.
A blinding white light exploded in the narrow corridor like the blazing sun, illuminating the entire space as if it were broad daylight.
The Black-robed Man’s pupils contracted sharply.
Through the intense light, he clearly saw dozens of tiny metal fragments arranged meticulously inside the orb spinning at an incredible speed, while a large amount of white powder erupted alongside.
Calm: sound.
These powders instantly filled the space around the Black-robed Man, and the moment they touched the air, countless fine sparks suddenly burst forth.
“Boom—!!!”
An ear-splitting explosion rocked the entire garrison.
The Shadow Barrier hastily erected by the Black-robed Man tore like thin paper in the face of the shockwave.
The tiny metal fragments poured down like a torrential rain, piercing deeply into his body.
The immense force sent him flying, crashing heavily against the stone wall at the corridor’s end, sending debris flying.
At the same time, the shockwave shattered the corridor’s supporting pillar at the waist, scattering wood chips and stones in all directions.
Blazing tongues of flame erupted from the break, instantly igniting the wooden structure.
Thick smoke quickly filled the entire corridor.
Julius struggled to stand. Through the dense smoke, he saw the Black-robed Man slumped motionless in the corner, his black robe soaked in blood.
The moment he saw that white light, he immediately recalled the experiences in Helos’ Workshop.
Almost instinctively, he had raised a sturdy Magic Barrier in the first instant.
But even so, the blast’s shockwave still sent him flying backward, crashing all the way into his own room.
Clenching his teeth against the pain, Julius slammed his shoulder against Eleanor’s door.
On the third strike, the wooden door finally burst open with a crash, splinters scattering from the broken frame.
Inside, Eleanor sat slumped by the bed, her golden hair tousled and fluttering from the explosion’s shockwave.
Her hands clenched tightly at her clothes, her face pale, and her azure eyes filled with terror and confusion.
Hearing the door break, she whipped her head around, and at the sight of Julius, her pupils refocused.
“Julius… what happened…?”
Her voice trembled slightly; the elegant composure she usually maintained was completely gone.
The firelight outside cast flickering shadows on her pale face, making those usually calm eyes shimmer unevenly.
Julius hurried forward and was about to explain when the entire building suddenly shook violently!
Dust fell from the ceiling in cascades, and from afar came the terrifying sound of wood splintering.
Eleanor instinctively shrank back, pressing her back against the bed frame.
At that moment, chaotic footsteps echoed from the corridor.
The remaining guards rushed in, their armor covered in soot. The captain at the front had a streak of blood across his face.
“Miss Eleanor!”
He dropped to one knee, his voice sharp with urgency. “The entire east corridor has collapsed, and the fire is spreading!
“We must leave here immediately!”
Eleanor’s chest rose and fell rapidly. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, her slender fingers unconsciously gripped the curtain by the window.
Just as she nodded, the captain stepped forward in a single stride.
“Pardon me, Miss Eleanor!”
Before finishing, his strong arms had already lifted Eleanor horizontally into his embrace.
The sudden movement made her instinctively grasp the captain’s breastplate.
Julius immediately stepped forward, eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
The firelight cast a warm orange glow on his profile, beads of sweat sliding down his tense jawline.
“Move!”
The captain barked, swiftly leaping onto the windowsill with Eleanor cradled in his arms.
Eleanor’s golden hair fluttered as they jumped out. Her tightly pressed lips and trembling lashes betrayed her inner anxiety, but her voice was steady:
“Everyone, follow closely. Stay safe.”
Julius was the last to leap out the window. The moment he landed, the building behind him groaned under the weight.
With a deafening crash, the garrison was consumed by roaring flames, the heat fanning a fierce wind that whipped their cloaks violently.
“What on earth happened?!”
After confirming everyone’s safety, the captain carefully set Eleanor down on a flat patch of ground, then turned to look at the battered Julius.
The youth leaned against the Old Oak Tree. His uniform was darkened by soot, and blood oozed from a wound on his right arm.
Julius gasped for breath as he briefly recounted the sequence of events.
When mentioning the explosion, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the distant flames, glossing over the details:
“…Those Black-robed Men used some kind of Abyssal Magic to trigger the blast…”
Eleanor listened quietly, her golden lashes fluttering gently in the firelight.
She took slow steps toward Julius, her snow-white skirt stained with dust, as if she were already regaining composure from the earlier chaos.
“Let me see your injury.”
Her voice was soft, gentler than the night breeze.
Julius instinctively wanted to refuse, but saw her lift her hands, fingertips glowing with pure golden light.
The warm light cascaded like flowing water, and the wound on the boy’s arm began to heal visibly before his eyes.
Julius held his breath.
He had never experienced Healing Magic so closely—the light contained a comforting power, like the gentlest sunshine in spring.
“All done.”
After a moment, Eleanor withdrew her hands, the glow fading.
Her complexion was slightly pale, but a faint smile tugged at her lips.
“Luckily, it was just a surface wound.”
Julius moved his arm. The injury was fully healed without a single scar.
Just as he was about to thank her, Eleanor suddenly furrowed her brows, her gaze fixed on his chest—where the Amulet used to hang, now only a broken silver chain remained.
“I think… I know what happened.”
Eleanor looked at Julius’s hesitant expression, recalling the explosion just now. Suddenly, something seemed to click in her mind.
Her lips twitched slightly.
But in the end, she said nothing more, only sighed softly:
“Never mind. That’s between you two.”
“When we get back, you can figure out how to explain the reason properly.”