A knife sliced through the air and then struck the back of Felssi’s neck while the other lodged itself deeply into her raised hand. She screamed in pain as the large red orb of Mana stayed fixed in place above her head.

  “Master Felssi!” the three female Mages screamed as Felssi began to bleed black blood from the neck and hand.

  The Mages crowded around Felssi to hold her up and protect her, but Felssi turned around to see Izick throwing a rectangular Flare trap into the air, where it exploded, sending a signal to anyone nearby that something of interest was taking place below it.

  Izick swiftly placed two glowing red cubes in either hand. He made sure the cubes shone as brightly as possible by pushing his own Mana into them.

  He began Reciting nonsense as loudly as possible to give the impression he was activating a devastating Mysteria Skill.

  This was his only answer to save the civilians of Damaran. Cause a scene and get Felssi's attention. Throwing a Banger cube or shooting the Honor Rod at her could destabilize the ball of Mana above Felssi's head, instantly detonating it. He also still didn't know if he could trust or even use the Honor Rod at the moment.

  One of the robed mages behind Felssi pointed at Izick before creating a small ball of purple Mana in her hand.

  “Master! That Mage on the rooftop must be the one who attacked you! He’s preparing another attack!” the Mage said before launching her orb of purple Mana at Izick along with the other two Mages.

  Felssi silently stared at the knife in her bleeding hand in shock.

  Izick continued to channel Mana into his red cubes as he dodged the Mana projectiles from the Mages before throwing the two brilliantly shining cubes at Felssi.

  The Death Elf Mages created green shields to block Izick's incoming "attack," but Felssi violently pushed one of her Mages out of the way.

  Felssi roared as she waved her bleeding hand toward Izick, beckoning the orb of red Mana to float toward the Scout.

  The massive red orb smashed through the shields of Felssi's own Mages and instantly incinerated Izick’s two red cubes as Felssi's orb of destruction barreled toward him.

  Chills ran down Izick’s spine as he turned around and kicked his heels into top speed. The other half of the house he was on simply stopped existing as the red sphere of Mana evaporated everything behind him.

  He felt the heat get closer to the back of his neck, so he made a sharp left and jumped to another house close by as the red orb of Mana completely disintegrated everything in its path.

  It exploded into a show of red light that knocked Izick onto the rooftop of another house. The weakened rooftop gave way, causing him to fall through the ceiling and slam onto a wooden table.

  Izick rolled off the remains of the shattered wooden table that broke his fall. He groaned as his entire body creaked with pain.

  Thankfully, Felssi bought his Breaker cube facade, but he should have thought that one through a bit more. He almost got dusted out of the land of the living. Though admittedly, there was no time.

  His thoughts snapped back to the hungry children and the malnourished people of Damaran inside that house. They didn’t wish for this war, but their existence was almost instantly snuffed out without them knowing it. He couldn't bring himself to abandon them after what he saw.

  He stumbled back to his feet while he pushed Hobbs’ warning to not engage with Felssi to the back of his mind. Felssi found the weakness of Damaran in its people. She wasn't going to stop until they were all dead.

  He sent the signal. Help should be on the way. Now, all he had to do was keep Felssi occupied just long enough until reinforcements arrived. Becoming the decoy against Felssi in Hiddel's stead was not a part of his plans, but he had a job to do, and it was still unfinished.

  A strange feeling of relief trickled down the top of his head before spreading to the rest of his body and taking away the pain of the fall. He didn't understand this random sensation, but he wasn't complaining and couldn't think too long about it either.

  He exited the ruined house and began running back to the house containing Damaran's survivors.

  ***

  Elf soldiers quickly ran out of the house’s front door. They froze in fear after noticing Felssi and her three Mages before them. Labon’s mouth opened wide in shock before quickly raising his spear to create a large fireball at its tip.

  “F-Felssi! Open fire!” Labon shouted as he and the four other Elf soldiers launched fireballs at Felssi and her Mages. One of Felssi’s Mages quickly stepped in front of Felssi to create a green shield to block the incoming fireballs.

  The fireballs exploded on impact, but the shield of Felssi’s Mages held, repelling the flames from Felssi.

  The Mages lowered their shields and then chanted words in an elven language to charge purple orbs in their hands.

  “Protect the shelter!” Labon shouted as he and the other soldiers raised their shields and stepped in the path of the shelter.

  The Mages launched the purple orbs of Mana at the soldiers with their shields raised.

  The purple orbs smashed through the shields of the elf soldiers and vaporized them into ash before slamming into the wall of the shelter.

  A red semi-transparent shield flickered on the wall of the shelter, trying to deflect the purple orbs of Mana, but shattered under the stress of the Mages’ attack like glass.

  A roar of splinters and stones erupted at the front of the shelter. Dust filled the battleground, bringing down the visibility.

  Screams poured out of the shelter when those inside felt the impact and realized there was a gaping hole where the front gate used to be, and some of the civilians were now dead from the attack.

  Labon launched his spear into the chest of one of Felssi’s Mages as the other two moved away from the volley of spears raining down on them through the dust. More elven soldiers ran out of the demolished front wall of the shelter to join Labon.

  “I don’t care if this is Felssi! We are greater in number, charge!” Labon shouted as he pulled out his sword and charged towards Felssi and her Mages.

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  “Master, these Lower-Elves just killed Talka and want to maul us. We must fall back!” one of the Mages said as she pushed three Elf soldiers into the shelter wall with a green shield to keep them away from Felssi.

  Felssi ignored the words of her Mage and the incoming Elf soldiers as she absentmindedly went back to staring at her bleeding hand.

  She pulled the knife from her hand. Felssi stared at the knife as her Mages desperately tried to protect her from the thronging Elf soldiers with hurried shields and attacks.

  “This knife is not elven. They are Humin in design,” Felssi said as her hands began to shake while holding the two knives. “It’s infuriating that an enemy has drawn my blood, but for this enemy to also be a half-eared Humin? This humiliation is unacceptable. The Dark Country will never let me live this down.”

  The knife began to melt into liquid in her hands as a crimson flame burst from her hands. The flames cauterized her hand wound, and she closed the gash on her neck with the same flame.

  “I will slowly torture that half-ear to death if he is still alive, but these Lower-Elves come first.”

  Felssi shot two streams of crimson fire past her two Mages. The soldiers screamed as the flames streaming from Felssi’s hands melted through their shields and armor like paper before burning them alive.

  She extinguished the flames covering her hands and then formed two axes made out of glowing red Mana.

  Three Elf soldiers lunged at Felssi from behind her while another charged a fireball at the end of his spear.

  Felssi’s Mages created shields to block two of the soldiers, but one slipped through.

  The Elf soldier thrusted his spear at Felssi’s head, but she headbutted the incoming spear away before cleaving the defenseless Elf in half with her Mana axe.

  She threw her other Mana axe at the Elf soldier, charging a fireball. The Mana axe spun like a flying disc before striking the fireball, causing it to explode into a cloud of flames that engulfed the Elf soldier.

  Labon and nearby soldiers raised their shields to block the flames from consuming them.

  "I did not know the Elves of Damaran were this ignorant. You attempt to strike my skull when the craniums of Death Elves are nigh indestructible? Damaran falls today because of your pride and lack of knowledge."

  "Silence! The heart of Damaran shall never die! Soldiers, prepare yourselves!" Labon said, raising his sword and inspiring the soldiers behind to let out a warcry.

  The Mages returned to Felssi’s side and raised their shields as she dismissed her axes and formed a round red ball of Mana in her right hand. She smiled at the Elf soldiers still charging at her.

  “How about we play a little game? Stop my next attack and live, or get cut to pieces and die. Here, catch.” Felssi said before launching the red ball.

  The soldiers tried to raise their shields, but the red ball darted around the shields and smashed into their bodies. Labon gritted his teeth in rage as he saw his comrades fall around him, but he continued to push on toward Felssi.

  "Looks like you could not stop my attack. Your only option now is to die."

  Felssi made two red knives of Mana and began to cut down every Elf soldier near her. The red ball continued to move independently of Felssi, smashing Elf soldiers around her as she weaved every desperate attack.

  Her grace and precision mimicked an intricate dance as she snuffed out the life of every Elf soldier with a speed they couldn’t react to.

  Labon slashed at Felssi's neck. She ducked and then slashed through Labon's shield, deeply wounding him in the chest.

  Felssi counted him as dead and moved on to kill the soldiers behind him.

  Labon grasped his chest wound and collapsed to his knees as he stared at the horror of his soldiers being mowed down by Felssi.

  He looked to the ruined front entrance to the shelter and saw his people shaking in fear while some desperately tried to kick down the walls and windows to create another exit away from the rampaging Felssi. The civilians of his Damaran were behind him, and it was his sworn duty to protect them.

  He coughed blood as he got back to his feet and quietly Recited words in his elven language while raising his bloodied hands towards Felssi and her Mages.

  A blue ball of electricity formed between his hands.

  “Master Felssi!” The Mages said as they jumped in front of Felssi as three bolts of blue electricity from Labon ripped through the air towards Felssi. The bolts pierced through the Mages like a skewer. Felssi extended her hand to block the electricity.

  She smiled at Labon as her Mages lifelessly fell to the ground.

  “That was the last of your Mana, was it not? Unfortunately, puny Lightning Mysteria like this is a waste of Mana against me. Though it is annoying that you killed my last two Mages,” Felssi said as she ordered the flying ball to slam into Labon’s chest and then pin him down on the stone ground.

  He groaned in pain as Felssi walked towards him with her hand glowing red.

  Felssi recalled the red ball to her hand from Labon’s chest and reabsorbed it into her body. She stepped on Labon’s chest and stared down at the civilians inside the shelter.

  “All of you are foolish and weak, especially those you put into leadership. I regret ever seeing Kaleen as a peer to my intellect. She begged for the aid of half-ears because her genius was leagues below mine.”

  “K-keep Commander Kaleen’s name out of your mouth. You talk so mighty, but are you not the newest lapdog of that traitorous Humin Staff Hero? You are a simple hypocrite.” Labon said before coughing.

  “Silence,” Felssi said as she pressed her heavy boot into Labon’s chest, causing him to loudly groan in pain. The people inside the shelter began to weep and wail as they watched one of their leaders being tortured by the Felssi, who would eventually end them all as well.

  She savored the pure fear on the face of each of the civilians.

  “Felssi!”

  Felssi looked down the road to her left and saw Izick standing with his eyes locked onto her.

  Izick looked away from Felssi and felt his stomach drop at the dozens of dead Elf soldiers scattered around Felssi, along with the battered Labon under Felssi’s feet.

  He was too slow despite running here at top speed, but he could still save Labon and the civilians. He didn’t want to get himself killed, but he couldn’t leave these people behind.

  “Eyes over here. I’ll be your opponent.” Izick said as he pulled out the last knife on his belt. Felssi lifted her hand to her mouth and laughed.

  “So I did not kill you earlier? I’m relieved. Now I can take my time as I wipe you out of existence.” Felssi said as the red orb in her hand grew twice its size. Labon recognized Izick and then grabbed Felssi’s leg before she could start walking towards Izick.

  “Humin! My life is spent, but the Elves of Damaran are still alive! I beg of you, save my people! Don’t let them die–”

  Felssi shot a red rod of Mana from the red orb in her hand into Labon’s head, cutting his plea to Izick short.

  “That’s better. He was talking too much.”

  Izick’s eyes grew wide as his hands shook while gripping his knife. He gritted his teeth as he lowered his shaking head.

  “Why? What’s the point of all this? What do you gain from all of this death?” Izick said, shouting with a trembling voice. Felssi looked at him like he was crazy before pointing to the civilians.

  “Anyone who aligns themselves with the filthy country of Arekia deserves death and no sympathy. The previous Death Emperor understood this, and I carry on his will for Arekia’s destruction within me. His hatred was an inspiration to me, and even made me turn a blind eye to the fact that he was a half-ear himself.”

  Izick crouched in a ready stance and sheathed his knife. He pulled the Honor Rod off his back and readied it in his hands.

  Now was not the time to rely solely on his skills as a Scout. He had to chance it and use the Honor Rod if he wanted to survive.

  He was still unsure if the new Skill he gained from the Blessing was even real, but he had to make a stand here.

  Labon didn’t care much for him and the Scouts, but he cared for his people and swallowed his pride in his last moments to plead to him to help his people.

  There’s no way he could turn his back now after seeing that even when every sense in his body told him to run away like always.

  The red orb hovering above Felssi's hand grew in size once more before a red ring of Mana formed around it. The orb began to rapidly spin, kicking up dust around Felssi and blowing her hair back.

  “Now, stay still, I need to take your legs away so you do not go running off like last time. I want to see you bleed before you die.”

  Izick pulled back the warding cloth from the Honor Rod's trigger as cold sweat ran down his face. Kaleen's timer continued to run in the corner of his eye.

  Thirty-two minutes had elapsed. A hundred and three minutes remained until Damaran's destruction.