A rumble rippled across the ground like a torrent, unsteadying and even toppling over a few buildings. All of the hidden people streamed out like blind ants at the man's explosion in power. At first, Essairyn thought they were escaping the crumbling structures as each ripple rolled through the village. But then, she quickly realized it was for a more nefarious reason.

Smoky black twines sprung up from fleeing bodies and dangled in the air above, spiraling toward the man at the epicenter. Before he even spoke, Essairyn roughly guessed what was happening due to the escalating accumulation of power she sensed emanating from him.

"I usually like playing, but unfortunately for you, I got too impatient. Don't worry though, I'll make sure to use your soul well."

His portentous words prompted Essairyn's eyebrows to shoot up in trepidation. This man was clearly neither bluffing nor boasting. His reflective powers and possession of all these villagers was likely connected to his ability to utilize another's soul. That speculation alone freaked the crap out of Essairyn. Having one's soul controlled seemed like a forever damning existence.

The air crystallized in response to Essairyn's heart quickening and fingers tightening around the handle of her ice sword. Faint, icy billows gushed and undulated from around her, causing Aispin to involuntarily shiver. They poured into the cracks on the ground and mysteriously congealed to form an intricate, asymmetric spiderweb of ice.

"Quick! Take the villagers as far away from here as you can!" Essairyn commanded Aispin. "He's draining their vitality somehow!"

"That is—!" Aispin hesitated, not wanting to place some strangers' safety over someone he cared about, but he understood the risk of allowing their enemy to accrue power. "Okay, I'll go."

With a grudging expression, he whistled sharply with his fingers, indicating to the awaiting Darren and Leœss in the carriage to rush over. None of them had truly gone far and abandoned their comrade. They had merely stationed themselves in a safer location that allowed them to make a clean exit if necessary.

At the sound, the whinnying of horses could be heard. Chaotic clops proceeded, and a carriage burst through the flurrying debris. Since the people closest to the man were basically lost to him, the three knights focused on the villagers in the periphery. Essairyn did her best to gently knock away the villagers in order to disrupt the man's spell, but it was only a temporary solution as he and the the townspeople seemed connected by some unknown bond.

Observing the girl's futile attempts, the man smirked and chuckled fleetingly. "Silly, but needlessly heroic. You adventurers never fail to amuse me." He shrugged his shoulders, sighing dramatically. "Let's just end this now, shall we?"

Essairyn scrunched her face in disgust. "Tch! Don't get so cocky, noble."

"Noble?" The man's amused face dropped instantaneously like the wrong button had been pushed. "Who're you calling a noble?" His pitch raised sharply. "I would never group myself with those two-faced, self-centered, abhorrent politicians!" He practically spat.

Surprised by his turn of expression and malice, Essairyn stepped back subconsciously at his venomous wrath. But she couldn't ponder his words as he furiously stomped toward her. Bracing herself for impact, Essairyn dug in her heels and balanced her stance. The air chilled stilly, as if copying the forceful calm within the girl. Essairyn slowly swung her sword in circles in front of her, picking up speed as her mind cleared and sharpened. With heightened perceptiveness and control of her magic, Essairyn willed it to enfold her sword length from beyond the point and pommel. The weapon lengthened into a double-sided, doubled bladed sword from either end of the former hilt.

The man raised an intrigued eyebrow at the sight of the forming weapon. But it didn't rattle him as he welcomed a counterattack. With a scoff, he halted in his tread and hoisted the palm of his right hand straight into the air. Black twines corkscrewed into a ballooning globe that writhed with resentful energy. Before releasing it, he indifferently spoke to Essairyn.

"The only thing I retained from those bastard nobles is my name so that they'll know who ended their pampered, shallow lives. I don't know who you are, but you at least deserve to know who killed you and your companions. My name..." He simpered with the cursory pause. "...is Balgair."

The black mass barreled into Essairyn's spinning weapon. The blades protracted and snapped together in a semi-opaque, lavender shield to ward off the harmful demonic magic. The sphere then abruptly exploded, splintered in a conical shape around Essairyn, and ruthlessly punctured the buildings behind.

"And my name is Essairyn." Her voice rang true and clear.

The wispy globs leftover from Balgair's attack dissipated around Essairyn as if burnt from simply being in her presence. Her subterfuge of calm and ease at spoiling his ultimate spell gave her the courage to speak.

"Remember it well." She glared defiantly.

"Essairyn!" It was Darren this time that reached her first before Aispin and Leœss who had Akari cradled alertly in his arms.

"You came back." She insipidly stated, keeping an eye on the strained Balgair. Thankfully, he had overtaxed himself with his ruse. It was clear that he held no apt skill to properly fight Essairyn squarely without his reflective abilities. But this was hardly reassuring.

"Of course, we wanted a piece of this scumbag ourselves," replied Leœss, scoffing.

Essairyn gave a small smile. "Then, I'll need your help. Please lend your power to me."

Inspired by Balgair's attack, she had rapidly assembled a new plan of attack. Her previous attempt might have largely failed, but she had greatly learned from the test. Injuring this man was possible, and from his immediate decision to expose and launch his trump card, Essairyn knew that Balgair had been bluffing at not being significantly hurt by her previous magical attack.

Following her train of thought, having been with Essairyn the longest, Akari caught on first. The fox frowned and speedily objected, "It's too dangerous. If you underestimate, you'll all be in critical condition with him still alive. And if you overestimate, you'll kill yourselves. Don't be stupid."

Essairyn wryly grinned with downturned brows. "Unfortunately, we only have 'stupid' to fall on." She moved her gaze up to Leœss holding the fox. "Please send Akari far away. No. I'll do it myself." She lifted her hand, intending to sweep the fox up to a safe location.

"Stop!" Akari exclaimed through gritted teeth. "Let me stay. I won't get in your way."

"But—"

"No buts. You're confident of succeeding, right? Do it with that mindset and kill that pretentious bastard."

Essairyn sighed. "Okay." She turned, her back facing her companions, and squared her shoulders. "Let's do this."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Leœss whistled with courageous cheer, making a smile creep onto the corners of Essairyn's lips. That's right, she had to believe in herself. If she didn't, then she was setting herself up for inevitable failure. Luck was not reliable.

"While I agree with Akari on this," began Aispin reluctantly, "there isn't any other feasible method. However." He sternly looked at Essairyn who had turned her head around to listen. "Please let me take the brunt of the force."

The girl's eyes widened. "No I can't—!"

His steady, serious eyes silenced her budding protests. Essairyn clenched her hands and pursed her lips, swallowing her words. They had no time to argue, and Aispin was unwavering.

"Fine." She spun around and took a few steps forward before stopping.

Aispin exhaled in relief. He wasn't doing this out of any particular concern for Essairyn; although, he did care about her wellbeing and tendency to take everything personally on her shoulders. He had a trick up his sleeve in case her spell went wrong. In the worst case scenario, at least Essairyn had to live. If she was alive, then As'pyze and the Knights had another shining beacon of hope besides Commander Chaera Ch'tahur and the KMA's Headmaster—the last legacies of the Original Knight-Mages.

"Please...survive this and carry on our will. I'm...sorry to entrust so much to you, Sairyn." Aispin whispered under his breath so that not even Darren or Leœss could hear.

The team formed a triangle with Essairyn at the front, Darren to her left, Leœss to her right, and Aispin at her back. They all held their weapons in front of them in defensive positions. Aispin had the point of his buried in the ground. He quickly chanted a complex charm, triggering invisible red lines to skitter up his blade. Akari crouched preemptively behind them all at a close yet safer distance.

A faint magic circle materialized beneath the four humans' feet before swiftly fortifying and radiating a pulsing force. All of their energies flowed into Essairyn through their connection to the magic circle. For the boys, it was like an exodus drained out their power in receding tidal waves. But they held on resolutely. For Darren, it merely felt like he regressed back into a normal human as on Earth. The familiar sensation was oddly nostalgic.

But that feeling only lingered a moment as all of their amassed power hurtled toward Balgair at Essairyn's command. Even at this point, the man still hadn't made any moves to thwart their spells. Like two walls, they clashed in distorted, intermingled energy waves before the expectant force rebounded back toward Essairyn.

Sonic.

The force was beyond crushing. It shredded their every fiber from body to mind to soul.

Silence.

Gears grated to a standstill. No one could think. After excruciating pain, no one could feel. Heat that chilled into numb. Tumult that hushed into peace. Color that flashed into black. The world seen before them collapsed into nothing as they fell to their knees.

Chapter Ten -- End.