Two swords with piercing cold air swung towards General Helias, he resisted his attack making their swords clash and their eyes met.

"Turning your eyes to someone else in the middle of a fight is rude, " Frost said.

General Helias smirked.

"Take it easy, I will end this war as soon as possible." Then he brushed off Frost's attack and backed away. General Helias took a 'signal fireworks' from his blazer and fired it into the sky.

-BUM! Treek-- Treek-- Treek!

The magic fireworks symbolized the lion's head crest of Asteria visible in the sky, a sign to attack. As a General he was prepared for everything, including preparing reserve troops if their attacks failed. He already ordered the archers to hiding themselves in the forest, once they saw his signal they would attack. But strangely there's no arrows came out from the forest, instead another Euphorion troops came out from there and joined the Euphorion troops who surrounded him.

The king who standing on the gate wall gave him a wicked laugh, General Helias turned his gaze to him angrily.

"General Helias, your reserve troops are dead. No one can help you anymore!" said Angel in a sarcasm tone.

General Helias held his sword tightly, if he had to die in this battle, so be it. For him to die for Asteria was a great honor.

"Angelus Raizel! You were once the pride of Asteria but it turns out you are no more than a traitor!" he shouted.

Angel looked at General Helias sharply, his hands clenched, anger and sadness began to seize his heart.

"You are the one who attacked me first, but you blamed me because I defended myself. You betrayed me, but you said I was the traitor..."

Frost swung his sword crossingly, a piercing cold air coming out from the sword struck towards General Helias.

General Helias tried to dodge it, but Frost's attack managed to injure his arm. In an instant the cold pierced through his entire body, his whole body trembled with cold, even the sword in his hand also shook violently.

"How dare you, mocking my king!" said Frost angrily.

This was the first time Frost felt so angry. Although he once misunderstood Angel when he overthrow King Xenos, during his reign he worked very hard to change Euphorion to what it is now, he even often neglected his own interests. More than that, Angel treats him and other elemental spirits as humans, as his partners not just as shields or war tools. He rarely shows his emotions but behind all of that, sometimes Frost caught him stared into the distance with a lonely gaze. Even though he never said anything, but Frost can guess all this has to do with his past. That's why he won't forgive those who dare to insult him!

Frost dashed towards General Helias and swung both of his swords in turns. General Helias forced his trembling hands to block it while Frost kept to swing his sword repeatedly. General Helias's trembling hands got worse, his strength faded as the coldness kept spreading throughout his body every time he brushed off an attack from Frost. Although the sword did not touch him but the sword's coldness was so piercing that froze the air surround him.

General Helias's sword was thrown, Frost swung his sword once again to end his life. General Helias could only stare at the white sword that swung before him, the sword that would take his life...

But suddenly Angel appeared before him and resisted Frost's attack with the dark aura from his hand. Frost and General Helias were surprised. Frost immediately lower his sword while Angel turned his gaze to General Helias.

"General, be my subordinate. I will spare your life."

General Helias looked at him sharply.

"Never!" he said angrily.

An Evil smirk reappeared on Angel's face.

"Very well... Nice to meet you again, General Helias, " he said, then he extended his hand to grip General Helias's face and casts 'Corruption of Mind' spell to him. The dark aura coming out of his hand enveloped General Helias's body.

Angel closed his eyes while looking at General Helias's memories as he tried to figure it out about the reason why Asteria attacked Euphorion and what agreement that has been made between between Asteria and Zephyrus.

General Helias screamed in pain, his head felt like being stabbed by thousands of needles which were getting more and more painful as Angel's head felt heavier when General Helias's memories moved into his head.

He opened his eyes and released his grip as he gasping breathlessly while General Helias fell motionless to the ground.

"They attacked Euphorion because they thought I took Euphorion's throne to get my revenge on Asteria... They sacrificed tens of thousands of my people only based on groundless fears... "

A slight chuckled began to slip out of his mouth when he felt ironic. Five years ago, he was executed by his family, but now they are the one who afraid of him. Slowly his chuckled turned into evil laughter which grew louder and louder. He could remembered when the first time he was sent to the battlefield at twelve-year-old, when he could not even hold a sword properly. For years he had been on the battlefield, risking his life, becoming his uncle's war puppet. He only obeyed, never failed in his duties, even gave up his right to be king. But they paid him by executing him and said he was a rebel, a traitor.

"After what I did for Asteria... For them is meaningless... Even now they won't let me live in peace."

It all sounded like a joke to him, a painful joke...

After witnessing their General collapse, the remaining Asterian troops fled. Gale had just raised his bow to shoot them, but Angel immediately directed his hands towards them. His dark aura enveloped and lifted their bodies one by one then he clenched his fists slowly. A cracking sounds could be heard from their bodies.

-Kkraakk --- Kkraakk --- Kkraakk

Blood flowed from their mouths as every bone in their body broke and their organs crushed, their screams of pain echoing into the sky.

Even the Euphorion troops who saw it were also afraid. During his reign, he was a kind king and led Euphorion very well. People's fear of him began to disappear little by little but today's battle reminded them that he was a king who possessed the power of darkness, who destroyed his enemies without mercy...

He swung his hand aside, throwing the dead Asterian troops before him.

Glossary

'Corruption of Mind' is a top-level magic spell used to read other people's thoughts and erase their memories. This spell requires full concentration to maintain the user's sanity since all the memories of the victim will move to the user.