What the hell is going on? My plan is not going as I hoped and now there is a large explosion? Can this day get any worse? "What was that explosion? Someone go and find out what is happening!" I ordered.

Artemisia Creighton quickly stood "I will go you Majesty." She kneeled.

"Go and report what you find as soon as you can." I then turned towards Romulus. "Get the men on high alert. Something is not right. Also send someone to go fetch Eleazar from his lab. I want him here immediately." Seriously I hope you are safe old man. If this is one of your crazy experiments once again I will scold you till you learn.

As soon as Romulus went out to order the men, a soldier came running towards me. "Prince Arthur! A scout from Captain Merida has arrived at the gate. He said he have something important to report."

A scout from Merida? I have sent here to investigate the missing patrols a few days ago and hasn't comeback since. If she sent someone to inform us then it must be something really dire for her not coming here herself. "Then what are you waiting for? Let him in!" I ordered and the soldier hurried away.

My eyes went back to the match and saw that both Cloud and Vash are looking towards the prison. Shit… I am just a few moments away from my revenge and this happen. When I saw Romulus was done ordering the troops to get their equipment and go to their positions, the courtyard is almost empty except for Pariston, Cloud and Vash. "Pariston, take care of that and come here once it is over." I then turned around and went to the battlements and help Romulus in mobilizing the troops.

Pariston will know what to do while I go and do my duty.

After a few minutes, I saw Artemisia in a hurry to give her report.

"Your Majesty! I am here to give you my report. The explosion from earlier originated from the cells inside the prison. The guards stationed there reported that the prisoner Alfaro exploded himself."

"Isn't Alfaro the one the scouts detained a month ago for straying too near the forest? Isn't he an amnesiac? Why would he explode himself, and most importantly how? Eleazar said that the cells in the prison inhibits the person inside from using mana?"

"The guards on the scene reported that Eleazar entered the prison earlier and started inspecting the runes inside the cells. When he entered the cell Alfaro was in, they argued about something and Eleazar grabbed his collar but quickly pushed him back and started running towards the cell door. The soldiers went to help but as soon as the Arch Mage exited and closed the cell door, Alfaro then exploded. The cell bars absorbed the explosion but the resulting shockwave sent all of them crashing to the walls."

"What the… How's the old man? Is he alright?" god damn you old man, always making me worry. Please be alright.

"He bumped his head and lost consciousness but the healers checked him and found no serious injuries apart from minor bruises." Oh thank god.

We are still in the middle of discussion when we are interrupted by the arrival of Merida's scout. The scout is breathing heavily when he came to me while I was assisting Romulus with the soldiers. "haaa.. ha… ha…. Your Majesty! Ha… I have a, haaa.. haa… very important message haa…. from Captain Merida!" He is panting as he tries to catch his breath.

"Come, tell us what message that Merida couldn't tell me herself." The dire look in his face clearly states that the news he is going to reveal will not be good to us.

I ordered a nearby soldier to hand a cup of wine for the scout to drink. He gulped the drink down greedily and started to tell his news "We were following the trail of the missing scout party with Captain Merida and three days ago we found something else instead. A large army flying the crest of the Merrryweather's are heading our direction." So, they finally found us eh?

I looked at Romulus and Artemesia, and they both replied that no scout came here yesterday or the day before. He must've been intercepted. This is bad. "So where is Merida and the rest of your squad?

But the scout continued. "Captain Merida suspects that they are following some kind of signal towards our hideout and sent Josh to warn you and to ask for further instruction on how to proceed. When he didn't came back to our agreed meeting place, we assumed the worst and decided to retreat." He stated. "While retreating, we must have triggered a sensory alarm since a couple groups of enemy soldiers came after us. Captain Merida and Mikhail stayed behind to try and lead them off our trail but unfortunately some of them were still able to track us. Jebie and Nash then stayed behind to let me escape and bring the news to you Your Majesty."

"Prince Arthur! They're here!" General Romulus shouted. I looked toward the direction he is pointing and there it is. The flag with the Symbol of Sun and three blooming flowers below, the crest of the Merryweather. At the head of the group rides the Ice Queen herself.

"Order the all the men and women who can fight to the battlements. Have the squires lead the young and the elderly towards the escape path quickly!" I ordered General Romulus and Captain Creighton. We can't see the rest of their army but I must assume they have us surrounded and outnumbered.

Damn. I wanted to see Cloud die for his sins and got this mess in my hands instead. Well, surely Pariston will do his job and see it through. Right now I need to focus on something a little more important. Saving MY Country.

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"Shit! It sounded like it came from the prison!" I exclaimed, halting my fist that are centimeters away from hitting Vash's face.

Vash also stopped in his tracks before his knife was about to stab me in the chest. "Oh no! Anna! Neera! My family!" he started to run towards the direction of the prison, ignoring his wounded foot. I started to run after him when Pariston stopped us.

"Non shall leave the Arena till only one of you are left standing." He declared. His long sword unsheathed and pointed towards us.

"Get out of the way Pariston! I need to see my family!" Vash pleaded.

"Yeah dude. Look around us. No one is left to watch this farce. Let us go and see Vash's family." I added.

"The Prince ordered you go when only one of you is left standing." I then quickly laid down in the ground. "I mean only one of you is leaving alive. Smartass." He grumbled.

"You really won't let us go?" I asked one more time. When I saw Pariston is serious on not letting us go until one of us is dead I turned around towards Vash only to see him going for the kill.

I dodged his quick stab to my chest and ducked on a follow up slash targeting my neck. "Shit Vash! I know you're worried about your family, I am too. But we need to stop."

"No Cloud. I need to kill you and get to my family quickly. They need me, and no, I will no longer hesitate. So get ready to die or get ready to kill. Come Cloud! Let's end this!" A look of fear and determination is evident of Vash's face. I understand the man. If someone is stopping me from seeing my family after I got the news that they are in peril, I will murder the man to death.

"Ok Vash. Let's end this. But know this. I don't plan to die." Both of us readied ourselves for a final clash.

Vash isn't even bothering to hide the fact that he can use his mana as he used it in short burst but quick succession. His speed dramatically increased as it feels like I am not fighting against a wounded man. But despite his speed, I was still able to dodge him for he just keeps on charging at me in a straight line like a bull charging at a matador. But even if I can dodge, it's not like I'm in a better position as I can't even throw a counter even if I wanted to for if I even try for if I am late for a split second to dodge I will be the one who gets skewered.

As I try to dodge another one of his attack, I suddenly froze on my track. I felt a foreign mana restrict my movement and followed the mana from its source. It is from Pariston. That bastard! Not only they pitted me against a superior opponent, they even have a gall to cheat!

"You bas---" I wasn't even able to finish my sentence when Vash's attack came.

My blood started to stream down my arms as I was able to luckily block his stab attack with my hand. Although I am wearing a metal glove, his knife still punctured it like it was nothing thanks to him coating the knife with his mana, enhancing its sharpness.

Vash then started to push the knife that is still in my hand unto my chest but I quickly kicked him off me. With a loud squelching sound, his knife slid off my hand causing the wound to pour more blood much faster. "Shit Vash! Can't you see that Pariston bound me in his spell earlier?" I complained.

"All is fair in a battle. I don't care if I win fairly or by cheating. As long as I win. For my family. Now die!" He retorted. Truly he doesn't care how he win anymore.

He once again charged at me and I quickly stepped aside once his feet was off the ground. I can't wait till he is only a meter away from me like earlier since Pariston will just bind me once more to let Vash kill me. But this time, instead of a stab Vash settled with a slash and it nicked me in the cheeks.

So he can even make his blade's range extend with mana. The odds just keeps on stacking against me. Luckily it can only extend for at least 5 centimeters because of the weird collar he is wearing which I remembered was an anti-magic collar that Eleazar have in his lab. How he was still able use mana while wearing that is a mystery to me. They must be using a dummy or a weakened version at least.

Damn it. I will not win by just dodging. I need to do something. But what? He is just too fast and his attack range is further than mine. If he sees that I am about to duck under his attack he will just change his attack trajectory and if I stepped aside he will just slash at me. There is only one thing left to do.

I need to dodge at the very last second when he commits on his attack. Once he commits on his attack he won't be able to change it and I will have a short opening for me to execute a counter. My counter attack must then knock him out for good for if it fails, it will not work a second time.

I quickly dodged a couple of his attacks, earning me more gashes before he stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

Chance!

I quickly rushed towards him and he responded with a dash of his own. I can feel his foot is enhanced with mana making him faster as he rocketed once more towards me. In the split second before we meet at the middle of the arena I also felt mana poured out towards his knife, the amount of mana in his knife is more than he used earlier which means it will be longer.

This is the moment of truth!

Time seem to slow down as his knife travels towards me, intent on cutting my head from my body. Making sure he won't be able to change the trajectory of his attack, I waited till I felt the invisible blade is only a few centimeters from my neck till I made my move. I then quickly bob and weave under his attack as I felt the blade cut the air just a couple of millimeter above my head. I then delivered a body blow to stop him on his tracks. When I saw he is still not falling, I then added an uppercut followed by a chopping left directly to his face as he falls down to knock him out.

I looked at my knocked down opponent sprawled in the ground. When I see that he is not getting up I walked towards Pariston. "Hey jackass. I won. So can I get out of he---" I felt a searing pain on my gut and saw a knife stabbed me in the stomach. This bastard just stabbed me! Motherfucker!

"Your opponent is still breathing and your fight is dragging out for too long. The Prince needs my presence soon so I will hasten the end of your little match. You will die here and the prisoner won. That is the story I will tell the His Majesty." He said at as a matter of fact tone.

"Vash is knocked out already. I won!" I held the stab wound, trying to stop my bleeding. "The soldiers saw that you stabbed me. They know that you cheated. Won't that make the soldiers think that your precious Prince is so petty that he will cheat just to win against me, a man devoid of mana?"

The bastard is wiping the knife that he is holding with a handkerchief and put it back on it's sheath. "Don't worry about the soldiers. I used an illusion magic earlier to show that Vash killed you before collapsing himself. While the knights, paladins and mages would be able to know that there is magic casted here with their mana sense, they are too busy in preparing for a siege to notice." He then walked towards Vash and took his dagger. "Here we had big hopes with the so called "Reaper" to kill you quickly. Alas, it seems he is soft, unlike what the reports said. Oh well. Nothing that I, Pariston, the loyal servant of the Royal Family can't fix." With dagger in hand, he slowly walks toward me. "I will stab you with your friend's dagger now. It would be suspicious if his dagger is not drenched in your blood. Now… Die!"

Oh Shit! Is this how I die? Killed by cowards who don't even play by the rules they set? Damn it! I can't die here! I need to go back home to my family!

Thoughts of my impending death floods my mind as the knife that will take my life travels towards me. I can't dodge! This bastard even used bind on me! Motherfucker! No fair! Stop damn it!

STOOPPPPPP!

As death approaches, I closed my eyes when I felt a familiar energy gush out of my body. This feeling. I know this. For thousands of years I have been accustomed to it.

Wait… Am I dead yet? With my eyes still closed, I felt my neck and felt no wound. I then slowly opened my eyes and was shocked with what I see. Pariston, with knife in hand which is only a centimeter away from my neck, stood there motionless like a statue. What is happening? How am I still alive? Not that I mind.

At first I thought someone must've noticed that Pariston is attacking me and casted a spell to stop him, but that is not the case. When I looked around the same thing has happened to everyone and everything in the vicinity. I saw a soldier floating from the floor, it looks like he jumped down from the battlements to the ground floor. Lines of the elderly, woman and children in a statuesque state as a squire leads them to a hidden passage where only a single person can enter at a time. Even the jerk Prince with his officers are stuck in their position.

God damn it Cloud! No time to be awestricken. Need to move!

I tried to move to see if I was still bound by that bastard Pariston's magic and found that I am free to move. My wound still hurts but the bleeding seemed to stop also. I tried to wrench the knife from his hand and stab him so that he will know the feeling of being stabbed himself. I tried a couple of times but I can't seem to make him budge. I tried getting the knife and his sword but it also ended in failure. Next I went towards Vash and tried to carry him but ended with the same result.

So, I can move in this weird situation, but I can't move other things. Got it. I need to escape while this last, but I need to do something first.

I rushed towards the tower, squeezing myself and climbing over the pile of bodies on my way to the top. I need to check on Neera and Anna. As I am about to reach the top, a thought came to my mind. If the door is closed I would be screwed. Luckily when I came to the prison entrance, the door was open and I was able to enter.

I quickly went towards Neera and Anna's cell. There they lay on the cell floor. Neera is hugging her daughter. Although I can't enter their cell and check on their status, no blood can be seen so hopefully they are just knocked out from the blast. Before I left the room, I stared Alfaro's cell and found it empty. Traces of an explosion from the inside is clear, but Alfaro's body is nowhere to be found. I didn't like the man, but I didn't want him to blow up to bits. Beaten yes, but not killed.

Once I found out that Neera and Anna are somewhat ok, it is time for my escape. I have no idea how long this situation will last so I rushed down the stairs without caring for who I step on as I use the heads and shoulders of the people around me as foothold. I was able to climb in the battlements since I can't exit through the gates since it is closed and also not through the secret exit since it is blocked by the escapees.

The only option left for me is to scale down from the walls or to jump from it. I looked below the walls and saw at least 5 meter drop towards the moat. I would be able to jump down safely if the water in the moat stays liquid but from the looks of it, it would be like jumping from this height and landing on solid ground.

I looked around me and saw the same situation from all side of the walls. As I was about to give up and just jump and hope I won't break any bone, I saw some birds frozen mid-flight near the wall. The two birds look like they were playing before they got stuck mid-air by this strange thing that is happening. One of the birds is near enough for me to reach if I jump towards it. Then I will drop towards the second bird and grab on it as well. After that I will only be 2 meters from the moat and I will be able to land safely.

So I enacted my plan and jumped towards the first bird. Unfortunately, when I grabbed it, my hand was unable to support my body weight as I plummeted down. Luckily I was able to grab the final bird long enough to break my fall before slipping from it also and land on my back.

Ouch! Oh well, better to feel pain than die.

Now that I am out of that god forsaken place, I started to run towards the forest. I run and I run but all of the things around me are affected by the strange phenomena as every living and non-living creature are stuck in place, frozen in time.

I felt my body is growing heavy as I was able to put a few kilometers away from me and my captors but I continued to run, until the strange feeling started to fade and my consciousness also fade into darkness.