The Adamah order charged towards the center of the valley. Chris's heart started to pound faster, seeing the crest flying high, a sense of relief came over him, he couldn't understand if the relief was due to seeing something familiar or because he hoped that their arrival would mean the end of this meaningless slaughter.

His jubilation though didn't last much, he noticed that there weren't enough riders to make a difference in the battle, at best he guessed there were a hundred riders.

((Did they rush here?))

At the center of the valley, the saugetiers had surrounded the Insekis who utilised the distraction of the incoming riders to reform their offensive and defensive stance, it lacked the mist which formed part of their offensive, instead, they used their physical strength to keep the saugetiers from breaching.

The attack on the Insekis was now split, while some focused on them, others moved their attention to the incoming attack, the laubs who were now reduced to a count of twelve also started to move their focus to the riders. From the distance, the odds looked completely against the Adamah order, to even reach the Insekis would be a feat.

The Order was riding in a flying wedge formation, it looked like the tip of a spear from afar. Without slowing down they spearheaded into the incoming Saugetiers, but none made any contact, the saugetiers were either slowed or removed from their paths effortlessly. At an equal space around the whole formation, they carried what looked like their earth magic, it was an invisible area that none could breach. The Saugetiers could only bump at each other and helplessly look at the charging riders pass right through.

((Was it both attract and repel?))

They kept moving forward, but he doubted if it can be effective for the much heavier and bigger Laubs, right at that moment two laubs charged at them, but before they could reach them the laubs stopped abruptly, and even more strangely using their claws they started to attack the contraption they were wearing, after destroying it they ran into the forest.

It was all too puzzling to figure out what just happened, it made only sense when he noticed two dead Eidechs surrounded by men in green robes.

((When did they attack? Wind mages?))

He looked around the battlefield to see all Eidechs were being attacked and correspondingly all the Laubs had stopped moving.

((Did they move even before the attack?))

Even with such small numbers, the order had neutralised the Laubs and the saugetiers in an instant, even Chris didn't expect the order to be this good, it clearly was a very highly organised force.

They kept breaching the Saugetiers formation removing all the saugetiers in their way and after reaching the Insekis they formed a circle around them. Hardly hundred Insekis remained. The attacking Saugetiers were now being pushed back by the earth mages. Once the saugetiers around them were cleared the whole formation started to move again, with the narrow path ahead as their destination. Yet again an attempt for escape was being made.

Ruthan spoke, "Call him Darius."

Darius paused and then looked at Chris "I am sorry, I have to win this"

Chris knew the next move Darius was about to make would affect the Adamah order, and he knew who the "him" Ruthan meant.

Darius blew the thing he was holding again.

From behind them, a Laub much bigger than the one others were riding emerged, there was no contraption on it. There was a single rider on top wearing light green armor.

((Adag!))

He looked at all of them, or rather he looked at Darius. He turned his attention towards the valley below. The Laub was much faster than the others and quickly covered the distance.

He disembarked and stood right in front of the formation that was trying to escape.

The horn blew twice to which the Saugetiers reacted by making room between them and the marching formation. Adag was about to attack.

His eyes turned red and in an instant, the surface around the formation turned into wet mud, few who couldn't react quickly found themselves sucked in by the mud, some barely managed to escape with the help of those around them, while others weren't so lucky. The whole formation was now covered in wet mud.

Just like the mist made by Insekis, the mud was a strange magic Chris didn't understand.

With Adag's move, the escape yet again came to a halt.

Adag single-handedly stopped the advance, but by showing that he was responsible for the halt also meant he was exposed to an attack. That's when five men in green robes appeared around him and attacked, they threw something from their hands, Chris knew they were weapons made from wind, but it never reached Adag.

The Laub deflected them with its tail. They tried it again, but the Laub was too agile for its size deflecting all of them with its scales. Seeing long-range wouldn't work they shortened the distance to attack Adag, dodging the Laub with their speed, and once within striking range, they released their wind weapons again, without the laub protecting him it was a guaranteed hit.

They were right it didn't miss, but neither did it hit Adag, he was now surrounded by a wall made out of mud, the weapons dissolved in it, they now started to attack him relentlessly but no matter how much they tried they couldn't reach Adag, while occupied in the attack they failed to notice that below them Adag had already formed the mud, by the time they reacted they were sinking in deep, but somehow they managed to jump out of the sinking mud.

Chris guessed they used wind magic on their legs, but the mud had slowed them down, which was enough for Adag to bring the wall of mud which was protecting him right on top of them, sealing their fates within the mud in an instant.

Without moving an inch he defeated five wind users from the order.

((How powerful is he?))

Adag then moved his attention back to the formation, who had used the distraction to move out of the mud trap, Chris didn't notice how they managed to escape, but they were yet again surrounded by the mud which now moved inward closing in on the troops and if the mud-covered the whole area their fate would be the same as the five.

Chris was getting restless, how can he keep watching this.

Darius perhaps sensing it spoke, "No, don't think about it, close your eyes and let it pass, this battle is over, they can't win against Adag, he is almost as strong as one of your Order's commanders, there is no hope for them, don't let your emotions cloud your decisions."

Ruthan was looking at both of them with a puzzled look.

Chris didn't want to hear those words, since the start of this battle he has been helplessly watching the massacre at both ends. He didn't know what to expect when he volunteered to join the raid, but he never expected to see a massacre of such scale, he kept telling himself that it was not his battle and that he cannot do anything, maybe knowing that he belonged to some other world he was trying to be indifferent, but wasn't he now a part of this world as well and didn't Adamah order represent a part of it? How can he still act indifferent?

Something was happening down below, what looked like at least thirty riders broke away from the formation and for some reason, the horses didn't sink when they stepped on the mud, they then charged straight at Adag. Chris had to guess they were able to do so due to their earth magic.

Adag was ready for them, he engaged the laub against the incoming charge, which started to attack them ferociously with its tail, only a few were able to dodge it but none were visibly harmed they all landed softly on the ground, their horses weren't so lucky.

The remaining ten who were still on their horses charged at Adag, Chris thought they were planning to attack him directly but right before reaching him they jumped from their horses to form an inward turning arch formation. The Laub chasing them was now unable to move any closer. That's when Chris realised they had put the whole area under "Attract", turning anyone within their zone immobile, and from the looks of it, this included Adag.

This is when five of them who were not part of this locking magic came from behind and approached Adag, their movements were not limited by the "Attract", just like the horses earlier they crossed the mud surface surrounding Adag.

The wall which had made short work of the attackers earlier started to form, but it was not forming fast enough, almost as if it was being prevented from accumulating.

Just when it looked like they will strike him, they froze where they stood. Chris guessed it had to be the same thing that he had used on Ruthan and the same thing he had felt from Malqaf.

It was an odd sight to see everyone just standing still, but the ones who knew what was happening would know that a great battle of willpower and endurance was taking place. It was still terrifying to see that fifteen mages were barely able to hold Adag.

Behind the formation that locked Adag, those who had fallen from their horses had formed an outward-facing arch formation and were actively engaging the Suagetiers, preventing them from coming to Adag's rescue but this also prevented them from attacking Adag.

Their approach was simple, slow those who came closer and knock them out, it was extremely efficient. The other laubs and their riders were still being distracted by the men from the order.

But neutralising Adag the mud around the formation had stopped moving yet it didn't disappear. The formation inside changed its shape into a square with the carriage still at the center attached to the great beast.

Two men from the formation used something in their hands to immediately generate fire from them, they targeted the wet mud in front of them, he knew they were trying to solidify the surface.

After a few minutes of this, they hardened enough surface for all of them to move out. The Saugetiers could only helplessly watch them move as the "Attract" prevented them from getting closer and those who barely did were just knocked out.

Adag was still stuck in a stalemate with the order, but unlike before the mud wall around him was forming faster, it was only a matter of time before he would break loose.

The ones who had formed the outward arch joined the moving formation, they inched closer towards Adag, and in turn closer towards the path that lay behind him.

((Was escape really possible?))

That's when one of the laubs with the contraption which was earlier engaged with the men of the order came charging towards Adag, entering the zone of Attract held by the earth mages. This sudden entry was visibly straining them, the zone wasn't about to be held for long.

Probably sensing that Adag will be free any moment, something started to happen inside the Inseki formation, the great beast which was pulling the carriage started to act strangely, it opened the hard shell on its back to expose huge transparent wings.

He guessed the two Insekis riding it were responsible for the change in behavior of the beast. It started to flutter its huge wings sending a gush of wind throughout the valley. Despite its huge size it effortlessly lifted from the ground and placed itself on top of the carriage.

Then to Chris's amazement, the beast started to lift the carriage off the ground.

((They plan to take away the carriage?))

At the same time the formation got near Adag, two of the fire mages disengaged and came closer to him, they were planning to attack him with fire.

Unfortunately though right at that moment two of the mages who were holding the locking magic fell unconscious, freeing Adag, the fire mages released fire from their hands, Adag instantly generated the mud wall to block the fire, but he didn't use it to only block, he directed the mud which was hardened from the fire to use as a projectile aiming at the wings of the great beast which was up in the air, the projectile instantly destroyed one side of the beast.

It moaned in pain and without the wing to support it in the air, it fell along with the carriage with the impact instantly killing those who were under it.

The whole battlefield was now in disarray, with dust surrounding the whole valley, those who remained from the order and Insekis tried their best to get closer to the carriage and protect it.

Adag, who was now completely free used his mud on the small area that held the remaining troops. Now it was only a matter of time before they were all going to be buried alive.

This was it, he couldn't take it anymore.

"I am sorry Darius, but I cannot keep watching this, I cannot be indifferent, I cannot always allow myself to be at the whim of the strong, maybe being weak is to hope for the impossible, tell Anisa that I am sorry, thanks for everything."

Without waiting for a reply he stood and took off towards the battle below. He could hear Darius from behind calling out for him, but he had made up his mind, there was no turning back.

He didn't know what he was planning to do, but he knew his target was Adag who was getting closer to the soldiers, while running towards Adag he noticed that the carriage's sealed door was broken with a small gap revealing what was inside, the familiar feeling was getting very strong now, he could see something in pink shining inside, it didn't look any Sinop crystal he knew, from the looks of it, it was huge.

He didn't have the time to think about it so he pulled his attention back to his destination, probably because of his size or because they had seen him with Darius none of the Saugetiers reacted to him running through them. The closer he got, the faster his heart started to pound. He hastened his run only to find himself right in front of Adag.

Even if Adag was surprised he didn't show it, he stared at Chris, for some reason even after being in the middle of a small Saugetier army and facing Adag who single-handedly changed the course of the battle, he was not feeling fear, strangely he felt confident.

"What are you doing here? Does Darius have some information?"

"No, Darius didn't send me, I came here on my own, you have to stop this, take the carriage and let the others go."

"How dare you mere human speak like this to me?"

Then to Chris's surprise, Adag just kept staring at him.

"I am not daring anything, but I will say this again, let them go."

Adag's eyes widened.

"It's not possible! How can it not affect a mere small human? Who are you? "

"I told you already, wait what doesn't aff....."

The mud moved right at Chris, who easily dodged it landing right on the mud surface, but instead of sinking in it, he easily pushed himself out of it.

((The mud is so easy to get out of?))

On the high of escaping the mud trap he moved towards Adag, Chris felt lighter and faster, he closed the distance in an instant raising his hand to punch him, Adag was visibly surprised, what was even more surprising for Chris was that his punch actually landed on Adag, who on impact fell at a distance.

((Was he this weak?))

The proud face of Adag wasn't proud anymore, there was rage.

He screamed at Chris "What are you?"

Chris really didn't know what to answer.

Guessing from the way Adag was looking at him he knew if Adag was going on easy on him till now, it won't be the case anymore.

Huge mud walls started to form around Adag reaching great heights, like a huge avalanche it came right at him. Chris dodged it even before the mud fell near him, but Adag's laub was right behind him, attacking with its tail, he barely dodged it. The Laub was fast for its size.

Chris had his plate full with Adag's mud trying to catch him and the Laub attacking him. He knew there was no way he was getting out of this unharmed, but at least he knew by keeping Adag distracted he prevented the mud from sinking the soldiers behind him.

Even though he was not sinking in the mud, his speed reduced when he kept pushing himself out of it. Adag kept screaming with red blood eyes sending wave after wave of mud, he was probably frustrated that Chris kept dodging him, but a small slip up was enough,

Just then the Laubs tale grazed him, this was enough for Chris to lose balance, he fell right on the mud. Due to the speed at which he was moving, he fell much deeper into the mud and couldn't remove himself quick enough, the small delay was enough for Adag who closed in, directing his mud avalanche at him, this was it, he knew he won't be able to dodge it, he was about to be buried alive.

((I really hope at least they were able to escape))

He closed his eyes, but no mud came down at him, he opened them after hearing a voice he hadn't heard for what felt like ages.

"Master Philip are you alright."

He saw a thin man with receding hair, looking right at him with his ever-assuring smile, his shoulders were shimmering under the sun, but he wasn't alone five more figures stood around him, and just like him they had scales that were shimmering.

He didn't need to guess, he knew they all belonged to the draconate clan.