A thousand strong came with blaring trumpets and uniformed footsteps.

This new force brought about a great boost of morale for the remaining two hundred odd soldiers that had Kairos and Relestia surrounded.

Their arrival they brought caused the citizens that were peeking from the safety of their homes to shrink back. The marching army caused everything to tremble.

Do your best Kai Kai!

Against such numbers, Aisa gave him her best supportive encouragement. Kairos wanted to roll his eyes.

They had thought the five hundred soldiers were impactful until twice that number arrived. The whole place shook with a great shiver as they came.

Kairos and Relestia did not wait.

The pressure of facing so many is crippling but they both chose to mount an attack.

At the very least, they must take out as many as possible.

Before this fight, Kairos had told the team that their mission this time is to prove to the gnomish citizens that they are capable of fighting against armies. Only with that strength will the princess be able to deliver on her words.

For a small group of people to be able to fight the forces of an entire nation sounded laughable but there was someone else on the Axis that managed to do so before: Veritus, the King of the elves.

That was why nobody laughed when Relestia brought up suggestions to change their laws and people actually got involved. And the same reason why the two of them cannot retreat right now.

Relestia was the one who acted first.

She had been trying to get to Kairos’ side since he was wounded, and this lapse created by the reinforcement’s entry was the perfect opportunity.

She rushed forward with great haste.

As she moved, afterimages were left with every step.

Unable to accurately determine her position, the troops moved en masse to block her from reaching Kairos.

Her initial success was quickly met with a tough wall.

More and more tried to get in her way, moreover, the soldiers that had long realised the lack of killing intent on her blade and are unafraid of her.

At a moment when time is of the essence and Kairos' condition is unclear, Relestia's desperation is tremendous. For the first time in her life, she wanted to cut down those that stood in her way.

No, she didn’t want to, she needed to.

At this point, the princess could not spare the effort to ensure those she hurt would not die.

In her urgency to get to his side, she wanted to tear a hole through the crowd standing in between. Yet, the princess could tell from her opponents’ disdain, that despite her prowess they saw her as a mere girl playing with a sword.

Even the greenhorns that first stepped onto the battlefield attacked Kairos and Relestia with intent to kill but she had been merciful towards her enemies. Now, she suffered from them taking advantage of her weakness. The mere distance to Kairos seemed to stretch out for miles.

The more fearlessly they got in her way, the more she felt they are taunting her.

One of the most destructive forces in the world is the scorn of a woman, and rightfully so.

The usually demure princess snapped but when she is furious, she turns stoic. They would not grant her passage way? Then she will create one. Relestia pushed forward again, only this time, the haste in her steps were gone. Replaced are the steeled determination of a warrior and a firm sword arm. The thin blade in her hand vibrated threateningly.

A surge of Ki rushed through her body, clamouring and demanding her to release them. It wasn’t clear if it was the anger or her pressing need to reach Kairos’ side, but something had changed in her.

She had become in tune with everything around, and entered a trance that is a mixture of epiphany with battle rage. Relestia seemed to know exactly what is needed to be done now. A complete clarity, with all doubt and that swirling mess of emotions wiped away. The way through this wall of soldiers appeared. Her hand moved again. Only this time, her sword is no longer hesitant.

The soldier she attacked was slapped with the flat of her blade. As though struck by an uppercut, he flew into his comrades and caused everyone to roll tumbling down.

There is still no killing intent within her attack. No, she did not plan to kill those in her way. Instead, the princess has an urge to rend the heavens and shatter the earth so that all who prevented her will cease existing.

The soldier that flew coughed out blood again and again as though he wanted to spit everything in his body out. However, the other soldiers seeing that thought that she is still merciful with her attacks became even more emboldened. They rushed towards the princess, hoping to delay her until their reinforcement arrive.

Her response was swift and powerful.

Another slap with the blade caused another batch of soldiers to fall over, bark and vine tangled with each other.

If someone looked from above, he would see patches of wounded gnomes thrashing about trying to stand up but only dragging their friends down with them.

It was not mercy but practicability that she did not cut down her target. If she had more brute strength, she would have decimated the soldiers. With the greater numbers out of the way, only the few stronger ones remained in her way. However, the princess passed them and continued towards Kairos.

Her steps were light, determined but almost seemed weightless.

Behind her, the soldiers met the afterimages left by her Gentleman’s Steps.

Like before, they ignored those images, thinking that these are mere illusions.

Until the first death throes turned everyone’s heads over.

The unmoving still images that quickly fades away can actually kill.

More than a dozen fell following the princess’ wake.

Did Relestia slash them down as she passed?

If she did, it is truly terrifying. What kind of speed would she possess to achieve that?

But if she didn’t… if it was the afterimages that struck down these men… then it is more than just terrifying.

How many copies can she leave behind as she run? A dozen at the least, they had all seen her do that.

If she can kill thirteen at once, she can easily cut her way out and even the thousand strong reinforcements cannot stop her from escaping.

Yet, in the chaos of the noise, the thick stench of blood, and the possibility to die at any moment, none of them noticed that there were actually two strikes on each of the dead soldiers.

Her speed? Afterimages that could kill?

It was both.

In a lucid moment, Relestia had broken through the mastery stage of both her swordplay and movement technique.

The Gentleman’s Sword and the Gentleman’s Steps are meant to be used together and putting them together is not an addition but a multiple in their total strength.

Someone calmer and more astute would have found it strange for a thin sword to be able to slay gnomes that had transformed into Oak Treants and Vine Treants.

These are powerful beings without one point of weakness. They have to be completely sliced in two to actually die in a single strike, unlike humans and beasts that will die with a single strike to the brain or the heart.

In fact, even after being sliced apart the gnomes have a chance of surviving, although, they might need some years before they can shapeshift back into their tiny but more convenient humanoid forms.

Unsurprisingly, Relestia does not have the power to kill a Treant with a single slash, normally.

She had attacked twice in rapid session. Once with her actual self, and the second time using her afterimage.

The first strike must break the opponent’s shield, in this case their bark, and the second to kill.

These silhouettes of hers are released Ki bodies that held enough power for a single strike. They might not last long nor deal a lot of damage, but because they hit the exact place where Relestia just did, it became particularly deadly.

In fact, the reason for the thin long blade needed for this particular swordplay is to grant the user enough speed and penetrating strength.

Even so, Relestia did not manage to reach Kairos’ side.

Her path was obstructed by a particularly powerful Vine Treant. It had shifted over after noticing her intention.

This gnome had thorns all over its tendrils, and despite looking like plain shrubbery, it is painfully poisonous. The kind that is not lethal but causes intense pain and boils all over the victim’s body.

The princess, unaware of this, attacked like before.

She flew right into the vines, intending to cut down her target as quickly as before. But this time, as her sword struck, it did not cleanly slice through the target. Thorny vines sprung out from all over and tightly wrapped around her hand.

“AHHHH!”

Her voice was like crystal bells that can be heard even in the din of combat.

The princess cried out in intense pain, frantically pulling her hand back but only causing the thorns to dig deeper into the flesh.

The Vine Treant did not hesitate. The tendril that had grabbed the girl pulled her towards its embrace. A long thin spike aimed at her heart drove forward intending to end her life.

Nearby, an overbearing pressure seemed to roll out from a lone, unmoving, warrior. None dared to approach, fearing him like the angel of death to decree who should remain this day.

The soldiers awaited more to arrive because only then might their judgement be exhausted and fade away.

Perhaps these men are so closely attuned to death and could feel it creeping up towards them that they rightly deemed the situation.

At this point, Kairos’ condition had deteriorated so much that he is becoming delirious. Almost instinctively, the still figure was stirred, turning its head with great effort towards the source of the screaming.

“Tia…,” he squeezed out a whisper.

His vision had darkened and became clouded. To compensate, the Heavenly Sight had overridden almost the entirety of his field of vision.

A girl’s outline glowed from behind the scores of enemies that stood between them.

Words appeared in his murky conscious like a shovel that cleared all other thoughts.

“Directive compensated.

Directive compensated.

Directive compensated.

Hostiles surrounding safeguard subject.

Allies approaching to secure safeguard.

Calculating failsafe success rates… 0%

Objective changed.

Contingency plan initiated. Activate fallback protocol: Hail Mary.

Good luck.”

Three shadows rushed out from their hiding place and dashed towards Relestia. Alas, they are too far and too late.

Lulatia, Clef, and Boink had been tasked with ensuring that the princess could retreat to safety at any time, yet the moment came most unexpectedly when she had been overwhelming all her enemies.

Her dominance on the battlefield made them forgot that she is an inexperienced child. It may be that the pain is unbearable for most men, but one with an exceptional strength of will could free himself before being bounded.

Relestia who had never experienced such pain before only felt her mind turning white with the searing torment. It was like her bones are chiselled and her body grounded.

Lulatia reproached herself with endless regret. She had been the crux to this operation. It is pointless now; her magic cannot defend attacks that already happened. If she had reacted a moment sooner, her shields would be able to protect the princess from that poisonous vine.

If only her barriers could separate Relestia from the creeper.

They are the closest they can get without being dragged into the battle at only a minute away. Once there they can flip off the rooftops of the nearby buildings and land directly next to Relestia, but that is still a minute too far.

Kairos, on the other hand, is mere seconds away and he had already judged that he is the only one possible to help Relestia.

All along, he had a backup plan in case all else fails. A contingency. A last resort… A small pocket of Ki he had saved up to detonate so that he could bring Relestia away from this place.

A terrible pain ravaged through his body as he unleashed his trump card. He can no longer withstand the Ki channelling through his body, even though the amount is so small that it is insufficient to heal him.

The pocket of Ki hovered in the air and flew towards the middle between Relestia and him.

A suction force more powerful than any before dragged all the gnome warriors over and a great implosion tore through their ranks followed by a deafening blast that flung them all aside.

A path was created to reach Relestia. With the last ounce of his strength, Kairos unleashed a spell he had been saving all along. The Octopid Coil.

A powerful and long appendage made of pure mana shot out towards Relestia and tore the vine that was entangling her. It gently wrapped up the princess then carried her further upwards.

The three people that were about to jump off the rooftop of the closest building quickly stopped as the princess safely fell into their arms.

“It is done.”

Kairos breathed out the breath he had been holding. As the tension fades away, so does his consciousness.

The death aura around him had long ceased since he had turned his attention away. Besides, without his will to support, the aura can no longer remain.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

A terrible and sad cry escaped Relestia. Once freed from her pain, not even realising that she had been saved, the princess desperately searched for Kairos.

When she saw him slowly closing his eyes, as though he no longer has any regrets, the girl was frightened to her core.

The deep sadness wrenched the hearts of those who heard her, amplified by her talent as a Soul Healer.

In the all-engulfing darkness as his conscious was about to fade away, Kairos heard her.

“She is not safe?”

The terrible despair hanging on her voice shook his soul.

A small light of cognisance returned.

He has to save her. It is not yet done.

He can hardly see now. His organs are failing, but he is keenly aware of the direction Relestia is in.

Taking heavy steps, he pushed forward as if no soldiers are around him, preventing him from reaching his love.

A spark of radiant magnificence shone from a small portion of his soul. Something within him had awakened.

An aura of great majesty covered those around him, and then, all at once every soldier turned back into their humanoid form and fell to the ground on their faces; some in worship, but most knocked out by the pressure.

The absoluteness of authority stands within their midst. There is none here that can stand up to it.

Its true identity is the Aura of the demiurge.

A legendary aura, said to must exist but never yet seen before. Theorised to be the converging point of all auras it was given the title of ‘the Maker’.

Kairos, the only person ever known to possess this aura, had never used it directly before. The nature of the Demiurge Aura allows him to wield any aura as he pleases, but never the full aura.

In his desperation to save Relestia, he broke through the last barrier and unleashed what belongs to him that had never obeyed him until now. It is just like how Relestia’s desperation to get to Kairos had unlocked something in her, he too made unexpected progress.

Alas, both of them fell short.

The thousand strong reinforcements arrived in the nick of time. They could not understand why their fellows are all paved on the ground, but they quickly surrounded the target. The Demiurge Aura had faded but those who experienced it did not dare to move, or simply could not.

Many lost their conscious, and those that did not lost control of their bodies. They can only lie on the ground awaiting whatever fate has in store for them.

Kairos took a one look around. He did not find Relestia, only countless enemies surrounding him. Nay, they are blocking him from her.

By this point, almost all his organs had failed him. He is technically no different from a dead man.

“I cannot die.”

“I cannot die.”

“I cannot die.”

“Not… yet.”

“Ready your spears!” a strident voice commanded.

The newly arrived gnome army transformed into their plant forms as the vine treants in their midst aimed long sharp tendrils at Kairos.

Kairos’ pupils shrink into pinpoints as his fear and anger reached the boiling point.

He cannot fall here, he cannot afford to, but his body is like a tattered doll that cannot move.

“Attack!” the same loud voice ordered as his soldiers obeyed without caring the fallen comrades they trample.

“I cannot die yet!”

As if knowing there is no longer hope, something else answered his wishes. Something within him stirred.

Kairos did not enter this battle with no hope of survival. There is one thing he clung to that is the only path of survival… the Yggdrasil Treasure within him.

It had gone to sleep since he entered Axis Mundi, and the pathetic amount of Ki it released was too few to be useful.

Only by waking it up could Kairos carve the path to survival. Hoping that the threat of death may force the world tree to protect itself and wake up, Kairos had allowed himself to be pushed to the edge, yet it did not respond.

Even when he is about to die, it refused to do anything. But when something more important than his own life is about to be taken away, the force of emotion he had never experienced before aroused the Yggdrasil Treasure from its sleep.

Covered by the rising dust made by a thousand enemies, a ray of hope seems to pour through in the form of a pure concentration of energy.

Instead of Ki, the world tree shared its tremendous life force with its owner to fulfil his wishes.

Kairos’ vision sharpened, his fingers tightly wrapped around his sword, and his ragged breath turn steady.

His eyes, glowing like suns, stared at those who dare bare their fangs at him.

A frightening aura rolled outwards from him.