"I’m alright." Faralynn said on the floor when Matthew rushed to her. "You protected me." She added looking at her friends.

"What power, from so far away." Tina exclaimed.

"My uncle is the greatest archer in the duchy." Faralynn explained while Matthew helped her to her feet. "And his bow is an ancient relic from the olden times."

Another arrow came and exploded against the wall where they all were hiding behind now.

Farzan’s forces started to shoot their own arrows now and Farynn’s archers responded in kind.

The rate of fire of Farzan’s modern rifles were much greater than the arrows that flew around, but the power behind the bullets wasn’t the same.

Then both defenders and attackers clashed in their shield walls. A battle much less violent than what Matthew was used to. Instead of one side throwing themselves at the walls like the demons did when he fought them, the fight between two armies was closer to a chess match.

Each blow was calculated and sought an opening in the enemy’s defense. A sword strike or a spear thrust weren’t done blindly against the shield in front of them. They tested their adversary, they feinted, they fought with intelligence as much as if they were fighting 1 on 1.

Helen was in the wall with the squad she was training with, the same ones who were with her while fighting on the Vissof.

Faralynn kept hiding behind the wall only occasionally showing herself to fire an arrow against the attacking army.

Mia shot laser beams the same way while Erin and Tina focused on protecting everyone from the arrows and magic that rained against them.

Farzan’s and Firynn’s cavalry units left the encampment from a back gate and tried to flank the incoming troops, but Farynn was fast with his orders and met them with his own cavalry on the field.

Matthew ignited a grenade with unholy fire and lobbied it at the center of the enemy’s position, but it was soon purified before exploding and contained with a mana wall when it exploded, causing no harm.

Wounded soldiers were dragged out of the wall while being quickly replaced maintaining the wall’s structure.

At that point, Faynn got close to Matthew and asked him to follow her. He was reluctant about leaving Faralynn, but the elven spy insisted.

She guided him further inside the encampment where the civilians were working and hoping for the best.

"Where are we going?" Matthew asked her as she rushed between tents.

"We’re going to attack." Faynn was succinct.

She took a route around the attacking forces, guiding Matthew, both in shadow form, to behind the enemy lines. There they attacked the cannons that were positioned to fire against the encampment, but were silent to prevent allied casualties.

Faynn and Matthew aimed the cannons themselves making them unusable while fighting off the soldiers that were manning them.

Karynn, who was nearby surrounded by 5 knights, rushed with her men to stop the duo destroying their siege weaponry.

"Faynn!" The priest shouted in anger.

She waved her lantern-staff covering the soldiers in holy light and making them faster and stronger.

Matthew shot at the charging knights, but had his bullets stopped by a mana shield that protected the horses.

Both he and Faynn dodged the charge by merging with the shadows and moving away from the incoming spears.

Matthew then used his Boost Gunpowder skill into a barrel of gunpowder and lit it on fire while Faynn held back the soldiers and knights that tried to kill them.

With a simple nod they understood each other and ran away quickly white the wick burned fast.

Karynn was surprised to see them run away so easily, but then realized what happened when she saw soldiers trying to extinguish the flames.

"Retreat!" She shouted, rushing her horse to flee the vicinity.

The explosion took the lives of those who weren’t fast enough. All their gunpowder went up in flames and the shockwave shook even the tents in the encampment.

Faynn’s soldiers turned their heads to see what was happening and saw their backline on fire. Their cannons, destroyed.

A cheer came out from Farzan forces.

Farynn cursed upon seeing the ball of fire ascending to the sky. He was galloping fast, downing Farzan’s knights with his bow while his cavalry clashed with his brother’s.

This brief moment of distraction was enough for Farzan to whip his steed and charge in the direction of Farynn’s with a lightning bolt taking him out of his saddle.

"Farynn!" He screamed jumping out of his own horse with his saber on his hand and lightning streaks coming out of him chirping as if the electricity itself was raging.

"Farzan." Farynn said, getting up to his feet.

Farynn’s knights tried to charge and protect their leader, but Farzan’s men charged at the same time keeping them away, isolating the two men.

"I left you the Duchy and that wasn’t enough for you?" Farzan’s voice was pure anger. "You had to come after my daughter."

"You don’t understand what it takes to rule." Farynn put an arrow on his bow. "If you had just listened to me!"

Farzan sighed.

"Enough brother. Surrender."

"Die!" Farynn shouted, shooting an arrow that flew fast and precise, but Farzan simply cut it mid-air and charged with his blade held up high.

Meanwhile Firynn traded blows with his master while their horses galloped at full speed side by side.

"You got slower." Kazan said still teaching his former student.

"And you’re careless." Firynn said, kicking his opponent’s horse, forcing it to take a violent turn not to fall onto the ground.

Kazan controlled the animal masterfully and took a wide turn. Now, facing Firynn, they both charged each other as if they were jousting. Their swords met in the middle with a loud noise.

Then they did another turn and charged again and again.

At this point, Matthew and Faynn took the opportunity that the explosion created and, through the chaos that the backline of Farynn’s army turned to, they attacked Karynn’s knights, downing them with precision, jumping out of shadows and stabbing them unseen.

Karynn herself had fallen from her horse that was thrown away by the explosion’s blast. When she noticed her men getting assassinated, she cast a blessing spell on Matthew to get rid of his Unholy Mana.

She then looked around calling for the soldiers to come to her and protect her. But many couldn’t hear her through the chaos of injured men and flaming grass. The ones who could, were too spread out to come to her in time.

Faynn was on top of her in no time, easily disarming her and pressing a show blade against the priest’s neck.

"Give up." She said.

Karynn slowly lifted her hands, but, before she could say anything, with a thunderous noise, Kazan appeared on top of Faynn and sent her flying away with a kick.

As soon as he saw his daughter being subjugated by Faynn from afar, the elven master moved so fast that he broke the sound barrier, leaving his horse behind.

Firynn gave chase, but he wasn’t as fast as his master and arrived later, riding his horse.

"Ufa!" Karynn cried on her father’s shoulder.

"I wasn’t going to kill her." Faynn said, getting up holding her arm, broken from the kick, as if she was admonishing the elf.

"Sorry." He said holding his daughter. "I couldn’t count on that, could I, Shadow Death?"

"Surrender, master." Firynn said, dismounting his horse. "Look around. Your army is in shambles. Firynn is facing Farzan in single battle. There’s no need to keep fighting."

Kazan looked at his daughter who was cleaning her eyes now and breathing slowly. She got scared when she felt Faynn’s blade on her neck, but was now coming back to herself.

"Too many people died already for Farynn’s greed." Faynn pleaded. "Let’s stop this now."

"They’re right, Nain." Kazan said to his daughter, using an elven nickname for her. "We chose the wrong master."

Matthew arrived just then and healed Faynn’s arm while asking her what was going on, since he didn’t understand the conversation in Elven.

Karynn looked at Firynn, Faynn and Matthew. And then at her men laying dead or wounded on the floor. Her eyes went to the encampment, where their forces couldn’t best their defenses. She searched Farynn’s cavalry that was now spread in a wide field, while Farzan and Farynn fought each other in a brutal battle.

The elven priest sighed.

"Ufa..."

"It’s enough, Nain." Kazan insisted.

"Alright. I surrender."

At that moment Farzan kicked Farynn’s sword away from his hand and then cut the string off his bow when he tried to pull an arrow.

"It’s over brother." Farzan said, bringing his sword to Farynn’s neck.

Farynn growled in anger.

"Surrender!" Farzan ordered.

"You have to kill me." Farynn challenged his brother.

"Please, brother. It is enough." Farzan pleaded.

Farynn looked at Farzan in defiance. Although the battle was lost, it was far from over for him.