While the war had already reached Frostvale, Ethan could no longer sit still, and the thought of staying away while everything unfolded made his chest feel heavy and restless.

He wanted to return immediately, and although he knew a quicker method existed, which involved putting one of his children in danger and teleporting, he also knew that doing so would mean leaving others behind, and that was not something he was willing to do.

After thinking it through carefully, he decided to go by himself, and with the help of the Elves guiding the route and hidden passages, he was confident that he could reach faster than usual while avoiding the main war zones.

But just as he was about to step out everything changed.

On what had started as a calm morning, with sunlight spreading across the peaks and the forest glowing faintly under it, a sharp alarm suddenly rang out across the entire Elven territory, and the peaceful atmosphere shattered instantly.

A dense and suffocating aura spread across the surroundings, and the pressure was so heavy that even the air felt difficult to breathe.

Ethan rushed out immediately, and his steps were quick as he scanned the area, and he saw Elf guards moving rapidly while taking positions and surrounding the area.

"Carrion! What’s going on?" Ethan asked sharply.

Carrion turned toward him, and his expression was tense.

"We have intruders," he said.

"Intruder..." Ethan paused for a moment, and then he looked toward the outer area, and the moment his eyes fell on what stood there, his expression froze.

Several figures stood outside.

Mythic ranks.

Divine Knights.

And on top of there was even a Saint.

"The fuck..." Ethan muttered under his breath.

Without wasting time, he immediately moved back and signaled Hale, and both of them quickly retreated toward a hidden position while putting on masks to conceal themselves.

"Ethan... they aren’t here for us, right?" Hale asked, and there was a slight tremor in his voice.

"We will be damned if they are?" he added.

Ethan did not answer immediately, but his heartbeat had already sped up, and his mind ran through possibilities while he stayed hidden.

Outside, one of the Orc stepped forward and struck the barrier heavily, and the impact created a large ripple that spread across the protective field.

It was then that a figure shot out from the Elven side.

An old Elf holding a staff appeared, and his presence was calm yet overwhelming.

"What do you want, Barbatos?" he spoke softly, but his voice carried like thunder.

"You know why we are here," Barbatos replied.

"Michael, join us. With our combined strength, we will drive humans to the edge and establish your dominion."

Michael looked at the Beastman as if he was looking at a fool, and his expression did not change.

"Stop kidding me," he said calmly.

"Do you really think it’s possible?"

"Why not?" Barbatos said.

"Because you are all egoistic bastards," Michael replied without hesitation. "Once you finish the humans, your alliance will fall apart, and you will bite one another."

"It won’t occur," one of the Orc Lords stepped forward and slammed his chest.

Michael shook his head slightly.

"Whether it occurs or not, we have no interest," he said. "The Queen’s decision is firm."

"We won’t participate in such petty tricks and put our foot in the grave. We are a neutral entity, and we would like to remain so."

The air grew tense as Barbatos and Michael’s auras clashed, and the pressure between them increased while both sides exchanged words, and although the Beastmen and Orcs tried to persuade him, Michael did not change his stance.

Hidden behind, Ethan watched and silently nodded in relief.

Barbatos finally calmed down slightly and spoke again.

"It seems we really can’t persuade you, so I will take my leave," he said.

But just then a Divine Knight from the Orc side stepped forward and shouted.

"It’s not over! I heard you have sheltered humans who had killed my friend. I want you to hand him over to us!"

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions on the Elven side changed instantly, and even Carrion’s face tightened.

"How did he know?" he whispered under his breath.

Ethan’s heart began to beat wildly, and a cold feeling ran through him.

If the Saint moved he would be finished.

Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the Elves, and under his gaze, several of them visibly tensed.

He was about to refute it, but the Orc Divine Knight spoke again.

"Don’t refute it. We have solid evidence."

A dense killing intent flashed in Michael’s eyes, but it was not directed at the Orc.

It was directed at the Elves.

He did not say anything, but his gaze alone was enough to make them uneasy.

Ethan remained still, and at that moment, Michael’s eyes met his.

For a brief second it felt like they understood each other.

Then Michael withdrew his aura slightly and spoke.

"Yes, he is here," he said.

"You might not know, but he is a heavenly craftsman and a guest of our Queen."

"So you are saying that you can go to any length to protect him?" Barbatos asked.

"No," Michael replied immediately, and his answer surprised even Barbatos.

Then Michael continued calmly.

"Let’s decide this with a fight, but you can’t interfere," he said.

"If he wins, let him go."

The air turned silent for a moment.

Barbatos looked at Michael for a moment, and then he gave a slow nod while folding his arms across his chest, and his expression turned calmer as if he had accepted the condition without any hesitation.

"Fair enough," he said.

"We Orcs believe in fists, and the bigger fish will have the bigger standing," one of the Orcs shouted loudly, and his voice carried pride and arrogance while echoing across the surroundings.

The tension in the air did not ease, and instead it grew heavier as both sides prepared to follow through with what had just been decided, and the pressure between the two groups slowly intensified.

From the Orc side, a figure stepped forward, and his presence alone pushed aside the weaker soldiers around him as he moved into the open.

A Mythic rank Orc.

He was tall and broad, and his muscles were tightly packed while his aura spread outward in a rough and violent manner, and his eyes locked onto the Elven side with a mocking sneer.

"So this is the human you are hiding?" he said loudly while rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, and each small movement of his body released a faint wave of pressure.

He stepped forward into the open space, and the ground beneath his feet cracked slightly under his weight.

"I heard you killed a Divine Knight," he continued, and his tone turned mocking while his lips curled into a wide grin. "But I also heard you are nothing but a cheater who used some dirty tricks to take him down."

His gaze swept across the Elven side as if searching for Ethan, and his voice rose again.

"Come out now," he shouted, and the sound of his voice carried far into the forest. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Without waiting, he raised his hand and punched forward.

BOOOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted from his fist, and the air cracked as the force traveled forward like a violent wave while tearing through everything in its path, and the pressure rushed outward with destructive intent.

Trees bent under the force, and the ground split as the wave surged forward toward the Elven side.

But before it could reach—

CRACK!

A bolt descended from the heavens, and it struck down with blinding speed while tearing through the air as if it had split the sky itself, and it collided directly with the incoming force.

BOOOOOOM!

The shockwave shattered instantly, and the lightning did not stop as it continued forward with overwhelming force and struck the Mythic rank Orc directly.

The Orc’s eyes widened in shock, and his body froze for a brief moment as he realized what had just happened.

"Wha—"

Before he could finish the lightning engulfed him, and his body convulsed violently as the force blasted through him, and the impact sent him flying backward like a broken projectile.

BOOOOM!

He crashed into the forest behind, and several trees were torn apart as his body smashed through them one after another before finally hitting the ground with a heavy impact that shook the surrounding area.

For a brief moment, silence spread across the battlefield, and no one spoke as the sudden turn of events sank in.

A streak of light shot forward from the Elven side, and it moved so fast that it left behind a faint trail while cutting across the air before stopping abruptly in mid-air.

A figure appeared.

The light around him slowly faded, and his presence spread outward while carrying a sharp and controlled pressure that felt completely different from before, and it was not chaotic or overwhelming but calm and heavy in a way that pressed down on everyone present.

His aura was stable.

But terrifying.

A cold voice echoed across the battlefield as he looked toward the Orc and Beastman forces.

"I have broken through Divine Knight rank," he said, and his tone remained calm as if he was stating something simple and obvious.

"Send someone equal."

The words were not loud, but they carried weight, and they spread across the entire area while striking deeply into the hearts of those who heard them.

....

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