Carlos and his three remaining knights reached the base of the hill far earlier than Eric.

All three knights were injured — one limping heavily, one with a cut on his forehead that hadn’t stopped bleeding and Sir Cronin himself cradling his side. Their armor was dented, their breathing ragged.

Carlos didn’t wait.

"Up!" he snapped, climbing the steepest part of the slope immediately, using both hands and boots to scramble upward.

Sir Cronin gritted his teeth but followed, helping the others when they stumbled. The hill here was exposed — no cover, no shade, and the wind cut through the rocks like a warning.

Halfway up, a sharp screech echoed through the air.

The knights froze.

The Viewing Orbs zoomed up.

Three large birds circled above them—long wings, lean bodies, talons sharp enough to grip a man. Their feathers were dark and heavy, spreading wide shadows over the stone.

Sir Cronin’s face paled.

"Your Highness—shields up!"

Carlos barely lifted his shield when the first bird dove.

Its talons slammed into his guard, knocking him backward onto one knee. The knight behind him thrust his sword upward, forcing the creature back but losing his own balance.

The second bird swooped at the knight with the bleeding forehead, ripping into the shield rim and dragging it away.

"Hold formation!" Sir Cronin roared.

But they had no formation to hold.

The three knights were scattered, injured, gasping for breath—and the birds pressed in fast.

Carlos backed away until his back hit a rock, shield shaking under repeated strikes.

He was trapped.

The predators circled lower.

The right Aether Screen brightened as Eric and his remaining six knights reached the base of the hill. The ground here shifted from soft soil to firm, packed stone scattered with loose pebbles and patches of pale grass clinging to the cracks.

Eric raised his hand. The group stopped immediately.

"Check your footing first," he said.

The incline wasn’t overly steep, but it was deceptive—stone ridges jutting out at odd angles, narrow ledges, dips hidden beneath brittle grass. The Viewing Orbs captured every uneven section, giving the spectators a clear sense of how tricky the climb would be.

Sir Miles observed the slope carefully.

"If we go straight, anything above will have a clear shot at us. Left side has cover from those rock shelves."

"Left," Eric said. "Single line. Shields ready. Watch the sky."

His men tightened into a narrow formation behind him.

They had taken only a few steps when a sharp gust of wind pushed down the slope. A faint rustle passed overhead and they heard the sound of shrill screeching along with the metal clanging.

"Your Highness!" One of Eric’s knights called pointing to their side.

Eric turned.

He saw Carlos and his three knights—

cornered, scattered, one nearly on the ground.

The birds were seconds from cutting them down.

Eric didn’t hesitate.

"Move!" he ordered, running toward the exposed slope.

His six knights followed instantly, shields raising as they broke formation and sprinted toward the danger.

Eric reached first.

A bird swooped down at Carlos, its talons extended—aiming straight for his exposed shoulder.

Before it could tear into him, a wall of fire surged upward in front of him with a sharp roar. The heat distorted the air, and the bird shrieked, pulling away at the last second. A few of its feathers ignited and drifted down in curling embers.

Carlos flinched and whipped his head back.

Eric was already rushing past him, sword raised, his stride steady and focused. Another bird dove at him—clean, fast, deadly.

Eric met it mid-air.

His blade cut across its wing joint in a decisive, practiced motion. For a heartbeat, orange flame flared along the metal. The creature screeched and veered away, its momentum breaking.

"Form circle around them!" Eric commanded.

Miles and the others moved instantly. They shifted positions with clean discipline, placing themselves around Carlos’s injured knights, shields up and spears angled outward.

Carlos stared—breath shaking, disbelief plastered across his face.

Not grateful.

Just stunned anyone would be so foolish to leave their path and try to protect their enemies.

Another bird swooped. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Eric’s hand rose.

A concentrated burst of flame shot upward, striking the creature’s path and forcing it to withdraw. Its shadow whipped across the stone as it banked hard.

Sir Miles dragged the knight with injured ribs behind a rock, shielding him with his own body.

Sir Cronin stumbled backward, blinking at the protection he was receiving—protection he had never expected from the Fairisles knights.

They weren’t just defending.

They were risking themselves.

For them.

For Esmertia knights.

His throat tightened with guilt.

The hill trembled with movement.

Metal clashed.

Wings beat the air.

Birds shrieked overhead.

Eric’s group held firm—protecting the very men who had marched in as their rivals.

Two more birds descended together, aiming at the vulnerable group on the right.

Eric stepped in front of them, flames blooming from his fingers in a controlled arc. The heat forced the creatures upward, scattering them for a moment.

"Second row—spears up!"

Two knights angled their spears through shield gaps.

A bird dove low from the right. A knight slipped on loose gravel—

Eric was already there.

He caught the attack with his shield, the claws scraping loudly against metal, then countered with a fast, brutal slash to the bird’s leg.

The beast reeled, wings flapping wildly as it fought for balance.

The third bird dove toward the rear, its eyes fixed on Carlos as if sensing the weakest point.

"Rear guard! High block!" Sir Miles shouted.

Two shields snapped upward. The bird crashed into them, talons snagging the rim, trying to wrench the shield free.

Eric flicked his wrist.

A thin, precise arc of flame shot out, hitting the joint of the creature’s wing. It jolted backward, losing altitude.

"Spears!" Eric called.

Two spears drove upward—clean, measured strikes.

The bird retreated, wings shaking.

Now all three predators circled higher, keeping distance, their flight patterns uneven from the damage.

Carlos looked around—

everyone else was fighting.

Everyone except him.

He saw an opening between the rocks and the shadowed trees ahead.

He slipped out of the protective circle and sprinted.

"Your Highness!" Sir Cronin shouted after him, voice cracking with disbelief.

Carlos didn’t even glance back.

Eric watched him run, his expression unreadable behind the steady raise of his guard. When the birds remained at distance, he finally lowered his hand.

Sir Miles glanced from Eric to the retreating Prince.

"Your Highness...?"

"They’ve retreated for now," Eric said quietly. "Stay tight. Make sure the injured are safe."

Sir Cronin and the two Esmertia knights stared at him— disbelief heavy in their faces.

Eric wasn’t leaving them. Even though their own supposed leader had abandoned them this supposed enemy Prince was protecting them while putting his victory and the throne on stake. Sir Croning couldn’t feel anymore ashamed.

"You should leave us and go ahead," Sir Cronin said, voice low but firm. "The Trial is yours to win, not ours to hinder."

Sir Miles turned, urgency in his voice.

"He’s right. The cave is ahead, Your Highness."

Another Fairisles knight added, "We’ll hold the line. You must finish the Trial. You deserve to."

Eric finally turned slightly toward them.

The Viewing Orb zoomed in.

He smiled—a small, quiet smile with warmth behind it.

"I’ve been taught not to abandon those who put their trust in me, Sir Miles."

Every knight—Fairisles and Esmertia alike—fell silent.

The words hit different.

Stronger than magic.

Stronger than fire.

Then Eric turned back toward the sky, eyes sharp, watching the injured birds circling at a distance, preparing for whatever came next.

He then stepped ahead alone making the knights anxious.

"Don’t worry," Eric spoke slowly watching the birds eyeing him while the Viewing Orb who floated at the safe distance also focused on him.

"Stay back men and keep the formation intact." He commanded.

"But, Your Highness-" Sir Miles called.

"I’ll finish this quickly since we don’t have much time." Eric spoke before he rose his hands.

He had been holding back on his mana since he knew that the dry grass would quickly catch fire resulting in the mountain fire which he didn’t want to spark but at this point he could only trust that it wouldn’t go out of hands.

"At the count of three, all men cover yourselves and the injured with your shields and once this is over. Signal for the team to take away the injured." Eric ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Came a reply.

Sir Cronin watched from the little space between the shields as the knights covered everyone.

Eric stood alone at a good distance from there looking like a warrior. His hands raised and the mana around him pulsing.

"One," he counted and the spark caught mid-air above his hands.

"Two," the knights huddled closer and three huge balls of fire materialized above his hands.

The audience watched with bated breaths, everyone on the edge of their seats.

"Three!"

The balls shot like targetted missiles towards the birds who screeched and took flight to avoid the fire balls but the balls chased then with incredible speed before engulfing them.

Eric watched as the bird screeched in pure agony as their bodies burned and they fell from a great height into the clearing. He had his arms stretched out to the fire so that it wouldn’t spread and soon the birds stopped moving and the fire went out leaving behind the black burned corpses of the predator birds.

The crowd in amphitheatre cheered loudly.

"Prince of Flames!"

"Prince of Flames!"

Rune and everyone who were on Eric’s side smiled with proud watching him, including Ocean and even Roger.

Katherine and Colette looked like they had chewed on something extremely bitter as they watched Eric but then they turned their eyes on the left screen as they saw Carlos reach at the entrance of the cave. The final step before he could claim his victory.