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A Song Through Time - Chapter 29
🕑 Added 2024-04-23 20:09:31 +0000 UTC
It took five days for the Emperor's reinforcements to arrive.
They were using the highest-grade carriages only supplied to nobles and the Emperor's guards.
Stopping just outside the camp, the door of the head carriage opened, revealing a man dressed in royal attire, his stature tall and imposing. The man was handsome, sporting a full beard, his brown eyes glancing around with a peering gaze.
Soon after, all of the other doors of the carriages opened, revealing five more figures. They were all dressed in royal attire, and their presence was highly prominent in this environment.
Malcolm, being the commander of the camp, strode forward and bowed to the man who had descended first.
"I greet the Grand Duke, Victor Rothsgomery. Your support will help us win this battle."
The man, Grand Duke Victor Rothsgomery, slightly nodded his head at Malcolm's etiquette and spoke.
"It is an honor to fight alongside the warriors of our Empire. We shall bring victory for our people and exterminate all the demons in our path!"
His voice resounded in every soldier's heart, making them feel the emotions behind his words.
Grand Duke Victor was a man known for his stern yet kind personality. As the younger brother of the Emperor, he grew up with only strength in his mind, his goal being the peak of Aura users.
Right now he was one of the ten Aura saints of the Empire, being a spear user, making him a Spear Saint.
Aura saints were people who had reached the Aura Destruction stage, the fourth stage of aura users. Each one of their attacks could be said to be as powerful as an eighth-stage magician's spell, signifying their standing as 'saints.' They were the powerhouses of any powerful nation, possessing strength that would bring fear to any enemy.
Sadly, these very powerhouses betrayed Roia and joined the demons for more power, bringing the world into further ruin.
William glanced at the saints the Emperor had brought over and nodded. He had indeed brought a good number. Although his father was enough to deal with the Half-demon, he couldn't possibly deal with Sylmare and the queen, who were both influential aspect users and aura Saints.
The queen was even a magic swordsman, just like William, so she was the most dangerous. She was a seventh-stage magician, along with her power as an aura saint. If one were to add her state as a demonic slave, she would prove to be impossible to kill.
After a few more hours, another carriage drove into the camp. The carriage was of low quality, but it was still good enough to cover a vast amount of distance in a short time. The door opened, and a young man with feminine features stepped out, looking around with caution.
Seeing his actions, William, who was waiting for him to arrive, couldn't help but smile. Vincent Blackwood had finally arrived.
With six aura saints, along with Vincent, William could finally see their plan succeeding.
William quickly approached him, shocking Vincent with his appearance.
Vincent had thought that despite the person sounding like a prepubescent teen, he would only sound like it; he didn't expect the other party to be one. Doubt slowly crept up his expression, prompting William to smile at his reaction.
"I did tell you that I'm the youngest son, didn't I? I'm currently twelve years old but don't worry about what I promised you, I really do have what I promised. For now, just attend the meeting and just listen to the plan."
Vincent was still in doubt but still nodded. He had already come here; he had nothing to lose if he first listened in.
The group of generals and aura saints quickly gathered for a meeting to discuss their battle plan. William and the other strategists laid out their strategy on a map, taking into account the new reinforcements and Vincent's aspect that could be vital once people began dying in battle.
The other strategists agreed to let William showcase the plan after a bit of talking.
William waved his finger in the air, casting a spell that created a few miniatures that acted like pieces that showcased the identity of individuals inside the meeting, prompting the aura saints to nod at his magic talent.
It wasn't every day that you could see such a young magician with such talent in mana manipulation. Each miniature William produced was highly detailed, looking exactly like the person it was supposed to represent, and was created using earth element magic. This required an outstanding level of control and understanding of spells.
However, that was to be expected with his experience. William knew he wasn't better than the truly talented.
Noticing that everyone's attention was entirely on him, William spoke.
"The Half-demon is our primary target. With the combined strength of the aura saints, we should be able to overpower him. However, we need to be cautious of Sylmare and the queen, as they are both powerful aspect users and could cause serious damage. The Royal Elven guard will also be a major problem since they possess multiple aura saints and high-ranking magicians."
The group nodded in agreement, and they began to finalize their plan. They would split into three teams, each with a specific goal. One team would focus on taking down the Half-demon, another team would take on Sylmare and the queen, and the third team would provide support and backup.
As they prepared for battle, William was calm despite the desperate situation. This was a crucial battle, and the stakes were high. If they failed, the demons would escape their seal way sooner than they were originally supposed to. His intervention had caused a major change.
He felt a sense of determination. He had come too far to fail now. He had allies he could trust and a plan that could work. All he could do now was trust in his abilities and the abilities of his comrades.
The day of the battle arrived, and the group of generals and aura saints marched towards the forest, noticing that the corruption had reached a severe stage, as most of the trees had withered away, falling and causing a lot of damage to the surroundings.
The World Tree's leaves had turned purple, signifying the difficult ordeal it was going through.
William bit his lips at this sight, as he knew this happened due to his incompetence. If he had known that his actions would cause such issues for himself, he would have thought of the consequences. If he had pushed himself into digging deeper, he would have found out about Dean Byrd earlier before he entirely transformed into a half-demon.
Clenching the amulet hanging by his neck, he found solace in the action, calming his agitated heart. For some reason, he felt that as long as this old thing was with him, he would be able to go through anything, but he knew this was only an illusion caused by him possessing it for so many years, having grown attached to it.
The march towards the forest was slow and steady, each team moving with caution as they approached their designated locations. The atmosphere was tense, and the soldiers were ready for battle. William could feel the nervousness and excitement from his comrades as they prepared themselves mentally for the fight to come.
As they neared the forest, William could feel the energy particles in the air becoming more chaotic, a sign that the demonic slaves were nearby. He knew that they had to act quickly if they wanted to catch the demonic slaves off guard.
"Alright, team one, you go straight for the Half-demon. Team two, take on Sylmare and the queen. Team three, provide support as needed. We have to move quickly, and we have to be coordinated."
Malcolm ordered, prompting everyone to split in their separate ways.
The teams split off, each heading towards their respective targets. William and his team moved quickly through the forest, their senses on high alert for any signs of danger. William was on the team that would fight the half-demon since he was the weakest enemy currently.
Suddenly, they heard a loud crash coming from ahead of them, and William knew that they had found Dean Byrd, the half-demon. They quickened their pace, ready to face their enemy.
As they burst into the clearing and entered the capital, the Half-demon turned to face them, his eyes filled with rage. His appearance had changed more compared to before, having grown two more horns at the side of his head, and his height had increased.
William could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he hid behind the sole Saint in his group. He knew that this would be a difficult battle, especially since they didn't know their enemy's abilities. He tried to dig anything about Dean Byrd but found nothing, even with the Emperor's help; this made him highly suspicious.
Dean charged towards them, his hands transforming into claws as he hacked in mid-air, producing a few minor tears in space. William and his team dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
William recognized the attack to be the effect of an aspect, which meant that Dean had a space-type aspect. This alone meant that Dean had somehow found a space-type treasure to awaken his aspect, which was almost impossible unless someone who could interact with space gave it to him.
William watched in horror as one of the soldiers was struck down by one of the space tears, his body being sliced up and the part that touched the tear disappearing as if it was never there, to begin with.
The Aura Saint also used his wind-based aspect that created a similar effect as Dean, making the Half-Demon use his hands to block the attack, causing them to bleed.
Pulling out a bow, the Saint channeled his aura into the shape of an arrow and shot it straight at Dean's Heart. He instantly recharged the bow and fired two more arrows at his head and private area.
William shivered at that sight, but he knew that it was necessary to attack that ruthlessly; after all, they didn't know how the half-demon blood would influence his mutation.
Since he knew that he would only be a burden with his current strength, William waved his finger in the air, casting a few dozen small magic circles behind each soldier, amplifying their strength and speed. Since all of the soldiers were, at most, knights, the effect of his buff was enough for their strength to be boosted by at least double.
The soldiers charged forward, taking advantage of the buff that William had cast on them. They fought with all their might, their weapons clashing against the Half-demon's claws. William watched from the sidelines, ready to step in if needed, but he knew that his role was to provide support, not to fight directly.
As the battle raged on, William could see that Dean was growing weaker. His attacks were becoming less frequent, and his movements were slowing down. William knew that they had to take advantage of this opportunity and finish the Half-demon off before he could recover.
