Without a second thought, Solis leapt from the underbrush.
Not with a war cry. Not with a swing.
But with purpose.
The hilt of Cassandra's sword struck like a hammer, slamming into the jaw of the nearest dark mage.
Crack!
The man dropped like a sack of stones.
Gasps rippled through the mages as they noticed Solis standing among them, sword drawn but not used. Some flinched, instinctively backing away. Two others raised their hands.
A pulse of dark energy surged.
Whoosh!
Twin orbs of flaming shadow hurtled toward Solis's back.
Boom!
The impact threw a blast of smoke and dirt into the air. The explosion roared, engulfing the clearing in chaos.
"Solis!" Larielle screamed, her voice raw.
But as the smoke cleared, a figure emerged.
Crouched. Braced.
The sword's breadth held in front of him like a shield.
Unscathed.
"Do you really think I'm not gonna use the sword?" Solis's voice rang calm, clear, and unshaken. "If not in offense... I'll use it in defense."
Then came the change.
A pulse from within.
An orange aura surged out from his core, radiating like a wildfire held in check. It coiled around his limbs, crackling with power, bolstering every muscle.
Aura Release.
His body tensed as if freshly awakened. His eyes gleamed with sharpened focus.
He moved.
And the battlefield changed.
The mages tried to reposition, drawing space to cast. But Solis was on them in an instant, a blur of orange light. He slammed his elbow into one mage's ribs, spun low, and swept another off their feet. A third swung a wand in panic—only to have it knocked from his hand by Solis's boot.
The fight was no longer theirs.
In the span of heartbeats, the tide turned.
From her place inside the shimmering dome, Larielle stared, breathless. At first, she had panicked. She had thought Solis foolish for jumping into the fray unarmored, outnumbered. But now...
Now she understood.
He wasn't reckless.
He was strategic.
"He forced them into close combat," she whispered to herself. "They're all ranged casters... Their strength is at a distance."
She watched as Solis closed another gap, flipping a mage into a tree trunk with a strike from his shoulder.
"He's using Aura Release to amplify his speed and strength... nullifying their biggest advantage."
She smiled despite herself being trapped.
"I never imagined a naive like him would devise such a plan."
It took less than three minutes.
Every dark mage was on the ground.
All but one.
A younger mage, barely older than Solis, stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror. He turned to run.
But Solis was already there.
Like a ghost.
He appeared directly in front of him.
The boy fell on his backside, scrambling. "H-Huh... Stay away! You monster! Stay away from me! I beg you! Please, spare me!"
Solis didn't raise the sword. He didn't move to strike.
He just pointed behind the mage.
"Not until you release her."
The boy turned. Larielle was still trapped within the dome, her strength sapped, her glow dim.
With trembling fingers, the mage lifted his hand and whispered a counter-spell. The dome shattered like glass, dispersing into the wind.
Larielle gasped, air rushing into her lungs like a tide.
The mage looked back at Solis. "N-Now... can I leave?"
Solis nodded. "Yeah. You can. But after answering me one question."
"W-What now?"
"Who sent you?"
The mage blinked.
"W-What?"
Solis stepped closer, his aura still simmering.
"I asked who sent you. It's not like you people are just here to rob travelers, right?"
The boy's face twisted. He looked away.
"I-I can't say. I'll be executed if I do."
Solis sighed, and the orange glow receded.
"Okay. Then just leave. And leave this life behind. Use your magic for something better. Something good."
That struck a chord.
The boy's expression darkened. His hands balled into fists.
"Do you think I never tried?" he growled. "I did everything right. I trained. Studied. Applied to the guilds. Every one of them turned me down. I gave years of my life and got nothing but rejection."
Solis paused. Then said softly:
"How about you consider trying again?"
The young mage stared. He was in disbelief that the person he attacked is still talking to him. Hearing to his problems and most importantly is trying to give him some solutions. Motivation as well.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he slowly nodded.
Solis gave him a parting look. "I'm leaving you here. It's up to you now. How you lead your life."
The boy stood up. He bowed in front of Solis and disappeared into the woods. His sudden bow actually surprised Solis.
Solis then turned, walking toward Larielle, who was finally standing again.
He extended a hand.
She blinked up at him, still a bit dazed.
"Hey, captain. You okay?" he asked.
Her heart thumped louder.
The sun which is mow starting to rise, caught on his skin, and she noticed his arms — especially his biceps. The strain of Aura Release had left his muscles pumped, tense, and glistening with the remnants of effort.
"Y-Y-Yeah," she stammered. "I think so."
She took his hand.
There was a second too long of a pause.
And then she flushed, looking away quickly.
"You were amazing," she murmured.
Solis scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "Thanks for the compliment captain."
Before their awkward silence could grow heavier, a rustle came from the nearby brush.
"There they are!"
Razille burst into the clearing first, blade drawn. Behind him came Ada, sword across her shoulders, and Vaidya, clutching his satchel.
Ada looked around at the fallen mages, jaw slack.
"What in the..."
Razille stared at Solis. "Did you...?"
Solis shrugged. "The arrow ones are Larielle's. Mine's have broken jaws or ribcage."
Larielle gave him a sideways look, still a little red.
Vaidya's eyes were already scanning the battlefield. "These symbols... these cloaks. They're part of a splinter faction. Dangerous group of people widely know as mercenaries. That means they were hired to hunt us down. But who and why?"
Ada frowned. "So they were after something?"
Solis looked down at his hand, still tingling from the aura.
Then he looked up.
"Yeah," he said. "And we need to find out what that 'something' is."