EFB Chapter 523: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [62] Reiner In Rescue
Chapter 523: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [62] Reiner In Rescue
Chapter 523: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [62] Reiner In Rescue
"Reiner."
Standing before us was Reiner Dolphis.
"What are you doing here?" Navas asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Reiner cast a glance over his shoulder. His gaze briefly landed on me, then Celeste, and finally Alicia. His expression hardened.
"So, that brat Evan predicted this, huh?" Reiner muttered; "Lowering himself to ask for my help-well, it seems he made the right call."
"My brother?" Celeste blinked.
Evan had probably anticipated this long before even Navas had shown up. That was why Evan seemed so calm, so certain of Celeste's safety. He had called for Reiner. And with Kamarel dead at John's hands, Dolphis was no longer under threat.
Reiner's gaze sharpened as it swung back to Navas. "Brother, you've stooped to a new low." Navas let the insult roll off him like water on stone. "Why did you come, Reiner? Our last encounter left you on the brink of death. I could've killed you. I chose not to-for the sake of the memories we once shared as siblings. But this time..." Navas gripped his axe tighter, the muscles in his arm flexing "...I won't hesitate."
Reiner ignored him. "Did you kill Rhys?"
Navas was surprised by the question but smiled at the question. "Why do you think that?"
"That day. The day Rhys died-you were there. You had Behemoth at your side. You met him, didn't you? You were the one who held him back while Teraquin Castle was under siege."@@@@
I watched silently, my attention on the conversation.
I, too, believed Navas Dolphis was the one who killed Rhys Teraquin. Alvara's hatred toward Behemoth had to stem from something tangible. That Behemoth was the main culprit. But if that wasn't true...
"I met Rhys that day, yes. But I didn't kill him."
He didn't kill him?
I was sure it was him...
"I told Rhys where to find the man behind the Vanadias attack," Navas said. "He went after them. And he died there. His death was his own doing."
Reiner's eyes narrowed, not really believing. "You're saying Behemoth wasn't responsible for the attack?"
Navas chuckled again. "We weren't the masterminds, no. We were merely partners in that little endeavor. We agreed to help 'them' in exchange for the Horn in Vanadias."
'Them'?
"Who are you talking about?" Reiner asked my question.
I held my breath, waiting for the answer.
Who could possibly orchestrate something like this?
Ante Eden?
The Iris Project?
But Navas simply smiled. He wasn't going to answer.
Without another word, he hefted his axe.
"You should've stayed in Dolphis, Reiner," Navas said.
"I failed to kill you that day," Reiner said narrowing his eyes. "But I won't fail this time."
A wave of mana erupted from him, swirling around him.
-BOOM!
The raw power sent shockwaves rippling through the air, making my hair whip violently as I shielded my face with my arm.
Navas smirked in response, his own mana flaring to meet Reiner's head-on. The collision of their mana crackled in the space between them, creating a deafening roar.
As Navas unleashed his Prana, his body began to shift and twist unnaturally. Another jagged horn sprouted from the opposite side of his head, completing his monstrous visage. His muscles bulged grotesquely, and his face contorted into something barely human-a grotesque hybrid of man and beast.
The sheer intensity of their clash sent gusts of mana barreling toward us. I struggled to stay upright, the force threatening to knock me off balance.
Reiner exhaled slowly. His mana pressure exuded the strength of a 9th Ascension.
"Can you still fight, brat?" Reiner asked without turning around but I knew it was me.
I let out a tired sigh. "Can't you fight him alone? I'd really prefer some sleep right now."
Reiner turned his gaze on me.
"Alright, alright! I'll help-"
-BAM!
Before I could finish, Navas' axe struck like lightning, slamming into Reiner's stomach. Reiner had managed to block the blow with his sword, but the force sent him hurtling backward, his body crashing into the earth.
Dust and debris erupted from the impact. I cursed under my breath, gripping my weapon
tightly.
Damn it.
That monster is even faster and stronger now!
Navas' bestial eyes locked onto me, glowing darkly. A shiver ran down my spine. Summoning Aegis in an instant, I barely had time to brace myself.
-BAAAAM!
The axe struck Aegis with enough force to make my arm throb painfully. My left arm cracked under the strain as I was flung backward, skidding across the ground.
"Amael!" Celeste cried out, rushing toward me.
"A-ARGHH!" I bit down hard on my lip as searing agony hit from the stump of my shoulder.
Blood gushed out in thick streams, pooling on the ground beneath me. My head swam, and
my vision blurred as my body fought to stay conscious.
I can't.
Through the haze, my eyes caught sight of my severed arm lying motionless on the
battlefield. The rapid loss of blood was draining my strength, leaving me cold and faint.
"A-Amael!" Celeste's worried voice rang in my ear. I turned slightly to see her running toward me, her face etched with worry.
But Navas wasn't done. His locked onto Celeste, and he charged at her without
hesitation.
Celeste raised her blade just in time, intercepting his axe. Sparks flew from the impact, but the
sheer force of his attack sent her reeling.
-BOOOM!
"Ah..." Celeste was thrown backward, tumbling to the ground, her blade trembling in her grip.
Meanwhile, Reiner had managed to fully reform the giant gazelle. The watery beast towered
above the battlefield, its dark green horns glowing ominously. The air around it crackled as a sphere of dense mana formed above its head.
Navas halted his advance, his expression hardening as he assessed the new threat. He adjusted his grip on the axe and prepared to rush the gazelle-only to freeze mid-step.
He turned his gaze toward Alicia standing away.
She stood not far from him, her entire body radiating a crimson hue. Blood swirled around her
in a vortex, the power coiling and uncoiling like a living thing. Her rapier was raised, both
hands gripping it tightly.
For a fleeting moment, the battlefield went still. A chill ran down my spine, and judging by the expressions around me, I wasn't the only one. Even Navas seemed shaken.
But that momentary pause didn't last. Navas shifted course abruptly and charged straight at Alicia feeling probably some danger.
His speed was monstrous, covering the distance between them in less than two seconds. Alicia's eyes widened in surprise. Whatever spell she had been preparing was hastily canceled
as she leaped to the side.
-BOOOM!
The force of Navas' swing shattered the ground where she had been standing, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Despite dodging the blow, the shockwave struck her, throwing her back violently.
"Ugh!" Alicia cried out as she hit the ground, rolling to a stop just a few meters away from me.
I tried to lift my head to check on her, but my strength was nearly gone. My gaze drifted to the
blood-soaked ground beneath me, and I realized how much I had already lost. My face was deathly pale.
With another ragged breath, I slumped forward. My head hit the blood-soaked earth.
This isn't good...
"Senior."
Alicia's voice rang as she knelt beside me. Her hands fumbled for a vial.
I wanted to say something. To ask if she was out of her mind. A single healing vial wasn't
going to fix this. My arm was gone, my blood pooling fast-it was hopeless.
But I couldn't speak. My throat was too dry, my body too weak.
Stupid, I thought bitterly. As stupid as I was back then, trying to save Shuria.
No.
I can't die here. Not like this.
Through the haze of pain, my gaze flickered toward my severed arm lying a few feet away, the
ground around it soaked in red. Blood.
Blood.
Right blood...
Summoning what little strength I had left, I reached out with my trembling hand and grasped
Alicia's arm. My grip was weak, feeble, but enough to catch her attention.
"Senior?" She called softly, looking down at me. Her face was pale, her exhaustion evident,
but beneath it all, I could see a hint of concern in her eyes. "S-Sorry..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Before she could respond, I pulled her down toward me with a sudden burst of strength fueled
by sheer willpower. Her startled gasp was the last thing I heard before my lips found her neck.
Her skin was cold and smooth against my mouth as I bit down, hard.
"Hmnn!"