In the midst of the chaos, Jack sat alone inside the carriage. Through the small window, he watched the battle unfold outside. Jonathan stood alone amid a slaughter of bodies — a crimson pillar against the storm. Their auras flared like wildfires around him. Jonathan was a one-man army. Every time his blade flashed, heads flew sky-high.
With most of the forces committed to protecting the royal carriage, Jonathan alone stood between the enemy and the last bloodline of House Ignis.
And he was enough. No matter the numbers or the tactics, no one broke past him. Here, in the heart of the forest, the true might of a swordmaster was on full display.
Just then, an explosion tore through the air. Jack felt the shockwave slam into the back of the carriage. He was thrown forward violently as the blast shook the earth beneath them.
Tracy stood firm amidst the chaos, shielding the carriage with her body. Her sword flashed green, cutting down an enemy before her — but then, an ominous feeling crept up her spine.
She turned her head slightly — just in time to sense it.
Boom!
The royal carriage behind her exploded. Wood fragments blasted outward like shrapnel, and a violent shockwave slammed into her back.
Without hesitation, she whirled around — only to find the carriage reduced to nothing. Splinters rained down like ash. As the dust began to settle, Tracy's eyes widened in disbelief.
Figures in golden armor stood beyond the debris, swords drawn — faint trails of mana still clinging to their blades.
They were Royal Guards.
Tracy's gaze locked onto one figure standing at the front, holding a small metal sphere. He wore a helmet, but she recognized him instantly — his posture, his aura, his very presence.
A raw scream tore from her throat.
"Michal, you f*ing bastard! How DARE YOU!!!**"
Just then, Michal tossed the sphere toward her. As it flew, it began to glow white with an intense light—
BOOOOM!!!
Another violent explosion ripped through the forest. Trees shook, birds scattered, and the very ground trembled.
Before the dust and smoke could even settle, a figure burst through the haze — a green flash streaked across the battlefield.
Michal was hurled backwards, his armor screeching as he crashed to the ground.
Tracy now stood where he had been moments ago, her blade humming with energy. All around her, the Royal Guards closed in, swords drawn.
But Tracy had never held any expectations from the Royal Guards. She knew full well they were not on her side. What shocked her — what shattered something inside her — was that all of them had chosen to betray Seraphine. Even Michal.
Especially Michal.
That betrayal tore at her chest like jagged glass. Her heart trembled with the weight of broken trust. Michal was someone she had believed in, someone she had loved.
And now, that love twisted into something monstrous. That betrayal fueled her fury to no end — a burning rage that seemed to consume the very world around her.
As she stared at Michal's figure slowly rising from the rubble, a clear dent on his once-pristine golden armor, Seraphine's words echoed in her mind — sharp and cold:
"Trust is like gambling with life, Tracy. Don't take it lightly."
She felt sick — disgusted with herself. How could she, of all people — the one Seraphine trusted the most — be deceived so easily?
Her blade hummed with a rising green aura, pulsing with her fury.
"You dare raise your sword against your own Princess?" she spat, voice trembling with rage.
Michal let out a mocking laugh, bitter and cruel.
"She was never my Princess," he said. "She was a threat to the King."
"You... from the beginning?" Tracy growled through gritted teeth, her fingers tightening on her blade.
Michal raised a hand, signaling the Royal Guards surrounding her to stand down.
Then, in a move that twisted the knife deeper, he sheathed his sword and took a step closer. One hand rested over his chest as he dropped to one knee before her.
"I'll give you one last chance, Tracy," he said, his voice softer now — almost pleading. "Please, come with me. Maybe it started as a game... but it stopped being one a long time ago. Please... think of yourself for once. Just come with me."
He extended a hand toward her, eyes searching hers with something that almost looked like sincerity.
Tracy trembled. Her body shook. Her blade lowered slightly. For a moment — just a moment — she hesitated.
Then she took a bold step forward. Her eyes softened, tears glistening as they welled up. A sliver of something , a final flicker of hope — appeared in Michal's eyes.
Then—
Flash.
A streak of green surged toward his neck. His white aura flared in panic, and he was tossed back again — hard.
This time, his sword was already in his hand, drawn in a defensive stance as sparks of green lingered along his blade, trembling from the force of Tracy's strike.
The hesitation was gone now.
Michal hit the ground hard. The taste of iron filled his mouth, and pain bloomed across his ribs as he rolled through dirt and shattered bark. Her strike had been merciless — not just in strength, but in intention.
She meant to kill him.
He lay still for a moment, staring up through the forest canopy, gasping for breath as the echoes of that green slash hummed in his ears.
She didn't even hesitate...
His fingers trembled as he tightened them around his sword hilt.
Of course she didn't. She's like him.
Michal pushed himself up with a grunt, white aura pulsing around him. Slowly, it crept up his sword, covering it in a gleaming layer of mana.
"Tracy... Seraphine is already dead. Look," he said, pointing toward the spot where the royal carriage had once stood. Now, only debris and shattered wood remained.
"I love you, Tracy. I always have. The only thing I ever faked was my loyalty to Seraphine. Everything between us—it was real. It meant everything to me. Please... let go of this burden. It's already over. She's dead, and I... I can't lose you too." His voice trembled, cracking with emotion. "I'll plead with the king to let you go. Please, Tracy. Please."
The Royal Guards around him looked on in stunned silence. Never before had they seen their commander like this—so raw, so vulnerable. The pleading in his voice softened even their battle-hardened hearts.
Meanwhile, Jack felt the atmosphere around him shift just after the first explosion. Peering through the carriage window, he saw more and more figures charging toward his direction. His eyes flicked to the wreckage of the royal carriage, and in that moment, he understood.
'Now that they've eliminated their first target, they're focusing on me.'
The numbers were overwhelming—even for someone like Jonathan. Had the enemies charged him head-on, it might have been manageable. But they weren't. These bastards were trying to flank him and reach the carriage.
Jonathan, sensing the shift, stomped the ground with such force that a shockwave rippled outward, throwing the attackers off balance. It bought just enough time for the Red Blades trailing behind to catch up. As the elite warriors crashed into the enemy flank, a fresh wave of battle erupted.
But this time, the clash was even more intense.
The attackers were now focused on a single point—Jack. Their formation was tight, their movements aggressive, and their morale high after their earlier success.
__
Tracy looked up at the sky.
Earlier, the sunlight had barely pierced the dense canopy above, but now it shone directly down on her, offering much-needed warmth in the midst of the chaos. Most of the trees around the caravan had fallen—casualties of the brutal clash raging around them.
Her gaze lowered to Michal. He lay there, white aura flickering weakly around him like a dying flame. She had heard his words, every desperate plea. Her decision was made.
Her sword flashed.
Michal barely reacted, but the attack wasn't aimed at him.
It was aimed at the Royal Guards surrounding her.
Though distracted by their commander's sudden vulnerability, the elite guards hadn't dropped their discipline. They were trained not to lose focus—no matter what. Even with Michal's pleading still fresh in their ears, their blades remained steady.
Tracy struck the guard nearest to her.
Steel clashed as his sword met hers in a firm defensive stance, the shock of impact forcing him a step back. Tracy wasted no time—using the slight opening, she leapt over his head, shattering the encirclement with graceful precision.
She didn't look back.
She knew she couldn't win here. Staying would only lead to her death. Accepting Michal's offer? That thought hadn't even crossed her mind.
She shot forward, sprinting toward the heart of the battlefield—toward the one place where the fighting burned brightest.
Toward Jack.