Even though he couldn’t follow their movements, what he could tell was that despite Ejiro and Kaymin w together, they were slowly being suppressed.

  Lanke’s insights into the w of wind’s profound mystery of doppelgangers allowed him to create ten virtually identical es that appeared to be no weaker than the inal body, and although not as fast as elder Ejiro, who had gained insight into the profound mystery of movement of the w of lightning, the ws of wind was also one of the fastest elements granting Lanke ridiculous speed.

  The fight had only just begun, and Elder Kaymin had already suffered a grievous ceration running across his chest.

  “We o go,” Anounced solemnly, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the Rohault saints ended up losing, at which point their group would bee the focus of the enemy’s attack.

  “What are you talking about?” Chukaya snapped back. “My master is one of the stro saints in the Empire; there’s no way he’ll lose!”

  Although Ebeze didn’t say anything, it was clear from the look on his face that he, too, had faith in his father and Elder Ejiro.

  “We don’t have time t…” Ace stopped midsentence as his head snapped ba the dire of the battle in shock before refog on Chukaya and Ebeze. “We o go… Now!”

  They didn’t know what Ace just sensed, but none said anything as they immediately did as they were told.

  Ever sihey arrived otlefield, Ace had rarely given them explicit orders, usually leaving them to act as they wished, with him only ag to protect them when absolutely necessary, so when they received this order, especially when hearing the graveness in his voice.

  “Hmph! A battle between peak saints isn’t the pce for a newly promoted saint!” One of Lanke’s es snorted as he looked down at Kaymin, who was gritting his teeth, clutg his armless shoulder.

  Despite being filled with fidend excitement after his breakthrough, a veteran like General Kaymin would never allow his rength to get the better of him and cloud his judgement. He khat getting involved in a fight at this level was foolish on his part, but when he saw Ejiro being overwhelmed by the jump, he knew he didn’t have a choice.

  If they lost, the war would definitely resume, and it didn’t take a genius to uand that Ad his team would be the focus of their attack. And with him uo take part anymore, Olivier would be free to make quick work of the Ad the others.

  It wasn’t just a matter of patriotism, wanting to follow the Emperor’s orders to protect the princess; it was also his paternal instincts f him to take a. How could he, as a father, just sit bad watch as his one and only son was killed in front of him?

  “To think, the day I finally became a saint would be the day I was killed as well,” Kaymin muttered to himself as he stood back up with a self-mog smile.

  Still, as much as he felt it to be a shame, he held s. He could sense Ace hurriedly leading his son and the others away. As a father, he was more than willing to y down his life if it meant his son could live.

  “I don’t know where your Empire found that Ace boy or the rest of his friends,” Lanke said, havihrough Kaymin’s thoughts. “But if you think we’d let them escape, you’re sorely mistaken!”

  As he heard that, Kaymin’s eyes suddenly bulged as he sensed General Lyrin rapidly chasing after them.

  “SHIT!” Ace cursed as he turned around. “You guys keep going!”

  “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Ace shouted wheiced Killian, Leo, and Amira all stop to follow him.

  “We’re a team!” Killian indifferently replied.

  “No!” Aapped. “This isn’t a fight you get invo-”

  “We’ll face whatever es together!” Amira added, not allowing Ace to finish his sentence.

  Ace wao get rid of them so no harm came to any of them, but looking at their expressions, he uood he didn’t have time.

  “Fine,” Ace sighed helplessly. “But me and Leo will fight up close, Mira, Kil, you two just fog on supp us.”

  “Deal!” Mira and Killian said in unison.

  “[Supersonic!]” Amira called out, insta-casting the spell for Ad Leo whilst she and Kil jumped back.

  “I really thought you were going to try and run,” General Lyrin said as his body suddenly appeared in front of Ad the others. “But I’m gd you decided to save me the effort of chasing after you.”

  ‘I’ve only recovered a fra of my mageforce. So we’ll only have one ce…’ Ace mused.

  He could sense General Murciel hurrying in their dire, but he also khat with the differen strength, if they tried to stall against a warrior like Lyrin, several of them would lose their lives, and that was uable.

  “Leo,” Ace called mentally via their link. “We have to kill him in one go. Follow my lead.”

  “That’s…” Lyrin’s brows raised in surprise as he saw Ageniously use his mageforce as a rept for battle-qi to coat his on.

  Still, that’s all it was – a bit of a surprise. He could still easily react, blog Ace’s full-powered ‘Thrust’.

  “No wonder you were able to beat Lorne,” Lyrin said as he blocked Ace’s strike. “When using yeforce as battle-qi, you’re able to attack with the same strength as an early stage ninth rank warrior.

  But if you think that would be enough to beat me, you were sore…”

  “NOW!” Ace roared as his body transformed into fire.

  “[Blinding Light]!” Amira called out as Leo closed their eyes to keep from being blinded.

  “Do you think that warriors at my level still o rely on their sight?” Lyrin sneered despite not being able to see as he swung his sword down, chopping straight through Ace’s body. “Huh? Your body…”

  As this was his first time actually seeing Ace fight properly, he had no idea Ace had the ability to bee intangible, and that was exactly what Ace was ting on.

  “[GREAT FLAME A]!” Ace roared as his body transformed into a pilr of fire that surrouhe still-blinded general.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Lyrin barked as he once again sshed through the fire.

  Even though the tunnel of fmes surrounding him didn’t disappear, the O’Brien general sehat it had weakened.

  “So you’re still affected by Impose? That’s good to know!” Lyrin sneered as his sword arced through the fmes, this time dispersing it, only to find a giant fiery paw print desding from above. “You ants are really starting to annoy me!”

  As he said that, his battle-qi-coated great sword sliced straight through the giant paw print like a hot khrough butter, but that was far from the end.

  The moment they saw Lyrin focus on Leo’s ‘[Divine Dest]’, both Ad Leoimed their movements perfectly, so they would be right on top of him as he finished, and that they were. Still, Lyrin eak rank nine warrior; his speed was superior to aher of them had fought in the past.

  “JUST DIE ALREADY!” Lyrin barked as he ighe Lion ing behind him to focus on Ace, whose body was covered in his own blood.

  Though Ace’s ability to transform into a pilr of fme owerful, it came with a gring weakness – every part of the fire art of his body. When Lyrin had used impose to cut through it, he was effectively taking a sword to Ace’s insides. Still, Ace ighe devastating pain he was in as he focused oask at hand.

  As Lyrin’s sword was nearing his neck, Ace came to a sudden stop and trolling the fmes coating his polearm to billow out, he was able to propel himself bad also disperse as much of his oppo’s force as possible.

  As forced and abrupt as it souhe way in which he beautifully flowed from attack to defensive was doh such fluidity that even Lyrin was surprised.

  Still, Lyrin showed that the differen strength between them was simply too vast. His sword tore straight through the billowing fmes, crashing onto the shaft of Ace’s give.

  “Ugh!” Ace grunted as he was sent flying into the distance, blood spurting from his mouth as he flew.

  The sword-wielding general’s legs tensed as he prepared to chase after Ace when he felt a sharp pain ing from his back, making him hiss.

  As far as Lyrin had been ed, Ace was the only perso capable of breaking his battle-qi and actually harming him, but how could he know that as impressive as Leo’s fire-maniputive abilities were, his most powerful attack came from his sword-like cws?

  The only thing that stopped Leo from being able to take on those of the ninth rank was his ck of speed, which would virtually make him a sitting duck. But with Lyrin having all but fotten about him, Leo had been able to shred not only his crimson battle-qi but also his armour.

  “If you’re in such a hurry to die, then you die!” Lyrin snarled as he spun around to slice the bck-furred lion in two.

  Leo saw Lyrin’s sword whistling through the air as it neared his body. He khat if the attaded, he would definitely forfeit his life, but he didn’t so much as flinch as he swiped his enormous paw at the general’s face.

  It was at that moment that Lyrin suddenly felt the gravity surrounding him suddenly spike.

  “Don’t worry,” Lyrin snorted, gng at Killian, immediately uanding what happened. “You’re nex…”

  Before he could finish his sentehe general felt a familiar ethereal energy crash on his psyche.

  Ace, who, for all is and purposes, should be incapacitated with his wounds, had found the strength to use his [queror’s Hak one final time.

  He already k didn’t have much of an effe warriors at that level, but he wasn’t trying to knock Lyrin out; he was trying to slow him down – and that he did!

  It was only for a fra of a fra of a sed, but by the time Lyrin had regained his wits, Leo had already cwed a k of his face off and was going for the kill.

  “FUCK OFF!” The general roared, his rage dulling the pain as his foot shot forth, shattering the lion’s rib cage and sending it flying in the opposite dire.

  “Dammit,” Ace muttered to himself as he watched the mutited general make his way towards him, his killing i increasing with each step. “We were so close!”

  “You little bastard!” Lyrin hissed venomously as he he grievously ieen lying before him. “Because of you, I’ve lost ev…

  All of you ants o hurry up and die!” Lyrin barked as Amira, Killian, and even Ebeze shot towards him, uo watch as Ace was killed in front of them.

  “No…

  Stop…” Ace said as loud as he could between deep, painful breaths. “Please…”

  “Ooh, so you want to protect them?” Lyrin asked as he casually kwo of them out and grabbed the third by the throat, causing her hood to fall. “Haha, I guess the sns are smiling down oer all, aye, princess?

  I don’t know who the rest of yroup are, but if I bring you two back with me, I’ll definitely be able to avoid being punished. Hahaha, I might even be rewarded!” Lyrin said, as his blood began to boil with excitement, as he saw a light at the end of the tunnel when the sound of a helpless sigh entered his ear frht behind him, catg him pletely off guard.

  “Why is it that whenever you leave my side, you always end up provoking some sort of disaster,” A dark-skinned man with dreadlocks tied in a ponytail wearing a pin white robe said casually.

  Even though he had suffered severe injuries and had been distracted by his exg new hostages, Lyrin was still a peak rank nine warrior who had prehended impose; the thought of a mortal being able to sneak up on him was impossible to him, so when he heard the man’s voice his first thought was that they had to be a saint, but when he saw who it was, he realised just h he was.

  Still, the most shog thing about the man was that in one hand, he carried an open gourd of alcohol so potent that it would cause most to get drunk from simply smelling it.

  But in his other was the unscious 22nd disciple of the War God – Lanke!

  As horrified as Lyrin was, for the first time sihe war began, Ace allowed for his body to rex as the ers of his mouth crept up, f a smile of relief as his sciousness began to slowly fade.

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  P.atreon./ACoilingDragon

  Book 6: Chapter 32 – Genius Tacti