Parallel - A Virtual Reality.

'Heal the critically wounded on the left, then support the ones in front of me'

Juran moves at lightning speed to heal and treat everyone, trying to ȧssist in combat with others while healing the patients. His whole body moves like a machine as he focuses on the vital sensations of the battlefield.

Thanks to that, he could arrive just an instant before someone dies and heal that soldier a bit to escape death. But he wasn't omnipotent. Saving one almost meant to let another die, even if he could heal many people simultaneously, he would still be late sometimes and the death of someone would be the byproduct of that.

Of course, he knows that it isn't his fault for someone to die, it was because of the fight against the enemy. This is a battlefield and everyone in it had the resolution to die while wielding their weapons.

But because of that, he put his utmost effort to help them hold that resolution for a bit more time. To extend their life as much as possible, and maybe, just maybe, make them survive this gruesome battle.

'I feel something different this time'

Thinking while looking at the battlefield, even when his body is moving, even when he focused on the most, his instincts to think never ceased. He had developed that habit to be able to be of more help in the battles, as it helped towards his supporting skills.

Because of that, he always felt he could grow, just a tiny bit more, at least in the Divine Arts, to save more lives.

And this time he felt at the border of a breakthrough.

'If I can grasp it I will be able to save more people'

That thinking drives him to sharpen his concentration even more, but even then, his eyes wandered sometimes.

Toward that back, toward that person wielding that double-handed sword fighting against Dorek.

Zenith, the Death Lord.

Despite their powers going in opposite directions, he always felt something very similar in them.

Both had to do with Life, both had to do with Death.

Whenever he looked at Zenith fight, something inside of him would move. The way he used Death, the way his aura surrounded him.

Just as he feels he is going to break through, his body stops.

A cold feeling surrounds his body, as he bȧrėly manages to move his head toward what made him stop.

'Ah, so this is how I am going to die'

He thinks as he looks at Death coming for him, time seeming to slow down to a crawl as his thought process accelerated.

But it is of no use, as he knows, the very moment that Arrow was shot, it became the very moment that he would die.

'I want to live'

Unwillingness shows in his clear brown eyes as he looks at that Arrow coming closer.

He could see his sister, her face frozen in shock at the sudden event. She knew that she wouldn't make it in time even if she is stronger than she is right now.

When he sees her, his entire being starts reacting.

'I want to live!' His entire spirit shouted with tremendous might as the Arrow inched closer to him.

'I want to save more people and live!'

Undulations of Life broke out of his body and towards the entire field surrounding him. In an instant, vegetation starts growing as the injured soldiers start healing slightly.

Maybe because of that, the Arrow seemed to lose speed.

Suddenly, a mighty shield appears before him.

'Shield of Aegis'

The name of the shield imprinted in his memory was from Isa. Her secret support skill to be able to transport a Shield to defend someone in the field, its defensive characteristics were very good, but it has a big delay, thus she said she would use it in critical situations.

Then, an immaterial barrier that he could sense was making even life vanish bit by bit due to not being able to be controlled well appears.

'Ardha's Skill, Annulment'

Juran knows from that skill that at the moment the Arrow comes into that barrier it would lose power.

But Juran knew, even with the Shield of Aegis and Ardha's skill, that…

'It's not enough'

Bitterness wells up in his heart, but he is still thankful for his friend trying their best to protect him to the end.

Then, he looks at the Arrow again, but this time he detects a small change, the last change he could see in this almost frozen time cognition of the event.

And the instant he realizes what that means, despair and helplessness fill his entire being.

-----------------------------------------------

Chaotic.

That is how I can describe our current fight against Dorek.

Spikes made of Ice come from the ground, Ice Blades and Spears surround us while a Blizzard is ravaging the field. Pillars of fire appear and tremendous waves of death try to keep the skills from Dorek at bay.

Each time we clashed with the Prince, the ground would crush apart, each time faster like a storm destroying everything it touches.

Since he put his Ice armor on, his power seemed to increase as well as his defense. Even if we broke it apart, it would reassemble and become just like new in no time at all. And while one could expect that regeneration time would take longer, that wasn't the case at all right now.

Suddenly three blades appear over my head blocking any opportunity to escape.

I grit my teeth as I channel everything to support my fire element and wave my sword harshly towards the blade.

The ground on my feet breaks apart as my legs tremble a bit while receiving the attack head-on.

Zenith tries to attack Dorek while he focuses on me, but then a whip-like image appears suddenly towards his side.

Changing the direction of his attack, he blocks the whip that turns out to be Dorek's tail and is slightly pushed back.

'What a bothersome tail he has'

I manage to repel Dorek's attack after a brief moment of respite thanks to Zenith.

The whole battlefield changed when Dorek put his armor on. The enemies became visibly stronger, and the Ice element became crazy throughout the battlefield. A mighty aura surrounds us all the time as the prince seemingly became a King on the battlefield.

'Thanks to Tyrfing our army should be managing the increase in power well'

Recruiting Tyrfing and her guild for this mission were easier than expected. She came very straightforward and said she wanted a slice of the reward for her and her guild members. It seemed like talking to the leader of a mercenary group, but the agreement came very fast.

Juran's sister also said she would come with her soldiers in the representation of Putre Kingdom. Thus a mixed army of Kaiser, Prinny Brigade, and the Putre Kingdom was on standby to support us or surprise attack the enemy.

'I hope they manage to defeat one of the Generals soon or we will be in trouble'

Even if Zenith and I are going harder than before we could bȧrėly fight against Dorek and keep him busy.

"QUBE!"

Hearing a shout that is like music to my ears, I grin widely as I face Dorek, who looks shocked.

Then, fury shows in his expression as a chaotic aura surrounds him crushing his surroundings, and then attacks us horizontally. Zenith and I block it and get out of the way, but before we continue attacking Dorek, a peculiar shout enters my ear.

"YOU DARE BETRAY KING DOREK?!"

As soon as I hear that, I feel my stomach dropping as the bad feeling I had before the fight started comes like a cannonball.

I feel my body freezing up, but I try to look away in the direction of Zar's voice.

When I look that way, Qube's figure had ceased to exist.

Before I look more, Dorek pierces his Halberd towards me and I grip my swords hard while channeling my Three-Elemental Enhancing to its utmost with Fire, Light, and Water.

BOOOOOM

I am pushed back as I cough up blood, my Fast Recovery and Water element working zealously trying to heal me, and I open my eyes towards the direction of that battlefield and then a cold shudder sweeps my body as I look at that projectile.

An Arrow.

An Arrow filled with malevolent Death.

And the Arrow's direction was Juran.

I lift my hand as quickly as possible as I try to cast Annulment on the surroundings of Juran.

'It's not going to be on time'

That thought enters my head as I keep casting my skill as quickly as possible even when I felt Dorek attacking behind me.

Zenith blocks Dorek as I look that something comes out of Juran that makes the arrow visibly slower.

The Shield of Aegis appears in front of Juran and then my skill surrounds Juran and Isa's Skill.

'It's not enough!' I grit my teeth hard as my mind works in full drive trying to increase the power of Annulment as much as possible, but I know it.

It was futile.

Just as I think I would see Juran pierced by the arrow and ultimately die because of it, something happens.

The Arrow changes its direction slightly and bypasses Isa's and my skill.

I look blankly at that as my whole thought process turns blank as I realize what that means.

'A bait'

And we bit it as hard as we could because it wasn't possible to recall our skills on time.

I look blankly as the arrow bypasses me as I turn around.

Zenith who was blocking Dorek's attack is pierced in the back by that Arrow in the direction of his heart.

Losing the power of his grip, he is sent flying by Dorek sweeping his tail.

I look shocked at Zenith who is sent flying in the air as I try to process everything that has happened.

"GRUDEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A roar filled with tremendous fury sweeps the entire field.