Chapter 27

  The Golden Peak Swords Clan disciples began to attack the group and because there were more of them, Drakkel and the rest found it hard to defend.

  Actually, being at the peak of Sword Epiphany, Drakkel himself didn’t have any trouble fighting off the many disciples and Rillian Adore and Aurien Wavel only found it a little troubling. It was Piral Bifa, Font Seig, Antin Jerio, and Winfra Loul that were struggling the most.

  In front of Drakkel was Ling and five other disciples while four disciples took on Rillian Adore and Aurien Wavel each. The remaining eight took on Drakkel’s clanmates, leaving two for each of them to face.

  The situation really wasn’t good. It was clear that among them, Ling was the only Sword Master, but the rest were at least Sword Sworn. If the battle went on like this, they would certainly lose.

  Drakkel let out a sigh and as he dodged a slash from Ling and put some distance between them. He then shot a sword energy charged message to all that traveled with him.

  “Senior Brother. Take our clanmates and get out of here. I’m sure you know it as well, but in this battle, they are only a hindrance.”

  “Senior Drakkel!” Piral Bifa protested with a sword energy enhanced message of her own.

  “I said, go!”

  Aurien Wavel was not stupid. Even he knew that Drakkel was right. Alone, Drakkel might stand a chance of defeating their enemies. But with his clanmates there as a distraction, all it would take was for one of them to be taken hostage for the battle to be over.

  Drakkel continued. “You go as well Rillian Adore. I’ll grab their attention. When I do, everyone make a run for the entrance behind the waterfall in the Forest I mentioned.”

  Drakkel could tell that his clannmates didn’t want to leave. But in the end, Drakkel was their Senior and he was also right. The battles they were each facing were pushing them to their limits and soon they would even surpass them.

  “I will give a signal. When their group is distracted, go.”

  His clanmates each responded to let him know that they accepted the plan. But one person said nothing.

  Drakkel could only hope that he also went along with the plan as he had no more time.

  Seeing an opening, Drakkel grabbed onto Ling, forced him to drop his sword and placed his hands at his neck. He didn't use Lingering Regret since it was still tired from its earlier battle.

  “Stop!” He shouted.

  The Golden Peak Swords Clan members that were fighting his clanmates, halted their movements, gazing at him fearfully.

  “If you all don’t stop, I will kill him.”

  Drakkel expected Ling to fight back, but he actually stayed silent. So, he continued. “Let those who you are fighting go and you can face me alone. It’s me that you’re after anyway, right?”

  The disciples were unsure of what to do, their eyes darting around in confusion. With everything considered, it was pretty clear that Ling was the only one among them authorized to give orders.

  After a few moments, Ling said, “Let them go! It’s true! We’re only after the Demon King.”

  “But—!” One of the disciples that were fighting Drakkel said.

  “No!” Ling stated. “Can’t you all see he’s been holding back? If he goes all out, we will all be needed to stop him. Just let them go! They aren’t important.”

  In utter defeat, the disciples listened to Ling and watched as Aurien Wavel gathered his and Drakkel's clanmates. Aurien Wavel looked at Rillian Adore and beckoned for him to come as well, But Rillian Adore remained in place.

  Drakkel was afraid this was going to happen but it was obvious what Rillian Adore’s intentions were.

  “Go, Senior Brother.” He said with a sword energy enhanced message. “Reinforcements could arrive any minute.”

  Aurien Wavel shot Drakkel one more worried look before taking the disciples and dashing away.

  Ling said, “We let them go! Now, honor your promise.”

  “And why should I?” Drakkel answered, “I’m the Demon King after all. Surely, you didn’t believe I would keep my word?”

  Drakkel’s hand got closer to Ling’s throat as he spoke.

  He actually wasn’t going to do anything to Ling, but he needed to give his clanmates enough time to flee.

  However, a few minutes later, a sword energy attack came for him and he was forced to block it, allowing Ling a chance to break free from his grasp.

  Out of the trees came a powerful figure with a few dozen disciples in tow.

  The disciples wore gray robes and glaives on their backs.

  The one who attacked Drakkel was one at the peak of Sword Master, floating down from a tree branch along with the other disciples.

  Now that Drakkel was surrounded by nearly thirty Sword Fighters with two Sword Masters among them, the battle wouldn’t be quite as easy.

  The one who shot the sword energy enhanced attack spoke.

  “It seems that the Golden Peak Swords Clan isn’t as powerful as they say.”

  Drakkel sighed. Who was he dealing with this time?

  Without prompt, the man talking introduced himself. “I am Falio Nilkil of the High Mountain Glaive Clan. Demon King Drakkel! For all that you’ve done, you will meet your end today!”

  Drakkel looked around.

  On one end was the High Mountain Glaive Clan and on the other was the Golden Peak Swords Clan. Then, there was Rillian Adore who chose to stay back with him.

  Yes, Rillian Adore was at the Sword Epiphany stage, but he hadn’t had the time to solidify his cultivation. If he wasn’t careful, he could find himself in a risky position.

  So, Rillian Adore wouldn't last long and even Drakkel wasn’t that powerful. Without use of his demonic energy and with no weapon to assist him since Swift Wind’s Breeze still wouldn’t let him use it and Lingering Regret was resting after the battle with the Sacred Beasts, he could only think of a way to escape.

  Then he remembered. Where did Ebinenda Itor’s bird go?

  Suddenly, an enormous shadow appeared above the group like a large cloud passing overhead.

  “What is that?!” exclaimed Falio Nilkil.

  Upon looking up, his eyes narrowed as a serious expression began to cloud his features.

  The disciples of both opposing clans looked up as well, but their expressions showed great terror.

  “Is that…?” One of them said, mouth slightly agape.

  Ling nodded. “It appears to be a sacred beast. But…”

  Drakkel, who was looking up along with them, smiled.

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  Above them was a familiar bird.

  Another of the disciples said, “The demon king… We have to—!”

  “Forget him!” shouted Falio Nilkil. “The beast is more unpredictable! Attack it before—!”

  Falio Nilkil didn’t get to finish his sentence. Pri, who was facing them quietly, opened her mouth and a strong wind, like one from a storm, came rushing out, blowing away all of the sword fighters and pushing up dust and debris into the air.

  Drakkel took this chance to grab Rillian Adore and set out. At the same time, Pri shrunk and followed them.

  Drakkel headed west since south led back into the forest and north might lead to more Sword Fighters lying in wait.

  As Rillian Adore and him traveled through, Drakkel could tell that something wasn’t quite right. Rillian Adore was not only quiet, but he seemed pained as he moved.

  Even though they had started at the same point, he was even lagging behind.

  Had he sustained an injury?

  Worried, Drakkel circled back to help Rillian Adore move. They utilized their Sword Step to hop through the lightly forested area that laid just outside Densai Forest. It wasn't long until they found themselves at an abandoned village.

  When they reached it, Rillian Adore took the lead, tiredly directing Drakkel to a certain house.

  Within this house, he led him into a closet that was just big enough to fit two people.

  With both of them face to face, Drakkel could feel Rillian Adore's hot breath on his skin. But, after a bit, Rillian Adore leaned forward, his head resting limp on Drakkel's shoulder as he collapsed.

  “Rillian Adore, are you ok?” Drakkel asked.

  But Rillian Adore was now panting and sweating, still not answering.

  Drakkel had been too preoccupied. He didn’t know that Rillian Adore had gotten injured. But, he didn't have the time to check since they were still being chased by the two Swords Clans.

  A few minutes after they entered the closet, he heard the shuffling of footsteps from those outside.

  Disciples were calling out,

  “Did you find them?”

  “I wonder what sort of Sacred Beast we just saw?”

  “Are they over there?”

  Not long after, Drakkel heard someone approaching the house from the outside. Then, the door to the house slowly creaked open.

  Pri, who managed to squeeze into the closet with them, was on alert as the door closed and the footsteps from the one who entered drew closer and closer.

  Finally, the steps stopped in front of the closet that Rillian Adore and Drakkel were hiding in. But, the person didn’t open the door.

  Instead, he said, “Senior Rillian… I hope you’re doing fine. Since you’re so adamant about staying, it seems that you’ve finally found the one you’ve been looking for.”

  He sighed. “This person is trouble, but in the end, all that matters is your happiness. Please… stay safe.”

  Without opening the closet, the person walked out, opening the door to the house and closing it behind them.

  “Did you find anything, Senior Ling?” Another disciple asked.

  “No,” Ling answered. “I think we should move on. Wasn’t there another village close by? They might be hiding there.”

  There was a pause before Drakkel heard a loud announcement. “All the houses have been scouted, let’s move on to the next village!”

  Soon after, several footsteps gathered and then left, disappearing into the distance.

  Drakkel’s eyes widened.

  This wasn’t the first time he heard these words. Ren Li said something like that before as well.

  He shook his head. It was more important to focus on healing Rillian Adore. Any other thoughts could be addressed later.

  After making sure the sword fighters were gone, he dragged Rillian Adore out of the closet and removed his robes. When he did, he noticed that Rillian Adore had sustained several minor cuts and bruises. However, although he had some injuries, none were severe enough to warrant his current response.

  Because of this, Drakkel checked on his internal injuries. That was when he found the problem. His sword energy was out of control.

  When one reached a new level of sword skill, they were supposed to solidify this over some days of cultivation, allowing their body and meridians to get used to the new stronger stream of sword energy. If one didn’t do this and even tried to use this new power before then, their meridians and body would become overloaded.

  When this happened, another person had to quickly help them hold back this new stream of sword energy with their own and let it trickle out to allow the meridians time to repair and get used to the energy. If this didn’t happen, the person’s meridians could break, causing them possible permanent damage and effectively destroying their martial arts.

  Knowing this, Drakkel had to work fast as he had already lost a lot of time.

  First, he applied salve that Rillian Adore had brought to his injuries. Then, He used his sword energy to slow down Rillian Adore’s, allowing him time to heal his meridians.

  It took a while, but after maintaining Rillian Adore’s state for several minutes, Rillian Adore’s breathing returned to normal. With his condition stable, Drakkel had no more reason to worry about him.

  However, the floor of the house was rough. Figuring they would be staying until Rillian Adore got better, Drakkel got up to find something for him to lay on.

  As he walked, he surveyed the place. It was poorly built and not filled with much. A small table sat in the middle of the room with no chairs and there appeared to be one spot in the corner for sleeping. Besides those two furnishings though there wasn’t much else.

  As Drakkel made his way to the small blanket in the corner, he stepped on a floor board that pressed down a little when his foot landed on it. Curious as to the reason, he looked down and pressed on it with his hand. His hand dipped in a little and bounced back, so he thought that under the board must have been a hollow space.

  Because he was in a hurry, he quickly tried to move the floor board and it broke off without much effort.

  When he looked within it, he found a letter.

  He swiftly grabbed the letter, placed it in his robes and replaced the floorboard. Then he took the blanket, dusted it off, and returned to the place that he left Rillian Adore.

  After setting out the blanket, Drakkel carefully moved Rillian Adore onto it. Because he knew it would take some time for him to wake up, he opened up the letter he found and read it. It said,

  My son, I’m sorry. All this time, I couldn’t provide for you. Now, I can only be a hindrance. On my sickbed, I write this, hoping you will find it before it's too late.

  You see, we are citizens from a noble family in the Kingdom of Boray. I am the sister of King Alein…

  Drakkel’s eyes widened. King Alein was the previous King of the Kingdom of Boray. He was tyrannical and terrible, brutally killing those who crossed him. He even killed most of his immediate and extended family to prevent them from stealing the throne. Because of him, the court was filled with corruption. But In the end, one of his brothers escaped and had a daughter who later gained allies, stole the throne, and executed him.

  He continued reading.

  With the assistance of some allies, I ran away to avoid death by my brother and came to the current Empire. But this place wasn't much better. They treated people from my Kingdom like second-class citizens. Still, they weren’t all like that and I eventually found somewhere to stay where I was treated kindly. However later, I found that not everything is as it seems…

  The man who offered me a place to stay had plans to rule over the world. I overheard him speak of it one day with another strange man. He said that he would need many sacrifices and materials for the spell he would perform and that he would cast it during the summer solstice. After performing it, no one in the world would be able to stop him from achieving his goals…

  He spoke happily about it. About killing others. You were only a baby then…

  In the end, I had to leave.

  When he wasn’t paying attention, I escaped. I fled to a place where he wouldn’t find me. I wasn’t sure if he would keep me alive after finding out that I overheard his plans… If he would keep us alive.

  After all, the man was powerful.

  So, this is how we ended up in the place where you had to suffer. Never enough food, never enough water. Even if we worked day and night, we could only afford to eat once or twice a day...

  I’m sorry, my dear Rillian. You were supposed to live like other kids without worries or fears. It is my greatest regret that I couldn’t give you that life.

  But, as bad as our lives were, I thought it was better than death.

  Now, as I'm about to die, I leave you this note as a warning.

  Stay away from him.

  Stay away from the one who plots evil, The Leader of the Golden Peak Swords Clan, Lorian Adore.

  Drakkel lowered down the letter, his eyes widening. He wondered if he should show it to Rillian Adore. But, after some internal debate, he decided against it. When Rillian Adore had the time to think about it, he would show it to him then.

  He placed the letter in his robe pocket and took a deep breath.

  So, it was most likely true. Lorian Adore was the one responsible for Drakkel’s fate. And, if the letter held any truth, he would perform some sort of spell in a few months.

  But Drakkel was calm. All he had to do was gather all the evidence and take it to the Emperor before then. If the Emperor decreed that all the swords clans investigate the Golden Peak Swords Clan, how would Lorian Adore still have the time to conduct evil activities?

  Knowing this, Drakkel was sure that everything would be alright. As soon as Rillian Adore woke up, they would head back to the Demon city and let them know about what was going on. With all that they had gathered at this point, the evidence was undeniable.

  Rillian Adore woke up a few hours later and Drakkel helped him up.

  “I’m sorry. I know I should have left, but…”

  Drakkel understood. If Rillian Adore left, Drakkel would have had to take on two sword masters and thirty other disciples by himself. Even for one of his level, it would be difficult. But Rillian Adore was also on his level and probably thought that they could take them on together. It’s just that he overestimated his endurance.

  “I understand and we can leave the matter for now. We have to hurry back.”

  Rillian Adore nodded.

  As no one else had shown up for hours, Drakkel knew that the disciples of the Golden Peak Swords Clan and the High Mountain Glaive Swords Clan had most likely already left the area. With all the rest he had gotten, Rillian Adore was fine to utilize his sword step. So he, Drakkel, and Pri made their way to the entrance of the underground labyrinth behind the waterfall in the forest between Prancing Hills and Immortal Peak.

  But, when they got there, Drakkel found something that made his heart skip a beat. The illusion that Illa had been upholding had disappeared.

  Sweat dripped down Drakkel's forehead as he and Rillian Adore traversed the labyrinth, pushing their sword step to the limit.

  However, after a few hours, they didn’t reach their destination and instead met a familiar face.

  With a serious expression, Re’ila called for him, “Your Highness!”

  Rillian Adore and Drakkel stopped and went to meet her.

  Once they were in front of her, she said, “Your Highness. All the demons have been evacuated!”

  “Why?” Drakkel asked.

  “Because…” Re’ila answered. “Malikai escaped!”