[Outside the Classers' Headquarters – Outer Gate]
Reyon stood silently beside his squad, gazing at the horizon.
The ground trembled slightly from the sheer presence of approaching mana.
From the gates, he could already see the golden gleam of royal armor, the formation of the kingdom's elite knights in perfect synchronization.
But his eyes narrowed as he saw a second banner fluttering beside the royal insignia.
A blazing phoenix embroidered on crimson silk.
"…Haa." Reyon exhaled, his voice low, cold. "So they really did it."
He squinted at the arriving forces.
"The Phoenix household responded to Julie's plea, huh?"
His fists clenched.
"Should I just go and expose myself?"
He scanned the battalion.
"No… too risky. The commander they sent—"
His eyes locked onto a figure near the center.
"…An elite 7th-circle mage. Only marshals can command one of those."
He narrowed his eyes further.
"There are only two elite 7th-circle mages per army. And that one isn't leading."
He stared at the center formation.
"That means…"
A slight chill ran down his spine.
"…a Marshal is here."
His lips curled into a slight grin.
"If it really is a Marshal from the Phoenix… then this is the best chance."
He reached into his coat, pulling out a sleek, black-and-purple dragon mask.
"This will be the perfect stage to test my control… and maybe even settle some old scores."
He leapt.
[In a flash of black lightning]
Reyon landed in front of the army, the dragon mask hiding his face.
Every soldier instinctively reached for their weapons.
Mana surged on both sides.
He raised his voice.
"Miss Julie!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Do you really want me to exterminated royal guards today?"
He stepped forward, magic pressure rippling with every step.
"Last time, Knight Commander Phillips was spared because I didn't want the destruction of the Kingdom of Elise."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"By killing your only 8th-circle, I would've buried this kingdom myself."
Julie, standing beside Commander Phillips, sneered.
"I knew it was you…!" she hissed.
"you must've hired someone to steal the Jewel of Elise."
She took a step forward.
"How long do you think Berth's money will help you?!"
She glared with rage.
"Do you think a mere assassin would dare to face a Marshal from the Phoenix household—just for coin!?"
Reyon scoffed, tilting his head slightly.
"We'll see the strength of your so-called Marshal."
Just then, a young royal mage snorted.
"Hah! Why are we wasting time on this 5th-circle trash?"
The man stepped forward, sneering.
"We should just exterminate all these Classer criminals—"
"Blaze fury"
Reyon waved his hand.
A whisper of a command.
No chant. No delay.
Mana warped.
In a single motion, he casted Blaze, stacked with σ through £ eight times.
[The stacking was instant.]
[Too fast.]
Even the 8th-circle Knight Commander and the Marshal only managed to dodge—not counter.
A roaring inferno surged forward.
Flames of violet and gold consumed the battlefield.
Dozens of mages screamed—
Before being turned to ash.
All who were below 7th-circle evaporated.
Only one emerged unscathed—the elite 7th-circle sent by the Marshal.
The rest of the 7th-circle mages?
Alive. But barely.
Coughing blood, burnt to the bone.
"U-Ugh…"
Commander Phillips grabbed Julie, shielding her as they retreated from the front lines.
Julie's face turned pale.
Her pupils trembled.
"T-That… that was the power of an 8th-circle spell…"
She muttered.
Her legs shook beneath her long coat.
The elite 7th-circle mage who survived stood frozen.
Shocked.
He had prepared for a casual fight.
A simple subjugation mission.
And now?
His entire squad lay in pieces.
He stared at the masked man.
"…W-What is that monster?"
He staggered back, his thoughts racing.
"That… can't be a 5th-circle mage…"
"…I don't even want to look at him again…"
[Julie's Perspective]
Her hands trembled as she clutched her blade.
"…No, it can't be…"
She stared at the burning field.
The masked figure stood alone.
Unaffected.
"…It was all true…"
She remembered the fight in field.
The fight with Berth. The humiliation of commander phillip. The twelve dead lords.
"…So it wasn't a fluke…"
Her voice came out in a whisper.
"He was always this monstrous…"
She calmed her breath.
But she wasn't scared.
Not yet.
Her lips curved.
"But I came prepared too."
She turned her gaze.
"…A Marshal from the Phoenix household won't lose to anyone."
She looked at Commander Phillips and whispered.
"While that masked bastard fights the Marshal…"
She leaned in.
"…you'll go for a sneak attack."
Her eyes glinted.
"And that'll be his end."
[Back to Reyon]
Another figure walked forward.
Graceful.
Confident.
And deadly.
The aura around her sent a chill through the battlefield.
Literally.
The air started to freeze.
Mana spiraled around her like a blizzard.
The Marshal stepped forth.
Her voice calm. Clear.
"…Just who are you?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"How are you able to hide your true circle?"
She stared straight at the mask.
"You're not a 5th-circle. That spell was clearly of the 8th."
She paused.
Her mind raced.
She had seen something like this before.
The fight between reyon and alex when he left the pheonix
"…Could it be…"
Her lips parted—but she didn't finish.
"No it can't be he wouldn't have become this strong".
Reyon stared back.
Finally… he saw her face clearly.
He clenched his fists.
"…Cold Sword."
A nickname feared throughout the Phoenix military.
A genius from the Duke household.
Master of a rare elemental affinity: Ice.
And an unparalleled swordswoman.
Even Reyon couldn't deny it—
Her strength was second only to Evelyn, the strongest of the four Marshals.
" First lady of pheonix household"
"…Ray's mother," Reyon muttered.
"…My stepmother."
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Even in his past life, he rarely saw her.
He remembered the discrimination from her vassla
Though she never ordered them to do it .
But she never helped him either.
When the vassals oppressed him, she didn't cared about it.
Only
Thrived for strength.
Ignored the rest.
"…You never stopped them."
His heart pulsed with quiet rage.
"…Then let's settle it now."
But he wouldn't kill her.
He just wanted her to see what he had become.
[Suddenly]
In a flash—
The Marshal, Serena Bellford, dashed forward.
Her blade glinted in the light.
She slashed.
Fast.
Too fast.
But Reyon didn't flinch.
"Vector Field."
He activated the technique.
Her blade collided with the invisible field—
BOOM
The impact forced her back.
She skidded, eyes wide.
"Hoh…"
She raised an eyebrow.
"You're not normal."
She gripped her sword tightly.
"I guess I'll have to go all out."
[And then—]
Reyon felt it.
The entire air shifted.
The temperature dropped like a storm rolling in.
Frost crawled across the ground.
Her sword—
Now coated in thick, shining ice.
Even the wind seemed to freeze.
Reyon's eyes widened.
"…So this is Cold Sword."
He whispered.
"Absolute control…"
He watched the frost spiral around her blade like a frozen dragon.
"…And perfect balance between sword and ice magic."
He took a stance.
"This…"
His lips curled.
"…will be interesting."
[TO BE CONTINUED…]