Three of the dark green-clad attackers lunged at Jules and Ryan, while an archer stayed back and released a shot aimed at Ryan.
Using his shortsword, Jules managed to block the dagger of his sole assailant, while Ryan, having regained the light in his eyes, jumped back.
Jules struggled to keep up with his opponent at close range, especially due to his shoulder injury, causing him to sustain more cuts.
Looking at the attacker's weapon, it appeared to be coated in poison–likely of the paralysis type.
Jules forced himself to not think, paying utmost attention to his fight while staying aware of his surroundings.
Not far from Jules, Ryan's speed and strength were increasing as his body began to glow.
He positioned himself in a way that made it difficult for the archer to shoot freely, but it was still hard because unlike Jules, these people were aiming for a kill.
With each passing second, Ryan grew stronger, his mana circuits becoming more visible and overshadowing the dark veins beneath his skin.
This extended throughout his body, including his face.
Joel, who was clearly recovering mana, saw this and asked bitterly, "Ryan, what are you doing?"
Ryan smiled. "Guess!" He yelled.
At the same time, he manipulated the sound wave, disorienting his two attackers.
Their weapons struck, but Ryan twisted just enough to ensure they avoided his vitals, exactly as planned.
The archer saw this opportunity and released an arrow packed with mana.
He grabbed one of the attackers, his muscles surging with power as he moved the man into the arrow's path.
Without decreasing his speed of motion, he slammed the attacker into the floor, digging his arm into the attacker's chest, leaving room for organs and blood to pour out.
Although his ears were still ringing, the urgency of the situation moved the second attacker who was positioned to Ryan's free side.
But with Ryan's oppressive strength, he was stabbed deeply in the side, releasing a gush of blood and entrails.
Ryan didn't even look towards this person as he sent the person flying towards a tree with a back heel kick.
Ryan was smiling, but his body was in a terrible state, red and black blood leaking from the corners of his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Next, he darted to support Jules, who could barely move one of his arms at this point and had his movements slowing, but Joel was forced to enter the fight, obstructing his path.
"Get out of my way!" Ryan said, increasing the sound Joel perceived and stunning him.
A punch to Ryan's gut followed, but a hastily formed barrier absorbed some of the impact.
Even Joel who was a stage above Ryan couldn't contend with him in strength at the moment.
The archer and Jules's opponent noticed the change of situation and changed their priority from capture to kill the heir.
Ryan couldn't have that.
Ignoring Joel, Ryan closed the distance between him and Jules in a few steps.
Ryan blocked a thrust aimed at Jules's body, while Jules had the opportunity to create a few tier 2 barriers to block the archer's barrage of shots.
Jules then looked up at Ryan.
Ryan's body was glowing even brighter, the circuits becoming less visible as if they were now non-existent.
The arrows from earlier were still stuck to his back, just like the one stuck to Jules's shoulder.
Coughing up a mouthful of blood and pushing his opponent back, Ryan said, "Cid has fallen. The survivors are coming. You need to escape now."
Clenching his hands into fists, Jules immediately replied, "So this was your so-called trump card, Mana Overload?"
"Yes. Why do you think I focused on increasing my core size? It was for this moment!"
"If you keep going, it won't just end with destroyed circuits–you'll die!"
"I know!" Ryan yelled, a wave of oppressive aura extending from his body. "I'll distract the rest, you escape."
Not giving Jules time to reply, he added, "Don't give me any crap. I'm already as good as dead, so just make my sacrifice count!
"Go back to the clan and tell my parents how I sacrificed to save the clan's heir."
"Damn you, Ryan! Damn you!"
"Stop whining and close your ears! I'll soon lose complete control over my mana."
Jules lingered for a moment before struggling to cover his ears.
Then Ryan shouted!
"Hey, Joel! Guess what, your mission is going to fail! Hahahahaa!"
Without care of precision, Ryan increased the sound waves of his voice, pouring a large amount of mana into the process.
As if sound had become a ripple of water, it flowed from Ryan pressuring the surrounding individuals and even causing the trees to shake.
Jules, having covered his ears with mana coated palms, heard a ring in his head but moved his body regardless.
He picked up his bag which had dropped earlier and ran past Joel, running deeper into the forest.
Joel, after guessing this could happen, also managed to lighten the effects of the enhanced sound wave a bit a Jules and yelled:
"Kill him! Shoot at him!"
The archer, standing in a distance, was shaken, but managed to release a round of arrows.
But Ryan intercepted the arrows with his sword, blood pouring from his cracked skin with every slight movement.
Joel saw this and cursed. He focused on Jules, preparing a wind spell.
Ryan wanted to turn around and block, but with his senses numbing, he didn't react on time to an attack from his back and got stabbed.
"Die, bitch!" The attacker said, driving his dagger deeper into Ryan's body.
Ryan wanted to bring down his sword on this man, but another organ ruptured, spilling blood onto the attacker from his mouth.
Without any care for Ryan at the moment, Joel shot a tier 3 wind blade at Jules.
Running at full speed, Jules moved to dodge, but the attack wasn't aimed at him.
The wind blade cut through Jules's bag, spilling the remaining potions and pills within.
Jules saw this and cursed his bad luck, throwing the remaining part of the bag away as he kept on running.
Joel wasn't satisfied with this, but Jules was suffering from a paralysis poison and would soon stop moving.
He turned back towards Ryan.
Ryan's body glow had reduced, his body splitting with cracks that oozed blood.
Almost on his knees, arrows were jutting out of his back, and a dagger was stabbed into his stomach.
At that moment, Mark in a battered up state, holding a broken sword, arrived with four others.
With a nod, Joel said, "He ran that way–you can still catch up to him. He is poisoned."
"Alright," Mark replied. "The plans are already scattered and the squads have detected a commotion. We should round up soon."
"I'll do that. I still have to handle my little junior."
Mark gave no response, leading the four to chase Jules.
Crumbling to his knees, Ryan turned to Joel at his words, forcing a smile out as he returned to his near-depleted vitality state.
"I wonder what you want to do with a deadman."
Joel smiled, concealing the annoyance of the situation.
Ryan would have suffered at Joel's hands, if not for the squads Mark had mentioned.
But still, it wasn't a fun death as Joel slowly cut Ryan till he met his end.
'Bye, Mother. Bye, Father.'