The chaos of battle froze for a brief moment the instant the Sage appeared at the top of the monastery steps. With slow, graceful, almost unreal steps, he descended the stone staircase. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground, and each step echoed in the sudden silence that had fallen over the esplanade. His white robe embroidered with gold floated lightly around him, revealing only his piercing emerald-green eyes.
Every gaze — friend and foe alike — was fixed on him.
A massive demon with black horns and dark armor stepped forward heavily, growling:
"Who are you, hermit? Show yourself if you dare!"
The Sage stopped a few meters away from the horde. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then reopened them, his gaze turning icy.
"It doesn't matter who I am…" he replied in a calm, deep voice. "But one thing is certain… you're going to regret this."
At those words, he vanished.
The demon blinked, frantically searching around him. Too late. The Sage reappeared right behind him and delivered a lightning-fast palm strike to his back. The demon was launched forward like a cannonball, carving a deep trench in the ground before crashing unconscious.
A stunned murmur rippled through the ranks.
"How…?" Bella breathed, eyes wide.
The battle resumed with renewed fury. The demons charged, howling. The Sage became a white storm. He moved at incredible speed, appearing and disappearing among the enemies. He struck with precision and fluidity: a spinning kick that shattered a demon's jaw, a series of open-palm strikes that expelled the life force from another, and an acrobatic leap to dodge a group attack before crashing down with a reinforced heel strike that crushed two opponents.
"He's everywhere at once!" a panicked enemy mage screamed.
"That's not a human!" roared another as he tried to strike him.
The Sage dodged effortlessly, grabbed his attacker's arm, twisted it, and hurled him into three of his comrades.
Eiran, sword still raised, stood speechless.
"I've never seen anyone fight with such… grace."
Lyseria, beside him, couldn't tear her eyes away.
"Alone… against all of them. And he's almost smiling."
Caden clenched his fists, both admiring and frustrated.
But a demon took advantage of a moment when the Sage was surrounded and attacked from behind, black claws ready to pierce him.
"Sage, watch out!" Lyseria cried.
The Sage vanished once again. The demon only caught the white fabric covering his face. The veil slipped through its clawed fingers.
Behind it stood a strikingly beautiful young man. Long blond hair with an elegant fringe and a few strands tied in front, brilliant emerald-green eyes, and fine, perfect features. He couldn't have been more than twenty-one years old.
A stunned silence fell.
Then excited whispers erupted among the female mages of the monastery:
"Oh my god… he's gorgeous!"
"Look at his eyes… I'm going to faint."
"How could anyone hide a face like that?!"
Eiran, still in shock, blurted out:
"Wow… I didn't know the Sage was that handsome!"
Lethan chuckled sarcastically:
"No wonder he hides. There would've been a massive influx of female mage recruits."
Kael crossed his arms, half-amused, half-dismayed:
"And to think he chose to stay in the monastery…"
Lyseria shook her head, almost tragically:
"What a waste…"
Bella, cheeks slightly pink, murmured:
"Wow… he's so beautiful."
Caden, annoyed, growled:
"No need to make such a big deal out of it."
Aletha, dreamy:
"I agree… he looks like a Greek god."
Zetch, neutral:
"You're exaggerating."
Bella and Aletha turned to them at the same time:
"Even Caden and Zetch don't compare…"
Caden and Zetch froze, then comically fell to their knees at the same time, as if struck by lightning. Aletha and Bella burst out laughing despite the exhaustion of battle.