Eamon was startled after witnessing the terrifying power of Haizer. The invisible slash had cut an entire tree in half as though it were nothing more than paper. Dust and leaves slowly settled around the battlefield while Eamon remained on the ground, breathing heavily.
A cold feeling ran down his spine.
Haizer stood a few feet away from him calmly, almost casually, as if the attack he had just unleashed was nothing special at all.
Eamon slowly pushed himself up using his sword. His muscles ached from the earlier clashes. Sweat dripped from his face as his eyes stayed locked on Haizer.
"What the hell was that…" he muttered under his breath.
Haizer looked at him with amusement. Then, without saying a word, he suddenly threw his sword downward. The blade pierced straight into the ground with a loud thud. Half the sword disappeared into the earth as cracks spread around it.
Everyone watched silently. Then Haizer grabbed the edge of his shirt and tore it off completely.
His body was covered in scars. Old wounds. Deep cuts. Burn marks. It was the body of a man who had survived countless battles.
But something about him felt wrong now. Dangerous. Haizer slowly bent forward.
Then he screamed.
A violent wave of energy exploded from his body. Wind burst around him in all directions, making the trees shake violently. Leaves flew through the air while the ground beneath him cracked.
The soldiers stepped back in fear. Even Gorochi looked terrified despite lying injured on the ground. Haizer continued screaming as the energy around him grew stronger and stronger. Then suddenly—
something burst out from his back.
Everyone froze. A pair of massive wings tore out behind him.
Dark gray wings. Huge. Sharp. Like the wings of a giant vulture.
The feathers spread wide while powerful gusts of air swirled around him. The sheer pressure from his aura made several soldiers lose their balance and fall backward.
As the wings fully unfolded, Haizer slowly stood straight again.
One of the wings had a slight cut near the edge, as if it had once been damaged badly in battle.
Silence covered the forest. The soldiers stared in horror. Damien's eyes widened. Even Orzen looked terrified. Korran tightly grabbed Felis's arm.
"What… what is that?" the little boy whispered fearfully.
Roneth's face completely changed.
The confident swordsman who always acted arrogant suddenly looked pale. His breathing became uneven. A memory flashed through his mind. Burning buildings. Screaming people. Winged warriors descending from the sky. Blood everywhere. Roneth clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his skin.
"It can't be…" he whispered.
Eamon slowly got to his feet, unable to take his eyes off the wings.
His heart pounded violently.
"Those wings…" he said shakily. "Are you… are you a Seraphim?"
The word itself felt heavy.
Eamon remembered the stories his grandfather used to tell him during childhood. Stories about races other than humans. Elves who lived deep inside forests. Dwarves who forged weapons beneath mountains. Naiads who protected sacred lakes. Lumaris who worshipped moonlight.
But among all races, there was one species feared more than the others.
The Seraphims— Winged humans who ruled the skies. Masters of aerial combat.
Unlike humans who could learn many types of magic, Seraphims were born with mastery over only one element— air.
But they had perfected it to terrifying levels.
They lived far toward the eastern borders of the Light Realm, constantly fighting wars against dark creatures beyond the borders.
Eamon had only heard stories about them. He never thought he would actually meet one.
Haizer stretched his wings slightly while smirking.
"It's been years since I pulled out my wings," he said calmly. "Feels nostalgic."
The wind around him slowly calmed, but the pressure remained. Then Haizer casually walked toward Gorochi, who was still lying injured on the ground. The governor looked up at him fearfully.
"H-Haizer… what are you doing?"
Haizer ignored the question. He crouched beside him and slipped a hand inside Gorochi's coat pocket. Then he pulled out a small decorated box.
Eamon frowned. Roneth narrowed his eyes.
Haizer slowly opened the box. A soft blue glow emerged from inside. The moment the lid opened completely, a beautiful pearl floated upward into the air. The entire forest lit up faintly with blue light. The air suddenly felt colder and calmer around it.
Korran's eyes widened instantly.
"It's the River Goddess's Pearl!" he shouted. "The one Gorochi stole and blamed my father and brother for!"
Orzen lowered his head painfully. Felis clenched his fists. All this suffering. All this bloodshed. All because of that pearl.
Eamon stared at Haizer with anger burning in his eyes.
Damien's expression darkened too.
Roneth silently reached for his sword again.
Haizer looked at the floating pearl almost lovingly. "I waited so long for this," he whispered.
Then he slowly turned toward them.
"Finally… it's mine."
The smile on his face became colder.
"I will kill every single one of you today," he continued calmly. "This kid's family. You adventurers. The vampire. All of you."
His eyes shifted toward Gorochi.
"And then I'll kill this fat pig too and blame everything on you."
Gorochi's face turned pale.
"H-Haizer! Wait! We can talk about this!"
Haizer ignored him completely.
"After that," he continued, "I will leave this place freely with the pearl."
Damien stepped forward carefully.
"What is a Seraphim doing in a human kingdom?" he asked seriously. "And why do you want that pearl so badly?"
Haizer smiled faintly.
Eamon tightened his grip on the Vixterium sword.
"Answer him, you bastard!"
For a few seconds, Haizer stayed silent.
Then he finally spoke.
"My country was called Thalmyra."
Roneth's body stiffened instantly after hearing the name. His eyes widened even more.
Haizer continued calmly. "We went to war against another Seraphim kingdom years ago. It was supposed to be a glorious battle. But our king betrayed us."
The smile disappeared from his face.
"He abandoned us and ran away." The air around him became colder. "Our country burned. Our people died. Everything was destroyed."
Roneth lowered his head slightly. His breathing became heavier. It was clear that the name Thalmyra meant something terrible to him.
Eamon frowned. "That still doesn't explain why you came here or why you stole the pearl."
Haizer looked at the floating pearl again. "You fools really know nothing."
The pearl glowed brighter in front of him.
"This pearl is special. Far more special than you humans understand. It contains powers beyond your comprehension."
Damien narrowed his eyes. "What kind of powers?"
Haizer smiled darkly.
"The power to resurrect my lord."
Everyone froze. Even the soldiers looked confused.
Eamon stepped forward immediately. "What?"
Haizer continued calmly.
"I heard rumors about this pearl being hidden somewhere in this region. That's why I joined Gorochi's army months ago. I needed to steal it carefully without attracting the Imperial Army's attention."
He looked down at Gorochi mockingly. "This idiot thought everything was his idea."
Gorochi looked furious despite his injuries. "You used me…"
Haizer laughed softly.
"Of course I did."
He pointed toward the pearl.
"I told him the pearl would bring him glory and power. And he believed every word like the fool he is."
Gorochi gritted his teeth helplessly.
"All this time," Haizer continued, "I was simply waiting for the right moment."
He slowly grabbed the floating pearl with his hand.
"And now that moment has finally arrived."
Eamon's eyes narrowed. "Who is this lord you want to resurrect?"
Haizer's expression changed slightly. For the first time, there was respect in his eyes.
"That," he said quietly, "is hardly your concern, kid."
His face darkened again.
"Because you're all going to die now anyway."
The next second, Haizer suddenly spread his wings.
Boom. A powerful gust of wind exploded beneath him as he launched into the air instantly. The ground cracked from the force.
Eamon quickly raised his sword.
Haizer flew toward him at terrifying speed, almost like a missile cutting through the night sky. His sword was once again covered in swirling air magic.
The pressure around the blade distorted the air itself. Before Eamon could properly react— Haizer reached him. And slashed.
Eamon barely managed to defend the attack with the Vixterium sword. The moment both blades collided— a massive shockwave exploded outward.
A huge wave of air flew out from the connection of those two swords.