From his position, King Gulben could see the flashes of light flickering in the night sky, fire burning in bursts of crimson and black.
The distant battlefield was illuminated with violent explosions. The chaotic energy unmistakable.
Erend's power surged through the air like an overwhelming presence that sent a ripple through the Magic forces of the palace. There was no doubt about it—the Dragonborn had made his move.
King Gulben exhaled sharply.
He had forbidden Erend and Eccar from interfering in their struggles, not because he doubted their strength, but because the Elves had already owed them too much.
Their past debts to the Dragonborn ran deep, and he had wanted his people to reclaim their own dignity, to stand and fight their own battles.
But now, standing here, feeling the tremors of battle in the distance, he realized how wrong he had been.
Laston's forces were beyond anything they had predicted. The Elves had underestimated him and underestimated the level of technology and power he had amassed in the other world.
If Erend and Eccar had not stepped in… the palace might have already fallen.
King Gulben gritted his teeth. Once again, he was forced to rely on them. Once again, the fate of the Elves rested on the shoulders of outsiders.
But he had no choice.
A chuckle pulled him from his thoughts.
Laston stood in his place, gazing toward the battlefield. His smirk widened as another flare of Erend's flames illuminated the sky.
"Seems like that beast of yours has started moving," Laston mused. "But I wouldn't get too hopeful. He may be strong, but my subordinate can handle him now."
King Gulben turned his gaze to Laston, his eyes narrowing.
"You sound so certain," he said, his voice steady but sharp. "No matter how strong your subordinates are, you're forgetting something important."
Laston's smirk twitched slightly.
King Gulben continued, his tone carrying the weight of history.
"He were up against the Dragonborn. The very same ones who sent you running with your tail between your legs."
The words cut deeper than any blade.
Laston's smile vanished. His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened, filled with the cold, bitter memory of his past defeat.
The reminder stung his pride. The humiliation of his failure, the moment he was forced to flee from Erend and Eccar, was still burned into his mind.
For the first time tonight, the arrogance in his expression faltered.
"You're still underestimating me even after seeing what I did to your army?" Laston said. "I've only used half of my own power, and you think you're winning just because of one Dragonborn?"
King Gulben's heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his expression composed, refusing to show any weakness. Yet, Laston's words echoed in his mind, sending a cold chill through his veins.
If Laston had only been using half of his strength, then what horrors still lay hidden within his force? What more had he brought from that cursed world of his?
The realization struck hard—this battle was far from over. Even with Erend fighting, the balance of power was still uncertain.
Laston smirked, as if sensing the turmoil in the king's thoughts.
"The Dragonborn is strong, yes... but stagnant. He clings to his strength, relying on the same power he's always had." His crimson cybernetic eyes gleamed. "While I? I evolve. We grow stronger after every battle. Every moment that passes, I become something more."
King Gulben clenched his jaw. He couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. Time was slipping away, and every second he spent standing here will giving Laston more chanhe.
With a sharp intake of breath, he lunged forward. His body blurred in motion, silver-streaked aura igniting around him like a comet flashing through the sky.
Laston's smirk widened in amusement, his cybernetic enhancements whirring in response.
He lifted a hand, fingers crackling with a mixture of Magic and cold, unnatural energy.
Their powers met in a violent collision midair, shaking the very fabric of the battlefield.
A chilling force erupted from Laston's body, an unnatural cold that seeped into the air like creeping death.
It was ice but it also carried something darker and vile. The space around him twisted as tendrils of black frost curled outward, crackling with an eerie energy.
King Gulben felt the change immediately. His breath hitched as the temperature plummeted, his lungs stinging with each inhale.
The moisture in the air crystallized, forming delicate frost patterns that hovered for a split second before vanishing into the void of Laston's power.
His instincts screamed at him. Laston was suddenly able to use ice Magic. But this was no ordinary ice Magic.
But he couldn't afford to hesitate.
Silver streaks of light surged around his form as he pushed forward his attack again, his body a blur against the darkened sky.
His aura burned bright, resisting the cold and refusing to falter. His grip on his weapon tightened.
Then, as he neared, the darkness around Laston took shape.
A dense, mist-like frost coiled around the Cyber-Mage's body, rolling off him in waves, tendrils of black mist stretching everywhere.
The air around him shimmered with an unnatural distortion.
And then, from within the mist, Laston smirked.
Before King Gulben could react, Laston vanished into the swirling darkness. A sudden gust of freezing wind rushed toward him, carrying with it a thick mist.
Then a blast of dark frost engulfed him.
The freezing mist consumed his vision instantly, swallowing the world around him in a suffocating haze of black and white.
His breath hitched as the cold gnawed at his skin.
Panic surged through the king.
His instincts screamed danger, but he couldn't see anything. It was like being trapped in an endless blizzard while blind and vulnerable.
He swung his blade, sending arcs of silver light in every direction, but there was nothing.
A brutal force slammed into his ribs.
King Gulben gasped as the impact sent him hurtling sideways, his body twisting through the air.
The cold spread rapidly from the point of contact, creeping into his bones. His mind barely registered the pain before a second strike happen.This time, to his back.