Chapter 995 Not Against It, Untypical Circumstances
...
On the east side of the battlefield, the number of Pzenium warriors was rapidly dwindling under the vicious assault of Izroth and the lightning soldiers.
Every time a new group of enemies attempted to block their path, they were mercilessly cut down. It got to the point where even the Pzenium warriors, who were well known for their fearless approach to battle, began to show some signs of hesitation.
While it was an honor to perish on the battlefield at the hands of a strong enemy, this enemy was different. If their death were at the hands of another warrior, they would gladly face their fate. However, what honor awaited them after dying at the hands of some lifeless lightning demons? Did such a death even hold any meaning? It was thoughts like this that caused some of the Pzenium warriors to waver when choosing whether or not to confront Izroth and the lightning soldiers.
Ultimately, this led to many of the Pzenium warriors opting to focus on those retreating from the main group. In this way, even if they avoided Izroth's group, it could not be seen as them fleeing from a battle.
Of course, while this choice saved them from a potentially swift death, it still greatly damaged the pride of numerous Pzenium warriors.
Naturally, this shift in behavior by the Pzenium warriors did not escape Izroth's gaze.
'They've started to avoid confronting us head-on. I thought all Pzenium warriors held no fear of death. But, I suppose even they value their life to a certain degree. We were able to pull away some of the pressure on the main group, but with their actions now, the focus will fall back onto them. Are they still not going to make their move?'
Izroth's gaze pierced into the distance beyond their current battlefield.
"Sagarus, take the lightning soldiers and help reduce the pressure in the most dangerous areas where the enemy forces are concentrated. Your priority is to aid in the retreat of our allied forces." Izroth stated.
"Your command has been received, my lord!" Sagarus responded as he broke off from Izroth along with the other lightning soldiers and headed deep into the ranks of the Pzenium forces.
Woosh!
Out of nowhere, a sharp object zipped past the front of Izroth's neck!
Right before the object could hit its mark, Izroth slightly tilted his head back and managed to evade it narrowly. However, despite successfully avoiding it, a small shallow cut appeared on his neck.
'Oh? If I had reacted just a step later there, I would not have gotten off with such a light wound. To be able to penetrate through my defenses and not trigger my Soul Sense—it seems I've caught the eye of someone with a bit of skill.'
Thanks to his Heavenly Golden Body and Might stat, Izroth could not be damaged by skills or attacks that did not reach a certain threshold. Therefore, the fact that it could damage him even after he dodged meant that the power behind that attack just now was equivalent to at least an A-ranked skill. However, seeing as how it was also able to elude the detection of his Soul Sense, Izroth believed it to be, at minimum, something comparable to an S-ranked skill.
The next moment, Izroth halted his steps. This caused Ranazera, who was only a few steps behind him, to also pause her movement.
"Why did we stop?" Ranazera questioned.
The sixth princess was completely unaware of the fact that Izroth had just been attacked. Though this was not surprising since even Izroth himself did not perceive the attack until it was within a dangerously close range.
"It would appear that an unexpected guest has come to greet us," Izroth said calmly.
'What are they doing in this place?'
"As I thought, subduing you will prove to be a rather problematic task. Fortunately, I came prepared this time." A voice sounded as a cloaked figure emerged a few meters in front of Izroth.
"It's you...!" Ranazera scowled when she saw the person who appeared before them.
Although their appearance was well hidden by the cloak, Ranazera remembered their voice clearly. That's because they were the leader of the group behind the ambush that occurred at the border of Duke Sorkoza's territory. More importantly, they almost claimed her life with their sneak attack when her power was still sealed!
"Good, you saved me the trouble of finding you myself! I will repay the debt owed for the previous attempt on my life!" Ranazera said coldly as her twin swords materialized in her hands.
Just as Ranazera stepped forward, Izroth held his arm out in front of the sixth princess.
"Why are you stopping me? This person has to pay for their actions." Ranazera said with a darkened expression.
"A wise choice. Little princess, if you value your life, do not interfere. Last time, you were merely a means to an end—not our primary goal. As long as you do not needlessly intrude, you may even be able to return to your Tempest kingdom in one piece." The cloaked figure stated.
"You-!"
A means to an end? Hearing her life being treated so casually by a stranger caused a new wave of anger to wash over Ranazera. But before she could voice her displeasure, Izroth spoke up.
"I'm curious. There are many people who wish for my death; however, there are not many people I can think of that want to capture me alive. I do not believe there exist any personal grievances between us. So, tell me, who are you working for? If it's just a face-to-face meeting they want, then depending on your answer, it's not as if I'll necessarily reject tagging along with you." Izroth stated.
"Wha- Are you crazy?! Are you really thinking about going with someone so suspicious?!" Ranazera frowned.
"This..." The cloaked figure seemed to be completely thrown off by Izroth's words.
"Indeed, the goal is to capture and bring him back alive, but... Would he really be willing to come with us of his own free will...? Or is it some kind of trap to get me to let my guard down?" The cloaked figure thought to themselves.
The intel they received about their target mentioned that he was uncompromising and extremely arrogant. The best method when dealing with those types was through force. However, if they truly were willing to follow of their own accord, then would that not be most idle?
'Seeing as how they requested I be captured alive, it must mean they want something from me. Either that or they want the satisfaction of dealing with me using their own two hands. Regardless, considering their aggressive approach, it's definitely someone I'm not on the best of terms with. That being said, since they want to meet me so badly, I'll grant them their wish. I just hope they can deal with the aftermath of their desires. Besides, I'm more curious about something else.'
Needless to say, Izroth was the type to entertain those who pointed their blade at him.
Under normal circumstances, he would have never wasted words on the person before him. However, if his suspicions were correct, then these circumstances were anything but typical.
"Of course, going with you right this moment won't be possible. As you can see, I'm in the middle of something rather important that I cannot half-heartedly abandon. Once I finish taking care of things here, then we can have a proper conversation. Is this not the best case for the both of us?" Izroth said in a straightforward manner.
"...How do I know your words can be trusted?" The cloaked figure questioned with a hint of distrust carried in their tone.
"Because I'm sure we want the same thing. But, if my words alone are not enough, perhaps this will help to somewhat ease your mind."
The moment Izroth finished speaking, an intense wave of blue flames exploded forth from his body before encompassing him in a protective veil.
"T-That's...!" The cloaked figure's whole body trembled as their shock could not be hidden at the emergence of the flames.
In the presence of those blue flames, the cloaked figure felt an uncontrollable urge to kneel and pay their respects.
'It feels like a bit of a waste to use it this way. But this is the quickest way to handle this matter.'
"H-how... How is it possible that this is here...?" The cloaked figure muttered as they removed their hood, revealing an expression of disbelief.