Trapped by a cage with maddened beasts made of pure aura, Kairos had but seconds to decide and act. Given the condition of his body right now, his choices are limited. But with such severe injuries, did he underestimate his foes?

No, Kairos wasn’t one to act without certainty. Especially when he is the one who initiates an attack. He decided to take action after discovering a certain spell.

Stasis.

A circle 1 magic that mages cast on cadavers to preserve freshness, used by both healers and butchers.

The spell is made of the tiniest particles of mana that can permeate nearly anything and after completely engulfing the target the mana will bond and become still.

At that time, locked by magic, the person will be unable to cast spells, use Ki, or even move a muscle. After all, even the person’s breath will become still for a while.

However, for Kairos this is the turning point of everything. A trump card he had been saving thus far. A Circle 1 ace, but ace nevertheless.

As he spoke the spell’s name, the magic permeating him held his tattered body.

His wounds that are close to rampaging ceased like a great slumbering beast.

Freed from fighting off pain and the sweet allure of unconsciousness, Kairos’ will concentrated like never before.

All along he had been fighting off pain.

Now, with renewed focus he turned his eyes towards his foes.

He had yet to act, but the eight enemies left shivered fearfully in their boots.

Those that thought of Kairos as a simple brute because he is an Aura Pugilist can only regret in heaven or will soon join them.

Then, they heard what will be the last words to them in this world, “Aura Art: Dragon’s Aura – Aisa!”

A snarl that caused even their very souls to tremble announced the countdown to their doom.

Aisa is but a baby that can hardly roar. But she is still a primordial one and a true dragon.

A dragon’s head, majestic and wise, looms above all of them.

Though merely an aura, they feel as though they faced a real dragon.

Sparkling white with faint golden runes along the edges of each scale. It was a beautiful creature that demands reverence. As the only True Holy Dragon, its magnificence are not meant for mortal eyes.

All at once, every single hyena laid down flat on their bellies. Despite being made out of aura, they react as real beasts. Moreover, their summoner is also paralysed with fear.

Then, the dragon looked down at them.

Not just the hyenas, every single person felt the breath knocked out of their lungs.

*SNAAAP*

Dozens upon dozens of hyenas dissipated under the pressure with one last pitiful howl.

While Aura is infinite as a product of willpower instead of any resource, what makes it unlimited also limits it.

The amount of hyenas the Aura Mage can summon at one time is limited by his strength of will and when the hyenas broke, the summoner is dealt a heavy mental damage and fell to the floor unconscious.

In a battle between two Aura Masters, the type of Aura is far more important than the quantity.

As a king of all beasts, Kairos’ dragon easily suppressed the hyenas like how fire would consume dry leaves – moreover comparing Aisa’s Aura to fire is one that scale at over a million degrees.

The aura magic disappearing so easily shocked everyone who knew the potency of that spell. This Aura Mage is famous in the realm for destroying armies.

Once again the lad thwarted their best and faced them with ease.

The only one who moderately did damage is the Arcane Archer who is already dead.

Of course, this would be the case if Kairos is not severely wounded before this battle, but his enemies do not know.

And because of this ignorance, they feared him, and their fear made them susceptible to the overwhelming dragon aura.

There are few records of dragon auras on Axis Mundi, mainly because the lower realm can hardly support such powerful creatures and without reference those auras are made out of imagination and hardly effective.

Kairos’ version, on the other hand, is made from Aisa – an existence greater than a pure blooded true dragon, even above the ancient ancestor dragons, and at the ranks of the 18 primordial dragons.

To recreate Aisa’s presence into an aura is devastating for his foes, even if Kairos could not wholly replicate its original feel.

The fear, the oppression, the hopelessness they felt is but a part of Aisa’s natural deposition as an apex existence.

However, what makes the 18 primordial dragons unique is because they are considered primal forces that each controls an element.

A searing light suddenly engulfed them and all at once they felt strange in their heart.

Guilty, fear, trepidation, warmth, cleanliness, and love.

Each person in this place developed a different assortment of feelings.

Above them, Aisa’s figure looked at them quietly.

It was at this point that the battle is finally over.

All of a sudden, the mushroom gnome shrivelled up and cracked.

Just like that, it had died and they were down to seven.

As a creature that belongs in the dark, it cannot survive in this bright light.

The others are not unaffected either.

The bearded noble was the first to react.

Before anyone could react, he violently turned the blade he is hold onto himself and screamed, “I am unworthy!”

A panicking Spellsinger shouted, “Wait!”

She is one of the few that remains capable of speaking.

However, the nobleman ignored her. His face is filled with remorse as he slowly pushed his blade into his chest.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry… Please let me die. I cannot atone. There are too many innocent lives on my hands. The look of mothers and children as I killed them haunts me. I cannot be forgiven. How could I have laughed?”

He whimpered and wept. Wheezing as he repeated, how could I, until he finally grew too weak to say anything.

Just like this, the second of the three representatives is gone. A powerful Aura Knightlord, and a commander who had slaughtered many.

His demise was strangling for their morale but, he was not the only one who died. While everyone was looking at the bearded noble, two Aura Knights also took their own lives.

Their group had cut down to only four people left.

At this time, the last Aura Knight knelt down towards Kairos and a few seconds later, the Spellsinger who seemed to struggle for a while followed suit.

At the side, the Aura Mage remained unconscious while the elven Assault Mage – the last representative – sat on the ground with a hollow expression.

With everyone neutralised, Kairos retracted his Aura projection of Aisa.

Even so, those kneeling remained kneeling as Kairos approached the silent Assault Mage.

“What do you wish to do now?”

As if life was breathed back into her lungs, the elf looked up at him.

Her expression was one desperate from the weight of her evil deeds in the past and she asked pleadingly, “Can I still find forgiveness?”

Kairos remained silent for a while then answered, “Unless someone pure is willing to bear it in your place. However, you may prevent more evilness in this world. Do not waste your life.”

The assault mage nodded, then stood up.

She looked as though she wanted to follow after Kairos, but there was shame on her face as if she felt undeserving.

Then, she turned and slowly walked out of the ruined embassy.

Kairos did not stop her. There are things she have to face herself and he did not come to save but to destroy the darkness.

She turned her face a few times, hoping that Kairos will looked at her once again.

Somehow, she felt that if he would give her a moment, what she is about to do next will be meaningful.

He did.

Kairos gazed at her with no judgement in his eyes, only a soft golden glow – an indication that his Veritable Sight is activated to its maximum strength.

At this moment, Kairos could see dark shadows upon the elven Assault Mage’s shoulders, making her every step dense and heavy. The darkness is a miasma of malice and wickedness that she had accumulated by her deeds and negative thoughts from her past.

This is a sight he had never seen before.

At the same time, he can see a new spark in her chest. A small light flickering violently but remained steadfast.

Only three people are left in this place.

Kairos woke up the Aura Mage who is still groggy.

A spark also rests in his chest like all the others who had basked in the light.

This small light nudged at his conscience and made him answer to his own sins in the past.

After a while, he lowered his head and wept.

But he did not take his own life or walked away like the elven representative.

Instead, the Aura Mage spoke with renewed spirits and pleaded, “Let me follow after you, young master.”

Almost immediately, the two others kneeling down – the Aura Knight and the Spellsinger – repeated the same desire.

Kairos was unsurprised.

The holy element is unique amongst the other elements. It stands for righteousness, kindness, love, light, and divinity. Those of similar qualities will be drawn while things that are corrupt, twisted, damaged, negative, or evil will be met with fierce retaliation from the element.

Kairos who was chosen by the element to counter devils that are born of darkness had incredible affinity with it.

When they felt the strength of light within Kairos through his aura projection, they either felt ashamed or attracted.

Kairos understood that, and he nodded.

Reverence filled their eyes as they followed him out of the embassy towards the inn.

He did not question their loyalty nor their past. Those that wish to stay close to the light naturally can be trusted. Those that wish to leave may do so.

Will there be betrayals? Of course there’s are no promises made by mortals that can be absolute, but it is the same in any other organisation.

Soon, they reached the place Relestia, Leo, and Linda is staying.

They will rest for the night before facing even more challenges tomorrow.

The fight had been won with an unbelievable result.

This night, those that sent the three representatives are bound to have endless confusion about how things resulted.

One person facing overwhelming odds had destroyed almost all of their forces singlehandedly and recruited 3 of their greatest combatants.

No doubt the elven representative will try to terminate the operation, however there are still three fighters equivalent to Class 9 employed for this mission and those behind the three representatives would not cease so easily.

In fact, after finding out Kairos decimating their forces, they will be more prepared.

But this… this will be the chance Kairos had been waiting for.