Louis and Timothy were both frustrated.
How could they possibly have kept Victor at bay with such a lack of sincerity in the negotiations? Now, they could only hope that Rafael would complete the rescue mission before Victor returned. If not, the consequences would be dire.
Meanwhile, Rafael had successfully rescued Law.
Upon exiting, he discovered that a fierce battle raged outside. Several of Thomas' group were already injured, but they hadn't suffered too much with Everett present. However, the enemy's numbers were increasing rapidly. They needed to retreat quickly.
As Rafael dashed out, a dozen enemies closed in on him. With a swift leap into the air, he handed Law off to Dylan, who carried the injured man on his back and quickly disappeared into the night.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtRafael used his Lightfoot Skill to return and assist the others in their escape. If they managed to rescue one person only to have several others captured, the mission would be considered a failure.
With Sunstrike in his hand, Rafael flew straight to Jacob's side. He cut through the soldiers surrounding Jacob with a powerful swing, driving them back with sheer force.
Everett was facing off against the enemy's elite forces. Even though Victor had taken many of his top fighters to the negotiations, a dozen had stayed behind. Seeing that Rafael had already rescued Law and they no longer needed to guard the iron door, Everett unleashed his full strength and fought in earnest.
His and Rafael's combined skills were nearly unstoppable. However, the sheer number of enemies made it difficult for everyone to escape. They could only help one person at a time, rescuing each in turn.
Rafael knew they couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Worried about Victor's return and the possibility of enemy reinforcements arriving, he held nothing back. Using his golden sword, he unleashed a whirlwind attack, cutting down several enemies with a single powerful swing. It consumed much of his energy, but he had to push the attackers back quickly to buy them a chance to escape.
Seeing Rafael's determination, Everett spared no effort himself. The two of them worked seamlessly together, gradually retreating to the platform atop the surrounding walls.
The surrounding walls were high. Thomas could barely manage to climb up with his Lightfoot Skill, but the others had to use iron hooks and chains to scale them. That made them vulnerable to being struck by enemy blades. Rafael and Everett exchanged a glance. Everett held the line while Rafael guided the others to safety. After getting three people out, they heard the ground shaking from the sound of horse hooves.
Rafael's heart sank.
Victor was back.
Ignoring the exhaustion from overusing his inner force, Rafael swung his golden sword to create an opening. He grabbed one person in each hand and soared out, carrying them with him.
Seeing Rafael's actions, Thomas also attempted to carry someone to safety, but his own injuries made it difficult, He was barely able to lift off on his own, and carrying someone further slowed him down. As a result, the enemy's blades struck his back.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe intense pain only fueled his determination further, and he managed to get Ben safely out.
With only three people left, Rafael took two of them. After covering their retreat, Everett quickly scooped up Felix and soared into the air before vanishing from sight.
Victor charged in on horseback, taking in the sight of the blood-soaked ground. His men were either dead or wounded. Septimus had already been rescued, and he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Rafael.
In a fit of rage, he roared, "Pursue them! Send word to the garrison. Conduct a city-wide search-leave no corner unchecked!"
Under the cover of night, Rafael led their escape. Having been wounded in the back, Thomas collapsed after running only a short distance. Rafael helped him, staunching his bleeding, and then carried him while leading the way with his Lightfoot Skill. They had to reach the safe location Jacob had chosen and reunite with Dylan as quickly as possible. The location was one Victor wouldn't think of searching immediately. If they could evade the city-wide search, they would have a way to leave.
After an hour, they arrived at a cemetery for Sandorian soldiers.
It was a location carefully selected
by Jacob. The cemetery was located near a mountain. If everyone was unharmed, they could cross several they could mountain ranges from here to reach the grasslands, where a path fed directly to the mountain where Liam had previously captured Aurora. Once they reached that place, they would be safe.
The other reason for choosing this location was that Victor wouldn't immediately think to look here. Without his orders, no one would dare to search the cemetery. X