"Seraphine!" Alexei shouted. "Watch out!" He threw himself to protect her when a huge burning rock was falling above them. They tossed aside when it was slammed into the ground and then blew up, hurting both sides. Sera cast a protection spell in time so the fire didn't burn them.
"Ugh..." Both of them were suffering from falling little rocks. It was so sharp and it cut their skin. The explosion had made her deaf for a while. She could only hear a constant piercing whistle shrilled into her ear. Alexei probably felt the same way. He lied beside her while groaning. Sera felt like the time has stopped when she tried to get up and everything like happened in slow motion. Her sight was still blurry, her head was spinning but she knew that those mounds that were lying on the ground around her were human. Most of them were not moving. Their soul had left them. Sera could see it from their eyes. It was wide open, filled with horror and fear.
Meanwhile, Keichi, Naomi, and Aidan were lying not far away from each other. Keichi was the one who got up first. 'This is bad.' He thought as he saw the result of the explosion. He then turned back to help them. Aidan seemed fine but Naomi didn't. She was the one who stood too close to the explosion after all.
"Naomi, are you okay? Can you walk?" Aidan asked her. She nodded but her lies didn't last long. Blood escaped from her mouth when she was coughing.
"Naomi!"
"We need to go from this place. Before -"
Boom!
Aidan pulled Naomi into his embrace to protect her from the rocks. The ground beneath them was vibrating for a while. A fire rock just landed a few meters from them, pouring a million of sharp little rocks. Before they could recover from the attack, dozens of fire rocks were flying to their direction and the fire from it was spreading rapidly as it reached its target. Soon, they will trap inside a fire cage if they didn't escape immediately.
"Retreat!" Aidan shouted to a few soldiers who were still alive around him. There was no point in fighting at this condition. He needed to retreat and gathered forces before attacking them again. Besides, the Cerulean Army was too strong now. If he insisted on kept striking them, he will only lead them to a slaughter house. "Retreat!" He shouted again as he was helping his soldiers to get up, leaving Naomi to Keichi. "Help the other and take them to the gate."
Aidan went back to help the one who still lying on the ground but his left leg was hit by an arrow. He would die if Naomi didn't blow the next arrows that flew to his direction. It took every energy in her body to cast that spell.
"Damn it! Why did you use your magic?!" He cursed when he realized that Naomi used her magic. "Kei, take her away from here. I still need to help my soldier here."
"No. You will leave with me and this girl to Roselake." Keichi said. "They are all dead but this girl is still alive and you need to help her. You see by your eyes that the Azure Knight is here among us. I'm sure she will take care of this place."
"Please leave with Naomi. If what you say is true, then I will stay with the Azure Knight. This is my duty to protect this city as the Queen has ordered me."
'This boy is getting on my nerve. Even without using my magic, I know he will say it.'
"Aidan," Naomi said in a weak voice. Her breath was uneven. It seemed that her injured was getting severe after she used her magic. "Do as he said. Please."
"You heard her? You can't even keep walking at this point. So, let's go."
"I will stay here."
Keichi sighed. He had no choice but to use his authority now. As a member of Leith family, he has the authority one level under the Queen to make the decision for this kingdom. His family was the opposite of the royal family. They were ruled the kingdom's underworld and not many who knew their terrifying identity. They annihilated everything before it became a threat that will endanger the kingdom under the Queen's order.
