Chapter 104: Just In Time

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Just In Time

The battle only got worse.

Caelia could barely keep her footing anymore.

The ground was covered in Ice, blood, and broken weapons, while the constant attacks from the beasts had turned the battlefield into a mess.

The elders were struggling.

The young geniuses were struggling even more.

Everyone had already been fighting for too long, and there was barely enough time to recover before another beast came rushing toward them.

"Lady Caelia, leave!"

One of the elders blocked a B rank beast and was immediately forced backward.

"We’ll hold them!"

Caelia shook her head.

"No."

Another beast attacked.

Snow intercepted it, but the impact still forced both of them back.

"You need to leave!" another genius shouted.

"If I leave, what happens to you?"

Caelia raised her weapon.

The answer was obvious.

They would die.

She couldn’t do that.

Not after bringing them here.

Not after making the decision that had led them into this trap.

She had played directly into the enemy’s plan.

There was no point denying it anymore.

The trap had been designed for her.

And through her, it was designed for Damon.

But she refused to let that be the end of it.

"We’re getting out of here."

She said it firmly.

"Just keep fighting."

The others looked at her.

Nobody believed it would be easy.

But they followed her anyway.

Another beast charged.

Caelia stepped forward.

"Snow!"

The Frost Lynx moved at the same time.

One attacked from the left. The other attacked from the right.

Their attacks landed together.

Boom!

The B rank beast staggered.

Caelia followed with another Ice art.

"Frost Spear!"

The spear pierced its chest. The beast fell.

Caelia took a breath.

Another one was already coming.

She barely raised her weapon in time.

Clang!

The impact sent pain through her arms.

She gritted her teeth and pushed back.

Snow attacked from behind.

The beast turned.

Caelia took the opening.

"Ice Edge!"

The beast’s head was cut through.

It collapsed.

But Caelia’s breathing had already become rough.

She had almost no Aether left.

Then she heard Snow cry out.

Caelia’s eyes widened.

"Snow!"

A B rank beast had managed to catch the Frost Lynx with its claws.

Snow was thrown across the battlefield.

She landed hard.

Caelia rushed toward her.

"Snow!"

The Frost Lynx tried to stand.

Her front leg was injured.

Caelia’s chest tightened.

This was the second time Snow had protected her.

And now she was hurt because of it.

"You don’t have to protect me like that."

Snow growled and tried to stand again.

Caelia clenched her teeth.

"You’re too stubborn."

The beast charged again.

Something inside Caelia snapped.

Her Ice Aether exploded.

The air around her froze.

Crack!

Ice spread across the ground.

The approaching beast suddenly slowed.

Caelia’s eyes sharpened.

Her Aether Veins felt different.

Stronger.

Her body felt lighter.

The barrier she had been stuck against for so long finally broke.

Master rank.

She had reached it.

"Lady Caelia..."

One of the elders stared.

Caelia didn’t answer.

She raised her weapon.

"Frozen Domain."

The battlefield froze.

Ice covered the legs of several beasts at once.

Caelia moved.

Her sword flashed.

One beast fell.

She turned.

Another.

Then another.

For several moments, the tide was pushed back.

The people around her finally had room to breathe.

Caelia’s strength had clearly increased.

But her reserves hadn’t magically recovered.

She had broken through while nearly empty.

The breakthrough had made her stronger.

It hadn’t filled her Aether.

And soon, the pressure returned.

Caelia’s breathing became heavy again.

Her body was exhausted.

The beasts continued coming.

"Keep going!"

She shouted.

The others followed.

But their condition was just as bad.

One genius collapsed.

Another had to be carried away after his Aether Core became completely drained.

An elder used the last of his strength to freeze three beasts before dropping to one knee.

"Go!"

He shouted.

"Get Lady Caelia out!"

The other elder blocked a beast.

Then another.

They were buying her time.

Caelia understood what they were doing.

"No!"

She stepped forward.

"Don’t!"

"Go!"

The elder shouted.

"We’ll hold them!"

Caelia’s eyes shook.

She wanted to stay.

She wanted to fight beside them.

But she could barely stand herself.

The elder forced another beast back.

"Run!"

Caelia clenched her weapon.

She refused.

"I’m not leaving you."

The elder looked at her.

"Then we’ll carry you."

Caelia almost laughed.

They were all barely standing.

Yet they were still arguing about protecting her.

She shook her head.

"Idiot."

Her voice was quiet.

"We’re all idiots."

Then she raised her weapon again.

"Together."

The remaining young geniuses gathered around her.

They fought.

The battle continued.

One by one, their numbers decreased.

Not because they stopped fighting.

Because their bodies could no longer keep up.

A young genius was knocked away.

Another barely escaped a killing blow.

An elder blocked an attack and was thrown to the ground.

Snow tried to move again.

Her injured leg gave out.

Caelia rushed over.

"Don’t."

Snow looked at her.

Caelia shook her head.

"You’ve done enough."

Snow growled.

Caelia smiled weakly.

"I know."

She touched the Frost Lynx’s head.

"Just rest."

Then Caelia stood.

She was the only one left standing.

The others were still alive, but they were down and tending to their injuries.

The elders had done everything they could.

They had acted as shields long enough for her to keep fighting.

Now she stood alone.

The beasts surrounded her.

Caelia tightened her grip.

She knew what would happen next.

Once they killed her, the beasts would turn back toward the mansion.

That was probably part of the plan.

They had separated her from the family.

They had exhausted her.

And now they would use her death to remove another problem and maybe Damon too, before returning to the mansion.

Damon.

Caelia thought of him.

She hoped the messenger had reached him.

She hoped he understood.

And most importantly, she hoped he would arrive in time.

She couldn’t do anything else.

All she could do was believe in him.