Before Jolthar could respond, Raayani interjected, moving closer to him in a gesture that was both protective and possessive.
"Had your forces not interfered, Remin, I would have killed Yilar myself," she declared, her voice carrying across the battlefield with unmistakable authority.
Iorina's face twisted with contempt. "Sure you would have," she spat.
"And I would have taken even you."
The challenge hung in the air between them, charged with decades of rivalry and resentment. Raayani's lips curved into a dangerous smile, her eyes narrowing as she stepped forward, deliberately placing herself between Jolthar and the Phoenix General.
"Why don't you try, Phoenix General Iorina?" Her words were loud and clear, thrown like a gauntlet at Iorina's feet.
The Matriarch of the Blue Rose Seraglio stood unflinching; her slender form belied the tremendous power contained within. The air around her began to shimmer with heat, distorting the very reality surrounding her. Her sky blue hair shimmered under the moonlight. The snow crystals on her gown glowed with an unnatural glint, responding to her change in aura.
Iorina's grip tightened on her blade's hilt, knuckles whitening beneath battle-worn gauntlets.
The legendary general's weathered face hardened into a mask of cold fury as she responded to the challenge in kind.
The imperial soldiers nearby stepped back instinctively, recognizing the signs of what was about to unfold.
Without warning, their auras flared simultaneously—Raayani's a vibrant azure tinged with silver at its edges, Iorina's a deep crimson shot through with veins of gold.
The two energy fields expanded violently, colliding in the space between them with a thunderous crack that sent ripples across the battlefield. The very air seemed to groan under the pressure of their power as invisible forces clashed and struggled for dominance.
Jolthar stood at the epicentre of this confrontation yet remained strangely unfazed. His silver hair barely stirred despite the tempest of energy surrounding him; his eyes observed the clash with detached curiosity rather than alarm.
Beside him, Remin maintained a similar composure, his expression betraying nothing but a tactical assessment of the situation unfolding.
Hamen was not so fortunate. The Count staggered backward, struggling to remain upright under the crushing pressure emanating from the two women. His robes whipped around him as though caught in a hurricane, and he raised a trembling arm to shield his face from the invisible storm.
So were the soldiers and the rest present around them.
Iorina hated Raayani with her guts. It wasn't the first time they had a disagreement, leading to a confrontation.
Throughout this display, Yoana remained focused exclusively on Jolthar, her ancient eyes studying him with an intensity that suggested she was seeing through his physical form to the complex weave of powers now residing within him. The clash of powerful forces occurring mere paces away seemed of little consequence compared to the mystery he represented.
The confrontation between Raayani and Iorina escalated as their auras intensified, the ground beneath them beginning to crack and splinter from the pressure. Imperial soldiers scrambled to maintain distance while the beasts at the forest edge grew increasingly agitated, some of the smaller creatures letting out distressed calls.
It was then that Remin moved.
"Madness!" he gasped, barely audible over the roar of colliding auras. "Complete madness!"
"Behaving like little children, and that too in front of a young man," Remin shouted at them. He didn't hold back showing his anger. Also, it wasn't his first time seeing them .
His steps were unhurried yet purposeful as he positioned himself directly between the feuding powers. His own aura cutting through theirs was like cutting grass with a sharp blade.
His presence stood like a giant, intimidating power.
The effect was immediate.
Both women's auras contracted sharply, recoiling from Remin's presence as if encountering an immovable object. The air cleared, the pressure dissipated, and an unnatural silence fell over the battlefield.
The hierarchy of power had been established without a single blow being struck.
Remin's strength—quiet, controlled, yet undeniably superior—had subdued both formidable women with his mere presence.
The revelation was not lost on those watching: these three figures represented Tier 10 power—individuals whose capabilities had transcended normal human limitations and entered the realm of the truly extraordinary.
"That will be sufficient," Remin stated, his voice carrying no hint of exertion despite the tremendous force he had just exerted. His gaze moved between Raayani and Iorina with equal measures of respect and warning.
"We have enough enemies without creating more among allies."
Iorina's hand slowly released her weapon's hilt, though her posture remained rigid with unresolved tension. Read full story at NovelHub(.)net
Raayani's aura receded entirely, yet the triumphant gleam in her eyes suggested she considered the confrontation a victory merely for having provoked such a reaction from the disciplined general.
Remin addressed Raayani directly, his tone measured and diplomatic despite the tension still hanging in the air.
"Ms. Raayani, while the boy committed a crime on the field, we cannot simply dismiss the matter." He gestured toward Jolthar, who had remained a silent observer throughout the confrontation.
Raayani frowned; to label the killing of an enemy as a crime, Remin was putting too much into his words. Jolthar may have disobeyed them, but he killed a Nynthrall; it wasn't right.
Jolthar's brows shot up as he silently watched Remin. The fact that he was more powerful than the two of them didn't last on him. He had easily subdued them without as much as lifting a sword.
"However, it seems he has indeed helped defend the county in this campaign."
Hamen had told how Jolthar had been fighting here in the county, with Wymar and with the army of barbarians. If it wasn't for Jolthar, Hamen wasn't sure what would have happened here.
Even with the beasts present, Hamen couldn't overpower the barbarians as their number was more than what they could fight.
He paused, weighing political necessities against military protocol, all too aware of the dangerous precipice upon which they stood. Judging by how Raayani was reacting, he could tell that she wouldn't let the boy be taken away. She seemed to have taken this as a personal affront.
And moreover, Yoana, the mighty dragon queen, was silent till now, but he was sure that if she stepped in, then the matters would escalate to the point that he couldn't control.
The dragon queen had become a part of the Seragilo a long time ago, the reason still unknown to many, but she would do anything to protect the woman of Seragilo.
"In light of these circumstances," Remin continued, "I will permit him to leave for now. That is my decision." His gaze shifted meaningfully to Iorina.
"No disciplinary action will be taken, but equally, there shall be no rewards for his merit in this war."
The compromise was elegant in its balance—neither side could claim complete victory nor suffer total defeat. Yet Iorina's expression revealed clear annoyance at what she perceived as leniency toward insubordination. Her jaw tightened, but she offered no verbal opposition to Remin's decree.
Remin had calculated correctly.
He could sense that Raayani would not allow them to take Jolthar without resistance—resistance that would inevitably escalate into a confrontation with consequences extending far beyond the immediate battlefield.
The Empire, already strained by the barbarian incursions and whispers of the Nynthralls lurking among them, could ill afford an internal conflict between its most powerful factions.
Just when Remin thought it was over, Jolthar said, "You speak as though I have committed a grave crime; even if I did, you people are way too arrogant to discuss what to do with me."
Raayani placed a hand on Jolthar's shoulder and said, "Jolthar, calm down. I will not let them take you away."
Jolthar looked at her, his face devoid of any emotions. "Look, I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don't like to hide behind a woman. And I am perfectly capable of taking responsibility for my actions."
Raayani, instead of getting angry or sad at his words, was gleaming with delight in her eyes. She was drawn to Jolthar more and more. He wasn't even showing an ounce of fear in front of two great generals of the empire.
Jolthar turned to Remin and said, "That nynthrall wouldn't give shit even if you burned him alive, I can assure you that. And if you want, you can take that pouch, which belongs to him; I don't care."
"Now, if you will excuse me, I need to take a rest," he said as he held up his hand for Raayani, asking her to come with him. While he didn't like standing behind a woman for support, he appreciated her willingness to stand for him.
Raayani smiled as she gave her hand to him, and Jolthar walked out of the woods.
Hamen's eyes widened, and Iorina's expression turned serious as she was really angered. Remin watched the young man with a hint of doubt.
As he walked out, the beasts moved towards him again, as if to greet him; they all knelt before him, as a sign of respect to him.
Raayani and the others were astonished to witness such submission; never before had they seen such discipline among the beasts. Indeed, the beasts, unruly and chaotic creatures, now knelt before Jolthar.
"What's happening here?" Raayani asked.