Ekhros (English version)

No matter how many times they struck each other and no matter how exhausting it was, Corman still stood. The blows Vyrkon dealt were starting to bring him down. He had hoped that Vyrkon's years of imprisonment would have deteriorated his abilities, but that wasn't the case. He felt humiliated and furious. Vyrkon shouldn't be this strong. Corman roared as he attacked.

Vyrkon, on the other hand, could keep up with the fight against Corman. Years of imagining countless fight scenarios against his twin had made him familiar with every move. Now, he could read each one of Corman's movements. He could continue this fight as long as he wanted, but he had to end it quickly. Vyrkon whistled, and one of his men, a Garluts, jumped in between them, taking the impact of Corman's sword with little damage.

"So, you're reaching your limit," Corman said between gasps.

"Don't be mistaken, I want to end our fight, but I have a special mission to complete," Vyrkon replied, also gasping.

"I'll handle him, sir," the Garluts said. "You must advance to the palace."

"Don't you dare run away again!" Corman shouted.

"Don't worry, I'm not done with you yet. I still have to finish what I started ten years ago." Vyrkon turned on his heels and began to leave with several of his followers, disappearing down the stairs that led to the city gates.

Corman screamed in frustration as he fought the Garluts. The desperation of allowing his brother to escape a second time was eating him up inside. He needed to eliminate the Garluts quickly.

Vyrkon reached the city gates and, along with his followers, confronted the soldiers guarding them. When they had them under control, Vyrkon broke the protective field seal on the gates. Once the group of criminals broke down the city gates, they entered with war cries, their swords cutting through the air.

***

The sounds of battle within the city reached the sharp ears of Sipros and Sayura, who remained inside the palace walls with their squad of soldiers. The Letohoiko warned his soldiers to stay alert, as the enemies could arrive at any moment. The waiting made the soldiers anxious. If the enemies had breached the city gates, it meant they had taken down the wall archers and the soldiers guarding the gates, and they could easily enter the palace.

As if Sipros could read their thoughts, he spoke loudly.

"There is no need to fear. We are capable of facing them and defeating them. If they breach those gates, we will stop them without hesitation."

Everyone nodded without saying a word, gripping their sword handles tightly and activating the shields on their wristbands, preparing for battle.

As Vyrkon and his group ran towards the palace unimpeded, having defeated all the soldiers protecting the city, the massive arched doors came into view in the distance. When they reached them, Vyrkon ordered the Garluts to break down the doors.

"If the doors are protected by a field, we need to find another way to enter and break the seal," one of them said.

"No need to do the same thing twice," Vyrkon pulled out the small stone he had sharpened during his imprisonment from one of his pockets, caressed its tip lovingly, and then threw it at the doors. The protective field over the doors shone upon contact with the small stone, causing an electrical discharge. Within seconds, the field disappeared.

"If you had a spell to dissolve protective fields, you should have used it earlier, don't you think?" one Garluts said, frowning.

"The spell would only work once, so I couldn't waste it," Vyrkon clarified, bending down to pick up the stone and putting it back in his pocket.

He looked over his shoulder and with a slight nod, indicated for them to break down the doors.

The Letohoiko, with their tense muscles and sharp claws scratching the marble floor with each blow they gave to the doors, caused the walls to rumble and the ceiling to shake. Meanwhile, the soldiers tensed their bodies, firmly holding their swords and bows.

"Get ready," Sayura said calmly. "Those doors won't last much longer."

"I know," Sipros grumbled.

The doors began to crack. It was only a matter of minutes before they were broken down, but whatever happened, they wouldn't get any further.

With a deafening crash, the doors gave way and collapsed. Vyrkon crossed the threshold, the tigers roared ferociously, their eyes gleaming with fury, and their soldiers, with swords and shields, formed a defensive line and roared with them. The criminals and Garluts roared war cries as they charged into combat. The tigers lunged at the intruders, the soldiers attacking with precision, their arrows taking down several enemies.

The battle unfolded in a whirlwind of chaos within the marble walls, with both sides being eliminated one by one—both Vyrkon's forces and Sipros's soldiers.

Sayura lunged at her enemies, decapitating some with her fangs and mauling others with her claws, preventing them from reaching the stairs. It had been a long time since she had fought like this, but protecting her family was the most important thing.

When Sipros came face to face with Vyrkon, he let out a guttural growl at Corman's twin, filled with rage. He launched himself at Vyrkon, claws ready to tear his skin and fangs poised to rip his head off.

***

The battle between Derkno and Satír was exhausting both of them. Neither left an opening for the other, their swords clashing fiercely with each blow, resonating across the battlefield. But at one moment, Derkno saw Komram approaching rapidly. He then launched one last bolt of pure mana at Satír, who deflected it with his sword, making him step back—just enough for Komram to do her job.

While Satír was deflecting his brother's attack, he was taken by surprise from behind as arms wrapped around his neck. As he struggled to free himself, he felt his mana draining away. His eyes met his brother's, Derkno watching the scene with satisfaction.

"One way or another... you're going to die today," Derkno said, approaching him.

Satír acted quickly, closing his eyes and letting all his power flow out of his body, causing Komram's arms to release him. She was thrown back into the air. While catching his breath, Satír's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground. He lifted his head and, with great effort, slowly stood up.