CHAPTER 795: HANDS OF AUTHORITY ( 795 )

A cold weight pressed on Javier’s chest as his father’s tone shifted, every word deliberate.

"The problem is coming. Up ahead."

Buddy squawked low, feathers bristling as if sensing the tension. The other Pekko mirrored the unease, their breaths heavy, talons stamping against the ground.

Javier exhaled softly, his fingers twitching.

I knew it. Time to prepare the drones.

"Javier."

"Yes, Esteem Father?" Javier straightened at once, his hand hovering.

"Don’t use the battle drone."

Javier blinked. "...Why, Esteem Father?"

Garius’s gaze stayed forward, sharp and unwavering.

"Because there are civilians not too far from here. If we unleash that magic of yours, it will cause panic, and unnecessary rumors. Since their number is not too great, I believe we do not need to rely on your magic technology after all."

The moment Garius finished his words, the wind split with a sudden pressure.

A shadow dropped from the sky, landing with a heavy crack across the dirt not far ahead of Garius. Dust plumed outward, the ground trembling from the impact. The figure straightened slowly, lips curling into a dark smirk as his eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Garius’s gaze sharpened, narrowing in calm focus. His voice was steady, unshaken.

"Who are you?"

But before he could continue, the earth beneath Giddie flared. A massive magic circle bloomed under the golden Pekko’s talons, its runes blazing red.

Then..

BOOOOOM!!!

Flames erupted skyward, an inferno swallowing Giddie and Garius whole. The blast roared like a living beast, heat washing over the formation as the shockwave nearly threw riders from their saddles.

"LORD GARIUS!!!"

Alf’s and Erinnette’s eyes widened, their Pekko leaping back with trained instinct, talons gouging the earth as they evaded the expanding fire.

Javier’s heart slammed against his chest, his vision momentarily blinded by the searing light.

Marcellus and Cedric were already bracing their mana, teeth grit, while Hesbeirn barked a sharp order, the rear guard raising their weapons as dust and flame tore through the road.

The attacker sprang back, boots grinding into the dirt as he landed in a low crouch. His lips twisted into a mocking grin, one hand raised before his face as though ready to snap his fingers and unleash another blast.

"Heh... it seems you’re not that powerful after all," he sneered, eyes fixed on the swirling smoke where Giddie and Garius had stood. The flames still licked the air, heat distorting the ground.

But then... his grin faltered.

His eyes widened slightly as he peered closer.

The smoke began to thin, carried off by the rushing wind.

From within the haze, a voice, calm, deep, and utterly unshaken slipped out like steel wrapped in velvet.

"Who... are... not that powerful? Hmm?"

The figure froze, a bead of sweat tracing down his temple.

As the last of the smoke cleared, Garius stood revealed. His posture was flawless, his gaze sharp, his expression unreadable. Both hands rested casually in his pockets.

And before him, Giddie, unharmed had lowered himself onto the ground, feathers puffed out as if preening, his massive body resting comfortably in a posture that looked almost lazy.

"Ceh... whatever."

The attacker smirked lazily, rolling his wrist as something clicked into place. Metal plates shifted, locking with faint runes that pulsed like veins of fire.

Garius’s gaze didn’t waver. His face remained calm, but his eyes sharpened.

An ancient relic... he noted inwardly. So this is what they’ve been hiding. That group... the cult. I was certain they had been wiped out long ago. Which means this one is from the new blood.

The artifact flared, dark energy rippling outward like an invisible tide, the air trembling under the curse-laden aura. Garius tilted his head slightly, observing without flinching.

Its curse energy is being drawn out to the maximum. He’s already at his peak. Stronger than Edmund in raw power, perhaps... but still crude. Untempered.

Exhaling softly, Garius let the faintest trace of disdain tug at his lips.

"Hm... an ancient artifact user, is it?" He shook his head slowly, as if disappointed. "To think your cult still crawls out of the shadows after all this time."

The attacker sneered, his aura flaring hotter, feeding on his arrogance.

But Garius merely sighed, calm and unhurried. He slipped his hands deeper into his pockets, posture as steady as a mountain.

"...What a headache," he said flatly. "To run into your kind here of all places."

The enemy’s grin stretched unnaturally, eyes gleaming with manic light. His voice dripped with mockery.

"Your pride hurt, weakling~?" He crouched into a stance, relic glowing as cursed energy crackled around him. His whole body trembled with anticipation, like a predator savoring the moment before the strike.

Garius just calmly standing.

"Nope," he replied, voice calm, almost bored. He slowly lifted one hand, palm open, as though brushing away dust. Then with deliberate ease, he adjusted his glove, tugging it snug against his wrist.

"...It’s getting interesting."

Alf and Erinnette’s instincts screamed to leap in, blades half-drawn, mana already coiling in their veins.

"My lord!!!!" they both shout, ready to intercept.

But then Garius lifted his hand slightly, palm turned toward them. A simple gesture. Absolute command.

They froze.

His cloak swayed in the scorched wind as he tilted his head just enough to glance over his shoulder. His gaze swept over Marcellus, Cedric, Aelius, Heres, and finally Javier.

Steady, sharp, commanding.

"This kind of fight..." His voice carried clear and calm, untouched by the tension thick in the air. "...doesn’t even need magic."

The words landed heavy.

He turned back toward the relic-wielder, rolling his shoulders once, his stance loose, almost casual. But the air around him pressed down like an invisible mountain.

"Watch and learn, my sons."

His hand flexed open and shut once, the glove creaking faintly.

The enemy’s grin widened, teeth bared.

"Kikiki! You have no sense of alert at all! This is getting interesting!!!"

He thrust his palm forward, seven crawling, twisted shapes burst out, writhing like nightmarish insects, their carapaces dripping with shadow. They screeched as they spun in the air, streaking toward Garius with killing intent.

The ground trembled as they closed in.

And...

BOOOOM!

Seven simultaneous explosions tore through the air, fire and shadow colliding in a deafening roar. The shockwave blasted dust and dirt upward, rattling trees and forcing the pekko to screech and shuffle back. Marcellus and Cedric shielded their eyes, jaws tightening. Aelius clicked his tongue sharply, Heres narrowed his eyes, and Javier leaned forward.

The enemy lowered his hand, lips curling in a satisfied smirk.

"Kikiki... That’s all it took?"

( End Of Chapter )