Deep within the caverns, the red-skinned orcs roared one after another, as though there was no end to them.
Che Huiyi's sword remained deadly sharp, her armored boots splashing crimson flowers across the pools of blood.
But her panting could barely drown out the pounding of her heart.
Sweat rolled down her temples, soaking the fabric against her back. Beneath her gauntlets, her forearms began to tremble.
"His Majesty is still behind me—"
She clenched her teeth and drove her sword through the throat of an orc lunging from her side, then spun with the motion, narrowly dodging the battle-ax crashing down behind her.
At a bend in the passage nearby, an orc in a crude robe raised its staff, its scarlet eyes locked firmly on her.
A blazing fireball hurtled toward her, carrying a scorching blast that instantly filled every escape route available to the sword dancer.
Che Huiyi's pupils contracted. She retreated sharply, her back pressing against the cold stone wall.
The fireball grazed past her shoulder. The searing air stung her cheeks, and several strands of golden hair curled and blackened in the heat.
She had dodged it—barely.
Then, suddenly—
The entire cavern lit up.
Purple-gold radiance surged from behind her, filling everything with warm, weighty light.
Che Huiyi turned.
She saw something she would never forget.
Ren stood quietly where he was, enveloped in a purple-gold glow.
Beside him, an ancient, somber-colored banner floated in midair—
Its pole was black as ink, engraved with countless wandering runes. Its heavy fabric hung low, as though bearing the weight of a thousand ages.
"What—is that?"
Before she could react, the great banner gave a gentle shake.
Countless spectral figures flew from its fabric, like souls breaking free of a cage, and hurtled toward the fallen orcs. One, two,