CHAPTER 307: 307

She stood there, sword trembling in her hand, her eyes wide and filled with horror. Her mouth opened, trying to scream—but no sound came. Her lips didn’t move. Her arm moved again.

"No..."

Kael saw it..the blank expression taking over her face. She wasn’t in control.

"Damn it."

He braced himself for the next strike.

The moment Kael turned, Rhys lunged forward with another swift strike.

Her movements were smooth yet forced, her face locked in horror, unable to control her body. Her sword came in a precise arc, aiming for his throat. Kael gritted his teeth and stepped back just in time, the blade grazing the skin near his neck. A thin red line appeared, but he didn’t flinch. His eyes were calm but cold. He knew this wasn’t her fault.

"Dammit... She’s not going to stop," he muttered, his voice low.

Before he could adjust, he heard the sound of heavy boots pounding the ground behind him.

Baldur was charging. The ground trembled with each step. The priest warriors who had been trying to stop him shouted in panic, circling to subdue him. But Balaur was like a raging bull. His arms swung like hammers, knocking aside anyone in his path. One priest flew back, hitting a wall with a sickening crack. Another barely rolled away before a punch cratered the stone behind him.

"Keep him busy!" Kael shouted at the top of his lungs, his tone sharp. "Buy me time!"

The remaining priests gritted their teeth. They formed a loose circle, trying to flank Baldur, but his strength was overwhelming. Two were instantly thrown aside with his elbow strike and spinning kick.

Amidst this Baldur shouted,"Why the hell are you not controlled?"

"That’s because I have some brains."Kael shouted parrying Rhys

The air hissed as Baldur limbs cut through it.

Every attack was backed with weight and fury. The stone beneath him cracked as he launched forward again, dismantling his own people who stood ahead.

Baldur, in the middle of a spinning slam, caught sight of Rhys struggling against Kael and roared. "KAEL!!"

His voice was raw, distorted by whatever had taken hold of his mind. He pounded both fists on the ground and launched himself toward Kael, pushing off with enough force to crack the tiles under his feet. Kael turned just in time to see the human missile flying at him. He raised his sword flat and reinforced it with mana.

CLANG!

The impact shook his entire body. He skidded backward, his boots dragging deep marks in the stone floor. Baldur followed with a heavy downward punch. Kael twisted to the side, the fist slamming the floor, causing dust and rock to burst upwards like a small explosion.

Kael flipped once, landing with a crouch, then deflected a sudden stab from Rhys aimed at his ribs. Her hands trembled. Her mouth opened, and her voice finally broke through.

"Run!Lord Kael—run!"

He dodged again, barely avoiding her second strike. Her eyes were glassy, a tear trailing down as her arm moved against her will.

"Damn it, Rhys!" Kael hissed, stepping back and sliding to the side. "Dealimh you two without harming is difficult...?"

He clenched his jaw. "I don’t have time for this..."

Baldur growled and charged again, now with less restraint, his body barely moving like a human. He launched a series of punches. Kael ducked low under the first one, twisted his torso to slip past the second, then used his palm to push the third aside and retreated. A kick swept out toward his knees and he jumped, flipping in the air.

Behind him, Rhys slashed diagonally, forcing Kael to drop low midair and roll as her blade sliced the air inches above him.

Kael breathed heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. He deflected another punch and then a stab. His sword rang again and again—each time he parried, his body rattled. He really found it difficult to get glowing.

Even during training others he bit them a lot but he can’t afford to do that now cause he needed them.

Still, the toll was building. A strike from Baladur clipped his side, knocking the breath out of him. A shallow cut from Rhys opened near his thigh. Blood trickled down, but Kael pushed through it. His eyes remained focused.

’Where is it...? Who’s controlling them?’ he thought, trying to extend his mana sense. He was doing three things at once—defending, dodging, and scanning. His mana pulsed outward like waves. He had to isolate a different signature, something not native to the group.

Another sound broke his focus—a blast of stone as Baldur’s fist hit the wall, narrowly missing his head. Debris exploded outward. A chunk hit Kael’s shoulder, staggering him. Rhys came in from behind with a low stab. He barely raised his guard in time.

"Get out of here...!" she screamed again, her voice strangled by whatever force was within her.

Even Baldur’s voice cracked as he shouted, "RUN, KAEL!!"

The two were really screaming.

Their bodies moved without permission, blades and fists filled with killing intent.

Kael’s breathing was rough now. His shoulder burned. His thigh stung. His back ached. He leapt sideways over Baldur’s sweeping kick, then rolled under Rhys’ thrust. His boots hit the ground and he dashed forward.

Behind him, both of them pursued with terrifying speed.

Rhys slashed in close arcs—her strikes controlled, deadly. Kael twisted his body, angling his sword to intercept each blow. Sparks flew. Baladur smashed walls, cracked ground, tore through furniture and rubble like a beast gone mad. The echo of destruction followed Kael wherever he went.

The remaining priests stood back in shock, unable to intervene. One of them shouted, "We can’t get close—he’ll kill us!"

Kael knew this couldn’t go on. He focused again, stretching his senses. There—he felt something... a ripple of unnatural energy from the far side of the tunnel. It was faint, but definitely not divine, not human either. The thread of mana was slim, almost transparent, but it pulsed unnaturally in his mind like a beating drum. Something was hiding there, pulling the strings.

A blade struck his shoulder guard. Another punch crashed into his sword. Kael spun away from both, blood flicking off his wound.

He clenched his teeth, eyes narrowed.

"I found it," he muttered coldly.

Then, dodging Rhys’ overhead slash, he dashed to the right side of the tunnel. His sword rose in a defensive arc, blocking her again while shifting closer to the hidden source.