The Journey of the Illusory Swordsman

Chapter 4: The Fiery Battle

Hiro ran tirelessly through the dark, dirty tunnels soaked in blood. Each step was propelled by his determination to reach his goal, while enemies sent by the mysterious dwarf crossed his path. The sensation was a constant struggle between adrenaline and fear, fueled by the instinct of survival that drove him forward.

After approximately five minutes of wild escape, Hiro finally reached a set of stairs. Quietly ascending them, unnoticed, he observed further ahead the presence of Hikari, King, and Ares. Cautiously, Hiro approached slowly while his invisibility magic still persisted. At the same time, Hikari, thanks to her elven abilities, sensed Hiro's presence and began to distract Ares, casting her ice magic to freeze the iron shackles that held King and her captive. The cold spread through King's wrists, and he looked at Hikari, receiving a reassuring gaze in return.

Hiro retrieved one of the daggers he kept hidden within his cloak, enchanting the blade with a special spell that gave the black dagger's tip a faint greenish glow. With only a second left before his invisibility magic would dissipate, Hiro threw the dagger, revealing himself to the enemy's eyes. Meanwhile, Hikari and King broke free from the frozen shackles and stepped back toward Hiro, who positioned himself in front of them, ready for action.

The dagger thrown by Hiro found its mark, slicing Ares's face just below his eye, provoking a furious expression. Amidst screams, Ares exclaimed, "How the hell are you here, you worthless swordsman?" Hiro replied with a serious and cold gaze, "That's none of your business. Let me take them, and no one gets hurt."

Ares, angered by Hiro's arrogance, brandished his flaming sword and said, "Your arrogance will cost you dearly." Pointing his sword toward the ceiling, Ares unleashed a sudden attack that opened a hole in the castle, revealing the Aries constellation.

As this happened, the presences that Hikari had sensed in the castle emerged from the shadows and closed in on the three of them. Hikari, now more confident and irritated by what Ares had said to her, said, "Hiro, focus on Ares. King and I will take care of the rest." Hiro responded, "Ares? You mean the Ogre over there?"

While Hikari used her ice magic, creating sharp spikes that tore through the enemies, and King fought with impressive speed, knocking out anyone who approached Hikari, they said in unison to Hiro, "Go now, don't worry about us!"

Hiro, seeing the determination in their eyes, decided to focus on Ares. As he directed his gaze toward the enemy, he realized that Ares was acting strangely. Ares had lowered his sword and was on his knees, hands in a prayer-like position, looking up at the constellation as he exclaimed, "Oh, mighty god of the zodiac signs, grant me the power of the god bestowed upon me through your constellation, Aries! Come to me!"

As soon as Ares finished reciting his words, a light descended from the constellation onto him, transforming his appearance. His hair and body hair were now engulfed in flames. Confused, Hiro said, "Oh, human torch, stop praying and face me." Ares, with a deeper and more chilling voice, replied, "Still mocking, are you? You will pay for it."

Ares gripped his sword and charged at Hiro. Hiro attempted to defend against the first attack, but Ares's brute strength was overwhelming, violently pushing him against the castle wall. Ares started laughing and said, "Ahahaha! Is that all you've got?"

Hikari, seeing Hiro being thrown with such force, shouted in concern, "Hiro!" King immediately followed, saying to Hikari, "Princess, focus on what's in front of you. Hiro is strong; he will prevail. He came here to save us; we can't afford to lose our battles. Let's show what we're made of while keeping faith in him."

Hiro began to rise, a bit dizzy with blood in his mouth, and exclaimed loudly, "Do you really think someone as ugly as you can defeat me?" He provoked further, "For someone like you, who relies on such desperate magic, do you think I need to use my full power? I'll tell you more: I'll win without even needing to use half of it."