The moment the man noticed something was wrong with the group, he immediately pointed it out.

Seeing the commotion, Max signaled to Reith.

But there was no way for Reith to understand what Max meant, so he did the first thing that came to mind.

With a sharp burst, an incoming shockwave spread forth and a massive rod of lightning shot from Reith's body, curving like a long whip.

The lightning landed and moved across the bodies of the men.

"Run for it!" Reith yelled, and everyone else moved at once.

Tia grabbed Milly's hand, and they ran forward. The lightning whip strike left the guards numb. Reith had aimed carefully so none of his allies were harmed. They only needed a chance to escape.

Within the next breath, the group moved as if sharing one mind. Elder Fox leapt and slammed his fist on the floor, creating an earthquake that threw everyone aside.

Max rushed to Reith. "What did you do that for? I did not tell you to attack!"

"What about the signal you made?" Reith frowned.

"Yeah, I wanted you to take the princess and run!"

Reith tilted his head, realizing the guards were starting to recover. "It is the same thing. Let us just find a way out and get to the princess's region. We will settle the rest later."

With a dash, Reith ignored Max and shot forward.

"Guards! Attack them!" the leader of Vhal's men shouted.

The guards surged ahead, boots pounding against the stone floor of the tunnel. Sparks from their spirit weapons lit the darkness, blue and red streaks cutting through the dim glow of the ceiling lamps.

Reith planted his heel, drawing out the hana that pulsed faintly in the Hana core. It rushed into his meridians, hot and steady, wrapping into energy balls around his body. He swung his arm, shaping another whip of lightning.

The snap tore through the noise and struck the first man who lunged at him. The guard spun in midair, dropping his spear as the current flung him aside.

Max leapt forward, fire wrapping his blade in a thin red glow. "I'll clear a path!" he shouted. One slash sent flames streaking across the floor, forcing two guards to leap back.

Milly steadied her feet, she would have to contribute this time.

A pale green light shimmered over her hands, thin threads running down her arms. "Anyone who gets hit, fall back to me," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos.

They gave their nods and continued the take down.

There was no time to delay any longer.

Tia moved closer to the princess, taking a ready stance. "Stay behind me, Your Highness."

Cassia dissolved into the shadows along the walls, her figure melting like ink. This was the perfect place to practice her assassin skills.

From the looks of it, most of these guards were at the peak of Core Master so there was really nothing to their strength.

A heartbeat later she appeared behind an archer. Her dagger pricked his arm, leaving a trace of purple. The man gasped and crumpled.

"Sleep," Cassia whispered, vanishing again. This was her own special move. She'd place poison into the blade but this time, her poison wasn't too brutal.

Elder Fox slammed both palms onto the ground. Stone erupted in jagged spikes, knocking soldiers backward. "Clear path!" he barked. This place was like his domain.

He was at Spirit Refinement stage and the elemental he had chosen to use as his spirit element was the Earth Element.

Reith lunged. Lightning surged through his body, propelling him forward. He swung his whip, slicing through two spears. Sparks exploded, lighting the tunnel like a storm.

For the first time, he felt alive rather than scared. Hana flowed freely through him, and every sense sharpened.

Max laughed. "Not bad! Try not to fry yourself."

"I know what I am doing!" Reith called back, though his face looked wild.

The guards regrouped, forming a half-circle. Their leader raised a crimson-scribed saber. "Hold them!"

Arrows zipped through the air. Milly lifted a shield of light, blocking three shafts. "Stay close to me!" she shouted to them, and threw a glare at Reith who was flying around the place.

Max threw up a wall of fire to stop arrows being fired. "Move! I cannot hold this long!"

They pressed forward.

The air smelled of burnt metal and damp stone. Guards poured from other passages within the tunnel as it seemed like a few of them had been alerted, though some slowed as they saw fallen comrades twitching on the floor.

Elder Fox strode ahead, stones lifting at his gesture. He hurled them into a cluster of soldiers, scattering men against the walls.

A guard lunged for Milly's arm. She twisted free and struck him with the side of her palm, channeling a healing glow that turned sharp at the last instant. The man jerked, stunned.

Reith appeared beside her. "You all right?"

"I'm fine." She gave him a nod despite the fight. "Focus."

"On it."

Cassia slipped from another shadow, cutting low and slicing across a guard's boot. The poison worked fast, and he collapsed mid-shout.

Tia vaulted over a fallen man, blades spinning. She landed near Reith, eyes scanning. "More ahead. Two, maybe three groups."

"How many more?" Max asked, sweat streaking his face.

"Not much," Cassia replied. "Once we clear the next wave here we should see a gap to go through."

"That means they will try to stop us there," Reith commented. Lightning gathered on his shoulders, crackling deeper. "Let's finish this fast."

They rounded the bend and met a tight formation blocking the last stretch. The leader, taller than the rest, held a long spear shimmering with faint energy.

"Stand down!" he ordered. "You are trespassing in royal tunnels."

Milly stepped forward, chin raised. "These tunnels belong to my family. If you value your post, stand aside."

The man hesitated, recognizing her, then set his jaw. " King Vhal holds the right to this tunnel and not your puny father."

However, just before the captain could act, Cassia slid behind him, rising from a narrow strip of shadow. Her dagger flicked toward his arm. He spun, blocking with the pole of his weapon, but left his side open.

Tia darted in, cutting fast and forcing him back.

Max and Elder Fox crashed into the front line. Fire roared from Max's fists, making guards raise their hana shields. Elder Fox struck the floor with a heavy punch, sending tremors that threw some of men off balance.

It was like an all out battle.

Reith released his stored energy. A bolt lashed out, shocking the living daylight out of a group of men.

He swept the whip in a wide circle, pushing the enemy away from Milly.

She stepped beside him, pressing a small crystal to a cut on his arm. Warmth spread and the wound sealed. "Try not to get hit again. I can't keep wasting my energy on you." She scoffed.

"Thanks," Reith said with a slight grin before moving forward.

Cassia moved behind the enemy again, silent as a shadow. Her daggers flashed, leaving soldiers sagging to the ground as venom claimed them.

"Exit ahead!" Max shouted. A pale light grew brighter at the far end.

But a last barricade blocked the way, shields and spears tight across the tunnel. "You will not reach the palace," one of them shouted.

Max stepped forward, flames wrapping his arms. "Then you will have to stop us."

Elder Fox braced beside him, fists ready. Cassia crouched low, eyes fixed on the dark shapes under the guards' boots. Reith stood by Milly, protective yet leaving space for Tia, who guarded the princess.

"Stay behind me," Max yelled to the group. "On my signal," he said, heat shimmering around him.

He dropped his hand on the group. Fire surged from the earth, rising over the barricade. Elder Fox charged through smoke, knocking shields aside. Cassia slid from the floor's shadows, blades quick and precise.

Tia guided Milly through the gap. Reith covered their flank, lightning snapping against guards heading their way.

The end of the tunnel was already in their sight.

Max's flames swept across the floor again, driving the last guards back. "Clear! Get her out!"

They sprinted the final stretch. Light poured over them as they burst into the open air.

Beyond, the palace gleamed white against the sky, banners stirring on its towers.

Reith waited to take in the view, but Max kept a steady hand on his back. "Inside first," he said. "You can look once we are safe in the palace."

Max scanned the courtyard, fire flickering on his fingers. "No more enemies?" he asked.

Cassia stepped from a strip of shade, sheathing her daggers. "All clear. For now."

Elder Fox rolled his shoulders, dust falling from his coat. This was the first time he had actually faced so much trouble passing the tunnels.

Max glanced at Milly. "We should get you inside before they bring more soldiers."

Just ahead, the other separated part of the group were running forward, and they actually looked like they didn't meet with problems on the way.

Elder Fox simply suppressed his jealousy with a grunt especially when he saw that old geezer smiling widely.

They'd settle the rest inside the palace.

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