The Legendary Mage (Alavin)

They still held their defensive stances against the assassins, but mysteriously, the attackers lay dead, and their blood soaked the ground in a ghastly scene.

The courtyard fell quiet for what seemed an eternity until a chilling realization snapped everyone to alertness. By then, the shadowy figure had vanished without a trace.

"To arms, we have an assassin!" Lucan quickly rallied to protect Oda, Mariela, and the others. His senses became heightened for any sign of danger. They were shaken and drenched in sweat. Where had these killers come from, and how had they died so silently?

"I thought I saw a shadow move," Grima declared, gripping her golden spear and scanning the area for the source of danger.

"Is everyone unharmed?" Lucan was a beacon of fiery resolve, his gaze sweeping the surrounding courtyard.

"We're fine," Helna murmured, instinctively reaching for her neck before quickly embracing Oda to shield her from the blood-drenched horror outside.

"These assassins are likely from Amber Valley," Celesse conjectured calmly. Anyone with the courage and skill to infiltrate the stronghold and evade the guards was surely among the Northlands' elite. Amber Valley was the only force capable of such stealth.

"Who could have slain them all?" Lucan wondered, searching for any trace of the elusive shadow, uncertain whether to be grateful or horrified. The Amber Valley's silent infiltrators had to be exceptional warriors, and yet, at the critical moment of their strike, they met their demise. Observing the corpses, a chill coursed through Lucan. Were them friend or foe? Who was this cloaked figure?

In a dilapidated corner of the stronghold, a shadowy figure materialized, clutching a blood-drenched spine. His attire was tattered, his hair was wild and unkempt, and his frame gaunt as if just another commoner, but his eyes glowed an otherworldly crimson, peering into the distance through his matted locks.

"Rally together!" Celesse commanded the guards loudly.

"Secure the entire courtyard," Grima ordered, frustrated by her earlier carelessness.

Hundreds of guards formed a protective barrier around them while others sealed off the vicinity, making it impregnable.

Lucan shouted into the distance, "Commander Kashann, it's a diversion. There are assassins in the city!"

"Despicable!" Commander Kashann roared furiously, unleashing eight beams of intense light that crisscrossed the sky. "Take my strike, Valhalla's Requiem!"

"Insolent fools!" Lord Viperbane, seeing the search thwarted, wasted no more time and prepared to launch a powerful counterattack.

However, the thick clouds above suddenly turned a bloody red, as if the heavens were stained with endless gore. The acrid scent of blood permeated the air. The mighty looked up in alarm as the "blood clouds" churned violently, swiftly coalescing into a colossal hand stretching for miles, blotting out the sun, and crashing down toward the east gate of Stormcast.

"Jarad!" Lord Viperbane's expression turned grave. Abandoning the Cobalt Strike Commander, he soared into the sky. His power soared like a dragon ascending, weaving through the air to meet the giant bloodied hand with the roar of thunder. "Break!"

The hand descended with a crushing force. Its terrifying scale and intense smell of blood engulfed the area outside the east gate in a maelstrom of slaughter.

"Heh, just teasing you." Before the sky-shrouding hand could crush down, Jarad unbelievably appeared before Lord Viperbane. Two streaks of crimson light burst from his eyes like sword tides, swiftly striking Lord Viperbane's visage.

"Damnation." Lord Viperbane dodged the twin scarlet beams in a panic.

With a fierce shake of his hands, Jarad turned the falling bloodied hand into a spear of war, miles long and wide, accelerating its descent like the spear of a god, aiming straight for Lord Viperbane.

Lord Viperbane turned sharply, and the spear plummeted from the skies, its thunderous impact swallowing him whole. The spear's impact was immense, its momentum unyielding, pinning him as it crashed into the wilderness.

Onlookers gasped in awe at the shocking display.

Like a wild beast, Lord Viperbane shattered the blood spear with a roar of fury, and emerged from the chaotic blood mist. Before he could steady himself, Jarad appeared again with a cold snort, and his gaze suddenly chilled. The uncontrollable blood mist converged mightily like a raging tide, incessantly engulfing Lord Viperbane. Within the blood mist lurked thousands of ferocious beasts. They were like an army, charging relentlessly at Lord Viperbane. The magnitude of their assault shook the very space, the thunderous noise unceasing.