Chapter 102 — The Cherubiums
The wind across the northern roads of Basira was colder than usual.
Tall grass bent and swayed across the rolling plains beyond Yutan, whispering softly as the afternoon sun drifted toward the western mountains. The land here stretched wide and open, broken only by scattered hills and thin forests that dotted the horizon.
A narrow stone road cut through the landscape.
Along that road walked Moro and his squad.
They had left Yutan before sunrise.
The city had grown too dangerous to remain in. The nobles had eyes everywhere, and the observation drones that had circled the sky the previous morning were proof that time was running out.
Moro walked at the front of the group.
His body had recovered enough for movement, but the wounds from his battle with Scaro had not completely vanished. The faint scars across his chest still throbbed whenever he pushed his aura too far.
Behind him walked Kaya, her eyes scanning the distant horizon while thin droplets of water hovered around her fingertips.
Herbet followed beside her, carrying a small mechanical pack filled with sensors and scanning equipment he had assembled during their escape.
Further back, Steven Halls walked quietly with his hands tucked inside his coat pockets, his white hair glowing faintly under the sunlight.
At the rear of the group were Kiro and Yaya.
Kiro's hand rested naturally near the hilt of his Nin sword, his gaze constantly shifting across the terrain with the trained awareness of a former CD-9 agent.
Yaya, however, seemed unusually restless.
Her cheetah aura flickered faintly around her ankles every few steps.
She didn't like this silence.
Something about the open plains made her instincts itch.
Uneasy Air
They had been walking for nearly two hours when Herbet suddenly stopped.
His scanning device beeped sharply.
Everyone turned.
"What is it?" Moro asked.
Herbet frowned at the readings.
"That's strange…"
The screen flickered.
Then went blank.
Steven slowly lifted his head toward the sky.
"The air changed."
Kiro's eyes narrowed instantly.
"How?"
Steven's voice lowered.
"Too quiet."
Even the wind had stopped.
The tall grass across the plains froze in place.
Birds vanished from the sky.
And for a brief moment…
The entire world seemed to hold its breath.
The Light
Then it happened.
A sudden flash erupted across the open plains.
Not lightning.
Something far brighter.
A streak of white light tore across the sky and slammed into the ground just ahead of the squad with a deafening boom.
The earth cracked.
Dust exploded outward.
When the smoke cleared, a figure stood within the crater.
A tall warrior wearing brilliant silver armor etched with glowing patterns of gold.
Behind the warrior floated six radiant wings formed entirely from shimmering light.
Another streak appeared beside him.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds, seven glowing figures stood across the plains, surrounding Moro and his squad in a perfect circle.
Herbet's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Oh… no."
Steven's eyes hardened.
"So the nobles finally made their move."
The leader of the glowing warriors stepped forward.
His voice echoed with calm authority.
"We are the Cherubiums."
The name alone carried weight across Mavaria.
They were the elite execution squad of the High Nobles.
The warriors who enforced the nobles' will across the continent.
Legends said they could cross entire cities in the blink of an eye.
And now they stood here.
Waiting.
The leader's golden eyes locked onto Moro.
"Moro Kim Jama."
His voice carried no anger.
Only purpose.
"You are to surrender peacefully."
Moro stepped forward.
His aura flickered faintly around his body.
"I'm guessing you're not the type to accept 'no' as an answer."
The Cherubium leader tilted his head slightly.
"No."
Then he disappeared.
Speed of Light
The attack came instantly.
A blade of condensed light appeared in the warrior's hand as he reappeared directly in front of Moro.
The strike was too fast to see.
Moro barely reacted in time, raising his arm to block.
The impact launched him backward across the ground, tearing through the grass as he slid nearly twenty meters before regaining his footing.
Kiro immediately drew his Nin sword.
"Formation!"
Yaya leapt forward.
Her cheetah aura exploded around her legs as she dashed toward the nearest Cherubium.
Her speed shattered the sound barrier with a thunderous crack.
But the moment her fist swung—
The Cherubium simply flickered.
Yaya's punch passed through him.
Like hitting light itself.
She skidded across the ground and spun around.
"What?!"
Steven stepped forward calmly.
"I told you."
His eyes glowed faintly with icy power.
"Light Domain."
The Cherubiums were not simply fast.
Their bodies had partially converted into pure light energy.
Which meant physical attacks barely touched them.
The leader spoke again.
"Our light magic renders us intangible."
A dozen beams of blinding energy erupted from the Cherubiums simultaneously.
The blasts slammed into the ground around the squad, exploding the earth into burning fragments.
Kaya reacted instantly.
A massive wave of water surged from her hands, forming a defensive wall that absorbed the blasts before they could reach the others.
Steam erupted into the air.
But even through the rising mist, the glowing figures moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
They darted across the battlefield like living flashes of lightning.
Kiro swung his sword at one of them.
The blade passed through empty light.
Another Cherubium appeared behind him instantly and kicked him across the ground.
Steven unleashed a freezing blast of ice.
The beam struck one of the warriors—
But the figure split apart into glowing particles and reformed behind him.
Herbet shouted from behind a rock.
"They're phasing between energy states!"
Moro clenched his fists.
His aura surged.
But even he could feel it.
They were outmatched.
Not by strength.
But by speed.
The Breaking Point
Within seconds the battlefield became chaos.
Light beams ripped across the plains.
Explosions tore the earth apart.
Even Moro's enhanced reflexes struggled to keep up with the Cherubiums' movements.
One of them struck Kaya with a burst of energy that sent her crashing across the ground.
Another nearly pierced Herbet's defensive barrier.
Steven blocked two attacks with thick walls of ice, but the light warriors passed through them like ghosts.
Moro realized something quickly.
This wasn't a fight they could win.
Not here.
Not now.
The leader raised his glowing sword again.
"Surrender."
Moro's aura flared violently.
"I don't surrender."
But before he could move—
Yaya grabbed him.
"Shut up and run."
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Yaya's cheetah aura exploded across the plains.
The ground cracked beneath her feet as she lifted Moro onto her shoulder.
"Everyone hold on!"
Kiro grabbed Kaya.
Steven seized Herbet.
Then Yaya moved.
The moment she launched forward, the air itself screamed.
Her speed tore through the plains like a hurricane.
A massive sonic boom erupted behind them as she broke the sound barrier.
The Cherubiums reacted instantly.
Seven beams of light shot across the sky chasing them.
But Yaya pushed harder.
Faster.
The wind ripped across their faces as the landscape blurred into streaks of green and gold.
Within seconds the plains vanished behind them.
The Cherubiums slowed in the distance.
Their leader watched quietly as the squad disappeared beyond the mountains.
Then he lowered his sword.
"They escaped."
Another Cherubium spoke calmly.
"Shall we pursue?"
The leader shook his head.
"No."
He turned toward the distant north.
"They cannot run forever."
His glowing wings unfolded slowly.
"Eventually…"
His voice lowered.
"…the light reaches everything."
Far away, Yaya finally slowed as the squad reached the shelter of a dense forest.
Everyone collapsed to the ground breathing heavily.
Moro stared back toward the horizon where the Cherubiums had appeared.
His eyes narrowed.
"So…"
He whispered quietly.
"That's the nobles' elite."
And for the first time since entering Mavaria…
Moro realized something.
The war ahead would be far more dangerous than he had imagined.