The sound of a volley of bowstrings drawn in unison shattered the tension of the night. Dozens of arrows whistled as they pierced the air, soaring in a deadly arc beneath the dim moonlight like a rain of death aimed straight at the crowd of fleeing prisoners.
At the very front lines, Calverd gritted his teeth. The indigo-haired youth worked incredibly hard, pushing the absolute limits of his mana to stop all the incoming arrows with his telekinesis magic.
Every time a wave of arrows approached, he focused his magic to deflect and erase the forward momentum of the projectiles, causing dozens of arrows to instantly lose their momentum in mid-air before their iron tips could pierce the prisoners' skin.
Before Calverd even had a chance to breathe, a barrage of magic of various elements launched by the ranks of palace mages followed suit.
Boom! Boom!
Fortunately, several prisoners in the front lines who could also use magic immediately chanted makeshift defensive spells, creating magical shields to withstand the onslaught.
However, the attacks launched by the soldiers and palace mages seemed endless. The continuous rain of arrows and magical explosions showering upon them had created a storm of projectiles that completely confined their movements.
The escaping group was pushed into a desperate corner. Cold sweat drenched Calverd's entire face. He panted heavily, his chest feeling tight. He was beginning to succumb to exhaustion, his vision blurred, and the flow of mana within his body was almost depleted.
Seeing that the indigo-haired youth was nearly out of mana, they realized that the chances of them making it out of the palace courtyard alive were incredibly slim. A profound sense of despair once again washed over all the prisoners.
The path behind them was blocked by sturdy iron gates, while in front of them, the enemy encirclement slowly began to close in.
Yet, amidst the dense despair enveloping everyone, a silent movement occurred near the iron gates.
Kaydan, who was standing with ragged breaths, feeling frustrated because he could not destroy the gates, suddenly felt a warmth slowly wrap around his back. Two invisible arms encircled him protectively, holding him tightly from behind.
Realizing who was embracing him, the tension in Kaydan's shoulders instantly loosened. He felt incredibly relieved and safe. He knew that his husband had never left him all alone.
"Open your mouth a little and swallow what I give you!"
Hearing his husband's command, Kaydan immediately opened his mouth slightly without asking many questions. Shortly after, he felt the cold tip of a glass bottle touch his lips, followed by a liquid that began to wet his lips and tongue.
Without the slightest hesitation, he let the invisible liquid enter his mouth, then swallowed it.
And what happened next was that the exhaustion Kaydan felt instantly evaporated. The flow of mana within his body suddenly surged and overflowed like a newly opened dam.
"My Light..." Kaydan called out in a soft whisper, feeling his strength fully restored. "What liquid did you just give me?"
"It was a mana recovery potion." Arvin whispered into his spouse's ear. "Listen, I'm going to help that indigo-haired boy. Destroy those iron gates with your full power when you hear all those royal forces slammed into the ground!"
Hearing the instructions he had just been given, Kaydan gave a firm nod, understanding exactly what he had to do.
After he nodded, the warm embrace holding his body slowly began to loosen and slip away. The gray-haired youth then immediately concentrated his now-overflowing mana, preparing to execute his husband's command at the exact right moment.
On the other hand, at the front lines of the defense, Calverd was panting heavily. Both of his hands were trembling slightly after constantly forcing himself to repel the rain of arrows and magic.
Damn it, what should I do? the indigo-haired youth cursed inwardly, his eyes glaring sharply at the enemy lines with a vision that was beginning to blur. My mana is almost depleted. If they attack, I won't be able to withstand their assault!
And not long after that desperate thought crossed his mind, the indigo-haired youth was immediately jolted in shock. He felt someone suddenly embrace him from behind.
His body tensed up for a moment, but he immediately regulated his breathing again upon realizing who had embraced his body. The exact same invisible sensation he had felt inside the prison cell earlier was now holding him.
"Calverd, raise your right hand straight forward and pretend to attack those troops." Arvin whispered from behind his ear, giving a quick and clear command. "Hold on to your remaining mana. Let me be the one to attack them directly using my telekinesis!"
Hearing that whisper, the indigo-haired youth widened his eyes broadly. He truly never expected that the invisible hero who had saved him could also use the exact same telekinesis magic as him.
There is no time for me to be surprised! Calverd thought, immediately shaking his head and trying to calm himself down once more. I must trust him and follow his plan!
Following the instructions, Calverd answered the invisible man's command by immediately raising his right hand straight forward, aiming at the enemy ranks. And right after his hand was extended forward, he felt an unseen hand hold his wrist with a very gentle yet firm touch.
Slowly, the embrace he felt on his body gradually loosened, and then the indigo-haired youth no longer felt the touch of invisible hands on his body.
Right after the invisible hands released the embrace from his body and only held onto his right hand, Calverd instantly understood what the person currently standing behind him was going to do.
This invisible man wants to use me as a camouflage medium, huh?
Arvin's invisible right hand slowly moved Calverd's hand upward, making it seem as if Calverd himself was concentrating his mana to attack.
At the same time, Arvin's free left hand directly activated his telekinesis magic with a terrifying intensity.
And the scene that unfolded next, the barrage of arrows and magic shots that were previously hurtling toward them suddenly came to a complete halt in mid-air, as if time had been frozen.
The bodies of the archers and the palace mages were instantly lifted high into the air in unison. They flailed around, screaming in confusion unable to do anything, as if an invisible giant was lifting their bodies.
Seeing the sight presented before him, Calverd was stunned stiff.
Amazing! the youth praised in his heart, overcome with tremendous awe. His eyes did not blink as he watched all the soldiers, archers, and palace mages flail helplessly suspended in the air. He really can use the same telekinesis magic as me. But his magic can cover such a vast area! Truly Incredible!
Not only Calverd, but the prisoners behind him who had previously felt despair and prepared to welcome death were presented with a sight that left them astounded.
All the royal forces that had previously surrounded them were now floating in the air.
While everyone was still transfixed by the phenomenon, Calverd's hand, which was being controlled by Arvin, was suddenly pulled downwards with a very swift motion.
And at the exact same moment...
Crash!
A loud crashing sound was heard. All the bodies of the Victoriaz Kingdom forces were immediately pulled forcefully and slammed into the rocky ground surface at a highly fatal speed.
They all fell in one devastating strike.
Screech!
On the other side of the courtyard, the two giant, iron-made palace gate doors instantly crumpled inwards like crumpled paper, unable to withstand the extreme gravitational pressure.
Bang!
Their hinges were forcefully ripped out, and the sturdy gates were finally shattered to pieces, falling onto the streets of the capital outside the palace, producing a deafeningly loud noise.
Hearing the resounding sound of heavy iron, Calverd and the escaping prisoners immediately turned around toward the source of the noise. In that instant, an overwhelming, unstoppable sense of relief surged within each of them.
The iron gates that had previously blocked their path were now no more.
The freedom they had been fighting to the death for was now laid wide open before them.