"CRACKKLEEE!!" "CRRAACCCKLLEE!!!"

He carefully controlled his lightning, ensuring it didn't harm the unconscious King. Nevertheless, his immediate surroundings were not so fortunate, suffering from the scorching and burning effects of his intensely bright bluish lightning, which appeared as though it could spring to life with a will of its own at any moment. With a determined resolve to end this swiftly, Orion took measured breaths in and out, then took a step forward.

"BOOOOMMM!!!"

The carriage door exploded, capturing everyone's attention.

All heads turned toward the source of the blast, where Orion stood, his gaze locked on the restrained Queen Selene.

.....

'The Queen had been defeated. The Queen had been defeated' Flintor repeated the thought in his mind like a mantra as his gaze remained fixed on the restrained Queen Selene.

'What do we do?' he asked himself, his mind racing to find a solution.

From what he had witnessed, the Starforged Knights, one of the top-ranked of the twelve elite divisions of the Crystalforge Clan, had all fallen one by one at the hands of their attackers.

To make matters worse, only one last Starforged Knight remained standing.

"Flintor?" A sweet, feminine voice suddenly broke through his thoughts.

"Princess," Flintor immediately turned his head toward the source of the voice. There was only one person in the carriage with him, after all. "What is it, Princess?" Flintor asked, noting the resolute and determined expression on Princess Crystalia's face as she sat in the seat opposite him.

"I know I shouldn't be asking this, but I need to know if you are willing to lay down your life for the royal family," Princess Crystalia asked with a stern and determined expression on her face, though her trembling hands and racing heart betrayed her inner fears.

She had observed the attackers outside, and their sole intent seemed to be the elimination of the royal family.

If Flintor were to flee, they might not bother pursuing him, given their apparent injuries. Even if he chose to confront them, she feared he might meet the same fate as the Starforged Knights, who were on the brink of annihilation.

Flintor, however, had already noticed her trembling hands and instantly grasped the unspoken message.

A smile played on his lips as he clenched his right hand into a fist.

Without hesitation, he activated his magical energy. A handle formed in his palm and began stretching outwards, forming a long 100 cm smooth crystal blade that appeared deceptively sharp despite its non-metallic composition.

Placing the blade horizontally, with its flat side against his other palm, Flintor could feel his hands trembling even more. He looked at Princess Crystalia with a determined expression. "Even though I was assigned as your personal bodyguard due to special circumstances, it doesn't mean I'll sit back and watch you put yourself in harm's way. While I may still be afraid of dying, Princess, that doesn't mean I'll run away when the royal family, especially your life, is in danger," he said, his hands trembling even more, but his smile remained unwavering and as brave as the determined look on his face.

"So, please, sit here for the meantime, Princess. I'm certain this battle has attracted a lot of attention. In the meantime, I'll do my best to take care of this."

Seeing the stunned expression on the Princess's face, Flintor felt his smile widen as he reached for the door, intending to pull it open. However, just as he was about to do so, Princess Crystalia's eyes widened with realization, and she reached out to stop him from going outside.

Their actions froze in place as a resounding "Boom!" erupted in the air, the shockwave from the explosion hitting so close that it left them momentarily paralyzed.

Flintor, who had been ready to step outside, suddenly widened his eyes in shock as he shouted, "Princess! Princess! It's him! It's Orion!" His words rang out loudly, jolting Princess Crystalia out of her daze. She hurried to the window, peering through it just in time to spot a familiar figure standing beside her mother.

This figure had a dazzling, lightning-covered fist that appeared to be crafted from pure lightning, aimed directly at one of the cloaked figures who had restrained her mother.

"Orion..." Princess Crystalia whispered under her breath as she observed the cloaked figure being sent hurtling backwards, crashing forcefully into the ground with a resonant "Boom!" that reverberated in her ears.

She didn't dare to blink, her gaze locked on the broad figure in the distance.

In the blink of an eye, he had gravely injured one of the cloaked attackers and swiftly scooped up her mother before leaping back, increasing the distance between them once more.

"Princess, it... it seems like we are saved," Flintor's voice broke the silence, but Princess Crystalia remained fixated, her hope flickering even though she held doubts about whether Orion could truly protect them and defeat those who had defeated her mother.

....

"Are you okay?" Orion asked, his eyes fixed on the Queen nestled within his arms.

"...Cough!! I can't use my magical energy," Queen Selene replied, her throat tightening once more before she sighed helplessly.

She furrowed her brows and continued, "But what are you doing here? Take Crystalia and run back to the castle now. Inform the Crystalforge Clan that the Gemheart Clan has revolted against the Kingdom. Considering your status, I doubt they would harm you, as they only want the royal family dead. Cough..."

She coughed lightly before resuming, "Run as fast as you can with Crystalia. Even if all the guards are dead, my husband and I will do our best to protect you two..."

"Queen Selene, the King is currently unconscious," Orion remarked with a wry smile, watching as Queen Selene's expression immediately turned dumbfounded at his words.

Nevertheless, he continued, "And the elite group you mentioned who would protect us will soon all be dead, while you have been defeated and somehow restrained."

Gently placing her on the ground beside the carriage, Orion's attention was suddenly drawn to the other carriage as it swung open. Princess Crystalia and Flintor sprang out, rushing forward to assess Queen Selene's condition.