Asher sat atop the golden Astra Dome he had conjured, a magnificent, radiant barrier that spanned the entirety of the Rivelle Barony like a divine canopy. From his elevated perch, he gazed down upon the chaotic battlefield below. Within the city, the clash of soldiers and monsters echoed through the streets, while beyond its fortified walls, two titanic duels raged, one between the Baron and his Goblin adversary, and the other between the Knight Commander and his monstrous foe.

The shockwaves from their clashes struck the golden dome in endless succession, sending vibrations and tremors that rippled across its radiant surface. Explosions and quakes resounded like the beating heart of destruction itself, but Asher held firm, his Perfect Astra Control ability sustaining the structure even as it strained against the overwhelming force.

His purple eyes struggled to follow the blinding speed of the combatants. His enhanced hearing caught every shattering sound, the ring of steel, the roar of impact, and the echo of destruction. The world outside the city walls was a blur of afterimages, each clash birthing phantoms that danced amidst chaos. For a moment, Asher's gaze lingered on the Knight Commander, before shifting toward the Baron, who battled fiercely against the Goblin swordsman.

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The Baron saw it, the Goblin's katana streaking toward his neck with murderous precision. Death was but centimeters away, his life teetering on the edge of a blade. Time seemed to fracture, stretching into an endless instant. His perception of reality heightened beyond comprehension, and within that infinitesimal pause, Baron Rivelle's life unfurled before him like a tapestry of memory.

He saw the moment he awakened his bloodline ability, the legacy of the Rivelle family coursing through his veins. He remembered meeting his beloved wife, Eleanor, for the first time, her smile as radiant as dawn. He saw his children, Caldor and Annabelle, their laughter echoing faintly in his fading consciousness.

One memory after another flashed before him, the day he inherited the Barony from his mother, the numerous warfronts where he stood as a soldier against hostile Empires, and the blood he had shed to preserve his land. All of it surged forward in less than a heartbeat. His eyes began to close, not in fear, but in solemn acceptance.

He knew there was no escape. His sand manipulation wouldn't reach him in time to shield him; his enemy's attack was too close, too fast. There was no room to parry, no space to dodge, no breath left for a counter.

'I'm sorry, Eleanor… Caldor… Annabelle.' His thoughts whispered in the moment. 'May the Tenth Sun guide and protect you. Even if he does not, I'll die believing that he will.'

As he made peace with his end, the very fabric of space twisted violently. Reality bent under the overwhelming will of another being. In an instant, a towering figure, standing six feet six, cloaked entirely in radiant white energy, manifested between the Baron and death. A rapier enveloped in the same luminous energy materialized in the figure's hand, slashing forward with blinding speed to meet the Goblin's descending katana.

A sound like thunder erupting from the air tore through the battlefield. A cataclysmic explosion detonated outward, unleashing incandescent waves of erasing energy that illuminated the world in blinding brilliance. The shockwave hurled everything backward, trees, stones, and debris alike, flung away like kites severed from their strings.

The Baron's body was sent crashing backward at maddening velocity, while the Goblin was blasted off its feet, its tough green skin shredding under the unbearable force. The white-cloaked savior was not spared either, he was thrown violently into a distant hill, the earth shattering upon impact.

Columns of dust and smoke billowed into the air, engulfing the battlefield in a storm of chaos. The sky was veiled in choking haze as silence settled momentarily, a dreadful calm after the storm. The three combatants lay motionless, scattered across the ravaged land.

Then, a pulse of Astra energy erupted from the Goblin, clearing the dust with a wave of power. Visibility returned. The Goblin's injuries, though severe, were already mending as its monstrous regeneration activated once again. It grunted, staggering upright, its black eyes gleaming with malice.

It glanced at its weapon, the katana it had claimed after slaying a formidable human swordsman. A faint chip marred the otherwise pristine blade. The Goblin clicked its tongue in annoyance. To a swordmaster, even the slightest imperfection rendered a weapon unworthy. Yet it couldn't discard it now. The battle was far from over.

Its black gaze shifted toward the distance, where the mysterious new figure stood amidst the smoke. The rapier in the stranger's hand trembled faintly, as if thirsting for blood. But the white-cloaked being made no move to attack, he simply stood there, composed and silent, exuding an aura of eerie calm.

Meanwhile, from a pit carved deep into the earth, Baron Rivelle stirred. Slowly, painfully, he rose to his feet. His armor had shattered into fragments, his once-proud cape reduced to ash. His body was bruised, torn, and bloodied from the explosion. Yet his spirit did not waver. Drawing upon his sand manipulation ability, he summoned fine grains to seal his wounds, halting the bleeding temporarily.

The Baron's eyes, dark and resolute, turned toward the one who had intervened on his behalf. He saw the same radiant figure the Goblin had fixed its gaze upon. He did not know who this person was, friend or foe, but that no longer mattered. This mysterious being had saved his life. For now, that was reason enough to trust him.

'If he turns against me after this… then so be it,' the Baron thought grimly. 'I'll fight him to the death.'

His gaze shifted again toward the Goblin. Though it now stood without visible wounds, its pallid green skin betrayed its dwindling reserves of Astra energy. The once-vibrant glow that emanated from its body now flickered faintly, signaling exhaustion.

A heavy silence fell upon the battlefield, thick and electric. The air itself seemed to tremble under the tension between the three warriors. No words were exchanged, none were needed. Each of them understood the new balance that had emerged.

This was no longer a duel between Baron Rivelle and the Goblin. This was now two against one.

The Goblin's expression twisted into a feral grin, baring jagged teeth. With deliberate motion, it slid its left foot back, lowering its center of gravity. Its black eyes narrowed as it entered a stance, the chipped katana glowing faintly in its grip.

At the same instant, Baron Rivelle and the white figure moved. The ground beneath them shattered as they exploded forward in synchronized motion, their speed blurring into streaks of black and white light. The battlefield quaked once again as the next clash began, faster, deadlier, and far more decisive than before.

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