The Conquerors Path

Marlene was now backed into a corner, she had no way out, in normal situations just her presence was more than enough to make these beasts cry below her feet, her trembling hands held her spear tight, her back straight while the presence of a monarch filled her,

'If I am going down then I will bring everyone with me'

Marleen just like everyone else is afraid of death, just like everyone she doesn't wish for her demise but she wasn't someone to cry about when death comes to her, she was a warrior through and through, she had taken place in flights and lead about legions of soldiers, if she was to die she would die an honorable death,

"No one shall control me"

Marlene spoke as she held back the pain-killing her body, blood from her hands flowing to her spear while the new enemies around her came closer, their ill will filling them as the mana around them started to rumble,

"This is the end for you princess"

The leading lionbeast men spoke as the sword in his hand started to shine, the rest of them activating their abilities as they aimed it towards Marlene who was holding it to her end, her eyes viciousness.

SWISH....

"Urgh!...."

A small sound was heard before which the leading Lionbeast man cried out, his eyes traveling towards where a single arrow had penetrated his heart, his eyes losing their light as he fell forward,

"An arrow?"

"Whose there?"

"What's going on?"

Just the single attack had disrupted the flow of the battle making the group scramble against themselves, worst of all another group of arrows started to reign upon them,

Swish!.....Swish!....Swish!...Swish!

"Urgh!"

"AH!"

"No!"

The cries of the group increased as a single arrow was taking at least one life with each hit, this was bubbling despair into the hearts of the group, how could a single arrow take a life? all of them are wearing protective, they were even using a mana barrier around themselves even then they were all being killed with an arrow.

One of the attackers dodged an arrow but it ended up turning around and killing him from behind, another arrow moved so fast that it killed two of the gathering with a single hit, some arrows reaching up close would suddenly split into different ones before taking several lives.

The assaulters tried everything they could to dodge or fight back, they tried moving around, displaying protective spells around the, and they even tried to pinpoint where the arrows were coming from but to their dismay, the arrows kept coming from everywhere direction.

Meanwhile, Marlene could only gaze at all this with blinking eyes as the ones that were assaulting her were now under a bombardment that was quickly killing them off, soon an arrow hit the ground and exploded blinding the group in smoke,

"What's happening?"

Only about 5 or 6 were left, one of them tried to cast a wind spell to remove the smoke yet just as he tried his head exploded so did the rest, a few seconds later the smoke withdrew leaving only a single survivor whose legs were smashed up and his hands twisted, in front of the beaten up sea folk stood a figure very familiar to Marlene,

"Austin?"

She called out turning his attention towards her, he had a smile on his face as he spoke,

"Having trouble Marlene?"

He spoke out and seeing all her enemies spread dead her body lost its strength as she sat on the ground, her ass on the ground as she took deep breaths, as the adrenalin faded away the pain on her body hit her making her flinch but she didn't cry out as she bit her lips,

"Why don't you drink a recovery potion?"

Austin asked as he appeared beside her, she held her spare tight as she took deep breaths,

"Huff....huff....they used some kind of seal to block off all my spatial rings"

"Oh, that's bad"

Saying so Austin passed on to her the highest level of healing potion on him, she didn't reject it as she moved her aching body, taking the potion as she started to drink, finishing it her body quickly started to heal, and the cuts around her healing, while the disgusting injury on her back quickly getting better,

"Quite the high grade, not bad"

Marlene spoke as she cleaned her lips, her body relaxing as she fell back into the ground,

"You're quite relaxed, aren't you afraid I might do something?'

Austin asked as he looked at the completely relaxed Marlene with a questioning look, she just chuckled to it as she responded,

"If you want to hurt me you wouldn't have saved me, moreover it's not like I can fight back in such a situation"

Her answer made Austin silent as he looked at her, to which he quickly coughed and spoke,

"Well, you might want to change your dress"

Hearing so she looked at her body, her dress was torn at several places, making it quite the scene to gaze at but unlike other girls, she didn't blush as she just said,

"Oh.....I'll just change it later, I am too tired anyway"

Thinking so she just lay on the ground, taking some well-needed rest but it didn't last long as she spoke,

"How did you find me?"

"I didn't find you, I was just lucky to meet you while I traveled, and as a friend, I helped"

Austin replied to which Marlene turned silent her eyes looking lost as she whispered,

"A friend.....huh"

Hearing the bitterness in her voice Austin looked at the people he killed as he asked,

"A bad history?"

Marlene didn't deny it as she replied,

"One or two among them belong to my faction, you know I don't take in friends easily, even when you asked for my friendship back then I didn't consider you my friend"

She spoke as she slowly started to stand up, her eyes fixing on Austin's as she spoke,

"As a monarch and as someone hurt before I take having friends very dangerous choice"

"I see, it's normal"

Austin replied but Marlene wasn't done, she walked towards him and she gave out her hand while saying,

"But then again, when I make a friend, I do it such that they will stay with me through thick and thin, for my friendship is a very heavy"

Marlene's hand was now outstretched for a shake, seeing this Austin smiled as he shook it,

"Does that mean I've become your friend?"

He asked with a smile to which Marlene nodded her head,

"You have now to bore in mind, betray me, and face hell like no before"

Her words sounded terrifying with the smile on her face but Austin didn't back down as he smiled back at her,

"Nice to meet you, the name is Austin Lionheart"

"Nice to meet you too, for I am Marlene Kia Leviathan"

Saying so both of them chuckled before taking their hands back, Austin pointed at the one person he left behind as he spoke,

"I have left one alive, you can deal with him as you wish"

"Thanks"

Marlene thanked him as she started to walk towards the injured sea folk with a ruthless look filling her. While Austin looked at her walking figure with a calm gaze,

'It's not easy at all'

Austin pondered, he might have become friends with her but raising her affection from there will be hell, its due to the simple reason that she doesn't look at him as a love interest, the reason being that......

.......he wasn't a member of the sea.