How I Became the Strongest Sovereign

A roar rang through my ears before a gush of wind soothed it. I screamed in agony, grabbing my ears and digging my head into the grass. I wanted it to stop. The agony. The pain. The burning fire that rushed into my lungs as my breathing was all over the place…

"Malia, I'm right here!" Soyeon yelled but it was distant. I could hear her staggered breaths and slices of flesh along with the scent of blood. Soyeon screamed out in pain, letting out grunts.

Everything was blurry as I forced my eyes open, squinting at the bright light. I looked around to absolute chaos. The camps were on fire and the fences were torn down. Soyeon screamed, leaping in front of me while pushing me back. An A rank beast leaped for us but Soyeon blew it away with the wind, causing it to hit a tree and slump down, unconscious.

"Soyeon!" Taejun tan towards us. I turned to look at him, my neck sore.

"Taejun!"

They ran to each other as Taejun scanned her wounds.

"What is she doing here?" He glared at me as I flipped the hair out of my face and faced him. He looked me up and down, taking in my condition in disgust. 

Damn, did I look that scruffy or was he just rude?

"Malia!" a heavenly voice called from behind me. We all looked at the source of the voice to see Zeref.

He flashed towards me, my hair blowing off my shoulders from his speed. In a second, his chest was in front of my face as I looked up at him.

"Are you ok?" he held my shoulders, glaring at the park siblings.

I looked at Soyeon who looked pained as if she was helpless.

"Why aren't you both underground?" Zeref held my head to his chest, protectively.

"I could say the same for both of you," Taejun returned angrily.

"What's with the attitude? It is just a question…" Zeref smirked as Taejun got angrier.

The wind swirled around us as Zeref's arm left the small of my back.

"What did you both do?" he whispered but they both heard it.

"AAAARGH!!" Taejun sprinted towards us as Zeref let go of me, leaping to catch Taejun's fist.

I turned to Soyeon who looked at me with utter sorrow and remorse. She ran towards me, hugging me as both Zeref and Taejun fought.

"Everything is going to be different now. It is all going to change…" she said as I looked at her confused.

"I am so sorry…" she pushed me back suddenly, pushing the wind onto Zeref and taking him by surprise.

He fell to the floor as she ran and joined her brother.

"Soyeon?!" I got up, joining Zeref.

What is happening?!

Her apology ran around my head as I looked at her now expressionless face. They both linked hands, throwing their hands up and causing a scream of wind that whistled into my ears.

"AHHHH!!" I fell to my knees as the same pain coursed through me. I saw Soyeon flinch, her feet shuffling back as the wind got louder.

"MALIA?!" Zeref kneeled next to me.

"Stop!" he yelled at them.

The earth rumbled again.

Something powerful was on its way… or it was already here.

It felt like an army of something was rushing towards us.

They were calling danger towards us.

"We are pretty smart. The barriers were too hard to attack from the outside… so we were sent to attack from the inside." Taejun snickered. 

So this is what they were planning.

"Stay here and you'll face death!" Soyeon spat as Zeref didn't move from my side.

"You are stupid to think you can fight what's coming. Especially with her condition. She'll get hurt." Soyeon continued almost as if she was persuading us to leave like she cared.

"Let them sister. I'd like to step on their corpses." Taejun snickered as Zeref picked me up.

"Oh no you don't." Taejun tried to swirl Zeref into the air but instead a blast of ice shot out of Zeref's arm, striking him in the head.

Taejun winced as Soyeon fell to his aid while Zeref sprinted away with me.

"STOP THEM!" Taejun ordered but Soyeon hesitated.

"B-But you are injured!" she watched as we leaped away to the underground shelter.

I peered over Zeref's shoulder at her.

She was the enemy after all.

**

We stopped at the edge of the camp when I urged Zeref to stop running.

"You need to save the people underground. I think they're in danger." I said, getting down from his hold. He shook his head, turning back to the camp and squeezing my hand.

I gently slipped my hand out of his and gulped.

"I know this isn't a good time but I need to shift Zeref. You need to save them alone and I know you can."

He shook his head again.

"I'm not leaving you alone. I can sense the army coming towards the camp right now. If you shift, you will be running directly into them." He stepped towards me as once again, I had to stare up at him.

"I can buy you time. Go save our friends!" I said, turning away and sprinting into the woods.

Don't turn back… Don't.

My hair flew into my face as I turned my head back at Zeref. He watched me run before nodding, turning away from me and running back towards the camp.

I sighed, facing my fate with determination. My eyes flickered as I picked up deadly speed. Soon I lowered myself before taking a big leap and transforming into my wolf form.

Howling, I called out to Zeref. I howled again… warning the beasts of my presence. My ears picked up on dead silence. The army of footsteps stopped and I thought I successfully scared the beasts but then a shuffle was heard and the scent of hypnotising mana filled the air.

Again, the thundering footsteps approached and now, I could see trees falling like dominoes. I leaped up into the sky, floating above the forest and looking down at a wall of mages riding on A rank beasts.

What the hell is this?