"Miss Elianna, the commander and the people from the empire had fallen!"
Kael relayed to Elianna as he just saw Pwyll and Bernia took care of them.
His voice was strained, cutting through the heavy sounds of clashing metal and the grunts of the orcs. He had been keeping one eye on the rear, worried about the backline, and seeing the gold-clad commander and the elite imperial knights drop so quickly sent a chill down his spine. They were supposed to be the heavy hitters of the kingdom, yet they had been dismantled with terrifying ease.
"...!"
Elianna was surprised hearing this, although the commander and the knights from the empire were weaker than her and Kael and the others—they weren’t the type to fall into this kind of battle. For them to be neutralized so fast meant that the people protecting this village were on a completely different level than standard soldiers.
TIIIING--!
She parried a clumsy swing from an orc, using the momentum to shove the creature back and knock it out rather than cutting it down.
"Was it the orcs that got them?"
Elianna asked.
"No, two people showed up and dealt with them... they were the ones on top of the walls earlier."
Kael stated with a grim look on his face.
He didn’t need to say more for Elianna to understand the gravity of the situation. And after hearing his words, Elianna frowned as well. They both knew what’s coming next.
’That means the others from the walls earlier will come and deal with us as well.’
Elianna and Kael thought in unison.
It was obvious that the elite fighters, or even the leaders, came out on their own after they started taking down the orcs. They kind of already expected it. The village wouldn’t just sit back while their front line was being pushed. The "bosses" were finally entering the field.
The air around them grew heavy, the very atmosphere of the [Cursed Forest] thickening with a sudden surge of mana. It was the kind of pressure that made your skin crawl and your heart beat just a little bit faster than it should.
And not long after they reached that conclusion—BOOM!
"...?!"
A loud sound was created a few meters away from them, it was like multiple things fell on the ground with heavy force.
The earth actually shook. It created a huge dust cloud that hid the source of the sound! The impact was so violent that a few nearby orcs and humans were knocked off their feet by the shockwave alone.
But after it faded—nine figures appeared from dust cloud!
It were Ashley, Neit, Moro, Jai, Maya, and the four orc family heads; Jagan, Pol, Don, and Epona!
They didn’t look like they had just jumped from a high wall; they looked like they had simply descended to claim what was theirs. They stood in the center of the crater they had created, radiating an intense killing intent that pushed back the chaos of the general battle.
"!!!"
Elianna and Kael were surprised by their sudden appearance. The sheer variety of their group—beastmen and orcs standing side by side with such coordination—was something they had never seen before.
And before they could even say or do anything—BAM!
Epona rushed first with a crazed smile on her face toward Kael!
She moved with a speed that defied her large frame, her feet tearing up the ground. She didn’t draw a weapon; she just pulled back a massive fist.
"Ugh!"
Kael reacted fast and was able to raise his shield in front of him.
He braced his shoulder against the metal, digging his heels into the dirt. He had blocked thousands of strikes in his career, but the air whistling around Epona’s fist told him this one was different.
TAAAANG—!!!
Epona just punched straight into it, denting the shield with pure strength!
The sound was bone-jarring, a high-pitched scream of protesting metal that echoed through the trees. It sounded like Kael blocked a mace, not a fist! The impact traveled up Kael’s arm, making his shoulder joint scream in pain.
"GURG?!"
Epona’s attack was stronger than Kael had expected.
He could feel the force of the punch vibrating through his entire skeleton. And as a result of his unreadiness—FWOOSH~!
He was sent flying a bit backwards, his boots carving two deep furrows in the mud as he struggled to maintain his balance. The punch had successfully separated him from Elianna!
"Kael!"
Elianna called as she looked back at him.
FWOOOSH—!!!
Then after that, the remaining eight that came with Epona followed and surrounded Kael’s squad members as well; Stanford, Kelton, Harper, and Gibson!
The four squad members were suddenly cut off from their leaders. They found themselves facing a wall of elite defenders who looked more than ready to tear them apart.
"Huh?!"
The four were surprised, but they raised their weapons readily.
They were professionals. They shifted into a defensive circle, back-to-back, staring at the orcs and beastmen encircling them.
’I need to help them!’
Elianna thought.
Seeing them greatly outnumbered, she planned to step-up herself and fight alongside Kael and the others. She gripped her sword, ready to unleash her mana.
TAP—
"!!!"
But before she could even take a step from her place, she felt three strong presences behind her.
S W O O O S H~!
It wasn’t just killing intent; it was a weight that felt like the world itself was pressing down on her shoulders! Her head snapped unconsciously as fast as she can, her back getting goosebumps. Her instincts were screaming at her.
And after turning around—
She was surprised by three individuals; an orc, then two beastmen.
They were Tatum, Jed, and Groo.
They stood in a loose triangle, blocking her path to her squad. Tatum stood in the middle, looking completely at ease despite the fight happening around them.
"I’m sorry but... we’ll be your opponents."
Tatum declared as he looked at straight at Elianna.
His voice was smooth, almost polite, which only made it more unsettling.
A deeper frown appeared on Elianna’s face. She could tell just by the way they stood that these three were the most dangerous of the bunch.
"It seems like you were thinking that you have no time for us, that you need to help the people under you."
Jed mumbled, studying Elianna cautiously.
He crouched slightly, his fingers twitching as if he were already imagining the feeling of his claws cutting through her armor.
"Well, if you’re in so much hurry—then try to defeat us as fast as you can and help them."
And then, he added that with a casual, and calm look on his face.
It was a blatant provocation. He was telling her that her friends’ lives were currently ticking away, and he was the only thing standing between her and their survival.
"You heard the two."
Groo just followed, smiling as he glanced at Jed and Tatum.
The large orc seemed to be enjoying the tension. He rested a massive hand on the hilt of his weapon, but he didn’t draw it yet. He was waiting for her to make the first move.
"..."
Elianna’s heart was pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. She looked at Kael, who was being pressured by Epona, and then at her squad, who were being hemmed in by the others.
FWISH~!
Elianna didn’t say anything, but she pointed her sword at Tatum and the others.
The blade shimmered with a faint, white light. Her face was set in a mask of grim determination.
"Is the leader with you three?"
Then, she asked that.
She needed to know who was pulling the strings. In her experience, if you took down the head, the rest would crumble. Trying to find who’s the leader among the three, as they seems to be the strongest. Elianna was still finding a way to end this situation as fast as she can and with low casualties if possible.
Though, unlucky for her—
"The leader isn’t any of us, he’s not with us as well."
Tatum responded with that.
His eyes didn’t flicker. He was telling the truth. The man who truly ran this place wasn’t even here yet, and that thought was more terrifying than the three warriors standing in front of her.
Elianna frowned, she opened her mouth and was about to ask for a truce, but before a word can even come out of her mouth—
SWOOOSH!!!
Jed vanished from her sight, and immediately reappeared in front of her!
The movement was so fast it didn’t even look like running; it looked like he had simply teleported through the air. His claws were already out, sharp and tense, reflecting the dim light of the forest.
And without hesitation—WHOOSH!
Jed swung it heavily!
"?!"
Elianna was surprised by his speed... but it was not something she couldn’t react to.
Her training so far had pushed her senses far beyond those of a normal human. Her eyes tracked the blur of his hand, her body moving on instinct.
FWIP!
Elianna raised her sword up in the air; leaving her whole body defenseless!
She didn’t try to block his claws with the blade. She didn’t try to dodge. She just held the sword high above her head like a lightning rod.
’...?’
Jed was confused as why she would do that, but he didn’t stop his attack.
He was already mid-swing, his claws inches away from her soft neck. It was not his problem that his enemy was stupid. He expected to see blood spray across the mud.
Though, before his claws could even touch her—
"[Sanctified Dominion!]"
Elianna, the saintess, exclaimed that!
The words weren’t just spoken; they were vibrating with divine power. And in the next moment—WHOOOOOOOOSSSHH!!! BOOOM!!!
A streak of light fell from the heaven and struck Elianna!
It wasn’t a physical bolt, but a pillar of pure, radiant energy that tore through the canopy of the [Cursed Forest]! It was so bright that it bleached the color out of everything nearby. It created a strong shockwave that sent Jed flying away!
"KEUK?!!"
Jed was forced to retreat.
He tumbled through the air, his claws digging into the ground to stop his momentum. His eyes burning from the sudden brightness.
On the other hand, Elianna was unharmed.
"..."
She stood at the center of the pillar, her hair fluttering in the invisible wind. And after that streak of light hit her—an area around her that covered the whole battlefield; started glowing!
It was a massive magic circle, hundreds of meters wide, etched into the very soil of the forest. The light was soft, like a sunrise, but it carried a weight that changed the rules of the fight.
And inside this area—her allies started feeling stronger—and the enemies started feeling weaker!
"H-Huh?"
"I... I feel much energetic!"
The human knights felt their exhaustion vanish, their wounds closing up, and their strength returning twofold. It was as if the Saintess herself was breathing life back into them.
Meanwhile...
"..."
Feeling the debuff, Tatum and the other two looked at their hands.
They closed and opened it, and they felt their movement a bit heavier and sluggish. The air felt thick, like they were trying to move underwater. Their very essence felt repulsed by the light.
After that, the three of them looked at Elianna again.
She was being covered by a golden aura, and that aura—they could feel holy power from it.
It was a power that felt fundamentally opposed to their existence. It was bright, pure, and absolutely relentless.
’This is going to be troublesome.’
Tatum, Jed, and Groo thought.
Being half-vampires, who are demonic beings; they were weak to holy powers. The golden light felt like it was singing their skin, eating away at the mana they used to enhance their bodies. The advantage they had in speed and strength had just been cut in half.
The battlefield fell into a strange, luminous silence for a moment as the two sides stared at each other under the golden glow.
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
*****
Meanwhile... as this whole fight was happening at the heart of the [Cursed Forest]—
WHOOOOOOSH—!!!
A man from a distance saw the streak of light that fell from the sky!
He was walking through the thick brush, miles away from the village. The light was so bright it illuminated the entire horizon, casting long, dancing shadows against the massive trees.
"..."
He looked at it, and started rubbing his chin in confusion.
He watched the pillar of gold slowly fade, leaving a lingering shimmer in the air. Then opening his mouth—
"Did the village just got struck by lightning?"
The man asked that.
It was Verc... And he was on his way back to the village!