On the other flank, Benedict and Shirley were locked in fierce combat with their opponents. It was chaos everywhere they looked. They had returned to the flank's command camp since they had used up most of their Martial Energy and they needed a safe place to recover before heading out again. Initially, things were quite peaceful, relatively speaking. The fighting on the frontlines was intense, and losses were popping up everywhere, but as a whole, this was well within expectations. Everyone knew that this would be a hard-fought battle, so there were no problems there. However, when an enemy reinforcement of several thousand appeared… That was when things began to spiral out of control. Losses began accumulating at a monstrous rate as the frontlines was ripped to shreds. They were being pushed back! Furthermore, they lost contact with General Christina and the Brigade Commanders. It was the worst possible scenario! Benedict and Shirley overheard and volunteered to return to the frontlines, even without their Martial Energy. After all, with their base skills alone at Half-Perception Realm, they were a threat to almost everyone. They could make a difference.
Before they left though, the fight had come to them. The command camp was under attack! It happened with warning, almost as swift as lightning. The enemy had arrived in the rear, where the kingdom only had logistical staff, none of whom had weapons nor armor, and the result was obvious… The council began an unbridled massacre! It was pure pandemonium, as the officers struggled to understand what was happening and redeploy their soldiers. Battles erupted across the camp! Benedict and Shirley grabbed their weapons and charged into the fray. That was where they were now.
A sword pressed down on Benedict as he calmy resisted with the Hawken Style's first stance. His Major Sword Form Attainment was showing its power here since he could propel the Hawken Style to new heights. Even someone like his opponent, who Benedict gauged to be a Fundamental Realm Master or a Great Knight of the Realm, was no match for him. He parried the sword, pivoted with the Hawken Style's third stance, and cut down his opponent. His actions were smoothly executed akin to a dance. There was never a hint of struggle on his face. Three more people teamed up on him, having noticed his exceptional power, to which Benedict responded to more seriously. Although he reached Half-Perception Realm, his Martial Perception had yet to fully form. Facing against this many enemies without his Mock Perception or Martial Energy was a dangerous situation. Clang! Clang! Clang! A resplendent show of sword light unfolded, as Benedict blocked the continuous stream of attacks. He had to keep his eyes trained on three people and three swords at once, all while prioritizing who to defend or attack first. It was not an easy thing to do, which went to show how much he grew!
Thud! An arrow suddenly pierced his back and made his concentration slip just as a blade sliced towards his face! Benedict could not recover in time! His opponents grinned in anticipation. They could already imagine this was the finishing blow; however, their elation was soon transformed into disbelief. The sword had contacted Benedict's face and yet instead of slicing through it, the sword had bounced off! His face was harder than steel? It was unthinkable! Little did they know, he had activated his Bloodline Ability, Rain Weaver Arc, in the nick of time. It wove his Martial Energy into tough threads which blocked the blow. Unfortunately, his desperate life-saving measure used up what little Martial Energy he had left. Every 'thread' used up an enormous sum of energy! He did not let this chance slip though as he immediately executed the Hawken Style's third stance! Three precise thrusts later, all three had died! His lethality was frightening.
Meanwhile, Shirley's halberd whipped around as she tangled with a Perception Realm. She kept a large distance between her and her opponent because she was not like Benedict. She had no strong defensive methods, especially one that could block a flying strike. If her enemy ventured a bit too closely, then the results could be devastating. Thankfully, Shirley could use Mock Perception without Martial Energy, so her senses were constantly focused. She had complete control over the fight! When the chance came, she used her natural speed to break through and attack! Slash! The Perception Realm crumpled to the ground like that. It looked painfully easy, as though her opponent was not a Perception Realm, but a common Fundamental Realm soldier.
While she collected her breath, four flying strikes flew towards her without warning. They were extremely fast and hard to see, enough to catch anyone else off-guard, even a mighty Perception Realm. That was the power of Martial Energy! It could singlehandedly upheave the power structure of the world! Regardless, using her Mock Perception, Shirley sensed them the instant they were loosed. She quickly traced their trajectories, planned how to avoid it, and executed it, all within another instant. Jumping in the air, she spun her body in very unnatural way, allowing the flying strikes to glide harmlessly over her clothes and skin. The margin of error was truly a hair! Whoosh! The flying strikes perfectly sliced through the tents behind her, metal pole and all. Her opponents were left dumbfounded. Like Benedict, Shirley should have been dead on the ground now, yet… she was fine and healthy! It defied common sense! She quickly defeated two of her assailants and caused the other two to flee.
Benedict and Shirley regrouped to consider their next options. They were clearly a lot worse for wear, having fought in a series of intense battles earlier and now. They barely had the time to catch their breath, much less eat. Not to mention, their Martial Energy, which accounted for most of their strength, was running dry. It was getting dangerous. The thought of fleeing did cross their minds, of course. The situation seemed unsalvageable and losing their lives here would not be a funny joke. It might be better to use this chaos to slip away; however, neither could do that. They knew it was foolish and stubborn beyond belief, but they were fundamentally averse to the idea. After all, Benedict had lost his lover, Isabella, and Shirley had lost her father that way. They were not about to abandon anyone.
When they finally made their decision, they found themselves surrounded by a large group of soldiers. There were 'only' thirty, a number which seemed hardly threatening considering how they defeated hundreds on the frontlines prior, but that was with Martial Energy. Not to mention, these thirty soldiers were significantly stronger than the average soldier. Shirley sensed they varied between Fundamental Realm Expert and Perception Realm Novice. She was only a Half-Perception Realm herself, so it seemed like a case of squashing an ant with a foot; extremely excessive!
Benedict frowned for a different reason because he sensed how refined everyone's auras were. This was definitely not the norm for people like them. Normally, the Perception Realms nurtured through the Featherwind Sect were riddled with flaws. Their skill did not match their realm. These people, on the other hand… Benedict suspected they were already very strong and then further elevated through the Featherwind Sect's methods. Their powers must have soared! He could not afford to take them lightly. He gave Shirley a subtle glance when Shirley returned with hers. Apparently, she reached the same conclusion that these were not easy foes to handle. They simultaneously used their recovery methods, Sipping Cloud and Inner Breath, to restore as much Martial Energy as they could before the big fight. Their enemies would not give them that respite though, since they quickly loosed arrows and launched a frontal assault!
Both Benedict and Shirley dodged the arrows and set themselves up for the following attack. Their string of actions was incredibly elegant and refined. Clang! Benedict relied on the Hawken Style's first and second stances to control the flow of battle. He parried three overhead chops, swerved around to dodge a fourth lunge, clashed against a fifth person trying to sneak up, and used a very weak flying strike to deter a sixth person. Shirley was managing on her own too using her halberd and instincts. She swatted away five opponents with a wide swing, delivered a strong chop to a sixth as she danced between four arrows, and kicked a seventh one away. It was incredible! And although their individual prowess might be great, the truly miraculous thing was their coordination! They were constantly stepping in to help the other whenever necessary. They covered their weaknesses and amplified their strengths. Like a lonely boat in the middle of the sea, they would not capsize no matter how tall the waves rose! They held strong against thirty people at once!