After leaving Ryu behind, Leo hurried to the palace as quickly as possible. Each second mattered in this brutal battle. Maris simply had to get his brother under control. While he was having these thoughts, Leo noticed that something was wrong. The buildings to his left and right had suddenly changed from the ones he had seen before. Moreover, there was no sound of the raging battle anymore. Upon realizing what must have happened, an arrow appeared out of nowhere and shot towards him. In the last moment he dodged to the side, though not before getting a graze wound in the face. Within the next moment, the structures returned to normal and the sound of screams was audible again.
"I expected that you would notice much sooner. Then again, what can you expect from a human?"
Out of nowhere, a thin elf became visible. Across his body, as well as on his face, black markings marked him. It was letters in the language of the elves."
"I assume you are Schmerz, the last of the three pieces."
" Rather the best one. These other two always aspired to me and that's how they got stronger. Those illusions are just the taste of what's to come. They told you what skills I've mastered didn't they? Unfortunately, they are not quite accurate, as no one has ever seen the true extent of these powers my master has entrusted to me. You shall be the first to witness the full demonstration."
" More illusions? Or are you going to browse my memories?"
" Browse? No, I shall curse them to keep you imprisoned as I was ordered to do."
"Go on then, try to defeat me with that."
"Hahaha, haven't you noticed? You're already in the middle of it. If I was you, I'd be very careful from now on. You' d best turn around."
Behind him, Connor dashed toward him carrying a dagger. Leo knew that it was not the real one yet at the moment it was of no importance. Here it was a case of his survival. So he dodged, took his dagger and jammed it into Connor's neck. The latter slowly went down while begging Leo to let him live. However, Leo rammed his dagger straight into Connor's heart. After he died his body vanished into thin air. Schmerz didn't plan for Leo to stay fully aware in his dimension.
"You'll have to do better than that. Suppose this is just the beginning of it all huh?"
Before he could really finish his sentence he found himself inside the palace he had met his old friends and classmates for the first time. This time each was wearing their armor and aimed their magic at Leo while the king chuckled.
" No really anything new as far as I'm concerned. You know, I used to imagine this many times. Feel free to kill me if you want."
All of their energies collided and smashed into Leo. All his body suffered the big blast as he felt the agony but without dying. Continuously they kept attacking him, making fun of him. While lying on the ground, Leo glanced at his palm which was lighting up. Then the pain went away by itself and Leo was able to stand up. One more time he took a look around till he aimed his hand at the group. The four of them were nearly done with preparing their next strike.
"Shut it!"
A huge shockwave shot out of Leos hand, making their bodies explode. Blood covered the walls and floor as he examined his body. All his clothes got repaired and wounds closed on their own. Facing the king, it wasn't him sitting on the throne anymore, but Aiden. He pleaded for his life and declared that it would be a big mistake to kill him. Alongside him the entire Yakura squad appeared, ready to welcome back their leader. Leo felt that their essence had to be linked.
"What is dead should stay dead. You' ve all earned your peace."
Leo put his hand on Aiden's head.
"Begging like this is very unlike you. Go and manage your kingdom already."
All of a sudden, his head exploded along with those standing next to him. Blood splattered Leo's face and he didn't even flinch. With Aiden's death, the throne he sat on was shattered.
"There is no such thing as a really truthful ruler, everyone should have understood that by now if not before... including you, damned thing!"
Suddenly the headless body of the young king grabbed him by the neck and tried to strangle him.His grip grew stronger until the skin on Leo's neck ripped. After that, he fell to the ground and dissolved along with the other bodies. Schmerz appeared behind him, watching him curiously.
"There has never been such a specimen as you. I can see now what he likes about you. However, this was just the start, let's see if you will withstand this."
His figure dissolved and behind him more people appeared, facing Leo as opponents: Grae, Soran and Connor. All three attacked him together.
"There has never been such a specimen as you. I can see now what he likes about you. However, this was just the start, let's see if you will withstand this. His figure dissolved and behind him more people appeared, facing Leo as opponents: Grae, Soran and Marah. All three attacked him together.
"Talent can only take you so far guys. Well, not that I've really been working for this."
His dagger lit up as he parried the first blows. Due to their superior numbers and skills as swordsmen, Leo was soon sporting cuts on his arm. It was this time that he realized the wounds can be fatal. Initially, his primary focus was on defense up until he figured out the moment to strike. Going on the attack, he was able to take out Soran and Grae. His movements were the same as Ryu's, whom he had often witnessed. Additionally he got the help of his guide that gave him confidence. All that was left now was Marah in front of him, who laid down her weapon and surrendered. Even before a conversation with his old companion could begin, Leo jammed his dagger into her chest. The latter went down and looked at Leo in panic.
"I don't want to die Leo, it hurts so much."
"Death is inevitable...even for you Schmerz!"
Her figure suddenly changed to the shape of Schmerz. His wound closed and he got up, annoyed.
"I don't know how you can resist all of this let alone even talk. Somethings wrong with this sorcery. Oh, but fear not, there are still ways to break you. I discovered the key, the greatest hurt you bear within you."
Suddenly Leo found himself in the old house, the house in which he had shot his most beloved person: his mother. This time was no different except he couldn't move his hand at will. This resulted in him shooting his mother all over again under the presence of her tormentors. But as if that were not enough, this scenario repeated itself infinitely. In every one of these instances, she would speak in different words. She begged him, screamed at him, cursed him, laughed like a lunatic or even tempted him. However, his facial expression remained the same each of the thousands of times: absolutely cold and disinterested. He no longer minded pulling the lever to put a bullet in her head. Each time, he managed to gain a minimal amount of control over himself. It took tens of thousands of attempts until he gained control over the gun.
"You know, in the old days, I would have been broken, fallen apart inside in a thousand pieces, and really killed myself. Even today I blame myself, knowing what I did and that it can't be undone. Nevertheless, the past is not a judgement for life, it is a lesson for all those who carry remorse in themselves. You yourself cannot see it but you also carry repentance inside you. It is time for you to see it. Leo took the pistol, turned around and shot one of the men in the head. The latter went down and took the form of pain, which then dissolved again. In that instant, all the illusions disappeared and he found himself back in the present. Before him stood Schmerz, who was boiling with rage.
"How can this be? What the hell is this? Where is it, my dominance? It's because of you isn't it?! You' re the reason for all these flaws!"
Schmerz finally made a severe mistake. He abandoned his domain and strenght out of his rage. Now he was as weak as he can get. Leo took over control in their fight. He himself had an ace up his sleeve with which even Schmerz couldn't think of. A sword appeared in his hands and attacked Leo.
Schmerz possessed a physical body but Leo could not inflict a wound on it. The resistance to physical attacks was immensely high. As Leo looked at Schmerz's sword more closely, his suspicions had been confirmed. From then on he only avoided the blows. Before long, Leo understood why no one could even begin to harm Pain. Suddenly he gave up his cover and charged himself. Once again it deflected off his body. Schmerz used this moment to deliver a fatal blow to him. Leo fell to the ground, spitting blood. He crawled away from his opponent, who planted his foot on his head and drilled his weapon into his back. In satisfaction, he looked down at the corpse of his opponent. A moment later, his eyes snapped open as he saw the sword next to Leo's body. It looked exactly like his. Besides, his opponent possessed no sword but a dagger as a weapon. By the time he fully understood, it was too late. A dagger stuck in his back and he went down.
"Your skills are exceptional and hardly surpassable. Any other person would have lost their mind long ago and dropped dead in this place. You may be invulnerable in our real world, but inside these illusions of yours, you're nothing more than a regular vulnerable creature."
"How is that possible? Why are you able to interact with it?"
"Because your world is vulnerable to manipulation. This isn't the first time I've been within this kind of illusion and it certainly won't be the last. I was simply making my changes until it was all complete. No longer do we exist in your realm, as of now you are in mine."
The body in front of him suddenly turned into Sorge's. Schmerz panicked and tried to use his magic. However, he did not get access to his power. His abilities allowed him to escape his current state by using other memories. This enabled him to make an escape at any time. But this only worked on memories he had not yet evoked. One part of Leo remained untouched, though this part was locked away from him.
"What's happening in your memories? Why can't I use it?"
"Because I knew he sealed them. Haha, as if he's going to allow revealing his entire nature to anyone else. You would have succeeded against anyone else among our ranks but me...I'm simply your only weakness."
Schmerz fell to the ground and faced his death. Leo expected the souls inside him to be released yet none of that happened. Rather than pleading, he started laughing.
"Hahaha, I see, it's time. My lord is calling me, I will heed his call. Your doom is at hand, soon you shall be defeated. Anon he will be dead and with him all your hopes."
Pain's body dissolved into green sparks that flew towards the palace. Leo immediately understood the meaning of his words and rushed to the palace. Schmerz's omen might mean their defeat. The streets up to the palace were empty, all enemy troops scattered towards the center. So far, their plan had progressed properly.
("They have done a good job. You guys stay alive, the future of all your people is at stake. It takes a good leader to start over, don't you dare fail everyone.")
The battle raged right in the middle of the city. The dark elves had fewer numbers than the enemy yet their leaders soon outnumbered them.
" Doesn't it ever stop? Just how many people do they have?"
"This is the biggest city in the kingdom, it was to be expected that their army would be far larger than ours."
The dark elves divided into two parties. Their formation limited the enemy from attacking behind them. Since they were outnumbered, keeping their focus ahead was all the more important. At first, the enemy troops consisted almost exclusively of melee fighters which Lynia and her squad had under control. Each and every one of the soldiers showed a green glow in their eyes. All of them stood under the influence of their ruler, who sacrificed them according to his will. The dark elf woman remained at the front line continuously, slaughtering as many enemies as she could. Her talent and training made it easier for her to fend off and counter the attacks. With her skills, she was able to rotate weapons at will. Initially, she used her sword to counterattack and pierce her closest enemies. Rather than cry out in pain, the elves advanced without uttering a single tone. The next moment, she dodged backwards and fired a wind arrow straight into the enemy's head.
" Fall back men!"
The arrow, fused with magic, had the ability to produce a large explosion. Lynia was counting the seconds till the blast started. Right where the arrow had stuck, the wind magic erupted in the form of a blast wave, shredding enemies over a large radius. Arms and legs were flying through the air while the remains of heads and the rest of the body covered the ground. Although most of their troops had been used to battles, these scenes proved to be too much for some. Right on the spot, they threw up and allowed the enemy a chance to kill them. Their commander did her best, however, she could not contain the number of casualties. As she watched her brothers and sister being killed next to her, she went into a rage. Henceforth, she made it her mission to break through the enemy's line and gain an advantage. Her fury proved out to be a mistake.
"You fuckers, take this! Today you're all going to die. At last you will know what dying feels like! This will be for all that you have done to our people!"
She knew she was dominant but her arrogance took over for a short time. Her sword was covered in copious amounts of blood while her face showed a mixture of both anger and despair. The armor was hardly recognizable. Drenched in blood red and covered with many dents, it resisted the blows of the enemy. Blood splatters covered her face as she became an unstoppable death machine. She shot another arrow out in front of her, shattering her enemies. Afterwards, the dark elf was dazed for a short time. The arrows consumed a large amount of magic and were thus of limited use to her if she did not want to deplete her stamina and strength. Her overconfidence led to a great risk for her own life. It was for a short time she forgot her role and what it signified for her soldiers. Her objective was evident, but having a strong leader at their side boosted their morale and self-confidence of the soldiers. Then, suddenly, her way back was blocked as she was surrounded by enemies. The bright green eyes stared at her as they raised their weapons. Lynia's defense was solid, but now she was getting hurt as well. One of the enemies gave her a cut on her arm, the next moment she cut off the head of the foe. The wound was deep, limiting her to one arm. It wasn't long before her sword was knocked out of her hands. Seemingly unarmed, she took one of the arrows and rammed it into the attacker's neck. However, her magic was not sufficient to use it. This was the last opportunity she had to fight. Her dodging soon did no good, too many enemies had gathered and trapped her. Soon she suffered a wound on her right leg. She gritted her teeth in pain and dropped to her knees. When she looked up, the faced her hopelessness. One of the enemies stood in front of her, swinging his sword. Aware of her death, she awaited the final blow. In these very moments, time stood still for her for a moment. A variety of voices sounded in her ear.
("No matter what happens, stay strong Lynia: you are my daughter and of my blood. So live your life whenever you can but fight your battles whenever you must. Keep in mind: it's better to fight for something than to live for nothing. You are the only one who can find out your true reason.")
("Lynia are you training again. Mother said we have to help her prepare dinner. Come on, I don't want to have to do everything by myself again.")
("Take a weapon and help me. You can at least save some of your people in this place. I was sent by your mother, she is alive and has faith in her daughter. She told me you are capable so prove it to me and the others. The name is Leo, best of luck on your travels lady... After all this time, you should have realized it: That in this world, nothing is truly impossible!")
"Tsk, in the end you were wrong..."
Behind Lynia, her people tried desperately to reach her but it was hopeless. All they could do was watch as one of the strongest warriors they had ever seen met her death.
"LYNIA! GET UP, THIS IS NOT OVER YET! FUCK YOU, YOU CAN'T DIE NOW!"
These shouts only pained her even more. She felt the guilt of leaving her troops on their own. If they had been a team, they could have at least held out against the enemy for a while longer.
("I'm sorry everyone, I failed you...")
Suddenly she heard the cry of an owl in the sky: Irazel was flying over the entire battlefield. The owl had helped her once before. And now he was about to do so a second time. Then, unexpectedly, she heard rattling above her. An arrowhead stuck out of the enemys mouth as he went down. Immediately, her other attackers too were killed by arrows straight through the head. What kind of arrow was used was not that of their people, their quality and material was different: it was a human's arrow.
"Squad Alpha will take care of this flank, Squad Beta will take the right side. We will divide the forces according to my plan. You all know what to do. The remaining troops will join me to protect the dark elves as our target. We' ll handle the front line and relieve the burden on our allies."
The voice that rang out was from someone she never expected to meet here. It was someone she owed a lot to before.
"Man, what a mess this place is. No wonder why there are so many victims. Glad you're not one of them."
As Lynia turned around she saw the arguably strongest human commander reaching out to her. In great pain, Lynia pulled herself up again. As she looked around she saw the coordination and straightforward communications of the humans along with their strategy.
"Maybe he was right after all. Nothing is really impossible in this world. I really never expected you Carleen."
"Nothing ever was. From the looks of it, I guess we were a little late. The casualties are higher than I expected. Well, it's no surprise given their numbers. I don't see how they can still have that much soldiers in their last army."
"We're talking about Yrasil here, no one can really tell when his limit is reached. He's smart enough to know what he's doing.
"Well, I highly doubt that. After all, he and his army are the reason we're here in the first place. It wasn't long ago that Altaria was attacked again. At the latest then it was clear to all of us that it would never stop if we didn't do something. So we had to make a difficult choice. I assumed that you would attack soon. But why is it that elves are fighting elves?"
"Because Yrasil makes no exceptions for his own people. If they act against his will or principles then they will be considered enemies."
"Why does that not surprise me about this madman? Your remaining numbers are quite small and many are unable to fight. While we cannot fight all alone, I believe that only capable soldiers should continue the fight. Your pride may be wounded but you would otherwise be in our way. At the front end of the city, their troops are as good as wiped out. So long as we hold out a little longer, we should get reinforcements soon. Whoever their leader is knows how to control battles and warfare.
"At least some good news concerning the battle. Vega kept her word."
"Vega, the half-Elf? Ha, so she really did mature the way he wanted. Her mother often came to our town to buy goods. I used to enjoy her company. She always fussed about her husband and his military teachings to their daughter. No telling if she wouldn't have grown up to be a merchant had her mother still been alive... but enough talking, you can hardly protect yourself in your condition."
"I can keep fighting and I will keep fighting! I won't just watch my people sacrifice themselves without doing anything!"
"Your stubbornness is truly second to none. That' s not the way I meant it anyway. Head on back and let one of the medics fix you up. Then you can go back to the front for all I care. Unless you are recovered, I will be taking command. So hurry up if you want to continue the fight!"
In the next moment Lynia had completely different thoughts.
"Wait! Have you seen a tall dark elf? She looks a lot like me and she has a big spear. Tell me where she is?!"
" By your reaction I guess you are talking about your mother. I'm sorry but I've only been keeping an eye on your troops. As far as the front zones are concerned, I have no information. It's best to finish off the enemies here as soon as possible. However, first you should get yourself patched up."
"No, there's no time for that! I must help her!"
Lynia picked up her sword and bow and headed for the front lines again."
"You idiot, do you know what you're doing! You'll get yourself killed like that! Then what were all those great efforts for but a foolish death?!"
Lynia ignored Carleen's words and kept on running towards her target.
"Tsk, that's why I hate obstinacy and cockiness! Each and every damn time someone thinks they're a hero! It immediately brings back bad memories. Don't you dare die, you stupid girl! Men, it's time to move into the assault. The more time we lose, the higher the risk of further casualties. At my command, we march forward!"
Carleen rejoined her troops and took control. Her army was full of skilled swordsmen, lancers and archers. Everyone understood their parts and kept their cool in battle. All of these skilled soldiers had experience in war.
Pretty soon, the next wave of enemies was wiped out. After Carleen's arrival, the casualties decreased and the morale of the dark elves was re-established. In fact, they seemed amazed by Carleen and her leadership. The commander seized the opportunity to clarify their situation to them.
"Listen carefully, from now on you are under my command. You all saw what we are capable of and that your leader took a big risk once before. With me in charge, we will stand a much better chance. I don't think Lynia will mind."
Carleen demanded authority to command in return for Lynia's decision. Lynias mind made her barely capable of continuing to lead her troops. Her sole goal was to help her mother. After a second of hesitation they agreed to her proposal.
As soon as Carleen had the confirmation, her first orders followed immediately.
"All those who are badly injured or are holding a sword for the first time will back off and take care of themselves and those next to them. The last thing we need is baggage so your presence will not only mean your own quick death. This is not advice, this is an order! Anyone who disobeys my orders will be condemned to die in this place!"
Despite the fact that they refused at first, they followed her order and retreated. The people began to understand exactly how Carleen wanted to act. As the army moved forward, they saw large explosions coming from ahead. The blast wave was felt all the way to their position.
"What was that?! I'm coming mother, hold on!"
Lynia panicked and sprinted ahead to the scene. This was also the signal for Carleen to increase their pace. She was having a bad premonition about these explosions. After crossing the streets, they arrived at a large open marketplace. Standing in the center was a figure of Yrasil, falling to pieces. All around them, houses were ablaze, quite a few corpses covered the ground. A hundred meters in front of them stood the rest of the dark elves gathered in a small arrow-shaped formation. As they moved forward, the next explosion rang out. Bodies flew through the air in a glare and blood showered down from above. Carleen spotted the commander of this small army.
" Get back men, we have to retreat. There is too much space for them to engage here. We' ll have more of a chance against these sick fucks in the streets!"
Elayn got the right idea. Their inferior numbers didn't allow them to stay in one big space. This only added more opportunities and places for them to be attacked. As Carleen smelled the odor of the explosion she knew exactly what horrible thing was going on.
"Tsk, not this shit again. Somehow this mind control has to be stopped. Archers, assemble into a row and wait until the front troops of the ally have retreated. As soon as you have a clear shot, fire your arrows. From this point on, it is important for you to be as accurate as you possibly can be. I have faith in your abilities. Everyone else, gather behind them. As soon as I give the order, we will go on the attack! Lynia, make it clear to your mother that they are to retreat for the time being. She suffered heavy losses, first they should unite with the rest of their people and prepare for the wave after this one! Should she not respond, we will act without her cooperation. Now it is important to keep a cool and calm mind...if that is still possible at all..."
After Elayn saw her daughter and recognized Carleen's signal, she withdrew completely, as Carleen was expecting. She also understood that her situation had no prospect. At the same time she ordered her men to clear the center space to give her allies a shot.
" Just as I thought..."
Up ahead, they saw that the enemy elves wore no armor. They were completely covered with bombs that blew up on contact. This was a cruel tactic: sacrificing pieces in order to kill more in return.
"Fire at will! Remember, every shot has to be on target!"
The distance to the enemy was big enough that the size of the explosions caused no damage to them. Still, the sight of the enemies being blown to bits was heinous. Having no hesitation, they ran straight to their deaths. The number of these soldiers didn't stop, every single one of them having bombs ripping their bodies apart. When this wave was finally over, the body parts and remains of their opponents were spread all over the place. Heads were burst and guts coated the ground. The stench was nearly unbearable and made some of the soldiers feel sick.
"Pull yourselves together men, you know how to handle this. In battle there are no such things as scruples or ethics, this fight is over. Now, let's get ready for the next one!"
Carleen didn't get a chance to take a breath. From the distance, a horn resounded followed by battle cries. Carleen became nervous, not because of the horn but because of the number of screams. A typical army's battle cries would fade away after a while yet in this situation the sounds echoed through the entire city. Only now did she realize they were closer to the palace then she had imagined. Given their position as well as the distance of the screams, one thing was clear: the next wave of enemies would be the last one.
"I kind of didn't plan on this happening so soon. Starting now, utmost readiness and focus is key. I don't want to see a single one of you get distracted."
Carleen's inner pressure was building. In a moment, they would face the enemy again. Catching them by surprise or coming to counter them was out of the question since their full forces could not be utilized otherwise.
"The same goes for you. We' ve come too far to lose now. United, we will defeat the enemy once and for all! Your support has come just in time, we are indebted to you."
"To be honest, we didn't really do it just for you guys. That asshole also made a proper move on us."
"No matter what or who you came for, your help is appreciated."
"I take it you are the famous leader of the dark elves and the mother of the headstrong fighter."
"That's right, I'm Elayn. And whom do I have in front of me?"
"Carleen, commander of Altaria. Residents of your people told me stories about your resistance. So I know roughly the extent of your influence. You've done a pretty good job in what seemed like a hopeless situation. Together, let's put an end to all of this. In any case, it was about time that everything changed here."
"Where are our elven troops? I doubt that Vega lost."
"She didn't. The way I see it is that they have regrouped and reorganized. Should she have even a little resolve she should show up right behind us."
Carleen once again went over her strategy and potential courses of action of the enemy. In the meantime, Lynia sought a conversation with her mother.
"Are you hurt?"
"A small scratch on my arm but nothing else. Instead, I do see several wounds on your body. I told you several times that you should put away your arrogance. The pain may not be affecting you too much yet but who knows how long it will take for you to feel it completely."
"Then so be it. This is our last stand, our only chance to avenge our dead comrades and liberate our people."
"Tsk, I can't keep you on a leash. You'll do what you want anyway. Just promise me that no matter what happens, you will survive. You' re a big part of our hope, along we'll rebuild everything. Today we will accomplish all that I have fought for for years: Today we will finally achieve peace."
Carleen drew attention to what was happening in front of them. The last army of the enemy was marching towards them. As Carleen saw their troops, her eyes snapped open. No one wanted to believe who was in front of them. She became more furious than she had been in a long time. She actuall was about to lose her composure.
("You can't be serious! You fucking bastard! You'll be punished for this, the netherworld shall torture you to eternity!")
These were not just the regular enemies with green glowing eyes under the control of Yrasil. No, this time it was an army mixed of those warriors yet also of elves who didn't have a green glow. Among them were women and children with tears in their eyes. These were families who had been deployed as soldiers. Panic and fear were written all over their faces. It was innocent beings whose fate it was to die. However, there was no choice for Carleen, in war there was no distinction between soldiers. As soon as she would pay attention to the lives of these people she would lose the war. Even though she despised this situation, there was no choice but to fight without exception. Trembling with rage, she turned around and glanced at the faces of her troops. Virtually none of them had ever faced such an encounter before. True, they were elves, enemies of the dark elves and yet they had never done anything wrong to deserve this. Many of them saw their own families reflected in them. Everybody knew that they would have to carry a great mental burden with them on this day. At the same time, Elayn also felt a trace of pity. She had every reason not to make exceptions and yet those were innocent beings just like her own. She had no intention of becoming a tyrant, but just like Carleen, she knew they were left with no choice.
"Fucking hell! I know you have doubts and concerns about what we are doing but we really don't have any options. To survive ourselves we must not show weakness or hesitate to act. As soon as you care about their lives, you endanger both your own life and the life of the person next to you. This is a gruesome tactic, however, we must stand firm. Put your minds aside and recall the purpose for which we fight: so that our families can live in peace. All of you witnessed the danger that can come from this people. Today we will be victorious, we will all return to friend, family and your homeland. Heed my call and focus on what lies ahead!"
"All of you, please listen to your leader one last time. For decades we have been oppressed, enslaved and robbed of our rights. All of us have suffered losses, left bits and pieces of ourselves on our and endured pain. So today we are finishing what we have fought for all these years, what we have been suffering for and what we have been sacrificing for. This one final time is the chance for our eternally desired peace. Let us seize this opportunity and reclaim our lives. Do it for your friends, your families, those you have lost and for yourselves. Embrace your conviction and commit to our goal!"
As Elayn continued to talk, Carleen further analyzed their situation. Their chances were getting slimmer with every passing second.
Enemies were continuously advancing, their army was even bigger than all the previous waves combined. Again, she watched her enemy until Carleen raised her arm. But before she was able to give her order, a hail of arrows flew overhead, striking directly at the enemy. Controlled soldiers as well as women and children were being pierced by the projectiles. Their cries and pleas were hard to bear. Another hail of arrows shot into the rear of the huge army, killing another crowd of enemies. A boy and girl standing side by side now lay dead on the ground with arrows through their chest.
"Tsk, you still haven't noticed? This is war here: you hesitate, you lose!"
From behind them the army of the allied elves approached. Vega was leading the way, ordering them to fire.
"Man, and here I thought that there was at least a bit of competence. I wasn't really expecting it from the humans but I'm quite surprised and disappointed by the dark elves. There are children over there together with their families. Yesterday they played with their mothers and fathers and had dinner together. There are standing lovers who have to face their death now. So what? It could have been the same on our side. This world is merciless, cold and unjust. If you want to live in it, then you should deal with that!"
The half-elf felt no pity and was not interested in showing any mercy. Unlike the others, she was aware of her responsibilities and interests at all times. Furthermore, their home had been attacked several times by their own race. Her men followed her command without hesitation and eliminated the enemy.
"You are correct and yet I am puzzled by your way of action. They are innocents of your people who deserved to live a normal life."
"Haha, the more innocent they are the more they deserve to be shot. Do you think they'll be happy if you spare them? One way or another, they would be killed by those puppets or by themselves later. So pull yourselves together and do what is necessary!"
She sounded almost like a tyrant in this tone, however, she spoke out what was obvious to everyone.
"Men, it's time to eliminate the enemy once and for all. Archers, get ready! Let's wipe out as many as we can!"
Once again Vega killed any enemies without qualms. Eventually, Carleen and Elayn heeded her call. They shot arrows continuously until they ran out. Despite the large number of casualties, more enemies were moving in. It didn't take long until all three leaders started to cooperate with each other. Once it came to hand-to-hand combat, there was slight hesitation from some soldiers even though they were given orders. This was immediately punished with their death. It seemed that the enemy had specialized in these situations. Side by side they now fought with an iron will for their goal and their survival. The quality of their troops surpassed that of this army by far. Although there was casualties, they killed 20 opponents for every loss in their ranks.
The war continued to rage for almost another hour before it was about to end. Hundreds of bodies littered the streets. Both Elayn and Carleen engaged in duels while standing on the dead bodies. Countless screams rang out until at some point everything fell silent: the battle was over, they were victorious against this gigantic army. The soldiers gathered in a huge group and were taken care of by the rest of their people. It was a sight never seen before in recorded history. Children killed soldiers and were butchered by soldiers, women surrendered but got no mercy. The blood flooded the streets and ran all the way to the gates. All three leaders understood that they had fulfilled their part. It was left to Leo and Maris to deal with the rulers of the elves.
The search for survivors and the recovery of their own victims began. Everyone was tired, exhausted and feeble. But they made it their final responsibility of these fights. In fact, there were individual badly injured survivors that they were able to save. They looked terribly covered with blood, but Vega stood out among them all. The amount of blood on her face almost looked like a horror mask. She was looking for enemy survivors to deal the death blow to.
"The battle is won but it is not over yet. Now it's up to these two to finish the rest. Men, our work here is done. Nevertheless, stay on standby, we have to expect surprises!"
Elayn and Lynia looked side by side for survivors of their people talking freely for the first time really.
"Lynia, you need to know something. We have been searching for him for a long time but your father, he...didn't make it."
"...How exactly did he die?"
" It has taken me a long time to find out from a resident of our old home. He was killed in a raid by bandits. His group got away, so his sacrifice was not in vain."
"That sounds like him: always putting others before himself...hopefully we won't disappoint him."
"As for your sister. She is safe, I learned she is expecting a baby soon. Seems like I'm a grandmother now."
"And I' m an aunt. Is it a boy or a girl?"
"I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure she doesn't plan to let her child do any fighting."
"Ha, it's better that way, as well. And besides, soon it won't be necessary."
"Lynia, you know I've always carried you in my memories. Even though I have hardly been able to be there for you, you are my beloved children. I'm proud of you for getting this far, for growing up to be a strong woman."
"Don't you start getting sentimental. I can't stand that at all."
"It's alright, I just wanted to get that off my chest. Keep being yourself and never forget who you are."
Following the conversation, they continued the recovery operation. As Elayn continued the search she noticed green-blue markings were appearing on one of the elves' bodies. Bending down, she took a closer look at this mystery. In the next moment, the just-dead elf's eyes snapped open shining bright blue. Even before Elayn had a chance to react, a dagger was stuck in her throat.
Lynia saw her mother go down only a few meters away. Looking at her, she didn't know what to do. Paralyzed, she stood there while the elf's corpse got up and tried to pierce her with the dagger. In the last moment Vega severed his head and saved the dark elf. All of a sudden, more corpses were rising. Their eyes were shining bright blue as they took their weapons and started attacking their enemies again. Lynia couldn't take her eyes off her mother's dead body.
"Wake the fuck up! This is not over yet, our enemies have not been exterminated!"
" Get ready men, keep defending the wounded. Aim for their heads, hopefully that will keep them down!"
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. What the hell is happening right now?! The dead are rising back up! Is this another one of his abilities?!"
Both troops fought desperately against the now undead enemies. Not even Vega was able to expect such an outcome; never had she heard of such a spell. It was a type of magic they were inferior against. Still more and more enemies began to come back to life. Now, it was a gamble for their survival.
Their fight had suddenly turned into something more, something way harder. Those who had been dead just a moment ago were now walking briskly in front of them, ready to slay. This was a trump card of Yrasil which no one had or even could've reckoned with. Such powers were not meant for a being of his kind and yet he had obtained them. It was Leo who would find out what precisely this was all about and what the origin of Yrasil actually was.