Twelve imperial knights
One hundred and twenty mercenaries
The difference in numbers was tenfold. The scales seemingly tilted toward the more populated group. However, one would come to learn, that in a fight, numbers weren't everything.
"Kill them all!" Borgos commanded his goons.
He was infuriated by the sudden death of one of his right hands. The fresh corpse still lay on the plains as he looked at it.
"How dare that bitch! Women are merely toys to be used as I please. Yet she dares to-" Borgos gritted his teeth.
The tough skinned mercenaries roared as they charged forward to kill thier foes. They payed no heed to the dead body of their fallen comrade, their heels stomping it as they rushed to fight.
"Heh, unlike those noble beats, mercenaries do not fear death since they live thier lives on the battlefield. They live to kill" Borgos smirked.
"They caught us off guard with that first strike, but ultimately victory is ours" He added, turning toward Zad who was silent the while time.
"Why are you looking so dull? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts now" Borgos asked him.
Zad smirked as he stared at Borgos who grinned ear to ear.
"Na. It's just boring. At this rate we'll win without me having to go all out." He shrugged.
"After all, none of those imperial knight phonies can beat me, not with the power of my relic" He grinned widely.
Borgos joined his friend to smile as they watched from a distance, the battle unfolding.
"There's no doubt about it, I have drawn the strongest card!" Borgos smiled to himself.
They had the perfect blend of both quality and quantity. A balanced formation.
"With Zad's sheer combat prowess and my human resources, we'll be done with this fight in no time. And then, when this is all over, I'll be taking home the grand prize. The ancient coins"
Zad silently glanced at his friend who was making a calculative smile and grinned to himself.
"Damn Borgos. As sly as ever, I see. But that's what makes you so predictable. In combat ability, you're the weakest in this battle. By relying on your resources and my fighting ability you think you'll stand at the tip once the dust settles."
"But you don't know that the battlefield is different from the market and trade arenas. In this world of blades and blood, only the strongest wins!" He declared within himself.
"Guahhhhh" A cry was heard from a distance which shook both men from their thoughts.
Their eyes both widened at the sight before them. They didn't expect what they saw.
"Wahhhh"
"Keukkkk"
"Buahhhhh"
Noises and screeches of men rang throughout the battlefield. And every single one of them, were mercenaries.
"We must dispose of every single one of them. Hurry" The commander said to his knights.
They all scattered and individually carved up the bodies of the mercenaries.
The mercenaries, finding out they were at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, decided to gang up on the knights. Five surrounded Gerund as they readied their weapons, ready to strike.
"Good stance. However, you can do nothing against overwhelming power beyond your capabilities," Gerund said, stretching forth his hand as though to reach something.
A spear suddenly appeared within his palm, which he clenched tightly after receiving it.
"Behold the Gale spear!" He said to the mercenaries who looked flustered and hesitant to engage.
After careful deliberation, they decided to attack. They simultaneously rushed at him from all directions, aiming for at least one to land a hit on him.
Gerund raised the spear above his head and, using his two hands to spin the spear, he started to generate a whirlwind around himself.
The wind spun around him, generating cutting blades made of thin air. They immediately sliced up the mercenaries who approached him, killing them all in one move.
"Ah, it's been a while. I've grown rusty" He said, looking at the damage he caused around him with dissatisfaction.
The other imperial knights each used their relics and swiftly paved their ways through the mercs.
"Isn't this exciting? I don't remember the last time we got to fight so freely!" One of them said with a smile.
In times such as that, the imperial knights barely had much work to do in the department of warfare and battles. They mostly patrolled the area and served as the watchdogs and escorts to nobles and influential men. One of the things they thirsted for was now made available to them. Who could blame them for letting a little loose?
"This is boring" One of the knights muttered.
One of the terrible trio, she looked at the frenzy before her with her empty-looking eyes and had a disappointed expression on her face. She stayed away from the battle crazed area and maintained her distance from the majority of the fight. As she watched the battle with her empty gaze she couldn't help but feel even more empty. She wanted more, she expected more. This wasn't what she was promised.
"You must have some nerve. Spacing out in the middle of battle" A group of seven mercenaries said, approaching her with wide grins on their faces.
She was alone and even seemed defenseless and small.
"Oh? A girl among the imperial knights. How rare!" One of them exclaimed.
"Well well well, aren't we lucky? Even look how old she looks. Hah, I didn't know the kingdom enlisted such young and blooming ladies as soldiers. What a waste." Another commented with a smile.
"It's our lucky day. Why don't we have some fun with her first before killing her off?" They said amongst themselves.
"Oi, why don't you say something little girl? You're scared? Hehe, guess you shouldn't have messed with us in the first place!" They menacingly said to her.
"Weak..."
"What was that?" One of them said, drawing his ear closer in a mock fashion with a smirk on his face.
"You're all too weak. We are both tired, of weak blood from weak people" She mumbled.
Weak?!
These words hit the men like a sledgehammer. As proud men of battle, their egos were bruised.
"You bitch!" One of them yelled, raising his sword against her.
She stared at him blankly, looking unmotivated to even move a muscle.
"Don't look down on me!" He yelled.
Suddenly, as he was about to bring down his sword to smite her, he stopped dead in his tracks "Gertur?!" Another mercenary called, referring to the stationary man.
"He can't hear you." The female knight said In a low tone.
"W-What?!" The mercenaries said, suddenly feeling chills.
"After all, he's dead." She stated flatly.
Suddenly, the man's body vertically sliced open from the top to bottom in a clean cut.
"Splurge!!!!"
Blood gushed out as his body split into two and fell to the ground.
"H-How come?" They asked in surprise.
Then they noticed the hand of the young lady. She was holding a small dagger. It didn't look like anything so special, yet they could feel a very malevolent aura emanating from it. Their instincts screamed at them to run.
But it was too late.
"Shino is so hungry right now. She's saying even you guys will suffice for now." She said to the mercenaries.
Every fiber in their being told them to take their chances and run, but their pride wouldn't let them. "Then die, and become nourishment for Shino." She said.
She raised her dagger and suddenly it brought forth many blades in an instant, piercing the six remaining mercenaries at once.
Slowly, their dying bodies began to get drained and their flesh got compressed, the emaciation made them barely recognizable.
The blades which pierced them were retracted and returned to the dagger.
"Shino still hasn't had enough. And neither have I. How boring" She muttered, turning to leave.
The dry bodies lay on the ground as she passed by them, not giving them a second look or thought.
The battle raged on and it was clear to everyone at this point who the winner would be.
Borgos began to panic and had a flustered look on his face. Did he miscalculate?
'At this rate..." He contemplated.
"Oi, Old friend, don't tell me you're having cold feet already." Zad smiled at his partner in crime.
Borgos immediately came to the realization he seemed to have forgotten.
"Oh Yesss, how could I forget. We still have a trump card! We can't lose!!!" Borgos smiled.
"This is good. It would be boring otherwise." Zad grinned as he slowly walked to the battlefield.
"Looks like I'll be joining in the final after all" He said as he kept advancing.
"Men, fall back" Borgos ordered.
For Zad to do his thing, it was best for the others to be out of range, if they valued their lives.
The mercenaries halted their battle and obeyed their boss, retreating to their positions. However, from the looks of them, the surviving members were a few above twenty. This greatly surpassed their imagination, especially since the enemy camp had suffered no fatalities in the fight. That was soon about to change however.
"Let's get started shall we?!" Zad smiled as he faced the twelve imperial knights all by himself.
"The Battle is just beginning!"