Brugour's relentless assault continued, raining rocks upon the tower. My heart raced as I noticed the shield's once pristine surface now marred with cracks from the unceasing onslaught. The rumbling intensified, resonating through my chest with newfound speed.
How can I possibly take them on? Two against one? It seemed they were determined to persist until the tower crumbled. The threat loomed – any second now, they could breach the protective perimeter and end me. They were poised to eliminate me, all for the sake of a certain Miss.
"Break the shield!" Tigrani strained her vocal cords almost to the point of snapping. She was feverishly eager to finish me off. The fervor in her eyes, the tension in her jaws, and the clenching of her fists made it clear that she was willing to carry out my execution at any cost.
I needed to devise a strategy to escape their grasp. There are battles that taste like victory, and there are battles that taste like retreat. I had to be discerning. I had to decide when to emerge victorious, and this wasn't that time. I couldn't emerge triumphant against this duo just yet.
The tower reverberated again. The last colossal rock hurled by Brugour hit with a resounding thud, though he himself remained unseen. The tower bore several cracks now, and debris rained down chaotically like a storm of destruction. A few more strikes, and the tower would crumble completely.
Swiftly, I summoned the energy required and enveloped myself in its protective embrace. Adrenaline surged through every nerve ending, and I prepared to bolt towards the forest to the left, to run, to escape. I had managed to outrun the stingers earlier; I could surely evade this situation too.
"Groarrr!" The enemy's thunderous roar accompanied the launch of an enormous boulder. It was three times the size of the ones before, an earth-shattering missile hurtling towards its target.
I watched in awe as the topmost blue crystal on the tower shattered into fragments. The blue stone's transformation into pieces was an astounding sight. The territorial shield itself was now marred by cracks, its strength faltering. The defense was on the brink of collapse.
Tigrani's lips curled into a cunning grin. With the shield's demise imminent, she saw her opportunity to advance. Goosebumps prickled my skin as her hair bristled, cascading from the back of her head down to her arms. It was as though an invisible hand was gradually tightening around my chest, constricting my breath.
I scanned my surroundings at lightning speed. Every nook could potentially be a savior. To the left of the tower stood several towering trees. An idea formed – I could loop my improvised elastic rope around those trees, creating an escape route. This same rope had saved me from a masked flame-wielder once before. Hopefully, it could rescue me again now.
Light emanated swiftly from my palms, and the hook fell to the ground, primed for action. Trembling hands clutched it, my gaze locked onto the tower's gradual destruction. The shield had been compromised, and there was no chance it would recover in time.
"Groaaar!" A bone-chilling roar reverberated, a herald of the tower's obliteration.
The blue crystal shattered into countless shards as the pax tower collapsed. A magnificent blue beam shot upward, a beacon of destruction. It signaled the inevitable ruin of Senta Lane's first pax tower. I prayed fervently that Camp Meridio witnessed this spectacle and mounted a rescue. My chest tightened with doubled anxiety.
The moment had arrived. My mind screamed as Tigrani's thick hair swayed in the wind. I swung my body, raising the hook of the rope, then twirled it before releasing it towards the nearest tree on my left. The sharp peg embedded itself securely in the tree's trunk. It began pulling me away from the tower, propelling me towards freedom.
With a light leap, I was finally about to escape. My shock was immense when the rope suddenly snapped, pierced by a projectile from my adversary. Tigrani's maneuvering hair had sliced the rope apart. She waved her right hand, sending the hair strands hurtling towards me.
I vaulted backward, just as the rope vanished from my grasp. Swiftly, I drew both my hands to wield my pair of weapons – a road sabre slashing sword and a cutlass sword with a straight or slightly curved blade, sharpened to its keen edge. Memories of my childhood friend Apolo, a skilled swordsmith, flooded my mind. He had always favored this type of sword.
The hair, once calm, began to billow again, and it swiftly surged toward me. I tightened my grip on the cutlass' hilt, bracing for the assault. The weight shifted to my stance, and every muscle in my arms tensed, readying to execute a formidable blade defense.
The hair strands, thick and looming, advanced. I swallowed hard, awaiting their attack. Just as the thick tendrils seemed about to pierce me, I swiftly shifted my stance, angling my swords diagonally downward.
The hair strands grated against the blades, their thickness challenging the strength of my grip. It was as though my swords struggled to sever the dense tresses.
Ducking down, I leaned forward, rushing toward Tigrani. But before I could take a step, my attention was diverted to a looming danger from the right – an approaching massive boulder. I attempted to dodge, yet was taken aback when I felt Tigrani's severed hair suddenly snake around me. They were alive, coiling around my legs like serpents.
The boulder dropped, encased in an electric aura! Time seemed to slow as I stared at the colossal rock hurtling towards me. My mind raced – I needed a shield! But there was no time to conjure a defensive barrier. Even if my gauntlet could create one, I wasn't certain it could withstand an impact from a stone the size of a small cottage.
I felt as if I were turned to stone, rooted in place. I struggled to free my bound feet, but they remained immobile, trapped by the entwined strands.
Electric threads crackled around the boulder, closing in on me. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized I might not see my siblings again. My hope rested with Killan, trusting he would care for them.
Suppressing a breath, I fixed my gaze on the looming boulder. My astonishment grew as a familiar figure suddenly obstructed my view – Kenru.
"Air strike!" His sword sliced through the air, unleashing a powerful force akin to a hundred swords striking the massive stone.
The boulder fragmented, yet Kenru stood before me, his back turned. The scent of his masculine presence was unmistakable.
"Tigrani's hair is immortal. You don't step this close to snakes," he said, addressing me. He pointed his sword's tip toward the hair strands surrounding my feet. Swiftly, he severed them, then hauled me closer with a powerful pull.
His strength was overwhelming, his grip nearly all-encompassing.
"How sweet. The bastard of the 9th kingdom, Kenru Zorwig, or should I say Prince Kenru Rousad?"
"Tigrani, the hired heroine," Kenru retorted, his grip on his swords tightening.
"There's two of them. T—there's another in the forest on the right."
"That beast cannot be seen on broad daylight. Brugour is invisible at this moment. Use your hearing to detect his whereabouts," the handsome samurai breathed in, preparing to engage our enemy. His demeanor was oddly calm, even as the wind playfully rustled his azure hair.
"Be careful," I managed to utter, observing Kenru ready himself for the impending clash with Tigrani.
"Watch my back," he whispered. I heard the sword's impact on the scabbard. Then, a sudden rush of wind engulfed the surroundings, as if Kenru were sucking the air itself.
"I have been waiting for that, Prince Kenru Zorwig of House Rousad. I hope you've grown more accustomed to your powers. Save your girl if you can!"
Kenru's response was silence. With a powerful gust of wind, he propelled himself into the air, aiming to assault the confident Tigrani. He was like a lightning bolt in his swiftness, reaching Tigrani's side and swinging his sword in a wide arc.
Tigrani countered with a defense formed by her hair. A massive fist formed, springing forth from her right hand's mass of hair, and she struck at Kenru's midsection. He managed to parry, but the force was so great that he was propelled into the air.
Observing Kenru's vulnerable position, I instinctively sprinted toward Tigrani. However, before I could close the distance, a sizable boulder appeared in my path.
"Look out!" Kenru's voice echoed as he remained airborne.
Instinctively, I summoned a luminescent rope in my hand. I hurled it towards the origin of the boulder, and it swiftly latched onto a solid point. The rope yanked me away from the boulder's trajectory, narrowly avoiding collision.
As I landed, I couldn't spot Brugour, but I was sure he was still lurking among the trees. As I dashed towards cover, Kenru launched another series of air strikes, causing the ground beneath Tigrani to tremble.
My focus intensified. Every rustle, every subtle shift on the forest floor was crucial to tracking Brugour's movements. Concealed behind a dense thicket, I suddenly spotted a figure emerge – a masked man accompanied by a cloaked woman who held a dark aura. While her face was obscured, her bearing exuded the presence of the Miss they spoke of.
They're all here!
Before I could retreat to warn Kenru, an unexpected occurrence stayed my feet. Behind the thick foliage stood the masked man, with the cloaked woman guarding his rear. He removed his mask, revealing a sight that left me stunned.
Killan?
My lips hung agape. My eyes widened. I clung to the nearest tree, struggling to process the scene before me. Why was Prince Killan of Mors here? Why was he in the opposing camp? What in the world was transpiring?