Gillen stood alone on the battlefield, five fully armored knights facing him, their swords drawn and ready to engage. The battlefield was a sight of carnage and bloodshed, bodies scattered all around, both friend and foe.
Gillen's face and clothes were stained with blood, the gruesome sight a reminder of the brutality of that battle. A deep feeling of loneliness and solitude settled over him as he stood there, he was the only one left among his fellow soldiers… his eyes locked on the enemies before him.
Before he could finish blinking, a single knight dashed forward, his sword enveloped by flames, aiming at Gillen's head. Gillen's reaction time was quick, though, and he dodged the attack, his own sword slicing the enemy's arm off in one clean stroke as multiple trees in its direction were sliced in half.
The other knights remained stationary for a moment, taken aback by how easily he had killed their comrade, but not for long. As the knight with the burning sword fell to the ground, all his companions began to advance, determined to exact revenge.
Two knights advanced on both sides, one by the front. Gillen was not surprised, as they tried to attack him from multiple angles at once. He had to make a quick decision, and as the two knights began to attack, he chose to engage the warrior at the front, deflecting his swing and slashing his torso with his blade.
As the warrior from the front fell to the ground, Gillen quickly dodged the knight on his left side and sliced his head in half, in a movement that was so fast that a loud thunder noise of the sound barrier being breached echoed through the battlefield.
The one on his right, however, attacked just as quickly, successfully piercing his shoulder before he had the chance to retaliate. But before the knight could pull his blade out, Gillen released one of his special skills, causing the upper body of the knight to explode in a shower of blood.
Only one enemy knight remained, standing some meters away from Gillen, looking at him with respect. Gillen shook his sword to clean the blood off from it, then spoke to the knight.
"Do you still want to fight?" he asked, a hint of impatience and strength in his voice. The only thing he could think of was finishing this quickly so he could head to where the princess was. He was the royal knight, the strongest knight of the Kingdom, he should be protecting her.
The knight hesitated for a moment, weighing the options. He had lost several of his companions, but he also felt the urge to prove his strength and bravery in the face of danger.
As he clenched his fists, Gillen recognized him. He was no mere knight, his clothes indicating as much. A small sun symbol was emblazoned on his left chest, the symbol of the Orders. He was Captain Azuth, the captain of the Third Order of the Aphemis Theocracy, one of its three strongest military units. He was a formidable opponent, and Gillen knew that this wouldn't be an easy fight.
Azuth saw the look of determination in Gillen's eyes, and he knew that he had to take this fight seriously. He drew his sword, ready to engage the strongest warrior of the Grand Valka Kingdom.
"Let's see who's stronger, Royal Knight! Me or you!" Azuth shouted as he dashed forward.
"I'm going to end this quickly," said the royal knight, preparing to unleash his strongest skill. "Sunlight Blade!"
Azuth eyes widened as he watched the sword begin to glow. "A Holy Sword? How is this possible?", he asked.
"It doesn't matter," Gillen replied. "You won't be able to survive its attack. Prepare yourself, Sir Azuth!"
The royal knight smiled and rushed toward the captain, his sword ready to strike. The blade began to glow brighter and brighter, until it was a blinding light.
Azuth braced himself for the attack, but just as Gillen was about to unleash his skill, a powerful gust of wind swept through the battlefield. The attack was suddenly deflected by a mysterious force. The captain took advantage of the distraction and slashed at his abdomen. The blow was enough to wound Gillen, but not enough to kill him.
Gillen fell to his knees and coughed up blood, his wounds were deep, and he knew he was in a dangerous position.
"This is the end, Royal Knight", said Azuth. "You easily fell to my wind spell distraction. Is this all the strongest person in the Kingdom has to offer?"
As Captain Azuth began to advance towards him, intent on dealing the final blow to the damaged royal knight, Gillen acted quickly. He barely dodged the attack from the captain and jumped backwards, using a healing potion to partially heal his wounds.
The two stood there, staring at each other, waiting for the next move. The fight was anything but over.
Gillen barely had time to blink and Azuth was already swinging his sword down on his head. As he quickly evaded a massive sword swing from the Captain, he swiftly countered with his own sword, the two blades colliding with a loud metallic clang. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and the two combatants pressed against each other, their strength and skills evenly matched.
Captain Azuth grunted in frustration as Gillen parried the attacks and he quickly followed up with a rapid series of attacks, pressing his advantage. The metal clashed loudly as both swordsmen traded blows, their skills and strength matched almost perfectly.
As the clashes raged on, Gillen suddenly lost his sword to a powerful wind-infused strike from Azuth, stumbling backwards, his grip loosening.
The Captain sneered at the sight, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. "Well, looks like the mighty Royal Knight isn't quite up to par. Losing your sword that easily, how disappointing."
Gillen desperately attempted to evade the incoming blow, but his body, already weakened from the previous fight and the relentless onslaught, couldn't react in time. The Captain's sword connected with a solid thud, striking Gillen hard across the chest. The force sent him tumbling to the ground, his armor groaning under the impact and being pierced by the sheer power of the attack.
"You fought well, I admit that," Azuth said while walking towards Gillen and swinging his sword to wipe the blood off it. "but it wasn't enough."
The battle was decided, Gillen couldn't move himself. The Princess would be killed and so would he. He had failed. He wasn't strong enough.
As the Knight cursed his own weakness, Azuth suddenly stopped in his tracks, blood dripping from his mouth and ears.
"What is happening?" Gillen wondered as the previously good Azuth now had kneeled to the ground, his body soon collapsing lifelessly.
Before he could realize it, the wound on his chest had also closed.
"Just what the hell happened here?"