I staggered back, dirt was mingled with my skin and my breaths were ragged. Even dodging and just defending myself from the ruthless onslaught felt like my entire body was on fire, and it felt like all of the assailant's eyes were on me.
They knew I was at my limit, so they were eager to finish me off and tip the numbers to their advantage, but Zorro and Adante held firm and covered for me. We were a team. A very mismatched one, but a team nonetheless.
The clash was intense, and the air was thick with tension. Blades met in a symphony of steel, and sparks flew as blows were exchanged.
As the attacker's blade whistled through the air, I threw myself to the side, narrowly avoiding what could have been a fatal strike.
My heart pounded like a drum, the rush of adrenaline drowning out everything else. Anger surged within me, a molten mixture of frustration and self-loathing. I gritted my teeth, tasting the metallic tang of blood where I had bitten my lip.
I pushed myself up from the ground despite my body resisting. For now, I had no choice. Giving up equals death right now. Each clash, each parry and was testing me, but I was stubborn, and refused to give up.
*Ka-shng!~*
I looked to my left, and Zorro had finally lobbed one of the attackers' hands off cleanly in one lateral strike, and disposed of him quickly.
Seeing that, I launched myself back into the fray with renewed vigor. Just a little bit more. Just a little bit. I launched myself aggressively at one of the remaining attackers, who were now on the backfoot.
In that moment, the battle became a dance, a rhythm of strikes and dodges that I could anticipate, that I could control. The frustration that had threatened to overwhelm me was now a wellspring of determination, a force that pushed me beyond my limits.
I think I almost found solace amidst the chaos. I had let my mind run rampant, but eventually, my mind had reached the end of thought.
In almost poetic unison, all three of us simultaneously broke through the attackers, and now the only one left on the field was Aurelia, the commander of the Fifth Legion.
She and Valeria were locked in quite the tense battle, but Zorro and Adante spared no time and instantly dove in to turn the tides in Valeria's favour.
The way Aurelia fought was very elegant and full of grace. She effectively managed to put distance between herself and Valeria, and launched barrage after barrage of magic arrows with all sorts of effects such as fire, ice, explosions, everything an archer could possibly dream of.
But all of them did nothing. In the face of Valeria's unrelenting aggression, and brute force, it seemed like Aurelia was faltering.
Zorro and Adante's entry proved too much for Aurelia. Zorro landed a critical blow to her torso almost instantly, sending her flying back and crashing into one of the street carts.
Her now royal looking black leather cuirass adorned with gold accents was now in tatters, and beneath that shredded clothing, one could see a body that has been honed to it's utmost limits.
"Finally, I feel like I've achieved something." Valeria said to herself as she stepped closer to Aurelia, who instantly sprung back up.
Aurelia's gaze bore into Zorro with an intensity that held an undercurrent of resentment, her irritation palpable even in the midst of battle. She spoke with an edge that cut through the tension on the battlefield, her voice carrying a tone that hinted at a history of animosity.
"Indeed, I must agree that you lot have pushed me into a corner. For a dominion tier bloodbearer, you sure have trained her like your own, Zorro," Aurelia's words dripped with a mixture of sarcasm and disdain. It was as if she couldn't help but take a dig at him, like a thorn in her side that she couldn't ignore. Her eyes, despite the battle's chaos, remained locked onto Zorro, holding a burning resentment.
Zorro, standing his ground, returned her gaze with a calm determination, as if he were used to her barbs. He held his stance, his expression unreadable as he responded to her taunt.
My body was trembling, and I could barely remain on my feet. The battle had drained me to the point of collapse, and every ounce of strength seemed to seep out of me with each passing second. I found myself sinking to my knees, the world spinning around me. I struggled to remain conscious, the edges of my vision blurring.
"Is this all that the commander of the fifth legion has to offer? I think I can become one if I kill you here right now," Valeria's mocking tone cut through the air. Her words were audacious, a clear challenge thrown at Aurelia's feet. But what struck me was the casual indifference in Valeria's voice, as if she didn't even see Aurelia as a threat.
Zorro's concern for her was evident in his voice, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere around us. "Why are you doing this, Aurelia, and on whose orders?" His question held a note of genuine worry, a reflection of his character as a protector.
"We all have our reasons," Aurelia's response was cryptic, a statement that offered no insight into her motivations. But her eyes, as they flicked towards Zorro, held a spark of something deeper, a resentment that seemed to have been smoldering for a long time.
"Give us one, or die." Adante said, his voice also not emitting a hint of emotion.
"Oh, I have plenty of reasons," she whispered, a storm of enigma and bitterness swirling in her. With that, she pulled out the last three arrows in her quiver.
Zorro took a step back, his hand pulling both Valeria and Adante back. "Are you seriously gonna use that?" Zorro asked, now a bit put off by Aurelia's actions.
Aurelia's gaze remained fixed on the arrows in her hand, her grip unwavering. "Well, yes. It's a surefire way to secure victory, don't you think?" Her response was delivered with a chilling calmness, her actions now speaking louder than words as the gravity of her decision settled over the battlefield.
With that, the bow began emitting a hum, and the three arrows started to shine brilliantly, outshining the now setting sun. It was a sight to behold, and almost too beautiful.
She launched the three arrows, and they didn't fly too high up, they just stood atop Aurelia's head, suspended in motion.
The bow in her hand, now transformed into a set of curved blades that she detached to dual wield, and took a fighting stance.
"Come at me, all four of you."