As soon as Amukelo passed through them, his path was blocked by earth walls that grew from the ground in from of him. He swung his sword and shattered the earth walls Morth conjured before him. But no sooner had he broken through one than another sprang up in its place.
But this gave Jezar, Peles, and Ovun enough time and they closed in from all sides. With mounting frustration, Amukelo threw himself forward, his powerful voice echoing through the empty streets. "You annoying ants!" he shouted, his voice full of venom, a wild fury blazing in his eyes.
Neclord's silhouette was just barely visible now, his form shrinking in the distance as he fled toward the Nameless Dynasty's main base.
Amukelo braced to break through yet another wall when Jezar, sword raised, appeared before him, ready to block his path. Amukelo snarled, raising his blade to strike down his opponent, but as Jezar prepared to intercept, a figure appeared between them. Padrin. He stepped in front of Amukelo, his stance strong, his face hard with focus as he brought his sword up to meet Jezar's.
"Go," Padrin commanded, his voice low but fierce, his eyes locked on Jezar. Amukelo didn't hesitate, sprinting past him, free from the obstruction for the first time.
Jezar's face twisted in frustration as he stepped back to block Amukelo's path, but Padrin shifted in front of him, his sword a steady wall between Amukelo and his foes. "You're not going anywhere," Padrin said coldly.
Jezar sneered, his sword flashing as he took a defensive stance. "Don't think you can win. You're outmatched." He glanced down the street, where Ovun, Peles, Morth, and Ri were desperately trying to catch up to Amukelo. "And those four are enough to stop that brat. Whatever he drank, it won't last forever. He'll be finished soon enough."
Padrin's expression remained impassive, his grip tightening on his sword as he prepared to engage Jezar. "We'll see."
Meanwhile, Amukelo sprinted down the empty street, his steps echoing off the walls of the narrow alleyways as he finally closed the distance between himself and Neclord. Ri continued to fire arrows at him from behind, but Amukelo's dodged them almost instinctively.
Ovun, Peles, and Morth chased after him but Amukelo's speed was unmatched.
Neclord glanced over his shoulder, his eyes wide with terror as he saw Amukelo rapidly closing the distance. He broke into a frantic sprint, his robes trailing behind him as he headed down the road that led to the Nameless Dynasty's main gates. The looming fortress cast a dark shadow over the street, its towering walls like an iron curtain separating the Dynasty's inner sanctum from the rest of the town.
The houses lining the street were dark and silent, their windows empty and watchful like eyes that had witnessed too much. Neclord ran faster, his chest heaving, but there was nowhere left to go. The road was a dead end, ending at the massive iron gates that marked the entrance to the Nameless Dynasty's stronghold. He could feel the weight of Amukelo's rage bearing down on him, the distance between them closing with terrifying speed.
In a panic, Neclord stumbled to a halt, pressing himself against the gate, his eyes darting around the empty street. "Guards! Guards!" he yelled, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Stop him! Someone, stop him!"
But his cries were met with silence. The guards who normally patrolled this area were nowhere to be seen. Neclord's face paled as he realized he was alone.
Farther back, Ovun, Peles, Morth, and Ri finally caught sight of Amukelo but saw they were still too far away to reach him in time. Ri's arrows continued to streak through the air, but they missed their mark, Amukelo evading them with fluid, practiced movements. Ovun shouted after him, his deep voice echoing through the street, but Amukelo ignored him.
The distance between Amukelo and Neclord was now mere yards. Neclord's back was against the gate, his eyes wide with fear as he looked into the eyes of his relentless pursuer. He had nowhere left to run. His breathing grew rapid, and his fingers clenched into fists as he pressed himself against the cold iron.
Amukelo's lips curled into a twisted smile as he closed in, his sword ready to strike, vengeance burning in his gaze. He raised his sword, his steps growing slower and more deliberate as he prepared to deliver the final blow.
But just as he reached the midpoint of the street, a thunderous explosion ripped through the night.
The main building of the Nameless Dynasty's base erupted in a burst of flame and rubble, the blast so powerful it sent shockwaves reverberating through the street. The ground beneath Amukelo shook violently, throwing him off balance. Pieces of debris rained down, crashing onto the cobblestone road, shattering windows, and sending tremors through the surrounding structures.
Amukelo staggered, his eyes widening as he watched the fortress collapse before him. Massive chunks of stone and twisted beams of iron fell like a deluge, engulfing the base in a cloud of thick, dark smoke.
He barely had time to recover his footing when, one by one, several smaller buildings along the road began to detonate in rapid succession. Fire and smoke erupted from their rooftops, creating a cascade of explosions that quickly swallowed the street in flames. Walls crumbled, roofs collapsed, and the cobblestone ground splintered under the weight of falling debris. Each blast sent waves of dust and smoke billowing through the air, obscuring Amukelo's path as he shielded his eyes from the onslaught.
Amukelo staggered back, struggling to see through the haze, his lungs filled with the acrid stench of smoke and burning wood. His path to Neclord was now entirely blocked, the street littered with rubble, flaming wreckage, and smoldering remains of the buildings that had once lined it. Fires licked up the sides of the surrounding structures, illuminating the night in an eerie, hellish glow.
Through the chaos, Amukelo caught sight of Neclord, still pressed against the gate, his face illuminated by the flames. He was barely visible through the haze, but his expression was one of horror and disbelief.
The road ahead was a mess of jagged stones, twisted metal, and burning debris. Each breath he took filled his lungs with the acrid stench of smoke and scorched wood. He was close, so close, but the barricade was thick, piled high with remnants of the recent explosions.
With a growl of determination, Amukelo set to work, moving the rubble piece by piece, clearing his path. He knew he couldn't simply leap over it; the pile was too unstable, with broken beams and shards of glass jutting out at every angle, threatening to collapse under any direct pressure. Each step forward required focus and force, and every small progress felt excruciatingly slow. Still, he pressed on, digging a narrow path through the wreckage, his eyes flashing with anger and purpose.
But before he could break through entirely, the unmistakable sounds of approaching footsteps reached his ears. He paused, his hand still on a large stone he had been about to toss aside, and turned just in time to see his pursuers arrive. Peles, Ovun, Morth, and Ri were closing in fast.
"What the hell is happening?" Ovun barked, glancing at the destruction around them, his face twisted in confusion.
"I don't know," Peles replied, his eyes trained on Amukelo as they approached, "but this might be our chance to catch him before he gets to Neclord." He gestured to Amukelo with a nod, his voice edged with a strange mix of relief and urgency. "Let's hope we can hold him off until whatever he drank wears off."
Amukelo's gaze shifted to them but then he let out a low, menacing chuckle, his eyes blazing as he recognized his opponents. "You're back again, like cockroaches… always crawling back."
Without hesitation, Ri took the lead. She released a series of arrows, each one slicing through the smoky air toward Amukelo. One struck him in the back of his left shoulder, the impact jolting him forward slightly. He let out a sharp hiss, reaching back instinctively but hardly breaking stride as he ripped the arrow out with his other hand, the blood staining his fingers as he glared back at her.
"Fine, then," he muttered, stepping out of the rubble where he'd been working. "Let's do this."
He moved back, positioning himself with enough space to maneuver. No sooner had he shifted his stance than Ovun charged forward, his massive axe raised, ready to cleave through Amukelo with a single powerful swing. As Ovun's axe came down, Amukelo's met it with his sword.
As Ovun staggered, Peles seized the opportunity to strike from the side. He lunged at Amukelo but Amukelo reacted quickly, pivoting to intercept the attack. His sword caught Peles mid-air, and with a brutal backhanded swing, he sent Peles flying, the impact so powerful that Peles landed several yards away, rolling through the dirt before finally coming to a halt. Peles grimaced, pain flashing across his face, but he pushed himself to his feet, refusing to stay down.
Amukelo prepared to press the advantage, but a sudden hail of arrows blocked his path. Ri had taken up a position further back. He slashed at the incoming arrows, his sword sweeping through the air with deadly precision, but the onslaught kept him at bay.
Then, a new threat appeared as glowing fireballs lit up the air, hurtling toward him. Morth's hands were raised as he directed the fiery orbs toward Amukelo. Amukelo's instinctively leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the blaze as it exploded against the rubble he had been clearing moments before. The impact sent shards of stone flying, and to his frustration, the fireballs had inadvertently cleared more of the path he'd been working on.
"Idiot!" Ri hissed at Morth, her face twisted in irritation. "Do you want to create a passage for him?"
Morth's eyes flickered in realization, and he grunted in frustration. "My bad," he muttered, composing himself quickly. Extending his hand toward the cleared rubble, he called upon his magic, and walls of earth sprang up in the gap, sealing off the path Amukelo had created. In a matter of seconds, Morth had rebuilt the barricade, rendering Amukelo's hard-earned progress null.
Amukelo's eyes darkened, his frustration morphing into a barely restrained rage. He shot a fierce look at Morth, his grip tightening on his sword. "You think you can stop me with this?" he growled, taking a step forward, his intent clear.
But before he could close the distance to Morth, Ovun and Peles appeared before him, blocking his path once more. Amukelo moved with brutal speed, his sword swinging down at Ovun with the force of a hammer. Ovun braced himself, but this time, Morth cast a quick spell, channeling energy toward Ovun, who glowed briefly as his strength was bolstered.
The two warriors clashed, but this time, Ovun held firm. For the first time since his enhancement, Amukelo found himself met with resistance, his sword pressing down against Ovun's axe but failing to overpower him. Ovun's face broke into a grim smile as he met Amukelo's eyes, bracing against the impact. Amukelo pushed harder, his frustration mounting, but Ovun held, the magical enhancement bolstering his strength to match Amukelo's.
From behind, Peles circled, his daggers gleaming as he aimed for Amukelo's exposed flank. Amukelo with a sudden, forceful movement, he disengaged from Ovun, breaking away just as Peles lunged. He twisted, bringing his sword around to block Peles's strike, the clash of their blades ringing through the night.
But just as he turned, another barrage of arrows flew toward him. Amukelo dodged but the barrage kept coming.
Realizing he was caught between their combined attacks, Amukelo took a step back. His breath came in heavy gasps. The potion's effects still pulsed through him, but Amukelocould already feel the strain on his body. His limbs ached, every breath created pain,