No one in Zayzal's group had ever heard of Attila the Hun owning a sword like that before. Rather, none of them knew much of the man to begin with other than he fought against the Romans.
'I'm getting a bad feeling about that sword, guys.' Marcus said to Zayzal and Sera through his Telepathy. Both of them nodded, but their eyes never left the glowing sword in his right hand.
Reaching the bottom of his throne, Attila gave the ghostly white horse next to him a glance. "It's been a long time, my friend."
The horse neighed, giving him a nod.
Attila chuckled as if he understood it. He walked over and gave it a few strokes along its mane. "We've been given a second chance at life. What do you say, would you like to join me in battle once again?"
The horse's eyes turned fierce as it grunted, kicking up a storm with its back legs, excited to charge into battle. Attila smiled and hopped on its back in one smooth motion before staring down his four new enemies.
"Don't disappoint me, young heroes." He said, giving his horse a few more pats. The ghostly horse trotted around and looked at them with what seemed to be a smug expression as if to taunt them.
All Zayzal and the rest could do was watch as the two bonded, with the hooves of the horse echoing against the walls. They only had one thought seeing how ready even the horse was to kill them: 'Fuck! We're screwed.'
Zayzal and Sera were beginning to realize that perhaps not all dungeons were built equally and that they had to be careful about which ones they entered. Unfortunately, it was too late now, and all they could do was fight to survive.
Attila spurred his horse forward, charging at the group with a speed that seemed almost supernatural. The horse glided across the stone, its ghostly form making it difficult to track as its form seemed to shift.
Zayzal, despite his injury, readied his spear, trying to anticipate Attila's movements. Sera held her shield up, ready to deflect any incoming blows, while Marcus and Fenrir prepared to flank the charging warlord.
Attila sped toward Sera and Zayzal, who stood at the front lines. He swung his sword down in a wide arc, slamming into their shields. They managed to block the attack, but the force of the blow sent a shockwave through their arms, numbing them momentarily.
Fenrir darted in, snapping at the horse's legs, trying to unbalance Attila. However, the horse seemed to anticipate the attack, deftly sidestepping and countering with a powerful kick that sent Fenrir tumbling back.
Marcus attempted to throw his daggers, knowing he wasn't getting close, but Attila deflected them with ease. "I recommend you sit on the sidelines and watch, you brave yet foolish warrior. You'll only be a hindrance to your companions with that level of weakness." He said to Marcus with a slight smirk before he passed on by, disregarding his presence completely.
Marcus ground his teeth in frustration. '...I know. I know I should, but how can I?! I can't sit there and watch them die. I'd never be able to forgive myself! It's not like he'll spare me after killing them either!'
He either had to gather his courage and fight or die like a coward. Between the two, he didn't feel like putting Zayzal and Sera's trust to shame.
'Tch! I'll find your weakness, you bastard. Just you wait.'
With hyper-focused eyes, Marcus narrowed in on Attila, searching for any signs of weakness. Fenrir eventually came back to his side and joined him, both understanding that they were useless in this battle right now.
'We'll get him boy.' Marcus said to Fenrir telepathically. 'For now, let's just figure out what we can do.'
Turning around, Attila came charging in from the back. As the spectral steed closed in, Attila raised his glowing sword, preparing to strike.
"Brace yourselves!" Zayzal shouted, tightening his grip on his spear.
Sera positioned herself to absorb the impact with her shield raised. Attila's sword came down in a fierce arc, aimed squarely at her. She deflected the blow with her shield, but the force of the impact sent her staggering back, her feet scraping against the stone floor.
Zayzal lunged forward, thrusting his spear at Attila. But the Hun king was quick, parrying with his sword and countering with a swift swipe that Zayzal barely dodged. The tip of Attila's sword grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Attila's laughter echoed through the throne room, a sound filled with confidence. "You'll have to do better than that!" he taunted.
Meanwhile, Marcus, with Fenrir at his side, watched intently, searching for any opening or pattern in Attila's movements. Fenrir growled lowly, his instincts on high alert.
Attila circled around for another charge, his horse moving like a ghostly wraith. He aimed for Zayzal this time. Charging up his sword with mana, it glowed brightly, crackling with energy.
Zayzal readied himself, but as Attila approached, he feinted at the last moment, redirecting his attack towards Sera. She raised her shield in time, but the sheer power behind the strike knocked her off her feet.
Marcus saw his chance and signaled Fenrir. "Now, Fenrir!" he shouted, throwing a dagger with all his might.
Fenrir leaped towards Attila's horse, aiming to bite at its legs. The dagger flew with precision, aiming for Attila's exposed side. But the warlord was quick, his sword deflecting the dagger with a flick of his wrist while his horse nimbly evaded Fenrir's attack.
Attila spun his horse around, facing Marcus. "You dare not heed my warnings, boy? he sneered, readying another strike.
Marcus swallowed hard, feeling a surge of fear but also determination. "Why should I when I'm bound to die anyway?" he replied firmly. Fenrir was already by his side, with his owner's daggers in his mouth.
As Attila charged towards Marcus, Sera and Zayzal rushed to his aid. After recovering from the previous blow, Sera intercepted Attila's path with a barrier, forcing him to change direction. The Hun knew he could simply trample through it but decided to humor her for now. Not like it changed anything for him.
Zayzal seized the moment and thrust his spear towards Attila's flank. But the spectral horse veered to the side, its form flickering like a shadow, making the strike pass harmlessly through.
Attila laughed again, a sound that was both mocking and admiring. "Impressive reactions, but not enough to best me."
He spurred his horse, barreling once more towards Zayzal and Sera. This time, he swung his sword in a wide, horizontal arc, aiming to catch them both.
Zayzal ducked under the swing, rolling to the side, while Sera raised her shield to block. The sword struck the shield with such force that it sent a shockwave through the room.
Marcus saw another opportunity and launched the few daggers he had. One after another, they flew towards Attila, each aimed with more precision than the last.
Attila, who was focused on Sera and Zayzal, was caught off guard by the sudden barrage. He managed to deflect most, but one dagger nicked his arm, drawing blood.
"A lucky strike," Attila grunted, eyeing Marcus with a newfound interest. 'Hmph. He's weak, but I suppose even a lion can be killed by a single arrow.'
The battle continued for minutes, with Zayzal, Sera, and Marcus unable to do anything. Attila's swordsmanship and understanding of the battlefield were unmatched. His horse moved with him in perfect harmony, making things all the more challenging.
Sera, Zayzal, Marcus, and Fenrir coordinated their attacks, trying to overwhelm Attila with their combined strength. But the warlord was a seasoned fighter, anticipating and countering their moves with ease.
Attila's sword glowed brighter with each swing, the mana around it pulsating with power. He unleashed another crescent wave of energy, this time larger and more potent.
Sera's shield was already quite battered from the previous attacks, so she knew she couldn't absorb another hit of that magnitude. She shouted, "Get back!"
The group retreated, narrowly avoiding the wave of energy that sliced through the air where they had just stood. A thin line had cut into the ground, leaving them wide-eyed at the power behind that attack.
Zayzal, breathing heavily, looked at his companions. "We need a new plan. He's too strong. If we keep going like this, we'll die."
Sera nodded in agreement, her shield arm trembling. "There has to be a way to beat him. If we can just knock him off that stupid horse, things will be much easier."
Marcus clutched his daggers and added, "We've got to outsmart him. He's strong, but he's also arrogant. We can use that against him."
Zayzal thought for a moment as a plan formulated in his mind. "...Sera, I know you don't have much mana left. Use your barriers strictly for auxiliary purposes. Marcus, I want you to try and connect to his mind with your telepathy. If you can send him constant, random messages to trip him up, that'd be great. If you can't, just keep us updated on what he's doing. Fenrir, I want you to stay at a distance but follow him. Whenever he's distracted or focused on something else, nip at the horse's legs and back off immediately. What we need to do now is slowly regain control. All we need is to create one opening, and we can win."
Everyone nodded in agreement, including Fenrir. Although it wasn't much of a plan, Zayzal was right about one thing. Right now, they had no control over the flow of the battle. If they wanted to find that sliver of a chance at victory, they had to change that, and this was their only hope before Attila got bored and decided to end their lives in one swift move.
Attila, watching them regroup, smiled. "Very well, show me what you're truly capable of," he challenged, readying his sword for another charge. This was his first fight to the death after returning from the grave, and he was going to make the most out of it.