POV:???
My heart sank as I stood there, paralyzed by the horrifying scene unfolding before my eyes. It felt as if my very existence was being swallowed by the flames that mercilessly devoured our once mighty fortress. Helplessness washed over me, leaving me feeling utterly powerless.
The screams of my soldiers echoed in my ears, a symphony of desperation and agony. They fought valiantly, trying to hold everything together, but it seemed futile. Each deafening explosion, reminiscent of the howls of a terrifying beast, shattered any glimmer of hope we had left. The enemy's hellish flames rose higher, mocking our feeble attempts at resistance.
The fortress walls, once impenetrable, now stood on the brink of collapse. My brave men, my brothers-in-arms, lay gravely injured, their strength waning. And there, in the distance, the enemy approached, led by a sinister magic user who strolled with an air of arrogance, taunting us with every step.
In that moment, I realized the harsh reality of our situation. Our fate seemed sealed, and there was nothing I could do but bear witness to the impending doom.
We were left in the dark, unsure if our message had reached the Supreme Commander. The uncertainty of receiving any form of assistance weighed heavily on us. All we knew was that death awaited us, and nothing else.
The morale of my soldiers was at an all-time low. With the captain gone, our fate seemed sealed. As I gazed into the eyes of my men, searching for a glimmer of hope, Frederick spoke up.
"Sir..." His voice trembled, desperately seeking reassurance that we would be saved and survive this ordeal.
I remained silent, unable to meet his gaze. Instead, I turned my attention to the setting sun, as if waiting for the fortress to be engulfed in flames, bringing an end to our suffering. But the expected destruction never came.
The Empire's forces were slowly closing in on us, each passing second feeling like an eternity. My mind raced with horrifying thoughts of what they would do to us, and the catastrophic aftermath if the Alliance remained unaware of their impending attack.
Suddenly, the enemy army abruptly halted, and the magic user advanced towards us with an air of mystique. "Listen up, you Rhukadevian and Falvunian mutts! Come out of that pathetic little hut of yours, and maybe, just maybe, we'll spare your insignificant lives," he bellowed, using his magical powers to amplify his voice. His tone dripped with arrogance, and though he was too far for me to see his face, I could envision a wicked grin etched upon it.
His words ignited a fire within me, my blood boiling with fury, and my hands trembling with rage. The disrespect was unbearable, but alas, I was powerless to retaliate. Some of my men began to waver, contemplating surrender, while others seemed lost in a daze, as if oblivious to their surroundings.
"There's no use trying to resist you pigs! That feeble fortress won't withstand another one of my attacks!" He yelled at us, his voice filled with amusement.
"If you surrender now, we can perhaps negotiate the price for your lives. I swear on my honor as the Successor to the Darrith County!" The magic user shouted again, his tone growing more and more irritated.
"Sir... What should we do...?" Fredrick asked me, tears in his eyes. It was evident that the bastards from the Siriath Empire had no intention of sparing us or engaging in negotiations. They sought information about the Alliance army, and I would sooner kill my soldiers myself than let that happen.
"We will hold on for as long as we can. We cannot allow them to seize control of the Arminaria fortress, as it could spell the downfall of both Fallvus and Rhukadev," I commanded my soldiers, my tone stern and resolute. They looked at me as if I had lost my mind, except for Fredrick, who seemed to agree with me. Gathering whatever mana I had left, I leaped onto the wall facing the enemy army.
"Every single one of you Siriath Dogs can rot in hell!" I bellowed, pouring all my strength and emotion into my words.
The deafening silence wrapped around me, drowning out the cries of my soldiers and concealing the imminent inferno. Death hovered above us like an unstoppable beast, leaving us utterly defenseless. Regret clawed at my heart, for I had condemned my soldiers to the same fate as myself. Yet, in that moment, a glimmer of hope pierced through the darkness. The sphere of fire was cleaved into countless fragments, scattering across the sky. A magnificent spectacle of light filled the air as a swarm of arrows descended upon the enemy army.
"Uuuaaaa!" The battlefield erupted with triumphant shouts, presumably from our allies. Emerging from the southern forest, a cavalry of infantry charged forward. My gaze shifted back to the remnants of the fire, where a figure clad in silver armor now stood in place of the spell.
The man, tall and imposing, radiated an aura of power and determination. Their armor gleamed in the light of the sunset, reflecting the chaos and destruction that surrounded us. As they raised their sword, a surge of energy seemed to emanate from their very being, inspiring courage and hope within our ranks.
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POV: Gabriel Darrith
What in the world just happened? My spell... it was completely shattered. He didn't just break through it, he cut right through it.
I can't wrap my head around this. I was so focused on that bastard in silver armor that I completely ignored the shouts from my comrades. How could a mere pawn of the Alliance stop my magic power?
Before I could gather my thoughts, the screams of my soldiers pierced through the air. We were being attacked from the south, cavalry charging in.
Those useless fools better handle it themselves. I turned my attention back to where the armored knight was standing, only to find him gone.
My mind raced, desperately searching for any possible hiding spot that bastard could be in, as I prepared to unleash a fiery attack.
Suddenly, one of my personal guards screamed my name in terror, "Lord Gabriel!" I instinctively turned towards him, only to have my vision consumed by red. Blood. I couldn't feel my right arm, it was cold and throbbing with pain.
How did he manage to reach me from the other side of the battlefield so quickly? I could only catch a glimpse of the silver-clad bastard with my right arm lying on the ground.
"Ah... Aaaahhhhh!" I screamed in a panicked frenzy, unleashing a spell to create distance between myself and the knight. Soldiers tried to come to my aid, but each one of them was easily killed by him.
He effortlessly cut down each of my comrades in his path, as if they were nothing more than insects. I searched for assistance from the others, only to find them overwhelmed by the enemy's ambush.
Turning back to face the knight, I was met with a chilling gaze from his emerald eyes peering out from beneath his helmet. My hand shook with fear as my survival instincts kicked in, urging me to fight for my life.
As my mana reserves dwindled rapidly, I unleashed a series of fiery explosions to propel myself away from the knight... no... demon. Despite my weakening state, my sole focus was on survival as the knight closed in, picking up speed with each passing moment.
One explosion after another, blood trickled from my nose and eyes as my body grew weaker with each impact against the unforgiving ground. I found myself on the edge of a valley, crawling desperately towards the river below, my only arm propelling me forward. My mind was clouded, my vision blurred, unsure if the monster was still on my trail as I plunged into the icy water.
The chill of the water jolted me awake from the nightmarish chaos, allowing a sliver of clarity to seep in. I glanced up and saw the monster, peering down. In that moment, I prayed to any deity or demon listening, begging for my dwindling mana to go unnoticed. Drifting further downstream, the knight disappeared from view, and everything faded to black.