Carl took advantage of the chaos to flee into the nearby forest. As he fled, he could sense others chasing after him.
"Shit!!!!!!" He murmured. " They are so damn persistent. "
He ducked just in time to avoid an arrow from behind. He rolled on the ground and threw a very small dagger behind him without looking. He quickly changed direction even before fully getting back on his feet. He heard a groan behind him in the direction from which he threw the dagger, followed by a soft thud which he didn't hear.
" Does he have eyes behind his head? " one of the pursuers said in utter shock.
They had fired an arrow at Carl from behind, yet he managed to evade it without seeing the projectile. He wanted to stay and fight them all, but he also knew that he needed to survive in order to avenge the deaths of his teammates.
By this time, Carl had no idea where he was, and where to flee to. He evaded another arrow and, using the burst flame technique, he sped faster than an arrow. Using the power of his burst technique, he darted between trees hoping to lose his pursuers. He heard the sound of running water and moved in that direction.
On approaching the source of water, he realized there was a cliff above the water. He was nearing the cliff and intended to jump into the water. Before he could reach the cliff, he found his path blocked by four experts.
"Just surrender Carl, you have nowhere to hide," their leader said, stepping forward.
Carl turned to take a detour but found more and more people blocking his path. He was completely surrounded.
"Bring it on," Carl said in a calm tone, trying to calm himself. He knew he was in a tight spot. He was low on manna and couldn't take them all on.
Carl spoke in a loud, determined voice, "I would rather die than surrender. I have served the empire all my life. I never thought of betraying the empire. Yet, here I am, being persecuted by the empire I swore allegiance to."
The leader of the group said, looking confused, "Then come with us and prove your innocence."
Carl shook his head sadly. " You know that is not possible. If it were so simple, why were the members of my troops slaughtered instead of being arrested?"
The leader of the experts looked conflicted, finally realizing something was amiss with the entire operation. He thought, "Could it be that he is indeed innocent? But I don't have the authority to decide on something of this magnitude."
Carl continued, "I have no reason to betray the empire. I was framed, but I will not rest until I destroy everyone involved."
"Sir, pay him no mind. Let's arrest him first. Every criminal feigns innocence when caught." one of the experts on the left said, and closed in.
Carl, on seeing that, prepared himself to fight. The man who spoke earlier rushed at him while thrusting his sword forward. Carl stepped to the side at the last minute. In one fluid motion, he broke the man's neck by twisting his head.
The man went rigid. With a "thud" sound, the man's body fell limp to the ground.
The expressions of the men surrounding Carl varied like the colours of the rainbow. Some were shocked to the bone. The speed and strength needed to break a person's neck was nothing to be underestimated.
A lot of strength is required to strangle a person to death. Not to talk about the strength needed to break a person's neck. What amazed everyone was the speed and accuracy demonstrated, coupled with the strength applied.
The scene was that of confusion.
Those gathered around Carl were weary. They wished they could retreat, while others were also furious and charged at Carl.
Those who were furious charged at Carl with all the speed they could muster, yet he was ready for them. Moving slightly to the left, Carl bent slightly and pierced the belly of the first person. He withdrew his hand in a swirling motion which left a gush in the neck of another man.
"How is he so quick?" Someone uttered from the back.
Carl quickly disarmed the next man and slid his throat in a fluid motion.
At this point, six men surrounded him, bearing down on him with their swords. Carl pierced one of them quickly and tried to avoid the others. In the process, he felt a stabbing pain in his back.
Before he could react, a kick landed on his stomach. The force was so strong that it sent him flying. Carl fell with a mighty thud to the ground. The force was such that he rolled some distance before stopping.
Carl felt agony throughout his body. His body was littered with bruises. His head ached and his body throbbed. He looked very rugged, and his clothes were torn in many places.
He thought to himself, "If only I make it out alive, I will kill every last one of them."
He spat out blood and grimaced in pain. He could tell that he had taken in a lot of internal damage. Merely straightening his back caused him pain.
The kick had sent him flying towards the cliff. There was no one between him and the cliff. But all this was unknown to Carl, since all his focus was on his injuries.
In front of Carl was a man who appeared to be about thirty years old. He looked calm and very pristine. He was dressed in radiant white and he exuded a majestic presence.
A single look told Carl that the man would be troublesome to deal with.
Carl took deep breaths, trying to calm his mind.
He was in a bind. He was low on mana and could feel the manna emanating from the man in white. The man was strong, and Carl, at present, had used up all his strength.
Before Carl could come up with something, he felt a force coming towards him. He summoned every ounce of strength he could, but it wasn't enough.
Carl found himself thrown into the air by the force of the impact. He fell off the cliff and tumbled downwards. As he fell, he smiled, realizing his goal had been achieved.