4:30 pm | Monday |Mentrea Village | Elysium Kingdom
"Three," the words escaped his lips slowly, the soldier uniform of the Astraea Kingdom adorning his frame.
"P-p-please leave me!" His plea fell upon deaf ears, met only with the ruthless strike of his assailant's blade, extinguishing his life without hesitation.
"Four."
"Kael!" A female voice pierced the air with urgency, calling out his name.
As Kael, aged twenty, carried out his ruthless deed, his murky black eyes betrayed no hint of remorse. His jet-black hair cascaded in wild waves around his face, accentuating his enigmatic aura.
The female soldier who called out to him bore a striking resemblance to Kael, clad in the same soldier attire. Her white hair framed her determined expression, while her skin, marked with tiny pimples, gave her an unconventional appearance. Despite her imperfections, her green eyes shone with unwavering resolve, reflecting her determination to stand alongside Kael in their shared mission.
"You managed to take down four soldiers single-handedly?! You truly rival the Squad Leader in prowess!" The female soldier exclaimed, addressing Kael.
But Kael paid her no heed, his attention wholly consumed by the fallen enemy at his feet. Joining his hands together, he offered a silent prayer for the departed soul, a gesture of respect amidst the chaos of battle.
'Please... don't... kill me... I have... kids...'
The haunting words of his fallen foe echoed in Kael's mind, a stark reminder of the human cost of war. Despite the enmity between them, Kael couldn't shake the weight of the man's final plea, a heartbreaking testament to the toll of conflict on both sides of the battlefield.
Seeing the chance, an enemy soldier who was acting like a dead person rushed towards Kael who had his back shown to his enemy.
"This is for my comrades!" The enemy shouted.
As the enemy soldier rushed towards Kael, intent on delivering a fatal blow, both Kael and the female soldier raised their swords in defense. However, Kael knew they were too late to intercept the attack as he braced himself for the impending strike.
But in a sudden twist of fate, a swift kick launched from behind caught the enemy off guard, sending him hurtling backward several meters. The force of the impact drove him into the wall of a nearby house, leaving him dazed and vulnerable.
"Squad Leader Renard!" The female said with surprise.
Seizing the opportunity, Renard swiftly closed the distance, planting their foot firmly on the fallen enemy's face before driving their sword straight into his heart. A brief moment of resistance flickered in the enemy's eyes as he reached out to touch his killer's hand, but soon, all movement ceased, and he lay still.
As the dust settled, Kael and the female soldier turned to face Renard, their expressions a mix of surprise and gratitude.
"You shouldn't let your guard down like that against the enemy!" the squad leader admonished, delivering a light punch to my chest as a reminder.
The squad leader of our squad, Renard is a commanding figure at 35 years of age. His rugged features bear a scar over his right eye, a testament to past battles. Despite the injury, his remaining eye shines with determination.
His dark chestnut hair is cropped short for practicality, and his lean, muscular frame reflects years of training. He wears his uniform with pride, and his posture exudes authority.
"I managed to take down eleven enemy soldiers today. That brings my tally to two hundred kills in this war!" The leader's voice rang out excitedly, punctuated by a flex of his biceps. He launched into a monologue about his victories, boasting of his undefeated streak and unwavering resolve. The female soldier listened intently, captivated by his words.
Meanwhile, I stood in silence, my eyes heavy with exhaustion and weariness. Dark circles marred my face, a silent testament to the toll of endless conflict. Though no one noticed, I had no desire for their attention.
Gazing at the lifeless bodies strewn across the village ground, I tightened my grip on my bloodied sword. If my legacy was to be written in blood, then so be it.
"I want to do something heroic on the battlefield and be remembered through history," I declared, raising my sword defiantly toward the sky.
The leader began to laugh at this.
"Look at him! That's a nice dream, but you've got to get your hands dirty with enemy blood if you want to be remembered!" the captain jeered, delivering a hearty smack to my back.
"The best time to make an achievement is right now. As you know, we..." The captain began to explain the current mission.
Our squad, along with several others, had been tasked with a daring mission: to attack the villages situated on the volatile border between the Elysium and Astraea Kingdoms.
Despite the longstanding hostility between the two kingdoms, direct conflict had been avoided until now. However, recent tensions had escalated to the point where action could no longer be deferred.
Elysium, being a smaller country, focused the majority of its forces on defending the capital, leaving border villages vulnerable with only about twenty soldiers stationed there. It was within these villages that our squad was to strike, making use of the enemy's stretched resources to achieve our objective.
"The main army of the Astraea Kingdom is scheduled to pass through this village en route to their assault on the fortresses along their path. We'll rendezvous with them at that moment," the captain explained, outlining our strategic objective.
As the Astraea Kingdom's forces will march toward their targets, our squad would join them.
"Killing a significant number of enemy troops during the fortress attack will surely draw the attention of the higher-ups," the captain emphasized, his words carrying weight as seven more squad members joined us.
"Leader Renard, all Elysium soldiers in this village have been killed," one of the squad members reported.
"Guard the village until further orders," Renard commanded, his authority unquestioned as the squad members raised their hands in salute before departing to carry out their assigned task.
"Now, you should also go. I have to calculate the loot we got and report it when the main army arrives," the captain stated, ready to depart. But before he could leave, I halted him with a question.
"What about targeting 'important figures'? Whose death in this war could elevate my standing with the higher-ups?"
"Hm... Let me see. There are division commanders, brigade generals, battalion leaders, but taking down a hero would undoubtedly propel you to fame," the leader replied with a solemn tone, underscoring the gravity of such a decision.
Each nation possesses the power to summon five heroes granted by the goddess. Initially intended to combat demons, humans began summoning them for warfare. This led to heroes becoming tools in human conflicts, their original purpose forgotten.
"... but killing one of them is equivalent to slaying a dragon. A full-fledged hero has the power to single-handedly turn the tide of war," the leader explained, a grin playing on his lips.
"Just leave it to the heroes of our kingdom," he added before departing, his laughter trailing behind him.
"Killing a hero... This could be quite the challenge," I murmured to myself, casting a contemplative gaze upon the night sky. With dark circles under my eyes, I pondered the weight of such a task, knowing that it would require every ounce of skill and cunning at my disposal. But beneath the weariness, I was determined to win against the hero.
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Author's Notes:-
- Each nations has five heroes with them.
- This chapter is about a soldier named Kael from Astraea Kingdom who will be joining the battle between Astraea and Elysium.
- The next chapter will be on the heroes.