Borne and Heywood quickly adjusted their positions, standing on either side of Victor to provide cover.
Borne gripped his war hammer tightly, his voice calm but firm as he said, "Victor, hurry! We'll hold them off!"
Crows swooped down from the sky, their sharp claws and beaks relentlessly attacking, trying to tear through their armor and skin.
On the ground, the wild dogs circled them, their glowing eyes filled with malice as they growled and waited for the right moment to strike.
Every second they delayed brought them closer to the edge of defeat.
Victor tightened his grip on his sword, focusing on the right moment to strike.
He raised his sword high, channeling energy into the blade.
A powerful current of energy spiraled around the sword's edge, the air thick with tension as his arm trembled from the gathered force.
"Skybreaker Slash!"
Victor roared, unleashing his attack.
The sword's brilliance sliced through the air, an arc of light flashing brightly as the sword energy surged forward like a violent storm.
For a moment, it felt as though even the air was torn apart, the wind howling in the wake of the sword's power.
The blade of energy swept toward the oncoming crows and wild dogs, cutting through them like a knife through butter, splitting their ranks in two.
Crows shrieked as the sword energy struck, their feathers and blood scattering through the air like a dark rain.
The wild dogs, too, stood no chance against the force.
Their bodies were torn apart by the energy, blood spraying across the battlefield as their dying howls filled the air before their lifeless bodies collapsed.
Victor's *Skybreaker Slash* had completely turned the tide of the battle.
The crows and wild dogs that had been attacking them were wiped out, and the remaining creatures, terrified by the display of power, fled in all directions.
The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, but for the moment, the danger had passed.
The sounds of battle faded away so abruptly, it was as if the chaotic fight had been nothing more than a nightmare.
Victor, breathing heavily, collapsed onto the ground, his hand still trembling from holding the sword.
His body, exhausted from the intense effort, had completely given up any strength to remain standing.
Borne and Heywood immediately moved to his side, standing guard as they kept watch on the surroundings.
Their clothes were stained with blood, and the air around them was thick with the stench of rot and the metallic scent of blood.
They exchanged glances, their faces showing faint smiles of relief, though their eyes remained sharp and alert.
Despite surviving the brutal battle, their instincts as warriors warned them that danger still lurked in the desolate environment.
Victor wiped the sweat from his face and let out a long sigh.
"If it didn't drain me so much after using it, I would've used that damn skill a lot sooner," he muttered.
Borne nodded in agreement and replied quietly, "If it weren't for those damn crows, we wouldn't have been delayed like this."
Heywood, still panting, glanced at his bloodstained spear and forced a tired smile.
"If there's another wave of enemies, I'm not sure I can hold them off."
Leaning heavily on his spear, Heywood scanned their surroundings.
"This place has been abandoned for too long. We need to get out of here. There's no time to rest."
The three of them blew their whistles almost in unison, the sharp sound echoing through the still air.
In the distance, their warhorses responded and cautiously emerged from their hiding spots beyond the village, stepping over rocks and dried leaves as they slowly approached.
Borne, Heywood, and Victor were utterly spent, but they knew they had to leave the death-filled village as quickly as possible.
With the last bit of energy they had, they climbed onto their horses.
The animals, sensing their riders' exhaustion, lowered their heads obediently, flicking their tails nervously.
Borne patted his horse's neck and murmured, "Let's go. Time to leave this place."
The three rode side by side, slowly making their way out of the ruined village, their figures disappearing into the desolate landscape behind them.
The corpses around them remained where they had fallen, the stench of decay hanging heavy in the air.
The bodies of the crows and wild dogs lay scattered on the ground, as if those lives had never even existed.
As the sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance, the village returned to its deathly silence, leaving only the flickering shadows of the setting sun and the desolation of the ruined landscape.
After about an hour, the three had regained some of their strength.
Heywood unfolded the map, carefully studying the route ahead, but as he was preparing to continue, his ears caught the faint grumbling sound coming from Borne and Victor's stomachs.
"Let's take a break and eat something to regain some strength," Heywood suggested, putting the map away.
He decided not to push on just yet, and dismounted, unstrapping the bag of rations and water from his horse.
The three of them found a relatively flat piece of ground and sat down cross-legged.
Heywood pulled out some dried rations and handed them to Borne and Victor.
The food consisted of hard, black bread and dried jerky.
Though it wasn't exactly gourmet, under these circumstances, it was the best nourishment they could ask for.
Borne took a piece of the rations and bit into it.
The dry bread was hard to chew, but he silently forced it down.
A sip of water from his flask eased the weariness in his body slightly.
Victor, on the other hand, took a large bite of the jerky, his chewing creating soft crunching sounds.
"Only dogs eat stuff like this," he grumbled under his breath, though he continued eating.
Heywood also ate a few bites of the rations himself.
The three of them sat there quietly, eating their meager meal and drinking water, their exhaustion slowly lifting.
Although the environment around them remained bleak, the short break gave them a moment of reprieve.
Once they'd finished eating, Heywood stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and took out the map again to check their position. His brow furrowed slightly as he examined their route.
"We can't afford to delay any longer.
We have to reach the next village before nightfall. Spending the night out here in the wilderness is far too dangerous."
Borne nodded in agreement.
Though neither he nor Victor had fully recovered, they both understood that lingering too long would only increase their risks.
As the sky darkened, the wilderness became shrouded in unknown threats, especially in areas where magical beasts roamed freely.
Borne stuffed the last bite of his ration into his mouth, chewing quickly before standing up and stretching his arms.
"Let's get moving.
We need to leave before the night fully sets in."
He patted the neck of his warhorse gently, grasped the reins, and mounted with practiced ease. The horse snorted softly, flicking its tail.
Once he was settled, Borne turned to check on his companions.
Victor also stood up, moving with a certain fatigue, but his motions were still quick and efficient.
He stepped into the stirrup and pulled himself onto his horse with a smooth swing.
The three quickly gathered their belongings, ensuring everything was secured, and set off in the direction of the next village marked on the map.
Their goal was clear: reach a safe place before nightfall.
The sound of hooves echoed through the desolate landscape as they steadily picked up speed.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the night began to close in.
Without exchanging more words, the three rode in silence, their focus set on reaching the village before the dangers of the night overtook them.
As the wind whistled across the barren plains, they urged their horses faster, pressing onward toward their destination.