The forest was filled with macabre laughter, and the atmosphere of tension was almost suffocating. Dinis took a deep breath, preparing for the fight he knew was inevitable. Within seconds, a large iron mace was thrown in his direction with brutal force, buzzing through the air. It was the first attack, coming from the one-armed Carniçal, determined to reclaim what he had lost in the last battle.
This time, however, Dinis was prepared. He raised his arm, covered by the robust gauntlet he had acquired from the warrior in his last fight. With a powerful punch, delivered with precision, he deflected the mace with a deafening impact, sending it away while his hand remained unharmed within the protection of the gauntlet. A slight smile of satisfaction crossed his face. He felt stronger, more confident, and wanted to push his new skills to the limit.
Without giving time for reactions, the other Carniçais initiated a series of fierce assaults. They jumped from branch to branch, advancing in quick and unpredictable movements. Some spun through the air before attacking, while others hurled improvised spears in his direction. Each attack was brutal and filled with primal malice. Dinis, however, remained focused, attentive to every movement around him. His body reacted instinctively, dodging to the sides or ducking, and his sword whirled in the air, intercepting blows and repelling his attackers.
While dodging skillfully, Dinis found opportunities to slash at the nearest Carniçais. With calculated movements, he delivered precise cuts, dismembering legs and arms, and in some cases, managing to eliminate the opponents. The ground gradually became a chaotic scene, with the grotesque bodies of the creatures falling around him, but the number was still immense, and he was surrounded.
Amid the incessant attacks, Dinis had to quickly dodge a Carniçal that leapt at him with extended claws, trying to scratch his face. He ducked, moving to the side, and with a swift strike, cut off the creature's arm, which let out a deafening scream. But as he defeated it, he noticed out of the corner of his eye another impending attack. A spear was flying towards him, and he dodged it by a hair's breadth, feeling the cold of the blade pass close to his body.
However, the number of Carniçais continued to increase, and he was beginning to feel the weight of the battle. With each dodge and counterattack, his breathing became heavier, and his muscles burned from the effort. The Carniçais, seeing the slight exhaustion in the sentinel, intensified their attacks. They moved in unison, each trying to hit Dinis from a different angle, some leaping over him, others attempting to bite and scratch his face and back.
He dodged as best he could, but the situation was becoming critical. At one point, two Carniçais advanced simultaneously: one attacking from below, trying to bite his leg, and another jumping with an improvised knife, ready to stab his chest. Dinis turned his body to avoid the attack, delivering a blow that hit the first Carniçal, but in doing so, his balance was compromised, and he realized too late that the second attack was coming straight at him.
The Carniçal's blade was only a few centimeters from his face, and Dinis would have no time to dodge. It was at that exact moment that a knife appeared out of nowhere, slicing through the air at high speed and stabbing into the chest of the creature that was about to wound him. The Carniçal let out a muffled scream before falling to the ground, dead.
Surprised, Dinis looked up, trying to identify where the knife had come from. And then, he heard a soft and slightly mocking voice, but full of unusual strength. "Once again, you need my help?"
The phrase, spoken in a sweet and calm tone, echoed through the forest, and Dinis felt his heart race. He turned quickly in the direction of the voice, but all he could see was a female silhouette, wrapped in shadows, partially hidden among the trees.
Mystery surrounded him, and the feeling of not being alone brought him an unexpected, though intriguing, relief.