"STEEL YOURSELVES KNIGHTS! THESE ARE DEMONIC BEASTS! DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN FOR EVEN A SECOND!"
The first wave of wolves rushed in quickly, claws ripping into the dirt as they leaped at the Holy Knights with jaws wide. Captain Edwin stepped forward, planting his feet firmly. His shield rose in a clean arc, slamming into the side of the first wolf in mid-air. The creature was thrown back into the pack, its body flipping before landing limp.
To Edwin's right, a knight with a greatsword pivoted smoothly as two wolves lunged at him from different angles. He swung the massive blade in a tight, controlled arc, cleaving through one wolf's neck. The momentum carried him into a spin, and as his boots dug into the ground, he drove the blade down into the second wolf's back.
A third wolf surged in low, aiming for the knight's legs, but another knight intercepted. She stepped in with a spear, jabbing forward in a straight, precise motion. The tip pierced the wolf's chest, stopping its charge instantly. She twisted the spear free, her stance shifting fluidly as she braced for the next wave.
On the left flank was Alexandra with her longsword sparkling. A wolf lunged, but she sidestepped sharply, letting its momentum carry it past her. She turned, slashing across its exposed flank, then followed up with a downward strike that ended it. Before the next wolf could close the gap, she stepped forward, her elbow driving into its jaw, and with a single spin, her blade cut through its body.
The wolves tried to overwhelm with sheer numbers, but the Holy Knights held their crescent formation tightly. Each knight covered the other's blind spots. A spear-wielding knight blocked a lunging wolf, then shifted his grip, allowing the knight beside him to strike the exposed creature with an overhead blow.
Captain Edwin barked orders between strikes. "Keep them outside the crescent! Push them back!"
The knights adjusted seamlessly, stepping in unison to maintain their line. When two wolves charged a single knight, another stepped forward to intercept the second. A glowing hammer swung low, shattering one wolf's front legs, while a sword came down to finish it.
A particularly large wolf vaulted over its fallen kin, aiming for a gap in the line. It reached the air above the knights, but Edwin was already moving. He threw his shield upward with both hands, slamming it into the wolf's underbelly mid-leap. The creature's body twisted from the impact before crashing down into the dirt. Without hesitation, Edwin's sword drove into its throat.
The air was alive with bloodlust. Wolves circled, searching for openings, but every attempt was met with brutal resistance. A knight with an axe stepped forward, kicking a wolf in the chest as it lunged. The force sent the creature sliding back, and the axe came down with a crunch.
Another knight, dual-wielding short swords, used a wolf's momentum against it. As it lunged, he dropped low, one sword slicing through its hind leg while the other drove up into its chest. He spun as another wolf closed in, cutting through its neck in one clean strike.
The knights' aura surged with every movement, their forms glowing brighter as the battle dragged on. Their strikes carried an unnatural force, each blow shattering bones and throwing wolves aside.
The wolves attempted to flank, spreading out to test the crescent's edges, but Edwin saw it coming. "Flankers! Close the gaps!"
The knights at the far ends stepped out to meet the attack. A knight with a mace moved with surprising agility, ducking under a snapping jaw and driving the weapon upward into the wolf's skull. He turned instantly, catching another wolf mid-leap with a backswing.
On the other side, a knight with a longsword parried a lunging bite, the blade catching the wolf's jaw and twisting its head aside. Before it could recover, she shifted her weight and drove her knee into its chest, knocking it back. Her sword followed, slicing clean through its throat.
Captain Edwin's shield struck another wolf down, the impact reverberating through his arm. As he straightened, his gaze flicked briefly over his shoulder, searching instinctively for Ophelia. The empty space where she had stood moments ago sent a chill down his spine.
"Where is she?" Edwin's voice rose sharply, cutting through the clash of steel and the snarling chaos. "Where is she?!"
Alexandra, nearby, caught his tone and turned her head just enough to notice the same. Her golden eyes widened, panic flashing across her face as her grip on her longsword tightened.
"She was right there!" Alexandra shouted, her voice filled to the brim with disbelief.
Edwin's chest tightened. For a moment, doubt clawed at him, threatening to disrupt his focus. Had she abandoned them? Was she taken? But that thought was quickly dismissed. He knew Ophelia—whatever her reasons, she wasn't reckless. She wouldn't vanish without a plan.
Alexandra's panic mirrored his own, her movements becoming almost frantic. She parried a leaping wolf with a heavy swing, her breathing quickening. "Edwin, we can't—" she began, but another pair of wolves rushed her, forcing her words into silence.
Edwin's jaw clenched. "Focus! Hold the line!" he bellowed, his voice snapping like a whip. The wolves were relentless, their numbers seeming to swell by the second, and their defensive crescent was at its limit.
Alexandra's teeth ground together as she thrust her sword through a wolf's ribs, pivoting to slash at another that came too close. Her eyes darted toward the forest, as though willing Ophelia to reappear, but all she saw was more movement in the trees—a second wave, bigger than the first.
"She wouldn't do something rash," Alexandra growled, more to herself than to Edwin, as she planted her boot into a wolf's chest and shoved it backward. "She's too calculated for that!"
"Then she has a plan!" Edwin shouted, bracing his shield against the impact of two wolves slamming into it simultaneously. He shoved them back with a roar, his sword cleaving through one as it stumbled.
Despite his words, his gut twisted. The wolves were adapting. Some circled wide, testing for gaps, while others hurled themselves at the line with suicidal ferocity, attempting to break their formation at the cost of their own lives. Even with the knights' overwhelming strength, the battle was tipping toward chaos.
Another knight beside Alexandra cried out as a wolf's claws raked across his arm. Alexandra spun toward him, her blade a flash of silver and gold aura as it severed the creature's head. Her breath came in short bursts, her thoughts racing. She knew Ophelia wasn't a fool, but the uncertainty of her disappearance gnawed at her resolve.
"FUCK! ALRIGHT! SHE'S GONE! FORM A CIRCLE! WE MUST PROTECT OUR LIVES AT THIS MOMENT!" Captain Edwin ordered at the top of his lungs.
Deep in the forest, Ophelia slowly walked, her figure barely disturbing the fallen autumn leaves beneath her feet. The muted sounds of the clash carried through the trees, guiding her steps as she kept the battle within sight. Her gaze swept over the scene in the clearing, where the Holy Knights fought valiantly to hold their ground, their crescent formation now forming into a circular one.
Ophelia paused near a dense thicket, crouching low as her eyes shifted to the forest beyond. A second wave of wolves thundered through the undergrowth, their claws tearing at the earth as they rushed toward the clearing.
She stayed still, watching for a long moment before moving again. Each step was deliberate, her form blending into the shadows of the towering trees. The noise of the battle faded behind her as she ventured deeper into the forest. The path was darker here, the trees thickening and crowding out the moonlight.
Soon, she reached a place where the forest opened slightly. Ahead, a crimson shimmer flickered between the trunks. She advanced slowly, her eyes narrowing as the light grew stronger. Finally, she came to a stop, her breath steady as she observed the source of the wolves: a red portal, its surface rippling like liquid fire.
The wolves emerged from the portal in bursts, snarling as they hit the forest floor and immediately broke into a sprint toward the clearing. It was a horrifying sight. Something this rampaging could have wiped out an entire village.
"Hey. I know you are watching. If you wanted to test me, you should have done so face to face," Ophelia calmly spoke into the darkness.
"Hmmm…" A voice echoed back at her, coming from no apparent direction. It was almost like the wind, traveling everywhere. "I do not recall us meeting."
"We have not."
"Then how do you know me? Or is it just a guess…? A bluff? You are very good at that, are you not?" The voice thickened into something deeper, more chiseled.
"Sin O' Stegertath. Royal Attendant Stegertath. The one and only attendant to the Holy Emperor, Ginsalt the Second."
From the crimson-lit shadows, a figure began to take form, the very air around him twisting and darkening as though recoiling from his presence. Slowly, he materialized before Ophelia, his towering frame dwarfing hers by a full foot. Standing just over seven feet tall, the man's presence was commanding, almost suffocating, as though the weight of the void itself had settled upon the clearing.
A blood-red mantle cascaded from his shoulders, its edges embroidered with intricate, gold-threaded patterns resembling flames and twisting thorns. Beneath the mantle, his armor gleamed slightly, a masterpiece of blackened steel etched with extravagant designs that seemed to writhe and shift in the flickering crimson light. The armor's pauldrons flared outward, each one adorned with wickedly curved spikes, while his gauntlets ended in sharp, claw-like tips that glinted faintly as he flexed his fingers.
His face was pale, almost ghostly, framed by unkempt silver hair that fell in unruly strands across his sharp, angular features. Arrogantly, despite not being a king or emperor, A dark crown rested upon his head, its spindly, jagged spikes resembling charred branches reaching skyward. His eyes were pools of deep crimson, burning with a restrained intensity that made it impossible to discern his true intent.
As he leaned slightly forward, a single gauntlet rose to scratch his chin thoughtfully, his expression eerily confused yet wary, as though struggling to piece together a puzzle only he could see.
"I underestimated you," He spoke.
"You flatter me."
"..."
"..."
The two paused, watching each other carefully before the royal attendant broke the silence.
"I do not like the way you talk. Each word of yours is… how do I put it…?" His expression churned with an eyebrow ever so slightly raising. "Laced with lies? Plunged in venom? Forged with the heart of a demoness? I could go on…"
"You have saved me some time by coming to me. I thank you for that."
"Oh? You were going to come to me?"
"Yes. I wanted to offer a few words of advice."
"Advice? For me?" The man lightly chuckled. "I am typically the one advising, but, go ahead. I would love to hear what kind of advice you have for me," He continued condescendingly.
"Keep a tighter leash on your demoness pet. She might backstab you if you are not careful."
"Hm? My sweet Jenna? Is she causing you trouble?"
Ophelia shrugged before rolling her eyes. "When arrogance comes, shame will follow, but wisdom remains with the humble."
The man smirked lightly with it soon turning into a wide smile. "Quite a lot of wisdom coming from somebody so arrogant."
Ophelia couldn't help but crack a slight grin. "Acknowledging your arrogance is not a sin; refusing to refine it is. Let your arrogant pride drive you to act boldly, but your wisdom ensure you act rightly."
"Do you only speak in quotes or are you lecturing me?"
"Advice for somebody on the track to destruction."
"Sigh… well, it seems you have already figured out my true intentions. And I am sure you have figured out who has sent me, correct?"
"Still trying to test me?" Ophelia lightly smirked. "The Emperor would never send you to do something like this. Especially with how he is now…"
The man's expression rippled with calculative confusion, looking the woman before him up and down and then squinting, clearly unsettled. He said no more, but disappeared into the darkness with an expression that clearly said…
"Know your place…? I have been getting that a lot, huh?"