Before Arvian could even process what had happened, Dareth vanished from the rooftop in a blur, leaving him stunned.
In an instant, Dareth reappeared behind the man who had spotted them. One knee bent to the ground, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his sword, still sheathed.
Before a thin red line appeared down in the middle of his head, the man stood motionless for a moment, his face twisted in fear and confusion.
With a faint whoosh, the man's body collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The blow had been so quick, so accurate, that it had passed before anyone could even understand it.
Heart thudded against his chest, Arvian gazed at Dareth. 'So this is Dareth..but...I had imagined it differently while reading lol...'
Slowly getting to his feet, Dareth maintained his composed expression as though nothing had occurred. In a low, authoritative voice, he spoke without looking back.
"Don't stare at me like that; come down; we need to hurry or else we wil get noticed by someone else."
Despite landing unsteadily, Arvian was able to maintain his balance after jumping from the roof. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dareth turned to him, his voice firm and icy.
"We'll split up. You take the left side, house by house. I'll head straight for the crowd in the centre," Dareth said, not even glancing back.
"Wait! What if—" Arvian started, but Dareth was already walking away, his cloak trailing behind him.
Arvian's hands clenched, fear and frustration churning within him.
Does he even give a damn if I survive? Nah he trusted me...' he thought.
He heard the faint murmurs of the villagers' voices transform into terrified screams as Dareth vanished into the crowd. The nightmare for village had begun.
Arvian took a deep breath and, clutching the Soul Render blade, turned to face the houses on the left.
'Alright... you've survived worse. You can handle this.'
Arvian could already hear thin footsteps coming from one of the houses.
Arvian steadied himself, pressing his back against the rough wall. His hands were shaking as he held the Soul Render blade, and his breath was shallow. With the corner of his eye, he peeked around the edge of the wall.
It was a woman—likely a villager, unarmed and unsuspecting.
He gritted his teeth under the mask and closed his eyes for a moment. 'I have to do it. There's no other way.'
Arvian made a single, quick move as the woman approached with gentle yet firm footsteps. He swung the blade, its edge cutting cleanly through her neck before she could even react.
The woman fell to the ground with a muted thud as her body fell. Blood pooled at his feet, staining the dirt.
For a moment, Arvian stood motionless, gazing at his actions. His grip on the blade tightened as his heart raced. He told himself that this was neccesary, trying to suppress the guilt that was eating at him.
He stepped over the body, his eyes now cold and focused.
He was reminded that there was no room for hesitation by the frantic chaos and faint cries coming from the center of the village.
Arvian moved from house to house, quickly and quietly. He didn't think, didn't hesitate. The cries and screams of the villagers filled the air as he ended each life. The blood was everywhere, covering the ground. He couldn't stop.
Outside, Dareth had already taken down many of the villagers in the centre. Bodies were lying in the alleys, in windows, and shops. The village was in ruins. But some people were still running, shouting and screaming for help.
Then, Dareth was face to face with a old bald man holding a sword. This man was different; he appeared to be a skilled fighter. Dareth was aware that the fight would be difficult. For a moment, both men stood motionless, their gazes fixed on each other. It was obvious that this fight would only end with one person leaving.
Simultaneously, both men swung their swords forward, making a loud, sharp clashing noise, crossing their blades. They withdrew rapidly, their intensely focused gazes fixed on each other.
After a heartbeat of silence, Dareth's lips whispered the incantation, "Dragon fire flames," as his fingers moved quickly.
Abruptly, flames shot out of his mouth and spiraled upward. It became bigger and bigger, forming into a huge, roaring dragon with flames circling its body. The dragon's fiery eyes locked onto the opponent, and it charged toward the man with immense speed and force.
The other man, however, was no amateur. He made his own spell with a flick of his fingers. He yelled, "Water wall!" and a stream of water poured out of his mouth, swirling in a strong vortex before it met the dragon.
The fire dragon collided with the water wall, and the two forces clashed in a storm of steam and hissing noise. The dragon's fiery roar was met with a rushing, crashing sound as the water tried to contain it. Neither of the two elements gave up in their fierce battle.
There was a spooky silence for a moment as the steam cloud engulfed them both. Then, out of the fog, Dareth's eyes shone brightly, and the fire dragon became more powerful, its flames burning the air around it. The water wall started to deteriorate, but the man was not done yet. With a deep breath, he cast once more, calling forth a wave of water to lash out at the flames, his fingers tracing an arc in the air.
Dareth was completely focused on controlling his spell, his eyes locked on the swirling fire dragon as it fought against the water. A flash of movement, however, caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Now standing behind him, the same man swung his sword high into the air.
The man's stance changed in anticipation of a fresh blow, and the sword shone in the low light.