After a brief rest by the fire, Ryo and Jin began to reorganize their thoughts following the previous battle. The forest surrounding them seemed to watch silently, every faint movement in the shadows amplifying the tension.
Ryo (looking at the sky):
"If we hadn't fought them here, how long would it have taken them to attack the innocent?"
Jin (in a sharp tone):
"Innocent? There are no innocents in this world. Everyone's just trying to survive in their own way."
Ryo (looking at Jin):
"That includes us too. But maybe… maybe we can fight for something better."
Jin doesn't reply, but his grip tightens on his sword as if trying to restrain his emotions.
Not far away, the attackers' leader, a massive man named "Zahl," was planning the second assault.
Zahl (angrily):
"Those two aren't ordinary. We need to gather more strength. We can't let them escape this time."
A soldier under his command:
"But they've already taken out nearly half of our forces. Shouldn't we retreat?"
Zahl (shouting):
"Retreat is not an option! If we don't capture them, they'll tear our system apart!"
As Jin and Ryo made their way toward the nearest city, hoping to seek help or scout the area, they heard strange movements in the darkness.
System (in Ryo's mind):
"Alert! Enemies approaching from all directions. Prepare yourself."
Ryo (raising his voice):
"Jin, we're surrounded."
Jin immediately draws his sword, his features stoic but his eyes alight with confidence.
Jin (calmly):
"It's always like this. Nothing new."
The ambush begins suddenly. Dozens of soldiers surround them, with Zahl advancing at the center, his massive sword in hand and a savage expression on his face.
Zahl (laughing):
"At last, you're in my grasp. Are you ready to die?"
Ryo (calmly):
"That depends… are you ready to lose everything?"
Jin charges in first, as always, his assault fierce and direct. His sword tears through the enemies' front lines like an unstoppable storm.
Jin (shouting):
"If you think numbers are enough to take us down, think again!"
Ryo, on the other hand, uses smarter tactics. He watches the enemies' movements, taking advantage of critical moments to strike and covering Jin when needed.
System (to Ryo):
"Beware of a side attack. There's a sniper targeting you from above."
Ryo (responding quickly):
"Spotted him. I'll handle it."
Ryo leaps toward the sniper, using the environment to his advantage. He scales the trees with lightning speed before delivering a decisive blow to neutralize the threat.
As the soldiers try to keep Jin occupied, Zahl strides toward Ryo, swinging his massive sword in a crushing attack.
Zahl (shouting):
"You're the clever one, aren't you? Let's see how long you last!"
Ryo barely dodges the blow, the ground shaking under the sword's impact.
Ryo (mockingly):
"You talk a lot. Let's see if your muscles match your words."
The fight between Ryo and Zahl is intense. Ryo relies on his speed and wit to evade Zahl's heavy strikes, while Zahl tries to overwhelm him with brute force.
After a long and grueling battle, Ryo lands a powerful strike that forces Zahl to retreat, while Jin finishes off the remaining soldiers.
Jin (angrily):
"We could've ended this faster if you weren't so busy thinking!"
Ryo (breathing heavily):
"And thinking is what kept us alive. You need to stop relying solely on brute strength."
Before they can continue their argument, a message appears on Ryo's system screen:
"Alert: A greater threat approaches. Prepare yourselves."
Jin notices the change in Ryo's expression and asks:
Jin:
"What's happening now?"
Ryo (in a serious tone):
"This fight isn't over yet."