-Author
A heavy silence settled over the battlefield. The war was almost avoided.
Then…
Screams.
The ground trembled under the sudden footsteps. Hundreds of figures emerged from the shadows, a swarm of masked assassins flooding the battlefield. They struck with terrifying speed, heading straight for Drayton's forces, straight for the princess…
They didn't attack the devotion army… this is a well-thought-out plan to put the blame on them.
"Ambush!" someone shouted.
Drayton's army, though disciplined, was in a difficult position. Many of his soldiers were still holding prisoners, unable to fight freely, but they responded quickly. Backup forces rushed in, swords drawn, shields raised, arrows rained down, clashing with the enemy in an instant.
But now everyone saw why they are known as the strongest soldiers; they stand strong in front of them, despite their large numbers.
Keven was at the center of it all.
Surrounded by enemies, he moved like a force of nature, his sword cutting through them with effortless precision. A soldier rushed at him, Keven sidestepped, dodging him, his blade slicing through his attacker's armor with terrifying ease. Another came from behind, and without turning, Keven spun his weapon back, the steel edge tearing through flesh. Three more charged at once, hoping to overwhelm him. Keven ducked under the first attack, grabbed the second attacker's arm, and twisted (snapping bone) before kicking the third straight in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground. He barely seemed out of breath.
But the enemy's numbers were relentless.
Yuri's voice cut through the noise. "Shields up! Stay together! Wait for my order!".
Devotion soldiers rushed into formation, shields locking together, waiting. They weren't the target.
But Drayton was.
Roy barely had a second to process what was happening before he saw it…
The princess and Elena were surrounded by forces. The chaos of battle spread everywhere, and Keven was now too distracted to protect them. A masked enemy rushed on Lily, raising his sword. Lily retreated in time, but another enemy came from the side, ready to attack.
Andrew screamed. "If she dies, we're screwed… GO!"
Roy's body moved before his mind did.
Then Roy and Andrew go forward.
The princess didn't have time to react. The enemy's sword was rapidly descending, but before it could reach her, a heavy blade (Andrew's sword) slammed into it, stopping the attack with a fierce force. The impact sent sparks flying as Andrew lunged forward, forcing the attacker to retreat. Before the enemy could recover, Roy was already there.
One clean, precise strike. A single motion. The attacker fell instantly.
Lily screamed, "Roy just gets me a sword I'll support you both"
Roy, without hesitation, threw her the sword from the person he had just defeated.
Lily effortlessly blocking strikes with her own blade. Roy eyes widened in surprise as she can hold her ground, she lands a hit with precision, swiftly countering and taking down one of the attackers.
"You're... not bad," Roy muttered
She shot him a brief, almost amused glance. " I've learned a few things," she replied.
Andrew was beside him, moving like a monster. His heavy sword swept through the enemies like they were nothing. One swing, three fell. Another one, two more.
Even Elena took a sword and started protecting the princess.
But they kept coming. Sophia tensed, ready to rush in, but…
"Stay back!" Yuri's voice was sharp, final. "Only Roy and Andrew there, no one else!"
Roy saw another attacker break through and aiming to the back of lily. Too fast, too close, his instincts screamed... And then he moved. He grabbed her wrist, yanking her to him and put his arm around her.
For a split second, her face was inches from his. Those blue wide eyes, full of shock.
Roy didn't look. He blocked the attack, then turned, twisting her behind him as he struck down the next enemy. A sharp breath escaped her lips.
No time to think. Andrew and Roy moved together, their blades dancing in sync. The attackers were skilled, but the brothers were stronger. Where Roy was precise, Andrew was forceful. Where Andrew struck, Roy followed, filling every gap.
An unstoppable rhythm!
But the next attack came already.
A wave of assassins broke through, surging toward the princess.
Andrew crashed into the first with a brutal strike, his heavy sword cleaving through armor with terrifying ease. He spun, bashing another with his shield, sending the man flying back.
Roy moved beside him, fast, precise. His blade danced, cutting down one assassin before they could even raise a weapon. He ducked, slid under an incoming strike, and slashed upward, blood sprayed, another enemy down.
The two brothers fought like they had done it a thousand times. No wasted movement. No hesitation. One blocked, the other struck. One fell back, the other covered. Nothing could break them.
Yuri watched, his sharp eyes assessing the battlefield. "Damn good, finally got to see these two in action" he muttered under his breath. Then he turned and noticed, Keven was surrounded.
Keven fought brutally, his sword a silver blur, but there were too many. He cut down one, another took their place. A blade nearly reached his back, Then Yuri moved, with no hesitation and without words. Just speed…
In a flash, he was beside Keven. His fist slammed into an assassin's chest with bone, shattering force. The man was dead before he hit the ground.
Keven barely spared him a glance; for now, they fought side by side.
Yuri's voice rang out again, sharp and commanding. "Cover their backs! Help them push forward!"
Sophia, Crimzo and Some of his soldiers broke from formation and rushed to aid the Drayton forces, cutting down enemies before they could overwhelm Keven's men.
Sophia moved first. She got her spear, then drove it straight through an enemy's face. She yanked it free and twirled. She was fast, elegant, but ruthless. Then there was Crimzo, who was shooting the enemy with his bow and arrows quickly and accurately and using his sword skilfully at close range.
The battlefield was chaos, filled with the sound of steel clashing and men shouting orders.
Then, arrows rained down.
Roy moved fast, dodging the first few, his sharp eyes tracking their paths. But there were too many.
Before he could react, Andrew stepped in, raising his shield. The arrows hit the metal, deflecting them away.
"Stay focused!" Andrew said, keeping his shield up.
But then, another arrow cut through the air; this time, aimed at the princess.
Roy didn't hesitate. He moved instantly, closing the distance between them in a blink.
The princess barely turned, "Roy, don't…".
Roy reached her, protecting her with his body just as the first arrow struck…
The first arrow struck Roy's arm. Then another. The third buried itself into his shoulder, but the armor absorbed some of the impact. He barely flinched.
The princess's eyes widened, gripping the sword he had given her. "You're hurt!"
Roy pulled one of the arrows free, his expression unreadable. "It's nothing."
She frowned. "That's nothing?!"
Before she could argue, Sophia rushed in. Her red eyes scanned Roy's injuries, worry clear on her face.
"Roy, let me treat your wounds." She was already reaching for him, ready to help.
But Roy stepped back. "No."
Sophia froze for a second. "Roy, you're bleeding…"
"I said no," he repeated, his voice firm. "We don't have time."
Sophia clenched her jaw, but she didn't push further.
Andrew exhaled sharply, lowering his shield slightly. "You really don't know how to back down, do you?"
Roy met his gaze, his cold stare unwavering. "Backing down wasn't an option."
Andrew smiled, shaking his head. "I know. You did the best move."
Roy rolled his shoulder despite the pain, and grabbed his sword again.
At the same time, arrows were fired in the opposite direction.
From a distance, Crimson had already taken his position, raising his bow. With smooth, practiced movements, he fired arrows, each one hitting its target. Beside him, Darius, his trusted soldier, wearing a goggle over his eyes, worked just as efficiently with his crossbow, taking down the enemy archers one by one.
Slowly, the battle began to fade away. And finally growing quiet.
The last of the attackers fell, their forces completely broken. Bodies covered the ground… Too many lives lost on all sides. The Drayton army had suffered heavy casualties, but the attackers had been wiped out almost entirely. Even the Devotion army had its share of losses, although they should never have drawn their swords.
Both sides slowly retreated to their original positions, weapons still drawn but no longer raised. Only the doctors remained, moving carefully among the wounded, caring for the living, and close the eyes of the dead.
Kevin stood at the edge of the battlefield, his sword still in his hand, the blood of fallen enemies staining the ground beneath him. His sharp eyes scanned the destruction, the corpses, the wounded, and the confused soldiers on both sides still clutching their weapons. The battle was over, but the real trouble was just beginning.
Yuri approached him, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "You know that wasn't us." His voice was calm, but firm.
Kevin let out a slow breath, nodding his head. "I know." He turned slightly, looking at the Devotion troops in the distance. "This was the work of a third party. Someone who wanted this trade to fail." He tightened his grip on his sword. "And they almost succeeded."
Yuri studied him carefully. "Then you know what happens next."
Kevin exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "That's the problem. My father…" He paused, as if weighing his words. "He won't care about the details. He only cares about strength. He'll see this as a betrayal. And if I can't convince him otherwise…" He clenched his jaw. "Things will get out of hand."
Yuri's gaze didn't waver. "You don't seem like the type to let things get out of hand."
Kevin let out a dry laugh, but there was no humor in it. "You've never met my father." He turned to face Yuri fully, his expression colder now. "Drayton doesn't hold back. If I don't handle this properly, war is coming."
Yuri was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Then I will trust you with this."
Kevin held his gaze, understanding the weight behind those words. He had to find a way to stop Drayton from going into a full-scale war… But deep down, he wasn't sure if that was possible anymore.