Previously, on Sword Of Vengeance
A deafening roar shakes the earth as a blinding flash of light engulfs the horizon for a fleeting moment. Resulting in a massive, searing fireball that rises from the ground, illuminating the dense, mysterious forest in fiery hues of orange and yellow. Rippling the air with heat, and a towering mushroom cloud that billows upward, stemming an unrelenting column of ash and smoke.
As the cloud above blossoms outward, its edges glowed like molten metal, radiating destruction and power.
The ground trembles as shockwaves ripple through the air, scattering debris and shredded pieces of flesh in all directions.
General Bale groaned, rolling onto his side as the world spun around him. The high-pitched ringing in his ears drowned out the distant cries, leaving only muffled echoes of chaos.
He blinked hard against the haze clouding his vision.
Shaking his head, he planted his hand on the dirt to push himself up, swaying unsteadily on his knees before staggering on his feet.
The destruction before him was nothing but a total nightmare.
The carriages lay overturned, their splinted frames jutting out like broken ribs in the air.
Men stumbled through the wreckage, bloodied and crying out for help, while Others lay still, their lifeless bodies scattered like discarded dolls.
General Bale forced himself to move, legs trembling as he picked his way through the carnage. Severed limbs and shattered wood crunched underfoot, but he didn't stop.
He kept his eyes locked on the capsized carriages ahead, ignoring the desperate screams and heavy scent of blood that hung in the air.
The entire army is down.
General Bale slumped on his knees, calling Princess Lirl's name as he slid the door of the carriage open, pulling her out.
She appears to be bleeding somewhere from the head, but luckily, she's alive.
He caresses the ruffled strands behind her ears before tapping her cheek softly, trying to revive her.
And she regained consciousness, clutching at his arms and gasping desperately for air.
For minutes, she held on tightly to him, sobbing in his embrace, he patted her until he was sure enough that she had recovered from the shock of the explosion.
After that, he proceeded to save Jenny and abandoned the unconscious male in the carriage. As for Lord Azril, he had somehow, out of the carriage almost unscathed.
While he was still scooting around for the warriors that survived, he caught a glimpse of hundreds of leaf-like humanoid creatures emerging from all directions at the other end of the mysterious, dense forest.
All glistening with an almost fluid translucence, their forms mesmerize a blend of organic foliage and liquid grace. Composed of intertwining leaves, dripping with a shimmering, sap-like substance that pools at their feet.
Each of them, wielding a blade forged from silvered bark, its edges gleaming with an unnatural brilliance. Their eyes glow faintly, like amber lit from within, and their movements are both fluid and deliberate as if driven by an ancient purpose.
Each of their steps sounded like rustling leaves and trickling water. And their presence is both haunting and otherworldly.
Hurriedly, General Bale pulled the two carriages to hide Lord Azril, Princess Lirl and Jenny.
"My Lord, please remain here until the siege is over. No matter what, do not unveil your presence".
General Bale said to Lord Azril in salutation, glancing at Princess Lirl before he shut the door, but Princess Lirl held it in place so she could talk to him.
.
"Bale, will you be okay?"
Princess Lirl asked with concern etched on her face.
Rather than assuring her, his response proved she might be seeing the very last of him.
A bittersweet smile only formed on his lips.
"Your grace, all that matters is that you're safe. I'll be back "
He said firmly, gazing into her soul, and he slid the door shut.
Turning to face his rivalries, in deep breath. He witnessed the fall of his men one after the other at the feet of leaf-like humanoid creatures.
Bracing himself for the worst, he unsheathed his sword striding forward to welcome his foes in open arms.
And they closed in on him from all directions.
Then came a reaver attack from one of the leaf-like humanoids. Aiming at his neck.
But Bale knew better; a basic sword technique cannot do any damage to him, so he dodged absent-mindedly, enacting a treble scythe.
A high-level sword skill of three side-wipes while spinning.
Taking dozens of them down. But they weren't done with him yet.
They only screech in annoyance, rushing forward at him, enacting a joint fulcrum technique which leaves him no choice but to dock to his side.
Before he knew it, another sword attack came from one of the leaf-like humanoid creatures, and he heard a slithering sound tracing a rhombus shape on his abdomen.
He paused in disbelief.
One of his foes had managed to deliver a strike mark on him!
Although he had been suited in armour from neck to toe, there was something about those silvery glimmering blades of theirs that rendered the effectiveness of armours useless.
No wonder they could kill his men with ease.
The clothes underneath his armour are fast soaking up damp, which means he's bleeding at a rapid pace.
Realizing his mistake, he spun, enacting a flat two-sword skill that involved a horizontal slash from left to right followed by a second slash from right to left.
Other dozens of the leaf-like humanoid creatures dissolve into pulp instantly.
Sensing that his fighting pattern is quite different from the rest, they retreated a bit.
General Bale staggered but managed to push himself upright, his movement deliberate and measured. His chest rose and fell in steady breath as he surveyed the aftermath. Blood from the Leaf-like humanoid creatures streaked down across his face, dripping in uneven lines that mingled with the sweat on his brow.
The crimson stains contrast sharply with his battle-hardened features, amplifying the lethal aura that surrounded him. For a moment, the battlefield fell silent, except for the low hum of his sword as he tightened his grip.
Ready for whatever comes next.
Unfortunately, as if the Leaf-like humanoid creatures knew something was coming, they immediately split apart, creating a wide path for abnormally big and saw-like blades swinging and humming in his direction.
Bale's eyes bulged in surprise; the ripples that accompanied the incoming blade struck with such force that it dishevelled his hair, leaving him no choice but to retaliate with a swift slash of his sword.
.
CLAAAANGGG !!
As their swords clashed, a deafening roar of metal on metal filled the air sparks flying as the impact sent shockwaves through the surroundings.
General Bale's sword buckled under the force, trembling violently before it was wrenched from his grip, throwing him off balance. The sheer power of the strike sent him hurtling backwards; his body was propelled through the air like a ragdoll.
He crashed to the ground with a bone-jarring thud, landing in a chaotic roll. He tumbled uncontrollably, his body skidding over the earth until the back of his head slammed into the gnarled trunk of a half-shattered tree, the impact sending a sharp sting through his skull.
Dazed and disoriented, he sat against the bark, breath ragged, struggling to regain his senses.
The impact knocked the breath and strength from his body, leaving him paralyzed in a haze of pain. His head spun violently, the throbbing ache intensifying into a blinding unbearable headache.
For what seemed like an eternity, he remained motionless, his chest heaving with each laboured breath. Dark sticky blood erupted from his mouth in steady fountains, staining the ground beneath him before he finally collapsed, his body slumping to the side in an unceremonious heap.
He craned his neck, looking into the distance eyes fixated on his new foes like he just gained a new insight.
He gaped at his lower arms, amazed at the cuts and bruises on them, before slamming to the ground and pushing himself up.
The other Leaf-like humanoid creatures who were inferior to the new one, all crouched on their knees, bowing their heads in salutation.
This one, unlike the rest, appears to be taller, more muscular and more skilled than rest. Its sword also seems to harbour some sort of mysterious energy.
That must be their leader.
General Bale pushed himself upright, determination hardening his features.
With a sharp breath, he surged forward, his movements a blur of frantic energy. His legs coiled beneath him like a spring, and with a powerful thrust, he leapt into the air, his body bending into a perfect arc.
As he soared, his sword was raised high above his head, ready to strike with all his remaining strength. In a single, forceful motion, he brought the blade crashing down toward the muscular, leaf-like humanoid creature below.
His attack was deflected again, which shoved him in the opposite direction. But to his surprise, the Leaf-like humanoid creature was fast enough to catch up with him at an insane speed.
It vanished from its original spot, pulled General Bale closer to it, then balled its organic foliage and liquid hands into a fist, sending it right to his ribs and echoes of bones shattering and crunching followed.
General Bale let out a guttural grunt, his eyes widening as the pain surged through him. His forehead veins bulged, and blood poured from his mouth, splattering the ground the ground as his body caved inward under the impact.
The sheer brute power of the creature's punch was staggering. He marvelled at how something so organic could deliver such a brutal blow.
He crashed heavily to the ground curling in on himself, gasping for breath.
But the Leaf-like humanoid creature is not done yet.
It seized a handful of his hair, yanking him off the earth with a strength that left him helpless.
With a relentless force, it began pummeling his face, each punch sinking deeper until his features twisted grotesquely. Blood splattered from every force of the blow until its fist smeared with his blood.
It then releases him, kicking him into the air with a brutal force that sent him soaring before crashing to the ground in a crumbled heap.
General Bale coughed violently, blood spilling out of his mouth in a thick, choking burst as his body convulsed with effort.
A fiendish smile formed on its lip as it closed in on its prey. However, it snorted as its ears picked up the subtle sounds of hearts beating.
It frowned, and the dim light in its eyes glowed ferociously as it roared in anger.
It turned sharply away from General Bale and made its way to the carriages.
Ripping the door into pieces, it towers over Lord Azril and Princess Lirl domineeringly.
General Bale gruffed and groaned, endless sticky blood gushing down his mouth.
"No, please....don't do it."
General Bale pleaded weakly, trying desperately to crawl.
While Princess Lirl cowered in her Father's embrace, screaming in fear, he made a move that surprised Princess Lirl herself.
He pushes her at the Leaf-like humanoid creature, to buy himself time to flee.
But to Lord Azril's surprise, he chose to seize him first with terrifying strength, hurling him through the air before slamming him violently into the ground.
The impact left a massive crater and the earth crumbling beneath the force.
Watched in delightment as Lord Azril lay motionless for a moment, trembling as he struggled to draw in deep, laboured breaths. And blood trickling down from his nose staining the dirt beneath him.
Clinging to the thread of life, General Bale's swollen, bloodshot eyes flickered open just enough to catch a glimpse of the world around him, struggling to focus through the haze of pain and blurred vision.
He watched helplessly as the Leaf-like humanoid creature grabbed Princess Lirl by her hair sniffing at her.
"Hmmm, this one's blood is pure"
It chuckles.
As she screamed and struggled in a frantic effort to break free, the creature's growl deepened, its mouth expanding grotesquely in a horrific snarl.
With terrifying speed, it lunged towards her, its jaws narrowed dangerously as it aimed to bite her head off.