chapter 35
The commander on top of the canoe in the water was in a panic, desperately trying to think of an escape route, but the monster in front of him seemed weightless and moved with an incomprehensible speed. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape the imminent attack, and his wide eyes searched for help in vain.
Meanwhile, the commander of the soldiers, who was beside himself, heard one of his subordinates scream and quickly turned his head to look at Remy. The monster still stood there, watching them with a look of superiority, as if it was not afraid of them trying to escape.
The commander looked at the riverbank, trying to mentally calculate how long it would take to get out of the water without being killed by the monster in front of him. But before he could give any order, a deafening scream echoed through the air, making the soldiers cower and shiver.
Remy, with an inexplicable speed, attacked a soldier who was on top of the canoe with his spear and split him in half with a precise strike, making his guts and blood fly in all directions. The other soldiers inside the canoe were horrified, trying to fight back, but Remy cut each one of them with simple and diagonal movements, leaving them with no chance to escape or react.
In an instant, he put his foot in front of the canoe and jumped to another, attacking the other soldiers in that canoe and killing them quickly, with the same ease as he had done with the soldiers in the first canoe.
The other soldiers in the other two canoes jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to escape, but then they heard a sound of water falling into the water, and immediately realized that it was him. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to react before being cut in half at a speed that made the water split.
The commander and his soldiers, who were in their canoe, looked in shock at the dismembered members of the other soldiers floating on the water, as well as the blood that painted the crystal-clear river water. In the midst of this chaos, Remy was laughing, his red hair standing out even more because of the blood, and his striking eyes looking at them as if he had seen the death of each one of them. It was as if he was challenging them to face him, even though he knew they had no chance.
"You are the devil himself! How can you laugh at other people's suffering?" shouted the commander, angry at the apparent lack of empathy of that blasphemous being. Remy heard the officer's scream and tried to control his smile, but it was like a flame that burned on his face, difficult to put out.
"I'm sorry, your commander, but I'm excited. When I'm fighting, something inside me ignites, and this smile just escapes. I can't control it," he explained, scratching his head, in a sincere and conciliatory tone. However, the terror still showed in the commander's eyes, who couldn't understand how someone could feel pleasure in what was only pain and suffering for him.
"You! Insane devil! Your actions will lead you straight to hell!" shouted the commander, enraged by the presence of the blasphemous being before him. Remy heard the insult, but felt deeply unjust. Why were different beings always the ones who suffered in that world?
"Damn it! Why do you insist on calling me a demon when your own actions are extremely cruel and abusive? Who is the real demon here?" asked Remy, his irritation starting to take over his body. He jumped out of the water, channeling all his energy into a precise thrust with his spear.
The blow hit the commander's heart without any mercy. Rémy did not wait to hear his last words, nor did he care about the lack of mercy in his action. In a quick and lethal movement, he cut down everyone who was present on the boat, exhibiting skill and precision in his attacks. His face still showed a cold and calculating expression, but inside, the demon felt sick of the suffering and constant persecution he was subjected to.
"Anything that goes against you is considered a demon, even if it's not. Of course, I am too handsome to be one, so why am I called that?" Remy sat down, feeling truly unjustly treated. He shook his spear to clean the blood of the soldiers he had just killed. "I am not to blame for getting too excited. I end up letting out a smile, but that doesn't mean I'm enjoying what I'm doing." Remy commented as he walked through the canoes, collecting all the supplies he could find. Then he walked to the mainland and put everything on the ground, away from the river. "I guess I have to stay here until the next reinforcement and until they realize they changed the location to bring supplies." Remy spoke, looking at the water, which was full of pieces of meat from the enemy soldiers he had just killed. He gave a loud whistle, and soon several fish started appearing in the water, stirring it up. These fish started eating the meat that was on top of the water.
Remy watched the fish devouring the bodies of the enemy soldiers he had killed, while the water, once stained red, returned to its crystal clear transparency thanks to the tireless work of the hungry animals. "You're really hungry," he muttered, remembering the reason why he had gone into battle. Everything had been because of Jeanne, the beautiful lady whom he loved more than anything.
The young warrior contemplated the sunset, marveling at the beauty of nature. The water sparkled intensely, reflecting the colors of the fiery sky. Remy felt a mixture of emotions within him: the satisfaction of having fought for his beloved, the joy of having won the battle, and the fear of losing everything he had achieved.
He knew that, despite having fought for his own desires, life continued to renew itself and the beauty of nature persisted. It was a powerful reminder that, even in difficult times, there was always a light of hope to be found. Remy felt grateful to be there to witness the strength and beauty of nature, even amidst chaos and destruction. And above all, he felt grateful to have Jeanne by his side, to whom he dedicated all his love and courage.
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Meanwhile, on one of the roads leading to the city of Orleans, a caravan with 15 soldiers was making its way. In front of the wagon, the horses pulled quickly, while a man commanded the troop: "Let's go! We have to arrive before nightfall. Look around and check if there is no ambush!" The soldiers promptly began searching the tall grass on the road for possible hidden enemies.
"Commander, there's no one around here, it's all clear," said one of the soldiers, after checking the surroundings.
"Okay, you can proceed, but stay alert for anything," replied the commander, nodding in agreement. They continued their journey, getting closer and closer to the city of Orleans. As they approached their destination, the soldiers remained increasingly alert.
"Commander, it seems there's no ambush..." before the soldier could finish his sentence, an arrow pierced through his head, silencing him abruptly. All the soldiers who witnessed the event drew their swords and shields, while those who didn't have them, pulled out their spears. The archers, in turn, pulled their bows.
"Everyone, form a formation!" shouted the commander, alerting his men who quickly obeyed the orders.
Jean, who was hidden in the tall grass, spotted the approaching enemy soldiers and shouted urgently: "Men!! Now!" His voice echoed across the battlefield, and several French soldiers emerged from the grass around the road, pulling their swords with strength and determination.
The sound of the blades being unsheathed was chilling, and the enemy soldiers did not back down from the challenge. They advanced into close combat, their shields clashing against each other while their swords collided with a deafening metallic sound.
The battle was intense, and the French soldiers were at a disadvantage against their English enemies, who were better armed and more experienced in battles. But Jean, always a cunning strategist, had prepared a trick to help turn the tide in favor of the French.
"Arrows!" he shouted to the soldiers equipped with bows and arrows, and immediately the French soldiers who were fighting hand-to-hand with the English soldiers stepped back, making room for the rain of arrows that was to come.
Before the English soldiers could advance on the French soldiers who had stepped back, the arrows began to fly in their direction, whizzing through the air before hitting their targets. The English soldiers had to protect themselves from the projectiles, raising their shields in an attempt to shield themselves from the rain of arrows.
"Don't give them a break! Attack with all you've got!" Jean shouted loudly, determined not to let the English soldiers breathe for a moment. He ordered his men to charge again, regardless of the fact that the enemy soldiers were still recovering from the arrow attack moments before. "Don't lose heart, men! Use this opportunity to turn the tide in our favor!" The English commander did not lag behind and also ordered his soldiers to attack. The two armies clashed again in close combat, producing a deafening roar of shields, swords, and spears colliding. Knives flew everywhere, while the two commanders fought tooth and nail to emerge victorious.
But Jean knew that that carnage could not continue. Looking at the battlefield and seeing the fallen soldiers, he thought: "I can't allow this to continue." After all, he didn't want Jeanne's promise not to let any deaths occur to be broken.
"Retreat!" Jean shouted to the soldiers at his side. The soldiers obeyed what he said and soon each of them found a way to separate from the enemies and run back to the tall grass quickly. The English soldiers wanted to pursue them, but before they could, their commander ordered them to stop.
The English commander watched the French soldiers' retreat with suspicion. He knew he couldn't underestimate the enemy and ordered his soldiers to prepare for the next attack.
Jean fell silent for a few minutes, watching the movements of the enemy soldiers. He knew he needed a better plan to overcome his men's numerical and technological disadvantage.
Finally, he turned to his soldiers and said, "Soldiers, you are brave and strong. We cannot allow the enemy's superiority to stop us from fighting. Let's give it our all in this battle!"
The French soldiers shouted in unison, ready to follow their leader's orders.
Jean then ordered his soldiers to advance again, but this time in a calculated movement. Instead of attacking head-on, they split into smaller groups and attacked from the flanks, surprising the English soldiers.
The English commander realized Jean's strategy and ordered his men to regroup to deal with the attacks from the flanks. The battle became even more intense, with soldiers fighting hand-to-hand in all directions.
Jean led his men with courage and skill, fighting alongside them and giving precise orders. He realized that the battle was coming to an end and ordered one last attack.
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