The giant

The first three soldiers were easy for Sir Jacke to get through. After that, it became increasingly difficult. Aswil's soldiers used mana-enhanced weapons. He did not want to waste his Holy Energy yet, as he knew that he would have to use it against the metallic monster.

Before he could think any further, more soldiers jumped over the makeshift fortifications of the village. With a practiced turn, he decapitated the first two. But the next one managed to block his blow.

But Sir Jacke took advantage of his opponent's poor landing and sliced open his belly. As the next soldier lunged at him, Sir Jacke felt the crushing weight of the mana-enhanced weapon. He deftly dodged, danced around the attacker, and delivered a precise thrust into the gap between helmet and breastplate.

The soldier staggered back, surprise in his eyes, before collapsing to the ground.

But the onslaught of attackers showed no signs of abating. They came over the barricades in larger and larger waves, their weapons gleaming in the pale moonlight. Sir Jacke felt the exhaustion in his muscles, but he forced himself to keep fighting.

A loud crash stopped him. The metallic monster! He had almost forgotten that it was still a threat.

'How had Aswil managed to construct such a thing?'

Determined, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the moment instead. He parried another blow, spun around and brought his opponent down with a well-placed kick. But as he looked around, he realized that the overwhelming force of the enemy seemed unstoppable.

It would be an uphill battle to defend the village and defeat the giant. Glancing to his right and left, he saw his soldiers being pushed farther and farther back. He made a decision.

Raising his voice above the din of battle, he commanded:

"RETREAT. FALL BACK TO THE CHURCH."

The soldiers obeyed. Within moments, they were all standing in front of the church, resuming their positions. But then the unexpected happened. Instead of the soldiers, the metallic giant entered the square.

The ground shook beneath their feet. Now, with the monster right in front of him, cold sweat ran down Sir Jack's forehead. His soldiers weren't much better off.

Sir Jacke was just gathering his courage and his last ounce of strength when the giant raised his cannon. The inside of the cannon began to glow orange, and in the next moment, a fireball struck next to Sir Jacke.

In a matter of seconds, the device had killed half of his men. "In the name of Iona, how am I supposed to deal with this?" Sir Jacke thought.

A second fireball struck the other side of Sir Jacke. He felt the anger boiling inside him as he saw the loss of his men. But he forced himself to keep a clear head. He knew he had to act quickly to save his remaining comrades.

"Take cover behind the church walls!" he shouted loud and clear, positioning himself in front with his sword drawn, ready for the next attack. The remaining soldiers immediately obeyed and ducked behind the massive walls of the church.

The giant aimed his cannon again, but this time Sir Jacke was prepared. He raised his sword to the moon and focused his holy energy in a quick prayer to Iona. A shimmering barrier of light manifested in front of him, and the giant's fireball bounced off it, causing no damage.

The recoil from the impact momentarily staggered Sir Jacke. 

When the soldiers saw that their commander was once again unharmed, they breathed a sigh of relief. But the battle was far from over. The metallic giant began to move, and with each step it took toward the church, it made the ground shake.

Sir Jacke addressed his soldiers once more: "Take cover. You have no chance against it."

In the next moment, the giant's blade flew towards Sir Jacke. Just in time, he managed to block it. Sir Jacke felt the force of the impact as the giant's blade struck his sword. His muscles burned and his arms began to tremble.

But he didn't give up. With a mighty thrust, he pushed the giant's blade back and lunged forward, his sword raised to counterattack. The swords clashed, metal against metal, in a duel of strength.

Sir Jack felt the sacred energy surge within him, and he unleashed it. A glow enveloped his sword as he unleashed the aura of the Goddess Iona. Each strike was now infused with divine power, and his attacks became faster and more powerful.

But the giant was no easy opponent. With every move he made, he threatened to crush Sir Jacke. The ground shook beneath his feet as he struck with brute force. Sir Jacke skillfully dodged, parried, and inflicted damage on the giant whenever possible.

But the battle was not only physical. Sir Jacke could feel the exhaustion creeping into his body and the doubt rising in his mind. The voice of doubt whispered to him that he wasn't strong enough, that he would fail. But he pushed it aside and focused on his faith in Iona and his determination to defend his country.

With a bold leap, Sir Jacke reached a weak spot in the giant's armor and drove his sword deep into it. A hiss escaped from inside the giant, and for a moment it seemed they had won.

But then something unexpected happened. A hatch on the giant's belly opened and a man emerged. He grinned mockingly, his eyes glittering with superiority.

"You see, simple knight," the man taunted. "Nice try, but your fight is futile. Our science surpasses your goddess."

Sir Jacke gritted his teeth in anger at the man's arrogance. But before he could retort, the giant began to squeak. The arm with the blade turned into a hand.

With a sweeping motion, Sir Jacke was thrown against the church walls. Still grinning, the man used the giant's hand to pull Sir Jacke's sword from his armor.

The next moment, the remaining soldiers rushed out of the church, swords drawn, and stood in front of Sir Jacke. They wanted to support their fallen commander.

Sir Jacke tried to stop them, knowing that they still had no chance against the giant. But his body wouldn't obey, and he watched as his own sword was used by the giant to kill his soldiers.

Sir Jack screamed in horror and rage as he watched the carnage unfold before his eyes. But he was alone, his men had fallen, and the giant still stood before him, ready to destroy him.

The man leapt from the giant and took the sword. Behind him, more soldiers took up positions.

For Sir Jacke, time seemed to stand still. In front of him he saw the burning village. Dead soldiers lay everywhere, those who had followed him into battle, believing in their land and their goddess.

In the next moment, he felt cold metal pierce his chest. When he looked up, he saw the stranger's face right in front of his own. The man only whispered:

"So this is how it ends for you. And where is your goddess?"

Then Sir Jacke's vision went black.