Fallen

"Haah... Haah..."

Wald was exhausted, his body weakened by the loss of blood. He could barely lift his axe, but he still forced his body, even if it were to bleed more. As Mikail approached, Wald swung his axe with all his might. The impact was strong, but it was not enough to pierce through Mikail's armor.

Mikail spat out blood as he fell to the ground. But he slowly stood up, his whole body was shaking, even more enraged.

Unable to lift his axe any longer, Wald used his arms to push back Mikail, who was mounting him, now with seething anger.

"Kahaargh!"

Mikail's face contorted with pure hatred, his teeth bared threateningly as if he were about to rip Wald's face apart with it.

"Get off, you damned monster!"

In that moment, as he struggled to defend himself from a mere young man; Wald finally understood the true difference between them.

Mikail was far more brutal, like a beast feeding on destruction.

The killing intent emanating from him simply could not be stopped by merely admitting defeat.

...

Deep within the forest, the troop of Winthrope knights galloped towards the source of the scream.

"Good gods... What has happened here..." one of the knights mounted on an armored horse muttered.

All of them looked around the quiet forest, almost everywhere they looked, there was blood and dead bodies of their enemies.

As their troop moves deeper into the forest, the more the bodies and gore are seen.

"Commander."

***

Commander Gallahan Wallace, third commander of the Winthrope knights. Black haired and eyes. He is a fierce, intelligent and determined proud knight that few could match.

He wears a suit of iron armor and pauldrons designed with the head of a phoenix, all inlaid with gold. A long sword, which is as much a part of him as his own arm, always at his side.

On the battlefield, Gallahan is known for his grace and fluidity as a swordsman. Years of training and experience have made him a force to be reckoned with. His presence commanded respect and admiration from all who stood before him.

Gallahan is a formidable leader, skilled in both strategy and combat. His men respected him not only for his prowess on the battlefield, but also for his loyalty and dedication.

And though he is feared by his enemies, Gallahan is known to be chivalrous. A reasonable and forgiving man who always seeks the path of honor and righteousness.

"...We will continue," said Gallahan.

The clanging noise of swords could be heard from a distance as they moved towards.

"Could that be sir Sigfred's troop?" one of the knights said.

Gallahan felt a sudden burst of unease and quickly raised his arm, cueing his men to prepare.

"With haste!" Gallahan exclaimed as he and his men quickly galloped towards the source of the sound.

As they made their way inside the enemy camp, they came across a small group of Novamantus knights who were cornered by the enemies.

Despite their remaining numbers, they held their ground firmly. Based on the armor they wore, it appeared that they were Winthrope knights as well.

Gallahan's eyes widened at the sight of Sigfred's body lying on the ground, cut in half.

"On your command, sir," said one of the knights.

Without hesitation, he signaled his troops to attack the enemies from behind.

His men quickly unsheathes their blade and raised their spears.

Their horses rallied towards the enemies who were unaware of the intervention.

Their spears pierced their necks and swords swung over their neck.

"Novas—urgh...!" a Skogzgard knight shouted, only to get his throat pierced by one of the Novamantus knights.

"These Novamantus bastards are flanking us! We're getting flanked!" exclaimed another Skogzgard soldier.

The Skogzgard archers turned their gaze towards Gallahan's men that were attacking behind, but the Novamantus knights were too fast as they rode on their horses.

"Aack!"

Their heads flew into the air and their bodies were trampled; with the enemy's supporting troops gone, the tides had turned towards the Winthropes.

"Kya!"

The enemies' headless bodies squirmed like worms on the ground.

"Aaaah!"

"We need more men to support behind!" the Skogzgard knight bellowed, frustration on his voice.

"Aah!"

As Gallahan looked at the dead bodies scattered around, he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that washed over him.

"Commander."

Despite the relief that this was done by an ally, the brutal massacre had clearly been carried out by someone with extraordinary skills.

"Commander!"

"Ah...What is it?"

One of Gallahan's knights informed him that it was all Mikail's doing. Apparently, he had taken down these hundreds of enemies all by himself.

"...All by himself?"

The knight then nodded, surprised as well.

The reinforcing knights in front had fought fiercely, and the enemy casualties were staggering.

Gallahan's gaze shifted to Yaras, who lay nearby, his left arm severed and bleeding profusely.

"..."

"Swiftly now! Tend to Yaras' wounds with all haste! We must quickly get away from these brutes," one of the knights urged the other knights that were helping Yaras.

The battle raged on, and slowly, Skogzgard's numbers started to diminish. Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Wald struggled and cried out like a baby, begging someone to get Mikail off of him. But the battle was too fierce and loud, and his weakening voice couldn't be heard.

"Help! Get this... hound away from me!" he had lost so much blood that he couldn't even speak properly.

The moment had arrived for the commander to make his move. He could no longer watch his men struggle while he sat and watched.

With a swift motion, he drew his blade from its sheath and raised it towards the sky. The blade of his sword glinted in the bright sunlight.

"Hyah!" Gallahan spurred his armored horse forward. Each swing of his sword was executed with deadly precision.

"Gaah!"

His attacks struck fear into the hearts of the enemies who ran away at the mere sight of him.

As he watched the enemies being pushed back, a knight approached him and said, "Sir, Mikail has lost it again."

The commander's gaze shifted to Mikail, who mounted the enemy knight like a hound in heat despite their vast difference in size.

"Aargh...!" Wald groaned as he struggled, attempting to punch Mikail in the face but it wasn't enough to stop him.

"Render him unconscious for the moment," the commander ordered, his voice was above whisper. Their conversation was spoken in quiet tones, barely heard amidst the chaos of the battle.

"Hey! H-Help me!"

Gallahan and his knight turned their heads, observing Wald who seemed to be begging for their help.

Gallahan and his knight then nodded to each other in silent agreement before the knight who talked with Gallahan started to approach Wald.

"Help... Quick!"

Using the hilt of his sword, the knight struck Mikail's nape, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground.

Wald felt slightly relieved that the monster had been incapacitated as he eased down on the ground, breathing heavily.

Gallahan then dismounted his horse and slowly approached the helpless Wald on the ground.

Wald turned his head, and with a faint smile on his lips, he said, "Commander Gallahan."

"..."

Gallahan stood before him expressionless, with both arms firmly clasped behind his back.

"Wald Schneider," he replied.

"You still remember my name, eh? Did you miss me?" asked Wald between labored breaths.

Gallahan's voice turned stern, "Look how far you have fallen, Schneider."

Wald scoffed and looked up at Gallahan, "Are you still a puppet of the gods, third commander?"

Gallahan's eyes twitched at Wald's remark. Without a word, he turned and said something to the knights that stood beside him.

Wald cackled, "Hah! That's right! You're still a slave to the gods! All of you Novas!"

As Gallahan turned his back and spoke to the knights, they nodded and marched towards Wald.

"Ho, Gallahan! I am not finished with you yet–" Without warning, the knights impaled both of Wald's wrists with their spears, pinning him to the ground and using their feet to hold his arms down as he squirmed in pain.

"F-Filthy cowards... urgh!" he cursed at them, but it only earned him heavy kicks to his face.

Gallahan continued walking towards the group of Sigfred, ignoring Wald's cries of pain, not even looking back.

"Gaargh! Damned slaves of gods!" Wald groaned.

Thud!

The kicks didn't stop until Wald's face turned gray and finally lost consciousness.

"Commander!" one of the Skogzgard knight attention shifted towards Wald who is getting beaten to death.

A sword swung directly towards the Skogzgard knight, "Let not yourself be distracted in a losing battle."

The knights of Skogzgard were in panic, and reinforcements were yet to arrive.

"The commander has fallen!"

"Curses! Retreat–!"

Swoosh!

"Gah...!"

"You should've just fled," spoke one of the knights from Winthrope.

"Well done, Owens!"

Some of the enemies fled towards further the forest, but Gallahan commanded them not to follow.

The Skog knight who was observing Sigfred's fight earlier watched as her allies began to get slaughtered one by one.

"We must leave now, this is our loss," said one of the Skogzgard knights mounted on a horse.

The female Skog knight raised her hood to conceal her face, her eyes glancing at Mikail who was unconscious before turning her back.

"Everyone, form a defensive line! We must protect the princess at all costs! Move out!"

The Skogzgard knights nodded and quickly formed a protective position around the princess, their weapons at the ready.

"Hyap!"

...

"Do not pursue the enemies! We need to finish this quickly and return to our camp before their reinforcements arrive!" Gallahan commanded. The knights nodded and made sure that the enemies lying on the ground were dead. They used their spears to pierce the enemies' necks.

"Kuukh..." groaned some of the fallen allied knights who were still breathing.

The surviving knights immediately prioritized them for help. "He's still breathing! I need help here!" cried one of them.

Meanwhile, beneath a large tree by the side of the camp, a group of Winthrope knights were sitting.

"Ggghh..." Yaras groaned in pain.

The knights tried their best to stop the bleeding while the others that were injured took a rest.

"Commander Gallahan!" one of the surviving knights from Sigfred's troop stood up and removed his helm.

"At ease. How is Yaras?"

The knight furrowed his brow and replied, "Sir Yaras has lost his arm, and he has bled heavily from the overexertion."

Gallahan tapped the knight's shoulder and smiled, "You have done well, William."

Gallahan walked around, looking at the massacre. The unconscious Mikail leaned on the tree. As he walked further, he finally saw what he was looking for: Sigfred's body.

He slowly approached Sigfred's body and knelt down, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes.

"?..."

After a short silence, he stood up and touched the hilt of his sword, sheathed at his waist.

Noises of running wheels and galloping horses could be heard from afar, indicating the arrival of the allied carriages.

"Prepare for departure."

"Yes, sir!"

The knights carefully carried the wounded soldiers and prepared to depart from the enemy's territory. Wald, now stripped of his heavy armor, was gingerly lifted by the knights.

They bandaged his bleeding wrists before securing him with shackles in order to prevent him from attempting to escape.

The lifeless bodies of the other fallen knights were left behind, but not forgotten. Their swords were retrieved as a tribute for their honorable deaths.

Sigfred was no exception.