Chapter 24

Zarku's senses heightened after the transformation, his instincts sharpened like never before. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the vast human army in the distance, their ranks stretching across the horizon. With a surge of raw power, he propelled himself into the sky, defying gravity itself. Suspended in mid-air, hidden in the shadows, he became a silent predator, stalking his unsuspecting prey.

Time seemed to stand still as Zarku surveyed the scene below. The humans, oblivious to the impending terror, carried on with their preparations, unaware of the imminent danger lurking above. The tension in the air was palpable as if a storm was about to break loose.

With a malevolent smile curling on his lips, Zarku unveiled his sinister plot. His eyes glinted with a wicked gleam as he plans his evil scheme. Swift as a shadow, he plunged into the heart of the human army, his body transformed into an impenetrable fortress. Hurtling at breakneck speed, he descended like a merciless meteor, obliterating everything in his path. The earth trembled beneath the tremendous impact, leaving behind a gaping crater that bore witness to the destructive power he wielded.

Many soldiers perished from the brutal impact, their life forces extinguished in an instant. The air was thick with the stench of death, mingling with the acrid scent of blood-soaked earth. Zarku laughs, he surveyed the devastation, time seemed to slow to a crawl, the world around him fading into a hazy blur. And then, in the blink of an eye, a figure clad in shimmering silver armor emerged from the chaos, charging toward him with an unmistakable menace. The knight's sword gleamed ominously, poised to strike with deadly precision.

Zarku's instincts kicked in, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he swiftly raised his arm to intercept the attack from the sinister silver knight. The sheer intensity of the moment heightened his senses, amplifying the pounding rhythm of his heart. His arm now possessed a skin impenetrable like hardened steel, rendering any attempts from the knight's sword futile. The gleaming blade clashed against Zarku's impervious defense, a futile attempt to breach his invincible barrier.

Moments later the red knight joins in the battle with the silver knight on the blood-soaked battleground, Zarku's heart pounds with a mix of anticipation and dread. Memories of his previous encounter with her flood his mind. She had unleashed a devastating skill, slicing him into merciless pieces. The sheer force and precision of her attack had left him both awestruck and terrified.

Despite his weariness, Zarku's confidence surged. The newfound power coursing through his veins ignited a fierce determination within him. It promised to shield him from her lethal prowess, to prevent her from inflicting the same level of damage once again. With a primal roar, Zarku channeled even more power into his clenched fist, a beacon of defiance amidst the chaos.

Blocking off the relentless onslaught from both knights, Zarku's eyes darted to the distance. He spotted two other knights, one had to fight him previously and the other was an unfamiliar face. The one that had fought him before started to sprint towards him. The other, took a calculated detour, heading towards an unknown destination.

Alfred and Aella seethed with mounting frustration as their relentless assault proved futile against the formidable goblin king. Every swing of their weapons sapped their strength, leaving them drained and vulnerable. The taste of defeat loomed over them, mocking their efforts. But just as hope seemed to fade, Edward arrived swiftly, his eyes burning with determination, and joined the desperate battle. Still, even with his presence, the situation showed little signs of improvement.

"Kekekeke," Zarku, the goblin king, jeered, his laughter dripping with sadistic delight. "You cannot harm me with your feeble attacks."

With his raw strength, Zarku repelled the combined assault of the three warriors, defying their every move. In a swift motion, he leaped into the sky, his dark silhouette against the sun casting an ominous shadow over the battlefield.

"Take this!" Zarku's voice boomed, filled with malice, as he unleashed a torrent of fireballs from both palms. Each fiery orb, the size of a cannonball, hurtled toward them with lethal intent.

Edward's reflexes kicked into overdrive. He raised his shield, its surface shimmering with a protective enchantment, and chanted an incantation. The air crackled with his magic as a translucent barrier materialized, shielding Aella and Alfred from the imminent danger.

The explosive impact of Zarku's fireballs shook the ground, sending shockwaves of heat and debris through the air. The intense heat threatened to melt their defenses, the suffocating smoke clouding their vision. Just as the dust was about to clear, Edward saw a fist coming towards his protective barrier.

"When the fist collided with the mystical barrier, the entire shield trembled, threatening to shatter. Edward struggled to maintain control over his waning shield. Zarku grinned menacingly from outside the barrier, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. With a burst of rage, he delivered another powerful blow, causing a hairline fracture to appear on the once impenetrable shield. The team knew they were running out of time.

Alfred whispers to Edward 'Release the shield when his fist strikes again. I'll take that chance and strike him down with my blade." Aella too her grip tightening around her two-handed sword, prepared to intercept the approaching goblin king, her eyes ablaze with a mix of fear and resolve.

Zarku pulls back his fist, gathering strength and determination. With each passing second, the tension in the air thickened, then he threw his punch toward the protective shield surrounding Edward as if determined to shatter the barrier. In that critical moment, Edward's eyes narrowed with a vicious glint. His lips silently mouthed an incantation, releasing the shield at the last moment

Simultaneously, Alfred's instincts kicked into overdrive. Like a predator stalking its prey, he seized the opportunity with swift, calculated precision. With a seamless motion, he unleashed his blade, a deadly arc slashing through the air. Its trajectory aimed directly at Zarku's vulnerable armpit, where a hidden weakness might lie. It was a daring gamble that Alfred took. In the fierce battle where they fought earlier, he relentlessly aimed his strikes at different parts of Zarku's formidable body, yet his adversary's defense remained impenetrable, leaving Alfred unable to inflict any damage.

But now in this crucial moment, Alfred manage to cut him, and a line was drawn across Zarku's vulnerable armpit. Suddenly, as if the gates of hell had burst open, a torrent of pitch-black blood gushed forth from the cut.

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Aella seized her chance with calculated precision. With a swift thrust of her mighty great sword, she pierced the very wound where Zarku's lifeblood spilled, causing a shudder of anticipation to ripple through the air. As her blade found its mark, Aella's body spun in a mesmerizing whirlwind of lethal intent. The thrust transformed into a cataclysmic tornado, tearing through flesh, sinew, and bone, ultimately severing Zarku's right arm from his body in a horrifying spectacle.

The entire sequence, from the moment Edward released his shield to the instant Zarku's limb was mercilessly ripped away, unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving all witnesses gasping in disbelief and terror. Time seemed to stand still as the battlefield bathed in the eerie silence that follows a swift and merciless strike.

Zarku emitted a piercing scream, his left arm lashing out with menacing intent toward Aella. But before the strike could connect, Alfred swiftly positioned himself, intercepting the incoming blow with a resounding clash. Sensing the urgency, Edward invoked a spell of supernatural speed, his movements becoming a blur as he raised his shield and charged headlong at Zarku. The sheer force behind Edward's assault sent shockwaves through the air, violently toppling Zarku to the ground in a thunderous crash.

The trio exchanged glances, their eyes filled with determination, with hearts pounding, they launched themselves back into the offensive. Alfred, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, strategically targeted Zarku's weak points, his strikes growing fiercer with every blow. They had discovered the goblin king's vulnerability - a flaw in his defense hidden beneath his arm joint. Exploiting this newfound knowledge, they ruthlessly and relentlessly attacked.

Zarku, realizing his weakness had been exposed, retreated, his movements becoming increasingly defensive. He dared not raise his remaining arm, knowing it would leave him vulnerable. Instead, he relied on the agility of his legs, launching both relentless attacks and desperate defenses. The air crackled with tension as the battle intensified, the clash of metal-on-metal echoing through the chamber.

Zarku let out a bloodcurdling scream, desperately attempting to launch himself into the air once more, but this time, the knights were prepared. Aella swiftly stepped onto Edward's shield, her body propelled skyward by his mighty strength, soaring even higher than Zarku himself. With a deft spin, she descended, her sword poised to strike at the vulnerable expanse of Zarku's neck. The impact was bone-shaking, yet miraculously, it did not sever his head. Instead, the sheer force of the blow sent shockwaves through Zarku's body, hurtling him back toward the unforgiving earth.

On the ground, Edward and Alfred stood poised for action. Alfred's hand clenched tightly around the time and space scroll, entrusted to him by Elizabeth, while Edward's grip tightened on the earthquake spell, crackling with latent power. The moment Zarku hit the ground Alfred release the spell in his scroll, the scroll trembled in Alfred's grasp, its ancient symbols pulsating with foreboding energy. The world around Zarku started to warp and twist as if reality itself was contorting under the weight of an unseen force. In that heart-stopping moment, just as his body was about to spring into action, time came to an abrupt halt. A chilling stillness engulfed him, freezing his every muscle and seizing control of his very being.

Edward's fingers delicately traced the ancient, intricate runes etched into the surface of the spell. As he invoked the raw, primal power emanating from the depths of the earth, the ground beneath them trembled with an unsettling intensity.