Chapter 4 Defeat

The others burst into a fit of laughter. Their horses neighed uncomfortably under them as the men cackled like a bunch of hyenas.

But Nexus did not say a word.

Instead, he gently heaved the girl off his shoulders, and placed her in a sitting position at the trunk of the tree closest to them.

Ignoring the ambush of hunters that had him surrounded, Nexus knelt down and comforted the girl;

"Don't worry, I won't let them have you, you're safe…"

"Come on!" The leader jeered with sick delight in his eyes; "Don't tell me you're in love with her?! You can't possibly be that naive??!"

Nexus rose to his feet slowly, trembling slightly, but focused entirely on the leader;

"You know, I'm sick and tired of hearing your voice. Hasn't anyone told you you talk to much?"

The smile disappeared from the leader's face.

"Hand over the girl kid. I'm only going to ask you this once. Before things get—-"

Nexus cut him short;

"Are you deaf or something? Did I not just say you're talking too much?"

Nexus drew his katana out of his sheath dramatically. "No need to look so glum, I'm going to make this quick on you."

All the color drained from the leader's face. There and then, he determined in his heart to crush this insolent youth.

And thus, grasping his sword with both hands, Nexus stepped into the open clearing that was to serve as the battle field, leaving the girl behind him.

The anxious neighing of the horses all around him reflected the eagerness of the horsemen. They sniggered incessantly, as though they could taste the tension in the air. Nexus inhaled- and exhaled in an unhurried manner, taking his stance in preparation for the altercation to come.

The leader's gaze was filled hate and spite. As his men circled around him, he glared at Nexus for a distressingly short period of time, plotting and re-plotting till he was satisfied.

Finally, with a wordless signal, he covertly gave his goons the go ahead.

As soon as the group of henchmen saw their leader's hand twirl in short circles in the air, they all dismounted from their horses in a coherent manner. Even as their altitude adjusted from horseback to barefoot, their intense, alertly sharp eyes never left Nexus.

Nexus- the unwilling star of the hour, felt the collective glare of their piercing distasteful eyes from all sides.

The sound of twigs and leaves snapping under their heavy footsteps hit his ears ever so slightly, as the two dozen huge, bearded men began to tighten the circle.

With nasty snarls on their faces, the hunters in faded ancient regalia closed in on him, brandishing clubs, spears, and ugly swords. Violence was in their eyes, and their body language potrayed their unholy intentions.

Motionless as a corpse, Nexus remained in position, counting down. . .

Suddenly, from behind him, just at his blindspot came the sound of heavy metal slashing through the air, accompanied by the confident grunt of an attacker. Just as Nexus had expected, these sinfully boring men had gone with the most predictable approach.

Nexus' catlike feet responded with a dazzling speed.

He spun a complete one eighty, keeping his weight balanced, and swung his sword from the east- like a southpaw. The lightning lefthanded strike, sliced through the man's jugular vein. As Nexus pulled back his sword, he exerted enough force to ensure a double slice.

If the other men were impressed by his swift response, they did not show it.

Ignoring their comrade who had dropped to his knees (with thick red liquid spluttering from his neck like a fountain), some five or six men launched themselves at him from virtually all the cardinal points.

With no where to retreat, Nexus did the unthinkable.

Using his quick searching eyes to discern the weakest of them all, Nexus rushed directly at the fellow. The man in question, who had only attacked because of his confidence in numbers, saw Nexus raging towards him in a murderous rage, and was overcome by a paralyzing wave of fear.

He gave in to his primal instincts, and ducked to the side in a futile bid to evade the mad man rushing at him.

Nexus' gambit paid off. He sprung for the opening, and extended his long sword, slicing the man's abodomen in the process. The man's shrill cry, shamelessly rang through the clearing.

Nexus mercilessly exploited this break in formation. Ducking, and parrying like an imperial swordsman, he preyed on their inflexible, stoic, herd-mentality, and cut them down. He wasted no time on pointless slashing, but targeted their vitals.

Budding red petals appeared wherever Nexus' sword touched. Within a relatively short period, the hero had dropped an impressive number of bodies.

Weaving in and out of the group, Nexus was truly in his element.

At least, until he felt the temperature around him drop significantly. It was so sudden, Nexus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. As if that was not creepy enough, a low humming sound, like a monasteric chant began to gradually percolate through the clearing.

It was the leader's doing.

He had gone into trance. The black in his eyes had completely disappeared into the back of his head. His lips were moving rapidly and in an incoherent manner, uttering the inaudible words of a powerful chant that was actively changing the climate.

Unexpectedly, he stopped chanting. His arms rose from his sides, and slammed together, pointing in Nexus' direction- ready to rain down the devastating power of an element on him.

The succubus recognized the intensity of the threat immediately. In an instant, her chest swelled as she let out a deafening scream to warn Nexus;

"WATCH OU-U-T-T-T-T!!!"

Nexus' head jerked up- and just in time.

From the leader's hands had emerged a blazing ball of scorchingly hot blue fire. In a straight line, it shot at right Nexus with the diabolical focus of an elemental missile, roasting every obstacle (human and beast) in its path.

Much to the chagrin of the succubus, Nexus did not try to dodge or run.

Instead, he instinctively lifted up his sword in the air and brought it down upon the fireball in a magnificent arc, splitting it in half on the spot! Each half of the fireball whizzed past him on his left and right, exploding right into the trees behind him. dotting the landscape at his back with orange bursting flames, roasted trees, and winnowing smoke!

It was an incredible sight, and an even more incredible feat.

Every single person present, both foe and friend, remained stuck like petrified statues! Struck with an overwhelming sense of fright, totally in awe and utterly smitten with shock, they stood aghast at the sight!

For a brief moment, Nexus' blade burned a glorious blue, casting his sword-wielding-form in an even more godlike light.

For a loud moment, nobody spoke or moved an inch. They all gazed at Nexus in awesome wonder. To the whole lot of them, they had just witnessed a god do the impossible.

Of the group of petrified hunters, no one was more surprised than the leader.

He, more than anyone present, knew just how destructively formiddable a fireball attack was. There was virtually nothing that could withstand it. It was too fast to outrun, to hot to bear, and definitely too magical to be cut down by a sword!

So, beholding Nexus as one would behold a star, he dropped to his knees in reverence.

"Kind sir, I beg your mercy! Forgive my foolishness, I did not know you were a master!"

He bowed his head to the ground and moaned shamelessly;

"Please spare me! Please spare me!"

The others, sensing that this was the right way to go, followed suit right away. Dramatically, they all tossed their weapons aside as if they had suddenly become poisonous, and dropped to their knees, echoing their leader's words;

"Please spare us great master! Please spare us!"

Nexus looked at the scene, and fought to keep himself from relishing it too much. The glory of victory was certainly more intoxicating than than the sight of a voluptuous woman bouncing on his cock.

All around him, two dozen men continued to beseech him tirelessly, sensing that their survival was directly tied to his benevolence.

Nexus cleared his throat;

"You may rise. . ."