Chapter 20 - Despair

I...I can't move a muscle. I was frozen in fear, my body completely petrified, as my vision started to get blurred, and my ears began ringing.

I could only stare in horror and anguish, as blood splattered out all around me, bodies cut down by swords and torn apart with Magic, screams of panic and cries of pain ringing out all around me.

The villagers were in a frenzied panic, running away in desperation...but there's nowhere to go, not with this barrier in place. Stop it...somebody, please, make it stop!

"That's enough! I'll come with you, so stop this!" Yelled Rhyle in despair, but to no avail.

"H-help...help me, please-...argh!" Came John's voice.

I turned in that direction as my chest began pounding sharply, just in time to see a Knight plunge his blade straight into John's back and eliciting a scream of pain from him, before the Knight yanked his sword out and repeatedly stabbing him violently with a gleam in his eyes, John's body going limp as tears ran down his face.

"I said...THAT'S ENOUGH!" Snapped Rhyle furiously, as he slammed his foot onto the ground, Magic Circles appearing all over the area by the Knights and earth spikes bursting out towards them.

But most of them managed to block the attacks, a few getting grazed and sustaining some damage to their armor, but they didn't take any direct hits to the body.

"Hm, what a pity...it would seem that your skills have waned, your Highness. But don't worry, I'm sure we can get you back to form in the capital," Smirked the Knight Commander, as he fired out a sharp, spinning rock bullet at a fleeing woman, hitting the back of her head and bursting through her face.

"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" Snapped Rhyle in response, "Now, Manifest Soul Weapon: Wings of Liberation!"

He then flew high up into the air as a Magic Circle formed around his right hand, taking aim at the Knight Commander and firing out a rapid plasma projectile down at him.

"Manifest Soul Weapon: Mirror Blade!" Exclaimed the Knight Commander, a reflective sword forming in his hands.

He swiftly swung it across and batted away the incoming projectile, deflecting it straight towards one of the villagers, striking him on the neck and bursting through his throat.

No, it wasn't simply a deflection...the projectile struck the blade and bounced off it. Mirror Blade...that weapon must reflect any attack that hits it. If he'd held it straight, it would've shot the projectile straight back at Rhyle.

But they're trying to capture him, not kill him, so he wouldn't do that. I...I need to help somehow, everyone's getting killed. I-I can't think straight, I can't stop panicking...what do I do? What can I do?

"Stay behind me, Larrk!" Exclaimed Lycia, snapping me out of it, before chanting as a couple of Knights began to close in on us, "Now, Manifest Soul Weapon:...Steel Tentacles!"

Eight Magic Circles formed across her back, before ten meter long metal tentacles manifested, with two spikes at each ten centimeter interval.

She then whipped them out and struck the two Knights, tearing them apart into shreds as they were caught off-guard by her sudden and rapid attack.

This is no time for me to freeze in fear...I need to help in any way I can! As more of the Knights brought out their Soul Weapons in response to Lycia's attack, I stepped forward and chanted...

"I'll help too...Manifest Soul Weapon: Dragon Whisker!"

"Hm...alright, cover my back, dear, I'll deal with the front and sides," She replied reluctantly, after a brief, hesitant pause.

"Yeah, got it!" I nodded in response.

As four more Knights surrounded her in front and on the sides, they fired their Magic at her, flame, lightning and earth attacks, which she swiftly batted away with her metal tentacles, before slashing at them.

They managed to block her slashes, but got pushed back, before countering with more Magic, which she managed to block most of them, before hissing in pain as embers of flame burnt her right side.

She's staying rooted to her current position...I've trained with her for years, so I know she likes to constantly be on the move. But because she's protecting me, she's putting herself at a disadvantage by staying still, despite taking on so many Knights at the same time.

I can't get distracted, I need to focus on covering her back, I can't make things even harder for her than they already are, I won't hold her back any more than I already am!

But...the situation is looking more and more hopeless with each and every passing second. The air was filled with the stench of blood, an increasing number of dead bodies were sprawled on the ground, and screams of panic and pain were ringing out.

Some of the other villagers were starting to fight back against the Knights, but...they were struggling, most of them being cut down pretty easily, with a lot of the younger woman and girls being knocked out and restrained.

As I spotted a Knight approaching Kera, I swung my whip across while rapidly extending it, reaching the Knight as he closed in on her and striking the side of his neck...before decapitating him in the blink of an eye.

Blood burst out of his neck as his headless body collapsed onto the ground, sending chills down my spine...there's s-so much blood. I...I just killed a person.

N-no, I can't let it bother me...these people are evil, don't think of them as human, I can't afford to freeze now! Just do everything I can to kill them quickly!

As I swung my whip at another Knight, he ducked under it, before I flicked my wrist to crack it down towards him, but he managed to get out of the way, my attack only managing to gash his right shoulder.

Lycia was struggling too, she was keeping them at bay but was failing to kill any more of them...we had only managed to kill the ones we'd taken by surprise, and now that the rest of them know what to expect, they're defending themselves expertly.

Damn it, they're all really skilled, this isn't good. Lycia's skills with Magic is below average, and I haven't had the time to put my Magic knowledge into practice enough for it to be effective.

But...I might at least be able to make use of it as a distraction...

"Elemental Flame: Fireball!" I chanted, shooting out a ball of flames at the Knight whom I failed to kill.

He managed to bat it away with his Soul Weapon, a wide double-edged sword, before springing back in alarm as I swung my whip towards him, aiming to slice him in half.

He'd jumped back at an angle, and as I extended my whip out, he let out a stifled cry of pain as I sliced off his left arm, blood spurting out of the stump that was left of his arm.

"You fucking brat, I'll kill you! You're dead, you hear me!?" He snapped furiously, as he glared at me icily.

"No, don't kill him! Capture him!" Came the Knight Commander's voice.

And as I glanced in that direction, my eyes widened in horror, as I saw Rhyle laying unconscious on the ground by the Knight Commander, who had just gotten done tying him up. Oh, no...

"Get away from him, you bastard!" Snapped Lycia in anger, momentarily taking her attention away from the enemies in front of her.

It was just for a split second, but one of them used that opportunity to rush in towards her, his Soul Weapon, a spear with a twisted, coil-like blade, poised to strike as he rapidly closed in on her.

She noticed and reacted hurriedly in alarm, recalling one of her tentacles and driving it towards him...but she reacted just a split second too late.

As her tentacle burst through the Knight's throat, his spear, which had been aimed at her shoulder, shifted trajectory...and pierced through the left side of her chest, stabbing her heart as she let out a strained gasp of pain, blood pouring out of her mouth.

I froze in shock, disbelief and despair, my mind going blank as I opened my mouth, but no sound came out, my grip around my whip tightening as I then began trembling.

As I felt tears welling up in my eyes, I gritted my teeth before letting out a roar of rage and sorrow as I arched my arm back, looking to slice the Knight apart.

I was completely overcome by rage, seeing red as my thoughts came to a screeching halt, every fibre of my being was firmly focused on killing this Knight, a strong murderous fury rising up inside me like I'd never felt before.

I'll kill him...I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him! As I began to swing my arm down with a blinding amount of rage, I let out a sharp gasp as something struck the back of my neck, my vision blurring as I collapsed onto the ground, struggling to stay conscious.

D-damn it...it's not good. I...I can't keep my eyes open any...longer...

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