Rescue team

As the once intense rays of the sun gradually cooled with the onset of dusk, the gathered humans in the forest stood ready for the impending battle.

"Alright, men, it's time to liberate those suffering in Paragox!" the captain declared, rallying his troops as they charged towards the giant ditch. Though it wasn't the most strategic approach, the captain knew that waiting would only give the vampires time to prepare for their assault.

Zephyr, fueled by adrenaline and determination, had managed to defeat five skeletons and their horses, despite sustaining a few minor injuries from their whips. Though exhausted, he found the battle surprisingly straightforward, as the skeletons relied solely on their whip attacks without employing any other tactics.

"Well, I believe that's the last one," Zephyr remarked, retrieving his axe from the skull of the defeated skeleton. Glancing around, he noticed that the other slaves had kept their distance, wary of being mistaken for allies of the skeletons.

However, there was one individual in particular whom Zephyr spotted standing at the forefront of the other slaves.

"Hey, Browny!" Zephyr called out.

"Yeah?" Browny replied, raising a brow.

"Wanna get out of here?" Zephyr asked, a hopeful smile spreading across his face.

"Sure!" Browny replied eagerly.

Zephyr looked up at the edge of the ditch and saw humans descending with a variety of aura colors and wielding powerful weapons that sent a palpable pressure down to everyone below.

"Because this is our chance to escape," Zephyr declared as each of the humans landed on the ground of the ditch, their impact shattering the earth beneath them. "I suppose these are the champions Browny talked about."

Suddenly, vampires burst out of the tunnel surrounding the ditch, moving with superhuman speed, while skeletons on horseback charged forward with their whips, launching an assault on the newly arrived humans. The battle erupted in chaos as the two sides clashed with ferocity.

"Well, that's a warm welcome," the captain remarked, drawing out his sword with determination. "Unit B, gather up the humans and escort them to the trucks for safety. Unit A, you're with me. Let's take care of these supernaturals!"

With a swift motion, the units split off to execute their respective orders, diving into the chaos of battle with resolve.

....

In the room behind the opaque glass, invisible from one side but visible from the other, the three vampires stood watching intently as the humans entered the ditch one after another. They observed as the humans split up, dispersing to cover more ground in their efforts.

"I see the battle has begun. Why don't we join in?" the leader of the vampires controlling Paragox suggested, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

In a swift and graceful motion, the vampire leaped forward, shattering through the glass and soaring into the air. His hair flowed smoothly in the wind as he descended from a height of about 10 meters, landing effortlessly on the ground below. The other two vampires followed suit, landing behind him with equal grace and poise.

"Humans, they truly sicken me," the leader remarked with a roll of his eyes, his frustration evident.

"Agreed!" the other two vampires chimed in from behind him, their disdain for humans apparent.

The arrival of the three vampires caught the attention of a specific individual who had just taken down a vampire with a single slash of his sword. It was Captain Jared, the leader of the human invasion force. Captain Jared was renowned as one of the most skilled elite fighters of the human race. He had survived numerous battles and even fought in the first war when the supernaturals first attempted to take over Earth, managing to secure only half of it.

Captain Jared had a personal history with the specific vampire who led Paragox, the place where humans were captured and imprisoned to become slaves. For Captain Jared, this battle was more than just a fight; it was a quest to make things right and bring justice to those who had suffered under the tyranny of the supernatural forces.

As Captain Jared laid eyes on the vampire, a flood of memories rushed through his mind, replaying the events he had witnessed when he encountered the vampire in the past.

"You!" Captain Jared shouted as he charged swiftly towards the vampire. Midway, he leaped into the air, brandishing his sword with both hands. In a swift response, the leader of the vampires extended his fingers, which elongated by about 4 inches, revealing lethal sharp claws.

The clash between the sword and the vampire's claw sent ripples through the air as they engaged in a tense struggle. For a moment, they were locked in a tug-of-war, each exerting immense force. Sensing the impending strike from the vampire's other claw, Captain Jared swiftly jumped back, narrowly avoiding the lethal slash.

"You!" Captain Jared's voice rang out with fury. "I remember what you did in Riverside City! You slaughtered dozens of humans, feeding on them like cattle. You must pay for your crimes!" With a fierce determination, Captain Jared charged towards the vampire for another round of combat.

"Well, they were all just appetizers, hardly even a meal to me," the leader of the vampires of Paragox retorted, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You bloody bastard!" Captain Jared shouted in rage, his anger boiling over at the vampire's callous remark.

"Fire slasher!" Captain Jared's blade erupted into flames as he unleashed a fiery slash towards the vampire.

"Damn human, you think that will stop me?" the vampire scoffed, forming an X with both of his hands to block the fiery onslaught.

The fire slash cut through the air, slicing into the vampire's dried skin and tearing an inch deep into his flesh. However, the vampire showed no signs of pain.

'The humans are quite strong. I shouldn't underestimate him too much,' the vampire thought, observing as his wounds quickly began to heal, the flesh closing back up. Undeterred, Captain Jared continued to press the attack, locking in battle once again with the vampire.

The other two vampires stood watching the battle unfold, their expressions impassive. As a few humans attempted to attack them with their abilities, the vampires reacted swiftly, snapping their heads before they could even activate their powers.

"These humans are quite weak compared to the one Mark is fighting, and he's our leader," one of the vampires who followed Mark, the leader of Paragox, remarked, noting the difference in strength between the humans they faced and Captain Jared.

"Yeah, and..." The other vampire paused mid-sentence as he spotted someone. "Look! That human with the dark magic crystal."

The individual they were referring to was none other than Zephyr.

Zephyr had positioned himself in a safe area with the other slaves, opting not to engage in the battle. He knew he wasn't strong enough, and he also possessed something the vampires coveted dearly: the dark crystal. Meanwhile, Unit B had gathered the humans in a designated area away from the fray. Currently, they were setting up a plan to evacuate all the humans from the ditch safely.

One of the humans placed a strange device on the ground. Despite its appearance of heaviness, the device was effortlessly lifted by the human. At the top of the ditch, another human was setting up a similar device. Once the setup was complete, they pressed a button, and Zephyr was impressed by what happened next.

The devices emitted a blue beam that shot out and aligned together. When they connected, a bridge began to form in the air, stretching right to the other device at the top of the ditch.

"The bridge is set. We're ready to advance," one of the humans who set up the bridge announced, their hand resting on a communication device.

"Roger, you can proceed with the rescue," a voice instructed through the communication device.

Zephyr observed the portable bridge with surprise, impressed by the ingenuity of the humans to create such a device. However, his attention was quickly drawn to the two vampires who were now staring in his direction.

"Why are those two vampires looking my way?" Zephyr wondered aloud, then realized, "Oh, right, the crystal."

*****