We didn't directly fight them; on master command, the dragons fled from the scene as the beasts chased after us. Upon reaching back to the forest, Master and Razie began their clash.
"Dorga, back in the forest." I told the dragon.
The blue dragon moved back and entered the forest. It was difficult to move around in such a tremendous-sized body. I landed from Dorga and began sprinting into the deeper part of the forest.
Without a choice left for the elites of the flame seekers, they hopped off their beasts and unsheathed their flame swords. The various colored flames guttered from the blades, and their light fell on the surrounding plants and barks.
"Be careful of him; he's no ordinary man when it comes to combat." One of the elites warned.
"We don't know what his powers are, but certainly he has powers related to dark energy."
In the first battle, I never showed them what I was capable of. My real power wasn't dark energy; they had that part wrong, but when it comes to combat with a blade, I do cut their throats.
They had the finest vision to be able to see far distances; they were looking at their surroundings and dispersed away. I had the initiative in a place like this. From trunk to trunk, I was quickly moving from tree to tree. Observing the opponents.
They are confident
They were searching for me individually instead of going for a group search. This wasn't the case the last time I fought them. It might be just a minor detail, but surely there was an internal problem among the elites. Regardless, it was to my advantage.
I landed down from behind so quietly that the elite didn't hear me. My one hand covered his elite's mouth, and the other deftly cut his throat. His voice was muffled by the hand.
I hid behind the trunk and climbed to the tree again. The branches and leaves bunched together; there was no possible way to find someone hiding in them. They were thick walls that could even conceal the elephant.
I counted them. "Eighty-seven in total," I whispered, clicking my tongue.
Soon, three more were down, then seven. I soon realized they were rookies. Only four experienced elites were leading them, more like allowing them to be killed.
But why? I had a bad premonition about the soon-to-be unfolding scenario.
A gale blew and swayed the branches violently. The clash of the sword clanked, and the sparks produced from it spread like a fireburst (firework). The darkness of the night was encroaching closer, and the clash between my master and the elite was getting scarcely dangerous.
He's going all out again.
I decided to do the same. Landing on the ground, I clutched the hilt tightly. One of the elite saw me, but instead of alarming his comrades, he charged without a second thought.
I evaded his rookie moves and severed his throat; another arrived and met his demise. Instead of being blissful, I was puzzled. What on earth was the purpose of bringing pointless soldiers who had chronic skills?
Belatedly did I realize these elites were just a distraction for us, and just as I was able to warn my master. The ground of the forest began to glow; the pebbles and the stone shone; the leaves shone.
My master was quick to notice; he kicked the woman away and rushed towards me. Only a second passed, and he was before me. We had no time. The dragons fled away as far as they could get.
"We have no—" as I was able to tell him.
BANG!
Everything exploded; the explosion size was equivalent to that of a magic nuke (nuclear bomb) or maybe more powerful. The dark-purplish dust and smoke wafted in the surroundings, spreading like a storm, washing the aflame forest with darkness.
When the dust and the smoke dissipated, a gigantic crater had formed. At the center of it, my master lay beside me, except for him. There were no signs of elites, as if their bodies had melted.
"Fool," I grabbed my master's tattered collar. "Why did you not use the barrier on yourself?" My body remained unscathed, thanks to the protective barrier.
He chortled, his half face charred, flesh on the left arm gone, only melting bones. "I survived, didn't I? Told you your master is powerful." His voice was hoarse; it was painful for him to speak.
"Speak no more; I have to save you." His condition was fatal. "Dorga." I called the dragon, but there were no signs of him, nor of others.
THUG!
Something fell from the sky and rolled down into the center of the crater. It was Dorga's head. Looking up at the sky, I saw an aura sword pierce through the back of Razie; her dumbfounded face winced in pain.
Her lips moved, "Why…?"
The knight in the dark armor, as if nothing were darker than him, was silent; he rode a dark stallion that had wings of the bat. Red smoke surged out from the visor, and the only thing he did was cut Razie in half.
My expression darkened. What was he? Not an ally. He killed the Beast of the Flame Seekers that survived the explosion. Only three knights, two of them holding the heads of beasts.
Only for four others to bring the heads of the dragons, kicking them toward the crater as if they were balls.
THUG! THUG! THUG!
THUG! THUG! THUG!
"Not the strongest, but I'm impressed they fought well for five seconds." The thin-pitch voice said his armor had a sigil embellished on his chest. The three-headed dragons and a wolf above the heads.
I never heard of them.
My master looked grim, with a hard and cold expression. He pushed himself to his feet; I couldn't say anything to him. Just look at his back and the sky. Furious, my finger furled, forming a fist, they shuddered.
"Khan… How will you bring me back from hell?" His lips curved up so faintly, it was difficult to tell whether it was a smile or a plain face.
"The same way you brought me. First burn them, and then take what's yours." I told him, before readying myself into a fight pose. This could be our last battle, well i guess death wouldn't be so bad.
He whispered to himself, "I guess it will remain a dream."
There was a hand behind me, and with a soft yet hard hit to my neck's vital point, I was knocked out. As I lay on the ground, I saw his feet; his voice spoke to me.
"This world is not for you, perhaps; a much more peaceful world of your type would be better."
His voice turned incoherent, and my eyes were shut. The consciousness was lost in the bowel of the abyss, where my reaching out of it was impossible.
The ring of something soon enough echoed in my ears as I opened my eyes. My journey commenced from this moment.