"What did he say?" Blackwood asked one of the elite guards. Slowly, Blackwood drew his sword.
"It's an ancient language. Only a few people know its meaning," one of the guards responded. "By my guess, it's a trap. This is it — the real Echoflayer. We cannot let it escape alive."
Everyone drew their swords, preparing for battle. The creature created multiples of itself, attacking the soldiers and elite guards. Blackwood sprinted ahead towards the main Echoflayer. The battle raged on, each soldier screaming in fury as they clashed with their monstrous foes.
The elite guards displayed their techniques, effortlessly taking down the lesser Echoflayers. Orion, the captain of the elite guards, quickly dispatched 17 of his men to the evacuated citizens for protection. The number was necessary, for the enemy might delay the battle while secretly attacking the evacuees. Blackwood ordered his soldiers to join them.
As the fight continued, it was three against an army of Echoflayers, with Blackwood facing the Alpha Echoflayer alone. Orion charged with lightning speed, shouting, "Flame Technique: Radiant Palm!" Flames shot out from his hands, bright as the sun, burning 80% of the army in a single attack.
Marvellous (an elite guard) and Lyra teamed up, effortlessly dispatching the Echoflayers with their combined powers. Meanwhile, Blackwood's battle against the Alpha Echoflayer escalated. He sent a barrage of attacks, shouting, "I won't lose to a tiny fish!"
Blackwood sprinted toward the Echoflayer, raising his sword. A massive blast of flame erupted from the blade, striking the creature with overwhelming heat.
"Fire Style: Royal Flame!" Blackwood declared, trying to sound stronger than he felt.
But the Echoflayer merely laughed, its dark shield absorbing the flames effortlessly. "Ti'kor vashni, korvus vraxxis!" it taunted. (Translation: "The shadow will burn you, and the darkness will consume!")
Gritting his teeth, Blackwood launched himself at the creature, sword flashing in the dim light.
"Fire Style: Inferno Slash!" Blackwood shouted, slashing wildly at the Echoflayer's chest.
The creature dodged with ease, countering with a swift kick that sent Blackwood crashing to the ground.
Struggling to rise, Blackwood gritted his teeth in pain. He raised his sword again, unleashing another blast of flames.
"Fire Style: Flame Burst!" Blackwood declared, trying to regain his footing.
But the Echoflayer countered with a wave of dark energy, striking Blackwood with shadowy force. Blackwood cried out, his vision blurring from the impact.
Still, Blackwood found the strength to keep fighting. He unleashed a flurry of swift slashes, each one aimed at the Echoflayer's chest.
"Fire Style: Blazing Shield!" Blackwood shouted, summoning a wall of fire to protect himself from the counterattack.
But the Echoflayer simply laughed, its dark magic dispelling the flames with ease. "Vraxxis ti'kor, zhrakkor vashni!" it snarled. (Translation: "The darkness will protect me, and you will burn!")
The battle raged on as Blackwood continued to use every technique he could muster, each one failing to break the Echoflayer's defense. Finally, out of desperation, he summoned his final attack.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Strike!" Blackwood declared, his voice trembling.
Once again, the creature countered with its dark shield, absorbing the flames. "Ti'kor vashni, korvus vraxxis!" it mocked.
Blackwood's vision began to blur from exhaustion. "This short bastard!" he grunted, raising his sword with what little strength he had left.
"Fire Style: Dragon's Breath!" Blackwood shouted, hoping it would be enough. But once again, the flames were absorbed by the creature's dark magic.
With his strength running out, Blackwood attempted another final assault.
"Fire Style: Firestorm!" he declared, summoning what little energy remained.
But the Echoflayer countered again, striking him with a bolt of shadow. Blackwood's body shook with pain, and his vision began to darken.
But somehow, with sheer willpower, Blackwood found the strength to make one last, desperate attack.
"Fire Style: Molten Wave!" Blackwood shouted, pouring every ounce of his remaining energy into the blast.
A colossal wave of flame erupted from his sword, crashing into the Echoflayer with an intense burst of heat. The creature stumbled back, its shield faltering.
Seeing the opening, Blackwood charged at the Echoflayer, his sword gleaming in the light.
"Fire Style: Apocalypse!" he screamed, releasing a massive wave of flame that consumed everything in its path.
The two enemies collided in a final, explosive clash of fire and shadow. Blackwood's vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground, his body utterly exhausted.
As he lay there, unable to move, the Echoflayer stood over him, its dark sword raised for the killing blow. But Blackwood refused to yield. With a surge of adrenaline, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The Echoflayer snarled, attacking with relentless fury, but Blackwood dodged and weaved, his body pushing beyond its limits. After what seemed like an eternity, the Echoflayer began to falter, its strength waning.
Blackwood seized the opportunity. With one final, furious cry, he launched himself at the creature, his sword flashing in the dim light. The Echoflayer staggered back, its shield failing under the assault.
With one last, decisive strike, Blackwood pierced the creature's defenses. The Echoflayer crumpled to the ground, defeated.
Blackwood stood over it, panting heavily. "It's over," he gasped, his vision beginning to blur. And with that, everything went dark.
The battle left Blackwood with no strength to move. "I will not let this happen," he whispered to himself. "I will not let you conquer my village."
He gritted his teeth and reached for his sword lying on the ground, struggling to stand. "I will not let history repeat itself. I am Blackwood Thane, and I will claim your head and protect my people!" With a final surge of strength, he rose to his feet.
As the Alpha Echoflayer began to walk away, it noticed a glowing light behind it. It stopped and turned around, seeing Blackwood, seemingly unconscious, holding his sword. The blade glowed with blue flames. He appeared like a different person — a being driven by an unwavering will to protect at all costs.
The flames intensified, illuminating the sky. It was as though the sun itself had been eclipsed, and everything was bathed in a brilliant blue light. Suddenly, the flames died out, and Blackwood collapsed.
The Echoflayer's body began to degenerate, turning to dust. "See that, Thorn?" Blackwood muttered as he smiled, gazing at the sky. "I have claimed my victory."
At dawn, King Arin arrived with two of his guards and Melvin (a scout). The king was shocked by the destruction in Blackwood's village.
"Find out if there are any survivors," the king ordered. The guards and Melvin began searching through the rubble of broken bricks, tiles, and burned homes.
Among the wreckage, they found three of their elite guards, exhausted but alive.
"Treat these men... I will keep searching." The king continued looking through the destruction and eventually found Blackwood, sitting with his back against the remains of his house.
"Blackwood, you don't look so good... my friend," said the king.
Blackwood opened his eyes, struggling to sit up, leaning against a broken wall. "My king, you've arrived... my deepest apologies for summoning you on such short notice." He attempted to bow, but his body gave out, and he fell forward. The king helped him up.
"I have summoned the kings of the four nations," King Arin said. "We will discuss the Echoflayers and how to deal with them. The Nation of Air will be represented by Zephyr, who is currently in Thorn Village. You will join us too. Four months from today, the meeting will be held in Ignisia at 9 AM."
The king handed Blackwood an invitation letter before calling for the medics. Blackwood had fought valiantly, and aside from some of the soldiers, there were no casualties.
In Thorn Village, the following morning:
Mole: "What is this?" he asked, holding a transparent vest.
Zephyr: "You are going to train in that starting tomorrow. You will not take it off until I say so."
Mole: "Yes! I got my own training uniform!" He jumped up and down excitedly.
Zephyr: "We start early tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Show me where I may rest."
Shawn: "Come this way." He guided Zephyr to his room.
To be continued...