The clash of steel and the screams of men blurred into a single, chaotic hymn.
"Shiri!" Kairo's voice cut through the din, raw with panic.
The naga staggered, blood seeping through the jagged wound in his side where the blade had sunk deep. His tail trembled beneath him as he tried to hold himself upright. With a pained grunt, Shiri coughed, the crimson spatter painting the ground.
On the battlefield, Theo and Onyx noticed the commotion from the platform. Their gazes flickered for only a moment. Theo's heart twisted, but the swirl of enemies around him forced him to tighten his grip on his blade. (Stay focused… if Kairo needs me, I'll only fail him if I falter now.)
"Eyes forward, Lordling!" a bandit snarled, rushing Theo with a jagged axe.
The strike never landed. Flint darted in from the side, his claws catching the axe mid-swing. With a sharp twist, he shoved the attacker back, then he lowered his head slightly.
Theo's eyes snapped wide. "R-right! Thank you!" He inhaled sharply, tightening his stance. His hesitation melted, and he dove back into the fray, his blade flashing in disciplined arcs.
Meanwhile, Onyx hurled enemies aside like ragdolls. The undead knight's silent movements tore through shields and armor, a storm of merciless steel. Yet even he could not sense the tragedy unfolding behind the walls.
Back inside the walls, Shiri collapsed, the weight of his own body dragging him down.
The bandit who had struck him sneered, wiping blood from his blade. "Pathetic. A maggot serving under a lord. You bleed and choke like any other worm." He laughed cruelly, then turned his back. "No point wasting my time. I'll free the others. Let the rat die slow."
Kairo's chest tightened as Shiri slumped into his arms.
"No, no, no… Shiri, stay with me!" His voice cracked. Tears blurred his vision as he pressed down on the wound with shaking hands.
Shiri coughed, his scales dimming. "Kairo… listen… This is not a safe place. This world is Rachid. It will crush you… grind down every dream you carry. Don't—" His words caught in a ragged gasp. "Don't chain yourself to me. Once I'm gone… keep moving forward—"
"Stop it!" Kairo's shout tore through the air. His hands trembled as he clutched Shiri's bloodied form. "You're not dying! I won't let you! Don't you dare leave me!"
But his cries were mocked by the bandits, who had freed their comrades and gathered, sneering at the scene.
"Ha! Look at the lord cry over his pet."
"All lords are the same. Pretend grief, until they find a new toy."
"Enjoy your little tragedy, boy, because you're dying here before your army outside even realizes!"
Their laughter rang out, cruel and cutting.
Something in Kairo broke. His breath came ragged, his teeth grinding. (I'm still thinking like before… like I'm just a boy from my past world. But this isn't that world anymore. This world doesn't forgive the weak. Every day here bleeds death. If I don't change… everyone I love will die.)
His eyes burned as he gently lowered Shiri against the wall. Then he raised his head, voice cold, sharp, and commanding.
"Onyx!"
The undead knight froze mid-swing, head snapping toward the platform. In a single bound, he leapt over the wall, landing with an earth-shaking thud before the gathered bandits.
The bandits staggered back, fear flickering for the first time. Then one spat, rallying courage. "It's just a bag of bones! Tear it apart!"
For a moment, silence fell. Kairo's lips parted, and his words dripped with venom.
"…Kill them."
Onyx moved like a storm unleashed. His blade flashed, cutting through men before their screams even rose. Blood spattered the stone, soaking into the ground as the bandits realized too late that this was no ordinary undead.
Kairo did not flinch. Even as Onyx's blade dripped red for the first time with human blood, he held Shiri's hand tightly, whispering, "I'll protect you… I swear it."
When the last of the immediate threats fell, Kairo spoke again, his voice steely.
"Onyx. Return to the battlefield....Kill every bandit you see."
The knight bowed silently, then turned, rejoining the fray as if nothing had happened.
Kairo laid Shiri down inside the tier-one house, tearing bandages from the remains of Shiri's caravan supplies. His hands shook as he wrapped them tightly, whispering, "Stay alive. Please… rest. I'll take care of the rest."
Shiri tried to rise, gasping. "I… can still fight—"
"No." Kairo's tone was final, sharper than before. "You've done enough. Rest. Now it's my turn."
For once, Shiri fell silent, his breaths ragged but eyes glimmering with trust.
Kairo stood, his shadow stretching long against the firelit ground. Climbing back atop the platform, he raised his arm high.
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Killing… is allowed."
The system's cold messages echoed in his mind:
[Formation Menu: Opened]
[Current Formation: Arrowhead]
[Changing formation→ Offensive Formation: Blood Fang]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
[Yes / No]
"Yes."
[Formation Shift Initiated]
[Arrow Formation collapsing inward → Blood Fang Formation]
[Unit placement updated: Kobolds now engaging frontline assault mode]
All across the battlefield, the shift was immediate. The kobolds, once holding the arrow's edges, surged inward, their claws gleaming. Their howls tore through the battlefield as they ripped into bandits, their small frames moving with savage precision.
Bandits screamed as mismatched armor split like paper, their flesh torn under the kobolds' fury.
From the vantage point, Raghu and Zeven's eyes widened in shock.
"H-how… how did the tides turn so fast?" Zeven stammered, gripping his weapon.
Raghu swallowed hard. "This isn't good… this is slaughter."
But Arden only laughed, a strained, tense sound. His eyes glinted dangerously as he muttered under his breath:
"Finally. Now the real game begins."
To be continued...