Ruthless

Serana exhaled slowly, steadying her stance. The flickering torchlight of the newly cleared section cast jagged shadows over Terry and his group, their weapons glinting in the dim glow.

"You think you can just take what's mine?" she asked, voice even.

Terry grinned, adjusting his rifle. "Not yours. Just unclaimed land." His men spread out, forming a loose semicircle around her crew. They moved with confidence—too much confidence.

Serana's fingers twitched near the hilt of her sword. She had no interest in backing down.

The air was thick with tension. Then, in a single heartbeat, it snapped.

Terry fired the first shot.

Serana ducked, rolling behind a fallen log as the bullet tore through the air where her head had been. Chaos erupted.

—

I'll now flesh out the full chapter with intense action, detailed combat tactics, and character interactions. Stay tuned.

Serana's instincts screamed as she ducked behind the nearest fallen log, splinters flying as Terry's rifle round tore through the air where she had just stood.

"Move!" she barked.

Her hired workers scattered, some drawing their own weapons, others diving for cover. The saw bombs they had carefully set for deforestation now became an unintended hazard—one misstep could trigger them.

Terry smirked from his elevated position, rifle steady as he called out to his men. "Cut them off. I want those saw bombs intact."

Two Martians broke from the tree line, moving low and fast, attempting to flank her from the sides. They were experienced, tactical—Terry had picked his team well.

Serana didn't have time for a drawn-out fight.

"Suppressing fire!" she shouted, drawing her sword and sprinting towards the nearest tree.

A few of her workers hesitated before opening fire, a mix of crude crossbows and scavenged firearms spitting out rounds. The shots weren't well-aimed, but they forced Terry's men into cover.

Serana leaped, using the thick vines hanging from a nearby branch to pull herself upward. The terrain was vertical, and she could use that.

Terry's men might have numbers, but they weren't expecting her to go high.

One of the flanking players turned his attention toward her, his shotgun rising—

Too slow.

Serana twisted midair, landing on his shoulders and driving her dagger into his collarbone. The blade sank deep. He screamed, his grip loosening just enough for her to wrench the shotgun from his grasp. She flipped it in her hands, pressing the barrel under his chin.

Boom.

A flash of red mist. His body hit the ground.

"One down," she muttered.

Terry cursed. "Spread out! Keep her pinned!"

Gunfire erupted. A player with a long-barreled pistol took aim—Serana dove just in time, rolling behind a boulder as a round whizzed past her ear.

Her numbers were dwindling.

The workers she had hired weren't fighters. One by one, they were being pushed back, disarmed, or outright shot.

Terry laughed. "That all you got, princess?"

Serana's jaw clenched. She had one last trick.

Her fingers brushed against the detonator in her pocket.

The saw bombs.

The enemy was standing right next to them.

Terry realized it too late. His eyes flicked down to the cluster of small metal spheres embedded in the nearest tree trunks, blinking with armed runes.

Serana grinned.

"Boom."

She hit the switch.

Blades erupted in all directions, spinning and cutting through the dense battlefield like death incarnate. Trees groaned, their trunks splitting apart.

Terry's men scrambled to avoid the carnage, but one wasn't fast enough—a saw blade caught his leg, severing it instantly. He screamed, falling to the ground as his health bar drained.

The chaos gave Serana an opening.

She moved fast, weaving through the collapsing trees, her sword flashing in the firelight. The battlefield turned into a frantic melee, close-quarters combat replacing gunfire as the dense trees limited long-range shots.

Serana reached Terry.

He raised his rifle—she slapped it aside with the flat of her blade, stepping into his guard. A quick elbow to his ribs, a knee to his stomach—he staggered.

Serana pressed her sword to his throat.

The battlefield around them quieted. The remaining Martian players froze, guns half-raised.

Terry let out a breathless laugh. "Damn. Fine. You win."

Serana didn't lower her blade. "Drop your weapons and leave."

He smirked, raising his hands. "You're ruthless, princess."

She leaned in slightly, voice cold. "Next time, I won't leave you breathing."

Terry's team grudgingly backed away. He gave her a final amused glance before retreating into the dark woods.

Serana exhaled, finally lowering her weapon. Her crew was bloodied, but they had won.