Battle In The Prison Compound [Part 2]

"I think this is going to be tougher than I imagined," the leader of the guards muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he watched the scene unfold.

Arden and Edith had just dispatched two guards with brutal efficiency, their expressions as cold and unfeeling as the steel they wielded. There wasn't a hint of hesitation or remorse in their movements.

Before the guards could regroup, Arden bolted towards the gate, his speed incredible as he aimed to escape the prison compound.

"Don't just stand there! Stop them! Don't let them leave this place alive!" the leader of the guards bellowed, his voice trembling with urgency.

The guards sprang into action, a collective surge of bodies charging towards the gate, determined to block Arden's path.

Edith and Cedric followed close behind Arden, their movements synchronized as they matched his pace.

As they closed in on the gate, a guard near the front raised his hand, his eyes alight with determination.

*Crackle* *Crackle*

A massive sphere of crackling lightning materialized above his hand, its energy pulsing ominously.

"Take this!" the guard shouted, hurling the Lightning Ball towards the trio with all his might.

"Dammit..." Arden cursed under his breath, his mind racing. If all the guards started using magic, their escape would become much more difficult.

Before Arden could react further, Cedric's voice cut through the tension. "I'll handle it! Keep going!" he shouted.

Cedric skidded to a stop, spun around, and slammed his hand onto the ground.

*WHOOSH*

The earth responded to his command, rising rapidly to form a thick, sturdy wall in front of him.

A split second later...

*BOOM*

The Lightning Ball collided with the Earth Wall, sending debris and a thick cloud of dust into the air, momentarily obscuring the guards' view.

"Nice work, Cedric!" Edith called out, her grin widening as she picked up speed, almost overtaking Arden. "See? My brother's got some serious skills!"

Arden rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth. 'Is she really bragging about that right now?'

Suddenly, a sense of danger washed over him—a presence drawing near with alarming speed.

"What the hell...?" Arden muttered, his eyes catching movement out of the corner of his eye.

*WHOOSH* *BOOM*

A massive boulder slammed into the ground just ahead of him, the impact creating a shockwave that sent shards of stone flying in all directions.

"Shit..." Arden cursed again. He was moving too fast to stop in time, and he was on a collision course with the boulder. But there was another option.

Gritting his teeth, Arden gathered his strength, and then...

*WHOOSH*

He launched himself into the air, soaring over the boulder with just inches to spare.

*THUD*

He landed heavily on the other side but didn't lose a beat, immediately resuming his sprint towards the gate.

Cedric and Edith, having seen the boulder from a distance, were able to veer around it.

"How the hell are they so fast?!" the leader of the guards, Hector Burns, growled, frustration etched on his face as he struggled to keep up.

It was becoming painfully clear that the guards assigned to the prison compound were far from the elite. Most of the stronger guards were out patrolling the streets, leaving this area woefully underprotected. It was a clear oversight, but one that spoke volumes of the confidence they had in the prison's security.

Hector, realizing the dire situation, skidded to a halt. The other guards continued their pursuit, with several earth mages hurling boulders at the fleeing trio.

Closing his eyes, Hector gripped his sword tightly, the moonlight reflecting off the badge on his uniform that bore his name: Hector Burns.

With a deep breath, flames ignited around Hector's feet, and he crouched low, preparing for a burst of speed.

And then...

*BOOM*

He exploded forward, his body a blur of motion as the flames propelled him ahead of the other guards.

In the blink of an eye, Hector zoomed past his comrades, appearing directly in Arden's path.

*WHOOSH*

"What the...?" Arden's eyes widened, but he quickly regained his composure, bracing himself.

Hector locked eyes with Arden and swung his sword in a swift, deadly arc aimed at Arden's head.

*CLANG*

Sparks flew as Arden parried the blow with his dagger, the force of the impact reverberating through both weapons.

But Arden wasn't done.

Before Hector could react, Arden drove his knee upward with brutal force.

"Ughhh!" Hector gasped, his eyes bulging in pain as the knee connected squarely with his groin. His grip on his sword faltered, and he crumpled to the ground, a strangled groan escaping his lips.

Arden looked down at Hector, his expression unimpressed. 'Well, that was easier than I thought...'

Well, any man would know that something like that was very painful, even more painful than a cut.

The truth was, Arden's physical prowess far surpassed that of most guards. Many of them had grown complacent, relying too heavily on magic while neglecting their physical training. It was a weakness Arden was more than willing to exploit.

With Hector out of the way, Arden's focus returned to the gate. "Time to get out of this hellhole."

Meanwhile, Cedric and Edith weren't far behind Arden, but the relentless barrage from the guards was catching up with them.

Three more massive boulders hurtled towards them, and just like before, Cedric summoned an Earth Wall to block the attack.

*BOOM*

The wall held, but as it crumbled under the impact, something new emerged from the dust cloud.

*WHOOSH*

Three spikes—one of water, one of earth, and one of fire—shot through the air, aimed directly at Cedric and Edith.

Cedric, standing too close to the shattered wall, barely had time to react. "Shit..."

But before he could be struck, he felt a strong hand yank him back, throwing him off balance.

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

Three sharp clangs rang out as Edith's sword deflected the spikes with precision, but the force of the blows snapped her weapon in two.

"Dammit..." she hissed, discarding the broken sword and resuming her dash towards the gate, Cedric hot on her heels.

As they ran, Edith spotted Hector struggling to rise. Without hesitation, she snatched up his fallen sword, flashing him a smirk as she continued her sprint.

"Edith!" Cedric called out, pushing himself to catch up.

Edith's eyes sparkled with determination as she locked onto Arden, who was just a few steps from the gate. "I've got a plan..."

"Hold my hand," Cedric said, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.

Edith immediately understood. "Hahaha! Perfect!" she exclaimed, grabbing Cedric's hand.