The Battle for Bahoz (14)

The battlefield was now ready to declare victory for the Rhazgord. As Kaelyra's elite warriors moved to clear out the remaining enemies, the panicked steps of the fleeing soldiers became a symphony of fear that echoed across the plain. This moment of triumph gave a new impetus to Corvus' advance; even the black-masked enemies he faced now found it difficult to resist his fury.After some distance, two warriors appeared in front of him. Corvus immediately noticed these new enemies. They were different from the other black-masked ones; the skull face on their masks symbolized their status or power. The swords in their hands were no ordinary weapons, but what was most striking was the Lightstone energy these men radiated. Corvus knew immediately that these were no ordinary warriors, but specially trained and empowered with Lightstone. The wounds inflicted on his own body and the exhaustion of the endless battle made it difficult for him to use his energy.One of the enemies stepped forward, thrust his sword forward and took a defiant step towards Corvus. The other, in an arc to the right, began to turn Corvus diagonally. A classic dual strategy: one distracting, the other waiting for the opportunity for the killing blow.The first attack came from the warrior in front. His sword swung like lightning towards Corvus' shoulder. Corvus parried the blow with one of his twin swords, but the second attack that followed caught him off guard. Coming from his right cross, the warrior cut deep into Corvus' ribs with his sword. His armor cushioned the blow, but the sword penetrated deep, causing blood to seep from his flesh. Corvus took a step back, gritting his teeth, and tried to regulate his breathing.The enemies renewed their attacks without pause. The warrior in front of him swung his sword at Corvus with slashing, straight strokes, while the other took advantage of every gap to make a killing move. Corvus was trying to dodge these sharp attacks while trying to figure out the coordination of his opponents. But his tired body slowed his reflexes.A sword thrust grazed Corvus' calf. Another blow immediately followed, slicing through his armor and cutting a gash in his right arm. Corvus was now in serious difficulty. The world around him narrowed, focused only on these two enemies. Every sword thrust was either a parry of another attack or a futile move. The perfect harmony of the enemies overwhelmed his individual abilities. For a moment his knees felt weak. The enemy on his left raised his sword once more, preparing for a deadly move. This could be the end of everything.Corvus took a deep breath and despite the pain in his body, he decided to summon his inner strength. With difficulty, he activated the Lightstone energy he had avoided using before. The runes on his swords suddenly glowed as if they were on fire. A crimson light seeped out of the swords, brightening the entire battlefield.He turned first to the enemy on the right. He stopped the man's sword in mid-air just as he was swinging. Corvus quickly raised his sword and swept the enemy's sword aside. Then, with his left sword, he delivered a sharp blow to the man's neck. The sword sliced through the enemy's armor and flesh like lightning. In a split second the man's head was severed from his body, blood spurting into the air in an arc.The last remaining enemy hesitated for a moment when he saw his friend dead, but this was the opportunity Corvus had been looking for. His body, filled with lightstone energy, seemed to forget the pain for a moment. He rushed towards his opponent, parried his sword swing in one step, and plunged his second sword into the enemy's chest. The red glow in his eyes intensified as the blade pierced the man's armor and reached his heart.The last masked man saw only death in Corvus' gaze. As he drew his sword with a final thrust and let the man topple to one side, Corvus realized that the surrounding enemies had retreated completely.Breathing in and out in a pool of blood, he could still feel the vibration of the black swords in his hands. The battlefield had fallen silent, his enemies had disappeared from his sight. But Corvus knew that his main target was not yet dead. The leader of the Black Masks was still hiding somewhere.For a moment Corvus sensed a threat as his eyes scanned his surroundings. But he was distracted by the sound of hard hooves behind him. Before he realized what had happened, he was thrown to the ground by a powerful blow. The impact of the horse threw him several meters away, and when he hit the ground, his chest was ablaze. His face touched the cold ground of the battlefield; blood and dust mixed with his body.With difficulty he lifted his head. His vision blurred, but it didn't take long for the approaching shadow to become clear. A man in a black mask was moving towards him with a heavy air. His mask was far more elaborate than the others; the embroidery on it resembled a symbol of death. The menacing aura the man gave off seemed to ring a warning bell deep within Corvus.The man's horse neighs proudly. The black masked man stared down at Corvus, sitting on his horse like a king. This was Corvus' target; the man seemed to be the real master of the square. But Corvus knew one thing: There was no way he could defeat this man in his current state. His body was covered in wounds, he was running out of energy, and even though he had put down his axe and switched to his swords, the pressure of the enemy's pressure was blocking his every move.The black-masked man slowly moved towards the spear lodged in a dead soldier. He pulled the spear out with a single thrust. As Corvus' eyes followed this movement, Corvus jumped with a sudden sound. The spear was thrown at him like a bolt of lightning. Corvus dodged it, rolling to the side at the last moment, but as the tip of the weapon passed by him, it cut a notch in his armor, leaving a thin scratch on his chest. Even this scratch turned into a deep pain.As Corvus barely got to his feet, the man in the black mask urged his horse forward. The dirt splattered from the horse's hooves hit Corvus in the face. The man swung his sword with great speed from the top of the horse. Corvus dodged the sword blow by leaping backwards at the last moment. But the man's horse did not let up; the huge animal slammed into Corvus' chest once more, knocking him to the ground.When he hit the ground, he gasped for breath. The air had left his lungs and his chest felt like it was under heavy pressure. Meanwhile, the man in the black mask turned his horse and charged once more. Corvus looked up as he struggled to get up from the ground and saw the cold-blooded gaze of his enemy. His every move was controlled and planned.Just then, Kaelyra's powerful voice filled the battlefield. "Retreat!" she shouted. Kaelyra's voice cut through Corvus' thoughts like a knife. He knew that the enemy lines had regrouped and that the Rhazgord forces could not prolong this moment any longer. Corvus's plan had already achieved its goal. Corvus acknowledged that the order to retreat had been correct, but his full attention was still on the man in the black mask.On his horse, the man in the black mask moved once more. Corvus gripped his swords tightly and darted to the side to dodge the man's attack. But once again, the man's horse struck him like an arrow, and for the third time his body crashed to the ground. He tried to hold his swords tightly as he fell to the ground, but his tired body could barely obey his commands anymore.While he was on the ground, he heard the voice of the man in the black mask for the first time. The enemy's voice spread over Corvus, cold and sharp like a frozen wind. Every word echoed in the roar of the square:"When I saw your red eyes, I was once again convinced that the Tiamats are descendants of the devil."Corvus raised his head with difficulty. His eyes were fixed on the face of the man before him. The eyes behind that mask were the eyes of a hunter. The man in the black mask had seen his weakness and was raging against it like a predator.As Corvus' eyes followed the black-masked man raising his sword, he noticed movement behind his field of vision. A shadow hovered in the air. It was a scene that resembled the unforgettable maneuver of Ilyada, who had attacked Corvus when she met him at Bahoz. Ilyada rose from the back of her horse and brought her sword down with all her might on the black-masked man.The sword found its target with a huge thud. The black-masked man's horse was split in two by the powerful blow. As the blood and dust swirled in the air, the black-masked man managed to dodge the blow with a moment of agility. He recovered quickly from his fall, his body radiating a menacing energy.Once on the ground, Ilyada did not hesitate to reach out to Corvus. Her voice echoed clear and sharp amidst the chaos around her."Get the fuck up!" she said, as if commanding him.Corvus stood up, holding his hand, but the anger was clearly visible on his face. There was frustration and anger in his voice."What are you doing here! The order is to retreat!" he snarled.Ilyada stood resolutely, her sword pointed at the black-masked man. Her eyes shone with the fire of a warrior who refused to leave the battlefield. Ignoring Corvus' words, she replied in a calm but stubborn voice:"This time I will not be a dog of war, I will leave no one behind."Before Corvus could answer, the man in the black mask sprang into action. His sword sliced through the air as swift and deadly as a snake. Ilyada met the first blow by raising her sword. Sparks flew from the force of the impact. The black-masked man increased his speed, lining up one attack after another. Each move was aimed with deadly precision. But Ilyada's sword skillfully parried these attacks. Rhazgord's warrior nature was evident in every blow.Unlike Corvus, Ilyada had the advantage of using her Lightstone energy to its fullest, allowing her to track the black-masked man's movements. But this was not an easy fight. Each of his attacks carried a deadly sharpness, slowly draining Ilyada's strength.Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Rhazgord warriors had retreated. Kaelyra's order to retreat had led most of the army to retreat in an orderly fashion. But this was becoming a major problem for Corvus and Ilyada. The vacuum created by the retreat caused enemy soldiers to quickly surround them. Enemy soldiers came from all sides and surrounded Corvus and Ilyada like a vortex.Ilyada's blows were slowly beginning to show signs of fatigue. The man in the black mask continued his attacks without a moment's pause. Corvus was looking for a way out with his eyes, trying to knock down the enemy soldiers around him, but the circle of enemies around them was getting tighter and tighter.Ilyada, raising her sword, made a powerful counterattack, forcing the black-masked man to take a few steps back. Even though his warrior spirit was intact, Corvus was worried that the enemies were getting so close. Not only the black-masked man, but also the enemy soldiers surrounding them posed a great danger.Corvus' body was now completely pushed to its limits. Every muscle, every breath was dancing on a fine line between life and death, but his mind was oblivious. He didn't even realize that he was losing consciousness. The glow of his red eyes lit up the battlefield like a torch in the darkness."Stand back!" Corvus shouted, his voice filling the battlefield like a thunderstorm. Ilyada felt something different from Corvus' usual immense Lightstone energy; this time it was in another dimension altogether. The cold touch of fear felt like ice on Ilyada's back.What spread across the battlefield at that moment was no ordinary aura. It was the full release of the Lightstone energy within Corvus, a power that had once made battlefields tremble, now unleashing death upon those around it without boundaries. The pressure spread through the air and fell upon all warriors, enemy and ally alike. Armors creaked, bones crushed, and the weak fell to their knees and screamed.Ilyada advanced towards Corvus. She knew how dangerous his power could be for anyone. But even taking a step was not easy. Corvus's aura was like a physical force, weighing down on her body, making every step a challenge. Yet she did not stop.Even the man in the black mask began to stagger. He couldn't stop his feet from shaking and tried to keep his body upright. But he could do nothing to counter Corvus' spreading power. This was something even the black masks were not used to. His eyes stared in horror at this power that was wreaking havoc on the battlefield.Corvus was completely unconscious. He was no longer under the control of a human, but of an instinct machine. His body moved without thinking. The glare of his red eyes was like a death call to those around him. Although it did not cause the man in the black mask to fall to his trembling knees, it was enough to reveal his fear.Corvus turned on the few enemies who managed to stay standing. His every move was savage, every blow filled with deadly fury. The skillful fighting style of a moment before had given way to the attacks of a ferocious predator. He wielded his swords like claws, each blow drawing blood and screams.When a soldier swung his spear, Corvus ducked like a wolf and charged. One of his swords plunged into the soldier's throat while another sliced his body in two. When another raised his shield and went on the defensive, Corvus shattered it with a kick and swung his swords in parallel, knocking the enemy down. Each move was both uncontrolled and relentless. Enemy warriors melted before his eyes.Ilyada was still trying to reach Corvus. "Corvus! Come to your senses!" she shouted, but Corvus did not hear her. As Ilyada's sword swung and struck down an enemy, her gaze was fixed on Corvus. She knew how hard it would be to stop his uncontrolled rage. But the real cause of her fear was different: She feared that Corvus' current state could lead him down an irreversible path.The intensity of the battle around Corvus grew more intense as the circle narrowed. Although his relentless fighting style had taken out many enemies, it was taking its heavy price. His body had reached its limits and was slowly giving up. Every breath hurt like a knife, every move a little weaker. The Lightstone energy was almost completely drained from him, its glow replaced by a pale, tired glow.Corvus tried to meet the enemy attacks, but his body could no longer react fast enough. A spear pierced his defenses and lodged in his shoulder. Then another spear went through his ribs and staggered him. Two enemy warriors were standing close to Corvus to control his body, pinning their spears, limiting his movements.Ilyada swung his sword like a storm, defying the enemies surrounding them. She knocked down every enemy that rushed forward, trying to prevent them from getting close to Corvus. But the number of enemies was increasing like an avalanche. Despite Iliad's best efforts, there was no escape for either of them.Corvus' body remained as still as a statue. His eyes still seemed to be fighting, but his strength was fading. As the blood from his shoulder and ribs mingled with the ground, the enemies squeezed the circle tighter, as if they smelled victory."Corvus, get up! Get the fuck up!" Ilyada shouted, her voice full of anger and desperation. But Corvus' blood loss and exhaustion were too much for him to answer. Just then one of the enemies broke through Ilyada's guard and swung his sword, but Ilyada turned quickly and stabbed him in the stomach.Just when it seemed all was over, there was the sound of distant hoofbeats. At first it sounded like a distant, muffled hum, then it turned into a loud thud that struck fear into the enemy ranks. Even the enemies on the periphery were startled by the sound.Behind the hoofbeats, the cavalry was approaching, crushing the enemy lines. Two gigantic figures could be distinguished at the front, one advancing with his shield held forward like an armored battering ram, the other bringing his two-handed sword down on the enemies. The pressure of these two cavalrymen was enough to break the enemy circle.