Sparks erupted violently in the air as one beast clashed against one battlemaster, their movements so fast that they blurred together, leaving trails of afterimages behind them as they go.
*Crack
The air cracked when one of the beasts unleashed a wave of lacerating pure black Eidra, the energy slashing forward like a massive black tide aimed straight at Merilyn.
With swiftness and calmness, Merilyn spun her glaive in a rapid arc, releasing a forceful gust of wind that tore through the dark wave with force, scattering it into harmless wisps.
Without wasting a breath, Merilyn blinked toward the beast, appearing right before it—as she delivered a precise and forceful strike.
*Clang!
Yet the beast was quick and vicious as it parried the blow easily, the clash of glaive and the beast's blade ringed sharply in the battlefield.
"Tch." Merilyn clicked her tongue in frustration.
In the same motion, she twisted her body, snapping her leg out with incredible force, slamming her heel into the beast's abdomen—crimson eidra wrapping around her leg.
*Crack!
With a loud crack, the impact sent the creature flying afar, smashing through boulders and debris as it was hurled several meters away, a cloud of dust exploding in its wake.
*Skreee!!
Yet without even a full second passing, the beast rose from the rubble and lunged back into the fray—but this time, it wasn't Merilyn it had targeted.
It rushed straight toward Mezra, who was already locked in combat with another beast.
"Mez!" Merilyn shouted sharply, her voice cutting through the noise—forcing Mezra to snap her attention toward the incoming threat.
*Bang!
Reacting instantly,
Mezra drove her flaming blade deep into the ground, releasing a sudden eruption of fire that bursted outward in a searing flash.
The explosive wave pushed both beasts back several meters, giving her just enough breathing room.
"All soldiers—retreat toward the rest of the army near the wall!" Mezra commanded, her voice strong yet it was laced with urgency.
"Aye!" answered the commanding officers in unison, quickly signaling their squads to fall back.
The soldiers, disciplined and swift—hurried to retreat in organized lines.
One of the monsters leapt toward the retreating soldiers, its blades attached on both of it's arms outstretched—but before it could reach them, Erenhold's crimson-glowing chains shot out and wrapped tightly around the creature.
With a powerful yank, Erenhold pulled the beast off balance,
*Crack!
and met it with a brutal uppercut, slamming his fist into its jaw with enough force to crack bone.
The monster screeched in fury and pain, but before Erenhold could press the attack, it lunged its head forward,
*Thud!
ramming into Erenhold's head with a brutal clash that sent both their heads snapping back from the impact.
===
The battle raged on—minutes stretched into hours.
Sparks flew with each clash of weapon against beast, blood spilled onto the earth, and the ground itself trembled beneath the weight of their blows.
It was a brutal, unrelenting standstill as neither side was able to overpower the other.
But then—something shifted.
An occurrence that transpired at that very moment.
And in that subtle moment,
the tide began to turn in favor of the beasts.
*Beep Beep Beep!!
Multiple beeps echoed from the devices strapped to the battlemasters, drawing their attention even amidst the chaos.
*Swoop!
Merilyn ducked under a sweeping attack, her reflexes sharp, and quickly flicked her gaze toward her datapad attached on her arm.
With a swift tap on the blinking button, the device crackled with static, a broken voice struggling to come through.
*Bzz!
"Battl...er Meril... we ar... curr... att...!"
The message was fragmented and nearly lost in the distortion, but its meaning struck her immediately—someone was calling for help.
Merilyn's eyes widened in alarm.
It could only mean one thing,
the soldiers on the other side were under attack.
"The soldiers from the other side are being attacked!" Merilyn shouted, fear lacing her voice—worry for her children and husband clear.
"Tsk!" Mezra grunted,
*Clang!
as she parried a heavy strike, shoving the monster back with a burst of strength.
"What a conundrum..." she muttered lowly, casting a sharp glance toward Merilyn and Erenhold.
"Both of you—go!" Mezra shouted, her voice rough as she gritted her teeth, flames of crimson Eidra flared up and wrapped around her body like a burning cloak.
"I'll hold them off!"
Erenhold and Merilyn froze for a split second, their eyes widening at Mezra's words, disbelief flashing in their expressions.
"But..." Merilyn whispered, hesitation biting at her,
before the image of her children and husband flashed through her mind.
Her jaw tightened, her gaze hardening with resolve.
"We'll come back once we're done," she said, firm, before dashing off toward the flame wall where her family and the soldiers were stationed.
Erenhold didn't waste a moment and quickly followed after her.
The two beasts screeched, lunging toward the fleeing pair—but before they could even get close, an immense wall of searing flames erupted in a wide circle, trapping all three beasts inside along with Mezra.
Standing firm within the ring of blistering flames, Mezra gripped Flamethorn tight with her fingers and yanked it free from the scorched ground—embers scattered around her.
"Bring it," she said with a smirk curling at the corner of her lips, the flames that wrapped her body pulsated even hotter, while Flamethorn roared with a crimson blaze.
*Skreee!!
The three beasts roared in fury, their howls shaking the very ground beneath them, before lunging toward her from three separate angles.
The blades extending from their arms gleamed with pure black Eidra, laced with malice and the intent to kill.
Mezra gritted her teeth, tightening her grip around Flamethorn's hilt—before swinging it in a wide, powerful arc, releasing a roaring wave of flames that surged out toward the incoming beasts.
*ROAR!!
The wave of fire surged forward, searing everything in its path and distorting the very air around it with intense heat—yet the beasts unleashed their own blackened wave of Eidra,
*BANG!
colliding against Mezra's flames and canceling them out in a violent clash.
"Hurry up… elder sister," she muttered low under her breath, her eyes sharpening with fierce determination as she gripped her sword tightly.