Everyone nodded and moved to their positions. The fog began to lift slightly, revealing more of the valley. The team held their positions, waiting for my signal. The convoy below had no idea what was coming. I go down behind the hills, my cold gaze fixed on the guards moving around the reinforced vehicle. I ran towards it
I whistled loudly as a signal to go.
Crimzo and the other soldiers began. The arrows flew silently through the air, hitting directly the archers who toppled to the ground, dead...
A shout echoed through the convoy.
"Protect the princess! Form up!"
The guards sprang into action, drawing their weapons and tightening their formation around the carriage. The air was filled with the sounds of clanging shields.
"Hold the line! No one can pass!" shouted the leader of the convoy, he was tall and lean, with a strong build that hinted at both power and precision. His eyes were sharp and focused, always watching. His long black hair was neatly combed back. As he stood, I saw the weapon in his hands—a kusarigama.
Sophia and Andrew led their soldiers into action.
Sophia's spear moved with precise control as she struck, driving the tip into the guard's neck. Her soldiers stayed close, holding their formation without hesitation.
From the rear, Andrew stepped forward, his long sword cutting through the air. "Come on, then!" he called out, his blade slamming into the first guard and knocking him down. His sheer strength kept the enemy off balance, while his team moved in to keep up the pressure, forcing the remaining guards to retreat.
"Protect the princess! Don't let them near the carriage!" another guard shouted desperately, trying to gather his comrades.
I moved like a shadow; my goal was the centre of the convoy. A pair of guards rushed me, their swords aimed to cut me down.
I easily avoided the attack, blocking the second guard's sword. With a sharp movement, I disarmed the first guard, targeted his foot, and kicked him, knocking him to the ground. I then turned around and dodged the second guard's strike, striking him hard on the shoulder. They both fell without making a sound, As I tried my best to avoid killing them.
The leader of the guards finally charged forward. "What do you think you're doing?" His eyes, sharp and fearless, locked onto mine.
I didn't flinch. "I'm here to take the princess. That's all. Now step aside."
He didn't move; the problem is that -kusarigama.
This weapon was a sickle attached to a chain. It was capable of cutting with quick, precise strikes, while the chain could tangle or strike with deadly force, but it required exceptional skill to use it effectively.
I raised my sword. My left hand held the light blade, designed for quick, graceful strikes and defence. In my right hand rested the heavier sword, he's designed to break through armor and deliver devastating hits.
Together, they formed my style, speed and power in perfect balance.
But this man… his stance and weapon told me this wouldn't be like any fight I'd faced before. A Kusarigama was unpredictable. It had range and variety and required precision to counter. This required more than just strength or skill.
The atmosphere grew tense as we faced each other and the sounds of fighting and swords clashing all around us. His chain began to move.
I shifted my weight, adjusted my grip, my focus narrowing on his every move.
He started the fight, spinning the weighted end of his kusarigama in the air while keeping the sickle firmly in his hand. Suddenly, he hurled the iron ball toward me. I dodged it easily, but it wasn't going to be that simple. He wasn't trying to hit me; he was trying to wrap the chain around me.
I noticed his plan in time and quickly slipped under the chain to avoid falling into the trap. Without giving him a moment to retrieve the chain, I charged towards him. My heavy sword swung toward him with force, but he skilfully blocked the strikes with the sickle.
As I closed in, aiming a strike at his head, the iron ball on the chain came at me from the right. I stopped my attack and quickly deflected it with my lighter sword, only to find his sickle slashing at me immediately after. Suddenly, I found myself on the defensive, parrying blow after blow.
His movements were coordinated and continuous, the sickle and iron ball moving as if they were extensions of his body. Every move was precise, every strike calculated. It was clear that he has mastered his weapon. If I stayed within his range, I wouldn't last long.
I stepped forward, using the momentum of the fight to create an opportunity. When the opportunity arose, I delivered a powerful kick directly to his stomach. His body was solid, But the effect was enough to perturb him a little.
He backed off for a moment, and I took the chance to breathe. A deep breath, sharp focus, and unshakable courage—those are all it takes to dominate a fight. I rushed him again, this time more determined.
He threw the sickle directly at me. It was too fast for me to dodge, so I blocked it with my lighter sword. But then, as if reading my move, he swung the chain, forcing me to raise my heavy sword to stop him. The chain wrapped around the blade, and with a strong pull, the sword was ripped from my hand.
I realized that retreat was not an option. Now retreat would mean defeat. It was now or never. With a burst of speed, I leapt towards him, swinging my lighter sword over his shoulder. He retrieved the sickle in time to block the blow, but in doing so, he lost control of the iron ball, which wrapped itself around my heavier sword that was still lying on the ground.
This was my chance. I landed a series of strikes, each one sending him off balance. With a swift step to the right, I slashed his shoulder, drawing blood.
He responded with a powerful kick that I managed to block, but it forced me back. He glared at me, his breathing heavier.
I surged forward with an aggressive charge, without leaving room for him to rest. This time, he hurled both the sickle and the iron ball at me, one from each side. There was no way to block them both. I dropped to the ground, ducking under the attacks, and used the momentum to slide behind him.
When I jumped up, with my blade aimed at his back, he barely turned around in time to block it with his sickle. But his injured shoulder had betrayed him.
I pressed harder, my blows penetrating his defences until I landed a hard blow in his chest. He fell to his knees on the ground, gasping for air. He was bleeding as he looked at me with wide eyes.
I quickly finished him off, my sword cut his throat. As the leader's body hit the ground, the battlefield fell silent. The remaining guards froze. One by one, their weapons hit the ground.
"We surrender!" one of them shouted, kneeling on his knees and raising his hands in surrender.
The others followed him, kneeling and placing their swords at their feet.
"Stay on the ground. No one else has to die." Andrew yelled.
The carriage was unguarded now.
Crimzo and his soldiers drew their bows to keep the remaining guards under control.