They arrived at Dragon's Haven. The gates loomed ahead, their towering wooden beams scarred by countless battles. An eerie silence hung thick in the air, as if the very place was holding its breath.
Inside, unconscious Jorntur soldiers lay scattered across the stone floor.
They entered the silent place.
"Genta's finally decided to return to fighting" A bandit smiled.
Their joy however was short lived.
Behind them was a Jorntur soldier, Bloodied face and barely able to stand. He slammed the gates shut.
"Don't let them walk away unscathed." he rasped, voice cracking under the strain, before collapsing unconscious.
In an instant Jin and his group found themselves being surrounded by soldiers.
"Attack!" they screamed in unison.
Jin's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, steel gleaming as he drew it free with a sharp hiss. The bandits scrambled to their positions, but the overwhelming numbers were impossible to ignore
the bandits were being overpowered by the sheer numbers of the enemy force.
Jin took a deep breath in and started counting how many soldiers there were.
"There's around sixty compared to the seven bandits and me. We are at the huge disadvantage," He pondered to himself. "This is my fault, I should have chose the way to the bandits' base and came here with an army"
He pushed past the bandits into the frontline.
Steel clashed with a ringing clang, sparks bursting into the dimming light like tiny stars. Jin's sword sang a fierce, metallic note as it met an enemy's blade, the force jolting through his arms. Suddenly, a searing pain flared along his side—a sharp blade had slipped past his guard, slicing through cloth and biting deep into flesh. Hot blood welled up, soaking into his tunic, but there was no time to falter. Another soldier lunged, his boot crashing into Jin's ribs. He gritted his teeth, absorbing the blow, fighting against the tide threatening to overwhelm him.
He blocked and parried desperately, but the enemy pressed in, relentless and brutal. A few strikes slipped through his guard, each one a burning reminder of his vulnerability.
Jin stole a glance over his shoulder. The bandits were a battered wall of sweat and blood, their faces grimaced with exhaustion and pain. Aiko's arm hung limp at her side, stained dark with blood, while Koichi's breath came in ragged gasps, his legs trembling under the strain. Their circle was wavering, gaps opening here and there where the Jorntur soldiers pressed with ruthless determination. But their eyes still burned with stubborn defiance—they refused to break
"Form a circle," Jin barked out "do not let them breach!"
The bandits obeyed forming a tight circle with Aiko and Koichi in the middle.
The gates loomed ahead, their towering wooden beams scarred by countless battles. An eerie silence hung thick in the air, as if the very place was holding its breath.
A sliver of hope occured when one soldier fell down after being forced back.
"Keep pushing" Jin's voice echoed out.
The air was thick with the clang of metal striking metal, a relentless percussion that echoed off the stone walls. Grunts of exertion and cries of pain pierced the din—some desperate, some victorious, some fading into silence.
It was no use. The numbers were overwhelming.
"Do not yield." Jin's voice laced with desperation.
Just as Jin's hope began to wither under the overwhelming pressure, a sudden roar shattered the battlefield's chaos. From the shadows behind the enemy lines, Genta charged forward like a force of nature, his eyes blazing with wild fury. His footsteps thundered, shaking the earth beneath their feet. With each powerful swing, shields splintered and armor cracked, soldiers falling like wheat before a scythe. Confusion rippled through the Jorntur ranks—eyes darted between the two fronts, hesitation spreading like wildfire. The tide of battle was turning.
"Now, Attack!" Jin shouted out.
The bandits obliged.
Steel clashed and bodies tumbled as the bandits surged forward, their morale reignited by Genta's ferocious assault. The Jorntur soldiers, once confident in their overwhelming numbers, faltered under the sudden onslaught from two fronts.
Jin felt the sting of his wound but pushed it aside, focusing on the rhythm of battle. His sword sang through the air, parrying strikes and delivering precise counterattacks that carved a path through the enemy.
Genta roared like a beast unleashed, fists smashing through shields and armor alike. Each thunderous blow echoed across Dragon's Haven, shaking the very ground beneath their feet.
The Jorntur forces wavered, their ranks splitting and crumbling.
"Press forward! Don't let them regroup!" Jin shouted, his voice a beacon cutting through the chaos.
The forces began crumbling but they dealt their damage.
Jin felt his wound open up a bit more.
The bandits staggered under the relentless assault, their bodies battered and bruised. Cuts and scrapes covered their arms and faces, some limping heavily or clutching wounds that bled steadily. Their breathing was ragged, chests heaving as sweat and dirt plastered their clothes to their skin. Despite the pain, their eyes burned with stubborn determination, though it was clear they could hold out only for so long. Every movement became slower, every strike less precise—soon, they'd be too broken to fight at al
A Jorntur soldier lunged and sliced across Genta's torso, a crimson line blooming under his clothes . Genta growled through clenched teeth, refusing to falter. With brutal force, he punched the soldier square in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.
Jin continued fighting with renewed vigor. Every movement was precise ensuring quick deaths and letting him move to the next foe wasting no time.
The soldiers were now the ones in trouble now but even they continued fighting.
The battle was fierce, neither side backing down—both knowing that victory was within reach, yet still uncertain who would claim it.
"I'm tired," a bandit muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper. His legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground. Blood seeped slowly from a dark wound, pooling around him and staining the earth crimson.
Another bandit knelt beside him, checking his pulse with trembling fingers. His face paled as the truth descended upon him.
The cost of war evident in his eyes.
"He's dead"