A whisper of displaced air from their left, a sound so faint it might have been their own imagination.
The demon appeared at their flank, moving faster than their human eyes could track. Its claw struck with the force of a battering ram, connecting with the tank's shield. The impact released a thunderous boom that shook leaves from nearby trees.
The warrior and his shield went airborne, spinning wildly before crashing into the underbrush thirty feet away.
"Shit!" Cain's face contorted with horror.
Theodore didn't hesitate. "Attack! All fighters engage!
The warriors surged forward, their weapons raised, battle cries tearing from their throats.
As they converged on the demon from multiple angles with a desperate, courageous charge. The demon stood motionless, watching them come with detached curiosity.
It raised one hand almost lazily.
A wave of dark energy pulsed outward, striking the first line of attackers.
The warriors were blasted backwards like leaves in a hurricane, their bodies slamming against tree trunks with bone-crushing force. Their weapons flew from their hands as their blood sprayed across the floor, and they collapsed in broken heaps.
Theodore did not falter. Even as hope drained from his face, determination remained.
Theodore planted his feet as the shockwave passed, his cloak torn, blood in his mouth, but his voice rang like a war drum.
"Listen to me!" he roared, over the sound of weeping trees and shattered bone. "You think dying here means we've lost? No. Losing is standing still while evil breathes!"
He pointed his sword at the demon, unwavering.
"We are the wall between this thing and everyone we swore to protect. Every step we take forward is a step it doesn't. That is our victory."
He turned to the soldiers still frozen in fear.
"Don't fight because you think you'll live. Fight so those behind us never see this monster. Fight because we are the last line. And if we die—"
His voice cracked, then rose, defiant.
"—we die with our blades drawn and our hearts unbroken."
His words cut through their paralysis. The remaining warriors exchanged glances, fear mingling with resolve, before nodding grimly.
"The captain is right, if we can't defeat one demon, how can we defeat the hundreds of demons outside the safe zone."
They gulped down their terror and charged once more, knowing this might be their final act.
The archers weren't idle either.
They nocked their arrows, filling the air. The mages with sweat-slicked faces and trembling hands channelled what little mana they had left, hurling their spells on the demon.
"Damn it. Why is he so powerful? There are so many of us, yet we still can't beat it!" A member said as he drank a mana potion before using his skill once again.
Jasmine watched with some fear.
'Lupin must have sent a message to Fateless, but why is he still not here!' She thought.
'Maybe he didn't receive the message...Are we dead? Just like that? I still haven't...'
The demon moved with fluid grace, its massive form somehow defying physics. It twisted between arrows, sideslipped spells, and met the charging warriors with contemptuous ease. Each swing of its claws found flesh. Each counterattack sent more fighters crashing to the earth.
Theodore watched his team being dismantled, helplessness almost overwhelmed him.
Everything they had learnt and practised meant nothing against this level of power.
The demon paused in its slaughter, standing amid the fallen warriors, blood dripping from its claws.
Theodore gripped his sword tightly, ignoring the pain of his broken ribs. Each breath sent daggers through his chest, but he refused to show weakness.
Jasmine stood behind him, her healing magic flowing into his wounds. She had also suffered her own share of attacks.
'Where is he?' Theodore searched the forest edge desperately for any sign of Arthur.
'Must I really use it?' She thought.
From his observation point, Arthur watched intently.
He'd already found what he wanted. These warriors hadn't backed down or betrayed their trust. They were loyal to the bone. And Theodore had greatly surprised him.
'He was the correct choice,' Arthur thought with satisfaction. 'Although he isn't particularly the strongest, he is the only one fit to be captain.'
The demon's eyes locked onto the last two standing fighters. It flexed its claws with anticipation.
Theodore's voice was low, steady despite everything.
"I will try to delay him. Run away. Run and tell the village chief and the swordmaster that a demon has been spotted in the forest. The village is in great danger. You must survive."
Jasmine's face froze, the healing magic flickering out. She stared at Theodore's back, then glanced at the demon once again.
"I won't leave you," she whispered fiercely.
"This isn't a request." Theodore shifted his stance, preparing for one final, hopeless charge. "The village needs to know. Someone has to warn them."
"I know." A strange calm had settled over him. "Go. Now."
Jasmine shook her head, eyes hardening with resolve. "No. I have one trick up my sleeve, but it will render me weak. I can't escape anyway, he will catch up to me."
Theodore wanted to retort, but he couldn't.
He nodded grimly, his eyes never leaving the demon in front of them.
The demon tilted its head, listening to their exchange with dark amusement.
Arthur, who was about to stop the demon, raised an eyebrow.
Curious, he decided to see what Jasmine would do. He settled back into his observation post, fingers drumming lightly against his sword hilt.
"Alright. I'll buy you some time to conjure whatever you want to do. I'll also distract him," Theodore said, walking forward with his half-broken shield and sword.
Jasmine nodded. She closed her eyes, her lips moving in a silent incantation.
The demon laughed before it vanished again, reappearing directly in front of Theodore. He barely managed to raise his shield before the demon's claws crashed into it. The impact sent the shield flying, alongside Theodore.
He crashed through underbrush, tumbling to a stop against a tree trunk.
"Ugh," Theodore grunted.
That was Jasmine's moment.
With Theodore clear of her line of fire, she completed her spell. "Radiant Purification!" she cried, thrusting both hands forward.
A blinding sphere of pure light erupted from her palms, streaking toward the demon. The creature raised an arm casually to block what it assumed was another futile attack.