The sky above the forest was a deep blue, slowly fading into a crimson sunset as Edred, Lianne, Jericho, and Vnz made their way back towards their base. The exploration had been fruitful, but the group was exhausted. Days of traveling, discovering new territories, and encountering different beings had taken its toll. The kingdom they had found was further away than they anticipated, and now, they faced the daunting task of returning to their stronghold before nightfall.
"Are we sure we're going the right way?" Jericho asked, glancing around at the dense forest surrounding them. The trees were thick and gnarled, their branches intertwining like the fingers of ancient giants.
Vnz checked the map they'd drawn. "We're on the right path, but it'll be dark soon. We need to pick up the pace if we want to make it back before it gets too late."
Lianne sighed, wiping sweat from her brow. "I just want to get back to the base and sleep. I swear my feet are killing me."
Edred, walking ahead of the group, paused, his senses suddenly on high alert. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the shadows between the trees. "Hold on. Something's off."
The group stopped, tension rising as they too sensed an unfamiliar presence in the air. The forest was unusually quiet—too quiet. There were no birds, no rustling of leaves, no sign of wildlife at all.
Before anyone could speak, three shadows moved at incredible speed, dashing out from the dense undergrowth and stopping abruptly in front of the group. The sudden movement sent everyone into a defensive stance, hands gripping weapons, eyes wide with surprise.
"Who's there? Show yourselves!" Edred called out, his voice steady but wary.
The figures stepped into the fading light, revealing themselves. Rohanna, Quisha, and Alexis stood before them, smirking with an air of superiority. Rohanna, the tall, cocky classmate they had met earlier in the kingdom, stood front and center, her eyes glinting with amusement. Quisha, the mid-fat girl with a menacing grin, and Alexis, tall and slender with an icy demeanor, flanked her sides.
Lianne let out an exasperated groan. "Oh great, it's you guys."
"Miss us?" Rohanna taunted, flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder. "I see you're still wandering around in the woods like lost puppies. How cute."
Jericho rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for this, Rohanna. We're trying to get back to our base."
"Back to your base?" Rohanna sneered. "That's adorable. But you're not going anywhere just yet."
Suddenly, without warning, Rohanna launched herself forward with blinding speed, aiming a powerful punch straight at Edred. He barely had time to react, dodging to the side as her fist slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave of dust and debris flying into the air.
"Rohanna!" Lianne shouted, drawing her weapon. "What the hell are you doing?"
Quisha and Alexis wasted no time joining the fight. Quisha charged at Vnz with a broad, wild swing of her heavy club, while Alexis moved with precision and grace, targeting Jericho with a series of rapid, calculated strikes from her twin blades.
Chaos erupted in an instant.
Edred quickly regained his footing after dodging Rohanna's strike. She was stronger than she had been during their school days, far more dangerous. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation, realizing that this fight wasn't just a simple sparring match. Rohanna was serious.
"Looks like you've been training," Edred muttered, blocking her next attack with his forearm.
Rohanna grinned wickedly. "You have no idea."
She pivoted on her heel, launching a flurry of kicks and punches that Edred deftly dodged. But her speed was relentless, and every move was designed to throw him off balance.
Vnz, meanwhile, struggled to keep up with Quisha's brute strength. She swung her club like a battering ram, forcing him to stay on the defensive. Every time he tried to counterattack, she met him with overwhelming force, her swings powerful enough to shatter trees.
"Is that all you've got?" Quisha taunted, her grin widening. "Come on, Vnz! You're supposed to be stronger than this!"
Vnz grit his teeth, trying to find an opening. He had speed on his side, but Quisha's sheer power was making it difficult for him to close the distance. He ducked beneath a swing, narrowly avoiding having his head taken off, and rolled to the side, launching a quick strike at her exposed flank. His sword grazed her armor, but it barely made a dent.
Jericho, on the other hand, was locked in a dance of death with Alexis. Her twin blades flashed in the dim light, a blur of steel that forced Jericho to block and parry at an incredible pace. Every time he tried to go on the offensive, Alexis countered with lightning-fast reflexes, her strikes aimed at his vital points with deadly precision.
"You're quick, Jericho," Alexis said coldly, "but not quick enough."
She feinted to the right, then slashed to the left, catching Jericho off guard. Her blade nicked his arm, drawing blood.
Jericho winced but didn't back down. "You're faster than I expected, Alexis. But speed isn't everything."
He swung his staff, channeling his energy into a powerful strike that sent a shockwave through the air. Alexis barely managed to block it, her feet sliding back a few inches from the impact.
As the battle raged on, Edred realized he needed to end his fight with Rohanna quickly if he was going to help the others. She was fast, but Edred had his own tricks. Focusing his energy, he activated his new skill, The Assassin, moving with such speed that he became a blur.
Rohanna's eyes widened as Edred vanished from her sight. She barely had time to react before a sharp kick connected with her side, sending her stumbling backward. Edred didn't stop there. He followed up with a series of lightning-fast strikes, each one precise and aimed at her weakest points.
"Damn it!" Rohanna cursed, struggling to keep up with his newfound speed.
But Edred was relentless. He dashed behind her, landing a powerful punch to her back that sent her crashing into the ground. Rohanna gritted her teeth, pushing herself up despite the pain.
"You think you can beat me with speed alone?" she growled, wiping blood from her lip.
Edred didn't respond. He simply prepared for his next move, his eyes locked on her. Rohanna, not willing to back down, let out a roar and charged at him again, her fists glowing with a fiery aura. She swung wildly, her power amplified by sheer rage.
But Edred was already gone, disappearing from her view once more. He appeared behind her in an instant, landing a devastating blow to her ribs that knocked the wind out of her. Rohanna gasped, collapsing to one knee.
Vnz, meanwhile, had finally found his opening against Quisha. After dodging another one of her heavy swings, he darted in close, using his agility to land a quick strike to her side. Quisha grunted in pain but didn't falter. She swung her club upward in a wide arc, forcing Vnz to backflip out of range.
"You're faster than you look, Quisha," Vnz said, catching his breath.
Quisha laughed, wiping sweat from her brow. "You're not too bad yourself, Vnz. But you're gonna need more than speed to take me down."
She charged at him again, her club raised high above her head. Vnz sidestepped, avoiding the crushing blow, and retaliated with a spinning kick to her chest. The impact sent Quisha staggering backward, but she quickly regained her footing.
Vnz narrowed his eyes. "You're tough, I'll give you that. But I've got more tricks up my sleeve."
Channeling his energy, Vnz summoned a burst of wind around him, enhancing his speed even further. He moved so quickly that Quisha couldn't keep up, his strikes landing with pinpoint accuracy. Each hit chipped away at her defenses, slowly wearing her down.
Jericho was having a harder time with Alexis. Her twin blades were a constant threat, and she moved like a ghost, her attacks coming from all angles. Jericho parried a flurry of slashes, his staff spinning in his hands as he blocked each strike.
"You're good, Alexis," Jericho admitted, sweat dripping down his face. "But I'm not out of tricks yet."
With a swift motion, Jericho slammed his staff into the ground, releasing a wave of energy that knocked Alexis off balance. She stumbled, giving Jericho the opening he needed. He swung his staff upward, aiming for her chest, but Alexis recovered quickly, blocking the strike with her blades.
"You'll have to do better than that," she hissed, pushing back with renewed force.
Their weapons clashed again and again, sparks flying as steel met steel. Jericho could feel his arms growing tired, but he couldn't afford to slow down. He knew that one wrong move could be the end of him.
The battle was fierce, but Edred, Vnz, and Jericho were beginning to turn the tide. Edred had Rohanna on the ropes, his speed and precision overwhelming her. Vnz was slowly but surely chipping away at Quisha's defenses, and Jericho was holding his own against Alexis, despite the difficulty of facing her dual blades.
But just when it seemed like victory was within their grasp, a chilling laugh echoed through the forest.
"Impressive," a new voice said, stepping out from the shadows.
Everyone paused, turning to face the newcomer. A tall figure emerged from the darkness, cloaked in black, with an aura of power that sent a shiver down their spines. His eyes glowed with a sinister light, and a wicked smile played on his lips.
"Who the hell are you?" Edred demanded, stepping forward.
The figure chuckled. "Just someone who's been watching from the sidelines. And now, I think it's time I joined the fun."
Before anyone could react, the figure raised his hand, and a wave of dark energy surged toward them.
To be continued...