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Hakan
The battlefield was suffocating.
The smell of scorched grass, sweat, and fear clung to everything, even the wind.
The trembling of our horses felt like the trembling of the earth itself—a warning of the disaster bearing down upon us.
"YOUR MAJESTY! THE SLAYERS ARE GETTING READY TO FIRE BLACK ARROWS AT US!"
The scout's voice was raw, cracking under panic.
The words Black Arrows alone sent a cold heaviness through my chest.
Arrows forged in dark rituals.
Arrows said to sever one's soul before the body even fell.
No shield forged of steel could stop them.
Only one thing could.
My hand moved before my mind did—
straight to the hidden pouch under my armor.
For months, I had sworn never to use the relic unless forced to.
But I realized now…
There was no choice left.
"GATHER AROUND ME! AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE!"
My voice tore out of my throat, echoing across the valley.
Soldiers scrambled, stumbling over bodies and broken weapons, pressing inward like frightened children seeking shelter from a storm.
My fingers closed around cold metal.
The chain slid free.
And the relic emerged.
The Holy Relic of Cameru.
A flawless ruby encased in ancient silver, humming with a heartbeat of its own.
A last resort.
A forbidden light.
A miracle paid for in blood.
I lifted it, feeling its warmth spreading through my palm.
"IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO USE IT AFTER ALL…"
The words left me in a bitter breath.
Then—
I let the relic awaken.
Blue light erupted from its core, exploding outward in blinding brilliance.
My men gasped.
The world turned sapphire.
FWOOOM—
The dome formed instantly, an invisible crystalline wall encasing us.
I barely had a second to steady myself.
Then the arrows came.
SWISH—WHISH—WHISH—
A rain of darkness, descending like the judgment of the gods.
But—
TAP. TAP. TAP.
They bounced off the barrier.
Falling.
Clattering.
Harmless.
The relief that washed through my soldiers was almost a physical force.
"WOOOO! IT WORKED! IT'S STOPPING THE BLACK ARROWS!"
Their voices cracked with disbelief and hope.
The relic's glow deepened, wrapping us in a shimmering blue aura that pulsed like a living heartbeat.
"WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR NOW!" I shouted back, power surging up my arms, bolstering both my courage and theirs.
But the battlefield had no intention of letting us celebrate.
---
Part 2: A New Threat
Far away, the enemy commander's face twisted in shock.
His silver hair glinted beneath his helmet as he stared at the radiant dome I had created.
"ISN'T THAT… THE POWER OF THE HOLY RELIC?"
His voice trembled despite himself.
"Did they obtain it from the Cameru Religion…?!"
Before his fear could settle—
the sky darkened.
A shadow cast itself across the battlefield.
The commander looked up.
And his lips parted in horror.
"T–THE DRAGONS ARE HERE!"
The clouds tore apart as three enormous shapes descended—
massive, scaled wings cutting through the sky, ancient roars shaking the bones of the earth.
The lead dragon inhaled—
And fire was born.
FWOOOOOOSH!
A colossal wave of flame—orange, red, molten—crashed over the battlefield.
The roar drowned out the screams.
"ARGH!"
BLAZE! CRACKLE! SIZZLE!
The Holy Relic's barrier shuddered, resisting the inferno, but even magic had limits.
The outer soldiers—those not fully within the dome—were scorched, thrown back, engulfed.
Our line buckled.
The heat was unbearable.
The world became fire.
But we endured.
Barely.
---
Part 3: A Tactical Retreat
Through the haze of smoke and flame, I spotted movement on a distant ridge.
The Brion commander—the silver-haired officer—was watching the chaos unfold.
He clenched his jaw.
"The Tayar Tribe is treating us like enemies… well, of course they would, given that we've sided with the Slayers…"
He exhaled sharply, eyes scanning the burning battlefield.
"There's no point suffering more casualties. RETREAT!"
He pulled back, his armored cavalry wheeling away from the flames in a swift, disciplined arc.
Their retreat eased the pressure around us.
A shallow victory.
But only temporary.
One of my warriors called out behind me:
"THE BRION ARMY MIGHT NOT BE A THREAT ANYMORE…!"
I cut in sharply, eyes fixed on the only enemy that mattered now:
"…BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SLAYERS WILL DO NEXT."
And I was right to worry.
Because suddenly—
They were gone.
Vanished.
"HUH? WHAT ARE THEY PLANNING NOW?!" I muttered, scanning the ridge.
Turan, my most trusted lieutenant, stiffened beside me.
"YOUR MAJESTY—"
His voice faltered as he stared past my shoulder.
I turned.
A wounded warrior—green-haired, broad-shouldered, usually proud—collapsed to one knee, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
"WE HAVE WOUNDED HERE TOO, YOUR MAJESTY!" someone shouted.
The green-haired soldier bowed his head low.
"I'm sorry… Your Majesty…"
Blood streamed down his arm.
"I didn't have time to react. The Slayers… suddenly ambushed me…"
My chest tightened with cold fury.
"WHERE WERE THEY HIDING?!"
No answer.
Only the crackling of burning earth.
The Slayers were masters of disappearing into shadows, and they had used the dragons' assault to strike with precision.
Behind me, overheard voices tried to lift morale:
"THE HOLY RELIC IS AMAZING!"
"AT THIS RATE WE'LL DEFEAT THEM IN NO TIME!"
I spun around sharply.
"DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN."
My voice cut through their misplaced confidence like steel.
"They'll strike again."
I turned to Turan, lowering my voice even further.
Every sense in my body sharpened.
"Be careful. They might try to launch a surprise attack."
Turan nodded, grip tightening around his blade.
"YES, YOUR MAJESTY."
He stepped forward, posture taut—
eyes already sweeping the burning landscape,
searching the shadows,
waiting for the unseen knives that he knew were coming.
And the battlefield held its breath.
---
The last traces of dragon fire flickered out, leaving the battlefield drowned in smoke and an eerie humming—the aftertaste of massive magic. For a heartbeat, the world seemed frozen. Then, a thunderous command shattered the stillness.
"THERE'S NO NEED TO ENDURE MORE UNNECESSARY CASUALTIES! WE RETREAT!"
The Brion Army's silver-haired commander barked the order, his voice sharp with urgency.
I watched as their ranks shifted, armor glinting as they withdrew.
Retreating, already?
My stomach tightened. This wasn't relief—this was suspicion.
"The Brion Army might not be a threat to us anymore…" I muttered under my breath, eyes narrowing.
"…BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SLAYERS WILL DO NEXT."
The field was suddenly too empty, too still.
"HUH? WHAT ARE THEY PLANNING NOW…?" I whispered, unease crawling up my spine.
Turan's voice snapped my attention.
"THE SLAYERS HAVE DISAPPEARED, YOUR MAJESTY."
I turned sharply. "WHAT IS IT?!"
"UGH…" Turan grimaced, but before he could answer, a shout erupted behind us.
"WE HAVE WOUNDED OVER HERE TOO, YOUR MAJESTY!"
Assessing the Damage
I hurried toward the sound. A green-haired Tayar soldier sat among the dirt and blood, clutching a deep wound on his shoulder. I knelt beside him.
"WHAT HAPPENED?"
His voice shook with frustration.
"I'M SORRY, YOUR MAJESTY… I DIDN'T HAVE ANY TIME TO REACT. THE SLAYERS SUDDENLY AMBUSHED ME!"
"WHERE WERE THEY HIDING?!" I demanded, scanning the surroundings.
"I'M AFRAID NOT… THEY JUST—VANISHED."
More shouts echoed.
"THERE ARE MORE ON THIS SIDE AS WELL!"
My jaw clenched. This was a coordinated, precise infiltration.
I barked the order:
"GET THE WOUNDED INTO THE CENTER OF THE BARRIER—NOW! WE CAN'T LET THE SLAYERS GET TO THEM!"
"YES, SIR!"
I inspected the Tayar leader's wound again.
"LET ME SEE IT… if it was a black arrow…"
It was. My worst fear confirmed.
"IT'S CLEAR WE CAN'T RELY ON THE HOLY RELIC IF THEY MANAGED TO BREAK THROUGH."
The relic shielded against armies—but not silent assassins.
"We retreat. We treat the wounded. We reorganize."
My men saluted sharply.
"YES, SIR!"
The Slayer's Snatch
A flicker—no, a shadow—moved far too fast.
Before any warning could be shouted, a towering, dark-skinned Slayer materialized beside us with a savage GRAB. His long green hair whipped like a serpent as he bared his jagged teeth.
My hand instinctively reached for my weapon.
"WHAT… DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
He ignored me entirely, turning his manic grin toward the wounded Tayar leader.
"THAT'S A SHAME," he hissed. "I COULD'VE KILLED THE LEADER OF THE TAYARS."
And then—
He vanished.
Just as suddenly as he came.
It left behind only blood, fear, and the chilling truth:
They weren't trying to breach our lines—they already had.
"BE CAREFUL," I ordered, voice low.
"THEY MIGHT TRY TO LAUNCH A SURPRISE ATTACK."
But in my heart, I already knew:
They will.
The Brion Army's withdrawal meant nothing.
The Slayers' disappearance meant everything.
They were ghosts—fatal, silent, untraceable.
"THEY SUDDENLY VANISHED AFTER ATTACKING ME…"
The green-haired soldier's trembling voice echoed in my head.
Another soldier reported more injured.
I forced myself to remain composed.
"PUT ALL THE WOUNDED IN THE CENTER OF THE BARRIER! DOUBLE THE DEFENSE AROUND THEM!"
My voice boomed, but inside… cracks were forming.
When I saw the Tayar leader's injury again, the realization struck like a blade.
"THE HOLY RELIC CAN'T FULLY STOP THEM…"
Not stealth.
Not their cursed magic.
"We need to retreat. Treat the injured. Stabilize the field."
But when I stepped back, exhaustion rushed in like a wave.
SIGH.
"DID I UNDERESTIMATE THIS WAR…?"
"DID MY ARROGANCE ENDANGER EVERYONE?"
For a moment, the battlefield felt unbearably heavy.
Reinforcements Arrive
"YOUR MAJESTY!"
Turan sprinted toward me, breathless.
"THERE YOU ARE—I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE!"
"What is it?" I asked, bracing myself for more bad news.
Instead—
"I'VE JUST RECEIVED WORD… THE WOLF TRIBE ARE COMING TO HELP US!"
My chest tightened.
"ARE YOU SURE?"
"YES! A BLACK HAWK BROUGHT THE MESSAGE!"
I unfolded the small parchment, reading it quickly.
Finally.
A flicker of hope in the middle of this nightmare.
"COULD LUCK FINALLY BE ON OUR SIDE?"
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"I DIDN'T THINK THEY'D SEND REINFORCEMENTS THIS QUICKLY…"
But hope didn't mean rest.
It meant action.
Taking Command
"Turan," I said, pulling a vial of shimmering liquid from my belt,
"SPRAY A SMALL AMOUNT ON THE WOUNDED. USE MORE IF NECESSARY."
He nodded firmly.
"YES, YOUR MAJESTY! I'LL HANDLE EVERYTHING—PLEASE REST!"
I allowed a small smile.
"That's a relief."
I turned away, mind already shifting into strategy.
A fierce light ignited in my chest as the Holy Relic glowed faintly at my side.
"NOW I CAN END THIS WAR QUICKLY AND RETURN TO—"
The thought didn't finish, but the determination remained.
Reinforcements were coming.
A path forward had appeared.
The tide had shifted—if only just.


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