Well, if I think about it, cutting down a crowd of soldiers is not all that different from cutting grass with a scythe.
The moment that bloody chaos began, I completely lost track of where Lasin and the others were. The only thing I could focus on were the endless waves of soldiers in front of me. I cut off one man's arm and leapt out of reach of another. His sword sliced through the air just past my head.
I was fairly skilled in combat, but if I ran into someone like Ragnar or Bruno again, that would be the end of me. The wounds they had given me still burned, and every sudden movement reminded me of them. Fortunately, these soldiers were among the weaker ones. Probably fresh recruits who had barely made it through training.
I parried a thrust from the right. I was surrounded, but I still managed to keep enough space between myself and them. With a quick slash, I struck the soldier who had just attacked me. The blade bit into his shoulder and stopped there. It would not go deeper. I cursed and ripped it free.
Is my sword dull again?
I dodged two more attacks. Their inexperience saved me. I slipped between their blades and, with one quick motion, cut off the arms holding their weapons. Blood sprayed everywhere, but after so many dead, my clothes were already too stained for it to matter. The soldiers screamed in pain. I could barely make out their faces, but hatred poured off them all the same.
Then another soldier stepped forward, far taller than the rest.
A Grasion.
I knew it at once. Judging by his finer armor, he was one of the stronger men among this group of weaker soldiers.
I cannot make the same mistake I made with Ragnar.
I raised my sword. The others stepped back, leaving space between us. The Grasion came at me at full speed. I barely avoided his attack. His strength and speed were easily on Ragnar's level, but unlike Ragnar, he was more reckless. Of course, it was possible that this was only an act to make me slip.
I dodged another lunge. I could not just keep backing away, but if I tried to fight him at close range, it might end the same way it had before.
Then an idea flashed through my head.
I rolled to avoid a low swing and immediately charged him. The Grasion raised his sword.
The situation was painfully similar to my fight with Ragnar, except this time I had a different plan. I changed direction and used the tip of my blade to slash sideways at his leg where the armor left a gap. He hissed in pain and pulled back. The cut was shallow, but it slowed him down.
I repeated it several times over the next few moments. But every movement cost me more and more strength. My lungs burned, and each breath sent pain through the wounds that were tearing open again. Blood slowly seeped through my clothes.
The Grasion was growing more and more furious, and the soldiers watching us were beginning to lose patience.
"Just kill him already!" one of them shouted.
The Grasion charged again. His sword came down from above. I dodged left, this time the opposite direction from before. He had grown used to my repeated evasions, and the shock showed plainly on his face.
Before he could correct himself, I was behind him, driving my dagger into the back of his knee. His leg buckled, and the other leg, which I had already wounded several times, could no longer hold his weight.
The Grasion dropped to his knees.
He still tried to turn and strike, but he was too slow. I swung my sword and took off his head in a single motion.
Panting, I bent forward with my hands on my knees. Flashes danced in front of my eyes, and sweat burned them.
I'll probably die now, I thought.
But nothing happened.
The soldiers stood frozen in shock for a moment. After that brief pause, I was able to move again. Then they came at me once more.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jurian watching me, barely paying attention to the rest of the battle. A short distance away, Lasin and Markus were fighting side by side. It gave me a little relief to see that they were still alive.
I blocked more attacks, but I could barely make use of any opening to strike back. At that point, I was simply glad I was still standing. Ragnar's wound had reopened during the fight.
Jurian slowly cut his way toward me.
"Do you know you're an idiot?" he snapped. "If you had just stayed with us instead of charging at them like an idiot, we could have covered each other's backs."
He parried several strikes aimed at me that I had not even seen. He was holding his two handed sword, but shifted it into one hand and started healing my wounds with the other.
I felt the flesh in my chest pull itself closed again.
Then Jurian swung his sword at soldiers who were not even in reach. A wave of magic tore through the air, slicing through their blades and then through their bodies.
"We're moving back to the others," he said.
We fought our way carefully toward Lasin and Markus. They were soaked in blood from head to toe and as exhausted as we were. But the crowds of soldiers around us only kept growing.
Then one of the mounted commanders gave an order.
The soldiers fell back, giving us a brief moment to breathe.
The ranks of recruits withdrew even farther, and a heavily armored unit of about eighty men took their place. There was blood on their armor, but I recognized them immediately by the distinct helmets with decorative crests.
The Lraetorians.
One of the elite units of the Imperial legions. Every one of them possessed considerable magical power and decades of training. A single unit like that could shatter entire military formations.
There was only one force even they could not match.
The Detruisian Royal Guard.
And we did not have them on our side.
For the first time, I felt real fear.
A few of them drew their spears.
"Channel your magical strength into my shield!" Markus ordered.
A vast barrier sprang up around us. I had almost no magic to offer, but Jurian added his strength, and the shield thickened at once.
About twenty Lraetorians hurled their spears. They struck the barrier like falling boulders. The shield shuddered, and the paving stones around us cracked. For a moment, fractures spread across its surface.
The Lraetorians drew their swords and advanced quickly. Within moments, they had hacked an opening through the barrier.
"I'll be honest," Jurian said. "We're fucked."
"Weren't we from the start?" Lasin said, trying to joke.
"I hope we meet again in hell," I said.
The shield shattered, and the Lraetorians stormed in.
Jurian and Markus managed to defend themselves and even kill some of them, but their movements were beginning to lose certainty. Lasin and I, on the other hand, could barely keep their attacks at bay. Blades flashed around me from every side, and honestly, I was amazed we were still alive.
I turned aside one thrust, but another came immediately after it.
I hesitated.
I lost my balance and hit the ground. Not a single muscle in my body wanted to move. Pain shot through me, and my wounds split open again.
So this is how it ends?
I had hoped to live past twenty three.
To enjoy life, at least a little.
I miss the days when everything was simpler.
Darkness spread before my eyes.