Chapter 174: The end of the fight, the start of the tragedy (III)
Jora did not know what was happening, and there was nothing but terror in his eyes as he held his young daughter in his arms, running as fast as he could from the fortress that was now engulfed in flames.
It began with a deafening explosion in the center of the fortress, where the officers and angels resided. Alarms blared, and the news of an assassin spread like wildfire just before all the angels charged out, chasing after the intruder.
Like most civilians, Jora was paralyzed with fear upon hearing about the assassin. Still, he managed to calm down slightly after a few minutes as the soldiers flooded the stress of the Strong Hammer Military base and reassured the people that the assassin was gone and there was no longer any danger. Time seemed to stretch, and just as they thought the danger had passed, a massive explosion of white force tore through a portion of the walls, obliterating anyone near it.
Jora saw everything from the windows of his house and could not believe it. He nearly puked as he witnessed the thousands of mangled bodies left after the explosion.
This marked the beginning of a nightmare for Jora. An army of men in black armor and dark robes stormed the base, massacring anyone in their path and laughing every single second. The soldiers’ attempts to fight back were futile against the overwhelming force and the rain of fireballs that fell on the base.
Though many soldiers had reached the Level System, the angels had kept them weak and dependent on artifacts like laser weapons that were ineffective against the organized assault.
Realizing the battle was lost, a group of brave soldiers opened the northern gates and began evacuating the civilians, covering their retreat. It was clear the dark forces intended to kill everyone, and their only chance was to flee.
Jora ran as fast as he could, his eyes darting around frantically, searching for his wife. But he couldn’t stop. He needed to get his daughter to safety, and if he slowed down, the people behind him would trample them.
"¡Boom!"
An explosion echoed behind Jora, and he felt the blast searing his back. The terror in his heart intensified, knowing the dark forces had reached them. Glancing back, he saw bloody pieces scattered across the ground.
If that scene was not horrible enough, Jora also saw warriors in black armor flashing toward him, their weapons ready to hack him and his daughter to pieces. Tears streamed down his face as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had failed to protect his family. His last act was to hug his daughter tightly, shielding her with his body in a final, desperate attempt to protect her.
The man in black armor showed a vicious smile as he jumped toward the father and daughter duo, bloodlust in his eyes as he intended to split them to pieces. Yet, before he could land, a figure flashed forward and split him in half.