Chapter 69: Kinetic Force
Commander Alexander’s voice rang out with sharp authority, slicing through the tension like a blade. His eyes scanned the soldiers along the wall, archers, clad in uniform armor, fingers twitching around their bows, breath held in anticipation. Without arrows nocked, one might have thought them defenseless, but they were anything but. These were Arcane Bowmen, trained to conjure spectral arrows of energy, lethal and precise.
"Hold position! On my mark!" the commander shouted again, his voice hoarse but commanding.
The thundering of feet beyond the wall was growing louder now, a monstrous rhythm of claw and muscle slamming the earth. As the swarm surged from the tree line, the sky seemed to darken. The beasts were fast, unnaturally so....and their low snarls and chittering cries carried over the walls.
"Loose!" The commander gave the order.
Dozens of bows were drawn, strings pulled tight with focused Qi, and as the archers released in unison, streaks of shimmering blue energy burst forth like a meteor shower. The arrows rained down, striking the first wave of beasts with explosive force. Limbs flew, bodies thudded into the ground, and blackened scorch marks spread like ink stains across the battlefield.
But it wasn’t enough.
The horde didn’t hesitate. The second wave trampled over the fallen, their claws gouging into the soil, unrelenting in speed or fury. They were getting closer...far too quickly.
Lucas stepped forward without hesitation, lifting one of the reserve bows from the rack and channeling his Qi into it. A faint glow surrounded him as he formed a radiant arrow, darker in hue, like fire and lightning fused together. He pulled back and fired.
The impact was devastating.
Where his arrow landed, a burst of kinetic energy erupted. Beasts were thrown high into the air, torn apart mid-flight, their bodies exploding like clay dolls under pressure. Ten at once...maybe more...obliterated in a blink.
Princess Nyx was beside him already, a bow in her own hands, eyes narrowed and calm despite the horror before them. Her arrows were swift and sharp, each one guided by years of discipline and power, each shot a clean kill. The two of them fired with purpose, shoulder to shoulder, matching each other in speed and intensity.
The archers around them began to find rhythm in their fear, their volleys steadier now, more focused. The swarm still advanced, but they were met with unrelenting resistance.