Chapter 54 - Testing the Sword and Gaining New Students
POV: Laws
The battlefield was a pandemonium of slicing wings and devouring jaws. A cloud of locusts spread through the air like a living plague, a swarm of hundreds of giant insects, each the size of a hunting hound, resonating in an infernal cacophony. The deafening buzzing transformed into an incessant vibration in the chests of the dwarven warriors fighting for their lives.
The ground was covered in mutilated bodies and blood, both from dwarves and the insects themselves. Dented shields, broken axes, screams of pain and despair filled the apocalyptic scene. The dwarven caravan, now reduced to half its original size, held firm in a defensive circle, desperate to resist until the horde passed.
"Hold the formation! The horde must be close to passing! Do not retreat! Anyone who separates from the group is as good as dead!" roared the dwarven leader, his hoarse voice cutting through the chaos.
Among the dwarven warriors, a blond half-elf moved with deadly precision. Laws, with the refined eyes of a hunter, positioned himself strategically behind an overturned carriage, each arrow he fired a precise strike, saving lives at the last moment. His fingers were slick with sweat and blood, a deep bite from a locust throbbed on his shoulder, but he did not stop. He could not stop. Every second counted.
"Damn it! What rotten luck! Could Sylphy or Liena be nearby?" I thought, gritting my teeth as I pulled another arrow and pierced the head of a locust preparing to crush a young dwarf. The boy looked at me with wide eyes, filled with fear and gratitude, before returning to the fight.
The battle seemed endless, a never-ending nightmare, until the wind changed.
At first, it was just a strong gust, enough to make the insects' wings vibrate erratically. Then, the first locusts began to be lifted off the ground. Some tried to resist, their legs gripping onto rocks, bodies, anything to keep them anchored, but the force of the wind was overwhelming. A whirlwind began to form around the caravan, and soon it became evident what was happening: a colossal tornado spun around them but did not touch them directly. It was as if an invisible barrier protected them while the fury of the storm devoured their enemies.
The sky, once darkened by the swarm of insects, began to clear. Amid the whirlwinds of dust and blood, Laws saw a figure atop a hill. A beast woman stood with her arms crossed, observing the scene below, while a red-haired girl stood at her side. But it was the third figure that truly made Laws hold his breath, gripping a shining blue sword pointed at the hurricane.
Amid the chaotic sky, a young warrior of the beast race hovered in the air, manipulating the natural disaster with surgical precision. His face was expressionless, eyes refined like those of a predator coldly analyzing the fate of his prey. His hands moved lightly, like a conductor guiding an orchestra of destruction.
POV: Rygar