Chapter 100 (C) Escape

Renee was forced to defend herself as best she could, parrying and counterattacking with all her might. The two of them were surrounded by enemies, but she was confident that she and the young man would be able to fend off the enemy if they coordinated their efforts.

They were doing well, but she knew they wouldn't be able to hold out forever. They were running out of time.

She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath as she watched the boy block an incoming swing from a hollow, then kick the thing away, leaving himself wide open. The moment he was exposed, another of the creatures lunged in, aiming a vicious strike at the Knight Commander.

She pushed her feet into the ground, taking the force of the strike, allowing the strike to glance harmlessly against the stone beneath her. As the Hollow Templar stumbled, Renee stepped in, thrusting her longsword through the creature's stomach, piercing it straight through.

The Hollow Templar fell to the floor, dead, as Renee turned to look at Jackson, who had taken the opportunity to take down the other four Hollow Templars surrounding him. He looked exhausted, sweat pouring down his forehead as he breathed heavily, purple electricity arcing around his hands briefly before vanishing as he held his Twin Moon scimitars.

"Quick! We don't have much time!" He shouted, waving his hands as they started running towards the exit, dodging around the fallen Temple Knights.

"I know!" Renee said, pushing her tired body to run faster, forcing her to keep up with Jackson despite the fatigue, jumping over the bodies of the slain as they dashed through the streets.

Renee followed close behind, looking up as she heard the sounds of explosions coming from the outer wall. The black clouds overhead seemed to darken as lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

Renee gasped, struggling to run faster as they made their way into a courtyard. Temple Knights were being overrun as the Hollows were overwhelming them. The Temple Knights were fighting valiantly, trying desperately to hold them back as they were being overwhelmed.

"Quick, we must help them!" She shouted, running past Jackson, who clicked his tongue and chased after her, jumping into the skirmish.

The two of them fought side-by-side, taking the Hollows and Hollowed Templars down as they cut through the beasts, approaching the Temple Knights.

"Knight Commander!" One of the knights shouted as the pair approached, turning to face them.

"We have to get everyone out of here!" She added, noticing more shadows moving about as more Hollow Knights appeared, attacking from every direction.

"Sweep through the city! Grab all survivors and head over the bridge!" She told the knight, "Go, we will hold the line!"

"Yes, Knight Commander!" The Temple Knight replied before turning, relaying the orders to the rest of the group as they ran down an adjacent street away from the fight.

"We need to hurry!" Jackson urged, lightning covering his body, the edges of both blades glowing brightly as he blitzed through the ranks, slicing and dicing anything that got too near.

Renee nodded, following closely as they ran across the main avenue, heading through Fort Vetus.

The two of them were having trouble keeping track of the number of people they were picking up. It wasn't just the civilians either; the soldiers were also joining the group, carrying wounded comrades.

"We'll never make it!" Jackson shouted, panting as he fought. His arms were starting to feel heavy as he continued to fight. His movements were becoming sluggish as he struggled to maintain his focus. His breathing became more severe as he focused on his blade.

"We're close to the main gate!" She shouted, her voice cracking as the adrenaline began to wear off. Her vision blurred slightly as she strained her muscles harder than ever before.

"We can do this! Just a little more!" Jackson shouted, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something in front of him.

"There!" Renee pointed ahead, Jackson stopping abruptly, his blades still spinning around him. Renee ran beside him, pointing down the avenue with her sword, "I can see the gate!"

The massive crowd behind them started cheering loudly as they saw the open gates. Everyone began rushing forward as a dozen swirls of smoke appeared before them. The crowd squealed as they frantically tried to stop and turn around, running behind Jackson and Renee.

A dozen Hollows appeared from the spiraling columns of smoke, blocking the path to the gate.

"Shit!" Renee cursed, pulling her blade free and readying herself. Jackson rushed past her, his body vanishing in a blur of purple electricity before reappearing several meters away, facing the oncoming monsters.

He drew the Twin Moon scimitars around him and twirled them around before launching them at the Hollows. Both blades struck the first creature, cutting it cleanly in half and sending the upper portion flying backward and the lower section falling to the ground.

His blades quickly danced amongst the shadows, repeatedly striking, each blow sending the creatures flying backward, dying instantly.

Jackson was forced to leap backward when a Hollow jumped at him, its claws tearing into his shoulder. He kicked the monster in the chest, sending it flying back, but not before it managed to sink its fangs into his shoulder.

"Fuck!" He growled, glaring at the creature as it lay motionless, bleeding profusely.

"Get to the gate! I'm going to deal with this!" He ordered, rushing forward and swinging the blades repeatedly, cutting and chopping the Hollows apart, killing them one by one.

"Follow me!" Renee shouted after nodding to Jackson, she raised her sword and pointed toward the gate, running ahead, her sword flashing as she deflected blows aimed toward the crowd.

She felt a sudden rush of energy flow through her veins as she blocked the attacks from the Hollows directed at the citizens and wounded soldiers running behind her. She quickly made her way in front of the gate, blocking attacks from all directions.

Temple Knights quickly established a perimeter around the road, defending against attacks as the people and wounded rushed toward the bridge, screaming wildly.