Chapter 166 The Witch's First Pain.

"Soldiers, do not engage!" General Sharma's authoritative voice boomed across the field as he rode on his horse towards the front line to assess the situation.

As he reached the front, his sharp eyes caught sight of the lifeless, severed bodies of his men lying in a gruesome pool of blood. The sight shook him to his core, and his face twisted with a mix of horror and anger.

Sharma dismounted his horse and directed his gaze towards Yuri, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

As he observed the solitary figure of the young woman standing before him, he couldn't help but wonder why she was the only soldier sent to intercept them. Her appearance certainly did not fit the bill of a typical soldier.

Suppressing his doubts, Sharma composed himself and addressed the young woman with a question, "Excuse me, but are you my enemy?"

Yuri's face reflected a mixture of disappointment and confusion at the query. She had just dispatched one of Sharma's soldiers, and his question seemed almost absurd to her. "I have just killed one of your soldiers. How could you even ask me that?" she responded.

Sharma's expression grew more hostile as he processed Yuri's response. "I understand," he muttered, his eyes fixed on her. "It is unfortunate that I must resort to violence against a lady. However, if you insist on impeding our progress, I will not hesitate to use force."

With a sudden movement, Sharma reached behind him and grasped the handle of the enormous blade strapped to his back.

The scabbard promptly opened up, allowing him to draw the blade with a swift motion. The steel glinted menacingly in the sunlight as he brandished it before him, ready to engage in combat if necessary.

The atmosphere grew tense as a pregnant silence settled over the area. Both General Sharma and his soldier were on high alert, scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger.

Suddenly, Yuri's laughter pierced the silence, startling both Sharma and his soldier. Their confusion deepened as they struggled to make sense of the situation.

General Sharma's instincts kicked in, and he muttered to himself, 'Something isn't right here,' His eyes darted frantically around the area.

Just then, a cry of alarm erupted from one of the soldiers behind Sharma's forces. "Ahhh! We're being cornered!" the soldier shouted in panic.

Sharma's disbelief was palpable as he turned to survey the situation. "What?!" he exclaimed incredulously, 'We outnumber them by a considerable margin! How can we be cornered so easily?'

As if in answer to his question, a portal suddenly opened up from where they had come, and a rush of grim reapers charged out of it, causing Sharma's heart to race with fear. He watched in horror as more portals began opening all around them, unleashing more grim reapers who swarmed towards them.

"Damn it!" Sharma stood his ground, determined not to let his guard down. His attention shifted from Yuri to the menacing figure of the grim reapers. "Do not panic," he commanded, "Draw out your weapons and stand your ground-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Yuri suddenly materialized behind him, a maniacal grin spreading across her face. She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Don't ignore a lady, that's so mean."

Sharma's body jerked in surprise, and he spun around, sword at the ready. But he was too late. A powerful wave of water struck him square in the stomach, sending him careening into the canyon wall.

Yuri scanned the battlefield, her eyes narrowing as she took in the soldiers who were now defending themselves against the grim reaper. "I should be with master, not here fighting off weaklings," she muttered, clearly unimpressed by the level of opposition she faced.

But Sharma was not one to be dismissed so easily. From amidst the rubble he was buried in, his voice rose up, a fierce determination driving him forward. "Who the hell... are you calling a weakling?!" he roared, his sword raised once more.

In a blur of motion, Sharma emerged from the rubble and landed on the ground with a sharp metallic clang. With sword in hand, he wasted no time in launching his attack.

A swift slash sent a massive wave of purple energy hurtling towards Yuri, tearing up the ground beneath it and generating a powerful gust of wind.

But Yuri, undaunted, raised her hand to deflect the magic. Her confidence, however, was short-lived. As the wave of energy crashed into her palm, it split it in two, cleaving all the way up to her elbow in a gruesome display of raw power.

Yuri's face twisted in a mixture of pain and delight as she watched her severed hand dangle in two pieces. Her lips curved into a wicked grin as she turned her gaze towards Sharma.

"That's the first time I've felt pain," she muttered, her voice laced with an almost childlike glee. In the next moment, her injuries miraculously healed, her hand made whole once again. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this very much," She purred, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Sharma was undeterred by Yuri's eerie display of power. His body was enveloped in a powerful aura of magic energy, his eyes blazing with determination. "Bring it on!" He roared, his sword at the ready.

The two opponents stood facing each other, their bodies taut with tension. A charged silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of their heavy breathing.

With a sudden movement, Yuri lunged forward, her body moving with incredible speed and agility. Sharma responded with lightning-fast reflexes, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he got ready to counter her attack.

Meanwhile, the left flank was led by General Mort and his elite soldiers, charging forward with full force. Horses, chariots, and even some of the wild beasts were used to quickly traverse the terrain.

As they thundered onwards, the sudden arrival of bad news disrupted their momentum. "General Mort! We have a problem!" one of the soldiers yelled from behind, his voice strained with urgency.

Mort's expression darkened, and he called back impatiently, "What is it now?" His irritation was palpable, as it was clear that he had no time for distractions.

From the dely, it was safe to assume that the soldiers were passing the information from behind all the way to the front.

After a brief pause, the soldier finally responded, "It's Neverk! They're approaching us from the left!"

Mort gritted his teeth in frustration. "Those bloodsucking traitors!" he growled, his anger building with every passing moment. He knew that this turn of events could seriously jeopardize their chances of success, and he was determined to deal with it swiftly and decisively.