"Hahaha, you see that?" The commander laughed, masking the flicker of surprise at Asher's unexpected strike. His rough voice was filled with disdain as he sneered, "Your flimsy attack can't harm me."
Asher narrowed his eyes, his face set in determination. "Well, it would have... if you hadn't used that annoying skill," he retorted, his tone laced with frustration.
The commander grinned, his expression darkening as he loomed over Asher. "When I'm done with you, there'll be nothing left. Don't worry, I'll find the ones you care about and send them your way."
"Trying to taunt me?" Asher shot back, his voice steady. But inside, he felt the toll of his previous move; his MP was nearly drained and he used a lot of Aura, leaving him barely hanging on. 'For a skill that uses so much MP, it sure doesn't last long: just three seconds,' he thought, frustration gnawing at him.
Both combatants pressed for the upper hand, each struggling in his own way. The commander tried to catch Asher in a powerful grip, while Asher danced out of reach, dodging strikes from other soldiers who closed in to trap him.
"Asher!!" a voice called out from behind. It was Matthew.
[Thunder God Throw]
In a fluid motion, Matthew hurled his shield toward Asher. On its path, the shield crackled and sparked, charging with fierce electricity that arced and lashed out at the soldiers in its way, electrocuting them in bursts of light and force.
Seeing his chance, Asher flipped backward, letting the shield pass just below him before landing briefly on its surface. With another agile flip, he sprang off the shield, sending it hurtling directly toward the commander's face.
The shield collided with bone-jarring impact, and the commander screamed, clutching his face as electricity surged through him. "Ahhhhh!!!" His furious, pain-stricken cry rang out, his voice a twisted mixture of rage and agony. "You brat!! What are you guys waiting for? Get him!"
Asher grunted as he hefted one side of the heavy shield, standing it upright between him and the commander's forces. 'Gosh, this thing is heavy.' For a split second, he realized just how much agony the commander must've felt taking that hit.
"You need the shield back?" Asher called out to Matthew, a faint smile of relief on his face.
Matthew, giving a thumbs up, grinned. "Keep it for now. I'll take it later."
The soldiers around them took in the scene, their eyes widening at the sight of their commander clutching his face in pain.
A murmur of disbelief ran through them before they regrouped, their voices hardening with determination. "Get him!!" one of them shouted, rallying their morale. "It's just one kid!"
Asher braced himself as the soldiers charged from all directions. He moved swiftly, deflecting their attacks as best as he could, but just as the first wave closed in, a volley of projectiles crashed down on them, scattering the soldiers and halting their advance. Stunned, Asher looked around, uncertain of the source, until he spotted her from a distance.
It was Evelina.
She moved with fierce purpose, tearing through the soldiers blocking her path. With her bow in hand, she struck down those who dared to obstruct her, sometimes using the bow as a melee weapon to knock them down and occasionally firing arrows to dispatch those who posed a greater threat.
Her movements were swift and precise, her gaze never leaving Asher as she made her way to him.
Evelina, suspended in mid-air, took perfect aim at the man next to Asher. She recognized his face: the commander she'd seen while scouting from the wall, and without a moment's hesitation, released her arrow.
It flew with deadly precision, piercing his eye. He let out an enraged scream, clutching his face as blood poured from the wound.
Evelina landed smoothly and sprinted to Asher's side, kneeling down and wrapping him in a tight embrace. Her heart was racing with relief and worry as she looked him over.
She cupped his face, her eyes scanning him as if to reassure herself he was still in one piece. "Are you okay?" she asked breathlessly, fishing out a potion and pressing it into his hands.
Asher's voice was strained as he tried to catch his breath. "Why... are you... here?" he managed to ask, his usual composure slipping in his weakened state.
"Stop talking, you selfish bastard," Evelina shot back, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "Punching you right now wouldn't even make me feel better."
Asher blinked, surprised. "You knew?" he asked.
"Of course I knew," Evelina replied, choking on her words. "I heard you tell Rey not to let me come here. Why would you do that?" Her voice wavered as she fought back her tears.
Asher hesitated, guilt and worry mixing in his eyes. "Lina... I just didn't want you to get hurt." He reached up, patting her gently on the head. "I'm sorry."
"We need to get you out of here..." she said, her voice firm as she helped him to his feet.
But a furious roar cut through the air. "You're not going anywhere!" the commander yelled, blood streaming down his face, the arrow still embedded in his eye.
His fury was palpable as he surveyed the battlefield, now noticing Rey and the others cutting through his soldiers with increasing ease. Rage twisted his features, disbelief in his voice. "Where are you all coming from? This wasn't in the intel we got!"
Evelina's heart skipped a beat. 'He's still alive?' She quickly reached back to her quiver, but her fingers came up empty. She glanced down in horror, she was out of arrows.
The commander spotted his opportunity, his gaze locking onto Asher. He charged forward, weapon raised high. Evelina's instincts took over, and she shoved Asher back, raising her arms to block the attack. "Run...!" she shouted, but her words were cut off as something hard smashed into her head.
The impact left her vision swimming, and she crumpled to her knees, right in front of Asher.
*
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Are you kidding me!!!!!!!?