BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
"....?!!"
"....!!!"
A wave of stunned silence washed over the battlefield, quickly followed by horrified gasps. The sheer destructive force unleashed by Alice's single attack had carved a scar across the landscape, a testament to her terrifying power.
Boco crashed onto the scorched earth, a violent shudder wracking his body. A thick gout of blood splattered from his lips as he desperately sought his battleaxe. His eyes widened in disbelief – the formidable blade, a weapon forged of sturdy metal, had been reduced to a molten, twisted stump. He lifted his gaze to Alice, his face a mask of cold fury.
'That bitch! She activated her demon eye before I could even land a blow. If I hadn't reacted instantly, that blast would have ripped me apart...' A flicker of confusion crossed his features. He glanced over his shoulder at the blackened remains of trees stretching for miles. 'But... when did her demon eye become this devastating?!'
Alice gracefully tucked a stray lock of crimson hair behind her ear, her gaze fixed on Draven. "How did I do, master?" she inquired, her voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
"You did well," Draven replied, his tone tinged with a feigned boredom. "Now, finish this. You shouldn't prolong a fight unnecessarily."
At the village gate and atop the makeshift wall, a tableau of horror unfolded. John stood frozen, his face ashen as he stared at the mangled remains of his daughter. The other villagers and guards were equally transfixed, witnesses to the brutal display of power.
'No! This is wrong. Even with her advancement, she shouldn't possess such overwhelming strength. Something is terribly amiss...' Desperation clawed at Boco's mind. He closed his eyes, instinctively reaching out with his life essence, attempting to grasp the shifting energies around him. The backlash was immediate and violent, another torrent of blood erupting from his mouth.
'That... that sword...' His eyes snapped open, fixated on the weapon radiating an unsettling aura. 'Whose weapon is that?! What kind of artifact is it?!' A wave of icy dread washed over him, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
'No! I have to escape. With that sword's aura permeating the air, I'm growing weaker by the second... It's leeching my life essence, but channeling it to whom?!' His frantic gaze darted around the ravaged battlefield, finally settling on Draven.
'That bastard!!! So he's been assisting her from the shadows! What a spineless cur!!' He cursed silently, his heart pounding in his chest.
'Oh... It seems you've finally realized it,' Draven remarked, his smirk widening into a predatory grin.
'Did you truly believe I would allow my woman to suffer? Alice is formidable, but facing you head-on would have been a perilous gamble. A little… assistance… isn't unwarranted,' Draven mused inwardly, his eyes glinting with a cold calculation.
Boco's eyes darted frantically, assessing his dwindling options. He let out a defeated sigh. 'I must flee, or I will die here. If that accursed sword doesn't drain me completely, Alice will finish the job. Every moment I linger, I grow weaker!'
Without another thought, he whirled around and bolted, his heavy boots pounding against the scorched earth.
"....."
A flicker of surprise crossed Alice's face, quickly morphing into a cruel, knowing smile. "Fufufufu... It seems the legendary Boco isn't so fearless after all."
With a swift, elegant motion, she swung her crimson dagger, unleashing a torrent of pure energy – her most potent attack, Blood Slash.
The crimson blade sliced through the air with terrifying speed, closing the distance between them in mere heartbeats.
'I won't fall so easily!!' Boco roared inwardly, spinning around and extending a desperate hand towards the incoming attack. His eyes froze, however, fixated on the single, eerie eye that seemed to materialize on the blade's surface. A wave of paralyzing fear washed over him.
BAM!!!!
The Blood Slash slammed into his chest, erupting violently from his back in a spray of blood and torn flesh.
THUD!
Boco collapsed to his knees, crimson liquid bubbling from his lips. A gaping, gruesome hole marred his chest, his ribcage shattered, no vital organ spared.
"I... I can't die... not like this. I haven't even truly lived yet," he gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief and a desperate reluctance to succumb.
Alice approached him, her movements fluid and predatory. She raised her bloodied dagger, poised to deliver the final blow.
"You think you defeated me with your own strength?" Boco rasped, his voice a mere whisper.
"No... I couldn't have killed you alone." Her voice was soft, yet laced with a chilling certainty.
"You... you knew he was--"
"--Yes... I knew," she interrupted, her eyes glinting with a dark amusement. "He told me everything before we even stepped out of the gate... You see." She lowered her weapon, leaning in close to his ear, her next words a venomous whisper.
"I am merely using you as a stepping stone, a means to gain the trust of these villagers. By ending your life with my own hands, they will welcome me in as their ally. They will even thank me. It is all part of the master's grand design. Oh, and you said no man could ever satisfy me? My master has proven you spectacularly wrong... Oh, how I enjoyed it. " she purred, lightly licking her lips before straightening up.
"You two are utterly shameless!" Boco spat out, his voice filled with disgust.
"Like master, like disciple," Alice replied, her smile sharp and devoid of warmth.
Whoosh!
Boco's vision blurred, his surroundings spinning violently. The sickening thud of his headless body hitting the ground confirmed the inevitable. Darkness instantly consumed him.
THUD!
His severed head rolled on the blood-soaked earth. A crimson stream snaked across the ground.
Alice retrieved Boco's head, its vacant eyes staring blankly. She returned to Draven, kneeling gracefully before him and presenting the gruesome trophy.
"I promised you his head, Master," she said, her voice filled with unwavering respect and admiration.
Draven nodded, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. He glanced over his shoulder at John, who was slowly approaching them, his face etched with grief and a flicker of hope.
"John... Your daughter is avenged!" Draven called out, ensuring his voice carried to the grieving father.
"Thank you... Thank you so much, young man, and Miss!" John sank to his knees, his forehead touching the scorched earth in a deep bow of gratitude.
"Please, don't do that. You are our elder," Alice said quickly, gently helping the old man to his feet.
John looked at Boco's severed head, a guttural sound of disgust escaping his throat as he spat on it. He then turned back to Draven, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and a desperate plea.
"Sir Draven... you have done so much for us already... but this old man must ask you for one more favor."
"What is it, John?" Draven inquired, his brow slightly furrowed.
"I don't know how, but Alexandra... she took some of the remaining soldiers. They are all heading towards the castle. Because some of our girls are still trapped there. Boco is dead, but some of his men are surely in the castle. Please, Sir Draven, can you go and help them?"
Draven raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
'What in the world got into that girl?' He sighed, a sense of weary resignation settling over him; and nodded.
"Don't worry, John. I will take care of it. Alice, you can assist the villagers here. I will return."
"Yes, master," Alice replied instantly, her gaze unwavering.
____
[Meanwhile, In the castle.]
The grand hall was a scene of carnage. The village guards lay scattered across the marble floor, their bodies still and lifeless. Alexandra was bound to a cold stone pillar, heavy chains digging into her bare wrists and ankles. Her naked body bore the marks of brutal treatment, and blood trickled down her face from a deep gash on her forehead.
"Hehehe... who would have thought my little visit would yield such delightful surprises?"
A human man with skin the color of night and eyes as black as coal muttered to himself, his tongue flicking out to taste the blood staining his ornate dagger. He lounged on a plush velvet couch, his gaze fixed on Alexandra's ravaged form. His black armor gleamed ominously in the dim light.
"What a delectable feast... I do wonder where Boco and his little band of soldiers have wandered off to," he mused, his gaze sweeping across the silent, blood-soaked hall.
'An upper master class... Someone, anyone... Please... Help.' Alexandra silently pleaded, her consciousness flickering in and out of the encroaching darkness.