The twenty men whirled around, their eyes widening in horror as they saw a figure descending from the sky. It was a human, clad in sleek black armor, his arms casually folded behind his back.
The soldiers noticed the vicious claws and deep scratch marks adorning his armor, and a chilling realization dawned upon them: this was no ordinary warrior. This was someone far more dangerous... an Upper Master Class.
Tap.
The stranger landed silently on the ground, a few meters away from the stunned group. His gaze slowly descended to the gruesome scene at the gate.
"You are a human?" one of the soldiers asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The stranger raised a single finger, and with a swift flick of his wrist, a gust of unseen force swept through the air. Before the horrified soldiers could react, the man who had spoken crumpled to the ground, dead. His head rolled silently in the dust.
"....?!!"
"...."
Alexandra, still hidden amongst the rocks, watched in utter terror.
"A human? What are you thinking matching me with those low lives?" the stranger asked in a deceptively calm tone, his black eyes now fixed on the nineteen remaining men.
"If my guess is correct, Boco isn't in this castle, right?"
The men remained silent, their hands gripping their weapons tightly, their bodies tense.
"Oh well... I will just stay and wait for him... He won't have gone far." He began to walk slowly towards the petrified group.
"How are you related to Boco?!" The man standing closest to the door finally managed to ask, his voice trembling.
"Boco is my subordinate..." The stranger replied, a cruel smirk twisting his lips, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"You fools surely heard of the five great generals, right?" he added, his voice laced with a chilling amusement.
"The five great generals?! The five generals of the invaders?!" The elf muttered in horror, instinctively taking a step backward.
"Yes... I am the fifth general. I am the one who gave Boco this castle and my soldiers..."
He waved his hand dismissively, and an invisible force slammed into the nineteen men. They were thrown backward with brutal force, crashing through the wooden door and collapsing in a heap inside the castle's vast hall.
The general continued his leisurely stroll towards the entrance, stopping just a foot from the threshold. A sinister smile spread across his face.
"How cute."
He snapped his fingers, and another invisible force ripped Alexandra from her hiding place, dragging her effortlessly towards him.
The stranger turned his head to the terrified golden-haired elf now standing beside him: "Don't you know beautiful women can't hide?" he asked with a predatory smile, before stepping into the castle, the unseen force pulling Alexandra along.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
In less than thirty seconds, green-skinned krakens poured out from every corner of the hall, their weapons raised, surrounding the nineteen disoriented men.
'Fuck! We are outnumbered!' a soldier cursed under his breath.
"No matter what happens, I won't die so easily!!" another soldier roared, raising his sword above his head. He channeled his life essence into the weapon, causing it to glow with an intense, ethereal light.
WHOOSH!
A beam of dark energy shot out from the general, towards the man. It sliced through the enchanted weapon and the soldier's arm as if they were mere butter.
CLANK!
The severed arm and the broken sword clattered onto the stone floor.
"...."
Alexandra and the remaining soldiers froze, their faces pale with horror as they witnessed the utter futility of their strongest warrior's attempt. An Upper Elite Class knight... he hadn't even stood a chance.
The wounded soldier stared at his severed limb, then at his bloodied shoulder. A moment later, a bloodcurdling scream ripped from his throat.
"AHHHHH!!"
"Really? This is your strongest?" the fifth general scoffed, waving his hand again. Another unseen force lashed out, severing the screaming man's head, silencing him forever.
"That's better."
He strolled towards a plush red couch in the center of the hall and settled down comfortably. "Come here."
The invisible force yanked Alexandra forward, forcing her to kneel directly in front of the menacing figure.
"Let her go!!" A young man yelled, his voice filled with desperate courage.
"Yes!!" others echoed, their fear momentarily overshadowed by their outrage.
Alexandra could only weep silently, tears streaming down her face. This was her plan, her desperate gamble, and now... It had led to utter disaster. None of them had anticipated the arrival of such a monstrous being, a general of the invaders, something even Boco himself might not have known about.
"I am sorry... Please forgive me!!" she sobbed, her voice choked with guilt.
"What are you saying, Alexandra?!!" the elf yelled at her, his face etched with anguish.
"This was my plan, and now... We've lost two people. I am so sorry!" Her body shook with uncontrollable sobs.
The remaining men exchanged grim looks, their hands tightening around their weapons.
"No! We are here by our own decision! You told us to leave, but we stayed! This isn't your fault!" The elf declared fiercely.
"Yes!!" the others affirmed, their voices filled with a mixture of grief and defiance.
"So splendid!" the general chuckled darkly. "What are you fools waiting for? Kill them all!"
At his command, the fifty waiting krakens lunged towards the nineteen men. Before they could even attempt to fight back, the general unleashed a crushing pressure, forcing them further onto their knees, rendering them helpless. He then turned Alexandra's face, forcing her to watch as the krakens brutally cut down her villagers and friends, one by one.
"NOOO!!"
She screamed in agonizing despair, the horrific scene burning itself into her memory.
"I heard this was your plan..." The general sneered, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look into his cold, black eyes.
"So bad... You are such a beauty—"
SPIT!
Alexandra spat directly into his face, her defiance a small spark in the overwhelming darkness.
"..."
The general and the surrounding krakens were momentarily stunned into silence.
"So annoying."
With a swift flick of his wrist, a wickedly sharp dagger materialized in his hand.
"Beautiful women value their faces more than anything, so let's change that."
He gripped her face tightly, his cruel smile returning as he dragged the dagger across her forehead, carving a deep, bloody wound.
"AHHHH!!!"
Alexandra screamed in agony, the searing pain blinding her.
"That's good."
He studied her bleeding face with a detached interest, then roughly shoved her several feet backward.
"Now," he commanded the krakens, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
"Get her naked and chain her to one of the pillars. I will have my time with her later."
The krakens nodded obediently, and two of the hulking creatures moved forward, their eyes glinting with a sickening anticipation. Alexandra could only sit on the cold stone floor, her body trembling, her eyes wide with pure, unadulterated horror.