Chapter 13

Red pushed off of the ground, arcing round to the back of the squad of the beasts. The plan was simple, Gad would bare the front of their attacks when Red would slash them to pieces from the back. That was the plan until…

“-?”

Red slammed his feet into the ground, stopping in his tracks as his heart began pumping blood around his body faster and faster with each beat.

The dirt path that connected the cliff edge and the village lay a few metres in front. A pack of humans, coated with odd bits of fur, tails, and different animal ears marched to the village to Red’s right. More trees stood to the left, separated by that dirt path and the odd damaged trunk from the last beast tribe attack. There was no silver.

Red forced his leg in the air but kept it dangling, unable to step forward. He took a deep breath, gripped his sword hilt, tensed his body, tightened his grip and then let out that deep breath, releasing his grip, shaking his dangling leg, rolling his neck, and stretching his arms before he finally stuck his foot back into the ground with the shake of his leg, walking onto the dirt path.

There was no need to be so tense. He was sure he and Gad could take the party of beasts-

“Huh?”

At least, Red thought he and Gad could take care of them until he saw how many there were. Still, there was no need to be tense. He was sure he and Gad could hold the beasts off until backup arrived.

As long as he isn’t here.

Red had one last look behind him, towards the edge of the forest and cliff. He glanced back and forth between that and the pack of beasts when he saw a muscular old man clad in steel armour, draped over by a green cloak, burst out of the forest ahead of the beast tribe.

“Heh,” Red let out as he shook his head. As Gad confronted the torchbearer at the head of the beast pack Red’s hand fell onto his sword hilt. He slowly walked forward, creeping behind the pack, waiting for Gad to attack.

The beast tribe grew restless within the few seconds of confrontation, unsheathing their swords, lifting their clubs, and sharpening their claws.

Red’s hand grew restless as well, lifting his thin sword out of its sheathe ever so slightly with a slight chink. He hesitated with his next step, ready to slice whoever noticed in two, but no beast turned around.

A flame flew into the air and arced deeper into the forest.

It was the beast's signal to attack.

Red let out a smile as they clashed with Gad’s heavy sword.

Schwing

His rapier flew out of his sheather, slicing the air as he pointed it forwards. He grinned as a coward at the back of the pack, unusual for a member of the beast tribe, turned around. The feline-like human faced a needle piercing through the air towards his throat.

“Surprise-Ungh!”

But as Red dashed forward he was slammed by the weight of a dragon. His body crumpled and the air was expelled from his lungs as he was forced off of his feet and pushed through the air. His body was used as a battering ram as it was driven through tree after tree after tree; his flesh shredded by thousands of splinters from the shattered wood.

The immense force suddenly released his weight, sending Red bursting through one more tree before he tumbled to the muddy ground.

“…!” Dirt flew into Red’s mouth as he struggled for air as he continued rolling on the floor into a tree stump. “…!”

His eyes were wide open as he slapped his chest, trying to force his lungs to accept some air. He winced in pain again and again as wiggled his body and slapped his chest, and therefore cracked ribs, again and again. Pain shuddered through his body.

“Nngh!”

A breath was finally made as his lungs were tickled with air that still struggled to find its way in. He agonisingly forced the breaths in, fighting through the pain coursing around his bones and insides. He finally started to fill his lungs, pushing past the pain when

Thud

“-!”

His body convulsed. The air spilt out. More bones cracked. And blood was forced from inside as his organs shook.

His face was crumpled with pain. His face agonised with pain. His lips trembled with pain. His lips were bloody with pain. His eyes were overcome with pain. Yet, his eyes struggled open. He forced them open.

Silver.

He gritted his teeth as blood seeped past them. He tensed his body as it shivered in pain. He pushed one thought into his mind. He shoved his hand to his sword. He forced his body to work and fight past the pain.

Silver hair dangled over his eyes.

He gripped his sword tightly.

Schwing

The thin steel exploded from its sheathe and fired above Red. The silver beast that had attacked him leapt back, letting the steel meet air.

Good, Red thought. He created some space and could at least try to breathe now.

Yet just as he forced himself up, ready to fill his lungs, a barefoot crashed into his skull, knocking him back down and the sword out of his hands.

The silver beast stared down at Red who struggled to his feet. He had forced his body to move but as he did the pain belatedly hit him, dazing his head. He collapsed back to the ground with a huff.

"You knew I wouldn't let you get away with that stunt you pulled back there?" the beast said, a grin widening on his tanned face.

"What...?" Red grimaced in response, struggling for breath as he finally forced himself up with the tree stump behind, picking his sword up in the process. "You're... m-mad that we fought you off? The... l-legend himself?"

The beast's grin turned upside down.

A grin appeared on Red's face. "Heh. You should be th-thankful we gave you the..." he coughed out a spurt of blood. "...challenge. I just -cough- wonder if... that's because of how strong w-we are..."

The beast's muscles began popping out of his skin, his hands clamped shut as fists. His lips wavered and drooled as he drew blood from his palms, his claws digging into his own flesh. However, he held back his tongue and he held back his attack.

"Or if it's because of h-how... weak you've become." Red's grin filled his face as he fought through the pain and straightened his body, tightening his grip on his sword. "Instead of advancing to a k-king rank... it looks like you dropped to the advanced rank-!"

The beast flickered his body, flashing right in front of Red, his fists wrenched open, his claws ready to rip the flesh covering Red's body.

Tut

Yet they didn't. The beats simply tutted and turned his head.

"I was never a legend." He opened his mouth, revealing a maw full of razor-sharp teeth that he gritted against one and another. "Sure, the strongest from my village but just like yours it's on the edge of the land." He shoved his hands shut and balled them into fists. "That's why our two villages got along, about a hundred years ago."

"Yeah, I kn-know," Red stated, blood dripping from his lips despite his best efforts to ignore the pain. "We were one of the first to create a proper relationship with any part of the beast tribe which was made easier thanks to the noble who ran our village."

"Mm, a great man."

Schwing

A flash of steel parted the air, forcing the beast back a couple of metres.

"Who forsook all of us, including our villages' relationship in the end!" Red spat as he lunged forwards, thrusting his silver sword, dashed with a drop of red, into the beast.

The beast lunged forwards as well, letting the steel catch his flesh as he danced his hand up the thin sword, with only a little blood drawn. His hand hit the hilt and wrapped around it, digging his claws into Red's fingers.

Red refused to yield and tried forcing his sword into the beast's side but he had other ideas. He let the sword be forced to the right but only with the prey of air as he stepped closer to Red and drove his palm into his armpit, wrapping his long fingers around it and pinning him to the tree stump with a thud.

Red spat in his face.

The beast snarled and forced Red's sword-wielding hand down, smashing it to the side of the tree and forcing the sword to point down. But only forcing it to point down. Red glared into the beast's eyes, refusing to back down despite claws sinking into his fingers and catching the bone.

"Hah," Red spat again. "Didn't know you had mood swings like a kid in puberty. One minute you're attacking me without hesitation in remorse, the next you watch in silence, then you burst with anger, and now back to-"

"You believe the impshit rumours about him? No wonder we descended back to war?" The beast barked.

"Great. The prick stopped our wars, made us work together, and then made us fight again. It's obvious they ain't just fucking rumours and why does that even matter?"

"B-because?"

"Because you look for an excuse to justify this war despite your tribe causing it when they set that monster loose, plus refused truces and peace days. Why the fuck do you think your kind are enslaved so often? You're fucking-"

Thud

The sound of knuckles pummeling into Red's cheek.

"We didn't-"

Thud

The sound of bone slamming into bone. Red jerked his body up and smashed his head into the beast's skull.

Thud

Thud

Again and again, with no hesitation, freeing his arm and fingers from the claws the more they smashed heads.

The beast tried forcing his claws back in deep but was pushed further away his head was smashed back once more.

Schwing

The steel sword sliced through the air, cutting crimson from the beast's tanned bare chest.

Schwing

Schwing

Schwing

It didn't stop slicing through the air, dancing between the beast's flesh as he stumbled back, drenching its steel in blood.

It continued slicing until the beast finally recovered, leaping back to create space for just a moment before pouncing onto Red.

Red thought fast, dragging his sword back to his body ready to pierce the crashing beast. The beast, however, twisted his body and not only avoided the steel but sucked it into his grasp like a tornado as his other hand palmed Red in the nose.

Crack.

It broke.

Schwing.

But Red had no time to worry about even more pain piling on his body as he ripped his sword from the beast's grasp and rolled out of the way.

The beasts pounced back in the air but this time landed on a tree, ripping out a large offshoot and hurling it at his foe.

Red tried diving out of harm's way but the wood caught his side, winding him for a second.

This gave the beast time to pounce on Red with no thorny shield to repel him. He clawed at his chest, ripping past his training cuirass and catching his flesh. He quickly swung his other arm, slogging him in the cheek and knocking him to the floor. He grabbed his arm, pulling him in to meet another punch-

Schwing

He sliced at the beast's kneecaps, failing to draw blood but managing to free himself.

The beast dived forward, clawing at the air as Red leapt back.

Shit.

As his feet hit the ground his knees buckled, sending him tumbling to the floor and coughing up blood. The injuries were piling atop each other. However, he had no time to spare it a second of thought and jumped back to his feet. He clenched his jaw shut and gripped his sword tightly, thrusting his arm forwards and driving the sword through the air.

It narrowly avoided the beast's nose as he ducked low to the ground, diving feet first towards Red. His feet smashed into Red's ankles which buckled his body once again. As he fell to the floor the beast shoved his other feet into his foe's stomach.

"Nngh!"

Red's body convulsed.

Thud

"NNNGGHHH!!!

Blood erupted from Red's mouth as another kick sent him flying into the air, shaking his insides.

The beast howled as it followed Red in the air. "I might not be king rank, or even saint rank anymore, but i can kill you whenever I wish."

Both of its feet drove through the air and smashed into Red's chest. He shot through the air, past where he came from through a number of trees and into the other battlefield.

The silver-haired beast landed on an intact tree, letting out a deep breath. He looked down at his bloody hands, chest, and feet, lamenting the current state of his surroundings. "Soon enough they'll know." Before he pounced up and flashed through the air, following Red's body.