The crystal cut through the air and struck a wooden barricade made from thick tree trunks.
The barricade wasn't properly constructed.
The logs had simply been stacked on top of one another.
The moment the crystal struck—
BOOM!
Flames erupted from the barricade.
The fire rose several meters into the air, immediately drawing the lizardmen's attention.
Smoke spread across the battlefield.
Through the burning smoke, a figure suddenly appeared.
A man holding a dagger in each hand.
Both blades were held in reverse grips.
For a moment, I could see his back through the thick smoke.
Black Snake.
He didn't stop.
Neither did I.
I drove Rusty forward.
We jumped through the flames.
The heat struck my face instantly.
Even though we passed through the fire, I didn't stop.
The battlefield had descended into chaos.
The lizardmen were shouting and trying to reorganize their formation, but Black Snake gave them no time.
His movements were completely different from mine.
He didn't run in a straight line.
He moved in a constant zigzag, changing direction with every few steps.
I followed as closely as I could.
My hands tightened around my spear.
I held the axe blade attached to it firmly in my right hand.
I wasn't trying to kill everyone.
My job was to protect Black Snake's rear.
A lizardman wearing armor suddenly rushed toward him with a sword.
The lizardman swung.
Black Snake shifted to the right.
At the same time, he changed the grip on the dagger in his left hand.
The blade moved smoothly beneath the lizardman's guard.
Slash!
The dagger cut into the exposed side of the lizardman's stomach where the armor didn't cover him.
The lizardman staggered.
Black Snake didn't stop.
He immediately moved forward.
Another lizardman rushed toward him from the side.
Black Snake's right-hand dagger flashed.
The blade pierced the lizardman's throat.
Blood sprayed across the swamp.
A third lizardman tried to retreat.
I saw him.
I swung my spear.
The axe blade struck him before he could escape.
He collapsed into the mud.
But the situation was changing.
The lizardmen were recovering from their initial confusion.
I looked ahead.
Black Snake was already moving farther into their formation.
His movements were incredibly fast.
He struck one lizardman, wounded another, then immediately changed direction.
He never stayed in one place long enough for them to surround him.
I followed.
But slowly...
The pressure increased.
The lizardmen stopped chasing blindly.
Instead, they began forming groups.
They were trying to force Black Snake and me toward a specific direction.
Black Snake noticed it too.
His movements became slightly more restricted.
My entire body was burning.
From my legs to my shoulders, every muscle screamed at me.
Just die already.
Wouldn't that be easier?
I gritted my teeth.
No.
I couldn't stop.
I continued moving.
As expected, the lizardmen eventually recovered from the chaos.
Their formation changed.
Ahead of us, a circular gap suddenly opened.
Black Snake stopped.
I immediately pulled Rusty's reins.
Rusty skidded to a halt.
For a moment, I was almost thrown from his back.
I looked ahead.
Heavy-armored lizardmen stood around us.
Large rectangular shields covered their bodies.
Long spears pointed toward us through the gaps.
More lizardmen surrounded the formation from behind.
We were trapped.
For the first time since the attack began...
Black Snake stopped moving.
I looked at him.
"Do you have a plan?"
My breathing was ragged.
"Or is this where we die?"
Black Snake didn't answer immediately.
He was breathing heavily as well.
The lizardman army slowly advanced toward us.
One step.
Then another.
They weren't rushing.
They were tightening the net.
Even the archers had recovered.
Arrows began flying toward us.
Black Snake dodged effortlessly.
I wasn't so lucky.
Thud!
An arrow struck my back.
Another pierced my left shoulder.
Pain exploded through my body.
Rusty suddenly jerked.
I looked down.
An arrow had struck him as well.
"Rusty!"
He kicked violently, but somehow remained standing.
I gritted my teeth and held onto the reins.
Black Snake glanced at us.
Then he reached toward both sides of his body.
He pulled out two pouches.
He opened those sack and thrown into air.
The small crystals came out of those sacks.
I immediately understood.
Those jewels...
He's going to use them.
Black Snake threw both crystals toward opposite sides of the enemy formation.
The crystals struck the ground.
For half a second...
Nothing happened.
Then—
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore through the swamp.
Fire erupted from the ground.
A powerful burst of compressed air followed the explosion.
The force became a violent whirlwind.
It tore through the surrounding lizardmen and threw them in every direction.
Shields went flying.
Bodies were lifted from the ground.
The formation completely collapsed.
But the blast caught us too.
The force struck Rusty and me.
I lost my balance.
We were thrown sideways.
SPLASH!
I crashed into the swamp.
Cold water filled my eyes.
For several seconds, I could barely see anything.
My body sank beneath the muddy water.
I desperately tried to open my eyes.
Everything was blurred.
The last thing I saw was the fire burning above the swamp.
Then darkness swallowed my vision.