The puppet used its blade and swung on the opposite direction neutralizing the power by a small amount and use the force to move backwards as the shadow was also pushed away
"You need to calm down, i already said we are not your enemies so why are you so much into attacking us?!" The puppet yelled but the shadow scoffed and spoke "I have suffered enough to understand the trusting everyone is the worst option, allie or not you must prove it with your sword"
The puppet listened and sighed as he spoke "It seems you won't listen to my words then let's fight, I will be bringing you to the master once I beat you enough" and the shadow laughed as it spoke "You can try"
The puppet launched at once towards the shadow, it's arms holding the blade tight as it rushed and the shadow also rushed towards it by using the branch of a tree for propulsion
The two met with a clash as sparks flew from their blades, the shadow swung first horizontally to cut the blade of the puppet but the puppet attacked from the other direction nullifying the force entire then it it attacked from the top but the shadow blocked it with its blade and swung horizontally which the puppet dodged aswell
The two jumped from tree to tree attacking each other every time, the sounds of the clashes echoed through the forest as the sparrow was also stunned alongside the herd
The other puppets leaped from the trees as they appeared behind the shadow but the shadow yelled "Get out of my way! Nuisance!" As he swung the hilt of the blade at them making them fall down to the ground with a loud sound
The fight exploded into chaos right after that. Blades rang against each other again and again, the sharp metallic clang cutting through the heavy silence of the inner forest like thunder. Every clash sent bright sparks flying into the air and made the ground tremble slightly from the force. The puppet swung its crude blade made from boar horn and rhino spine in heavy, wide arcs, the weight of its skeleton body adding raw crushing power behind each strike. The shadow moved like liquid darkness, its footsteps almost silent on the leaves as it used Sky Walk to step on empty air and flip over the puppet, striking from above with deadly precision. The puppet felt the sudden rush of displaced air against its wooden frame and twisted its body just in time, raising the blade to block. The impact sent a harsh vibration rattling through its joints and bones, a dull grinding pressure that echoed deep inside its structure.
They crashed from branch to branch, leaves rustling wildly and dry twigs snapping loudly under their weight. The puppet attacked low with sweeping cuts aimed at the shadow's legs, trying to unbalance it, then switched to powerful overhead slams meant to crush the faster opponent with sheer mass. The shadow countered with quick, fluent thrusts that left shallow cuts across the puppet's wooden chest, the sharp sting of sliced wood mixing with the fresh smell of sap and disturbed earth rising from the ground. When the shadow tried to circle behind for a back attack, the puppet slammed one hand hard into the dirt, forcing weak roots to twitch up and snag at the shadow's ankles for a brief moment. The shadow cut them away with a sharp hiss of annoyance, the wet slicing sound of vegetation mixing with their heavy breathing and the constant clang of metal on bone.
The other puppets tried jumping in from the sides and behind, their wooden bodies creaking as they leaped from the trees, but the shadow snarled loudly "Get out of my way! Nuisance!" and swung the heavy hilt of its sword in a brutal wide arc. The blow connected with solid thuds, sending two puppets crashing down to the forest floor with loud impacts that kicked up clouds of dirt and dry leaves.
The shadow grew tired of the back and forth. "Enough playing around," it muttered, voice low and cold. It stepped onto nothing and shot upward with Sky Walk, the air around its body rippling faintly as it defied gravity completely. From high above it unleashed Meteor Slash. Glowing arcs of sword energy rained down like fiery meteors, each one exploding on impact with bright flashes of light and the acrid smell of scorched wood and burning soil filling the air. The puppet raised its blade to guard, but the strikes came too fast and too many. One slash bit deep into its shoulder, splintering bone and wood with a loud crack that echoed through the trees. Another tore across its side, sending fragments of wood flying in all directions. The puppet staggered, the grinding pressure of the damage slowing its movements even as its Regeneration skill tried to slowly knit small cracks back together.
Before the puppet could fully recover, the shadow landed lightly on the ground and activated Raging Phantom. Its body blurred into multiple afterimages, each one swinging a deadly sword at the same time from different angles. Real strikes mixed with fakes, hitting the puppet from every direction at once. The puppet tried to block with wide desperate swings, its bones extending into sharp spikes to parry some of the blows while dark energy started leaking from its frame like thick smoke. It used Regeneration to close the smaller wounds mid-fight and Revatalize to push extra power into its strikes, making its blade glow faintly, but the phantom slashes kept coming relentlessly, each hit landing with a heavy thud or sharp crack. A final heavy cut from the real shadow slammed the puppet hard into a thick tree trunk. The impact shook the entire tree, bark splitting with a loud snap, and the puppet slid down to the ground, its body cracked in multiple places and leaking dark wisps, barely able to push itself back up.
The shadow breathed hard, sweat glistening on its skin and dripping down its face, the metallic tang of its own blood mixing with the strong forest scent of crushed leaves, disturbed soil, and scorched wood. Its muscles burned from the effort, heart pounding loudly in its ears. It smirked coldly, voice rough. "Pathetic. Now for the rest of your little team." It turned toward the stunned sparrow, the herd of deer, and the scattered puppets. With Sky Walk it shot forward again, sword raised high, the killing intent so thick it made the air feel heavier and colder around everyone watching.
But then the fallen puppet jerked violently on the ground. A surge of something dark and ancient ripped through its broken frame like cold fire. Back at the cave the creature suddenly saw a new panel flash in its mind.
[Your puppet has levelled up in combat and learnt the skill "Necromancer's Descent"]
The puppet's eyes glowed with a cold dark light. It let out a roar — not a normal sound, but a deep, deathly echo that made the surrounding trees tremble and the leaves shake. Dark aura exploded outward from its body in thick waves, black smoke that smelled strongly of graves, decay, and finality wrapping tightly around its blade like living shadows. The shadow felt it instantly — a cold wave of pure death crawling over its skin, making its heart stutter in its chest and its instincts scream in pure terror. The air grew heavy and oppressive, the usual forest smells of leaves and earth completely fading under the overwhelming stench of rot and death. Its hands started to tremble slightly, the sword feeling heavier than before.
The puppet didn't wait even a second. It rushed forward with sudden explosive power, the large dark aura swinging in a massive horizontal arc from its blade. The swing was enormous, covering a wide area in front of it, the black energy cutting through several trees like they were made of paper and closing the distance between them in a single blink. The shadow tried to use Sky Walk to dodge upward into the air but the dark aura followed like a living thing, slamming hard into its chest and sword arm. The deathly feeling made the shadow's entire body feel heavy and slow, like its own life force was being drained away bit by bit. Hot blood sprayed from deep gashes that opened across its torso and arm, one cut nearly severing the sword arm completely. The shadow gasped sharply, the pain burning and intense, its vision blurring at the edges from the overwhelming cold aura of death pressing down on it.
The puppet kept pressing without mercy, using everything it had now. Necromancer's Descent fueled its movements, making every swing heavier and faster with long trails of dark energy that left black scars on the ground and trees. It mixed all kinds of sword movements — wide cleaving arcs that could split boulders, quick stabbing thrusts aimed straight at vital points, spinning slashes that created small whirlwinds of dark aura around it. When the shadow desperately tried to counter with another Meteor Slash, the puppet shifted its puppet body, bones hardening and extending outward like armor plates while the dark aura absorbed part of the energy with a low hissing sound. It even used the flesh-like wooden parts of its form to attack and defend at the same time, suddenly extending long bony spikes from its chest and arms to stab forward aggressively while still swinging the main blade in heavy arcs.
The shadow activated Raging Phantom one last time in pure desperation, its body blurring into dozens of afterimages, each one swinging a sword from different sides. But the puppet charged straight through the illusions without fear, taking multiple hits that tore large chunks out of its wooden frame and bones, only for Regeneration to start pulling the pieces back together moments later with a grinding sound. The dark aura from Necromancer's Descent made every single strike feel like it carried the full weight of death itself, the cold oppressive feeling growing stronger and thicker with each clash, making the shadow's breathing labored and its movements slower. Sweat poured down the shadow's face, its heart hammering wildly, the metallic taste of blood in its mouth as more cuts opened up.
One final massive overhead swing from the puppet caught the shadow completely off guard. The black energy exploded on impact with a deafening sound, the dark aura slamming into the shadow's body and sending it flying backward through the air before crashing hard into the ground with a heavy, bone-jarring thud. The shadow landed broken and bleeding heavily, deep wounds covering its chest and arms, its sword arm hanging uselessly, chest rising and falling weakly as it struggled to breathe. Blood pooled on the dirt beneath it, the strong smell of fresh blood mixing with the thick deathly aura still swirling in the air. The shadow's eyes were wide with shock and pain, its body barely moving, right on the brink of death.
The puppet stood tall over the fallen shadow, dark aura still swirling slowly around its blade, its damaged wooden frame slowly knitting itself back together with quiet cracking sounds. The rest of the team — the sparrow hovering in the air, the herd of deer watching with wide eyes, and the other puppets slowly getting back up — stared in complete stunned silence, the entire inner forest suddenly feeling deathly quiet after the long brutal fight.
To be Continued-->