Part 2
A group of archer and lancer soldiers ran through the mist while being chased by a pack of large dark wolves.
"Don't those things ever get tired?" said a soldier as he heard the screams of one of his companions fall into the jaws of a large wolf.
"Keep running! I see a light ahead!" shouted General Jack Stelot.
They came out of the mist and, for the first time in hours, they could see the sunlight…
"Did we get out? Are we outside again?" said a soldier.
In the mist, the red eyes of the wolves could be seen, not daring to come out into the light.
Some soldiers, exhausted, sat down on the ground. Others celebrated their escape. But General Stelot kept looking at a great wall in front of them.
"This wall… I don't remember it."
On the other side of the mist, a few mages came out of it, following General Hugh Mird, riding a horse, leader of the mage squad.
The two generals met at a midpoint, while their soldiers treated their wounds, caught their breath, and some regained strength with potions.
"It's good to see you, Jack," Mird commented as he got down from his horse.
"Likewise, Hugh… do you know what's going on here?"
The mage pointed at his handful of surviving men.
"No, not at all… A group of trolls ambushed us and slaughtered almost the entire platoon," he explained with indignation.
"The trolls had anti-magic protection… I had never seen anything like that, brother."
Jack listened carefully and turned his gaze back to his soldiers.
"We were attacked by a group of large dark wolves…"
"They're supposed to be dungeon monsters," he continued with frustration.
"Why were they out here? I don't understand."
A somber voice interrupted his words.
"What I don't understand is how such insignificant beings dare to attack Mist Valley…"
"Is it recklessness? Hope? Faith? None of that matters now…"
The two generals quickly turned toward the source of that voice.
In the distance they could see a figure sitting on a rock, near the wall.
It was a man dressed as if he were some kind of samurai. He was trying to light a cigarette with his lighter.
"Who are you? Where are we?" Jack shouted with authority.
The soldiers quickly began to stand back up into their positions, forming a large block of archers, mages, and lancers.
That mysterious silver-haired man took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled a freezing breath.
He raised his hand toward the wall, as if he were about to give an order.
The generals lifted their gaze toward the wall and there were hundreds of ice soldiers pointing their bows at all of them.
"Shit! Defensive magic, now!" Hugh shouted quickly.
The mages stepped forward with their staffs and wands raised high.
"Ice Barrier!"
"Elemental Barrier!"
"Fire Barrier!"
"Light Barrier!"
In an instant, multiple barriers of different colors and elements rose around all the soldiers.
Then Hugh slammed his staff against the ground with force.
"Holy Field!"
An even larger dome covered everyone.
"Die, arrogant humans…"
Zero lowered his hand toward the soldiers hiding behind their barriers and a first wave of arrows descended like a rain that darkened the sun.
The arrows began to strike Hugh's barrier without stopping.
Fear could be felt among the soldiers, but it could be seen even more in Hugh, a royal court mage with more than 50 years of combat experience…
Experience that was fading as he watched the barrier begin to crack.
"Archers in position!" Jack shouted. "Aim at the walls!"
The archers pulled their bows at the same time as Jack, while the tips of their arrows charged with elemental energy and buffs from the support mages.
Hugh's barrier finally fell, and some arrows rained down on the soldiers, easily piercing the remaining barriers.
"Now, fire!" Jack ordered, pointing at the walls.
"Electric Arrow!"
"Flame Shoot!"
"Meteor Strike!"
"Hydro Dragon!"
Jack's bow turned completely golden and shined with greater intensity.
"Dragon Hunter Storm!"
A giant arrow, covered in several elements, shot straight toward Zero, who was still smoking on his rock.
The soldiers' arrows hit the walls, but Jack's gigantic arrow veered upward before striking Zero, who had his hand on the hilt of his katana.
"Impossible!" Jack shouted.
At that moment, among the cries of the soldiers wounded by arrows and some fallen on the field, Hugh grabbed Jack by the shoulder.
"Jack, we must retreat now!"
But the general's eyes were still on his enemy, so calm, so unmoving… as if he were watching sakura petals fall while smoking a cigarette.
"What a waste of time," Zero thought as he put out his cigarette.
He raised his hand toward the wall once more, which had barely been damaged. His soldiers immediately pulled their bows again.
"Do you really think he'll let us escape?" Jack said, losing all his will.
"Look at him, Hugh… he hasn't even moved… that means he doesn't even consider it worthy to draw his sword."
The mage left his defeated companion and turned toward the other soldiers.
"Retreat!"
When he turned to look at his soldiers, he realized that everything was already lost. They had the same look as Jack, they were only waiting for their announced end…
Zero pointed at the group again, and the relentless rain of arrows fell once more.
This time, there was no shield that could protect those poor souls.