Thankfully, unlike the Captain who was woefully unprepared to protect Princess Yuki, Akira had been on high alert and was fully ready to explode forth to save the love of his life.
He had heard the subtle shift in air pressure, the near-silent flutter of leathery wings, and smelled the sickly-sweet stench of blood and rot as the Bloodbats descended.
He leapt forward and tackled Princess Yuki to the ground, the cold stone floor scraping against his elbows as he rolled them both to safety.
"Kyaaaaa!" Princess Yuki's shrill scream of shock rang out and echoed loudly across the corridor.
B-b-bam!
The three Stealth Bloodbats slammed onto the ground with so much force that they caused the hard stone floor to crack.
If Akira had not leapt forward to save Princess Yuki, there was no doubt whatsoever that she would have been killed by the Bloodbats.
"Princess Yuki!!" Captain Kagekatsu roared in fury, his eyes reddening as a storm of emotion surged through him. Fear, anger, indignation, and despair all crashing in at once.
He charged forward, his blade flashing in the torchlight with a shrill ring.
The air was instantly filled with the sharp wet splatter of flesh tearing and the metallic scent of blood as he unleashed a flurry of attacks that quickly turned the three Stealth Bloodbats into twitching, bloody pieces.
Even as blood splashed across the floor and the Captain's blade carved through the beasts with ruthless precision, half of Akira's mind calmly noted the man's impressive strength.
It was far above average, but still a step below his own.
The other half of his mind remained locked on high alert, scanning the shadows for any remaining threats.
He was completely unaware that his arms were still wrapped protectively around Princess Yuki.
The sound of hurried footsteps thundered down the corridor.
A moment later, the rest of the Royal Guard came streaming in from both ends, blades and full automatic high powered blaster rifles drawn, their eyes ablaze.
Their boots slammed against the stone floor in perfect rhythm, armor clinking with sharp authority.
But the moment they saw the scene before them…
Princess Yuki on the ground, flushed and wide-eyed, held tightly in the arms of an unknown boy…
Their eyes widened in collective outrage.
"You dare touch the Princess?!"
"Desecration!"
"Shoot him! Break his arms! Gouge out his eyes!"
The chamber was instantly filled with the roars of enraged warriors, their fury echoing off the high stone walls. One guard even dropped to one knee in horror, clutching his chest like he might faint from the shock of witnessing his goddess being hugged so tightly by another.
Crack, shingggg!
The strange, high-pitched whine of rifles being snapped into position and powering up made their way to Akira's ears, sharp and cold like metal sliding across bone.
Confused as he was, Akira knew that they were the Princess's guards, so he wasted no time shouting to them.
"Beware monsters!"
His shout of warning came just in time, as thirty more Stealthed Bloodbats dropped silently from the high ceiling of the corridor. Their leathery wings sliced through the air, carrying with them a sharp gust that reeked of rot and blood.
Without hesitation, they lunged straight at the Royal Guards.
Akira despaired slightly.
There were only eleven Royal Guards, and ten were even holding some weird looking elongated boxes in a clunky two handed grip.
"They're dead for sure." Akira thought to himself. " But at least I will be able to grab the sword that the one at the back is holding and use it to kill the Bloodbats. But I need to get there fir- Holy shit!!"
Akira's jaw almost dropped and hit the floor when he saw the ten Royal Guards holding the elongated boxes swivel their bodies to face up and immediately unleash some sort of godlike destructive death rays on the Bloodbats.
Shuaa!
The deathrays howled through the corridor and carved the thirty Bloodbats up into even smaller pieces than the first three!
With practiced ease and startling efficiency, the eleven Royal Guards joined up with Captain Kagekatsu and formed a complete circle around Akira and Princess Yuki.
Their radios crackled wildly as they waited for reinforcements, fingers on triggers, eyes scanning everywhere.
"First Royal Regiment enroute. Ninth Royal Battalion storming in. Hold your ground to the death." Akira's sharp ears caught the soft and calm voice sounding from all twelve of the Royal Guards' earpieces. "Princess Yuki must live."
"To the death." They all softly replied back.
Suddenly, a deep, echoing screech thundered from above, louder than all the cries before it.
The stone trembled. The torches flickered. Even the air felt heavier, tinged with a metallic taste like rust and blood.
From the shadowed arch of the high ceiling, a monstrous figure emerged, twice the size of the other Bloodbats, its wings broad enough to blanket the corridor in darkness. Its eyes glowed crimson, and its flesh pulsed with veins of blackened mana. Long serrated claws extended from its fingers, and its jaws hung open, revealing rows of jagged yellow teeth dripping with thick, foul-smelling saliva.
Behind it came a hundred more Stealthed Bloodbats, dropping like rain, wings slicing the air in unison. The corridor was suddenly filled with their screeches, the beating of wings, and the overwhelming stink of rot and decay.
They dived down without hesitation.
The Royal Guards didn't flinch.
Shuaa!!
In perfect sync, they opened fire, the air erupting with blinding flashes and deafening energy bursts. The howling of the rifles echoed like thunder in a cave.
Bloodbats exploded midair, wings torn, bodies split, misting the air with flesh and bone.
But there were too many.
For every one that fell, two more replaced it.
The corridor began to dim under the black cloud of monsters pushing downward through the wall of energy fire.
Akira could hear the strain in the Guards' breathing, smell the rising heat of overloaded rifles, see sweat beading down brows, lips pressed tight in grim resolve.
Still, the swarm advanced.
Suddenly, a voice filled with irresistible authority sounded.
"Kill the little bats. Leave the fat one to me."
In the heat of battle, soldiers were trained to never doubt or hesitate on orders, as a single delay could mean the difference between life or death.
Although Akira was not part of their group, they were all spellbound by the sheer power and authority emanating from him.
All twelve of the Royal Guard obeyed without hesitation.
Akira stood.
In one smooth motion, he reached to his left, drew the sword from the hip of the nearest Guard without a word, and stepped forward.
The sword felt foreign, heavier than his own blade, but his grip adjusted instantly. His eyes locked onto the Bloodbat leader.
And then he moved.
The floor cracked under his feet as he launched himself upward, straight at the towering beast. The air screamed past his ears. The world narrowed. One target. One moment. One strike.
The Bloodbat leader let out a furious screech and met him midair, claws flashing.
Steel met claw.