The pillar of holy light struck the gate and the defensive wall, ripping them into splinters of wood in a horrifying, soundless explosion. The tremor from its impact vibrated to the bone. The Holy Knights advanced in perfect formation, the synchronized beat of their steps like the heart of death itself. They stopped just outside the now-defenseless village, their shields forming an impenetrable silver wall. They did not attack immediately. The silence they created was more oppressive and insulting than any war cry.
The Knight Commander, whose armor was adorned with intricate gold engravings, stepped forward. The visor of his helmet was raised, revealing a hard face with cold, emotionless eyes. His voice, amplified by magic, was calm yet resonated with a power that made the air tremble. "We come in the name of the Holy Church. We do not come for needless bloodshed. Surrender the child blessed by the Light, the new Saint, and this village will be spared."
Amidst the ruins, Borin stepped forward. Blood trickled from his lip from the shockwave of the blast, but he stood tall. He tried to hide his fear behind a calm facade, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace that felt utterly futile.
"Your Excellency, you must be misinformed," Borin said, his voice crafted to sound as convincing as possible. "We are but a simple village of hunters and farmers. A new Saint? There is no Saint here as you describe. Perhaps you are in the wrong place?"
It was a desperate lie, a final gamble to protect them all. For a brief, impossible moment, a flicker of hope sparked in the hearts of the villagers.
That hope, however, was extinguished from within.
"He's lying! Don't listen to him! Don't hurt us!"
Elder Garek, trembling so violently his teeth chattered, broke through the crowd. His face was ashen, his eyes wild with pure terror. He prostrated himself on the ground before the knights, his forehead touching the dust. Then, he turned and with a trembling finger, pointed directly at Lina, who was hiding fearfully behind Kael.
"There she is! The new Saint is there! Her name is Lina! Just take her and leave our village be!"
A shocking silence fell over the village, more deafening than the earlier explosion. It was immediately shattered by an eruption of rage and disgust. The villagers stared at Garek in disbelief, as if looking at a monster. Kael's face flushed crimson with fury, the veins in his neck bulging.
"Garek, you... YOU TRAITOR! Did we not agree?!" he roared, his voice breaking with unimaginable anger and pain.
The Knight Commander observed the drama with a cold, thin smile, Borin's lie now proven. He raised his hand again. "Thank you for your honesty. I will repeat myself for the last time: surrender the child, or we will take her by force."
Their answer came not in words, but in action. Kael raised his spear towards the knights. "THROUGH OUR DEAD BODIES!" his roar became the signal that started the battle.
The fight erupted. The village fighters charged forward, fighting with a ferocity born of desperation and rage at the betrayal they had just witnessed. Kenzo, from his slightly more protected position, began to launch his magic.
"Fire." A blue-white fireball shot out, striking a knight and making him stagger. But before he could fire again, the knight next to him swung his shield, deflecting a second fireball with ease.
[Analysis: Enemy shields are coated with low-tier anti-magic runes. Target the gaps or attack with overwhelming force to penetrate.]
"Elara, now!" Borin yelled amidst the chaos.
As per the emergency plan, Elara began to gather the non-combatants. She grabbed Lina's hand. "Come, darling, we have to go!"
But Lina resisted, planting her feet on the ground, her eyes fixated on the figure of her father fighting for his life. "No! Father! I won't go without Father!"
Realizing that forcing Lina would only slow everyone down, Elara made a heart-wrenching decision. She ran towards Kenzo.
"She won't leave! I can't abandon her, but I must save the others! Please, take care of Lina, Kenzo!" With tears in her eyes, Elara turned and led the rest of the non-combatant group into the forest.
The defense was now completely collapsing. Borin, after managing to take down an Inquisitor, finally fell after a spear of light pierced his chest. He collapsed with his axe still clutched tightly. The other main fighters followed one by one, victims of the Church's efficient and merciless war machine.
Kael, grievously wounded, managed to fall back and found Kenzo, who was now guarding a hysterical Lina. He looked at his daughter, then at Kenzo. The decision in his eyes was absolute, filled with a father's love and a warrior's sacrifice.
"Kenzo! Get her out of here, NOW! We'll hold them off for as long as we can! Go!"
Near them, Haelan, his body already almost transparent from mana exhaustion, slammed his staff into the ground one last time. "Earth... Wall!" With the very last of his strength, he created a massive wall of rock and earth, blocking the view and the path of their pursuers. The wall trembled violently, clearly not going to last long.
Kenzo, now holding the dual responsibility from both Elara and Kael, no longer hesitated. He picked up the thrashing, screaming Lina, and ran. He ran as hard as he could, not looking back. He couldn't bear to see the final sacrifice of Kael, Haelan, and the rest of the village fighters who chose to become the final shield for their daughter's future.
He ran without stopping, through the dark woods, the sounds of battle slowly fading, replaced by Lina's heart-wrenching sobs and his own desperate gasps for air. Far ahead, he could see Elara's group. They were safe for now.
Finally, he stopped on a small ridge. He looked back. The small village that had become his home, that had given him warmth and purpose, was now a giant torch in the middle of the night. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, staining the two moons that served as silent witnesses.
Lina had stopped crying in his arms. She had slipped into a state of shock, silent and unresponsive, her wide eyes staring blankly at the fire in the distance.
In the painful silence, accompanied by his own choked sobs, Kenzo made a vow. The faces of Kael smiling on watch, Elara's kindness as she nursed him, Borin's laughter when his plan worked—they all flashed through his mind. His promises to Kael and Elara were now his only reason for being. He would protect this child, even if it meant he had to burn the entire world to ash.