"Are you ready, Alfie?" Little Princess called out confidently, her voice clear and unwavering.
"Yes!" Alfie shouted back with fierce determination, his grip tightening on his dagger.
LUURRR!!!!
SWOOSHHH!! Alfie pounced forward aggressively, his body launching like a predator. His dagger was raised high toward the incoming attackers, the blade gleaming. Behind him, Little Princess followed his back like a hunter tracking prey, her posture perfect and elegant. Her sword was held vertically in her right hand while her left hand remained gracefully behind her back, as if she were attending a formal dance rather than a deadly battle.
Alfie came close to an enemy and slashed at him viciously, putting all his strength into the strike. TANKKK! The man slashed back defensively, his weapon meeting Alfie's blade. SWWWNNGG!! Both attacks nullified each other with a sharp metallic ring that echoed through the space.
LURRR! LURRR! Lurvi darted in swiftly, her small body moving like lightning. She blocked the enemy's vision at the perfect moment, creating just enough distraction. Then suddenly, a pointy sword came piercing through the gap—KCCKKK!—stabbing the enemy's neck with deadly precision. Blood spurted as the man's eyes went wide. Alfie smiled wickedly as he kicked the corpse back, sending it crashing into others behind.
A punch shot towards them from the left, and at the same instant, a sword sliced in from the right. Two attacks coming from different directions at once. Alfie stepped into the left attacker without hesitation, raising his forearm to block the incoming fist.
The Little Princess moved toward the right with fluid grace. Then, at perfect timing, she slipped past the sword blade with effortless ease, her movements like water flowing around a stone. She pulled her left shoulder back and angled her right shoulder forward, her body twisting elegantly. Her already slim frame seemed to narrow even more as she glided forward to the right, making herself an impossibly small target.
STABB! Her long pointy sword pierced the attacker's heart in one clean thrust, the blade sliding between ribs like it was meant to be there. Then she recoiled back in a swift, spring-like motion with her light long legs, her left hand still held elegantly behind her back. Not a hair out of place.
THUUMPPP! The punch connected at Alfie's side, the impact jarring his bones. But a shimmering green shield absorbed most of the damage, the healing energy wrapping around him protectively. Alfie smiled confidently despite the hit. He then threw his dagger upward horizontally as he staggered back slightly from the impact, the weapon spinning through the air.
Lurrrr... Lurvi leaped up gracefully and grabbed the dagger handle firmly with her mouth, her teeth clamping down perfectly. SWOOOSSHH! KKKCCKKK! She cut the enemy's neck swiftly with precision, making sure no time was given for that person to react or defend. He fell forward heavily while blood gushed from his neck in a dark stream. Lurvi gave the dagger back obediently, landing beside Alfie as he came to the front again and engaged people in close range combat.
Little Princess, with her long flexible sword, pierced people in key zones—throats, hearts, major arteries—killing them on the spot with surgical precision. Lurvi helped by distracting the attackers with perfect timing, darting in and out, then retreating back to safety swiftly before anyone could strike her.
SWWISHH! A spear came flying toward them through the air. Alfie tilted his body expertly to dodge, feeling the weapon pass inches from his skin. Then he grabbed the spear mid-flight with lightning reflexes and used it as support, planting it into the ground. He gave a spinning kick—BOOM!—that connected with a man's face hard, the impact making a sickening crunch. The man stumbled down, his nose clearly broken. WHOOSHH! STAB! As Alfie was spinning above the planted spear, Little Princess stabbed the man's neck with perfect timing, her blade finding the gap in his defense. Her legs were stretched out impressively in a split as she lunged forward.
Alfie pulled the spear from the dead man's loosening grip, then threw it forcefully toward someone coming close from behind them. The weapon flew like a javelin. He pulled Little Princess back swiftly by holding her waist firmly, his hand wrapping around her small frame. He yanked her away, making her miss a sword attack that had been aimed at her elongated arm. But a green shield was already present protectively, shimmering around her, and Lurvi was harassing the attacker, jumping at his face and making him slow and unsteady.
Alfie then moved swiftly, releasing her waist. He jumped sideways and without even looking back—STABB!!—he stabbed backward at the man approaching from behind, feeling the resistance as his blade sank into flesh. He smirked playfully at Little Princess's surprised face as his back faced the now dead man. The kill had been pure instinct and timing. He then turned confidently and grabbed the falling dead body, bringing it toward his front as a makeshift shield. He blocked some attacks that came from ahead, weapons thudding into the corpse. He then pushed the corpse forward diagonally right with force, stumbling many people as the dead weight crashed into them.
Then he himself pounced toward the left, facing the oncoming attackers with Lurvi darting by his side. Little Princess finished off the stumbled people on the right efficiently, her sword finding hearts and throats with quick, precise thrusts. Then she joined Alfie, positioning herself to face his back and killing enemies as she got her chances. As Alfie stepped back, she also stepped back in perfect synchronization, their movements mirroring each other. As he leaned forward, she also leaned forward, matching his every motion.
Little Princess followed his back like a shadow, her eyes looking around everywhere, scanning for threats. She took her chances created by Lurvi's distractions and Alfie's aggressive attacks. All this time, she hadn't brought her left hand forward even once! Her posture remained perfect the entire time—jumping back and forth alongside a crazy young man who is using his whole body to attack people with wild abandon. Occasional green shields appeared at perfect timing, protecting them both. And a cute animal kept destroying the balance of an already chaotic battlefield, creating openings for Little Princess deadly strikes.
.
.
BBOOOMMMMM!! A loud sound erupted in the middle of many people as a massive arm punched attackers directly, the force sending them flying. Bodies knocked out cold before they even hit the ground.
BOOMMMM! Another punch raised dust everywhere, the impact shaking the floor beneath them.
"Agh! Big Guy, don't raise so much dust! My hair will get dirty!" Sio complained playfully as she jumped around his thick arm nimbly, using it like a jumping platform. She did a rolling kick mid-air. THUMMPP!! She kicked people around gracefully with her beautiful legs, her shoes joyfully fuming smoke in quick succession, the energy propelling her strikes.
"Hmm, dust is rising by itself. There is nothing I can do about it," Big Guy said calmly with his usual innocent tone. GRAB! THUMMPP!!! He grabbed someone firmly by their entire torso and then choke-slammed them with his right hand. The impact created a small crater in the ground.
Sio used his tilted leg on the ground from behind as a spring and jumped onto his broad shoulder nimbly, her small frame barely making him shift. WHOOSSHHHH! She jumped slightly upward from his shoulders like a beautiful fairy taking flight and turned upside down gracefully. Her legs straightened up and closed together perfectly, her head facing down toward the ground as she watched people below. Then she spun rapidly while falling, making her body more streamlined. Her arms enclosed at her chest, and she used her new shoes to accelerate the rotation impressively, the energy making her spin faster and faster like a drill.
As she came close to the ground, she suddenly put one hand below. TAPP! She landed gracefully on her palm and spread her legs outward, letting her spin continue as she kicked many people, using her palm as the pivot point. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Her legs swept out in a circle, and many people stumbled down heavily, their legs knocked out from under them.
She stood up in a daze, the world still spinning around her as she tried to find her balance. Some people tried to come closer to her while she was vulnerable, but Big Guy shoulder-tackled them powerfully with his massive frame, sending them flying like bowling pins. Then he grabbed a big piece of rock with both hands and threw it at some people on the other side like it weighed nothing. The rock crashed into the group, making some hurt while others dodged desperately, creating a mess and breaking their formation.
"Aghh! This move always makes me dizzy," Sio said breathlessly as she steadied herself, blinking hard to clear her vision. She ran forward once she recovered, jumping around and doing lots of parkour moves as she punched and kicked people skillfully. She used walls, pillars, and even people's shoulders to propel herself. Occasionally, a green shield came at her side, making her safe from tough situations when she overextended.
SSNNGGGHH!! A spear grazed Big Guy's thigh painfully, cutting through his pants and drawing blood. But he didn't flinch at all, his expression remaining calm. He grabbed the spear firmly with one huge hand and TAAKKK!!—broke the spear in half with raw strength, the wood splintering in his grip. He took out the pointy end and STAB!!—stabbed the man's chest without hesitation.
"AGGHH!!" The man sputtered blood from his mouth and fell down lifelessly, his eyes glazing over. As Big Guy was looking at the dead enemy with a neutral expression, suddenly THUMP! THUMP! Two kicks came from his back side without warning, hitting him hard and stumbling him down to one knee.
"AGH!!" He grunted and saw two men jumping at him, trying to stab him while he was down and vulnerable. WHOSHH!! Big Guy used his scarf quickly to block their vision, whipping it around like a weapon. Then he stood up swiftly, his massive body rising. He ran forward and called back his scarf with a tug. With startled expressions, the enemies didn't have time to react when Big Guy came close and grabbed them both by their necks firmly, one in each hand. He slowly dragged them toward the previous dead man with the spear still embedded in his chest. Then KKKCHHH! KKCCHHHH!—he nailed them down on the same place, pushing their bodies onto the wooden part of the spear shaft that stuck out. He made a gory scene as three people lay killed on top of each other, stacked like a grotesque monument.
Big Guy dusted his clothes casually, as if he'd just finished a mundane task. Then he saw a kick coming at his face from the side. BOOMMBBB! His right forearm got hit hard, the impact making his arm shake. But a green shield blocked the damage by healing him at the same time, the energy knitting his flesh back together. SWOOSSHH! BBOOMM!! He punched at the enemy's belly with his left hand powerfully, his fist sinking deep. He threw the woman enemy away like she was a ragdoll.
STABBB!!
"AGGHHH!!!" Big Guy looked behind and saw someone had stabbed his leg with a dagger, the blade buried deep in his calf muscle. Pain shot through his leg, but he remained focused. He turned around, pivoting on that same injured leg without hesitation, and CRACCKKK!!—he attacked the enemy with his knee brutally, the joint smashing into the man's chest. Ribs broke with an audible snap, and the man flew away, his body limp.
"ACCKK!!" Big Guy grunted as he pulled the dagger out of his leg, blood flowing freely. He just casually threw it at someone nearby, the blade spinning through the air. It stabbed into a woman's leg, making her cry out. As the enemy woman was running away, she fumbled forward clumsily from the pain. BOOMMM! Big Guy, taking the chance, kicked her with his uninjured leg and knocked her out cold, her body crumpling.
"AGHH!" But his injured leg burst in pain as he put weight on that leg, and he couldn't defend properly. His movements slowed for just a moment. Another spear came flying at his neck dangerously, the point aimed to kill. Big Guy, seeing this, raised his left arm ninety degrees in empty air, trusting completely.
WHOOSSHH! TAAANNKKK!! Sio came swinging in with her wrist cloth wrapped around Big Guy's raised arm, using him as an anchor point. She kicked the man hard, her leg connecting with his jaw. Making the spear veered off course. A green shield still appeared at the perfect time but wasn't needed, then it vanished slowly like fading light.
"Sigh, Big Sister Sasha is so amazing! Across the entire field, she could help anyone at crucial times," Sio said admiringly as she and Big Guy glanced back to see Zack and Sasha dancing around beautifully on the battlefield, their movements synchronized and deadly.
"Hmm, everyone is great," Big Guy said with a small smile, warmth in his eyes. "Now, why don't we also show how great we are?"
Sio nodded enthusiastically, her face lighting up with determination. They turned back to the fight and engaged more enemies together.
.
Outside the shop, Princess Natlia came toward her carriage, surrounded protectively by her Queen Guards. They formed a tight circle around her, weapons drawn and eyes scanning for threats. She saw the mess outside with many people getting killed, bodies littering the ground. She sighed heavily before going inside the carriage, her heart troubled.
The 2nd Rock Leader came forward quickly and said with concern, her voice urgent, "Princess Natlia, it's not safe on the route going to the Queen Palace for now. Why don't you go to Veny's house? Esjar and Grandpa will protect you there for a while as we clean things here and come pick you up!"
2nd Rock Leader Mikaela Larents advised firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Hmm, let's do that," Princess nodded in agreement and let her carriage fly away, the vehicle lifting smoothly into the air. Four elite guards stood at the top of the carriage in perfect formation while other guards surrounded the carriage on their flying boards. They maintained a clear formation—not a single mismatch present, every position calculated for maximum protection.
"Uff, I hope everyone is okay," Nat prayed softly as she looked down at the Third Rock below, worry etched on her face.
"Sigh, did you guys choose my rock to make a mess?" A tall, well-built, bald black man came walking casually through the chaos, completely unbothered. He wore lots of rings on his hands that glinted, and a tight, colorful bodysuit that showed his muscular frame. His well-defined beard framed his strong-looking face. He casually punched several random attackers who got in his way, sending them flying, and came close to the 2nd Rock Leader, who was now covered in blood—though her black attire didn't let it show much.
"Hmm, hey there, Vali Sverrisson! Seems like you don't show your face around here much. Isn't it good that you got a chance? Hehe," 2nd Rock Leader smiled amusedly, wiping blood from her cheek.
The 3rd Rock Leader came toward her and asked with a completely straight face, his expression neutral, "What now?"
"Hmm, let's go inside and help those little ones. They must be tired by now," she said with concern.
"Hmm, but I am not a soldier," 3rd Rock Leader said bluntly, crossing his arms.
"Then you want more destruction here?" Another woman's voice came as she stepped forward. She stood tall, looking equally strong as the 3rd Rock Leader, her presence commanding.
"No thanks, let's go, Julia and Mikaela," Vali said simply as they all went inside without complaining further, their footsteps purposeful.
.
"Agh! What is happening here? So much commotion! Where are my little ones?" Mother Veny came running frantically, her face pale with worry. She tried to go inside, but the city guards didn't allow people close to the mess, blocking her way with their bodies.
"Mother Veny, calm down! I already saw Nat's carriage fly away toward the 2nd Rock—probably going toward your house or Grandpa's house. Let's go there!" Oliver came behind her and shouted urgently, grabbing her shoulder.
"Yes, yes, don't worry! Everyone will be okay," Mother Araina also said reassuringly while clenching her fingers nervously, her knuckles white.
"Yes!" Mother Silja and Gloomy nodded in affirmation, though their faces showed worry.
"Huff, huff, Young Master is right! We can't go inside now. Let's follow Princess Natlia," Maid Emmy said, completely out of breath from running.
"Thank you for telling us so fast, Emmy," Maren patted her back gently to calm her down, offering a small smile.
"Huh, but others are still inside!" Mother Veny still didn't back down as everyone tried to calm her down, her maternal instincts refusing to leave.
After some time, they heard a painful grunting voice from behind them.
"Ughh! Umm, please forgive us, everyone!"
"Huh?" The group turned and looked. They saw Miss Eva walking raggedly, her steps unsteady. She was clenching her fist tightly as she sweated hard, her entire body trembling.
"MIIISS EVVAA!! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!" Everyone came rushing and checked on her worriedly, surrounding her.
"Hmm, isn't this look kind of similar?" Mother Veny and the others looked at her carefully and thought of the Queen Palace incident, recognition dawning.
"SHIT! MISS EVA, YOU HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE SAME ENERGY THAT MR. JORRI AND MISS KYRA'S KID HAD! THIS IS NOT GOOD!!" Mother Veny rushed forward and supported her carefully, holding her up.
"Aghh! Leave me be! I don't deserve to live! My husband—he didn't do anything wrong! Please forgive him!" Miss Eva looked at the commotion happening at the shop and knew her husband was in there somewhere.
"What are you saying? First, let's go! You don't have a machine to stabilize you or power like Mr. Jorri. You can't live long like this! Your effect is still very low, but it will increase over time!" Oliver said in a hurry as he called a carriage with a wave of his hand.
"Ugh! No, no! I want to stay here! My husband! Aghh!!" Miss Eva knelt on the ground, huffing hard. Her breathing was labored and painful.
Seeing her like this, Mother Araina clenched her fingers nervously and said with a low voice, guilt heavy in her tone, "Umm, let's take her to Zack. I think he could help her!"
Mother Araina said, feeling very guilty. Sorry, my son. I will let you decide if you want to help her or not, Mother Araina said in her mind, her heart heavy.
"Umm, how? Whatever, let's go to Mother Veny's house first!" Oliver said as he placed Miss Eva in a carriage gently. With the other seven people squeezed in one carriage, cramped together, they flew toward the 2nd Rock.
"Agh, why can't I ever get a good place to sit in a carriage? But this is also fine," Gloomy grumbled in annoyance as he sat on his mother's lap, who smiled happily despite the circumstances.
"Hmm, oye Emmy, why are you sitting on my lap?" Maren poked Emmy's back teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes, Miss Emmy, you can sit on my beautiful lap," Oliver smiled, looking at Emmy playfully with a mischievous glint.
"Behave, Young Master!!" Emmy roared in anger, but her face was completely red in embarrassment.
"Hey, you guys! Why are you like this when Miss Eva is in so much pain?" Mother Veny shouted in annoyance as she kept taking care of Eva, who herself was smiling a little at their antics despite her suffering.
"Hmm..." The kids looked at her together and said in unison, "Because she will be fine! Heheh." They smiled as everyone also finally smiled with relief, the tension breaking just a little.
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END OF CHAPTER
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AUTHOR NOTE
It's already past midnight, and here I am, proofreading this chapter with one eye open. YAWWWNNN! The author is officially exhausted and desperately wants to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep is a distant dream because some wonderfully inconsiderate humans have decided that right now is the perfect time to throw a loud party in the colony nearby. Sigh.....
Why do people forget the existence of others the moment music gets loud? Truly fascinating behavior. At this point, I'm half-tempted to send Tyra over there and let him "accidentally" burn their precious sound system. Purely for educational purposes, of course.
My brain has stopped braining, words are melting together, and common sense has clocked out for the night. So before I start typing absolute nonsense, I'll leave you with a very profound quote of mine:
"Just write something funny here"
Good night. Or good morning. I honestly don't know anymore. 😴