"What did he say?" Blackwood asked one of the elite guards. Slowly, he drew his sword.
"It's an ancient language. Only a few people know its meaning," one of the guards replied. "By my guess, it's a trap. This is it—the real Echoflayer. We cannot let it escape alive."
Everyone drew their swords, preparing for battle. The creature multiplied itself, attacking the soldiers and elite guards with relentless fury. Blackwood sprinted towards the main Echoflayer, his heart pounding. The battle raged on, with soldiers screaming as they clashed with monstrous foes.
The elite guards showed their prowess, cutting down the lesser Echoflayers with ease. Orion, the captain of the elite guards, quickly dispatched 17 of his men to protect the evacuated citizens. The number was crucial—the enemy might delay the battle while secretly attacking the evacuees. Blackwood ordered his soldiers to assist them.
The fight intensified as Blackwood faced the Alpha Echoflayer alone. Meanwhile, Orion charged forward, shouting, "Flame Technique: Radiant Palm!" Flames shot from his hands, burning through 80% of the army in a single, devastating blast.
Marvellous and Lyra, two of the elite guards, worked in tandem to effortlessly dispatch the Echoflayers. Meanwhile, Blackwood's struggle against the Alpha Echoflayer escalated. He bellowed, "I won't lose to a tiny fish!"
Blackwood sprinted toward the Echoflayer, sword raised high. A massive burst of flame erupted from the blade, engulfing the creature in overwhelming heat.
"Fire Style: Royal Flame!" Blackwood declared, hoping to sound more powerful than he felt.
But the Echoflayer merely laughed, its dark shield absorbing the flames effortlessly. "Ti'kor vashni, korvus vraxxis!" it taunted. (Translation: "The shadow will burn you, and the darkness will consume!")
Grimacing, Blackwood charged forward, sword flashing in the dim light.
"Fire Style: Inferno Slash!" Blackwood shouted, slashing at the Echoflayer's chest.
The creature dodged with unnatural speed, countering with a swift kick that sent Blackwood sprawling to the ground.
Struggling to rise, Blackwood gritted his teeth in pain. He raised his sword again and unleashed another blast of flames.
"Fire Style: Flame Burst!" he roared, trying to regain his footing.
But the Echoflayer countered with a wave of dark energy, striking Blackwood with shadowy force. Blackwood cried out as his vision blurred from the impact.
Despite the pain, Blackwood found the strength to keep fighting. He unleashed a flurry of slashes, each aimed at the creature's chest.
"Fire Style: Blazing Shield!" Blackwood shouted, conjuring a protective wall of fire.
But the Echoflayer simply laughed. Its dark magic dissolved the flames effortlessly. "Vraxxis ti'kor, zhrakkor vashni!" it snarled. (Translation: "The darkness will protect me, and you will burn!")
The battle continued with Blackwood using every technique he could muster, but each one failed to penetrate the Echoflayer's defenses. Desperation began to take hold, and Blackwood decided to use his most powerful attacks.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Strike!" he shouted, his voice trembling with exhaustion.
Again, the creature countered, its dark shield absorbing the flames. "Ti'kor vashni, korvus vraxxis!" it mocked.
Blackwood's vision began to blur from sheer exhaustion. "This short bastard!" he muttered, raising his sword with the last of his strength.
"Fire Style: Dragon's Breath!" he shouted, hoping it would be enough. But the flames were absorbed again.
His strength was fading, but Blackwood refused to give up. He gathered every ounce of power he had left for one final, desperate assault.
"Fire Style: Firestorm!" he screamed, unleashing a wave of flames that consumed the battlefield.
But once again, the Echoflayer countered, striking Blackwood with a bolt of shadow. The impact shook his body, and his vision darkened.
Still, Blackwood found the will to fight on. His sword was his last hope.
"Fire Style: Molten Wave!" Blackwood cried out, releasing every last drop of energy he had.
A colossal wave of flame erupted from his blade, crashing into the Echoflayer with intense heat. The creature staggered back, its shield faltering for the first time.
Seeing his opening, Blackwood charged at the creature, sword gleaming with determination.
"Fire Style: Apocalypse!" he screamed, releasing a massive wave of flame that engulfed everything in its path.
The two enemies collided in a final, explosive clash of fire and shadow. Blackwood's vision went dark as his body collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.
The Echoflayer stood over him, raising its dark sword for the killing blow. But Blackwood, through sheer will, rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The Echoflayer snarled and attacked with relentless fury. But Blackwood dodged, weaving through the creature's strikes as his body pushed beyond its limits. After what felt like an eternity, the Echoflayer began to falter, its strength waning.
Seizing the opportunity, Blackwood launched himself at the creature, his sword flashing. The Echoflayer staggered back, its shield failing under the assault.
With one final, decisive strike, Blackwood pierced the creature's defenses. The Echoflayer crumpled to the ground, defeated.
Blackwood stood over it, panting heavily. "It's over," he gasped, his vision starting to blur. And then, everything went dark.
Lying motionless, Blackwood whispered to himself, "I will not let this happen.""I will not let you conquer my village."
He reached for his sword, struggling to rise. "I will not let history repeat itself. I am Blackwood Thane, and I will claim your head and protect my people!" With a surge of strength, he forced himself to his feet.
As the Alpha Echoflayer began to walk away, it noticed a glowing light behind it. Turning, it saw Blackwood, seemingly unconscious but gripping his sword, now glowing with blue flames. He appeared like a different person—one driven by an unwavering will to protect at all costs.
The flames flared up, illuminating the battlefield like a second sun. Then, as quickly as it came, the light died down, and Blackwood collapsed again.
The Echoflayer's body began to decay, turning to dust. "See that, Thorn?" Blackwood muttered, smiling faintly as he gazed at the sky. "I have claimed my victory."
At dawn, King Arin arrived with two of his guards and Melvin, a scout. The king was shocked by the devastation in Blackwood's village.
"Find out if there are any survivors," the king ordered. The guards and Melvin began searching through the rubble of broken bricks, tiles, and burned homes.
Amidst the destruction, they found three elite guards, exhausted but alive.
"Treat these men... I will keep searching," the king said, continuing his search. Eventually, he found Blackwood, sitting with his back against the ruins of his home.
"Blackwood, you don't look so good... my friend," the king said.
Blackwood opened his eyes with difficulty, leaning against a broken wall. "My king, you've arrived... my deepest apologies for summoning you on such short notice." He tried to bow, but his body gave out, and he collapsed forward. The king helped him back up.
"I have summoned the kings of the four nations," King Arin said, his voice serious. "We will discuss the Echoflayers and how to deal with them. The Nation of Air will be represented by Zephyr, currently in Thorn Village. You will join us as well. The meeting is four months from now, in Ignisia, at 9 AM."
The king handed Blackwood an invitation before calling for medics. Despite the loss of some soldiers, Blackwood's courage had prevented worse casualties.
In Thorn Village the following morning:
Mole: "What is this?" he asked, holding up a transparent vest.
Zephyr: "You're training in that starting tomorrow. You will not take it off until I say so."
Mole: "Yes! I got my own training uniform!" He jumped excitedly.
Zephyr: "We begin early tomorrow. I need rest. Show me where I can sleep."
Shawn: "Come this way." He led Zephyr to his room.
To be continued...