"Out of the way!!!" Responding to Gwyn's shout the area around the gate and walkway quickly cleared of soldiers regardless of allegiance. Normally fleeing a battle would result in the escapee getting cut down but since anyone who lived within the human country and some of those outside of it knew of Gwyn they prioritized escape over defeating their foe.
The only ones remaining in the area were the cloaked man and his minions, "There you are Princess!!! I've been looking for you." A twisted smile was on his face as he caressed a skull that was hanging off his belt, "You'll be perfect for my collection."
Gwyn grit her teeth as she continued running towards him, less than a quarter of the original distance was between them now. "Go!!!" Gwyn pointed her sword forward and out of the tip of her sword flew two balls of energy, one blue and one red.
*Boom!!!
"Eh?" Gwyn stopped in her tracks at the absurdity of the sight in front of her. The stone wall fifteen meters tall and five meters wide were was pulverized into dust by two towering bodies. The one on the right had red skin and was almost twice as tall as the wall wielding a giant sword with two horns coming out of its forehead. The one of the left was blue and only slightly taller than the wall but with a much sturdier build and armed with a wooden club that was easily bigger than a tree with a single horn jutting out from above his only eye.
"Shin... you never told me they were this bi-Guhh!?!" Gwyn who was complaining while looking at her sword was suddenly sent flying backwards with a dull pain in her chest, a long spear was pushing up against her armor.
"Oh, you're alive? That's surprising." The dust cloud that used to be a wall separated revealing the cloaked figure who was completely unharmed. His men however weren't so lucky, beneath the strength of the two oni they became green piles of mush that were releasing a sickly green vapor.
"Grrr..." Gwyn got up and looked at the end of the agitated oni's weapons where she had assumed would be the ground. Blocking the sword was a large bear with a dark green luster and holding onto the club was a large man in full plate armor.
"Renag The Unmovable?" The spear, the armor and the figure was unmistakable even if an unnatural colour. Gwyn had met him several times before, mostly during combat events. A man of great strength that defeated a Steel Bear bare handed all the while bearing a heavily load of supplies that he was delivering to a remote village had earned him his name, he was widely regarded as one of the strongest people even among the elves and dwarves.
"Oh, you knew each other?" A devilish smile appeared on the strangers face, "He was so easy to kill. The actions of someone who protects is so easy to predict, all it took was threatening some children's lives and he gave up." Gwyn thought back to the heads that the stranger was cutting off, was that how he preserved the bodies? To create these twisted undead nightmares? But she had never heard of a dark magic like this where it could recreate a body from just a head, not to mention a fully functioning and unhindered body.
"GRAAAAHHHH!!!" The terrible sound of metal scrapping against metal was heard as the Red Oni put strength into his arms, the Steel Bear's body which was on the other end of the sword started folding in on itself as it stood it's ground stubbornly against the attack.
"GAAUUGH?" Renag on the other hand was pummeling the Blue Oni with punches, resulting in the sound of brutal punishment raining upon flesh to ring out. The Blue Oni however just stood there taking all the punishment, outwardly it would seem that it was losing but somehow Gwyn knew that the damage he took was minimal to the point of non-existence.
"Hmm, guess those two aren't going to be enough." The stranger reached a hand into the bag he had slung over his shoulder rummaging around. "Let's see... you and you and you... and also you." Several small objects came flying at Gwyn who jumped back to avoid them. After they collided with the ground Gwyn got a good look at the objects which had lost their momentum.
"Heads?" The items the man had thrown were extremely shrunken heads, to the point that they seemed more like doll heads than ones from living beings. "YOU!!!" Gwyn gripped her sword tightly and took a step forward, preparing to charge at the man but paused. All of the heads that he had thrown were from the loyal soldiers of her army, ones that had most likely fallen defending the very gate that was just destroyed. That however was not the reason Gwyn had stopped, what had stopped her was the fact that those heads were growing rapidly with a body forming while a disgusting squishing sound could be heard.
In seconds a dozen soldiers in full armor with all their gear had came into existence forming a semi-circle in front of Gwyn. "Aren't they lovely?" The man was manically laughing, "They who used to be so weak, with my blessing they have become strong!"
"Strong is it?" Gwyn directing into the faces of the soldiers who looked no different from when they were alive, their faces were expressionless but their eyes exuded the aura of suffering. A proper funeral would probably be impossible at this point, especially considering what happens to the corpses of this man's undead; but at the very least Gwyn could do one thing for them.
"About three time stronger than when they were alive!!! Three!!!" The man reached into his bag again, "They would've been considered heroes, conquerors, leaders!!!"
"They... were already heroes in my heart." Gwyn swung her blade, there wasn't any fancy technique or excessive strength just a normal swing. That normal swing however easily tore through the bodies setting them ablaze with crimson flames. "You're next." Gwyn pointed her sword at the man, killing intent overflowing from her and manifested itself as a dark red demon behind her.
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"Ho-how?!?" From the information he had there was no way that the Princess in front of him was this strong. Of course he didn't expect her to lose to just twelve soldiers but there should have been no way for her to easily dispose of them with a halfhearted attack like that. To begin with even though they were normal soldiers, with his blessings they were easily three times as strong and that also included their defensive capabilities. "Damn it!" He grabbed a handful of heads that were closest to his hand and threw it at her and took several steps back while reaching into a small bag he had on his hip.
"Like I'll let you!" With a shout Gwyn charged towards him, her sword easily eliminating all the half summoned bodies.
"Come! Stella Vel Rouge!!!" The man picked up a head from the pouch and threw it at the ground behind him as he blocked Gwyn's sword with his arm. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" While screaming in pain he drew out a dagger and cut off he left arm from slightly above the elbow before the flames could start consuming him. He quickly started retreating but the sword was already on it's way.
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A blast of hot air blew Gwyn away from the man as she was about to deliver a mortal blow. Opening her eyes Gwyn realized that what blew her back wasn't air but green flames that had glassed the ground around her. Tracing the fire back to it's origin Gwyn saw a beautiful girl that had long flowing hair and a noble aura, her hand stretching out towards Gwyn.
"To make me use her..." Gwyn turned her attention to the man that was hiding behind the girl, his arm that had previously been cut was starting to grow back in a green slimy mess of flesh. "Go Stella! Kill her!"
Reacting to his command the girl aimed both hands at Gwyn and sent two fireballs hurtling directly towards her. "This armor..." Gwyn stood up and calmly walked forward, the fire colliding with her ineffectively. Normally there would be no way that a piece of armor could protect a place that wasn't covered, yet never mind her face not even one hair was damaged by the fire. "Looks like I have a lot to thank Shin for."
"How?!?!" The man was staring speechless at Gwyn who was advancing in the now continuous stream of fire that was coming from Stella's hands. Those flames reached extreme levels of heat and burned even rock, the melted burning mess of earth that Gwyn was walking upon a testament to that.
"How indeed, I don't even know myself." The flames abruptly stopped as Gwyn unhesitatingly cut Stella down, from the sounds of heavy footsteps and crunching metal it would seem the Oni are done as well. "You don't seem to have the confidence you had before. Are you only brave in front of those weaker than you?"
"YOU!!! You're not even chosen! I WAS!!! I WAS!!! I'm the MINION MASTER! ME!" The self claimed minion master started raving, spit flying everywhere. "Not the head warrior!! Not the elder or the chief but ME!!!" The hood fell back revealing pointed ears and two small horns. Gwyn looked at him in surprise then pity, what life did he lead to make him act this way? "Everything in the world is MINE, MINE!!! You who isn't a chosen have no right to hinder me!!!"
"Just rest in peace no-?!?" Gwyn started swinging the sword that she held back in pity as her instincts alerted her of immense danger but it was too late, an explosion centered on the minion master radiated outward leaving a massive melting depression in the ground; the two Oni were completely swallowed up by the attack. Coughing Gwyn slowly got up, the blast had push her to the outside edge of the crater, or rather it buried her into the side of it. "Seriously... *Cough, has saved me way too many times today."
"Gwyn!!! Are you alright?" Tarbalt and company was running towards her from the direction of the mostly intact wall, it would seem that the explosion expanded in a cone towards the palace rather than in a circle leaving the soldiers that were fighting disorientated but alive.
"Yeah, glad you guys are doing okay to-" Gwyn dashed towards her soldiers and got their just in time as something collided with her body slamming her into the ground. "Gah!?!" Gwyn dazedly looked up at her assailant while spitting out blood. Standing there was girl that looked vicious but extremely gorgeous with long red hair tied in a pony tail behind her and dressed in light leather armor. In her hands was a long thin single edged sword similar to a katana but without a guard, that sword was pointed directly at Gwyn.
"A... Dragon-kin?" Tarbalt broke the silence with a voice full of doubt. Dragon-kin... a descendant of one of the world's ancient dragons that were unimaginably more powerful than the dragons that existed now days and were said to have strength similar to their ancestors. Gwyn then noticed that the Dragon-kin girl had a greenish glow to her.
"Rio..." The man from before staggeringly stood up from the middle of the crater, body dissolving in the heat. His hand was weakly grasping at the place where the skull he cherished used to be.
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*Note - OP items are OP.
Spoiler :
Remember how I said there was technically four chosen? I present to you two of them. Can't be that hard to figure out the remaining two right?
EDIT: Forgot to say, I went to sleep after I got back from work so only this chapter today, apologies to the people who were looking forward to another.