Grghhhh!!

Suddenly, a powerful roar shook the whole area, everyone turned their head. It was another Moblin. And this one was a Blue Moblin, a whole grade higher than the one they were fighting. It was rapidly closing the distance between them.

Bailey gulped, as fear showed in his eyes. The Moblin was closest to him.

"Shit... another?" Ghul cursed.

"Bailey's in danger," Tobias shouted.

"I'll go" Raphael hurriedly went towards Bailey.

"You go as well, Tobias. I can handle this one alone." Ghul shouted. The battlefield was getting chaotic. If it was any ordinary mercenary group, there would already be deserters. These guys were veterans and would lay their lives for their comrades.

"Don't disappoint me, Bailey..." Luke mumbled, his eyes showing concern no one had seen. If Bailey could hold on for a few seconds, Raphael and Tobias could reach in time. Just a single blow of the Blue Moblin was fatal for Bailey.

Hassan and Esme were clearing out the Bokoblin, they were concerned about Bailey, but them leaving would put another strain on Ghul. They knew what was best right now. Hassan looked at the Moblin approaching Bailey, he felt useless. He wanted to help.

Luke arched his bow, aiming at the incoming Blue Moblin. The distance was too great, he wasn't confident about landing fatal blows. Luke was on the right of the Red Moblin while Bailey was on the left of it. The Blue Moblin was approaching from the far-left.

Luke looked at Ghul who was going toe to toe with the Red Moblin. He was confident that Ghul could defeat it alone. Taking a deep breath, Luke took another aim at the Blue Moblin.

Bailey was up on a tree, but the Moblin was tall enough to reach him just by jumping once. Bailey arched his bow, he had to fend this Moblin just for a second before the others come to help him. Betting his everything into this one-shot, Bailey's eyes shown with determination.

Stretching his bow to its utmost limit, Bailey shot, his arrow traveled through the air in break-neck speed, the arrow wobbled as it ripped through the air and landed squarely on the Blue Moblin's eyes.

Perfect...

The Moblin roared in pain, it covered its eyes with his hand, as it charged forth with greater intensity. Bailey took aim again, he wanted to target its leg which had a considerably large surface area. Before he could fire again, an arrow traveled right beside his bow, taking the same path he had prepared and hit right on the Moblin's knees.

Luke...

Bailey smiled.

The Moblin genuflected, as it got shield charged by Tobias. The backup had arrived.

Raphael followed through with another attack, but the Moblin already had its fair share of getting beaten. It roared as it blocked the attack with his sword. It was a deadlock. Raphael's spear was powerful but his strength just couldn't compare to the Moblin.

The Moblin swatted Raphael's spear away and stabbed at him. It all happened in a split second. Tobias couldn't keep up, but he managed to ready his shield before Raphael. The sword tip made contact with the shield, as sparks flew in the air, a screeching noise followed.

The Moblin's monstrous strength was fully shown, as Raphael and Tobias were knocked away. Tobias coughed, he felt a metallic taste in his mouth. It was blood. His insides were churning, as he felt like his insides were being squeezed.

The Moblin roared, showing its dominance.

"Damn it... Tobias, Raphael... You okay?" Ghul shouted while blocking the Red Moblin's club with his sword.

"I can keep going..." Tobias said as he coughed up blood. He didn't seem like it.

"Me too!!" Raphael shouted, gingerly standing up.

The Blue Moblin moved, heading towards them. Suddenly, it ducked, an arrow missed his head, as another arrow hit its stomach. The arrow couldn't penetrate. Its skin was too strong.

The battle felt hopeless.

"TOBIAS... RAPHAEL... SWITCH!!!" Ghul said as he gritted his teeth. He was exhausted, and taking on the Blue Moblin was sure to end in his defeat. But, he didn't have a choice. Tobias and Raphael weren't in the right condition to even take on the Red Moblin.

Doing a powerful swing, and knocking the red Moblin off, Ghul ran towards the Blue Moblin. Luke and Bailey were keeping it busy, but not for long. Ghul jumped as he did a vertical swing, the Blue Moblin parried with its sword.

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Tobias couldn't stand up, a head-on attack of a Blue Moblin, it would take weeks for him to heal.

Esme and Hassan hurriedly stopped the Red Moblin, but they were just delaying the inevitable. With Tobias down, no one could parry its attacks. But, they had to try.

Hassan got knocked against a tree, he couldn't stand a blow from the Moblin. Esme was barely holding because of his agility.

Sparks flew in the air, as Ghul and the Blue Moblin clashed. Ghul coughed up blood, while the Moblin gave an animalistic roar. Suddenly, an arrow pierced the Moblin's thigh.

"LUKE... YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. HELP THEM. BAILEY... DON'T BE AN IDIOT." Ghul shouted.

Without a shred of hesitation, Luke started aiming at the Red Moblin. Bailey's eyes grew moist, as he slowly took aim at the Red Moblin with shaky arms. With no one to hold the Red Moblin down, it was increasingly getting difficult for them to get a shot.

The Blue Moblin did a powerful side swing, Ghul parried. Ghul slid against the ground, trying to regain his balance. He didn't have the strength left.

Esme landed a hit on the Red Moblin, but his attack did nothing other than giving it a minor injury. Esme was doing everything to hold on, Raphael was leaning against a tree, Hassan was barely holding himself.

Why?

Esme questioned, his eyes bloodshot. He was angry, he was angry at himself because he was weak. A hot-itchy sensation crawled on his skin. Every inch of his body hurt. A blood vessel in his eye pooped, dyeing his vision in red.

Luke's archery was the only reason he was barely standing.

"RETREAT!!" Ghul shouted, mustering every bit of strength his body had.

Luke and Bailey were on the ground, getting closer to the Moblin for maximum power.

The Red Moblin roared, his club made a booming sound as it split the air in half. The attack landed on Esme's back, knocking him against Bailey.

"Shit..." Ghul cursed, as he coughed up blood.

With no one to stop the Moblin, it started its rampage.

Everyone felt hopeless. Luke was exhausted, as he was constantly firing arrows. Bailey was knocked by Esme. They were the ones who were relatively less injured.

Tobias was lying on the ground, his condition unknown.

"Luke... Ghul... Bailey... Run!! Leave us. Don't give up your lives here. I know you can safely retreat." Raphael said in a weak voice. The Red Moblin was heading towards him.

Hassan weakly leaned against a tree. He was fighting to keep his eyes open. He applied force on the tree, barely standing straight.

Raphael would die if the Moblin attacked. He had to buy time. Raphael was the one with the highest attack power, but he felt useless. He couldn't even do his guarding duty properly.

Mustering every bit of strength his body allowed, Hassan ran towards Raphael intercepting the Moblin. Without caring even a bit for his safety, he engaged with the Moblin.

"DAMN IT... HASSAN RETREAT." Ghul shouted. he knew everyone escaping alive was a pipe dream, but he still had faint hope.

Luke quietly dragged Raphael away. He knew Hassan's intention, and he didn't want it to go to waste. It was too late to change his mind. Luke was exhausted as well. He tried his hardest to go towards Esme and Bailey while carrying Raphael.

"YOU IDIOT. I SAID RUN. LEAVE ME, LUKE. SAVE YOURSELF. I SAID LEAVE ME. YOU FUCKING IDIOT." Raphael shouted, struggling, but Luke didn't give a damn.

In his dying breath, Hassan's sword penetrated the Moblin's leg. His body limply fell to the ground, as he gave a smile towards Raphael and Luke before his departure.

"HASSAN!!!" Raphael's hoarse voice traveled through the forest, grieving for his lost friend.

Ghul was distracted, the Blue Moblin's sword penetrated his thigh. He grunted in pain, as he slashed his sword at the Monlin's neck. An eye for an eye.

The attack landed, sending the Moblin knocking away, and disoriented. Ghul's Traveler's Claymore was already brittle from the clash. It did more blunt damage than slash.

Ghul hurriedly ran towards Esme and Bailey, ignoring the pain in his thigh. The Red Moblin was moving towards them.

"HAAAAAHHH" Ghul shouted, covering his cry, he didn't want to lose another friend.

Luke couldn't make it in time, he couldn't do anything even if he did. He was skilled in archery but close combat was a death game for him.

Tobias' fingers crunched. every single cell of his body was screaming in pain, but he couldn't give in to it. His friends were dying. Tobias opened his heavy eyelids. His vision was blurry, as he coughed up blood. He was awake through sheer will. Applying pressure to his hand, he stood up, catching his shield, he moved,

Seconds before the attack landed on Esme and Bailey, Tobias was before them blocking with his shield. The attack made him groan in pain. He wanted to lie down and sleep. The pain was becoming unbearable, but he couldn't afford to.

"WAKE UP, BAILEY... WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT. I KNOW YOU CAN." Luke shouted, violently jerking Bailey's body.

"Uhh" Bailey groaned, as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Carry Esme and run." Without giving Bailey time to adapt, Luke ordered.

Ghul ran, his legs wanted to give out, but no, he couldn't. The stakes were too high. Tobias could collapse any second.

"AHHHHHHHH" Ghul shouted, doing a vertical slash to the Red Moblin.

"EVERYBODY RUN!!!!" Ghul shouted.

Luke carried Raphael who had already fainted from cursing him too much. Bailey carried Esme. They didn't even look back as they ran.

The Blue Moblin was up on its feet. It ran towards the group.

Ghul engaged with the Red Moblin.

Tobias made an unexpected move, he ran in the opposite direction.

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT TOBIAS, I SAID RUN!!" Ghul shouted, a vein popped in his head. The battlefield was getting messier and messier. Ghul felt like he could pass out any second.

Tobias dodged the Red Moblin's attack and ran towards Hassan's dead body, with perfect maneuver, he picked Hassan's dead body up and, turned around, catching up to Luke, and Bailey.

The Blue Moblin caught up. Ghul had to defend against two Moblins now, one Red and other Blue.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Ghul tightened his grip on his sword.

"I hope this works," Ghul mumbled.

With a fierce gleam in his eyes, Ghul placed his sword straight. Using himself as a pivot, he swang the big Traveler's Claymore in circles. The sword gradually caught up momentum.

Think, Ghul... Think... How did I perform the spin maneuver underwater?

Ghul snapped his eyes open, as his sword span in a circle, cutting everything in its wake. He had done it. Ghul was doing the spin attack. The generated momentum knocked the two Moblins away, injuring them, but not gravely...

Ghul ran, catching up with the group...

----------------------------------------

The night looked especially dark today. Everybody was quiet, lying on the ground. The silent atmosphere was suffocating. The cracking sound of the fire made it all the more gloomy. Ghul was leaning against a tree, staring at the night sky.

Luke stared at the night sky as well. Raihan was unusually quiet, contrasting his nature.

A crackle sounded from the fire.

-TO BE CONTINUED-