Edward could see Katrina getting more and more desperate with her defence. She had the support of some shieldbearers, but the entire group was barely holding on. One of the warriors fell down. Evan’s dagger stuck out from his neck.
Edward’s legs moved before his mind made a conscious decision. He ignored the cries of soldiers who fell under Camilla’s blade. He told himself it was a purely strategic choice. Warriors are simply a more valuable asset than regular soldiers. But at the end of the day it was just a coping mechanism. Running to save Kat and her group and leaving others to die was purely because of his personal feelings.
‘Just hold on a bit longer… please.’ His glossy eyes reflected the moonlight.
He was getting closer and closer, moving with all the strength his body could muster. The storm of bullets couldn’t touch his skin and the thick coat of snow barely slowed him down. An artillery shell landed right next to him. His ears were ringing and his eyes were blinded by a white cloud. As he passed through it, he saw another warrior fall under the enemy’s blade.
“No!” The shout escaped Edward’s mouth.
Evan threw a dagger right at Katrina’s throat. The man’s blade traveled almost as fast as a bullet, and Kat was currently struggling against another warrior. Time seemed to slow down for Edward. His eyes widened in panic. While his heart sank, a sudden blur passed in front of the dagger.
*Ah… Fuck!* A masculine voice passed through Edward’s earpiece.
‘Marcus…?’ A brown haired youth was standing in front of Kat, with a dagger stuck in his chest.
*We’re here Ed!* Layla’s voice followed. *I’ll handle the woman. Marcus will help the warriors. You should go and take care of their artillery.*
Edward exhaled. His lips curved up for a moment, but tightened again when he turned towards the enemy army.
*Yeah we got this Ed… Go fuck them up!* Marcus’s voice sounded strained but sure.
“Thanks guys.” The young warrior ran forward, sword in hand. He felt a bit uncomfortable leaving Kat’s safety in someone else’s hands. But he knew his mischievous friend was always reliable when it came down to it. He also shouldn’t have any trouble against a wounded opponent.
Putting his worries in the back of his mind, he focused on the mission at hand. He sped through the no man’s land towards the enemy army, ignoring most bullets, but dodging when an especially large projectile passed dangerously close. He didn’t have an exact idea how much force Valhalla’s protection could withstand at his current strength, and this wasn’t a right moment to find out.
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‘Definitely something that needs some testing later…’ he thought. Finally in range, he used the golden arc to cleave through a tank covered in the markings of the House of Lu Bu. Almost all of the enemy machines had an emblem of Lu Bu somewhere on their surface. A red hare standing on its hind legs in front of a vertical halberd differentiated the enemy army from Alexander’s forces. Edward appreciated the design, but that didn’t stop him from tearing through every tank, humvee or ATV standing in his way.
Fire coming from the exploding engines reached several meters into the air. Sharp fragments of hardened steel were flying wherever Edward passed. Soon, the enemy fire focused on the figure of the young warrior. The hail of bullets bouncing off his aura obstructed his view. He started feeling the tension. He could barely see and as a result barely evade the heavier projectiles.
‘I might have taken this too lightly…’ As a powerful Marked, Edward stopped being afraid of mortal weapons at some point, forgetting he’s still not invincible to them. Bullets might not hurt him, he might be several times stronger than a regular human, but an artillery strike could still punch straight through his body. Since his sense of sight was hindered he tried to rely on hearing, but the constant gunfire wasn’t helping with that. Still, he could make out the louder explosions, helping him time his dodges. He stepped to the side, and a crater appeared right where he’d been standing a moment ago. He kept running forward reaching the top of the hill.
“Holy shit…” The shock pulled the words out of his mouth, but the young warrior didn’t stop moving. Below him, a much larger army was advancing than could be initially seen. He noticed his target in the backline, but now doubted whether he could manage to reach it.
‘Too late to turn back anyway…’ He let the stress pour out of him. It fueled his every movement as he dashed between the enemy forces, cutting down soldiers and cleaving through the armored carriers.
“We need immediate support!” “There’s a Marked between the lines!” “He’s moving toward the backline!” Different shouts came from the soldiers, before Edward took their lives. Most didn’t even get the chance to make a sound.
One of the worst things that could happen to an army… Letting a powerful warrior get too close. Once that happens, and that side doesn’t possess any Marked of equal power… Their fate is almost certainly sealed. It was difficult to hit Edward, when he blitzed in between the soldiers. Each time the enemy fired at him they risked hitting their allies too.
“I’m almost at the backline… But there is a much larger enemy force at this side. How’s it going on your end?”
Some static came from the earpiece, before Marcus responded. *Well, the lanky dude is dead…* A cling of a blade sounded in the background. *I’m poisoned, but I’ll deal with the rest of the group, oh and Kat’s safe, don’t worry.*
*There’s something weird about the woman guys…* Layla said, breathing heavily. *It’s going alright, but I can never finish her off…*
*I'll help out soon. You stay on target Ed,* Marcus responded.
“Noted.” The young man answered. He brandished his blade and continued the onslaught.
Edward almost reached the artillery line, when something suddenly smashed into the middle of the crowded field. The impact sent a bunch of people and vehicles flying and kicked up a large cloud of snow. Once the white powder fell, it revealed the sight of a small crater. In the middle stood Tarquin, holding up a middle aged man by his hair with one hand and keeping a blade by his throat with the other.
“Did you really believe you could ever defeat me in a duel Atlas…?” said the old man.