POV Andreas
How long have we been fighting these things? Minutes, hours, or days?
Honestly, I couldn't tell. I think my sense of time was lost to my survival instincts. After all, that was the only way to have any chance against it; even a mist-crawler wasn't that hard to beat... if you were prepared.
Which we clearly weren't.
Only Yaou and I were still standing, and we weren't in one piece. Wounds scattered across our bodies indicated how difficult it was to even dodge this creature. Even though it was large, it was fast.
I thought I already knew that, but I didn't expect this.
Ideally, I'd like to have at least two to four companies of knights of at least the 3rd circle to fight this shadow monster. We would rotate to continue tiring it out while we recovered at least some strength. However, even in this ideal scenario, I still don't know if we would defeat this thing.
And to make matters worse, not only were we not in the ideal scenario, but we were in the worst possible scenario. I've fought on many battlefields and survived numerous situations, so I can say with certainty that the fact that Yaou and I are still alive isn't due to our abilities.
'It's just because he's not taking this fight seriously.'
If this monster fought seriously, how many minutes, no, how many seconds, would this fight last?
'My biggest question is: why isn't he fighting seriously? Playing with his food?'
I couldn't help but have this morbid, derogatory, and (most likely) accurate thought.
While Yaou and I were wounded and exhausted, the subordinates I had brought along were either further back receiving care or on the ground. In comparison, the shadow monster barely had any scratches, except for one eye and a slightly deep cut in the rib area.
I think several minutes, maybe a few hours, have passed since I came to help Yaou and keep that thing away from the young people. But even after so much time, we haven't managed any fatal blows, only delaying it.
'Since that was the objective, I guess we can say it was a success.'
I thought, slightly bitterly.
The monster positioned itself to launch another attack with its enormous body. Yaou and I prepared to dodge and take advantage of the small lapse for a counterattack. However, before it could do so, a huge flash, as strong as lightning on a rainy night, appeared, blinding us for a few moments.
As quickly as it appeared, the flash was gone, but something changed with it. I can't say exactly what had happened. It was almost as if the flow of Aether around us had become lighter...?
Moments later I could hear the goblins still fighting at the front gate shouting, followed by the sound of feet hitting the ground, bare feet.
–Are the goblins retreating? Why?
I was as confused as she was, but I quickly let that doubt fade. I realized we had lost precious moments from the flash of light to the commotion ahead, and on the battlefield, an instant can decide everything.
Fortunately, when I looked at the shadow monster, I saw that even it wasn't paying attention to us; it was staring incredulously at the goblin village. The first time I'd seen any kind of emotion in its flaming red eyes.
'This is our chance!'
I said with my eyes glancing at Yaou. We went towards the monster, but not even four steps later, it let out a bestial roar.
– UUURRRRGGGGGGGGUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
The air seemed to ripple with the sound waves, and I had the impression that the very ground and trees trembled with the intensity of the roar. He must have roared like that for a few seconds, maybe even a little over a minute.
I can't say for sure, I must have fainted for a few moments because of the sound. The fact is, when I looked again at the place where the monster had been, there was nothing there anymore.
I tried to get up but I was still a bit groggy, and with a headache stronger than after drinking two barrels of beer.
I looked around and saw Yaou almost beside me, unconscious, with blood coming from her ears, but still breathing. Further away from us I could also see my subordinates fallen, but still alive judging by the movement of their chests.
According to my internal clock, the roar of the shadow monster must have knocked me unconscious for 2 to 5 minutes, not a long time, but on a battlefield that would be the equivalent of a death sentence. No, several death sentences.
The strange thing was that none of the demons—I mean, the goblins—appeared during that time, nor any other creature from the Trial or ally.
'Something must have happened to them!!'
That's when I realized something: before roaring, the monster was looking at the goblin village, right where Connor and his friends were.
I got up as fast as I could. It wasn't the best idea; the world spun around, and for a few seconds I couldn't tell where the ground was and where the sky was. But I soon managed to steady myself and went to wake Yaou.
–The youngsters might be in trouble. Do you think you can take care of them while I go help them? – I said, pointing to those who were still unconscious.
Leaning on one of the curved swords, she managed to stand precariously, but still with a firmness in her gaze that wouldn't allow anyone to look down on her.
–Just because you woke up earlier doesn't mean you're much better, blondie, but considering the help you gave me, I'll give you 5 minutes. That's how long it will take me to wake them up and send them back to the others, then I'll catch up with you.
It was impossible for me not to smile a little at that.
'Well, what else would you expect from a sword dancer, especially one who supposedly descends directly from a divine being.'
I highly doubt Mr. Piqval knows about the heritage of one of the stars of his traveling circus, or at least he didn't know everything. But that wasn't something I should talk about; if she didn't say anything, she must have had her reasons.
Especially since her lineage didn't matter to anyone, whether on this continent, in this village, or at this moment in the Trial.
I nodded and went straight to the center of the village where the five were fighting. The dizziness in my head had almost completely disappeared when I passed through the walls, and I had fully recovered when I arrived at the site of the fight shortly after.
Most creatures in the Trial don't leave corpses, at least not the hostile ones; they usually leave some stones with Aether, some random items, and (for some reason) sometimes even some coins.
But the damage they leave behind remains, and this place was no different. One of the tents the goblins used had been practically destroyed, and two others had been damaged, as well as the stone hut in the center.
The bonfire in front had been completely destroyed; several depressions and fissures in the ground showed that an intense, albeit contained, battle had taken place here.
'They did all this, and none of them have proper combat training, except perhaps young Connor and that young woman with short gray hair from the Temple of Fists, Cali, right?. And yet they managed to do so much damage?'
I don't know if I'm impressed, worried, or envious of their talent and potential; I think all three together.
'If these five were in our old order, would they...?'
No, it's useless to think about what could have happened; the past doesn't change just because you want it to.
Continuing on, I soon found them a little way from the stone hut, towards the left "entrance," the only place where our plans went smoothly.
The five of them were lying on the ground, just like me, Yaou, and my subordinates, but with the distinct difference that their ears didn't have any fresh blood, just a little that was already starting to dry.
'Which means that was during their fight and not the shadow monster's. Ah! That's right, I remember hearing something during the fight; it was one of the few moments the shadow monster was distracted.'
Just imagining those two letting out those feral roars together made my hair stand on end.
'If that happened, I'm sure everyone would leave here deaf. That is, IF anyone managed to get out.'
Putting unnecessary thoughts to the back of my mind, I went to see how the youngsters were.