[Third-person POV: general]
[A few minutes ago]
Nadya's heart pounded in her chest as she witnessed Neil getting dragged away by one of the Kraken's massive tentacles.
"Neil!" she shouted, her voice filled with desperation as she started to run after him.
Linda, the first one to react, rushed to Nadya's side, grabbing her hand while tightening her grip.
"He'll be alright, lady Nadya. We need to stay together, and you're the weakest one here. I need to ensure your safety," Linda said, trying to calm the panicked girl.
"But we can't just—" Nadya began, her worry etched across her face.
Linda interrupted, "Trust me, he will be fine. Remember, Lady Sylvia is also there, and charging in recklessly won't help Neil or anyone else."
"You guys done talking?",
As the two exchanged glances, the imposing figure of Grandan, a member of the Noble faction, stepped forward.
"What do you want?", Linda asked as she blocked both Nadya and Elysia.
"Our young master is quite lonely right now, so I was wondering if I could offer him both or at least one of them", Grandan replied with a nasty grin, pointing at the girls.
"You will die a horrible death when our grandma gets to know about this", Elysia replied, blocking Nadya behind her.
"Don't worry, even after he uses you, he still has to marry you for the alliance",
He replied, narrowing his eyes as he assessed the situation, and without hesitation, he drew his sword.
Grandan swung his blade with precision, aiming directly at Linda. The air whistled as the sword cut through it, a deadly arc heading straight for Linda's midsection.
"Someone from the Noble Faction",
Reacting swiftly, Linda parried the attack with her own sword as she realized who they were—the clash of metal resonating through the air.
"Took you long enough", Grandan replied, swinging his sword at her neck.
The rest of the Noble faction, sensing the imminent threat, joined the fray. Each member launched their own assault on Elysia and Nadya, the chaos unfolding as people ran away from the conflict.
Nadya, inexperienced in combat compared to the others, struggled to defend against their coordinated attacks.
Elysia, on the other hand, faced multiple enemies with a calculated calmness. Her movements were fluid and precise, with each swing of her spear a testament to her exceptional skill.
She parried, dodged, and countered with a finesse that left the others on the defensive.
The first enemy lunged forward with a wicked-looking dagger, aiming for Elysia's side.
With a fluid motion, she sidestepped the attack, the hem of her cloak fluttering in the air.
The second one followed suit, attacking from the opposite side, but Elysia parried the strike with a swift, calculated movement of her spear.
Undeterred, the third and fourth enemies closed in simultaneously, their weapons poised to strike.
Elysia's spear became a blur of motion as she engaged in a deadly battle, parrying and countering with precision.
"Lightning bolt!",
Nadya, caught in the crossfire, summoned the mana within her, attempting to cast attack spells.
However, her concentration wavered under the pressure, and the spells manifested weakly, barely doing any damage.
"Nadya, stay with me!", Elysia shouted as she saw Nadya getting overwhelmed.
On the other hand, Linda fought valiantly, her sword clashing with Grandan's in a series of intense exchanges.
Sweat glistened on her forehead as she focused on defending against his relentless assault.
In the chaos of the battle, as the odds seemed too much for them, a sudden gust of wind swept through the battleground.
With it, the heads of the assailants who were attacking Nadya and Elysia were swiftly severed from their bodies.
The wind carried an eerie silence, and as it dissipated, a figure materialized in front of them.
A sense of relief washed over Nadya and Elysia as they recognized her. It was Diana, the loyal servant of their grandmother.
Grandan, who had been leading the assault, was baffled by the sudden turn of events. However, Diana's attention wasn't on him; her piercing gaze surveyed the crowd around them.
As the dust settled, Diana said, "There are more of them." Her words hung in the air: "And they are worse than the Noble Faction.".
"No, please!"
"Run for your lives!"
"They're killing everyone!"
"Help us!"
The tension escalated as shouts could be heard as figures emerged from the crowd, swiftly killing anyone who dared to be in front of them.
"Look, we found her!"
Two maniacal figures stepped forward. One of them said it happily, and the other nodded in delight, their laughter and mere presence sending shivers down the spines of those present.
The air seemed to thicken as they approached, an unsettling aura surrounding them. Their eyes gleamed with madness, a stark contrast to the chaos that unfolded around them.
Diana addressed Nadya and Elysia, her voice cutting through the mayhem: "Stay close to each other, you two; they both are as strong as me."
"Why are you still here", Linda said as she saw Grandan still continuing to attack her even when everyone with him was dead.
Grandan didn't reply, but he was following the orders of his master, either to bring them or at least kill one of them, and if keeping Linda busy will result in the death of one of the sisters, he will gladly do that.
On the other side, Diana's instincts kicked in as soon as she identified the newcomers from the dark church.
The air thickened with tension as she didn't bother exchanging words but launched herself into a relentless assault with her twin daggers aiming at one of their necks.
The dark church operatives, cloaked in dark, chaotic auras all over their bodies, were swift and coordinated.
The clash of steel echoed through the air as Diana engaged one of them in a deadly battle. Their movements were precise; each strike was calculated with the intent to kill.
The other one, however, seized the opportunity to strike from a different angle, With a deceptive speed, he closed the distance, aiming for Diana's flank.
However, Diana anticipated the move, swiftly sidestepping the attack with a graceful movement. The dagger whistled through the air, missing its mark.
The first enemy, armed with a dagger, darted forward with increased agility.
The dagger sliced through the air, leaving a shallow cut on her arm. Gritting her teeth, Diana parried the attack, but the damage had been done.
The second enemy capitalized on Diana's vulnerability, delivering a swift strike with the staff that sent her staggering backward.
Diana, caught off guard by the unexpected split in their attack, found herself momentarily overwhelmed as she dodged both of their attacks.
Elysia and Nadya, witnessing the intensity of the battle, exchanged a quick glance.
"Whatever happens, Nadya, stay close to me," Elysia said as she took the battle stance, ready to fight.
"Don't act like a big sister", Nadya grumbled, but deep down she was feeling disgust towards herself.
Her weakness and stubbornness towards not training properly were making things hard for everyone.
"Wanna play a game", one of them said, and without a moment's hesitation, the dark church operative fighting with Diana split into two, each targeting one of the young girls.
Elysia, spear in hand, faced the shadowy assailant head-on. The dark church operative moved with uncanny agility, dodging Elysia's thrusts and countering with swift, calculated strikes.
"Give up, kid; you are too weak", he said as he looked at her.
Nadya, still relatively inexperienced in combat, summoned her mana to cast protective spells. However, the dark church operative assigned to her anticipated the moves, swiftly closing the distance.
As Diana assessed the dire situation, her heart clenched with the weight of an impossible decision.
The fate of her charges, Elysia and Nadya, hung in the balance, and she knew that in the seconds that followed, she would be forced to make a choice that would haunt her.
Nadya, caught in the crossfire of dark church operatives, was vulnerable to his calculated assault.
On the other side, Elysia valiantly fought to protect herself.
Diana's mind raced as she considered the consequences of her actions. In the face of impending danger, she had to act swiftly.
"Forgive me".
Biting her lip, Diana steeled herself for the difficult decision laying ahead. She couldn't save both Elysia and Nadya simultaneously.
Her gaze flickered between the two, torn between the responsibility she felt for each.
In a heartbeat, Diana made her decision. She prioritized Elysia, recognizing the immediate threat to her.
With determination etched across her face, she moved with lightning speed towards Elysia, her daggers ready to fend off the impending danger.
As Diana closed the distance to shield Elysia, the dark church operative seized the opportunity.
In a swift and cunning move, the second operative swooped in, picked up Nadya on his shoulders, and dashed towards the dense jungle.
The fonna of the jungle quickly enveloped them, leaving Diana grappling with a sense of loss.
"Nadya!".