Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 38: Cruelty (1)

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The chamber rattled with the sound of clanging swords. And the screams woke everybody up in this mine

Arial slashed his weapon in a circular motion, the Slashing Tiger in the Woods technique, wounding any bandit who dared approach him.

He stole glances at his friends; Helia is fighting one of the bandits and managed to stuck her sword into the bandit's chest while on the other side Lisa was rooted to the spot staring at her blood-soaked hands in horror.

Arial realized with a sinking feeling that he had been too nave.

He was used to the blunt and unforgiving gore and death of war, but his companions were just children.

These were their first kills.

It was no wonder they were shaken. Arial didn't have time to offer them soothing words or a hand to hold.

Forty bandits faced them, livid and hell-bent on avenging their fallen comrades.

"Kyle, you watch the front!" Arial called over the din. "I'll take the back."

Kyle nodded and launched himself in front of the bandits, with Lisa and Helia behind him to cut down anybody who broke through.

Arial charged his weapon with cold energy, making it tingle with strength.

A sword flew towards his chest and he danced out of its path, easing his own sword into the gut of its owner.

Another blade appeared out of nowhere, uncomfortably close to Arial's neck, and he ducked.

Rising quickly and out of immediate danger, Arial pushed his sword against the blade of the bandit who seemed so hungry for his head, and made him cut himself deeply with his own weapon.

That was the Fox Piercer technique. following the concept of Attacking and Accuracy, he performed Fox Piercer making the bandits unwillingly change direction and chopped off the head of his own comrade.

'HYARGHH' he screamed in anger while the other bandits scream in pain as the flying head look at his comrade silently blaming him

Then Arial change his stance to blocking.

He blocks and parry their attack on him using mostly his internal energy to deflect attack which give off a huge force making most of the bandits thrown away as he parry their sword or spears giving the chance for Arial friend to finish off the defenseless bandits.

'YOU! STOP BLOCKING' one of the bandits yelled in frustration.

'Idiots! Would you do that if you were me?' Arial reply as he cut of another head of bandit which only serves to anger the bandits even more.

His internal energy is massive. After all he has been training it since he was a baby. This is the time for him to test how strong he has become

The bandits had surrounded them, but it didn't matter.

They were pushing back.

A tall man, dark, with soulless eyes and hands, bigger than Kyle's head, rushed forward, swinging his immense club with an animalistic grunt.

Arial heart tightened as he could see that if he did not do anything Kyle would surely die.

Arial leaped into the air performing Fairy Steps increasing his speed and he quickly appeared in front of Kyle and blocked the blow with his sword, inches from Kyle's head.

Arial sword shattered like glass.

Arial analyzed his assailant for a split second before performing Dragon Regret a powerful move which shot energy from the palm of his hand into the man's enormous chest.

It was a technique that is modified from the Northern Badger martial art technique.

The towering beast was thrown across the chamber by the force, and as he hit the stone wall, the sickly sound of crunching bones echoed around the room.

The remaining bandits stood catatonic for an aching second, their anger was flaring like lightning on dry grass.

While paralyzed by their sudden fear and bewilderment, a man emerged from the group, hard-faced and frenzied.

"I am Vargi the Human Eater," he roared. "Fight me!"

Arial yelled to Kyle "Attack the back!"

Now Arial will handle the front while Kyle handle the already the already weakened back. Then another crowd surge out from the back chamber and joined the fighting.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING LISA! YOUR BROTHER IS IN DANGER! HELP HIM!!" Arial yelled and that wake her from her daze.

She nodded from her dazed state and then gripped her sword tighter, determination shone in her eyes, and she joined the battle.

Helia was about to help him but Arial noticing this yell

"Help the siblings. I can handle this" She was hesitating but then she nodded and rush to Lisa and Kyle.

The one called Vargi is already at the front of him

'HYARGHH!' the man attacked Arial with three strokes of Snake Venom technique.

It is a stabbing motion executed very fast that looks like an image of a snake when it is biting its prey.

This technique? Arial was shocked of course seeing this technique.

Is this the Western Serpent technique? He could not believe that this man in front of him is one of the disciples of the Four Immortals

But when Arial think about it, out of the Four Immortals, Western Serpent is the most dishonorable among them.

And the most cunning.

Arial blocked the attack by changing the direction of the sword attack to other direction with his profound internal energy, throwing Vargi's sword off its track, and sparks flew, lighting the chamber.

Vargi's surprised expression soon changed to one of frustrated anger at the young boy before him.

The boy hair is white and his eyes were piercing blue, and there is a hint of condescending attitude towards him.

Arial remained calm, and look at him with that gaze which angered Vargi more.

Movement from the corner of Arial's eye grabbed his attention, and he whipped his head to see another man charging towards him.

Arial recognized him from his wanted posters: Aragir the Sadist.

His mouth was twisted into an evil smile, which quickly faltered when he saw the confidence emanating from the boy.

Arial remained motionless, and when Aragir was directly behind him, he used the sheer force of his pulsing internal energy to push him back.

Vargi took his chance and attacked again from the front, but Arial had been expecting it and, faster than a flying arrow, he swung his sword forward and severed the man's arm.

The attack was fast and lethal.

Vargi screamed in pain and shock, and slashed blindly with the sword in his remaining hand.

"Vargi, stay controlled!" yelled Aragir from six feet away, where he had been pushed.

The other bandits gasped and cringed, their morale beginning to wane.

Aragir and Vargi were the strongest among them, yet they were being overpowered by a child.