Chapter 15 - Domination

Sagil cowered behind one of the few standing trees around the wrecked area of the forest that had been put through hell. He cowered there as a greater hell descended. He cowered as soon as the explosion of dirt, rock and wood blew through the air. As the silver hell flew through the air, cutting the battle in half and it pummelling a ginger ranger into the ground, Sagil ducked behind that standing tree and cowered. An onslaught of emotion bashing around inside his head.

The old man who had struggled to stand beside him just seconds ago, screamed "Red" as he sprinted back onto the battlefield. His raging scream and pulsing muscles jolted the rest of the rangers awake, free from sheer shock. As they tried continuing their fight with the members of the beast tribe, the silver hell that flashed through the sky stood tall with one of its large paw-like feet squashing the ginger ranger's cheek.

Its maw fell open and its lips curled upwards as it looked to the sky, past the patches of tree leaves.

It took a deep breath and rolled its neck. Its body was relaxed but its hands would suggest otherwise, balled into fists so tight its claws were digging into its own skin, drawing blood.

Sagil gulped as he too balled his hands, almost drawing blood from himself. He wanted nothing more but to dig his sword through that beast’s heart. Nothing more. However, his legs could only twitch as he tried forcing his body to move. It wasn't because of his own experience with the silver beasts. It was the sheer terror it cast in the bloody shadows of the forest. It was so obviously a man but it was still hard to believe it wasn't an it. It wasn't the fact it had wolf features, Sagil saw them before. It was just so... cruel and menacing that it was hard to even believe that it was actually a he.

"Die!"

Yet, one old man did not care. As the rangers were overwhelmed by their enemies with the terror of the silver beast gnawing at their minds, one ranger faced it head on. He may have been old but he was the strongest of them all.

"Die!"

Gad screamed with all his might as he creaked his old body and tensed his muscles, winding his arms down as his hands tightened their grip on the hilt of his great sword. His face was crumpled with pure anger that prickled his skin and boiled his blood that forced his muscles into action.

He then took a deep breath and slammed his foot into the ground bending his knees low and throwing his body to the ground with his thighs below even his arms which had been forced down ready to spring. Then, he exhaled the deep breath he had taken and twisted his body in tandem with his loose leg, all to unleash his chained arms spiralling into the air.

Schwing

His arms propelled into the air with so much force that the heavy sword cut it apart in a flash as he leapt at the silver beast.

The beast was caught in surprise, not anticipating the old man to swing the heavy sword that fast. Despite his late reaction, the beast managed to give himself a little bit of breeathing room as the sword parted his long silver mane like it parted the air, catching an ant sized chunk of his cheek.

The beast spat to the side as the sword swung in the air. He wasn't going to be harmed again. He leapt forward to close the remaining distance, his claws ready to tear into the old man's skin.

"Nngh!"

But the beast was the one who yelped out in pain as the heavy came crashing into the beast, taking the wind out of his chest with the flat part of its metal. He hadn't exptcted it to switch direction so quick.

He stumbled, nearly to one knee, from the blunt attack before tightening his muscles and straightening his body. He pounced into the air, ready to parry the next sword attack. However, nothing came as he started falling toward the old man. He got his claws ready to tear Gad's skin but then his eyes were forced wide.

The old man had tricked the silver beast for a third time in a row, feinting another switch of direction and instead following the momentum of the heavy sword and spinning around, manipulating it to swerve upwards with even more force and momentum.

It came crashing into the side of the beast's body and pulled blood as it ripped flesh. However, the beast had shoved his arms to his side in the nick of time, not only cushioning the impact but hardening his defences. The attack would have sliced any of the other beasts in two.

"Nngh!" It wasn't enough to let him go unhurt though as he was flung back to the ground with a a thud.

The beast tried slamming his fists into the ground and punishing himself for his display but he couldn't even have a second to set himself straight as the chunky sword came crashing down.

The beast tried rolling out of the way but the sword crashed down too fast, catching him mid roll. Luckily he reacted fast enough again, this time clamping the sword in between his two hard hands.

The shot drew blood and pushed the beast down, his feet almost sinking into the ground.

This time, however, the next attack wouldn't come as the two stood at a stand still. Gad unable to free his sword pushed down with all of his might.

The silver beast howled. He tightened his muscles and felt the blood pumping around his body. He grew stronger and stronger and instead of sinking further and further down he began to rise slowly.

He inhaled. He exhaled. Slow, methodical breathes as but a couple of seconds passed by when

"Shit!"

Gad cried out as the beast exploded from the ground, pushing the thick blade to the side and vaulting over it to rip into Gad's chest, centimetres away from catching an organ.

It followed its comeback up with a hard kick to the chest he ripped into, shoving the old man to the ground.

Then it stood there. That was all it took. He rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles as he looked from the wheezing old man to the squashed ginger ranger, and then to the mess of the rest. All flickering with an orange light as a fire danced around the trees.

Surprisingly, not many had died. Not so surprisingly, the majority of deaths came from that large, thick, chunk of metal the old man used as a sword.

"I said die!"

Then that sword came for its next kill, crashing through the air and slamming down into the beast.

"Old man, you got lucky, why did you try again?" The beast asked with a confused look, his two large hands clasped around the bottom of the thick sword, bringing it down to wasit leveland clamping it in place. "I didn't come back to take part in this war but I couldn't stand hearing about the scummy shit you humans did, especially after being welcomed with some before."

"What? Just because you're a legend to them doesn't mean you can spout nonsense to me." Gad replied as he struggled to try to free his sword.

"Legend, huh?" The man muttered as he glanced to the sky, his wolf ears twitching. "Well, whatever. I came here to talk to you.

"W-what?"

"Yeah, I didn't come to kill you and raid the village, although I'm glad i got to take out my anger on you. It's about why the fuck this 'war' is even h-"

"Eat horse shit." Gad spat in the man's face.

His pointy ears twitched as he brought his eyes back down and glared into the old man's.

"You fuck!" He barked and tensed his muscles, digging his fingers into the tough steel they held.

Crack

A crack instantly appeared in the sword. The crack spread like wildfire, covering the sword in blemishes when

Shatter

It shattered into pieces which flew across the forest, a couple digging into the old man.

The beast let a long, exasperated sigh out as he dropped his hands down to his side. "It's gonna be fucking hard."

He stood slouched for a few seconds before straightening himself up and looking around once more. The fire danced strong, swaying between a line of trees, illuminating the dim forest and the aftermath of the battle.

There was no one left to stop the silver haired man with wolf like features. No Red, who was squashed into the floor, struggling to breathe. No Gad, who was also struggling on the floor, clambering over the steel jutting from his flesh. There were no beasts, some dead, some unconscious, and some struggling to stand. There were no rangers, barely any dead, most unconscious, and a few struggling to stay awake.

He hadn't come for a fight but he had hoped for one. Did he get one? He guessed so. It was an unexpected fight, but a fight nonetheless. It wasn't much of anything but it was certainly something.

The wolf like man balled his hands into fists and clenched them tightly.

It may have been a tiny bit of a fight but that was the closest thing to danger he had been in since he had a bump in with that small girl.

The wolf like man shook his head as her cold image appeared in his mind and glanced to the side.

"Oi, come out."

"...!"

Sagil gulped from behind the tree that was being stared at by the beast.

"You're that guy from before, on the cracked islands, right?"

Sagil gulped once more. He knew he couldn't run but he also knew first-hand that he couldn't do anything if he was attacked. He gulped yet again and stepped out of the shadows and into the fiery battlefield. If his best shot, hiding, had run its course then his next best shot was doing what the man says.

"Y-yeah..."

"Gonna continue that lie from before?"

Sagl gulped again. "Wh-what? That... It... I... I didn't like before. I had no idea what the hell was going on and, uh, I meant it. I'm n-not from here. Thos r-ranger ju-"

His words were slammed away as a hand slammed into his throat and wrapped its fingers around.

The beast tilted his head and bared his fangs.

"Fucking piece of shit. Whatever, we'll see how you are when I take you over to my side."

"Wh-what?" Sagil croaked, his breaths struggling to get out past his squeezed windpipe. "I fucking meant it."

The beast of a man looked Sagil up and down, catching his hand teetering over his black katana.

The lips of his maw curled up as he released Sagil's neck.

"Unless you want to stop me."

"..."

"It's your best choice. I hate liars like you but at least I can tell you ain't like these other shitters. You'd be the best tool..." he trailed off and muttered the last part under his breath. "...as long as I find someone the whole village would care about."

Sagil rubbed his neck, then rolled, his neck, and then stretched his arms. He placed his hand on his katana and gripped its hilt hard. He hadn't spent all that time hiding and arguing with himself just to have another problem trying to summon his guts here. He knew he couldn't win but he longed to unleash his pent up frustration.

Schwing

The black katana cut the air as it was unsheathed, glistening in the bright flames that now covered the trees behind them.

Maybe the man was lying and he would kill him. Who knows? Sagil only knew that he probably was fine if he said no and let the man take him. But he also knew he couldn't bend to someone's will just like that. Especially when there was a slim chance of him surviving his way.

The wolf like man cracked his knuckles as it stared at the black sword before taking a step towards Sagil. Then, something grabbed its and Sagil's attention.

A blue light seeped from behind the trees that were closest to the village.

"O majestic spirit of water, O majestic spirit of wind, hear my call as you rise to heaven..."

Silvia walked out from behind the tree and held her hands high, each clasped around the end of her wooden staff which she pointed towards the sky.

The edge of the staff glowed blue like the tips of her fingers. Water was seeping from the staff's curly end, forming swirling water above.

"And grant me thy elements to cleanse this destructive force..."

Water began dripping from what was left of the forest roof and was manipulated by the sudden appearance of wind. It was pushed down to the swirling water above Silvia's staff, mixing with it and growing it tremendously in size.

With the wind picking up even more, sweeping in from the village and pushing past Silvia to the tip of her staff, swirling around the swirling water, she lowered it down. It was pointing directly at the silver haired beast.

"Shit," he muttered, leaping towards the small magician, his claws ready to tear into her flesh and the bark of her staff when-

"Gale hydrosphere!"

The wind smashed together so strongly it was visible, and crashed into the swirling water, exploding it forwards and guiding it past the silver haired beast.

It spiralled through the air almost as fast as lighting and pierced the wall off flames. Instantly, the wind crashed into the flames, blowing them straight into the water as more wind crashed into that water, forcing it to shower the entire wall of flames.

The silver beast landed on the ground, without attacking the magician, and watched as the fire ready to burn the entire forest down was extinguished in the blink of an eye.

He turned back to the girl who cast it wondering why he was left alone.

She was collapsed on the floor, breathing in and out rapidly as she clutched her staff.

Sagil too looked over to the exhausted Silvia, a smile nearly breaking out on his face before he registered the obvious fact. She wouldn't be able to help him in that state.

"Well, let's get going then." The wolf said as it walked over to Sagil.

"Huh? But-"

"Doesn't matter you're coming with me now."

"..."

Sagil didn't know what to say. He couldn't just follow his orders now, could he?

"W-Why do you want to... t-take Sagil?" Silvia asked before the man grabbed Sagil.

"A hired but useless help like you wouldn't need to know but I guess you could tell the village that I want to talk with everyone."

Sagil looked to his katana and then to the back of the beast.

He had to do something.

So, he tightened his grip on his sword.

"Die, monster!"

"Ban, no!" Silvia cried as the young boy she had been teaching ran passed her, charging at the silver haired beast with a small dagger in one hand and his wand in the other.

"Don't hurt my-"

"Well, that benefits me quite well."

The man smirked as he chopped the kid's neck, knocking him unconscious.

"Let's go then-"

Sagil snarled and spat as he thrust his sword at the back of the beast, just milliseconds too late as he turned around and swivelled out of the way and knocked the sword out of his hands.

"You f-"

Sagil's voice was knocked away just like his consciousness as the beast of a man slogged him in the temple.