Chapter 376: A Fearsome Battle


    The rain felt heavy. Raindrops popped once it met the youth''s broad shoulder. A daunting aura began choking Moulin''s lungs as he stood warily, a distance before the monster. The loud surge of the swarm noised within the background causing his heart to freeze. Guarded silver eyes narrowed. Moulin had no time for this. He must bring the seed back to the king. However, he doubts Uldher would release him from his sight so easily. If Moulin had to escape, he must fight through the scaly red wall standing in his way.


    Steeling his heart, Moulin briefly nced at Snow secretly slipping the fruit''s seed towards the little beast''s mouth. Reluctantly, Snow whined as he took the hard-shelled fruit within his mouth, blinking his beady eyes at Moulin who never averted his gaze from the crimson creature studying the pair of master and beast. Moulin wordlessly tasked him to leave. This time, Snow couldn''t refuse even he wanted to.


    Slightly loosening his arms, Moulin lowered his right hand. Fingers flexing before a frosty mist enveloped his hand.


    Uldher''s eyes narrowed. His wings spread slightly.


    Whoosh!


    Moulin flung his arm, sending a vicious wave of big sharp crystals to his north. Raindrops froze in a millisecond. Uldher screeched before he shielded himself with his giant wings. Crystals mercilessly mmed against his scales with the aim to pierce through his flesh. However, they shattered. Futile against the redyer and disintegrated into a million pieces. Fortunately, the force from the attack pushed the crimson beast further away from Moulin.


    The shattered crystals floated within the damp air transforming into a thick mist nketing the entire area. Withdrawing his wings, Uldher raised his head, beak pointing from left to right. The rain fell and a freezing fog blinded him.


    The sound of skittering paws immediately caught his attention. Blood-red eyes glowed and heat bubbled within his throat. In the next second, he released a smoldering breath of hellfire. The fog smoked, parted, directly targeting the little sh of white.


    Snow stopped midway. The glow of fire reflected in his eyes.


    Suddenly, a wall of ice rose from the ground before the little beast, instantly taking the brunt of the mes. The fog dissipated and Moulin''s form became visible. His eyes glowed sharply, both hands raised. Uldher shifted his attention and the youth took the chance to speak.


    " Your opponent is me." Moulin gnashed his teeth. A frigid air swirled around him, coating his body with the essence of the freeze.


    The ck-beaked bird narrowed its eyes, fully focused on Moulin''s alert form." Of course, my vessel... But no matter how much you try to save this worthless ind... you will not seed..."


    Snow sniffed, ncing at Moulin, whining before he scurried into a tiny hole on the brick wall.


    Moulin''s gaze darkened. A foreboding feeling crept into his heart. But the creature continued before Moulin could think.


    " You see... I''ve brought friends..." That owner of that rakish voice was no doubt grinning at Moulin with amusement.


    Blood turning cold, Moulin''s hand clenched. He should not be intimidated. He should not be provoked. He must buy time...


    " Then..." Moulin lifted his hands. A dazzle of light filled his palms, conjuring floating des of ice. His menacing voice grounded against his touch."... They shall die with you."


    Ice des swirled in the air like a destructive tornado. They plunged towards the bird''s head at the speed of light, splitting every raindrop. Uldher screeched before beating his wings, lifting off the ground, and releasing a perilously powerful wet gust. The crystals lost their direction like flies, aimlessly flying, stabbing every stone and branch within the area. One shot directly towards Moulin but disintegrated into fine snow, shot down by the rain. The ground trembled slightly.


    " Your tricks... won''t work on me, little one." Uldher hovered in the air with an ominous stare causing Moulin to falter.


    Whoosh!


    The crimson beast swoops down. Giant grotesque talons wide and open to pluck Moulin from the ground. It moved with a whistle. With the wet floor, Moulin charged towards Uldher. In the next instance, he knelt and slid underneath the sharp pointy talons that passed over him. Barely missing, Moulin''s pale cheek. The crimson bird flew in an arc, screeching loudly in frustration.


    Moulin slid to a stop, dragging himself off the ground and at the same time materializing his sacred weapon within his palm. Opaline ice glowed like the re of bright unfiltered sunlight. Moulin positioned himself. His back, flexible, and the string between his fingers buzzed at the violently pure mana of his arrow, thriving menacingly. Moulin shaped his bow into the ruthless and merciless thing it is.


    Uldher lets out a sinister cry. Sound waves pulsing, ravaging the air.


    Exhaling, Moulin loosened his fingers. Shooting one mighty arrow after another. The backwash of mana from his attacks filled the leaves and branches with formidable coldness.


    Uldher is quick enough to avoid every arrow, gliding in the air, wings tickled by the trails of cold the youth''s arrows left. A vein on Moulin''s forehead bulged. He added more arrows in each fire while gnashing his teeth. This irritating thing just won''t hold still!


    Then suddenly, Uldher parts his beak. Moulin flinched in anticipation. Amused by the youth''s rather frightful reaction, the creature''s eyes glowed with mirth.


    Moulin felt his blood freeze once he stared at those ominous blood-red eyes. A terrifying feeling crept up his spine and he shuddered, oblivious that he had lowered his weapon out of confusion. It felt as though something was squeezing his heart and loud whispers began speaking in his ear. Mind-muddled, Moulin clenched his teeth and grabbed his chest, beating the feeling out of his body.


    " What is happening to me?" He gasped with weak knees.


    A wicked cackle pounded against his head. Uldherughed at him with delight.


    " You poor creature... so weak and vulnerable... the person who doesn''t trust you the most... is none other than yourself."


    Ending his words, Uldher pped his wings, delivering a sharp massive gust of wind. A wind st urred, instantly knocking Moulin back, mming his body into the crumbling heap of rocks.


    Boom!


    The st sliced through G''En''s massive branches, smashing every stone block until they crumbled into dust. The air became murky and hard to breathe!


    Moulin felt warm wetness flow down from his nape down onto his back. Pain burned like inferno fire. Anger raged inside his heart, berating himself for his weaknesses. Despite the excruciating pain, Moulin forced himself to rise. As a maeruthan, he shouldn''t go down so easily. As for himself, he must fight and protect everyone he holds dear in his heart. This creature, and the person possessing, Uldher, should not reach the inner fortress. Neither can he let Uldher take him.


    Clenching his jaw, he winced as rain seeped into his wounds and scrapes. Ugh, seriously. Although maeruthans heal easily, their tolerance to pain doesn''t increase. It hurts every time!


    When Moulin raised his gaze to his enemy, he froze, noticing Uldher was raising his wings again to deliver another attack. Moulin''s steeled his limbs, dragging his body out of the debris. He conjured several walls of ice which, nheless, stood against the attack. The ice shattered one after another until all of it was destroyed. Crystal shards rained endlessly Around him. However, he was only pushed a few steps back not another scratch. He sweated hard but he couldn''t tell because of the rain. Moulin panted heavily.


    The wind shes this time was mild but even so, the ground could no longer endure the strain.


    Crack!


    Moulin stiffened. His gaze turned to the edge of the ground, where, bit by bit, the stone bricks fell, cracking and crumbling, dragging even the tiniest nts with it to the hair-raising drop. Moulin''s heart drummed feeling as though the ground he stood on would fail him in the next second.


    A sinisterugh echoed within his mind, amused at his demise.


    ....................


    A knight struggled to breathe as he scrambled towards his general. He nearly slipped, kneeling on the damp ground. "My Lord! There are too many of them! The men cannot take all of them!"


    The elf shuddered in fear. They were stationed at the eastern fortress, guarding from the battlement. The men were already panicking. Perhaps, this was their end. After this, the Ind Tree may fall and the rest of the surviving inds will be plunged in blood and destruction. They will be eaten whole and not one of them will be able to escape from the malibreeds. Even their children will not have the chance to grow and live. Their kingdom, demolished and ruined.


    In a few minutes, the swarm wave will reach the ind and they will be obliterated. The size and number of the swarm will allow them to fully invade the inner fortress, consuming every spirit and mana, and ripping flesh apart.


    "We must try!" The general said. "Bring forth the cannons! Throw away the mana crystals. I don''t care how valuable they are. They will not help us win this battle! Fix the cannons and bring in ck powder!"


    The men were quick to follow orders. Even the artificers were forced to join the battle. Behind the battlement, where the wooden towers of G''En stood, a giant open tform unfolded from the coils of the Great Tree''s branches. There stood a few silent maeruthans with hearts pounding against their cages as they watched the iing swarm. The rain plodded on the wood, seeping into its surface.


    "Where is Lord Hadrian?" Emlen marched towards his men with dark eyes.


    Jagra opened his mouth but before he could speak, a smooth seductive voice answered.


    "With the Royal King. However, he will join us to fight. He''s on his way already." Malyana gave Emlen a hooded gaze as he stretched out his arm, letting the long snake, Harownd on the ground.


    Emlen looked at her, "Why are you here?"


    "To help."


    "Go back. You will die."


    "So will you," Malyana spoke calmly. "I''d rather die fighting with my friends than hide and ''still'' be killed by the invasion."


    The others gave her a warm and proud look then turned to Emlen with a strong gaze. The young master narrowed his eyes, unable to refute her words, and sighed in the end.


    "Very well"


    Shortly after, Emlen turned to Jagra with questionable eyes.


    "Where is my brother?"


    Jagra flinched. He raised his gaze and answered in hesitation, "The young master is-"


    "LOOK OUT!"


    BOOM!


    A dark ball of fire abruptly appeared, mming into the tform, creating a giant explosion! The shockwave threw the men off the ground, sending them flying and mming into the walls with an excruciating bang!