The Devouring Knight

Blood and dust stained the battlefield, every step Lumberling took cutting down another man. The Sengolio ranks were crumbling, their banners sagged, their men scattered like frightened dogs. With Lafuente dead, their courage had shattered.

But just as the rout began, something crashed onto the field like a mountain falling from the sky.

The ground split and shook. A shockwave tore outward, throwing men and horses alike, a wall of dust and dirt rising high. The shouts and cries were cut short, replaced by a stunned, ringing silence.

From the crater, a figure rose. An old man clad in heavy blue armor, his hair white as bone, a long spear gripped in his hand. His body was lined with age yet packed with coiled muscle, like someone who had lived too long to be considered ancient. His breath came in deep bellows as his eyes swept the field.

He lifted one finger, pointing at a trembling Sengolio soldier nearby.

"Where is Lafuente?" his voice thundered, rolling across the field. "I don't sense his aura."

The soldier's throat bobbed as he stammered, "S-Sir… General Lafuente… he was killed. By a man named Lucian Arden."

"Lucian…" the old man repeated, a hiss of fury under his breath. Then, louder, his voice broke into a roar that shook the sky.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

His aura exploded outward, heavy as stone, crushing everything in reach. Soldiers dropped where they stood, coughing, gasping, or simply crumpling under the invisible weight. Friend and foe alike were pressed flat against the earth. His presence didn't care for sides, it simply crushed all who stood too close.

From a distance, Lumberling's face turned pale. His grip on the spear tightened as his chest grew heavy.

'This aura… the only time I felt something like this was in the capital. A Legate…'

He didn't waste a second. "Captains, Vice-Captains, Soldiers, retreat now!" His voice thundered across the battlefield. The dazed men snapped back to their senses. They stopped chasing and quickly began pulling back in tight, hurried lines.

Lireath's eyes narrowed as she steadied her horse. Her soldiers wavered, but she cut through their fear with a sharp cry. "Fall back! Everyone, retreat!" Her jaw clenched as the thought struck her like fire. 'A Legate here? Why now?'

…..

While the soldiers scattered, three figures did not move. Lucian, Daigo, and Silas stood firm, their faces grim under the crushing weight of the aura.

"Huulaa…" Daigo muttered, lips twisting. "This is bad. What's the plan, Lucian?"

Lucian's eyes hardened. "We can't outrun him. If we just run, too many soldiers will die." He straightened, his own aura burning against the suffocating pressure. "We'll hold him here. And it looks like I'm the one he wants."

Daigo barked out a sharp laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Seriously? You want us to fight that old man?"

Lucian nodded once. "Yes."

Daigo rolled his shoulders, drawing his twin katanas with a steady grip. His tone turned calm and resolute. "As you wish."

Lucian's gaze shifted to the silent shadow beside him. "Silas, I'll need your help too."

For the first time, Silas spoke, his voice quiet. "I'll fight with you."

A faint smile touched Lucian's lips. "Thank you."

The three stood ready. But before they could act, the ground rumbled again.

From the mountains ahead came a steady beat.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The sound of war drums rolled across the valley.

The retreating soldiers slowed, fear rising in their eyes as the sound grew louder. Then the ground began to tremble under iron boots.

Figures appeared along the ridges, first in shadows, then in clear sight. Rows upon rows of armored men marched down, the banners of Sengolio snapping in the wind.

Six thousand strong.

The battlefield, already torn and bloodied, drowned under the roar of a fresh army.

…..

From another rise, Lumberling and his men watched the wave of soldiers advance. Banners snapped, armor thundered, the air itself seemed to press heavier with every step of the marching horde.

His subordinates wore grim faces, the same thought clear in each pair of eyes, trouble had truly come.

Lumberling's mind spun in chaos. 'A Legate… really? What the hell is going on? Damn it, Lucian, why does your hero's curse have to kick in now of all times?'

Beside him, Lireath steadied her horse, her soldiers still pulling back in rough order. Her eyes never left the advancing tide.

"Lumberling… what do we do?" she asked, her voice tight. "Do we retreat… or help them?"

He didn't answer right away. His jaw clenched as he weighed the storm before him. Retreating was the logical choice, survival first. No one would fault him for pulling back. But his eyes flicked toward Lucian's distant figure.

'Lucian and those two… their luck is insane. If anyone can pull off something impossible, it's them. But… six thousand soldiers, and a Legate…' He exhaled sharply. 'A lot will die here. Yet if I abandon him, and he survives… that'll come back to haunt me.'

"Lumberling…" Lireath's voice pressed again, soft but urgent.

He finally turned to her, resolve forming. "We'll fight with them."

Her eyes widened. "What? You can't be serious!"

"I'm serious." His tone left no room for doubt. "And you said it yourself, if something happens to Lucian, we're finished anyway."

Inwardly, he muttered to himself, 'Though I'm certain he won't die here. He's a child of luck after all.'

Lireath bit her lip, torn between fear and duty. "You know what it means, right? A Legate's army isn't like the rest. There will be Knights in their ranks, plenty of them."

"I know." Lumberling's gaze hardened as the marching grew louder. "But if we run now, they'll come for us next. We had a hand in Lafuente's fall. They won't let us go."

Lireath fell quiet, her grip on the reins tightening. At last, she gave a small nod. "You're right… sorry. I didn't think it through."

Lumberling reached over, steadying her hand, his voice softer now. "We'll survive this. Together." He leaned close and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Lireath closed her eyes at the touch, a brief calm flickering in her heart despite the storm closing in. "Mm…"