As Yuri and Erza ran towards the forest, the sounds of the war intensified. Demons clashed with Sato's forces, as elves and beastmen battled against the dark creatures. Swords clanged, arrows whistled through the air, and the ground shook from the force of the fighting.
As they passed by groups of soldiers, Yuri and Erza saw the desperation on their faces. Some had injuries that they couldn't heal, and others fought with everything they had left. But they all had one thing in common: the determination to protect their people and end the war.
"It's just not me, look!" Erza pointed at an Elf that got stabbed by a demon but instead of hitting the ground, the elf chopped off the head of the demon.
Yuri also looked in the direction and her eyes twitched in anger as she noticed the strange action happening more and more in the war.
"Come on!" She yelled.
Yuri and Erza continued to sprint through the battlefield, dodging demon attacks and weaving between the battling forces. They knew that every second counted, and that Divanchi might hold the key to turning the tide of the war.
Finally, they arrived at the edge of the forest, where they saw Divanchi standing tall and watching the battle unfold. They ran up to her, panting and out of breath.
"Divanchi! please tell me you've noticed the strange stuff happening," Yuri said urgently. "The men, they don't seem normal, did master do something?".
Divanchi turned to them and nodded solemnly. "I thought I was the only one that noticed, but I should have guessed you'd pick up on it too." She said. "They aren't feeling any injury or pain to begin with".
"Where is master?" Yuri asked aggressively.
"Wasn't he supposed to be with you?" Divanchi answered back.
Yuri clicked her tongue, "I'll try to communicate with him via telepathy." She said before storming inside the forest.
With Yuri gone, Divanchi looked at Erza with a forced smile. "I didn't think the Duke would let you fight in a war," She said, her eyes scanning the battlefield around them.
The scene was horrific - demons were slaughtering elves and beastmen left and right to enter the forest, leaving nothing but carnage in their wake.
"I didn't think so either," Erza replied, her voice filled with a mixture of determination and fear. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer brutality of the demons' attack.
She watched as a group of elves were cut down by a horde of demons, their screams piercing the air. The stench of blood and death filled her nostrils, making her stomach churn.
"Divanchi, sorry if this may come out as rude, but the demons are entering the forest, doesn't that go against the objective of this war?" Sebestain chimed in.
"Yeah!" Xanxia added, "And while we are on that, why are you just standing here watching the whole thing?!".
Divanchi chuckled in response to their curiosity, before she sat on the ground and rested her back on the tree.
"You'd think that at first glance, but take a look again." Divanchi hinted.
Divanchi's words made Erza and her guards take a closer look at the ongoing battle. The gruesome sight of the demons ruthlessly killing the elves and beastmen was enough to turn anyone's stomach, but there was something strange happening.
As the demons delivered fatal blows, the elves and beastmen were quickly recovering and standing back on their feet. Even if their heads were cut off, they immediately grew back, and if it was their arms, they regenerated in a matter of seconds.
Erza couldn't believe what she was witnessing. This bizarre ability only added to her suspicion about the strange events happening in the war.
Erza clenched her fist before looking at Divanchi, "Why do I get the feeling you know exactly what is happening here… Divanchi".
Back in the forest,Yuri sat on a rock, her gaze fixed on the ground as she concentrated, trying to establish a telepathic link with Sato.
Impatiently, she muttered, "Come on." Her legs dangled as she struggled with increasing anxiety.
[Y-Yuri, what's the matter?]
Yuri's heart raced with relief as she heard Sato's voice in her head, cutting through her anxiety like a knife. A smile immediately beamed on her face as she responded, "Master, where are you?" She jumped down from the rock and began pacing.
Sato's response was hesitant,
[I'm…busy with something…how are things going on your end?]
Yuri could sense the tension in Sato's voice.
"Uhm, something strange is happening to the people, and the demons have begun entering the forest, although only a little," Yuri reported. "Where are you? I'll be able to explain…"
Sato's next question made Yuri's heart sink,
[No lives lost?]
"No, not any that I have noticed," Yuri replied, her voice shaking slightly. The gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in, and she knew they needed to act quickly.
[Listen, The Lilivils are currently keeping an eye out for Warthniq's attack, they won't be able to help much, Kirah is also securing the water banks… keep the demons out of the forest… no village should fall victim to this]
"I understand." Yuri responded and almost instantly the telepathic link broke, leaving Yuri worried as she could tell Sato wasn't himself.
…
Sato knelt on the ground, holding Lana's lifeless head in his trembling hands. He was gasping for breath and his body was covered in bruises and blood, evidence of the intense battle he had just endured.
Despite his remarkable resilience, he felt an excruciating pain coursing through his entire body, making it difficult for him to move.
As he gazed at his own reflection in the pool of blood before him, he realized that he had never experienced such agony before.
"Funny… I almost forgot what pain felt like." Sato said with a sad chuckle before falling to the floor and his back rested on the wall.
<<The situation is bad, you barely have enough magic to sustain yourself, let alone others… I shall break the link..>>
"I can't let anyone else die, Aril, not because of a pathetic human like me." Sato's voice was hoarse, his body shaking with exhaustion and pain. "I won't let anyone die again… Latina and Elena… never again".
<<You're being emotional, Sato. Emotions have no place in war.>>
Sato gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening around the head. "I don't care. I won't let anyone else die. Not if I can help it." His focus solely on getting back on his feet and continuing the fight.
"And besides… I never made the choice before… why start now".
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