Chapter 767 Shadows & Blades
"They can't be real... they're just projections, distorted manifestations of them." whispered Bloody Lily to herself, trying to ignore the flood of emotions that flooded her mind.
Dathan, with his disdainful smile, approached. "Do you think you can escape the truths just by ignoring them?"
Bloody Lily stood with her head down in silence, just listening to what everyone was saying, only when she raised her head, her countenance didn't look at all like someone who was shaken.
"All these accusations spouted by you are useless. I was never impulsive, I was brave. I wasn't confused, I was strategic," argued Bloody Lily, looking into the eyes of those beings who mimicked the appearance of her friends.
Araxie crossed her arms defiantly. "Blind courage, Lily. Your senseless commands threw us into the mouths of our enemies. You didn't lead, you just guided us into the abyss."
Blood Lily clenched her fists. "And how many of those times did we lose? Sure, I may have made mistakes, but in battle you have to make quick decisions, and sometimes the safest path is the riskiest. You can't blame me for that."
Eraskan, pointing accusingly, said:
"Is that your excuse for all your mistakes? Your lack of understanding is a burden for all of us!"
"No, I don't think you understand. I'm not apologizing." declared Bloody Lily, facing the swordsman Dodir. "Every battle, I was on the front line, facing the dangers to make sure we all got out alive, so I know better than anyone when I got it wrong and when I got it right."
Klank growled again, his words laden with resentment. "You only say 'I' every time, but when will it be about 'we'?! Your ingratitude will be your undoing!"
The words of the guild members echoed like an accusatory chorus, penetrating Bloody Lily's mind. Even in the face of her denials, the atmosphere around her remained tense. Then Dodir approached with a cynical smile.
"I've been by your side in most battles, Lily, so I've admired and envied you more than anyone else for a long time, but not anymore. You will perish before my sword." he teased, echoing the statements that, even if subtly, were already permeating his mind.
Orkoi's voice stood out at that moment. "She has always relied too much on her personal strength, neglecting the guild. Let's show her how strong we are even without her!"
Bloody Lily felt as if each accusation was a direct blow to her chest. It was hard to hear these words coming from the mouths of his friends, even if they weren't real. After all, all these accusations were things she had thought about herself at some point.
Then the red-haired woman smiled and, with a gesture of her left hand, said:
"If you want to vent your frustrations so badly, why don't you all stop fooling around and come and attack me? I won't spare any of you damned impostors."
Dodir was the first to launch himself forward. His advance was like a cascade of movements, his sword slicing through the air towards Bloody Lily. She didn't flinch, her sword gleaming as she intercepted Dodir's blow with a quick cross. The force of the impact made the ground shake, but Bloody Lily didn't flinch.
With impressive agility, she slipped under Dodir's guard and delivered a precise kick to his ribs. The swordsman was thrown away, hitting a pile of volcanic rocks.
Araxie dashed towards her enemy. Her large shield raised and her sword ready to strike.
Bloody Lily knew that facing Araxie would be a challenge, but she didn't back down. The confrontation was inevitable.
Araxie spun her sturdy body around, lunging with her shield in one sweeping motion. Blood Lily deftly dodged to the side, her sword slicing through the air as she tried to find an opening in Araxie's impenetrable defense. Two of her blows stopped on the shield, with each impact echoing like thunder, but they did nothing but force Araxie back a little. Blood Lily felt the shield's resistance and knew she had to change her strategy, she couldn't fall behind.
The leader of the Crimson Soldiers took advantage of the gap in Araxie's stance and advanced, unleashing a rapid series of attacks. However, Araxie reacted with surprising agility for a Tank, dodging the blows and countering with a blow from her heavy sword.
In a move to the right, Bloody Lily retreated, drawing Araxie into more open ground.
Araxie advanced again, but Bloody Lily slid to the side again, avoiding the blow from the shield that would have hit her belly and, with an agile twist, landed a blow on the unprotected part of Araxie's back, tearing it open. The Tanker warrior staggered, but didn't fall.
For his part, Eraskan, a mage, raised both hands and a flurry of ice stakes formed over his head. When he sent all these stakes towards Bloody Lily, she narrowly dodged the first one, almost instinctively, and when she looked in Eraskan's direction, she saw another dozen stakes coming towards her. So she drove her sword into the ground and dodged backwards with multiple leaps.
The stakes hit the ground and none of them hit her. However, that didn't mean that Bloody Lily would have any peace.
Dodir, who had recovered from his first confrontation, was suddenly back in the fray, attacking again. Bloody Lily dodged the blows with quick and unpredictable movements, but although she was faster and freer without her sword, she had no way of fighting back effectively.
So, while dodging, Bloody Lily had to keep her mind focused. She knew that not only her combat skills were at stake, but also her leadership and self-confidence, only she hadn't expected that the deformed figure of Dathan, the guild's vice-captain, would slowly approach her, using her companions until then as bait and, with a disdainful smile, would drive his one-handed sword through Lily's ribcage, striking her in the back.
Bloody Lily looked into Dathan's empty eyes, not knowing how to react.
Dathan's lips curved into a dismissive smile as he shook his head in disapproval.
"Looks like your reputation for invincibility is over, Captain..." teased Dathan, turning his sword slightly to elicit a groan of pain from the player.
"Urgh...-!" Bloody Lily gritted her teeth, resisting the pain that pulsed through her body. She raised her head, staring at him with sparkling eyes. "I have to admit, you were clever this time, but that won't be enough to beat me."
Dathan laughed, a sound that echoed among the volcanic rocks. "Oh, my dear Lily, it's over for you. You're bleeding while I'm standing. That just proves that I'm the leader this guild needs."
The vice-captain forcefully removed the sword from Bloody Lily's ribs. A groan of pain escaped her lips, but she refused to give in to it. With difficulty, she straightened up, standing firm despite the throbbing pain. The other guild members watched in silence, a mixture of shock and disbelief on their faces that she was still standing.
"You've always been exaggerated, Lily, always relying on your strength..." continued Dathan, running his tongue across his lips. "But true leadership requires more than attributes. It requires cunning, strategy and the ability to do whatever it takes to win. I have all that and while you enjoyed your fame, I took care of the paperwork. I deserve to be captain much more than you do!"
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