Rebirth System: Blood and Ash

His ki flared brighter, rippling outward in a force so intense that the soldiers stumbled back, their breath caught in their throats. The pressure alone was enough to crush weaker men. In a flash, Aszer\'s spear whipped forward, a trail of death following behind it as soldiers were sliced down where they stood, their bodies falling like leaves in autumn.

The air filled with the sickening sound of steel piercing flesh, of screams cut short.

"Fall back!" Aric commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

Chapter Explore:

"Retreat!"

Ysir, with her eyes sharp and narrowed, glanced at her own soldiers.

"Pull back! Now!" she ordered.

There was hesitation, fear in the eyes of her legion, but her command could not be ignored. Slowly, the soldiers withdrew, their eyes still wide as they stole glances at the towering figure of Aszer, who loomed like a god of war.

Aszer\'s laughter echoed through the battlefield, cruel and mocking. "Do you even know who you stand before?" His gaze flickered between them. "Do you know the power I possess?"

Aric unsheathed his blade with a metallic hiss, the sound strangely calm in the tension.

"He\'s quite the yapper, don\'t you think?" Aric quipped, a smirk touching his lips as his eyes shifted to Ysir.

Ysir chuckled, gripping her massive axe tighter.

"Quite."

Aszer\'s smile faded, his eyes flashing dangerously.

The fight began with a thunderous clash, like the gods themselves warring.

Aric darted forward first, his movements a blur, a flash of silver as his blade slashed toward Aszer\'s throat. But the King of Byzeth was faster, his spear spinning like a tempest, deflecting the strike with such force that it sent a shockwave through the air.

Aric skidded back, but only for a heartbeat. His shadow steps carried him forward again, his figure flickering like a ghost, always in motion.

Ysir followed with a war cry, her axe a monstrous thing, heavy yet swift, cleaving through the air as she swung it down in a deadly arc.

The sheer force of her strike sent ripples through the ground, but Aszer sidestepped with unnerving grace, his spear a blur as he retaliated. Ysir barely managed to parry the blow, sparks flying from the clash of their weapons.

Aszer\'s spear shot forward, lightning-quick.

Aric deflected it with the flat of his blade but winced under the force. He was outmatched in power, that much was clear, but he was not beaten.

His swordsmanship was like a dance, every movement precise, every strike calculated. Aszer swung again, a vicious horizontal slash meant to cleave Aric in two, but Aric ducked under it and countered, his sword finding a gap in Aszer\'s defense, slicing across his side.

Aszer grunted, more in surprise than pain. Blood oozed from the wound, but it was shallow.

"Impressive," he sneered, "for an ant."

Before Aric could reply, Aszer\'s spear came crashing down like a thunderbolt, and he barely had time to bring up his sword in defense. The impact rattled through his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.

He gritted his teeth, sliding back across the dirt, his muscles aching from the strain.

Ysir roared, taking advantage of the momentary distraction, her axe coming down with the full weight of her fury. The blow was titanic, her strength unmatched by most.

Aszer raised his spear to block, but the force behind her strike sent him stumbling back, his boots grinding against the earth. Ysir pressed the attack, her axe a wind of destruction, each swing carrying the weight of a mountain.

Aszer\'s eyes gleamed with malice. His ki surged once again, his spear glowing with deadly energy. He lunged at Ysir with blinding speed, and she barely managed to twist her body, the spear grazing her armor but still drawing blood. She grimaced, but didn\'t falter.

With a primal scream, she lifted her axe high, and as she brought it down, the very air around them seemed to freeze. Her weapon gleamed with cold light, projecting a gigantic version of itself that roared through the battlefield, crashing toward Aszer like a wave of pure destruction.

But Aszer stood his ground. With a roar of his own, his ki exploded outward, his spear meeting the axe\'s projection in a clash that shook the earth. The force of the collision sent shockwaves in all directions, the ground cracking beneath their feet.

Yet, in the next instant, Ysir was sent flying backward, her body crashing through a building with enough force to shatter stone. She lay still, blood trickling down her forehead.

"crap!" Aric\'s shout echoed in the silence that followed.

But there was no time to tend to her. Aszer\'s gaze fell on him, and with a single, swift movement, the King of Byzeth closed the distance between them.

Aric barely managed to bring his sword up in time to block the spear aimed at his heart. But Aszer was relentless, his strikes like the fury of a storm. Each blow hammered down with the weight of a thousand men, and Aric was forced to give ground, step by step, until his back was pressed against the ruins of a wall.

Desperation flashed in Aric\'s eyes, but he saw an opening, a momentary lapse in Aszer\'s defense. He seized it, darting to the side with shadow steps and lashing out with his blade, aiming for Aszer\'s unguarded flank.

But Aszer was quicker than expected. With a snarl, he twisted, catching Aric\'s sword with the shaft of his spear. Before Aric could react, Aszer drove the spear forward, impaling Aric through the stomach.

Pain exploded through Aric\'s body as he was lifted off his feet, his vision blurring. His sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground as his blood stained the spear\'s tip.

Aszer\'s eyes glowed with savage triumph as he raised Aric higher, like a predator savoring its kill.

"Your speech was fitting," he sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "You, too, will be just another corpse on this battlefield. A forgotten prince, destined to die a failure."

Aric\'s vision darkened, the world fading around him. The pain in his body dulled, replaced by a cold, creeping numbness.

And then, in the midst of the blackness, he heard it. The voice.

The same one just before he died in his previous life.

"Is this the fate you wanted?"

Everything went silent.