"Mai! Lin! Stay close!" Esteria commanded, his newly acquired power instinctively activating. Silvery wisps of energy began to coalesce around him as he assessed the situation.
The goblins, numbering at least a dozen, cackled with malicious glee as they circled their prey. Their eyes gleamed with an unusual intelligence that seemed to confirm Lyra's earlier suspicions about their changing behavior.
"These aren't ordinary raiders," Esteria muttered, noticing their tactical positioning. "They're too organized..."
Before he could complete his thought, the goblins launched their attack. Three of them darted forward with surprising speed, their rusty blades aimed at the twins. But Esteria was ready. The "Shadow of the moon" power surged through him, dissolving into shadows that split into two dark silhouettes, each deflecting the goblin attacks from different angles.
CLANG
A blur of silver streaked through the trees, and five goblins suddenly crumpled to the ground, their weapons clattering uselessly beside them. Before the remaining creatures could react, another flash of moonlight swept through their ranks, and ten more fell, their bodies hitting the forest floor with dull thuds.
"This is amazing!" Mai exclaimed, watching the silver streaks cut through the goblin ranks.
"Like watching moonlight dance!" Lin added, her eyes wide with wonder despite the danger.
However, The goblins' superior numbers began to overwhelm him. Despite his newfound "Shadow of the moon" ability, Esteria found himself being pushed back step by step. His shadow copies, while effective at first, couldn't match the relentless assault of so many opponents.
The creatures attacked with an almost militaristic precision, one group keeping him occupied while others tried to flank around to reach Mai and Lin. His movements grew slower as blood loss took its toll, and the silvery wisps of his power began to fade intermittently.
"There's too many," he gasped, narrowly deflecting another strike.
As his mind raced through tactical options, Esteria realized they were in a deadly dance of attrition. The goblins' coordinated movements suggested military training - they weren't just mindless raiders anymore. They were systematically wearing him down, using their numbers to exhaust his Moonshade ability while preventing any escape routes.
"Their formation is too perfect," he thought grimly, parrying another strike. "They're not just attacking randomly - they're forcing us into a specific position. But why? Unless..."
A chilling realization struck him - this might not be just an isolated attack. If someone was indeed controlling these goblins, this encounter could be a test, analyzing his abilities and the village's defenses. Every move he made was potentially revealing information to an unseen enemy.
The forest seemed to spin around him as his strength waned. He could hear Mai and Lin's frightened whimpers behind him, which only fueled his desperate determination to keep fighting despite the overwhelming odds.
Each breath became more labored, each parry more difficult. The goblins' cruel laughter echoed through the trees as they sensed their victory approaching. Esteria's knees began to buckle, his vision clouding at the edges. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer against such numbers, not in his current condition.
A prolonged battle was inevitable. As Esteria staggered to maintain his stance, he realized this wasn't just about surviving this single encounter
A goblin's blade found its mark, piercing through Esteria's left side. He stumbled backward, gripping his bleeding stomach as pain shot through his body. The twins screamed in horror behind him.
"Esteria!" Mai cried out, while Lin rushed forward to help him.
"Stay back!" he commanded through gritted teeth, his "Shadow of the moon" power flickering like a candle in the wind. Despite the searing pain, he maintained his protective stance. Blood seeped between his fingers, but his determination to protect the sisters didn't waver.
His wound was growing worse by the minute, the bleeding refusing to stop and the pain dulling his senses
The clones—once overwhelming in number—were now faltering. One by one, they were pushed back by the relentless advance of the Uplink forces, their formation breaking apart under the onslaught. Soon, the last of them dissolved into shadows, retreating into his body like smoke drawn back into a dying flame. He could no longer launch an attack."
The goblins were closing in—first five, then ten, then twenty. And before he knew it, nearly fifty of them were advancing in formation. They moved with eerie coordination, not like the usual chaotic swarm, but like a marching unit with purpose. It was as if an entire goblin warband had been unleashed, drawn by blood and fear, coming to erase him from existence.
All that remained within him was fear.
He was terrified—terrified of facing a challenge far beyond his limits.
He couldn't do anything.
And once again, all he could do was lower his head in silence.
His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
I'll count to three," he whispered, his voice barely steady. "All three of us run. We can't fight it."
The air trembled with the creature's presence, its shadow crawling across the ruined walls like a storm made flesh. Behind them, the corridor was collapsing, stone by stone, their only escape narrowing with each heartbeat.
"One."
They exchanged a final glance—eyes wide with fear, but not broken. Not yet.
"Two."
A deafening roar shook the ground beneath their feet. The darkness surged forward.
"Three!"
They ran.
Not with grace, not with courage—but with every ounce of desperation their bodies could muster. Boots slammed against the bloodstained floor. The creature gave chase, and the world became nothing but breathless sprints, crashing debris, and the promise that maybe—just maybe—they could make it out alive
He asked himself, "How can I possibly fight it? I don't have the courage… not enough to stand and face something like that."
The thought echoed in his mind, heavier than the fear that gripped his body.
One of the goblins had caught Mai.
It pinned her down, claws tightening as it prepared to strike.
"Stop!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
There was no command in it—only desperation.
"Please… just stop…"
He couldn't move fast enough. Couldn't fight them all. Couldn't save her.
And for a moment, all he could do was watch—powerless, afraid, broken. Again
"Help me!" Mai screamed, her voice raw with fear.
Tears streamed down her face as she struggled beneath the goblin's grip.
"Please—someone!"
"Mai!!" Lin's voice cracked as he cried out for his sister, his own tears blurring his vision.
He couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.
All he could feel was the crushing weight of helplessness—
—but then something snapped.
With a roar torn from the depths of his chest, he threw himself into the fray, every ounce of strength, fear, and love driving him forward.
He didn't care if he got hurt.
He didn't care if he died.
All that mattered was reaching her.
He shout out, this is the only way to get through this situation
[Shadow of the Moon - Flawless Blade]
[System Denied]
…..
[Reactivating]
[System Denied]
[User capability is not met]
"Damn it! please work just once, i beg you" Esteria cried out in pain as he tried to reactivate his skill. The wound in his stomach made him lose focus, and his attempts to activate "Shadow of the Moon - Flawless blade" kept failing.
Antartic split into five distinct forms, each radiating immense power.
They moved like deadly streaks of lightning, swift and unstoppable.
In an instant, each form lunged forward and severed the goblin leader's head with a clean, brutal strike.
Without hesitation, they took down two goblins each, their attacks precise and merciless.
Within moments, the battlefield fell silent—
and Mai was free.
until...
they discovered that the goblin have stabbed her in the belly ....
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH"
Estaria kept attacking relentlessly, her fury unyielding and wild.
Her strikes were chaotic, unpredictable—pure madness incarnate.
The goblin army faltered, fear spreading like wildfire through their ranks.
One by one, they began to scatter, desperate to escape the wrath that seemed unstoppable.
Their organized advance dissolved into a panicked retreat, fleeing from Estaria's relentless assault.
He was mad. Truly mad—mad at himself, mad at the world.
He killed and killed, without mercy, without pause.
There was no reason left, no thought—only the raw, furious need to destroy.
Consumed by rage, he became a storm of death.
An entire army was wiped out in the blink of an eye.
With each sweeping strike, a goblin fell—no screams, no struggle, just silence after the blow.
His fury gave him strength beyond reason, beyond fear.
It wasn't a fight.
It was a slaughter.