Buba slid backwards. Before he could regain his stance, the rebels charged towards him. Most of them were ex-soldiers, so they were adept at wielding swords while he was still a novice at it.
Axes were his weapons!
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With a deep grunt, Buba lifted up the great sword, swinging it against the first rebel.
Clang!
Sparks flew, and the rebel was pushed back. Closing the gap, Buba slammed his shoulder into the rebel’s chest before swinging his sword upward.
“Argh!”
The rebel screamed, but it didn’t last long as Buba used him as defense against another rebel’s sword.
Puchi!
The second rebel was shocked to see that he had stabbed his comrade. Unfortunately, that shock didn’t last long as Buba shot a flame ball, flinging the man and three others into darkness, far from the reach of the burning house.
He grabbed the arm of the next rebel and headbutted him. The rebel collapsed, but another jumped toward Buba only to see the sword heading for him!
Swish!
Buba breathed out and walked past the corpses. Others surrounded him, waiting for Baron Scarlet, who stood with his arms crossed.
Baron Scarlet frowned. Indeed, Buba was a respectable warrior.
Just as he was about to give a command, Buba roared and slammed both hands against the ground. Flames burst from the earth, slaying 10 men instantly!
This frightened others, causing them to back away.
“You rebel.” Baron Scarlet scowled. His hair began to glow and levitate. Veins, protruding and burning with flames, pressed against his skin while his eyes changed.
Supernova!
Flames burst from his arms, eyes, and mouth, but it wasn’t toward Buba.
Turning, Buba saw it was heading for Sarah. With all his might, he jumped, wrapping the little girl in his arms as the flames consumed the building and others around.
400 yards was scorched black. Buildings reduced to ash!
Baron Scarlet’s body became slightly normal. He saw Buba within the scorched land, his body badly burnt.
The barbarian rose to his feet as if his entire back wasn’t burnt.
His eyes were locked on the small girl who was shivering.
“Run.”
He said softly.
Flames gathered above his palms. It kept increasing until it was the size of a bucket.
“Take cover!”
A Rebel bellowed.
Buba turned and threw the flame balls. The explosion caught those running for safety, consuming them without mercy.
This wasn’t a battle of skill anymore but of talent.
Whosoever had a more deadly talent would win, and when it came to flames…
Baron Scarlet was king!
He walked out of the explosion, flames billowing from his eyes.
“It’s a pity you made such a decision. You would have been a great warrior under my command.”
He clenched his fist and threw a punch. Flames burst out of his palms, raw and unrestrained. Buba crossed his arms, grimacing as the flames washed over him. The burning effect came after, swarming his mind with pain.
“Argh!”
Screaming, he lunged toward Baron Scarlet, smashing his fist into the baron’s face.
Baron Scarlet crashed some meters away, but before he could stand, Buba wrapped his fingers around his face and slammed him into the ground once more.
He conjured a flame ball, and just as he was about to hit Baron Scarlet with it, a barbarian rebel slammed him off.
“You have lost your mind, chief. Let me get out of this pain.”
The barbarian, once a warrior that fought under Buba, lunged toward him.
“We are no longer in Bashan.”
Buba’s eyes glowed bright. As the warrior ran toward him, he lowered his body and shot forward with a sudden burst that took the warrior off guard.
Bam!
He flung the warrior over. The man’s groaning fell into his ears, but he paid no heed.
“Let me go!”
A scream came from the distance, causing Buba to snap toward that direction, his right eye pulsing with rage.
He ran toward the direction, but when others were about to follow him, Baron Scarlet stopped them.
“There’s no need. With that much burn and blood loss, he’s a dead man walking.”
Baron Scarlet’s eyes flickered as he watched Buba’s figure disappear into the darkness.
“On second thought… I’d like to put a sword through him.”
With that, they began the chase. By the time they found Buba, he was standing in the midst of slain rebels with a little girl on his shoulder.
“Die!”
Baron Scarlet unleashed flames. When it died down, they discovered neither Buba nor the little girl was there.
“Find him!”
Baron Scarlet roared!
….
Tapk! Tapk!
Buba ran without stopping, his steps light as it seemed like he didn’t even step on the ground. His eyes were on the burning flames at the top of the mountain.
He kept running until he was out of the Bastide and the screams faded away.
There was only one place that was safe for Sarah, and it was the prison hold. The knights that lived there were undefeated as long as they remained inside the walls of the prison hold.
Although he could feel his strength waning, Buba held on. He could feel the little girl clutching tightly to his skin.
Finally, he reached the mountaintop, tilting from side to side with each step.
Creak!
The steel gates were pushed open, revealing those towering men clad in thick metal plates.
All four of them gave way, but Buba stopped before the gate and brought Sarah down.
“Go in.”
He knew the moment he entered that prison hold, his battle force would be sealed, and that meant he would die instantly.
“My father is there!”
Seeing that the little girl refused to leave, Buba looked at the custodian knights standing within the gate, their dark golden armor reflecting ominously due to the flickers of embers on wooden sticks.
“Tell the count I accept my punishment but save her father!”
“Your punishment should be death for rebellion…” A thick voice reverberated.
A bigger figure walked out of the gate, his intimidating eyes boring down on Buba.
It was Geriant, the warden!
“Go inside, little girl.”
His words were like weights that suppressed the little girl, forcing her to walk into the prison hold without uttering a word of defiance.
“As I was saying, you should die, but it’s up to the count to decide. However, the rest is up to me.”
Geriant looked at the burning Bastide without a flicker of concern.