The savage grin on the lead warrior's face, and the green fire burning in his eyes, made Roderick physically ill.
He knew that aura all too well.
It was Envy.
The same as Mike's, the man who had betrayed him.
"The gods are unfair?" Roderick snorted. "You have no idea what we went through to get here, yet you dare declare that the gods are unfair? That's the greatest injustice of all!"
"Save it!" The lead warrior slammed his massive axe into the ground. "We kill you, take your identities, and everything's fair!"
"Attack!"
At his command, the seven players behind him scattered. Like a pack of hunting wolves, they closed in from both sides.
They moved swiftly and in perfect coordination. This clearly wasn't their first time doing this.
"Kevin, ice wall! Andre, get Holy Light ready!" Roderick growled. Instead of retreating, he charged straight at the warrior with the massive axe.
He had no choice.
That squad's equipment and levels far surpassed theirs.
If the enemy split them up, surrounded them, and picked them off one by one, they had no chance of winning.
Their only hope was for him, their sole Shield Warrior, to hold off the strongest enemy and give his teammates room to attack!
"Come on, then!"
The axe warrior grinned viciously. Muscles bunched in his arms as he brought the massive axe down toward Roderick's head with a howl that tore through the air!
Roderick bent his knees slightly and poured all his strength into the round shield on his left arm.
Clang!
The crash of metal on metal made everyone's eardrums ache.
An irresistible force struck his shield. Roderick's left arm went numb, and he stumbled back three steps, each one stamping a deep footprint into the ground.
The web of his hand