I've broken through!
Charlemagne kept the wild joy in his heart off his face. He even consciously maintained his previous level of Focus output. He was waiting for an opportunity. When his opponent's offensive faltered again, it would be his turn to strike.
"Hah... hah..."
After a furious flurry of attacks, Halazzi gradually realized something was wrong. If this went on, he would exhaust his Rage without killing this foul-mouthed elf brat who was focused entirely on defense.
Beginning to consider retreat, the Troll quietly reduced the force of his attacks, but Charlemagne quickly noticed the change as they fought at close quarters.
Want to run? It won't be that easy!
Since his opponent was already running out of steam, it was time for him to counterattack.
Charlemagne dodged Halazzi's scimitar again. This time, instead of retreating as usual, he lunged straight in toward his opponent's chest. Accustomed to his fighting rhythm, Halazzi failed to react in time.
Sylvanas, however, had noticed Charlemagne's increasingly aggressive fighting style over the past few exchanges. Though somewhat puzzled, she roughly understood his intentions when she saw Halazzi panting heavily.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Sylvanas fired three consecutive Aimed Shots in a rapid volley.
Since the battle began, Sylvanas had carefully managed her Focus to avoid any gaps that would prevent her from providing timely support. Using such an extravagant shooting method meant she, too, believed the decisive moment had arrived.
Elsewhere, Nalorakk was already covered in wounds. Under the combined assault of two Advanced rangers, even he, with the thick hide granted by his devotion to the Spirit of the Great Bear, was beginning to struggle.
Akil'zon was being suppressed even more severely by Lianda's expertly wielded fire magic. Many of the Spirit of the Eagle's feathers stuck in his head had already been scorched.
Lireesa stood on the high ground with her arms folded, watching the battle below with satisfaction. Her keen eyes had naturally discerned that they held the advantage on all three fronts.
"Hehe, leaving Yawen and Skarren aside, Lianda certainly lives up to her reputation as one of the finest of the royal family's younger generation. She should reach the seventh circle within the next few years."
But the one who pleased her most was still her prized pupil, Charlemagne. Although the boy deliberately concealed his ability, Lireesa, who had the clarity of an observer rather than Halazzi's perspective within the fight, had already noticed his breakthrough.
"The Theron family has a worthy successor..."
At that, however, she shook her head in some frustration. "I don't understand why that boy is just as determined as Alleria to join the Farstriders. Oh, well..."
The younger generation would find their own way. Although she had been furious when Alleria first proposed giving up the duties of ranger-general, her daughter had ideas of her own, and she would not force her to follow the path she had arranged.
Besides, compared with her rebellious, spirited, and flighty eldest daughter, Alleria, her responsible and naturally competitive second daughter was clearly better suited to the position.
"It's about to be decided!"
Just as Lireesa had expected, Halazzi had no time to react to the pair's sudden change in style.
Although he instinctively drew back his scimitar to knock aside Sylvanas's volley aimed straight at his head, he was far too late to block Charlemagne's twin blades, which were already thrusting toward his heart.
Fortunately, it was only an Intermediate ranger's attack. If he mustered all his remaining Rage, he should avoid being wounded too badly. With a Troll's regenerative abilities, a few minor injuries were nothing.
But only when the blades reached him did he realize something was wrong. Their force and the energy coating them clearly exceeded the Intermediate level.
"A breakthrough in battle! You elf brat-"
Before Halazzi could finish his panicked cry, Charlemagne's twin blades had plunged deep into his chest.
"Got him!"
"It's over..."
Just as both sides thought Halazzi was certain to die, the twin blades in Charlemagne's hands reached the end of their lives...
Clang!
Already riddled with cracks, the twin blades were at their limit after piercing Halazzi's Rage-covered chest. Just before reaching his heart, both finally snapped.
The sudden turn of events stunned both Halazzi and Charlemagne.
Halazzi, having escaped death, recovered first. He swung his scimitar and forced Charlemagne back with his broken blades. Wild with joy, he was about to turn and flee when Sylvanas, who had reacted ahead of him, struck his knee with a precisely placed Aimed Shot.
Boom!
The towering Troll crashed to the ground. Charlemagne came to his senses and swiftly led the surrounding rangers in disarming and subduing him.
"Hmph! Lucky you survived. But you'd better pray they treat you well once you're locked up in Silvermoon City."
Although it was a shame he had failed to take Halazzi's life at the last moment, capturing him alive was still a good gain. At last, he had avenged the scar on his face.
Meanwhile, the Trolls who had finally made it through the traps and were being held up by the front-line rangers quickly lost their will to fight when they saw one of their commanders captured.
Most of the Trolls paid no heed to Nalorakk and Akil'zon, who were still fighting. They turned and scrambled back toward Zul'Aman.
In the end, however, only one or two in ten of the fleeing Trolls escaped. The High Elves, whose forces consisted primarily of ranged troops, had an enormous advantage when pursuing fleeing enemies.
Some of the cleverer Trolls simply dropped their weapons and knelt in surrender. These were fortunate enough to survive instead. Though their future fate remained unknown, at least they were still alive for now.
Seeing that all was lost, Nalorakk and Akil'zon exchanged a glance and each unleashed his desperate final move.
Nalorakk prayed for the Spirit of the Great Bear's protection, greatly strengthening his defenses for a short time. With his surrounding personal guards fighting desperately to hold off the enemy, he finally escaped back into Zul'Aman.
Akil'zon likewise asked the Spirit of the Eagle for help. Feathers quickly sprouted from his arms, and without pausing, he turned and flew into the sky. After evading Lianda's spells, he too made it safely into Zul'Aman.
How the defeated pair would face Zul'jin's wrath upon their return was unknown, but at least they were far better off than that captured fool, Halazzi.
The hatred between High Elves and Trolls stretched back thousands of years, leaving both sides few chances to take prisoners from the other. Once captured... their fate was usually miserable.
Charlemagne still remembered what had happened to Zul'jin in history. The leader of the Amani Trolls had once been captured as well. He had undoubtedly suffered brutal torture at the hands of the High Elves, and one of his eyes had been gouged out. In the end, he had only escaped with his life after finding an opportunity to cut off his own left arm.
With the Trolls fleeing, dying, or being captured, this routine war against them finally ended in a High Elf victory.
Having suffered another devastating blow, the Amani Trolls would be unable to invade again for at least the several years, or even the dozen or more years, it would take the next generation to grow up.
Wearing a rare smile, Lireesa welcomed the warriors returning in triumph. This victory had finally taken the first step toward avenging her husband, but the chief culprit, Zul'jin, still lurked deep within Zul'Aman...
But that was not something to consider now. Lireesa raised the artifact Thas'dorah in her hand and cheered loudly.
"We are victorious! Glory to the Quel'dorei!"
"Glory to the Quel'dorei!"
Set against the prisoners' ashen faces, the High Elves' radiant celebration of victory beneath the morning light seemed especially worthwhile.
(End of chapter)