10. The intense battle

All the times I've run after coming here, there was one thing I noticed, my body seemed to move at an incredible speed, almost as if I was weightless. The ogres that I had encountered so far were slow and lumbering.

I knew from the story, about the Regal members being dangerous and intelligent, and I knew that they wouldn't be easy to fight. But I was determined to see for myself what they were truly capable of.

We planned to ambush the Regal camp that we had to cross, and Joon and I had prepared carefully for the attack. I was hiding in a pit that I had dug, waiting for Joon's signal to make my move.

As I stared ahead at the camp, my nerves were on edge. I knew that this was just the first of many Regal camps that we would encounter, and each member was more powerful than the last.

Right at the moment Joon stepped into the courtyard, she appeared before him in a flash. She was covered in a long fur coat and wore a helmet with wavy horns made of iron. Her eyes were a deep red, and they seemed to pierce right through Joon.

I watched as Joon drew his weapon, but the Regal member vanished in an instant. I couldn't believe my eyes as I squinted them, "W-where did she go?"

"So this is where you're hiding?"  

Before I could even begin to process what had happened, I heard a deep, horrid voice from behind me. I spun around and pulled out my dagger, holding it up in front of my face.

But it was too late. She had already landed a powerful punch with her iron fist on my dagger, causing me to stumble backwards. I felt my breath growing heavier as I struggled to stay on my feet.

I looked up at her, who stood before me with an unfazed expression. She was a few feet away, and her eyes seemed to bore straight through me.

I realized that I had underestimated the Regal members. They were powerful, and I was lucky to have survived that first encounter.

But I wasn't going to give up. I knew that Joon and I would have to keep fighting, no matter how difficult the challenge was.

As I steadied myself and prepared to attack, I felt a renewed sense of determination.

And so, I took a deep breath and charged towards her, ready to do whatever it took to protect myself and those with me.

The female ogre towered over us, her massive form casting a long shadow on the ground. Her eyes blazed with an intense fury, and her muscles rippled with power as she charged towards us. I knew that we were outmatched, but I refused to back down. I glanced over at Joon, who stood by my side, his face grim and determined.

We knew that we were risking our lives by engaging her in a fight. But we had no choice for our survival.

As the regal ogre charged towards us, I braced myself for the impact. I could hear Joon shouting something, his voice barely audible over my pounding heart. I gripped the dagger tightly, feeling the weight of it in my hand.

Her massive iron claws glinted in the sunlight as she closed in on me. With a lightning-fast movement, she lunged forward, her dagger-like weapons aimed at our chests.

"Argh"

I dodged out of the way just in time, feeling the wind rushing past me as her weapons sailed by, missing me by inches. Joon and I moved in unison, our daggers clashing against her claws and weapons filled the air as we engaged in a fierce battle with her. She was incredibly strong and agile, dodging our attacks with ease and countering with her own deadly strikes.

I could feel my muscles burning with exhaustion as we continued to fight back and forth, neither side gaining the upper hand. Her claws were formidable, and I knew, that one wrong move could mean the end for us. Joon and I fought with all our might. Just when she was cornered, Benjamin ambushed with the net we created from Banyan veins.

But she was too quick for him. With a deft movement, she sidestepped his attack and landed a powerful blow to his side. He stumbled backwards, gasping for breath, as the ogre turned her attention towards Joon and me.

Benjamin tried to join the fight, but he was no match for the ogre's strength. With a powerful swing of her arm, she knocked him to the ground, leaving him vulnerable.

"Benjamin!" Joon shouted in concern.

He and I rushed to his side, trying to protect him from her attacks.

But she was relentless, and we found ourselves in the middle of another intense fight. Benjamin was weakened and injured, desperate to live. He got up to run away but I shouted, "Benjamin! The net!" He stared at me, blankly while I kept her busy.

"Argh! Pass the net to Joon!" I shouted again, but he stumbled backwards. His eyes were wide with fear as he fled from there, leaving us behind. 

"That fucking coward!" I hissed, feeling rage and pain inside.

Joon charged towards the ogre, drawing its attention away from me. Seizing the opportunity, I darted forward and grabbed the nearby net, quickly wrapping it tightly around the ogre.

She growled and thrashed to break free, but the net was too heavy and tightly woven to be easily torn apart. 

We aimed our weapons at the ogre's cords, striking with precision and determination. With each blow, the cords weakened until finally, they snapped, and she let out a final, pitiful cry. 

Breathless from the struggle, we stood there for a moment, catching our breath and taking in the sight before us.

"Is it...Is it over?" My chest heaved as I forced myself to speak.

"I-" Joon gulped, trying to steady his breath. "I think so."

One of the Regal members lay defeated at our feet, its massive body now motionless and still. 

Joon and I exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging the danger we had faced and survived. We collapsed on the ground, breathless. Our bodies were wracked in pain, and weapons broke into pieces.

I lay there and stared at the purple sky, knowing there were more battles incoming. Hundred times more fierce than the one we had just now.