Chapter 4 Who is he

The tip of the sword came close to piercing Medusa's heart. Suddenly, the creature's eyes snapped open, its face contorted in anger as it yelled and jolted awake.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Slash...

Crash...

"Of course, your worst nightmare," Catharina muttered, readjusting her position due to the recoil of Medusa's power against her sword.

"Damn you! Feel this!" Medusa seethed, attacking Catharina with her powers, which Catharina deftly parried. It wasn't time for her counterattack yet.

This was her tactic – to read Medusa's movements and find an opening to strike back without leaving herself vulnerable.

"Why are you just evading, huh? Scared now, little human?" Medusa taunted.

"Oh, certainly, I have my own plans, you ugly creature," she retorted.

This, of course, escalated Medusa's rage. Attack after attack, she unleashed her fury, all of which Catharina deftly parried, much to Medusa's infuriation.

"One, two, three, got it," Catharina thought as she observed every opening.

With an air of confidence and a menacing smile, Catharina began to counterattack. Armed with her black taekwondo belt skills and her innate strength, she retaliated by striking back at every vulnerable point in Medusa's reckless movements.

Bugh...

"Argh... damn it!" Medusa grunted.

Wush... thud...

"Success," Catharina rejoiced. Perhaps Medusa's ribs cracked or even broke due to the powerful kick that landed squarely on her chest.

"Damn, why is this happening?" Medusa seethed. The creature was perplexed by her inability to regenerate her body.

"Oh, why? Is your body unable to regenerate? Ah, what a shame," she asked, feigning surprise.

"Damn you... what have you done, you wretched being?!"

"Oh, of course, I've simply suppressed your regeneration ability, you fool!" she replied with equal intensity.

"Argh... I'll finish you!"

"Go ahead and try if you're capable."

Their fight raged on, although now Medusa had to endure the pain in her ribs and other parts of her body, courtesy of Catharina's unexpected and potent strikes.

Turning our attention to Zard, the war Pegasus was now engaged in combat with the Dark Elf or, more accurately, the enemy's war general.

Wush...

Srek...

Brak...

The sound of Zard's wing flaps produced sharp gusts of wind. These wind-formed weapons rained down relentlessly upon the Dark Elf. Meanwhile, the elf maneuvered to dodge while launching attacks through his dark magic.

"You won't be able to escape anymore, Darkes," Zard declared.

"Tch, I'll end you just as I did with the previous pegasi," Darkes scoffed dismissively.

"Just try it, you bastard."

Wush...

Trash...

Trash...

Trash...

"Argh... Argh... Argh..." he screamed in agony.

"Feel that pain," Zard stated.

Zard's wind-based weapon managed to wound and pierce Darkes' body, though not in a vital spot. Still, it caused the elf considerable pain.

The battle grew even more intense. Suddenly, a powerful aura emerged around the dead forest. Catharina's intuition sensed impending doom, prompting her to leave the scene before things took a turn for the worse.

"Tch... damn it, this wretched creature must have contacted the forces of hell," she muttered.

"Let's finish this quickly," she whispered.

Her breath became uneven. She then locked eyes with Medusa, who was currently sporting an arrogant smile.

"You won't escape anymore, humans. Soon, all of you will perish," Medusa proclaimed.

"Are you sure? I think it might be the other way around," Catharina chuckled as she attacked Medusa with her two-way magic.

Wush...

"Argh... uhuk uhuk argh..."

Medusa groaned in pain, accompanied by coughs that expelled thick black blood. Not wanting to wait any longer, Catharina immediately signaled the others to retreat, ending their assault at this point.

Upon receiving the signal, Zard swiftly flapped his wings, creating a powerful gust that stirred up a cloud of dust along with thousands of wind-formed weapons.

"Argh... argh... that bastard," Darkes uttered, struggling for breath.

Ignoring Darkes, Zard immediately headed towards Catarina's location. Upon arriving, he could see Medusa in pain, coughing up blood.

Srek...

Catharina managed to climb onto Zard's back, then flew out of the palace through a large window. Before that, she released a thick mist containing poison, exacerbating Medusa's condition.

"I assure you, your life won't last much longer, Medusa," she whispered, gazing at the room where Medusa was enveloped by her toxic mist.

Wush...

Catharina and Zard flew back to their initial gathering point, where she saw all the troops had assembled. The ominous black aura was nearly fully manifest now. Trouble!

"Quickly return! The enemy has summoned reinforcements from the forces of hell!" she shouted loudly. Without further ado, they all hurriedly moved away from the dead forest area.

After they distanced themselves from the location, it turned out that the forces of hell had arrived, chasing after them.

"There's no other choice," Catarina said.

She then whispered to Zard and suddenly yelled loudly to all her soldiers.

"Troops, swiftly use your powers to move quickly into the Evergon forest. I will hold off the forces of hell."

"But, Your Majesty, it's too dangerous," one of her soldiers voiced concern.

"We won't leave our leader behind."

"Yes, we will stand together against them."

The chorus of opposing voices from her troops touched her, yet there was no time for sentiment. Both Zard and she had a plan, and it would all fail if their focus was divided.

"Go, Your Majesty will be alright. I will protect her with my own life," Zard reassured them.

"But..."

"Move quickly. Go now, this is an order!" Catharina growled. She was growing frustrated with the situation; the enemy was getting closer, and they had no time left for arguments.

"NOW!" she shouted. Hearing that, they all reluctantly left Catharina and Zard to deal with the forces of hell.

Seeing her troops begin to move towards the Evergon forest, she immediately focused on her power. She closed her eyes, and then a golden light emerged from her body. The point of light turned into a radiant glow so bright that even Zard had to shield his eyes. It was the first time the majestic Pegasus had felt such a powerful force.

"Are you ready, Zard?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Ready, Your Majesty," Zard replied.

Catharina levitated in the air due to the power she unleashed. Zard, positioned behind her, prepared to beat his wings with all his might.

"ZARD, NOW!" she shouted loudly.

Boom!

Wush!

The golden light sped forward, propelled by Zard's wind power. Each particle of the golden light transformed into golden needles, about half a meter long. It looked like a deadly golden rain.

Thousands of forces of hell groaned in pain as the golden needles pierced their bodies.

"Argh... argh... argh..."

Their cries of pain echoed through the air. Catharina sighed in relief as she managed to halt the advance of the forces of hell. Now they could hurry into the Evergon forest.

Some of the forces of hell managed to escape and were still chasing them. Ahead, Catharina saw one by one her troops successfully entering the Evergon forest, providing her a sense of relief.

"Thank goodness," she said, feeling relieved.

As Catharina reached the Evergon forest, their bodies slowly faded away, leaving the forces of hell bewildered as they saw no trace of the Eternal people.

"Wuarrrr!" the frustrated voices of the forces of hell filled the air as they failed to capture a single creature from the Eternal race.

They all had entered the castle. It was evident that none of them returned unscathed. They bore bruises and wounds in several places.

Wush.

Catharina and Zard successfully landed within the castle's confines. She hurried toward the gathering of her troops.

"Are you all alright? Has anyone suffered severe injuries?" she inquired.

"We are all fine, Your Majesty," they replied in unison.

Catharina smiled warmly, looking at the faces of her troops who were satisfied with their victory in tonight's battle, although it was not a true battle.

"You are all remarkable," she praised, and the creatures who received her commendation cheered joyfully.

"Shhhh..." Catharina winced, clutching her shoulder where she had been struck by Medusa during their fight.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" they asked in concern.

"Just a minor scratch," she replied briefly.

"Allow the elves to tend to you, Your Majesty," Brill explained, but Catharina declined the offer.

"It's not necessary. It's just a minor wound; I can handle it. You all should rest. Tomorrow, we will convene again for the next steps. There should be no objections," she asserted firmly.

Those who wanted to insist on treating Catharina had to swallow their desires, as they witnessed the queen's resolute demeanor as she made her way toward the floor where her chambers were located.

"Everything will be fine, trust in Her Majesty," Zard reassured them all.

Finally, all the creatures dispersed to their respective places to tend to their wounds and, of course, to rest their bodies.

In contrast, within Catharina's chamber, she winced in pain from the wound on her shoulder. The injury resembled a blistering burn, seemingly growing larger with each passing minute.

"Darn that Medusa, shhh," she muttered under her breath.

She focused herself, then her right hand emitted a golden light directed at her left shoulder.

"Shhh... argh..." she hissed, suppressing the pain. She couldn't scream; even though it hurt, she didn't want to disturb others with her cries of pain.

Slowly, the wound closed without leaving a trace. Finally!

"Ha ha ha husf," she sighed heavily, her breath uneven as she successfully healed the wound on her shoulder.

"Damn it, tonight's activities nearly drained half of my strength," she grumbled, then went to take a bath and change into sleepwear, anticipating what the next day would bring.

Dawn began to break. I prepared to relax my muscles with some yoga, easing my mind to avoid stress in facing the world's problems.

I walked toward the edge of the river where a beautiful waterfall cascaded down. Along the way, the creatures around the Evergon forest greeted me warmly, and of course, I responded kindly.

About a meter ahead, I could already see the clear river with its beautiful waterfall. This is true serenity, truly awe-inspiring!

Taking a cross-legged position on the grass, I closed my eyes as if in meditation. I could feel the natural energy flowing into my body minute by minute, making me feel lighter.

Unbeknownst to Catharina, a blue energy had been surrounding her, seemingly hesitant to enter her body. She opened her eyes, and right before her, the blue energy formed a handsome figure, one she had never even imagined – incredibly handsome!

With an astonished expression, Catharina stared straight at the figure before her. The silhouette of the blue energy reflected a handsome visage with a strong jaw, neatly groomed eyebrows, piercing eyes with mysterious blue irises, akin to a sea full of enigma. Not to mention those alluring, full lips; she felt an urge to taste them. Hey, snap out of it!

"Who are you?" she asked nervously.

Well, who wouldn't be nervous when gazed at so intensely, especially by someone as handsome as this?

"Could this be what they call an angel?" she pondered.

The figure chuckled softly, and it only added to his handsomeness. Hey, can someone be this handsome?

"Wait for me, just a little longer, we will be together," the figure of blue energy said. Then slowly, it faded away, leaving a sense of curiosity in Catharina's mind.

That figure was the Alpha who held the title of the King of the Eternal realm. In truth, he was an Alpha who had his own Pack, but it didn't last long. When Piter met a powerful dragon, the dragon revealed that his mate, destined by the Moon Goddess, was a descendant of that dragon.

This led him to agree to unify with the Eternal kingdom until he became the king there, succeeding the dragon who had handed over his throne to Piter. That is the true story of why he, an Alpha wolf leading his own pack, became the leader of two very distinct kingdoms. Yet, during his leadership, nothing went amiss until the time came for him to willingly lose half of his power, causing him to disappear temporarily. He couldn't wait to embrace his mate, his life partner, Luna.

"Hey, come back. Don't leave me curious like this, hey," she grumbled.

"Right after getting a glimpse of such beauty, it vanished. But, who was that? Why did he feel so familiar? My body wants to be near him constantly. It couldn't be that I'm under a spell or enchantment from that figure, could it?" she wondered.