Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"Alright, let's move! The quicker we get there, the better! We are there to hinder Kong Zhi's army and to weaken them!"

Nie Xia yelled out before marching forward and everyone followed. 

What began as a slow walk turned to a jog but they were much quicker than that. Even if it looked like they were having a slow run, they moved at a fast pace. They marched in unison, walking to a rhythm. 

"They're quick! I'm going to need to speed up to match them."

Ming Yue had never experienced or seen something like this, a group of marching soldiers moving at the speed of a horse. She thought that she would have to slow down but her usual speed was just a tad below this pace. But this was not a difficult pace to keep up and with the Eternal Heart Ring, she could keep this pace for a long time. 

Everyone was focused, still wary of any beast that may come but nothing of the sort happened. It was quiet, as if there was nothing here, a forest with no life. 

During the march, Nie Xia glanced behind him before suddenly yelling out. 

"It seems like the entire forest has either run away or gone to fight Kong Zhi! We're going at top speed then! I expect everyone to get to the battlefield by the time the sun rises!"

Ming Yue looked up at the moon which shined directly above them. 

"That's only half a night, are they going to be able to do it?"

The forest was enormous! Even she wasn't sure if she could cover that much distance in that short amount of time. 

Upon his orders, the soldiers switched gears, going from a jog to a full sprint. Their speed had grown at least ten times their previous pace. As soon as it did, Ming Yue and her two pets sped up as well. 

The whole group nearly became a blur. 

At the same time, Nie Xia, who was still at the front, equipped his two shields and charged forward in a straight line. From now until the dawn, his shields smashed through whatever tree or bush was in the way, giving Ming Yue a shock.

"What strength! He's barely even slowing down! At this pace, we really might cross to the other side of the forest by sunrise."

She was surprised to see that brute force, the amount of pure strength and endurance it took. The whole group just moved in a straight line, breaking through anything in their way. With Nie Xia opening a path, everyone else moved without so much of a care. They moved so quickly that any debris left from Nie Xia just flew past them.

Thus, they sprinted under the night and when the sun barely peeked out, they had reached their destination. 

"Stop."

Slowing to a halt, Nie Xia placed his shields onto his back as the entire group waited. Even without his command, they would've done so. 

His nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air. 

"Blood, what a thick stench", he muttered. 

Ming Yue looked up into the sky, noticing smoke billowing from the trees in many places. Although they were still quite a distance away, the intensity of the battle had spread far into the forest.

When everyone turned silent, they could hear it, the faint roars of beasts and the screams of men.

All of their faces turned grim as a wave of dread fell over them all. Whether or not one was a veteran or a fresh recruit, the moment before entering a battle is the most important. It was the moment where nervousness and fear came, the moment their resolve was tested. 

Even now the screams were terrifying to listen to, hoarse voices crying for dear life, shouts of desperate rage, the thunderous roars of beasts. A chaotic mix of noise that made one's heart tremble, made their blood boil, their skin tingle with a plethora of emotions but dread was the most present feeling. 

That same went for Ming Yue. This was a battle, a battle within a war. In that moment the words of the Guardian fang, Hu Baihe, echoed in her mind. That soldier's face which showed both sadness and worry for Ming Yue came to mind.

"War, a thing that overflows with bloodshed and violence, It will be unlike anything you've seen."

Hu Baihe's words lingered as Ming Yue looked towards the ensuing battle. Even if those words were true, she had already decided to fight this. There was no turning back now. 

Nie Xia looked in the direction of the battle before turning to face his soldiers. 

"This is it. Remember, we are here to slow them down, to weaken Kong Zhi's army. Watch the beasts of the forest closely, do not get in their way but aid them when it is possible. Do not forget about the Forest Keeper and the Matron that the villagers told us about. One is a demon and the other is a Hel-Fire Dragon! They are not the enemy! Now, is there anything any of you want to say before we enter hell?"

He looked at all of them, seeing the determination and resoluteness in their eyes. 

"Good, the longer we stall for time, the better the fight will be for our comrades! Do not forget to depend on each other! Do not forget to cherish your own lives! I want you all to survive and I want you all to go back to your families in one piece! Not even the depths of the underworld will stop us!"

"Yes, commander!"

Everyone shouted together, the energy in their voices was absolutely full of power as they all put on their helms and took out their weapons. From fist weapons to swords and sabers, these men and women were resolving themselves. 

"Let's head out!"

They rushed forward through the forest and into the battle. The scenery took on a drastic change as the lush trees and flora was replaced with destruction. Trees were knocked down or blown apart, flames licked the ground, threatening to spread out to other parts. The earth was cracked and utterly broken.

Blood pooled around as bodies of demons laid scattered on the floor. Some were burnt to a crisp, others shredded apart from claws and fangs. Ming Yue felt a chill looking at this grim scene for it wasn't just a few dozen bodies but hundreds. There were literal mounds piling up in some places, some faces still showed the horror in their eyes. 

"Just how many have died? How long has this battle been going on?" she wondered, "How much blood has been spilled?"

Even with all this bloodshed, the battle still raged on. Demons and beasts fought each other at a ferocity above anything Ming Yue had ever seen. It was brutal to watch. 

Kong Zhi's demonic soldiers just charged into the fight, fighting whatever beast stood in their way. But the beasts fought with zeal and rage, thrashing about as they swing at the soldiers, biting at their armor. 

From fire to earth, these varying beasts let out terrifying roars as they unleashed an offensive upon the demons. Even then, the soldiers were endless, pushed back only to rush forward and continue to fight. They swarmed the beasts, using those that they had captured before hand to fight. 

The eyes of them were unwilling but helpless for they were collared and chained, they had no choice but to fight. 

It felt as if she had entered hell, a hell of seemingly eternal bloodshed. 

It truly was something she had never experienced before. 

The smell of blood was intense, that metallic scent only grew stringer fom the weapons and armor those demon soldiers wore. Blood gathered in pools, forming streams even as it flowed from the bodies. 

But among all of this death, where was Kong Zhi?