"Krivex, Aren, Skarn, you handle the other three. The rest of you, clean up the rest of this mess!"

"You got it!" Skarn replied, already charging forward with his twin axes blazing with earth mana.

Skitz tightened his grip on his blades, his voice low. "I've been waiting for this fight," he murmured. "Though I'm disappointed… that you've turned into this."

In a flash, Skitz disappeared. The air cracked as he reappeared right in front of the High Priest, his twin blades clashing against the creature's hardened scales with a thunderous boom that echoed through the forest.

The ground cracked beneath their feet as Skitz's blades met the High Priest's scaled fists. The two moved in blinding speed, exchanging dozens of strikes within seconds.

The High Priest fought barehanded, its fists and forearms reinforced by jagged scales sharp enough to pierce steel.

One solid hit connected, its fist slammed into Skitz's guard and sent him sliding back.

The lizardman roared, its voice guttural and full of rage, before charging again, its movements wild yet overflowing with strength.

Then, from above, Shade dropped from the trees, its massive body landing behind the High Priest with a heavy thud. Shade hissed, black mana pulsing from its fangs. He spat a web of dark silk, wrapping around the lizardman's legs and slowing its movement.

Taking the chance, Skitz dashed forward, blades flashing. "You're open!"

His right blade cut across the creature's chest, leaving a deep wound that oozed dark blood. But instead of flinching, the High Priest spun, its arm slamming into Skitz's side and sending him crashing through a tree.

Shade shrieked in its strange chittering voice, leaping forward. Its sharp legs stabbed into the ground, forming a wall of webbing to block the High Priest's follow-up strike.

Skitz coughed and wiped the blood from his lip, forcing a grin. "That hurts a bit," he muttered.

The High Priest roared again, trying to rip the webs apart, but Shade had already moved. The spider scuttled up a nearby trunk, firing more webs to bind its arms while Skitz closed in from behind.

"Stay still!" Skitz shouted, his body blurring once more. In a single motion, he cut through the bindings just enough to make the creature lose balance, then slammed his blade's hilt into its neck.

The High Priest staggered, its strength fading as it dropped to one knee.

Shade quickly lunged, wrapping it in layer after layer of silk until only its glowing eyes remained visible.

Breathing heavily, Skitz looked down at the restrained monster. "Still breathing," he said with a faint smirk. "Good. You're coming with us."

…..

All across the battlefield, the chaos began to die down, replaced by the heavy sound of breathing, clashing steel, and distant growls.

Krivex stood in a clearing, his longbow drawn, eyes glowing faintly green. Three arrows floated behind him, each coated with faint mana. The Lizardman High Priest before him roared, swinging its bone staff wildly, but Krivex's movements were precise.

"Your strength is useless if it doesn't hit me," Krivex muttered, pulling the bowstring to his cheek. "A shame… you've already lost your mind."

He released the string, and the arrows split through the air. The first shattered the priest's staff, the second pierced its shoulder, and the third exploded near its feet, sending it sprawling to the ground. In a breath, Krivex dashed forward and kicked the staff away, pressing his blade against the creature's neck.

Not far away, Aren spun his spear like a whirlwind as mana and hunder flickered faintly across his body. Each thrust and swing drew a silver arc, knocking the Lizardman priest backward again and again. The priest tried to cast a spell, dark mana gathering in its mouth, but Aren slammed his spear butt into its jaw, breaking its focus.

"First time seeing someone cast from their mouth," Aren said. With a swift motion, he spun his weapon and swept its legs out from under it. The priest hit the dirt hard, and Aren pinned it with the spear's shaft.

Meanwhile, Skarn fought like a raging bull. His twin axes cleaving through the priest's defenses one by one. The lizardman's scales deflected most attacks, but Skarn's brute strength was overwhelming.

"Hrah!" With a final swing, he slammed the axes into the ground beside the creature's head, missing on purpose. The shockwave knocked the High Priest unconscious. "Guess I win," he muttered, grinning as he hoisted the creature up with one arm.

On the other side of the battlefield, the captains and vice-captains fought in perfect rhythm. Dozens of lizardmen lay scattered, while the remaining Juggernauts and Champions still resisted fiercely.

"What about the rest of them? There's too many to take alive!" Vakk shouted, wiping the blood from his cheek as he caught his breath.

"It's no use trying," Takkar replied, his tone steady. "We'll capture the Juggernauts and Champions. That's more than enough to handle."

"Fine by me," Vakk said, raising his weapon. "Then let's finish this."

The group surged forward like a tide. Their combined strength tore through the remaining lizardmen ranks. The weaker ones fell one after another, while the stronger ones were beaten down, disarmed, and dragged to the center.

When the last of the struggling lizardmen was subdued, silence finally settled over the forest.

The ground was covered in scars, bodies, and broken weapons. Dozens of Juggernauts and Champions lay restrained in the middle, groaning weakly.

Skitz stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly as he raised his hand. Black mist gathered around his fingers, and dark chains burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around each captive. The air trembled with the sound of metal tightening.

His voice was calm but cold. "They'll serve as another boost to our strength once we return."

The black chains pulsed once, then locked in place, sealing the lizardmen in complete submission.

"Now then…" Skitz muttered, his gaze shifting toward the dark cave ahead. Faint wisps of black smoke drifted from its mouth, twisting and fading into the air like dying embers. "How should we deal with that ominous presence inside?"

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