Chapter 15: Viscor v Balros ii

“Selen, that’s enough.”

Larc set his hand on the Saint’s shoulder. She stopped mid-swing and looked back at Larc. His resolute face reflected back into her amber eyes.

“Fine.”

Selen set the bloody knife down on the table and walked away soaked in the man’s blood. She sat down on her seat after using a simple cleaning scroll courtesy of Geril. She looked back down at her handiwork left on the ground. The assassin’s body was nothing more than a mangled mess ridden with deep cuts and gashes, laying on top of a pool of dried blood and tears. He was still alive, yes. But he probably won’t be able to harm another person now.

He was broken. A toy which Selen wouldn’t be able to enjoy anymore. Something she had discarded for others to use. Pyra was the first to reach out towards the man.

“Who sent you?”

She asked to the broken man, laying in the pool of his own blood and tears. He yelped at the sudden question, stuttering out the long awaited answers which they all have been seeking. His words were incoherent, but the six captains understood very well what they meant.

Pyra wasn’t shocked by the man’s confession. She put the man to rest by planting the blade of her spear into his throat and burning him alive. It wasn’t as brutal as Selen’s treatment and it ensured a quick death, but the man couldn’t even scream from the pain as his throat was already destroyed.

The fact that the duo of assassins could penetrate their defenses and make their way here without being noises could only mean one thing to Pyra.

“General Riven huh… Damn. Looks like the peaceful days are over now.

Geril finally closed his book, his tone serious and his words quiet.

“Careful, names hold power.”

Geril’s eyes moved towards the map. He placed a black pawn in the middle of the depiction of their city.

“This is our location.”

Geril then opened a pouch and sprinkled sand across the city.

“And this is the area we might lose today. Riven is cautious. He is guaranteed to plant more spies and assassins even if the first pair had succeeded.”

Geril paused, his eyes darting to the northern wall of the room.

“There’s a disturbance in the Mana near your base Larc. I suspect something happened there. We need to move. Now.”

The six captains nodded their heads together. They grabbed all their gear in the room and headed out of the Central Hall. The six stood there fully equipped, the streets were unerringly empty even at the busiest time of the day. Geril saw this and immediately understood what had happened.

“Larc, Selen, Pyra, you three head north and find out what that disturbance was. Grivon, Zetea, you will follow me.”

“Got that.”

“Yes!”

“What are you waiting for?”

“All ready.”

“I shall comply.”

All six of them agreed with Geril’s impromptu plan. The six captains separated into two groups, each heading in opposite directions. The streets were empty allowing them easy passage, but worried them at the same time.

Larc arrived at the Golden Eagles’ building just a minute later, he carried Selen in his arms in a princess carry. He set the small girl down as Pyra arrived just seconds later through a flight spell.

“Still faster than me huh.”

“Now’s not the time for that.”

Larc drew his sword, the brilliant white blade had a dazzling gleam, the golden energy forming around the sword lighting the way. Pyra held her fire spear while Selen held her ivory cane, the three moved into the building with their senses on high alert. Instead of the bloody scene they were expecting, they came upon Larc’s friend lounging around on one of the sofas.

Xuan was fully expectant of their visit from the moment they released their presences outside the doors.

“Hey Larc!”

“Xuan! What happened?”

Xuan’s eyebrows shot up the moment he saw their weapons, armed and ready for attack.

“Wait, are we under attack already?”

Xuan jumped up from the sofa, his fists causing echoes in the air as ripples shot towards five different locations. Blurs moved from those areas, revealing six men in similar clothing to the assassins Larc had seen earlier.

One of the men fled the scene followed by Xuan, the remaining five dashed towards the three civilians in the room. Larc recognized two of them, the girl which he had recruited and the Halfling woman that tried to defend her. The big man raised his arms to defend the girl while the woman raised vials of liquid that Larc can only presume to be poison.

“No!”

Larc released the light from his sword, the mana surging through his entire body and condensing in the tip of his longsword. He released [Golden Light] in a singular sweeping arc, the beautiful crescent only managed to hit two of them. Their bodies cleaved into half by the wave of energy.

The big man tackled the Halfling into the ground, but his efforts only protected the woman. The golden wave passed through his shoulder, and to his astonishment, he was unharmed.

“My [Golden Light] doesn’t harm those I consider allies! Fight with all your might! [Guardian’s Halo]!

A deep yellow light shone around Roy’s body, forming into the vague shape of heavy plated armor; his body coursing with power. He roared, charging at one of the three remaining men.

The man backed off, knowing his weapons couldn’t pierce the man’s magically enhanced skin. He retreated around the room and instead headed towards the next easiest target, the girl wearing deep red robes. But he had been blocked by a red haired woman, her black spear spewing forth spirals of flame at the man. The two began their engagement, neither giving up on the other as knives and flame flew around the room.

The remaining two assassins were still inbound for the two girls. Roy was charging back but he ran too far in his lack of thought. A knife brushed past Isbeth’s shoulder, cutting her skin. She screamed in pain, her attention focusing on her arm. The wound was shallow but it was enough to kill if the blade was poisoned. Blood began dripping down her arm, but something seemed off. The air around Isbeth grew heavy with bloodlust. To be more exact, the air around the collapsed girl.

-Cerise’s Perspective-

She could hear the sounds of battle. The clashing of metal against metal. Her mind was a mess. She wanted to run, to flee far away where nothing would hurt her, but at the same time, she wanted to join them. To fight. She simply lied there on the ground. Her consciousness drifting around in an endless dark expanse.

She was in a daze. Trapped between waking up or staying in this peaceful world, but something had woken her up. The scream of one she held dear. Isbeth.

Her body strangely didn’t react, but her mind did. The blood which once beckoned her to kill had fallen into a lull, her desire to kill was finally her own.

Her eyes flipped open, her body whirling into the upright position. She extended her claws and leapt towards her prey as she had many time before.

The men couldn’t avoid it. They hadn’t expected the motionless doll on the ground to suddenly attack them like this.

Her claws glanced off of the men’s armor, but not without causing small wounds. Red gashes spurted from underneath the light chainmail, the men confused as to what had taken place.

Skill [Rendering Strike] has been obtained

She landed on the ground with a twirl, immediately attacking the men again in the same spot that she had struck before.

They were prepared this time, raising their stilettos to intercept the blow. But the same bizarre situation had occurred again. Her claws were currently locked by their daggers, but the same red gashes still appeared.

She kicked out, sweeping the men off their feet. Their daggers piercing into her skin but she didn’t care. They hurt Isbeth!

She slammed her clawed hand into the first man’s head, shattering his skull with a satisfying crunch. The other man wasn’t as lucky as his partner’s brain matter flew into his mouth causing him to puke.

The sinister devil in front of him raised a clawed finger in a gesture.

‘Come at me.’

She seemed to say.

His eyes widened at the provocation but it was too late. Somehow glass shattered on the back of his neck. He couldn’t feel his neck anymore, and in fact, he couldn’t feel anything anymore. The acid bit deep into his skin, noxious fumes began to emit from the man’s body as he collapsed.

His head melted clean off of his body, dropping down onto the ground with a heavy impact. The last dredges of terror engraved on the man’s face as his brain began to shut down due to the lack of blood.

“Cerise?”

Isbeth could finally see the girl in full view. Her Scarlet Eyes glowed and her fingers were tipped in sharp bloody claws. The black collar had covered her mouth but if it were visible, she would be able to see the short fangs protruding past her lips.

“I am free.”

The girl said. Her decision finally her own. But before she could continue, a deafening explosion shook the building. Rubble began to fall as the building started to collapse. A rather large piece of rubble fell just above Isbeth’s head but a golden light intervened.

“Get out of here!”

Larc yelled at Roy, Isbeth, and Cerise. His [Golden Light] formed into a dome of light protecting the trio, but judging by the sweat forming on his face, he couldn’t hold it for long. Roy grabbed Cerise and Isbeth, and ran out after Pyra and Selen. Larc was still in the building, barely moving. The last struggles of a desperate man as the world caved in around him.

“No! Larc!”

Selen tried to rush into the fallen mess, desperately hoping he was still alive, but Pyra stopped her.

“He’s gone. Just give up on him. That was a Tier 5 [Explosion] spell, get moving unless you want Larc’s sacrifice to be in vain!”

Pyra grabbed Selen, holding her with her left arm. The small Saint couldn’t do anything but hit Pyra with her fists dealing no damage whatsoever. Pyra then glanced at the Roy, Isbeth, and Cerise which Larc gave his life to save.

“You three, I hope this better be worth it.”

The group ran, escaping the city, fleeing from the calamity that would follow. Only days later was this reported to many important figures spread across the continent. The entire city of Viscor had been completely demolished by several [Meteor] spells within days of the first bombardment. Strangely enough, barely any traces of the Death Element prevalent with mass destruction or genocides were found in the surrounding Mana. No one knew where the residents had gone, but one by one, each power began to make their moves. The war had only just begun and Viscor was only the first of many casualties.

Where this group had gone was unknown to many, but they lived. They ran towards the east, towards Helios, land of the Shining Capital.