430. Leaping into Action

The tide was shifting. All throughout the battlefield, powerful figures moved to stop the spreading flames. The dark inferno which had so terribly threatened the gathered armies— that had consumed thousands of lives— was finally being pushed back.

Kaitlin Darkhlem, Commander of the Vaun Qieur Empire’s Swordsguard Forces, led this charge. She leapt straight into the darkness and sheared through the veil. She’d thrown herself into the ocean and she still fought on. She wouldn’t let its depraved touch reach Alyras, so she cut it down and hindered its progress.

But if that was it, it wouldn’t have been enough. This was the Grand Skill of a [Jinn]. One that was so powerful it even rivaled an Elite Ranked adventurer in strength— before taking on this greater form. Even with Kaitlin Darkhlem alone at the front, the black flames would rage on. It wouldn’t be stymied.

That was why two other individuals joined in. Or, rather, two individuals and their dozens of clones. Salvos and Orgaf. The Liberator of the Plaguelands and the Thief of the Golden Scale. They charged in after Kaitlin Darkhlem, using their iridescent flames and their shadows to assuage the dark inferno. To help push the [Jinn] back.

It was working. The black flames focused only on Kaitlin and Salvos and Orgaf because they posed a real threat to it. Because they didn’t simply burn to ashes when its fiery tendril reached down and touched them. No— they snuffed out the dark inferno, putting a halt to its expansion, and even shrinking it to a certain degree.

Now, the gathered armies could press forward. Now they could fight back. The soldiers and guards and adventurers were emboldened. Not just by this performance by the three leading the charge, but by a fourth person.

A [Hero].

Daniel Song from Earth A1. He shouted, and the armies outside of Alyras listened. They saw the pure white aura wisping off him— they heard the whispers being quickly spread throughout their numbers. A [Hero] was in their midst, and he wielded the Sword of Alexander.

Each swing of his blade lit up the morning sky. Even from afar, it struck the dark inferno. His slashes hurt the [Jinn]. And when the weary soldiers and adventurers around the city saw the young man with black hair and an ornate longsword slicing through the battlefield as a blurred figure quickly moved behind him and shadowed him, they rallied to him.

It was a sight to see. Truly. And all Edithe Dawnrise could do was just watch as it played out. The red-haired woman stood with Hadrian as the roaring of battle continued— as thousands of figures moved ahead, combining their magic and Skills and strength to assail the dark flames.

“It’s like we don’t even need to do anything…”

Edithe muttered to herself. Hadrian shook his head.

“Do you think they’ll be enough to win?”

The redhead hesitated. The answer itself was obvious— it was an army with some of the best fighters from the Human lands against a single Demon. The real problem came from the casualties that could be incurred. And that was the main crux of Hadrian’s question.

“I don’t know. But I just know that that [Jinn] has to be defeated soon.”

“Right.”

Hadrian nodded.

“If we—”

He started, before pausing. The man’s eyes narrowed as he cast his gaze ahead of the city’s crumbling walls. He leaned forward as Edithe looked at what he saw.

“Is that…?”

Hadrian trailed off. And Edithe saw it too. Amidst the fighting— amongst the armies charging into battle— was a familiar group of adventurers. Ones which Edithe knew very well. She said their name as she turned to meet Hadrian’s gaze.

“The Valiant Dreamers.”

Her company. Their company. The company which Hadrian himself led. He looked at Edithe and they nodded at each other.

“Come on, let’s go.”

And they headed out.

They rushed to join the fighting. Edithe ran past dozens— hundreds, even— of injured soldiers and adventurers. Those that had been hurt from the fighting. Xyren the Ranger of Zelios stayed back and protected them, loosing arrow after arrow into the distance as he commandeered the defensive forces. He looked up as a blast of fire and ice shot out, turning to face the passing redhead.

[Frostflame Vortex]. She pointed with her staff and unleashed her magic. It was a spiraling cone of red and white— a massive blast that slowly faded away the closer it got to the center of the dark inferno. She gritted her teeth. She knew it wouldn’t do much, but still she tried.

Edithe dashed forward as Xyren gave her an approving nod. Hadrian was close behind her. But the [Warrior] was still injured from earlier. He wasn’t as fast as she was. They waded through the hordes of soldiers that were clumped up towards the back— the lower-leveled [Warriors] and the [Rogues] who were very much helpless against the [Jinn]’s Grand Skill.

She darted around a woman stumbling back, nearly falling into the redhead. Edithe ran past a man, knelt down and frozen in fear. And as she passed a cluster of [Mages] pooling in their magic to form a barrier that covered dozens of feet— like a sheet of ice— she bumped into a man scrambling back.

At first, she didn’t recognize him. Edithe staggered back and shook her head and said a quick apology.

“Sorry—”

And she paused. For a moment, she stared at Jake. The leader of the True Valiants Company. She halted mid-step, looking at him as he cursed and turned back to face her.

“You—”

He glared up at her as he picked himself up. Hadrian paused behind Edithe, blinking.

“Jake.”

The leader of the Valiant Dreamers Company addressed the leader of the True Valiants Company. Jake himself blinked a few times. Then he scowled and pointed accusingly at Hadrian.

“You bastards. I knew it! You cowards weren’t even—”

And Edithe pushed Jake aside. He stared at her with wide eyes as she pulled Hadrian forward.

“We have to hurry.”

She spoke quickly. Jake just watched her go.

“What…?”

It took him a moment to collect himself. He reached out to grab Edithe and stop her. His fingers touched her shoulder, and she was ready to snap at him. But Hadrian stepped in, pushing Jake aside.

“We don’t have time to deal with your bullshit right now. We have more important things to worry about.”

Hadrian glanced over at the roaring flames— at the dark vortex as it whipped out, barely missing a gold and silver figure zipping around it. Jake worked his jaw before pausing. He stared at the dark inferno, hesitating. And Hadrian shook his head.

“Let’s go, Edithe.”

The redhead stared at the leader of the Valiant Dreamers Company for a moment. Then a smile spread across her face as she followed him, along with a sense of relief washing over her.

“Right.”

They left Jake alone. He didn’t try to stop them, instead watching as they ran off to join the rest of the Valiant Dreamers Company. They got close to the front lines. Celine, Sophia, Cless, Ismail— all of the Valiant Dreamers were fighting at the front of the battlefield, unafraid of the dark inferno. That they could be swept up by the black fiery tempest and be incinerated in an instant.

The Northbury Troops— led by Noah— fought alongside the Valiant Dreamers. As did contingents from Alyras and the Helbir League. Ismail Zuland himself led the charge, flying on his Pegasus and drawing dangerously close to the black flames.

Dark tendrils shot out, and he sliced through it before they could reach the Valiant Dreamers Company. But one of the tendrils targeted him. It streaked through the air like lightning, avoiding the Salvos clones and the Orgaf shadows. Ismail raised a shield to block it, but the shockwave knocked him off his flying steed.

Hadrian leapt through the air and caught Ismail before he crashed into the earth. The [Beastmaster] blinked as he stared up at his leader.

“Hadrian?”

“Ismail! Hadrian!”

Edithe was a step behind Hadrian. Celine paused as the other members of the Valiant Dreamers turned their heads.

“Edithe? And Hadrian too? So you guys finally decided to join us, huh?”

The burly woman grinned. Edithe nodded and helped Ismail to his feet. Hadrian straightened, drawing his sword.

“Sorry we’re late. We had something we had to do in the palace of Alyras. But we’re here now.”

Hadrian spoke for all of his company to hear. Sophia, Cless, Noah, and the rest of the Valiant Dreamers Company and their allies exchanged a glance as he nodded back at them.

“I know this is a daunting task. Yet, you guys still fought on even by yourself. I do not care what the True Valiants say about us, you guys encapsulate the principles of what it means to be a dreamer.”

He raised his sword and pointed it at the dark void.

“Now, let’s show everyone what the Valiant Dreamers Company is made—”

And Edithe’s eyes grew wide. She dashed forward, watching the black tendril lash out. A large tendril— one that incinerated one of Salvos’ clones in its wake. The redhead raised her staff, pointing at the oncoming streak of dark fire.

“[Frostflame Vortex]—”

But her attack was nothing compared to the intensity of black flames. It burned straight through her spell and struck her, Hadrian, and Ismail. An explosion that knocked all three back.

“Shit—”

She cursed. Her [Aura of Greater Protection] flickered and broke from the blast. Fortunately, it wasn’t enough to kill her. But it hurt. It really did hurt. She lay there in a puddle of blood, coughing and gasping as the rest of the Valiant Dreamers Company cried out.

Ismail Zuland’s Pegasus rushed to his side, while Hadrian scrambled back to his feet. The leader of the Valiant Dreamers Company escaped with the least damage taken, but he was still bleeding and hurt.

But before Hadrian could even get a grasp of his surroundings, a second desperate blast of black flames struck out once again. It lanced out for the Valiant Dreamers Company. This time, Edithe couldn’t react. She tried to stand up, but her legs failed her. She groaned in pain as the black fire reached them—

And a blast of blue flames impacted the dark fire. For a moment, Edithe just stared. She thought that it was Salvos who arrived just in time once again. It was a blue fire, after all. But then she saw the frost and snow falling from the sky. She felt the sleet forming at the edge of her fingertips— the freezing aura exuded by the cool fire.

She looked up as a ball of colors descended.

“You’re…?”

Edithe blinked at the hovering Spirit. At the glowing flames, flashing green, then blue, then red. A [Will O’ Wisp]. One of Salvos’ companions.

“Willy?”

[Will O’ Wisp - Lvl. 136]

He said nothing as he floated there, staring down at the dark inferno raging ahead.