"We obey!" Malkonen and Noresuga replied without hesitation.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the two skounae Dukes began their rapid descent from the skies toward the entrance of the Night Lord's Crypt.
"Do you think I will permit you to leave this place?!" Caius roared as the aura around him surged.
The next mont, a fierce crimson wave of flas exploded from Caius as he swept his sword outward.
BOOM!
A powerful series of explosions rained down with the two skounae Dukes as its targets. However, just as the flas were about to engulf the Dukes, it was intercepted by the dark cloud of smoke.
Zeeeeut!
The dark cloud of smoke twisted several tis like a vortex as it pulled in the flas just as it had done before, completely extinguishing it in the process.
Seeing as how his attacks were not working against the mysterious smoke, Caius decided to take a more direct approach as he rushed downward to stop the skounae Dukes from descending.
"Your priorities are out of order, human." Xenthula's voice sounded from behind Caius. "?!" Caius reacted swiftly as he imdiately gave up on his pursuit of the skounae Dukes and spun his sword backward with all his might while turning his body midair.
Unfortunately, the High General was a step too late as a sharp and condensed wave of mana had already left the Night Lord's hand aid right for Caius.
BANG! Crack!
Out of nowhere, flowing pink hair appeared out of a rift in space that abruptly
ford in between Caius and Xenthula. Simultaneously, the wave of mana Xenthula released was dispersed as a figure erged from the spatial rift.
A darkened expression ford on Xenthula's face as her eyes t with the person who had just interfered.
Those sparkling eyes that had no irises in them as though one was staring directly into space and seeing the countless stars engulfed in darkness-ears that were slightly pointed which indicated that this person was a part of the Trephasia race.
This woman was extrely beautiful with an aura of charming maturity.
She wore a pure black skintight battle suit and gave off an intense aura of martial might.
"What's this? A rather troubleso annoyance has appeared." Xenthula stated as her gaze remained locked on the woman who had just blocked her attack.
"That kinda hurts my feeling, you know? Here I thought you'd be looking forward to our reunion after such a long ti, Xenthula." The woman said in an unbothered tone.
This woman was none other than one of the seven heroes who originally fought against the eternal darkness of the shadahi, Nova.
"You alright, Caius?" Nova asked casually without averting her gaze.
"I am fine, thanks to you, Lady Nova." Caius responded as he regained himself.
"Save the thanks for later. Go stop the skounae Dukes. I'll take over from here." Nova stated as the spatial rift behind her closed.
Caius gave a slight nod in response before taking his leave to catch up with the two skounae Dukes.
As Caius left, Xenthula slowly drifted away from Nova and recalled the dark cloud of smoke to her side. The smoke wrapped around her body like a coiling serpent.
"You aren't going to try to stop him? That's not like you at all." Nova comnted with a smirk.
"Whether he leaves or stays, in matters not. In the end, this place will be your grave." Xenthula said calmly.
"You really have changed. Back then, you would run away whenever I'd appear. I wonder what's giving you that newfound courage of yours." Nova sighed.
Xenthula's killing intent erupted as a sinister energy flowed to the palm of her hands. "How dare you!" Xenthula shouted as a sphere of darkness ford above each of her palms.
Xenthula clasped her hands together as the spheres of darkness collided and combined with one another. After doing so, they expanded at a rapid pace in all directions and ford a do of darkness. However, unlike the massive do of darkness Xenthula conjured before, this one was different.
For one, it did not seem to restrict or cut off all sources of life. Additionally, although it created an environnt similar to night, one could still see just fine. Instead, the sinister energy from before that was concentrated near the Night Lord's hands could not be felt everywhere.
"Nightly Descent: Perishing Tremble." Xenthula chanted as strands of darkness started to gather in the surroundings.
She then continued, "The tis have changed. You are but a relic of the past. Know your place."
"Oh? You skounae have always been an arrogant bunch. But, to call a relic... I guess I'll have to remind you of what this so called relic is capable of." Nova stated coldly as she clenched her fist and casually threw a punch forward.
Riiiiiiiiiip!
The sound of sothing tearing could be heard as the surrounding air was compressed and drawn to a single point before being expelled in every direction. The next mont, the space behind Xenthula tore open into a rift!
...
As Nova confronted the Night Lord Xenthula in the sky, General Solomon, along with Commander Aurie and a few mbers of the 1st Legion, had descended the underground staircase that led to the entrance of the Night Lord's Crypt.
The surroundings were lit up by mages using light magic as well as a few illumination talismans that were prepared to deal with the darkness that the skounae were so used to. "General, we are ready on your command," Aurie stated as she approached Solomon after having finished a few last-second preparations.
"Have you sent soone back up to inform Commander Ezra of our status?" Solomon inquired.
Commander Ezra had been left to face a Specter of the Peacekeeper, one of the powerful cursed weapons commanded by the League of The Eidolon. Even for soone of Ezra's skillset, he could not hold that monster back for long.
"Yes, General. I sent soone to inform Commander Ezra to retreat with the rest of the 1st Legion above ground if things get too dangerous. If it reaches that point, they have been
inford to regroup with the left and right wings.
Solomon nodded as he walked up to the one-way portal that led into the Night Lord's Crypt.
"Everyone stay close. Once we're inside, it's likely that we'll be cut off from our reinforcents. In other words, there won't be anyone coming to our aid if things go
sideways. So, keep your wits about you." Solomon stated.
He then continued, "We're going-"
Just as Solomon was about to give the order to enter the Night Lord's Crypt, sothing
strange happened.
Rmmmmble!
"?!"
"What's going on?!"
"The ground is shaking! Is it an earthquake?!"
The mbers of the 1st Legion were taken aback as the ground violently trembled.
Crack!
Suddenly, a large piece of earth fell from the ceiling right above a group from the 1st Legion!
Bang!
Aurie split the fragnt of earth into countless pieces with her tonfa as she narrowed her
eyes.
"Commander, the portal! Sothing's wrong!" One of the 1st Legion soldiers called out. Aurie quickly turned her attention toward the portal as her eyes widened in shock.
"The portal-it's destabilizing...!" Aurie muttered to herself.
Solomon narrowed his eyes before the portal as it had begun to fragnt. The space around the portal started to rupture, making going through the portal now impossible. Or, rather, if one went through such a portal, they would undoubtedly be thrown to so random place. It could be inside the Night Lord's Crypt; however, it could also be halfway across the Mortal Realm. The outco was no longer certain.
Solomon would not risk the lives of the 1st Legion on such a huge uncertainty. Therefore, there was only one path left.
"Everyone, we're falling back. Return to the surface imdiately." Solomon ordered.
"But, General, if we turn back here, then...!" One of the 1st Legion Captains started; however,
he was swiftly cut off by Solomon.
"It's no use. Since I used Celebrexa to clear the darkness earlier, it will be a few minutes
before I call upon her again. Without her, there is no way for us to stop the portal from destabilizing. Of course, going through in its current state is also an unacceptable risk. Our only choice now is to retreat and look for another way into the Night Lord's Crypt." Solomon
said without faltering.
As he spoke, Solomon turned his focus away from the rupture portal as the soldiers of the 1st Legion dealt with the fragnted pieces of earth falling all around them.
The dejection on the faces of the 1st Legion mbers could not be hidden. After coming so far
and losing so comrades along the way to make it here, they had no choice but to retreat.
Had the sacrifice of their comrades been for nothing?
"You all heard the General! We're retreating! Captain Zas! Captain Edgar-clear a path forward! Everyone else, protect the General and fall back!" Aurie commanded.
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