The field of grass was silent despite being occupied by more than three dozen people.
Most of which stood rigid. Like a beast ready to pounce with ferocity at the first sign provocation. Their feral nature, held back by discipline, caution and awareness.
All because the dragon before them stood in silence. Calm against the tide they bring, strong against their claws and frighteningly unknown. Hailing from some distant land wielding strength and skill they had never heard of before.
In the silence, only the flickering fires of the scorched field remained. The embers floating and lighting the dimming sun. And the wind, caressing his cloak, like a flag of blood engulfed in twin blades of fire.
The members of the Sunlight Scriptures were surprised, stunned and most of all baffled. How could a Hero caliber warrior have hidden himself for so long.
"Well then." his deep voice cut through the tense silence. "Are you not going to attack?"
Clenching his fists, Nigun demanded with beads of sweat dripping down his brow. "Where is Stronoff?" he asks, ignoring the smouldering field of Infront of him.
"Safe. That is all you need to know."
*Tsk! "No matter! Summons your Angels!" Nigun commanded, 'his swords are losing their fiery intensity... that must have been a limited use skill!'. He prompted the members to follow his orders with discipline. "Attack him! All at once!"
'Divine Shield is a 4th Tier Spell. But enough attacks from the Third Tier could still break it!' Nigun's confidence was true as he had seen the spell at work before. His eyes flickered slightly to the angel beside him, and barely hid his smile. '...with my talent, my angel will decimate the shield and the caster...we can win.'
Nigun's talent allowed him summon Angels with higher stats than the norm. Allowing him to dominate battlefields with a single 4th Tier Angel as if he was summoning a semi-Hero caliber monster.
The Archangels flew with great speed, raising their flaming swords together only for a familiar dome of golden light to reappear, making their swords bounce off of it.
'Now!' from behind the Archangel Flames, swooped in an angel wielding a mace and a shield. Its speed belied its size, twice wider and taller than the Archangel Flames. The Principality of Observation. Nigun smiled widely as his angel raised it's weapon, but before the mace could smash against the dome, Momon caught the attack between his swords.
"Keep attacking!" Nigun screeches out.
"[Chain Lightning!]" Nabe's voice broke through the clash, a steak of lightning flying from her fingers, jumping from one angel to another. Wiping out a dozen angels before flickering out of existence.
"[Widen Magic- Thunder Clap!]" Nabe then struck the butt of her staff harshly into the ground. Creating a thunderous explosion with sparks of lightning exploding all around her. It first sparked calmly in an encirclement of five feet, before exploding like a wall of electricity rising seven feet tall, and surging forward like a tsunami.
After wiping out another dozen angels. Momon saw the last dozen approaching, he then shoved the Principality of Observation back before planting his sword to the ground and casting, "[Activate: Magnetic Pulse!]"
His weapon glowed purple, and with a massive pulse of energy, the sword suddenly sucked in the remaining angels. Gathering them all in an instant, and from the distance Nabe casted "[Twin-Maximize Magic: Electrosphere!]"
With two giant balls of lightning on each hand, Nabe hurled the man sized projectiles at the gathered monsters to which Momon vaulted backwards, dodging the spell as it exploding at the angels.
But Momon did not relent, with his steel sabatons cracking against the dirt, he launched himself directly at the Principality of Observation, locking his swords once more against the angel.
"What are you doing!? Use your spells!!!" Nigun screeched as he watched the summons be wiped out with ease by two of them.
'The mage has to go first! She's too powerful to kept alive!'
Noticing too few spells landing against the dome and the warrior, Nigun looked to his men and froze as one of them was lurked forward, with a blade sticking out of his skull.
His eyes landed on the lightly armored woman wielding a stilleto and a sword with close resemblance to the divine sword of the Holy Kingdom. She beheaded another and swiftly moved to the unsuspecting Scripture Member next to it and driving her dagger through his skull as well.
"Stop her!" Nigun shouts making the others take notice of her, as well as their fallen comrades. But Sera did not slowdown and kept on killing as many as she could reach. Soon angels and spell fires came at her and with incredible speed, and nimble movements showcased by her flexible body that twist and turned into a dodge, she moved carefully to retreat to Momon's side.
Seeing this, Nigun commanded his angel to intercept her but as soon as it did, Momon severed it's wings with a spin and without stopping his momentum, beheaded the angel making it vanish into motes of light.
Momon's eyes shone through his helmet, and once Nigun made eye contact, be felt the world grow cold, dark and the sky turned red with blood. He shivered at the undulating cold that pressed heavily down on his shoulders with Momon's first step being the one to knock him back to reality.
Seeing the warrior rush him like a boulder rolling at great speed, Nigun quickly summoned another Principality of Observation and engaged the warrior in close quarters in an explosive clash. His instincts screamed and tossed himself to the side, barely dodging a lightning spell from Nabe. The people too close to him though, weren't so lucky.
Nigun saw how chaotic things had gotten and with his own rapidly beating heart. He ordered his men to regroup. Allowing Momon, Sera and Nabe to do so as well.
And as the two groups recollect themselves, Nigun clenched and unclenched his fists to drive out the shivers of fear while gritting his teeth at his remaining forces.
From the original, three dozen members of the Sunlight Scripture. Their numbers were now reduced to 25 members. With most of them running low on Mana due to the constant spells and summons. Leaving them at their last legs.
In contrast, their opponents remained standing aloft. No hair misplaced, not a dirt on their clothes nor any sign of strain on any of their side.
The overflowing confidence that Nigun could feel from the three made him feel weak in comparison. And with the insults he had received so far... it was grating harshly on his nerves. Despite this, he took a deep breath and focused reminding him of his mission...
"You have proven yourself...Hero..." Nigun gritted out. "Alas, my mission lies elsewhere. Step aside and let us have Stronoff and in return I personally offer you a place among our ranks. A warrior of your caliber, even your women... they should not be left to a rotting Kingdom as unworthy as Re-Estize. The Slain Theocracy would be glad to have you among it's people all you need to do, is step aside. What say you? Hero..."
Momon did not answer, nor did he twitch not even so much as raised finger. Whether he was thinking about his offer or not, Nigun could not tell beneath the helm. But he stood patiently... hoping he would accept to avoid any more bloodshed.
The Sunlight Scripture is far too important to lose any more than it already has.
'should he refuse... I may have to use it...' Nigun thought as he subtly pat the item hidden within his coat.
Momon slowly lowers his weapon, his head turns to the priest and her holy sword.
'The resemblance is uncanny... it couldn't be anything less than a weapon of the divine...'
Nigun made sure to remember her weapons. Two stilletos and one greatsword, both hanging off of each side of her waist with a longsword at hand. All of them shared the same design and aesthetic, clearly masterworks of the a single master smith. The question is, from where?
'...then there is her movements... only Clementine was known to be capable of such speed and flexibility in combat. The rest of the Wind Flower Scripture couldn't hope to hold a candle to that level of skill. Who are these people...'
When Nigun felt his eyes on him once more, he waited with baited breath what his response would be.
"I refuse."
"I see." Nigun replies coldly.
"Umu... our conflict is beyond a mere happenstance now... Not since you thought to dishonor my name." Nigun looked confused at his words. "After all, how could I possibly let you live. When you have declared your desire to massacre the denizens of this village."
Nigun gulped at his words as his tone grew heavier.
"I will say this once. To you who was bold enough to challenge me. Offer your lives to me and surrender, in return. I shall honor you a quick and painless death. Refuse! And you shall know pain known only in myth."
The entire scripture felt their breaths leave them. Their chest grow heavy with the chill of the night creeping up to their fingers inch by inch.
"Ni-Nigun Captain... what do we do?"
Nigun gritted his teeth and with a sudden yank from within his robe, he revealed a giant crystal glowing with divine light.
"PROTECT ME!!"
"Now! Stronoff!"
"[Six Folds Flash of Light]"
Suddenly, Nigun felt his back sear in pain.