If Samukai had to describe Silesia, he would have said that the town itself definitely was more built in the style of like the towns from Roma. Marble buildings and streets of stone made quite an impression on visitors. If he would search a town for a rest, it would've been it. But many corpses lying on the street and a strong demon roaming around made it rather difficult to enjoy Silesia in its glory.
Phantom didn't notice that the rest of his team had arrived in town. Those three soldiers standing right next to him, hiding behind their heavy shields were a little more important.
One of the soldiers took out his mace and casted a martial art that made his weapon crystal. He rushed at the monster and hit him with all the strength that he had. Phantasm didn't even bother to block or dodge the attack, but he had a slight regret when the weapon smashed into his face, making him stagger a little. Demon was sure that one of his teeth was now barely hanging. He was also quite impressed, it seemed like those humans weren't typical soldiers serving as a meat shield. When he looked at the armors that they were wearing, he understood why. He was facing three centurions. It still wasn't anything to worry about, but centurions are always fun to fight against. Or should he say slaughter.
Another swing was taken at the Phantom, but this time the demon used his wings as a shield. When mace connected with the shield, it slightly bounced off. It still did a little damage to his right wing. Yet a swift attack with a tail was more than enough to stagger the attacker and made him fall on his back. Before Centurion was able to fully stand up, he received a bash to the chest. It sent him a good few feet away.
When the demon glanced at his opponents he noticed that there was one less. It didn't take him long to understand that they were a decoy and one of them went to alert the town.
He couldn't believe that he took such obvious bait.
In a meantime Samukai has decided that he and the rest of the team might check this town out, since it is still in one piece and hasn't turned yet into a wasteland.
Trio made their way as quietly as it was possible, trying to not drag the attention of the guards. And Samukai was sure that he heard many footsteps coming. Probably reinforcements. His guess was right, but luckily for him no one even noticed that he was there. It seemed like Phantom was great for dragging all the attention to himself. This will probably become useful later.
Samukai went a good few meters from the demon and then went deeper into the town. Noktum decided to stay in the shadows to not drag too much attention. People were running and hiding, mostly into the tavern. The tavern itself was more of an old wooden style. Yet it was pretty big even for a tavern. It was the size of two normal houses. He decided to go inside, even for a while. After all, Phantom can deal with those soldiers all by himself. At least that's what he hoped for. Who knows what trick in their sleeves they might have.
The tavern inside looked like pretty much any other tavern. Many tables were filled with people, drunk or not. The shopkeeper was busy trying to calm people down. He was a man in a middle age wearing elegant robes.
Samukai went closer to the man, hoping that he had some valuable information. Shopkeeper glanced at the warrior with a raised eyebrow.
- Hey you- owner of the shop pointed at the samurai- you look like a champion, so why won't you go kill that thing?
- Actually I'm not a champion, speaking of which, are there any champions there?
- They were there a good week ago and then went somewhere. It's just the luck of Silesia. So you wanna drink or what?
- I hoped for some informations
- What kind of information?
- Where is the armory and a shop with spell scrolls?
- Just go out and then two streets further you will see a marketplace . But remember nothing is free- shopkeeper opened his hand waiting for the warrior to pay.
Right before the samurai had a chance to give the shopkeeper a golden coin, a powerful quake shook the entire tavern. Many tables and chairs were flipped out, some people got slightly hurt.
Everyone could only hope that the roof wouldn't fall down on them.
Samukai already guessed that the quake was a work of Phantasm. It seemed like the demon was ready to destroy this town at any moment. He instantly ran out of the tavern. He wondered if that marketplace was still in one place.
When he arrived at the place, he saw that no one was there. This market was similar to the one from the village, the only difference was that it was bigger. At least he had some time to look for something useful. Noktum emerged from the shadow and started searching for spell scrolls or spell books. While there were few, the highest tier they had was only forth.
- Any luck?- Samukai asked.
- Well not much, I mean, I can learn those spells, but I don't think that they will be useful- magician then showed the spell scrolls to the warrior.
- Are you going to take them or not?
- Free spells are free spells
Noktum then put scrolls into the bag.
- So what are we doing now? Should we check how is he doing' or are we exploring the town?- samurai asked unsure what to do, but when he looked in the direction of the tavern and saw giant pillar of flame rising just right behind it, he guessed that demon was doing more than fine- Never mind, he is fine
- Well, exploring can be useful. We might find another temple or those undergrounds
- That and the further we will be from there- Samukai pointed at the wooden building- there will be bigger chances that we won't get him from that comet or what it was
Samukai was ready to explore Silesia, but the sound of footsteps closing in caught him off guard. From the opposite direction came reinforcement of twenty something soldiers. When they saw Noktum, every single one of them had drawn their weapons.
- Hey you! What are you doing with that shadow!?- asked one of the soldiers, guessing by how his armor was decorated, probably an officer.
It seemed like the samurai just couldn't have a peaceful day since his death. One would think that warriors have plenty of rest after death, but it seems like there is no rest for the wicked.
With a quiet sight Samukai drew his weapons, Noktum was ready to cast spells and Fenfir emerged from the shadows, stunning the soldiers.
Samurai charged at the soldiers, slashing his Izanagi. Yet those slashes weren't thrown randomly. Each of them was aimed at the most important parts of the warriors. Many of them connected with arms and hands making it harder to wield a weapon. Samukai was even lucky enough to kill two of the soldiers with a hit to the head.
While the strategist of the team was busy distracting the soldiers and harming them, Noktum had enough time to cast fireballs. Good thing about that spell was that it didn't have to hit directly to damage. Even a block with a shield made it explode and burn those close to it. When Shadow killed five of them, he looked at the samurai to see how he was doing.
Warrior looked like he was dancing in a rhythm composed of slash, cross block, dodge and slash. Noktum was quite impressed by how easily Samukai made it look. Shadow himself tried melee combat, but the weight of the weapons always made him land on the ground. And here the warrior acted as if carrying three weapons and quickly shifting between them was something so normal.
Hell hound on the other hand lacked the elegance of the warrior but recompensed that with his brutality. Hound war ripping through the soldiers with his claws. Even if someone survived it, they still had a gashing wound that would take care of them.
Noktum then switched from the fireballs to the lighting bolts. Shadow always admired the users of the electric attribute. It was perfect for fighting against soldiers clad in steel. It seemed like lightning went through the entire body.
Magician didn't notice when three of the soldiers sneaked up to kill him. It was too late to dodge, so Noktum could only feel the power of the hammer that hit him in the head. Shadow had a problem with standing up and barely dodged another swing. Archer that stood in the back started shooting at the Magician, aiming for the eye.
Noktum covered his eye with arms and like that blocked three arrows that would have blinded him. He then counterattacked with the abbadon. Pentagram appeared and shot out the reddish beam, making bloody holes in two soldiers. Noktum tried it again when the third one was close to striking him with the halberd, but this time the spell exploded, ripping the soldier apart.
The rest of the reinforcements then retreated. None of the Chaos pursued after them, even though Fenfir was ready to leap at them, the warrior stopped him.
- You're fine there?- samurai asked.
- I think so...I do wonder if the more of them will come
- Nah, I'm sure that Phantom's got all their attention
- That's true, let's wander for a while and then we can come back to the leader
- I like this plan- Samukai said as he went to check on the bodies.
Meanwhile Phantasm looked like he had the best day of his life, or at least of this century. Many dead soldiers, destroyed buildings, reinforcements ahead. He couldn't ask for anything more. Well maybe there was one thing, an actual opponent.
While the demon enjoyed mindless slaughter, he wanted to fight someone who was able to withstand more than one or two spells. Possibly an angel.
- You, over there- Phantom pointed at the random soldier- go to the pope and tell him that I want him to send actual troops to fight me, otherwise this entire kingdom is going to turn into a bigger shit hole than it already is
- This won't be needed, demon- a new soldier emerged from the crowd. His armor had the color of copper and was covered in many little spikes which resembled the thorns. Both his shield and whip had the same addition.
- You seek a good fight, and there it is
- Alright, who brought the hedgehog to the fight?- demon said while chuckling.
- I think you meant the thorn's knight Igor- figure said while stopping a few meters before the demon.
- Champ, don't tell me you want to challenge this monster!- one of the soldiers ran to Igor, trying to pull him back into the crowd.
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- I can't let a pestilence like this destroy my town. So please, retreat and call the nobles, just in case something would went wrong
- Aye sir
Soon the remaining soldiers retreated leaving the thorn's knight and the demon alone.
- Let me guess, you are a champion of this town?- demon asked, slowly preparing himself for battle.
- Correct, and I'll make sure that you will remember to not mess with the Vatican's champions!- Igor then lashed his whip. Demon was hit not because he wanted to,but rather it moved way too fast to react. Small cut appeared on his check.
Phantom was quite stunned at the speed of the attack. He felt it could rival the speed of the samurai, and he didn't sense any blessings coming from that man.
Yet the demon smirked. It seemed like humanity slightly grew in power over these years. And maybe there will finally be someone who could rival him.
While the demon was deep in thought, Igor used the opportunity to once again hit the monster.
Phantom felt a sharp pain on his chest. There was a gashing wound that healed weirdly slowly for it to be made from a normal weapon.
- It seems like not even you are resistant to blessed weapons- champions said, lashing his whip a few more times, each hit wounding the demon.
Those wounds burned the same as those from the spears of those angels. But why was that man braver than those angels? For the demon it made no sense. Those holy golems were astonished by his power, but that champion acted as if he was just another demon.
- Quite durable ain't you? I guess that you are that troublemaker from Baszta?- Igor continued his assault, not giving the demon any window for counterattack.
- So I am already famous- Phantom smirked while using his wings as a shield. Monster had a hard time casting any spell, because it is rather hard to concentrate while being smacked by a whip without a break.
Finally the demon was able to pull off an abbadon. The red beam was more than eager to leave a bloody hole in the champion, but it was stopped by a gigantic wall of thorns that rose from the ground and took the spell on themselves.
- Having control over the thorns is a useful ability, wouldn't you agree?
- Maybe, but I don't think that they will like fire!- demon casted then Hydra’s chain of flames. Two flames burned down the wall of thorns and the third one hit Igor in the chest.
The impact sent him flying good two meters. Champion quickly got up and dodged another chain. When he finally regained his footing, Igor summoned a giant thorn whip that erected from the ground and smacked demon with all of its strength.
Demon's defense was broken and a few more thorns appeared, piercing through the wings and keeping them still.
- I must say that your weeds are quite troublesome- Phantom said while trying to free his wings.
Igor didn't say anything, but continued his offense. Another thorn-like whip appeared before the demon and pierced him. Phantom coughed as black liquid started pouring down from the wound and from the mouth.
Monster summoned his scythe and muttered something but the champion couldn't make out what it was. Thorn knight went closer to the demon and looked him straight in the eyes.
- Now you shall repent for your sins- Igor then hit Phantom right in the eye. It went black as if the blue color of it was like a flame that burned out.
He was ready to deal the final strike to the demon, but something stopped him. Beneath him and Phantasm was a magic circle. When Igor realized what it was, he quickly jumped back as a massive explosion of flames consumed everything in the range of the circle.
Igor must've admitted that it was a rather good plan. But the tactic of luring your opponent close and then using traps was way too overused on the battlefield and thus it made it easy to dodge.
Yet there was another problem, or rather two.
Those flames were rapidly spreading, but there was something more to fear. That demon set himself free. When Phantom emerged from the flames, he instantly summoned abbadon, which Igor barely dodged. Yet he still was hit in the shoulder.
Granted that Phantom was more damaged than before, but that didn't stop him from casting.
- I can't remember when was the last time that a human gave me a challenge- demon muttered more to himself than rather to his opponent.
Champion summoned another wall of thorns. Right now he needed to be more careful with each spell casted. He could feel his magic aura shrinking due to closing the wound on the shoulder. It was deeper than he expected. While he could try to make the demon waste his aura on the thorn walls, it seemed like that monster had an enormous magic aura.
After all, Igor could feel that those reddish beams were an eight tier magic, and that takes a toll on the aura.
- Say, you are not a normal demon, are you?
- It took you that long to understand it? But yes, I'm not your average demon. Why are you asking?
- Just curious- Champion then summoned another whip, aiming for the remaining eye. Phantom casted a spell that took the form of a giant pillar of fire to counter the whip.
Whip turned to ash and Phantom started casting another spell. A giant semi transparent orange ball of pure energy flew to the Igor at speed way too high for a human eye to even see it. When it made contact, a loud booming noise was heard and the champion was sent flying to a wall of a nearby building.
Thorn knight had a hard time registering what even happened, the only thing that he knew for sure, was that he had a few ribs and possibly the left arm broken.
Phantom slithered closer to the champion, ready to kill him.
- I must admit that you gave me a fun fight. Any last words?- demon asked with a slightly mocking tone.
- Yes, since you are a demon, can I plead for something?
- Oh! Interesting. Go on
- Demon, I beg you, for thee shall not burn down this entire town, and in exchange I will let you take my life
- Ah, good old noble sacrifice. But it's fine by me- the demon reached for the scythe to end the champion, but he stopped when he noticed something. Or rather many things flying down on him. Phantom once again used his wings to protect himself from the arrows.
Using the confusion of the demon, a few soldiers ran to Igor to help him stand up. Phantom noticed that and started to summon an abbadon, but stopped when one of the soldiers threw a cross at him.
Phantasm ran to the back alley, allowing the soldiers to retreat with the champion.
Demon couldn't believe that they took care of him with such an old trick. He carefully checked his entire body to see if the cross made direct contact with the skin. Luckily no harm was done, yet he was still mad at himself for not casting black comet at them.
Now, now, don't be mad at yourself. Look at the chaos energy that this fight unleashed. Echoed the Pharaoh's voice in his mind.
You know, if you'd helped me somehow in this battle, like I don't know, create a barrier or something, I would be able to kill him!
But I don't want to interfere with the fights, otherwise it would've been no fun. Worry not, with so much energy I might be able to help you in another way. Remember, I told you that I will reward and I will. Besides, why do you want to kill him?
Motherfucker took my eye!
But it still will regenerate, so where is the problem?
It's not about wounds, it's about pride!
Ah yes, pride. The most important thing about demons. Well enough talking, you should go to the rest of Chaos
While the demon was making his way to the team, Samukai and the rest were wandering around Silesia, checking nearby stores. After a while of walking, Noktum felt something warm in the bag. In fact, it felt like the bag was on fire.
- Look, crystals connected to each other- shadow said as he pulled the crystals. For some reason as they connected, a great amount of heat was generated, shining as a burning charcoal. But simply disconnecting them was more than enough to make them stop.
- We should wrap them in something or we will probably have to deal with having our bag burned- Samukai said as he started searching for some material to put the crystals in. Yet Noktum was studying the crystals as they were going to do something that should not be possible for them.
- Maybe, but there is something that I want to check- shadow put both crystals separately on the ground. Both of them had their normal colors. Then he took the red one and placed it close to the upper tip of the black one. Nothing happened, but when Noktum rotated it so that now the other tip was in contact, it started to heat up and was rapidly gaining color. He repeated that for the black one. It acted the same way.
As the magician was playing with the crystals, the samurai noticed something not so far away from them. A stone wall rose from the ground.The wall itself looked more like a giant well, it could have been three meters high. But the crystal was quite bright there, so there had to be something more to this. Noktum came to the samurai.
- Samukai, can you lift me up, please? I would like to see what’s inside
Warrior came over to the Noktum and let him stand on his shoulders. To the samurai's surprise, the magician was really light.
Magician climbed on the wall and looked inside. At the very bottom was some sort of seal.
- I think that I might've found something important- shadow said while trying to somehow open the seal.
Samukai casted shadow arts on the wolf and both of them joined the magician.
- Huh, a seal? Maybe we can somehow break through it?- warrior suggested.
- Our leader might have enough power to do this, but the other question is, when is he going to join us?
- Town is still standing, so he might take a while
Unknown to them, the demon was really close to them. Only two streets away from the seal. Phantom now wondered where his team could be. He was planning to destroy this town due to the champion not keeping his word, but leaving his team there might've been quite problematic. Especially due to the promise they've made to him.
- But shouldn't you have a spell strong enough to destroy it?- demon heard the voice of the samurai.
- While I could try, it would be safer to use one spell and be sure that it will work rather than using many when you don't know if they will have any effect- now he heard the voice of the Noktum.
- Could any of you explain to me how the fuck you got into this well?- demon asked while coming closer to the wall guarding the seal.
- It's more of a seal, you know?- warrior answered.
Demon took a deep sigh.
- Just get out of there
- Actually we need your help- warrior added.
- You somehow got in, so you will somehow get out, got it?
- We ain't stuck! We need to destroy the seal
- Well I've planned to destroy the town so I see no problem- Phantom muttered.
- What?- samurai asked.
- Nothing- Phantom then started climbing into the seal, using his hand as hooks digging into the stone. When he was at the level of the hole, he summoned abbadon. Both Noktum and Samukai hugged the wall to not get hit.
The beam hit the middle of the seal and made a medium size hole in it.
Noktum carefully went down to his knees and was slowly bringing the crystal closer. The artifact was getting brighter.
- What can be down there?- magician wondered.
- I hope it isn't another temple right there. And for safety I will go first- warrior declared.
- I'm going to be a little late- demon said as he jumped off the wall and landed one last time in Silesia.
While the rest of the Chaos was already down, he started chanting something:
- I command the great Surt to release his rage onto this earth, scorching everything in his name, Great ocean of flame!
Phantasm struck down his scythe. At first nothing happened, but after a short while a ring of fire was dancing around him. Demon casted the blessing of the sky onto himself, allowing him to escape from the incoming catastrophe.
He disappeared in the entrance of the seal just as the ring started its furious dance. It looked more like a pool of a wrathful fire that spread further and further. Yet the pool shall soon become a sea and the sea will become a mighty ocean that will please its never ending rage.
It was like a flood, taking everything that dared to stand in its path with itself. It was only stopped by the walls defending the town from the dangers of the outside, and keeping the outside safe from the inside. Yet the mighty ocean still spit its fire through the holes in the gates as hoping for it to become mightier and become one with it's creator.
This town shall be in Surt grasp for a while until there will be nothing left to burn.
The team, unaware, or maybe not wanting to let the situation get to them, was walking further away from the hole of the seal that now looked more like a waterfall of flames. They could only hope that fire would not spread there.
Yet the sight of the burning town caught the eyes of many individuals. Certain succubus that was one of them was ready to abandon her house if something would go wrong, and hoped that, where she would go, there would not be the purple snake of the calamity.