COI C185
The Jigeram had sent the valley and the forest into a wasteland. The news casters and the other teams were astounding to see such a region fell like it was winter. Crystallized when touched anything that had a small life in it, and dusts when it is empty. They hid well with the group of people making use of the outpost erected by the Mihayara district personnel. The official did some good work to provide them the footage so the citizens are kept in check as fear is already spreading. Making sure everyone is quickly heading to the evacuation.
It is already been a week, the countless noise barely keeping them from sleeping as they watch the massive tree exploding with such massive amount of electricity it consumed. Now it implodes itself quietly, crushing itself to get the energy in its core. It was the end of that, everybody has the feel of relief from the experience. The monsters though, they didn’t recover from the delay. Moreover, there are no changes except for the roaming monster that killing its own.
“This is another emergency news. We are reporting the tree has finally stop exploding for the past week. The crystallized dust is everywhere and the everything else around it is turned into a cluster of glass and dusts all around. The elves are here, yet they seem not taken the advance. We are here in the outpost, and keep what from the situation. Magic won’t work and we are using technological frequency to get this through back to the city. This will be the last recording as you can see now the dust storm is coming our way. We apologized . . . Bzzt”
Signal cuts off, they fled west to follow the train tracks. The train stationed outside for them to leave. The postponed transit had been there since the dome fully submerged in crystallization. Such terrifying sight where the transparency barrier is mix with the brown red pigment. It is shocking. Inside the thickness where numbers of bits and pieces of the monsters. Nightmarish, once they peak their curious what lies inside. The barrier is covered with monsters in its full conditions. No one knows if those monsters are fully recovered. The dust storm reaches them and they get in on the train.
The camera has one last time recording before they left. There he points where somebody is walking alone. Using with the sharpest zoom-in going to Enders Bridge, the location he is pointed at is the stadium. The unknown being watches the train left, this creature can’t go out and trapped inside the barrier. Wiping itself clean and not affecting from both the brown red cloud and the Jigeram’s light. The people on board sends a text message back to the city. “We have spotted unidentified man near the stadium, wearing a robe”
The adventurers first approach is to take back Mihayara district. The Agathean-citizen guild, Victory Rooks, is setting up their formation and ready to get through the crystallized barrier. Armored and fully enchanted with runes. Both Agatheans and the citizens are both in hand on hand to face the remnants of the demons’ army. Alongside with a special team coming in their way. The logo represents their team and the color in silvery-white. They look at them like they are in a swat team, fully equipped and magic absorbed into the runes. Team Platinum steps in with the other adventurers who inherit the dwarves’ gifts.
Adventurers who ventured in the city sphere, and received the test from the golems. Went through the obstacles they did it by force without a care thanks to the abused failsafe. Treating like no suspense or seriousness, it led them to losing their rewards with the unimaginable runes they brought. Dwarves inside the city were astonished to work with their loots. The runes they have can muster against the demons, and able pushing against the current of demonic mana. Ironically, the mana is negated. They can’t witness what greatness of the ancient runes can do to them.
Team Platinum and the city guild members are with Victory Rooks guild. Eye to eye as they see exceptional runes among them instead the equipment given by Taiyou Industries. The dwarf greets them with curiousness
“I have never seen people able to get a hold with those kinds of runes. I can hear it is talking to me”
“I heard it quite a lot from the other dwarves. They seem to be jealous that we have this kind of power”
“Aye, but they already accepted since the lands it should’ve exist were gone a long time ago. I’d say you were involved to their domain”
“Yeah, they made a sphere to get us there. Hey, why did the dwarves like you don’t want to get inside the city guild’s sphere? We would’ve love to see you guys inside”
“I rather not, neither did with my other kins who are not Enders. It was already declared back then, and we want to acknowledged that fact. If you met an Enders guild master who is a dwarf. You can ask him why he don’t let us go in the domain”
The sounds of the horn as everyone are getting into their positions. The adventurers watch the dwarf going to his group.
The Victory Rooks readied themselves at the front. The city guild adventurers are being called to be at the second rank of the line. Lycaon is the only one among the guild representatives have to lead. The incident happened inside the city sphere was he was the only one involved the test. Others with strong runes are ready for him to take the order. While the rest of the forces are heading to the valley, his leadership is to get these random adventurers to be recapture the ruins of Mihayara district. His team is ready, except for MRage.
Nera’s mischievous smile goes round and round on him as she plays her magic around before getting into the ruins. The smug keeps going on and on, MRage focuses his eyes on the others. It doesn’t help with the brightness of the runewords empowering them while he felt the aura with immense strength. Paladin waves at him as he tries to look another way and away from Nera’s smug face. The playful teammates keep going until Lycaon stops them “Laugh* There is nothing wrong not having the runes”
MRage comments on it “I’m just glad it only lasts until the fourth moon cycle is over”
Nera teases him “Awe, can’t get yourself a free pass while we pulverized what are left out there”
“Tsk*”
The Agathean takes the lead to the mix group of adventurers in Victory Rooks. It seems no one among the citizens have the leadership. Truthfully, they wanted him to lead as the sounds of his voice inspired a lot of them. Now provided with runes on them, this is going to feel like the Agatheus City is taking the lead to war. Stands firm where multiple adventurers acting like companies, and the magic in their auras are concentrated into their items. While the runes are in their sides, their magic will be difficult to control.
Within among the Agatheans’ minds, Lady Hivites has reached them with secret knowledge and forced their conscience into her will. The demon elf is there watching all this happening. The Agathean is going to lead is merged together with the Lady Hivites’ words. She is the one who orchestrated for them, no matter how she wants them to lead, but her intuition grows more devilishly. Her blessings to these Agatheans are their doing to help the city. She is not an authority figure, but her magic can be. The help they needed to confront her kind is a reasonable take. No human can’t beat them without other demons to guide them.
They hear her voice and the citizens were oblivious what’s going on. The Agatheans were not all under the influence by her. The demon elf has her own troops hidden among the adventures. Alongside with the demon allies send their powers to theirs, whereas the dwarves and the goblins who are renounce their race and served the demons. Only leaving the free agents watching them cursing through as they can’t do anything but to witness the demons as gods to these people. Demons’ army versus demons’ army, a fruitless battle to protect the summoned. Treating this reality as normal.
The Agathean stood up on the street and raised a floor up as a platform. The runes glow around them. Carrying the banner of his guild, the sounds of the voice of Lady Hivites speaking to him what to say. Magic spurge inside of them while the adventurers see them glowing their runes with a strong cheer. The rest of the citizens never seen Agatheans would do that, and feels their presence to be dangerous than they have ever experienced. The roaring inside of them as the runes hide their auras. The citizens’ UI can’t be easily be deceived as they read the readings show inspiring strength inside of the Agatheans.
“Today, we are facing our old enemies. Past eras that should’ve been gone a long time ago. The fate of demons had little to offer their deaths in this region. Their lost haunts this land and keep their forces locked inside east mountain. Never awakened unless contact with their own demonic presence. Agatheans were banned enter that land. Until that fateful day. The monsters we are facing are old and legendary, the land shines under the Jigeram will fester their weaknesses. Our allies can’t face it, but the runes we have now, there is still victory . . .”
“. . . Dare not fear them, they are weak and rely on the trashes they found inside the ruins. Pathetic materials that rely nothing but scrap weapons and concretes as throwable weapons. I’ll rather watch them come at us with their weakling formed bodies. One other thing, our allies are trained and prepared for this day. Hopes grow stronger as our enemies lie weak without their masters’ wishes. To all my great men from Agatheus and Isekai city, use all the runes as you see fit. It will be the fireworks to our enemies’ doom . . .”
“Ready yourselves, this will be the last time we can ever see those monsters in its weakest form. They lost their grave and here is another. Brought forth all into this city, we will finally clean the south, the entirety of the demonic presence. Now cheers to the top of your lungs, you men from the other world. Prays for your gods, Agatheans. Smite your runes, and call the spirits for glorious battle, Tais. This the end of the siege!”
The cheers go on as the first front took the first march. Lycaon and the others watch the army of Kinteinnou region took the first engagement. The citizens watch them breaking through the crystal border and open the remains of the monsters trapped inside. The first thunderous attack from the runes causing the remains burst out to the air, burning into nothing with the brown red cloud fades away. The eyes of the adventurers finally see the end of the annoying cloud as they slowly follow in line as the front starts shattering upward. The cracks reach 10 meters high and the shards fell on them. The runes armor protected them as the dusts are coming out from the shards.
The Victory Rooks give them a path, the adventurers were hesitating. Lycaon wasn’t, he calls out his force. “Alright you overpowered cheats! Show them we are isekai’d and want to live this world in peace”
MRage laughs, others groan out of how stupid it was. Still the feeling wanting to be powerful lingers inside their heads. The moment the others casts their rune magics above the Agathean forces and landed to the other side. Strong powerful blasts erupt and cleanse away all the crystals. The runes they received from the city sphere are given them a promising power. MRage returned to his grouchy self and sees Nera waving around the runes on her hand.
“Go fuck yourself”
The ruins have finally been pushed outward, capturing the areas that were lost from the horde. The city barrier expands as the shattered crystal sliding off. The eyes of the people inside defending the city witness the city barrier expanding, the cheers echoes to the front. The excitement grows as they pushed forward. The enemies are appearing from the dusts, crawling way back as the force pushes forward. The adventurers step forward to the first time exposing themselves into the extreme force of the Jigeram’s light. The thrills from their hearts trembling from the Jigeram’s light.
The intense of magic being squeezed out of them from their heads while their bodies feel the horror of the crystallize shattering with their limbs trying to move. The use of their magic with the strength of the runes, replicating their skills into it. The effort is hard for them to control the runes, like normal weapons without ever putting their mind into it. Like stones to be thrown by hand without imagining it. Their bodies feel the weight of the runewords into their actions, the feeling of actual weight of the weapons used beside cheated their stats to make it feel light, yet deadly.
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Lycaon spotted some of the monsters are fading and regroup somewhere. Those monsters are frail to the bones as thin as sticks. He didn’t think of them as weak, but suspicious. The creatures to exist like this had enough energy to keep going. As the illusion being frail, he has no doubts that they are the legendary what the Agathean man said in his speech. He calls out to his force.
“Let’s split. MRage, you lead the troops while we are going scouting”
“What . . .?!” MRage looks at his leader’s team, it is them without him. Although, of all the things Nera had teased him without the dwarven runes. She magically stops and go with the flow of battle. His ironic smile is making less obvious, and sucked back in his childish remarks on her and focus on the lives who are facing the wrath of the siege. Pulsing into his heart, he looks at the adventurers who are coming from a nice background facing the Enders. The runes are just a given, the way they use it made him nothing to worry about their morale. He answers
“. . . I’ll be sure to go anywhere as a reserve”
The adventurers at the back complained “What!? We have runes given by the dwarves. I know these ruins are dangerous, but we have experienced the Enders BS”
MRage responds “We are not going to mosh ourselves with the other adventurers. Keep yourselves in order and remember the drills planned out”
“I know, wait a minute. We are the flanking force, why you want us to put us in the back . . .?”
MRage did a little research on the runes, and the rune writings he had is more elaborate to the others can see. The interaction between runes harmonized. The words of the adventurer’s mouth drop and softly said to him
“Can you do that with the runes of yours?”
The looks of MRage’s face, not showing a grin and remained calm. The stone rune on his hand is like a magic scroll, it can be used multiple times if it harmonized with the other runes. Gaining like as if it is an ability, the words are clear and speaking to their language. It reads
“Dive Bombs” It will gain anyone who has runes can jump and land down at their enemies. Because of having harmony among runes, it will fuse together and combined with other rune magic. Causing a domino effect where the next rune spell activates when landed. The adventure said to MRage
“How deep?”
“In their fucking asses”
Lycaon left while the adventurers proceed to from up and follow the main force. Only him, Nera, and Paladin are sent themselves into the search. While the fight is happening, Paladin watches over the battlefield and see big pushes to all sides. He sees MRage taken advantage of the flanks as the monsters coming out from different directions, but his runes out maneuvered them as they their attacks from all sides. It was a spectacular fight, but what keeps him worrying about is the legends he heard. Through the ruins, they made into one of the safe rooms, where it leads down to a hole. He said,
“Why are we here?” “Traces of the monsters died lead to here. I am expecting they regroup and rebuild their forces”
Nera uses her item. The UI they are using no longer can do anything. Relying on the things they given to them, the scanner they have is giving readings of life down there. “I am not sure we are doing this, but if it is those demons’ puppets”
“No, this might be a coincidence. This place keeps most of the workers reporting about it. I have the feeling that it gathered in this one dangerous hole”
“Damn, are you sure the runes we have can beat it?”
“I don’t care about that, as a team. We found surprises thus far and returned triumphant”
They walked down as the tunnel has no specs of dust nor crystals. It is clean and the brown red cloud is thickening. They made it to the end and saw one figure, a human.
The creature turns to them hidden itself with a robe, a hoody shadowed his face as the magic around it is filled with demonic presence. It was expecting their entrance
“. . . Sigh* Lilith, I knew you are the one who is going to reveal me . . .?! I stand corrected, are you here to stop me?”
They raised their weapons, but then stopped as their runes are harmonizing. A magic circle prevents them from moving and the runes on them strengthen at the same time. However, the stranger too didn’t move as well as it stands unarmed being a lifeless figure. The team couldn’t do anything, all locked with both physically and mentally. Lycaon has to speak with it.
“Are you one of those demons’ puppet?”
“Sadly, you’ve mistaken with them from above than here. I can say that I’m a demon, but this demon is not going to involved neither the old war nor the harvest”
“Harvest?”
“Oh, don’t try to play dumb. You’ve known the incident many days ago. If we ever found out who you are, especially your name, we can take you as our own willingly or forcefully. This fight is up to your victory, all prepared and able to take advantage what your allies provided you”
“If we are going to talk like this, then could you share why it happened this way?”
The demon breaks the magic circle. They are free and the demon raises its magic and casts around them. Lycaon didn’t react while the two quickly retaliates when its magic appeared. The demon casts another spell and only hit the two. Lycaon stays firm. His team fights back and saw Lycaon didn’t do anything. They stop engaging. The demon’s magic stops as it grazes them without any harm. The touch though made Nera tilted and leans over to the side.
“What the hell? I feel like something good”
Paladin starts shaken “What did you do to us, demon?”
“Manipulating your senses, it would be easier for you feel tempted while I’m wounding you”
“YOU Sadistic fuck!” Nera shouts at it.
Lycaon remained still after that little fight. The demon didn’t react to him as he knows what it tries to do. The demon is talking to them, and no fight broke out from the start. It made him thought there is no reason to fight, for now. The team is to react then fight. This gives them time to prepare. Lycaon thought this demon wants to talk, he said again
“I ask again, why the city is being attacked?”
The demon sighs disappointedly, “I am not sighing because of you. I sigh what had become of you”
“What?!”
“Understand that this world was at war. You clearly see the post apocalypse happened to the other side of the continent”
It shows them the vision coming from above. Explaining the details why they come after their city. “I have come here to end the siege. The souls of my kins’ creations are humiliatingly falling behind. The persistent fools letting their best collections fall into one of our own. Treating the dead as pawns and saved by another masters. Unfortunately, I can leave here where the stadium stops me get out, but I need those souls to get out with me”
The demon didn’t care it had to reveal its plan to them. They won’t get the idea how this turned out this way, and even they could find the mystery of all this. They will end the search where many are found in Rune Isles.
“The easiest way not to lose the horde they brought into this region is, I have to force them to go here. Siphoning their powers and bringing their souls. Even as I speak it already taken care off”
The runes in their equipment stopped them from sensing the demonic mana flowing through them. The souls are materializing as the sounds of the anguish rage only stare to the demon before them. Lycaon sees the two awaits his orders. The horrors around them come in plain view. Their runes protected them from the sheer terror. The lifeless room turned into a pit of unimaginable monstrosity.
The demon calms the horror and forced back into mana. Lycaon and the others held a special dwarven rune to destroy the manifestation of the monstrosity. The demon feels the rune presence and sad
“There’s no need to hide it. Although your choice will be better since the horde won’t be able to transform into a material made beings. However, I’m already here. You can’t stop me now”
The manifestation absorbs it transforming into the demonic being they have not recognized. Neither hell nor darkness to its form, but a form of a human being in a lifeless armor.
Paladin said to Lycaon “Are we still going to wait here and let this monster evolved? This is not like you”
Nera agrees “He’s right, come on team leader. Tell us what to do?”
Lycaon didn’t say a word and keeps the manifestation going until it fully developed itself. His team keeps them waiting as their gut feeling starting to doubt, will they able to fighit fight it? The demon channels its spells in demonic tongue. A voice that is not match the usual demonic tone. It speaks so proudly, no grievances, and inspiring spell going through the magic circle. A ring is formed and the fight begins.
It notices their patience “It’s quite ironic where your two people are hesitating. You are one clever man when you don’t reveal your own runes, warrior”
Lycaon received a special item from the workers. It is a special forged runes that made by the Enders from the island. The rune writings were in his own language. Telling the instruction about this place, the message helps him not to follow the usual procedure when facing an enemy. Keep it silent when the demon is preparing. It will help them differentiate a demon with honor or greed. This means, the demon they are facing has no interest in their lives and neither the thing it is about to do.
“NOW!” Lycaon shouts at the demon, releasing magic runes out with a stunning roar. The demon backs a bit as it was just being pushed. Nera pulls out her throwing talisman and inflict negative effects on it. The demon kneels down as the status effects affecting its strength. Paladin comes pulled out his twin handed shield, combined together and bashes forward to its head. The demon fell down and fades back to its feet. Lycaon pulls out his claw hands slashes at it with a wave of rune magic. The demon punches the slashes and disperse the spell.
It picks something from its belt and shows to them its hook and rope. It swings around as then throws to the opposite direction. A portal opened and another portal at Paladin’s back. The hook bounces off his runes, the hook turns into a hand and grabbed his head. The demon pulls him into the portal. Nera tries to help him, but Lycaon stops her
“Focus on the target. Let the armor protects him”
Nera nods and uses her runes to lunge forward at the demon. The demon tries to punch her. She counters it using her demonic arm fused with runes. The demon stops and she lands a hit. Nera was surprised to let her do it.
She was grabbed by its rope and lassoed her and the rope pulled on its own. Sending Paladin into the portal to her, the phase entering the portal caused Paladin’s body engulfed in flames. The rune armor saved him from the damage but didn’t stop it from getting collided with Nera. The demon changes target as it pulled out its hand axe. It got hit Lycaon as his hand claw pierces through its abdomen. He brings out his mace with his other hand and slams it on its head with full rune power. The thunderous sound bursting on it as its helmet smashes open the blinding light smothered the sight of the destroying helm. The sound of its voice soothing itself
“Is that it, isn’t it?”
The demon counters; disarming Lycaon from his mace and pushes him with his hand axe, severely pulling out the claw sticking inside its body. It took his mace and swing overhead and able to reach his head. A fast hit causing the runes hitting each other. The persistent defense can’t break because of the harmony between the runes. It forces to pull him closer by getting his claw back inside of it
“Argh!” An annoying pain as it holds the mace in a different way. Letting go from the handle and at the head instead, creating a destructive force to pummel Lycaon again. Another thunderous hit, twice by pure bold attacks. The demon got him down.
Lycaon falls down by the shock of the thunder. The demon leans to the right where the shred of his claw pulled out some parts of its armor off its balance. A bashed from the back with Paladin’s twin shield and Nera punches its head down to the ground, but its head was already gone. She misses and passes through in high velocity. The demon turns around swings its axe at Paladin. His shield managed to blocked it. The demon throws some magic stones on the ground caused an eruption. Paladin wasn’t affected by it and proceed slamming it with his shield. The edge point of his point taken aim and managed to pierced through its shoulder.
Nera comes back hits it with its other shoulder. The impact between them made it force to spin around in the air then to the ground. The two try to end with the final blow. They use their secret rune items, the rune stones given by the dwarves. The rune stones cast a spell around it as its body fell into dusts. The Jigeram rune stones unleashed into this place causing crystallization all around. The demon senses its defeat, but it keeps going to the last moments. The runes are promising and nostalgic like dwarves who are in the Hero’s Faction.
The final blow, when Paladin on the opposite side charges at the demon in armor falling apart. Covering now in crystallized dust, the moment as they reach where the body is in crystals. The demon breaks free and turned the armor into shrapnel piece of spikes. The runes it formed causing tremendous internal blunt. Nera’s claw touched it and vibrates the spell of runes going through her body. The bumps inside her armor causing quakes that shakes through her every bone, reaching to her skull as she fell unconscious. While Paladin feels the same but he drops out the rune item on the ground to end it.
A blast explodes and the demon’s armor blown out of existence. As it clears, the area is filled nothing but dusts or rather all filled with crystals all around. The phenomena of different formed of souls appeared to Paladin’s eyes where countless of souls are manifesting in all around. All of the souls are looking at him, he checks on the others as they fell unconscious from the fight. This is the might of a demon without revealing to its true strength. The nightmare surrounding them, he feels like he is in the dream, can’t move or anything else. Paralyze and let the horror watching him. As the last one left to sleep, the demon calls out to the souls.
“Runes that I can’t injure them. If I have a real body than scavenging the body I made. It is not surprising to see rookies are getting a hand with their powers. How about I should focus on you, souls”
The roaming voice echoing inside the crystal domain. Still able to gather souls fell into the ruins. It is too much to keep fighting and the effects of the Jigeram’s light is easy enough to take these souls down. Lacking runes, neutral mana, shamanism . . . There is one though it had missed
“The souls are behaving as pawns. In the end, I took you all with me. These people have done well, but not good enough. Runes alone you did great to live, but that’s not how it works. The only miracle you’re going to get is the gods”
The team wakes up, bathing in dust. Their runes are calling out to them. Lycaon answers it. “Where are you guys?! The ruins have already cleared. You can’t believe how much of an effort we got through with those monsters”
“Cough* We’re fine. MRage, how’s your part?”
“Very difficult, the part of them being legendary wasn’t an exaggeration. The morale was shaken for a while even they didn’t even used magic”
His team is waking up. Their heads still throb from the demon’s warming dying gift. Paladin checks them “I’m sure we are facing a demon, but damn it feels like we are having a normal combat”
Nera shakes her head “That’s no normal combat. The runes saved us too many times as if getting hit with shotguns like pea shooters”
Lycaon couldn’t agree more what Nera said. The feeling getting hit with his own runed mace is one thing, it was no normal attack to feel the thunderous blow. He troubles himself more if they use their primary weapons. The siege continues.