COI C187
The surveillance to all of their forces have found something really deceptive while fighting outside of the city. The confusion of how many of their adventurers pulling back is what they expected for a demon. It is a massive failure than they did by day. They are pushing hard, because each of the enemy are changing while they are fighting. Soon after, they are able to fight back with ferocity as they keep falling as they fight. Not knowing that the presence of the brown red cloud is thickening as they advance. Leading many people who take the front exposed their position, leaving the pathway where the gunner is aiming at as the safe clear.
But what about the others, the vandalism and the marked on their runes are carefully molded with the crystals. Not knowing how the runes works, the warriors of the demons’ army have little to their skills to corrupt it. Enough to let in the dusts inside the everyone’s body by letting a little leak into their armor. That trick only works by sacrificing the mana cores from the demons’ side. Then the strange changes happened, the demon elf sees the changes as she showed them how demons operate their forces.
“That demon you faced before, that’s Acurse. He is a collector of hosts as he mostly merged anyone who is strong, and influenced them into one single being”
As they listen to the demon elf’s story. Saying his name had stop the city barrier from collapsing. The arrogant demon had given them time, but to the demon elf, she knows that he likes to challenge himself. The first time they met today, Acurse has no living soul with him. Only the souls who is with him by his side to go forth to destroy the city. Many of the citizens tried to repair the barrier, and because of the demonic presence, they couldn’t do anything. The demon’s power leaked into the city, freeing it from the accursed dusts outside. Letting the presence of the demon lurks inside.
They investigate the rest of the night, whereas they are already breached, yet patiently waited for the day to come. The district leaders and the leaders from the island continue to listen the demon elf’s story, she also brings Agatheans who are secretly race as demons. They appeared behind her, and only a few. One of them who they recognized is the mage, the demon who challenged the Rogue. Tonight, the demon was at the barrier sculpting the crystals into hardened barricades inside the city. Supporting the defense until now.
Demon elf said to them “Some of you already know, and all of my companions knew. Lady Hivites is not pleased when you decide to stay. However, the effort of protecting your city is admirable. The time you come to this world during the aftermath of the apocalypse still fresh in the rage of old demons craving for their victory. You’ve learned before the history of this world. And today, you’re facing the last remnants of the invasion back in the Fall Era. Lady Hivites still care for your departure, and you people are still willing to stay, remember to face the consequence and also Horsin will choose your mercy”
Old man Ban and Manager Kubo are genuine people who wanted to leave this world and kept silent. They knew the power struggle who control the Foundation, as they are usually respected and knew a little secret about Mayor Nakamura’s disappearance. This city is very well divided, and the obvious reason they can’t leave because the city needs to function with a large amount people to maintain the culture and the nationalism led by people with insane power. These past months, many tried to continue their lives and more live livelier thanks to the less stress with high mana in their possessions.
The reality back in their original world has its own problems. It is too much dividend and their neighbor countries are in constant watch at each other. During their city defense, it was like a stranger came to save them. The post-apocalyptic background of this world is truly made them fear it, but with neighboring city states come and aid them frequently, it is not so bad to live this suffering for the better future. Those are their worries, both of them worried about these comparisons, because the longer they are in this world, the faster they can adapt, and the differences of their own people might hurt themselves in the future.
The mage can see them acting reluctant. Lady Hivites is also watching citizens speak, the way they reacted made it sure why they can’t speak out about it. A conflict between relations of their own city. It wasn’t that hard since the beginning. Her first day entered the city had already sensing their presence. Her own kind was there, not many but surely, they were supposed to manage the Foundation. That time, she had no problem to let outsiders to play along the people. The citizens are getting worse and divided when it comes to power, and unity gathered when their civilization is tested.
She made one little contact with Acurse. “I apologized for not getting you during your slumber”
“It is wise of me to listen the Archaic of Agatheus City, the land of the refuge, but that’s not how a slave, like me, works”
“This is not what I have predicted to those people who are wanting to stay. I understand you will become the consequence in their world’s actions. Their interaction to the world had brought eyes to them to the modernization of their city”
“You can’t bore me to death now, I have an army who are more of children than your respectable matriarchal rule”
Acurse breaks the trance by his subordinates, their eyes are showing the greed in their very dead souls as the reminiscence of their masters’ wills. Their artificial impetuous nature kicks in as they look at the front as they are still busy talking. The promised had come as the sun comes out from the night. Where he sees his forces letting themselves rest beneath the crystals. The transparency of them as far he can see, the humanoid beasts, the bodies of all well-preserved armor starting to make runes, and the begotten souls who nurtured along the dusts have appeared. It moves slowly inside the crystals like water, then sporadically moves as the crystals inside distorted its figures.
The citizens hear him approaching with a battle speech. Acurse is honoring his way to reposition where he almost breached the city barrier. “I have a lot of you, and I’ll make this short. We all know why we are here and you all know I am just a substitute to lead you in this pathetic body. Ahem* Facing the enemy in these conditions made a bold strategy to reveal the greatness of the demon faction. The barrier is weak, the dusts layered its weight on it and can fall anytime now. Blood will come, fresh souls be desecrated, lives treated as livestock, and all the rest for your master will definitely find him. Call out your legacies and give this place in ruins to remember!”
“AAH!”
Lycaon and his team hear the enemies from afar. They are in the agricultural area marching with the other adventurers with their Jigeram runes. The batches are switching and already on the move, but the night shift didn’t retreat. The transmission called to them as the warning signals are beeping into its maximum level. The anxiousness of everyone to gather all forces there made them worried.
“All forces focus in Taiyou Industries. The failsafe will soon stop working as the disturbance of the enemies have high readings of demonic magic. This is the last assault for the enemies. Bring it all you’ve got and send them back out”
The city barrier at Taiyou Industries shatters and the wide area of dust clouds and brown red cloud spread into the sky. The sky shatters with another phenomenon absorbing the electrical grid of the city. It was the ampstalk tree, it made it into the city and siphoning the city’s power. They saw a massive power line cut where Taiyou Industries fell into the darkness. The clouds and dusts are raining down to their position. The enemies are appeared in wraiths as before, and this time their apparition bodies are appeared in illusive presence. Their eyes glowed and with their invisible weapons on their sides.
They unleashed their Jigeram runes as the illusion revealed to them. The assassins carried only dark entity blades as phasing in demonic energy. The adventurers and the assassins are battling out as the collisions of both sides are favored strongly to the people who has the runes. Lycaon and the others able to shatter them easily, while their enemies are phasing their phase blades passing through them. Team Platinum treated it as real weapons and able to dodge it. The battle was over and the adventurers suddenly fell to the ground experiencing the exhaustion.
“What the!”
“Why am I exhausted so fast? We took our long break”
The adventurers are identifying the status effects that the enemies did and sees the results
“Shit! It’s mana burn. Damn it, it is worse than that. They are like mana vampires and using their blades to suck out our mana. Cough* Along with the effects of the blades causing exhaustion then weakening or resistance. We need to use our . . . Are they fucking serious!”
They look at their item stash where their medkits are empty, all were affected by the assassins’ blades. It is getting dangerous as the reserves are weakening greatly.
The dark assassins recuperate then went deeper into the city. The sight of empty streets and cautious eyes of the patrols. The voices they speak through their telepathy “The enemies are stretching fairly. We better regroup and as we spotted what Acurse speak of”
“Dwarven ancient runes destroying the existence of our warriors. That means, the daring act to destroy the tree, is near”
“Take the others, and search where their people are. If all fall in the hands of these people and send to the abyss. The remaining of you to learn the secrets of the summoner”
“What about the Foundation?”
“Protect it! We must inflict fear and made them wanting to leave this broken era. This world is not ready to recover, our differences persist because of those immortals”
They scattered away into every corner into the city. From one of the souls with them stops and sees and got distracted.
“Why are you stopping?”
“Sorry, I was admiring the view”
“Admiring the view? You mean this is your world of origin”
“I can’t say, I can see English words and that’s it”
“If this is the world where your ancestors from, from prison in hell. Don’t messed up this world’s secret, they will ascend even during their deaths”
The defenses inside the districts are detecting numerous enemies blending into the shadows. The call for incoming enemies into their vicinity. The first evacuation area is close by is the city guild headquarters. The sea serpent guards the guild with other handful of S ranks. The Saint Heroes adventurers are stationed with the most outmost team they have. Silfa, Ruby, Gemina, and few others standing guard. The assassins hidden through its shadowy silhouette revealed immediately by the sea serpent from the sky. One of them recognized an old presence.
Silfa and the others quickly charge at them after they get revealed. They were banished under the speed and elemental attacks by the two magic swordswomen. They almost clear them until they met one sole assassin. Runes versus only demonic mana, the warrior shifted the strength of their runes and parried them affectively. Its weapons severed fast as the breaking and fading of its equipment on hand. Ruby and Gemina are cornering it. They used their rune magic and throw anything they can on one enemy.
The shadow assassin wasn’t that easy to dealt with. Reflex in same speed as Ruby, she confronts it while being rained down by rune magic. She lands a hit with multiple combos, but the body fades faster before it got touched. Gemina comes into the shadow, then get hit by a sudden phase blade, and then gets slit off from her mana. She fell down until her spirit comes forth and splashes its rituals on her before her mana is fully consumed. The warrior gives itself an opening where Ruby hits its back. Her runes were pierced in high speed and seeing herself getting hit the shattering phase blade after Gemina’s spirit breaks it.
Stolen novel; please report.
The phase blade regather itself to the warrior and shift into a scythe, another slash phases through her but eventually shielded by Silfa’s rune magic. The warrior continues to persist and it’s materialized to show even more dangerous weapons in its arsenal. The S ranks tried to pull a fast one, and cornered it and unleashed their abilities. The warrior stops and endure their attacks. The shadow materialized and the rune weapons hit it with strong force. The body tears apart with every swing of their rune weapons and spells, waiting for the right time to use its demonic magic.
The last attempt appeared leaving only its head flying. The runes have burned its body into dusts. It hears their words coordinating together
“. . . There!”
To its last fragment of existence, its head release its demonic magic and formed a magic circle erupting all around. The numbers of images of itself striking directly everyone who attacked it. Using the runes to detect them, and bring out the legendary skills it can brought forth. Silfa uses her shield rune magic, but it was too late. Their small opening gaps were easily pin pointed and the fury of slashes phase through them from the back or sides with their mana severely cut off.
The warrior’s head fell to the floor and the sudden twitch of it as its magic is release. The adventurers fell to the ground losing all their strength and feel the joints of their bodies aching. All set themselves on the floor and the fatigue raising into their heads. A draw setting in as they can no longer move. The warrior fades away, leaving them into a weakening state. More of the warriors are coming, as they tried to aid it, but now the fight was over and them raising their weapons to get the finishing blow.
The adventurers watch their enemy in a line approaching and prowling at them. The single wave of demonic magic jumped over them. Then the sea serpent comes in and rains down water magic at the enemies. The poisonous water seeps into their enemies and melted them down. Puma comes in with the other spirits to herd the warriors into a trap. The rituals ascend from the floor and casts out the shadow assassins into a curse. Fell only in the form of ashes, the dolls forced sealed as they weaved the ritual into a bag. Sealing them before they have a chance to kill the adventurers.
Silfa and the others were relief, they fell unconscious as the negative effects of the warrior’s attack put them into a painful sleep. The reserves come out and rescue them, the sight of Silfa’s doll had given so much surprises. They went back in leaving the dolls on their own with the sea serpent for a moment. At the same time, the dolls are staring the fragment of the warrior’s floating head. The sea serpent didn’t attack it than the rest of the invaders. The soul at service has the familiar energy or qi inside of it. It turns around and said,
“The demonhood is a far path, and I still ascend my weaknesses” It disappears leaving the spirits with knowledge about it, yet they never say about it in the future.
Acurse’s army, brought the essence of the element to the siege. Energy driven in the element of lightning. All the armored front transforms into the giant beasts while the others preferred in the human like form. The runes shatter them enough as they can possibly battle them until they barely stand. The adventurers and the personnel have been driven back as more of the enemies in bigger in size are pushing them are destroying their runes. Directly into their formation, either died when landed or able to swing a few hits until the runes pulverize their very size into fallen statues.
The rune magic is too immense and while the demonic mana is scratching through the loose ends of their rune armor to their exposed flesh, dripping deeply like needles into their veins. The men of the island are controlling the front until one by one, the large sized enemies come forth swinging their two-handed heavy weapons hurting themselves and around them. The shattering chaos as the adventurers keep backing away. More and more of them falling behind as they removed their rune items as all of the rune words are destroyed. The cursed brown red cloud blocked them to use their failsafe, the cruel fate to see the citizens blood spilled and killed.
Old man Ban forced to retreat with the injured as the fight is grew grim and the waves of their enemies are diving in with relentless numbers. The ampstalk tree continue to spread its roots using the dead flesh and mana of their fallen allies. It is dishearten to see the siege is showing the real tragedy that the advantages they have before left into their own selfish fantasy. But for him, he didn’t have the heart to run. Instead, he had to stand and fight. Manager Kubo sees him stopping and yelled at him.
“Keep running! We must take care of the injured”
“I was a man back then, and survive all the tragedy my country had done. I think I can do it again”
“BAN!”
The elderly man stood in front the upcoming enemies. Without runes and left with him is mana inside of him. Seeking through inside of him, he unleashed his mind to imagine the magic he had to cast out. A legend through the horrors he had remember through his people’s culture. In the form, the army of the youkais appearing besides him, more and more unbelievable horrors that suited for deception and fear. In the form of traditional characters appearing in front of him. Old man Ban uses the remaining of his mana to make his katana with his own magic.
Clouded into the abyss, and the youkais around him to hide the injured and the fleeing from their inevitable deaths. He unleashed all the mana he did not possessed in full force. The monsters he created and charged at the enemy. Acurse saw the dark entities coming to his forces annihilated by the use of neutral mana. Sadly, they can be revived because of the same mana type, but something he found inside the old man’s soul. The ironic power the old man unleashed that he possessed the will to exile the demon’s men out. The runes are the only thing for the souls not to return back to the fight as the rune magic marked them as they are sealed.
Then a miracle had come to mock him, Acurse sees his men are falling back by the old man alone and his so-called imagination. He is seeing the old man is saving more of his people than he had imagine. Reaching the limits that the man can handle, it is time for the demon to experience this elder’s wisdom of wrath. As he is about to step in, falling bombardments coming down his forces. His men are not that easy to take out like animals, the trails of mana he took the adventurer to force or allow the use of their failsafe. The trail is given and he called out the charge.
“Target is gone, I repeat the target is gone” The workers protected inside their bases, using the artiller. The transmission spread as their enemies are moving fast into their injured allies in fast speed, linking into their mana and their cores, the enemies are chasing them through their mana line. The UI shows the drones of ants following their target into a single line, they can’t pinpoint to where they stop because of its high magic speed.
Old man Ban hears the transmission. “Enemy targets are approaching your position. They are chasing down the wounded. There is no stopping as the others from the front can’t seem to catch them”
The man gritted his teeth “Dishonorable!”
He uses his magic again to use what abilities he can do to stop chasing the wounded. His youkai companions followed his league and blindly cut the incoming charge. Multiple times into the air, the struggle he can do to get the charging enemies into his formation. The enemies are now passing through as he did multiple times in the air.
One injured adventurer is ambushed and nearly get killed, one swing of their weapons into this neck but the last runewords on her able to blocked it but the blunt force put her into the ground where her head slams into a debris. A quick scream turned silent, and the old man is getting desperate. The eyes of his own people are dying. In his heart, he felt the sadness to lose a love one. In his presence, he has a duty. In his powers, he wields it sternly and believes this magic can do. A spell is cast, and the demons’ army are forced into his group. Empowering for the last time and unleash hell of fury for the thousand slashes.
The Youkais, his summoned creations had the same ability and tore his enemies apart. Acurse appeared into old man Ban’s presence, his eyes where in awe rather than surprised. The random slashes fell into him and his men. The cut is severe and the magic he holds are not purely neutral mana. Someone is aiding him. Elven magic comes forth as if the elven gods have chosen another. Limbs cut off and bodies instantly disappearing as the effects of their blades and tenacity swoop their existence into the abyss. None of them won’t recover as the souls can be seen slice in half severed itself not coming back to the battle.
Old man Ban has turned into a warrior bringing execution to them all. He finds Acurse being tear off by his youkais. He sprints forward and continue to slice off Acurse head, multiple times. The demon has no effect of getting killed, but his rage is divine doing it until Acurse feels the body he had is breaking. The slashes then lead to a stab, Acurse never would’ve seen himself to keep recovering by endless attacks to one man alone. He still not giving up as he is being stab on the wall after the thousand strikes on him.
The old man takes a heavy breathing as he pinned Acurse on the wall. “Breathing* Hah, hah, hah. What kind of monster can’t go down like the rest of you?”
“It is remarkable that you have use your magic just to stop entire charging army into your injured people”
“It’s disgraceful, they can’t fight any longer and we able bodies will protect them”
“Able body? The way you unleash your wrath on us, I suspect that you’ve seen your wars too. The attacks you did and the others are no meat shield. Hitting those are lethal strikes. I can’t imagine how your creations like focusing the spines and the neck” stab*
The old man pierces deeper into the demon’s torso through the wall. Sliding in deep as his blades releasing runes forged into his magic. Acurse thought so, this magic the old man is using is too advance. The elven gods are clearly giving him powers, but sadly a race that has no knowledge on man will lead to the end. His heart stops, old man Ban feels on his chest as the pulsing is already reaching in. The mana that sheltered his health are all gone to help the adventurers and the personnel. The struggle trying to pick up the sword slides away with little strength he had. Acurse pulls out his sword and corrupted it into his control.
The table is turned as he picks the old man up trying to breathe his last. Acurse raises his sword to the old man’s neck “My life as a demon shared no fate for your death . . .”
The old man coughing trying to say anything back at him, his heart can’t continue on and his breathing continues to struggle.
“. . . You’ve done so much to help your people to leave. And I promised you, on my own selfish ways, I will take your people home. But I need little pieces of your people into my side to convince them. May your gods find you in this world or forever keeps you as your infernal kingdom”
The sword, the old man made by his magic, tastes the warmth of its final victim. Freshly created for the moment he wanted to save and ended in the hands of his enemies. Acurse wasn’t finished the stab switches into a cut, he beheaded him and a trophy made wide as he raises the head up high. The mana of youkais redirected to him and sends it to offer the ampstalk tree. The sounds of lightning stretch to him and the death of the district representative have no values to his men. But to him, he has values that he seeks deep into old man’s heart. Barely using his magic, for the right reason, and the moment is the last.
Manager Kubo witnesses the fallen of the old man. The crazy old man had able to save the others as their mana been linked with the enemies, thanks to his sacrifice, the line cuts and they proceed to continue retreating the wounded. King and Gordon chasing after Acurse, then they saw someone they knew slew before them. The head slowly fades away and consumed by the tree. The rage in their eyes killing an elderly, they blindly come at him. Acurse is alone as his forces were decimated by the old man’s powers. The frustration of a valuable candidate out of spite. He parries in a sudden moment but trembles because of the weak body he had. Both losing an arm as he continues the fight.
Lycaon and his team run pass through the fight. With the other adventurers with Jigeram runes coming to take down the tree, the signs of their runes hear the voices of the dwarves. They call out to end the siege is to destroy the tree. Demons’ armies are rallying into the defense while Acurse busy fighting against the two S ranks. The fight so far leaving all sides dwindled into the last man fighting. The loses they have now been immense. The runes kept the souls from returning and the citizens and the Horsins either wounded or pass away.
The fighting spread all around Taiyou Industries, the destruction rebuilds again since the start of the siege. The siege is nearly reaching the breaking point. The brown red cloud exists and no longer calling out wraiths into the battlefield, the tree can able to unleash powerful spells and can even summoned more of the armies, but the elves have prevented it to link the armies into the city. This is no longer drawn-out fight, and the fight is almost over. If the tree stands able to summon a portal, then the city is lost.
That’s how the citizens with Jigeram runes heard the message. Still able to purge through their enemies, they continue to stick together and marches forth. The remaining demons’ army had already shriveled thanks to the runes. Only left they could do now is to hide inside the city leaving their essence inside for another time. Meanwhile the other adventurers and the remaining forces are barely chasing the enemies are trying to fled into the city. Their powers and ferocity are still unmatched for them. Even with defensive magic alone, they know how to breakthrough.
They reached to the tree and plant all their Jigeram runes on it. All of it is being thrown on the roots and no army on sight trying to stop them. As all the materials had been placed, the spirits of the dwarves arrived in apparitions from the Jigeram runes. The hammered down to the runewords and spark a counter shock to the electricity of the tree. The rune magic quickly surges up to the very leaves of the tree and start fallen into ashes, the crystallization of the tree quickly turned to dust, while the dusts spread all over the air removing the brown red cloud together.
Powerful shockwaves cause the barrier to implode as the hazards outside of the city fell in. Crippling the defense as it crashes down all the structures, a huge collapse in such a wide margin. The crashes of crystals touching the ground and weather outside finally touch the land since the lockdown. A natural rain coming down felt like raining mud where it mixes both rain water and dusts. The impurities on the ground are molding the area into piles. Turned the city into a crystallized metropolis. The relief of their eyes as they survived the falling crystallized debris from the barrier and also the sight of no enemies roaring next to them. It was over.
Acurse, washed down with dusts and rain. His body fell drastically as the demons’ mana is gone. The tree is gone, it is a defeat but he didn’t hear any hunger from the souls. The bodies of dead men all around Taiyou Industries were enough to feast to what the demons are thriving for. It was not over for him. Gordon drops a mana battery on him. Thinking that he is a wraith, but the environment Acurse exposed off are enough for him not getting away. And with that, he was sucked into the mana battery, contained, and imprisoned.
King pats Gordon at the back, “Do you think we can still be living in this world?”
“I don’t know about finding a way to get ourselves out from this world. I can say that we fought a demon and we have it here in this containment unit”
“It’s an improvised mana battery”
“I know, but ah nevermind”
They look around the area, seeing people dying to keep this city safe. Both locals and the citizens fell into their deaths against the demon faction. This is finally the end of the siege and with remnants scattered around the city and the city barrier temporary gone. They take their first exposure under the wrath of the Jigeram.