Magically charged bolts fly through the jungle foliage, any that could find purchase are stopped by sacrificial vines. At first fire is used against the foliage by the pyromage, but is stopped quickly by Jermaine who doesn't want to start a major fire in an enclosed space. The ventilation here isn't good enough to risk something like that. Instead, all eyes are focused on taking down the dryad the manual way. Men cut through thick plants, and plants cut through thick men in a chaotic melee in locations. Every plant taken down is one less enemy, and slightly more ground. Every man taken down is slightly more work for the healers. Both Jermaine's group and the bounty hunters brought their own healers, and in this jungle there is only man or plant.
Alura isn't idle as the invaders cut down her garden without remorse, wherever there is anyone not paying good attention to their surroundings, they get dragged deep into the jungle. Her dragging isolated targets away from the healers doesn't go unnoticed, and the invaders form up a tighter formation against Alura, next she tries to encircle the invaders with plants to cut off their backline, but one of the leaders orders a pyromage to burn the more isolated plants cutting Alura off from that attempt. Finally, Alura tries to yell at the top of her lung-imitations for Justitia to save her. Her cries for help are answered only by projectiles, every time she makes noise sharpshooters fire a barrage in her direction. While not very effective, it is stopping Alura's plans.
"I think this is a dungeon! We need to find the dungeon core to end this!" Jermaine has seen plenty of dungeons to know what they are dealing with, and one of his men has [Dungeon Tracker]. He quickly finds where the dungeon core should be, and points in the direction where a large tree can be seen bursting through the ceiling. In hindsight, it was a rather obvious spot to have a dungeon core.
The team slowly cuts their way through to the core, and find Alura standing in their way one last time.
"You don't have to do this, surrender, and we can still negotiate. We can work this through like the adults we are." Alura believes Jermaine for a moment, but the sight of the bounty hunters tells a different story. Alura was never great at social interactions, considering she barely ever did any, yet the looks the bounty hunters point at her savior tells not of negotiation. Their eyes hunger with greed, and when Alura looks closer, she sees that Jermaine is the only one not eyeing the gem below the tree. He remains as expressionless as possible, not proving whether he isn't greedy either.
"JUSTITIA! OVER HERE! SIN!" Alura shouts once more into the sewer, this time no plants between her and the sharpshooter to cover her.
"YOU BITCH!" One of the bounty hunters shoots Alura in the gut, who drops to the floor. This time, Alura's call for help is answered by the flapping of wings rapidly getting closer.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Justitia arrives at the scene, and sees a swathe of destroyed greenery. Right up until the sight of a group of people in front of a downed dryad. One of the adventurer types carries a battleaxe, and one of the bounty hunter looking fellows has a discharged crossbow, while Alura lies writhing in pain against her favorite tree with a crossbow bolt embedded into her. The people present all gawk at the sight of their quarry having entered the area, and calmly observing the situation.
"Lady angel, we came to rescue you from this dangerous place, are you hurt somewhere?" Jermaine is already attempting to take the lead on diplomacy, his bounty hunter 'allies' can go get fucked for all he cares. Justitia however, keeps looking between the discharged crossbow, and the bolt embedded into Alura.
"LOGGING WITHOUT A PERMIT!?" Justitia grips her blade firmly, and dashes at the offender. Before anyone can respond, he is dusted, and only then does everyone notice something. She's been covered in a layer of dust this entire time.
Everyone quickly scatters, and starts attacking Justitia from multiple sides. Justitia however, only grows angrier at more sinners exposing themselves to the light. She shines bright light into the dark sewers, temporarily blinding all those present. Next, she dashes back toward Alura, and grabs the [Light-Infused Mana Crystal] from her. She throws the crystal between a mass of people, and fire a concentrated beam of light at it. The crystal, not being able to handle the scorn of its creator (and her powerful magic), bursts open in a violent magical explosion. Pent up energy gathered from carefully making it for hours is all released at once, the nearest people have third-degree burns all over their bodies. Justitia saves them from the burning feeling by removing the feeling altogether while they are writhing in pain, more ash clings to her wings as fewer people live on this planet every time Justitia swings her plasma cutter.
The remaining people fire everything they have in a desperate attempt to stop Justitia, and unlike The Lost, these weapons carry a magical payload. Their attacks hit harder than the tank shells did on her barrier, but their attacks are also much less organized. Justitia begins picking them off one by one, which had worked wonders in the fight with The Lost before. Here it proves even more effective, as these people don't communicate as well with each other despite their strength being greater than tank crews. It certainly doesn't help that now that the crystal is shattered, there is little light in this area. The only light shining in the darkness is Justitia's blinding, radiant light. Which works wonders to blind harder in the dark.
Wrapping up the last of the sinners, Justitia goes to check on Alura. She stopped moving, and she starts to disintegrate into light particles that go towards the glowing crystal beneath the tree. The rock can do things? Justitia remembers checking a rock for sin, but it was as sinless as trees. This rock must also be righteous, then. Secure in the knowledge that the dryad will come back, because trees and rocks are basically the same thing, Justitia goes towards the one beating heart she still hears. When she gets close to end the sinner properly, she gets an idea. Living things can be in pain, and try to avoid it. Could she use the inflicting of pain as an incentive to make this sinner give up secrets to Justitia?
She doesn't know if it works like that, but starts beating the sinner with her fists anyway.