[Daemon Race Skill: Eternal Burning, has been activated]

One of their hands was hidden behind their backs, perfect for the concealment of their Skill attack building up. The impending attacks would cause the champion to face an assault enough to shift the power balance to their advantage.

All of a sudden, Caliber would witness their bodies contort in opposite directions and diverge from one another. Upon their arrival, one of the individuals proceeded to shoot fiery projectiles in his direction.

The sword-wielding man brandishes his blade and hoists his shield defensively. He could feel the body of the flame crash against his shield.

Strangely, the flames remaining on the shield only intensified as they remained. He could feel the heat beginning to heat the metals of his armor, which in turn, began burning his skin. Fortunately, his equipment did not burn away as expected because of its unique properties.

But the flames themselves weren't the main threat. Off the corners of his eyes, he could see the two silhouettes from the intruders as they made a sharp turn to dart at him.

"A decent effort." Caliber admits to them as he recognizes they were going for the pincer attack the whole time. He begins to search through his mind for what would be the best counter to this assault.

The two attackers are seen jumping with weapons, including ugly carved daggers and short swords, aimed at the swordsman. Intending to exert their full body force into the blow to bring him under control before the scenario became disadvantageous.

But now it was his turn to unleash his attack, "A good effort from you scum."

[Champion Class Skill: Halo Slash, has been activated]

[Description: A melee attack that as the user spins with their weapon, Light coats over it and spirals outward, increasing the range and power.]

"I'm not just any swordsman!" declared Caliber, as he shifted his weight onto his toes and began to spin. His sword extended away from his body, emitting a brighter glow than the rest of him. As he twists, the light emanating from the tip starts to spiral outwards and expand further.

The pair of trespassers contort their forms in an even more unnatural manner, desperately trying to evade the brunt of the assault. The force of the attack's wind was strong enough to push both individuals away from the soldier.

As soon as they land in the yard, the pair immediately taste the luscious green grass in their mouths. They rapidly rise to their feet and relocate. Parts of their red bodies were uncloaked. The champion's keen eyes were quick to recognize what they were.

"Daemons. You dare soil our lands with your presence. What are your plans here?"

"This one is stronger than us, brother."

"Yes, it would seem that we are quite under-classed on this match-up."

"You have done rambling between yourselves and will answer my questions or do you prefer my blade does the talking?" Caliber points his sword at the two. Patients running thin for the situation, but with the bigger threat of the White Reaper being about, He can't afford to be distracted nor waste his energy fighting these two.

"If we keep going at him, we will fail."

"Then perhaps we should start using our gifts to get the advantage."

Even after showing off the difference in power, the two seemed to still be eager to fight him. Caliber could not figure out what entailed them to continue with this trivial struggle. But he knew at least it had to be something bad, he prepared for the worst.

But even then, the cunningness of the duo daemons would be fruitful. The two begin to prepare for their next attack. The champion was about to face a simultaneous attack from his two opponents.

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[Daemon Race Skill: Eternal Burning, has been activated]

Two of those cursed flames fly at the champion. He knows better than to block both of them with his shield again, he could only face one at a time. However, he has other methods to defend himself.

[Champion Class Skill: Radiant Shield, has been activated.]

[Description: A magic shield of light that can block any magic or elemental attack. Can be classified as a Defense Skill, Shield Skill, or Light Skill]

It was ideal for the champion to have two shields by his side. By using both shields, they effectively protected him from the cursed flames. He tosses both shields from his person and two hands his sword so he could go on the assault again.

But something else happened. Something had just struck the chest of his armor. Whatever it was, it broke into reflective pieces and something splattered all over him, his armor, and his face. He could vaguely taste something on his lips.

"You dare throw wine at me? How dare you disrespect the Sword of the King, I'll personally sever your...heads...from..." The longer Caliber continued to rant away his anger, but he found it more and more of a struggle to move his tongue and lips. He could still make some form of noise, but without either tongue or lips, they only made strange unrecognizable noises that were trying to be words.

"The paralysis worked faster than expected, brother."

The two's bodies seemed to relax once they saw the shield of light disappear from the air, taking the flames with it. The other flames continued to burn against the actual shield. They approached their prey slowly, taking their time as if they did not need to rush. Caliber was furious at their laughter and tried his best to retaliate, but he was struggling to move.

The knight's distress intensified as his defensive equipment was being stripped away. Each piece of his prized armor lands with a thud on the grass. He noticed how their red hands gave a faint glow about them. A small hiss bothered his ears whenever they gripped the metal.

But then, "!", Knight tried to scream as he then felt one of their blades pierce his sides. And thanks to his inability to speak properly, the scream only seemed like more noise than a humane scream of pain. As he grits his teeth to bear from screaming, the two cackle with glee hearing the powerful enemy they were hesitant about was now at their mercy. The best part of their job for sure.

"He has the expression of a mere child."

"Like a child crying for their mother for help, no less. Pathetic."

"Let's see if he makes different cries depending on where we poke." The blade is being held in front of Caliber's eyes. The blade glistened brightly red from the moonlight reflecting from his blood. Hiding just how unnaturally rusted the blade was.

Caliber lost the ability to be aware of the time flow as he was helpless in feeling the various jabs from the blades. They weren't deep enough that they would result in his losing his life, the two daemons seemed to know to lighten the level of the stabs to assure he wouldn't faint from the pain stimulation or the blood loss.

At last, the daemons felt content in their amusement. "Ah, that was fun. But it is time we break the Sword of the King and be on our way." Caliber's fading mind was going in and out of the subconscious, and it appeared that they were on a time limit. His body quivered from the torment of having multiple cuts that stun from the nightly wind blowing over the horrific scene.

The two bicker with one another as they try to decide who will be the one to stab him in the heart. As they did, something else halted everything in its tracks. Something crashed into the yard with an even louder thud. It scared the two daemons that they let out a haunting hiss like a cat and leaped away from it. The crash shook the ground, causing the tormented soldier to stumble on his footing and fall.

"What was that?"

"Up there, brother!"

They look up toward the castle to find a figure fidgeting about in some walkway. Caliber could only move his eyes and guess what was in the corner of his vision, but he could see it was scaling the railings of one of the balconies.

"And who was that?"

I couldn't tell brother, but it looked like they had spotted us from the way they were running around like crazy.

With that said one of the daemons suddenly starts to scale the wall.

"Wha- what are you doing?"

"I'm going after them, you fool. If they alert everyone, we'll be dealing with the Royal Guards! We only had one for him. So get your red tail up here so we can kill them!" The other explained as he continued to climb. He was soon joined by the other.

"And what about him!? Are we just going to leave him here?"

"The paralysis will keep him in check until we get back. He should be like that within the hour."

Caliber was helpless as he watched his beloved home being invaded by daemons, despite his commitment to protecting it every day of his life. The unsettling experience of the nightmare was further intensified by the appearance of the White Reaper, adding an additional layer of intensity to the already distressing situation. Indeed, the White Reaper was an true omen just as people had claimed. After enduring multiple cuts, he finally found relief in the soft grass and couldn't resist the urge to rest for the night.