Five. There were supposed to be five of them, that much Argent understood from the meta-knowledge the students of X13 possessed from the onset. It was valuable information to be sure, knowing the number of the enemy, but there were deeper factors to be considered given the type. War Shadows were not like a spider, or a ghoul. They were not objectively the same creature, bordering on carbon copies of one another. They were like people.
Or, perhaps more accurately, what remained of ‘people’ after shreds of a departed soul had been steeped in darkness, bloodthirst, and hate. War Shadows were said to be the remnants of warrior’s sins left behind after they died, a boon of forgiveness and absolution for the deceased, but quite a nuisance for the still living. As such, they retained a vague sense of self. Of preference. Skill. Their shadowed forms representing a spectre of the fighter they had once been.
The warbling silhouette which appeared before Argent blocked the {Alchemist}’s view with a heavy roundshield, an axe primed to strike from behind. Bringing his sword to bear, he managed to catch the axe by the haft and absorb the blow. It was more powerful than he had hoped, drawing an unintentional grunt out of him as his shoulders strained against the pressure until a sudden outward push from the Shadow’s shield threw him back.
“Switch, I’ve got you!”
Gauge’s voice grabbed Argent’s attention as the {Rogue} darted in to engage the shadow, hooking the edge of the entity’s shield with one of his own hand axes and attempting to pull it downwards whilst angling the axe in his second hand for the Shadow’s wrist. It was more than enough to allow Argent the time he needed to regain his sense of their surroundings, emerald eyes flitting over the ongoing battle.
Five War Shadows, as expected… But.
“This composition is bad for us.”
He uttered under his breath to no-one in particular as he observed the Shadows. Despite the fact that Seren was currently engaged with a Shadow wielding a pair of twin daggers, this battle was not going to be the outright brawl the dragonkin had been pining for. In the back, along the walls, three of their opponents kept at range to make use of a Longbow, a Crossbow, and..
“There’s a caster! Be careful!”
Matthias’ shout finished Argent’s thoughts, as the robed boy took notice of the Shadow armed with a wand and staff. No sooner than the words hit the air did the entity’s armaments take on an ethereal purple glow, siphoning energy around the head of the staff.
“Sanctuary! Matthias, sanctuary! Quickly!”
The {Priest} tensed for a moment, struggling to process the words. He closed his eyes on instinct, breathing deep into a trance for a few seconds before suddenly shaking himself loose of it as though remembering. Forcing his eyes open wide, he raised his hands in a praying gesture and began to speak.
“Tehlemul Elohs’ne.. Ne.. Tharo..”
He stumbled over the cardinal language, quickly losing confidence as he went. The sudden cut of an arrow whipping past did nothing to improve his concentration.
“Matthias.”
The {Alchemist} pressed desperately, knowing the stress wouldn’t help things along but unable to keep silent as he stared into the building pulse of darkness manifesting from the Shadow caster’s art. The {Priest} swallowed hard, trying to stop the shaking of his hands by clasping them fully together rather than tenting them. Again he started, then faltered. The syllables were foreign and the intonations difficult. Even though he remembered the command in theory, speaking it aloud was a challenge all its own.
Argent was starting to panic. His mind raced for other options as he stepped forward, about to grab Seren and Gauge by the shoulders when the shine of golden light crept over the ground like daybreak cresting the peak of a mountain.
“Tehlemul Elohs'ne tharota'sa rais, imale pwen lavos ekinho ohm rjou logias!”
The words came not a moment too soon. The effects of [Sanctuary] overtaking the group only seconds before the Shadow’s art released, sending a wave of darkness through the garden ruins. It was not unlike Gauge’s [Shadow Spew], only more concentrated, sharper. More akin to a bladed nova surging out from the point of origin rather than a deadly fog. It crashed against the translucent barrier of pure light, shuddering briefly before redirecting around it.
“Kioku’s tits, we’re going to have to do something about that.”
Gauge chimed in entirely unnecessarily– though not a soul disagreed with him– It was unnecessary only because it was so obvious. Dealing with an enemy that could use arts was not a battle the group had been anticipating, and War Shadows were not weak monsters.
“You’re going to do something about that.”
Argent instructed, giving the {Rogue} a look as he pulled him back to take his place on the front. Gripping his sword tightly and trying not to think about the humidity and sweat slicking his palms as he waited for the protective sheen of [Sanctuary] to fade away.
“Matthias can imbue your bow with his arts, and you’ll return fire at that caster.”
“Got it.”
“Seren, you should switch with Shizuka. We need your [Sacred Shield] to stop us from eating arrows.”
“Huh?!”
Her blades flashed against the War Shadow the exact moment the [Sanctuary] faded, one edge managing to bite deep against the body of the spectre as the other clashed against its daggers. The dragonkin balked incredulously at the suggestion that she would withdraw from the fight she had buried herself into, clearly unwilling to consider the idea.
“I'm in the vanguard so I'm fighting at the front! Why should I have to swap back?”
As if in answer, a bolt from the War Shadow’s crossbow tore through their formation only to be stopped by Remelia. It was clearly intended for Matthias now that the {Priest} had identified his role. He had just finished the command for [Lesser Divine Edge] when the {Rune-Knight} caught the offending projectile on the flat of her greatsword, the boon falling over Gauge’s bow and arrows with a steady glow. The {Rogue} spun on the spot and readied his weapon, drawing a shot and returning fire at the crossbow Shadow causing it to flit away briefly.
“The caster, Gauge! Suppress the caster!”
Argent reiterated, struggling to give concise commands as he was battered by the battle axe of the War Shadow he was facing. The light weight and nimble profile of his sidesword was not well suited to directly blocking such a hefty weapon, and finding space to parry was difficult when bringing himself out of line with the enemy opened him up to be shot. Anytime he stepped just the slightest bit past the outline of his opponent a bolt or arrow would be there to greet him.
The Shadows were coldly effective at maintaining their pressure, alternating fire between themselves as they reloaded and occasionally mixing in uses of [Salvo] and [Splinter Shot]. The latter was proving particularly troublesome, wearing the party down with small wounds as the affected bolts exploded into fine shrapnel even if they initially missed. Argent stumbled beneath the weight of a heavy strike from his opponents axe, saved from a critical blow only by Shizuka's intervention as the {Kunoichi} swung the weight of her kusarigama around the head of the axe, pulling it sharply to the side and causing it to glance past his arm.
Despite being faithfully protected by Remelia from his position in the back, Matthias was struggling to keep up with the amount of incremental damage that was stacking up. Lacking healing arts which could be used for multiple targets, the smaller wounds were actually costing the {Priest} time and efficiency as he had no choice but to either ignore the injury until more significant damage had been sustained, or to address it using an art which was more powerful than required.
“Seren!”
“I’m fighting here!”
The dragonkin snapped angrily in response, clearly growing irate with the situation at hand. Not only from Argent harrying her, but from the spintering bombardment and her dagger wielding opponent. She was matching the War Shadow blow for blow, infact it was likely she would have held an edge over her opponent had it been a simple one on one; but the wider mechanics of a team battle were tipping in the Shadow's favour. Something which her instincts seemed to know, but her rapidly narrowing tunnel vision refused to acknowledge.
“We’re all fighting!”
Argent barked back, flinching as an arrow finally found purchase in his left leg. The shaft was thick and heavy despite its incorporeality, right up until the moment it faded from existence. Blood gushed from the wound as Shizuku guided him back, taking over his opponent as Gauge swore behind them, an arrow protruding from his shoulder also.
The {Rogue} had managed to win his firefight against the caster, keeping the War Shadow in question effectively out of the battle until he had been able to catch it off guard with a well timed activation of [Soul Weapon], blasting it apart. Matthias moved dutifully forward as Gauge was struck, the command for [Lay on Hands] fresh upon his lips as he pushed his palms against the {Rogue}’s shoulder.
“Rahel val tjii taalfei kor'nhe yjii salvi, Ambris.”
“Thanks for that.”
Gauge breathed, rolling his shoulder for a brief moment before leveling his bow and looking to engage with the two ranged War Shadows once more. Matthias nodded and turned his attention to Argent, where the {Alchemist} knelt to keep the weight off his bad leg whilst desperately attempting to utilize [Lesser Barrier]s to protect Shizuka from catching a potshot, all the while yelling at Seren.
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“Yadiel tau kor– Ah!”
Matthias flinched, stepping back in alarm as Remelia appeared in front of him to knock another arrow away, and the startle cost him the beginning of a [Lesser Regeneration] meant for Argent. His mind swam, vision tunneling slightly as he watched the {Alchemist} doing his best to ward off projectiles with small ripples of force. It was clearly difficult with such a low tier barrier, effectively trying to stop arrows that were moving so quickly they could barely be seen with something no bigger than a dinner plate, but Argent’s determination fueled his own. Sweat rolled down Matthias’ face as he tried to find the words again, realizing that he had been holding his breath.
“Ignore the enemy.”
Remelia’s voice was soft and flat, yet there was a lingering sternness in it this time.
“W-what?”
“Do your job. Trust me to do mine.”
“Ah.. I’m sorry– I mean, I’m trying– I mean.. Right. I will.”
Remelia nodded, not looking back at the {Priest}. The deep black of her eyes fixed steadily on the combat before her, as dark as the shadows they followed with focused precision. Despite her typically docile nature there was something in her pupiless eyes that frightened Matthias, there always had been, but in this moment he drew a sense of security from those fierce orbs of black.
A developing trust which bordered on awe as she halted yet another incoming attack as though she were batting away a fly, stopping the War Shadow armed with daggers from splitting his throat down two sides as it blinked past the struggling frontline to assassinate their healer. Her greatsword caught the blow in a hard cross, bounding the momentum back upon itself before striking the enemy with her offhand. For the briefest moment the darkness began to fold, twisting and fading as though meaning to allow her punch to pass harmlessly through, before the sudden activation of [Ki Pulse] struck the Shadow like a cannon and sent it hurtling away. Remelia released a long, slow breath as she returned to her stance, looking as intimidating as someone could at a standing height of four-foot six.
Determined not to fall short of his part, the {Priest} raised his hands towards Argent and completed the command for his arts.
“Yadiel tau kor'nhe kevirah paeras denase, raghant'sa rahnapt.”
[Lesser Regeneration] sank into the {Alchemist}, offering relief from the pain and staunching the bleeding. Gauge had managed to shoot down another of the distant Shadows, and the dagger wielding foe did not appear to recover from Remelia’s blow ontop of the damage it had sustained from its combat with Seren. The dragonkin in question was glaring angrily at the {Rune-Knight}, clearly frustrated that her opponent had juked her and that the smaller girl had ‘stolen’ her kill.
She huffed and turned to Shizuka, gesturing for the {Kunoichi} to back out so she could engage the Shadow with the battle axe and shield. They had gained enough of a numbers advantage now that it should have been fine, but Argent was still frustrated with her refusal to cooperate with the team.
“Seren, let Shizuka and I handle it. We can double up on it while you protect everyone from incoming fire.”
But the {Wild Talent} had already charged at the Shadow, driving it back enough that she could force its attention onto herself. Shizuka looked at Argent wordlessly, letting her kusarigama go slack as she shook her head. This only irritated the {Alchemist} more.
“Seren. Seren!”
He grabbed her shoulder, and she shook him off angrily. Both of them were forced to sidestep as the Shadow unleashed a wide cleaving attack, and Seren hissed.
“What the hell are you trying to do?”
Her words burnt in Argent’s ears. He could feel his face flush with embarrassment and anger, knowing full well this wasn’t a wise time or place to be petty, but if he didn’t argue with her now then later wouldn’t matter. There was no point trying to beat sense into her after she had already gotten her way. She was too stubborn to learn anything like that, she’d never accept or retain the point. The only way to get through to her was to be just as stubborn as she was.
The party watched in surprise as Argent grabbed the dragonkin and literally threw her backwards and away from the War Shadow, engaging the monster himself.
“What are YOU trying to do? We’re here to practice as a team!”
“What the hell?!”
Seren sputtered, wiping the ground off her face as she stumbled back up to her feet after being unexpectedly tossed. Argent barely heard her. He was venting his anger into every stroke of his sword, every cut, every play. His skills were being polished in the heat of his fury, thrust into the din of battle like a forge. He was forcing the War Shadow back, countering at every turn, until a haphazard darkness overtook the sky.
A wave of arrows– or bolts to be more precise– amplified by an art. The members of X13 looked on in horror as some variation of what could only be [Arrow Rain] painted the sky black. Matthias channeled a [Sanctuary], casting a golden sheen over himself and Remelia. Gauge managed to step forward, grabbing Shizuka before the {Kunoichi} could respond and pulling her into the effect as he dove in himself. The four of them watched in stunned silence as the next few seconds bled into eternity, passing far too slowly and yet in an instant.
Seren’s head swiveled between the [Sanctuary] and Argent, and then up towards the sky. She froze in place, stuck with indecision and a clear level of fear that was uncharacteristic for her. It was possible she could have made it to either destination had she activated [Lesser Haste] or utilized some of her other mobility arts, but instead she remained fixed to the spot.
In front of her, Argent drove the length of his blade into the War Shadow’s throat, cutting to the side and causing the entity to drop. As its figure melted away, his eyes truly found the sky for the first time, widening in realization… And then deadening in utter resignation, dim with a cold knowledge and acceptance of what was about to happen.
Of course it would go like this.
Seren watched those hollow eyes as they began to turn, staring directly through her as the rain of arrows descended. She watched, mouth open in a silent scream, as Argent was feathered with over a dozen black projectiles– one or two nearly striking her as well before she instinctively acknowledged what he had been telling her to do the entire time.
Argent’s fading vision fixed itself upon Seren as the girl manifested a phalanx of [Sacred Shields] above herself. He wasn’t sure if it was the damage or the pain that was robbing him of consciousness, but whatever the case he knew he was falling. He’d done it again. How many times was this? How many ways had he let this happen? It was a truly bad habit to be developing, or so he told himself as the ground rushed to meet him, and yet… All he could truly think about was how glad he was that the others had managed to protect themselves.
*****
Was he taking a nap? It felt like he was sleeping, but something told Argent that wasn’t quite right somehow. There was a memory of pain and stress at the edge of his mind, faded and blotchy. Enough so that he forgot it as soon as he remembered it, and occasionally remembered it after he forgot. His body felt stiff as though he were laying on stone or a hard wooden floor. Gradually he moved his arms out to the sides, grasping at the textured feeling around him, small lines in the hard ground. Everything was cold. He didn’t want to open his eyes, even as sounds began to swim in his head. Muted at first, but growing clearer and clearer, until they became a familiar voice.
“Well now, welcome back! I must say, you’ve quite the guts for someone who isn’t meant for the frontline.”
Instructor Cyrel’s energetic words broke Argent free from himself, and he sat up before even thinking about what he was doing. His hands fell immediately to his chest and felt his torso up and down for holes as a vision of innumerable arrows flashed through his fragmented memory, but there were no wounds to be found. Looking around, he realized he was in the unchanged room of the proving grounds, Instructor Cyrel standing over him as his classmates gathered around– all save for Seren– who was in the far corner of the room looking absolutely abysmal. Her head snapped in the direction of the group as soon as she heard Cyrel’s voice, and Argent could see even at a distance that her eyes were puffy and red.
“No worries, though! Matthias here is quite the capable one. Barely even needed my help.”
“T-thats.. Not true. You literally gave him a–”
“Ah, ah! You did great. Kept him more than alive. I’m very impressed.”
Instructor Cyrel cut the {Priest} off, patting him on the shoulder as he looked down over the group, beaming as he stopped at Remelia. She tipped her head at him in her typical way, and he winked.
“Your Grandfather will be very jealous I got to see you in action! In fact, ah.. Maybe I won’t tell him. He might well have me tanned for not inviting him to watch.”
“Argent!”
The small talk was obliterated as Seren flung herself into the circle of students, all but tackling Argent back to the cold stone floor as she latched onto him.
“Gods, are you back to crying?”
Gauge snorted, earning a rare dirty look from Shizuka as their dragonkin classmate burst into a stream of tearful apologies.
“Argent, i’m sorry.. I should have listened! I.. I was.. I only wanted to..! I didn’t think..”
Argent sat in silence as Seren fumbled her thoughts around, finding that he was torn between reassuring the girl and reprimanding her. It was clear that she had agonized over what had happened, but he wanted to drive the lesson home. He wanted it to stick even after her tears dried and her eyes were no longer swollen.
“You almost got me killed, Seren.”
He stated sharply, immediately feeling guilty when he felt the girl’s entire body tighten up like she had been struck. It was only half true in the first place, as if he was being entirely honest, much of the blame fell upon him for instigating the way he had. If he’d just left her alone things probably would have been fine, realistically he created the vast majority of the problem himself by choosing to fight with her during an actual battle… Leveraging it against her now was a little cruel, but… What was the point otherwise?
“I wasn’t trying to.. I didn’t..”
“Seren, when we’re in combat, we have to work together. All of us. Our roles might not always be the same in every situation. Even if we planned a certain way beforehand, who knows what could change in the moment? We have to practice teamwork, and flexibility, and be willing to cover gaps.”
The girl in question sniffled loudly before raising her head to look Argent in the eyes, nodding.
“..I understand.”
“Good. I understand your side, too. I know you have reasons for wanting to fight and grow, but a group encounter is different from a solo one. We needed you and you were being selfish. The point was for all of us to come together, not for you to fight alone.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“I’m sure everyone forgives you. We all want you to be part of the team.”
Seren tentatively turned around to face the rest of her classmates, who each nodded or offered some sign of affirmation. Hurriedly standing up and pushing herself away from Argent, she wiped her eyes one last time and nodded in return.
“Right! So.. Can we, uh.. Can we try again?”
She fidgeted under the weight of the gazes she received, but gave a hopeful look to Instructor Cyrel. The young {Hunter-Killer} was smiling ear to ear as he put a hand to his chin in a pantomime of thought.
“Hmm, well…”
He tapped his fingers a few times against his skin, his tail wagging behind him in loud swoops.
“I suppose you do have a little over a half hour left. And if no one else needs the room, I can bump it up… So long as your party is in agreement.”