Chapter 22: Pulsation

"Blades ready!"

Daniel raised his saber. Behind him were divisions of knights that had managed to break through the screen of undead that appeared out of nowhere as they always have. In front of them lined a throng of claymore-wielding raydrics. The hollow suits of armor have blockaded them there, on the monastery grounds just as they arrived.

The knight turned his head to look at all the soldiers behind him. They were fewer compared to the massive raydric force before them. Other knights and priests were lined up on the field while hunters and wizards were on the monastery battlements.

"7th Knight Division, to the flank and….what the hell is that?"

Daniel lowered his saber and stared in astonishment. A towering silver-armored humanoid creature astride a white stallion rode in front of the raydrics.

'So that's the Lord of Death?'

The Lord of Death approached them. A silver lance gleamed in his gauntleted hand. He began to speak.

"All who still fights for Glastheim…I am giving you one ample chance to surrender to my will…or perish."

Before anyone could react, the battlements and crenellated walls of the monastery were lined with hunters and a hail of arrows rained down on the Lord of Death.

Daniel raised his weapon once again.

'Inara…'

"Petty fools…you leave me with no choice…"

The raydrics charged and the Lord of Death raised his silver lance. Sparks erupted from its tip and broke off several arrows before they could hit their targets.

"Kael!"

From the screen of charging raydrics coming from almost everywhere, a mounted one emerged. This raydric was filled with blazing purple flames and his eyes were orbs of violet stones.

Daniel looked at it in awe as it rode ahead of the raydrics with a burning sword raised.

"No one is allowed to quit until Lord Necron and the entire wizards come! For the glory of Glastheim!"

The knights charged head on. Daniel's horse trampled down the nearest raydric while the knight swung his saber on another, slicing through its breastplate.

Another screen of arrows brought down several raydrics while shards of icy death concentrated on the eastern flank where khalitzburgs were charging from.

Another raydric collapsed as Daniel withdrew his saber from its helm. The knight caught a glimpse of the burning raydric before slicing past more steel. This raydric had just punched through a group of knights, killing some of them in the process. Its burning sword shone brightly in the air.

'Damn! What is that thing?'

The knight swung his saber at a raydric who was about to decapitate a priest. The oridecon blade cleaved cleanly the suit of armor. Daniel had just taken out his sword from the elunium plate when a charred corpse fell on the ground in front of him. The burning raydric astride his spectral mount had just impaled him.

Daniel fixed his stare on that particular raydric. It wasn't ordinary…it was something more powerful. Beside him, a knight was just thrown off his horse and impaled by a raydric while another leaped in front of him and cleaved his head off.

'I have to do something…'

The brown-haired knight yelled and charged towards the burning raydric who also noticed him and raised its burning sword in answer. To Daniel's surprise, the raydric spoke.

"I salute your bravery, mortal…but it's over."

The voice was cold, hollow, and metallic. Closely similar to the Lord of Death's.

Daniel had just ducked a blow from the raydric and thrust his saber at its helm. The knight twisted the blade and pulled it out.

"Fool…"

The burning sword swung down at him but he had just raised his shield just in time to deflect the attack. The knight's attack was almost useless.

"Who exactly are you?"

The amethysts that serve as the raydric's eyes flashed menacingly.

"I have a name…I was once Kael Lukerion but now…address me as Raydric General!"

"Kael…so this is what you have become!"

"Enough!"

A gauntleted fist flew straight at Daniel's face and flung him and his mount several feet backward. Raydric General's eyes flashed once more.

"Only doom awaits you in the side of mortals! This is the time for immortality's rise!"

Blood sprayed in the air as the burning raydric charged. Daniel braced himself as the burning sword gleamed in the air. That was when an orb of lightning flew out of nowhere and blasted Raydric General off the ground.

"Huh? Where did that…?"

The knight turned to the direction of the one who cast the spell. He sighed in relief as he saw who the caster was.

"Ahrandia…"

Ahrandia Rousse was a wizardress serving as a current acting commander of the rag-tag remnants of the wizards. Long copper hair fell to her back and her sharp blue eyes fixed on the knight. Her hands crackled with magic.

"Then this means…"

More wizards were lined up on the battlements and the field as well. Icy and flaming bolts rained on the charging raydrics.

"Daniel, he's still in!"

Raydric General sprang out from where he was and lunged at Daniel who wasn't prepared this time. The burning blade struck him on his side, barely missing any organs.

"Damn…you!"

The knight's saber was driven deep down the burning raydric's helm once again but it didn't achieve anything, just like before. Another orb of lightning flew towards the raydric and caught him off guard.

Daniel clutched his wound as soon as Raydric General was blasted away again. The pain was excruciating. It was as if the purple flames were still in there, burning his flesh.

All of a sudden, there was the sound of a horn.

"Retreat? Us?"

……………………………………………….

Inara launched an arrow at a raydric which fell into a pile of metal before she looked down at the monastery grounds. The knights were retreating and so were the raydrics.

"Retreat? But we were so close…"

"Hunter Commander."

A hunter from her division came.

"We are ordered to move out of here. All cavalry, infantry, and support teams are to head to the interior of Glastheim and regroup."

"Regroup? We already have."

"This group, at least. Majority of Glastheim's forces have been annihilated and the rest were scattered. We'll need all personnel available."

Inara returned her gaze at the grounds.

"Daniel…"

…………………………………………..

"Next time, Kael…"

Necron placed zweihander in his back. His elunium hand clenched and unclenched, ready to crush any raydric that would come close.

"Lord Knight Necron!"

The lord knight turned to see who had called him.

"Sir Daniel…are the forces accounted for?"

Daniel nodded.

"Lord Knight, why are we retreating?"

"Some dolt in the chain of command again…"

The dark-haired lord knight glanced at his forces that were marching towards the cityscape. It was only a matter of time before many more would soon be slaughtered.