9

"You are our only hope now! Sober up, please," the rogue encouraged, lightly tapping Manald's cheeks to get her attention.

Pay turned to her. "Maybe this will help?"

The hunter withdrew a bottle with half-filled water. Pulling out the cork, he dumped the content over the stricken priestess, the water splashing over her lithe body. She suddenly jerked with a start unexpectedly, sending the rogue falling backwards. Water was dripping down her deep brown hair of shoulder-length, her holy robes soaking wet.

Manald's glare reflected her irritation, scanning each person who was the likely culprit.

"Err... If you don't mind, that was to get you out of your delirium. "

"Of everything else you have to get me wet!? You're –"

A resounding crash clearly rang through the air, cutting the irate priestess short. The hunter was relieved as the crash stopped what would have been, another fatal pinch or a palm over his cheeks.

Cerberus stood over the edge of the tower top, peering down below. The once mighty ice walls were now degenerated into puddles of water and miniature ice shards, clearing the previously sealed entrance. Expecting that to be the work of the four giants to exit the base, he immediately drew his two swords out in advance to engage in the hopeless battle. Instead, Skull came running out of the base, artfully crossing over the bone spikes he raised. Feeling the worry lifted off him, he returned to the group and relayed the news of Skull's safety.

Returning to the group was not his first decision. The assassin dashed across the arena square, leaping up the platform to where the announcer stood watching, totally mesmerized, not realizing that an assassin was standing just beside him.

A hot discussion about the assassin's leave from the arena slowly turned into a frenzy cheering.

Skull shook the announcer and grabbed him by the collars, instructing him to tell the king and the rest of the spectators to leave at once, for a group of demonic knights was going to terrorize this city and destroy it into smithereens.

The startled announcer, foolishly nodding his head, reached for his microphone. Soon after the announcement regarding the escape was made, the spectators were skeptical at first, thinking that this was a ploy to enhance the excitement, since this was the final round of guild wars before the king decided to re-open it.

However, all of their speculations were confirmed to be inaccurate, for the Abyss Knight came out, following behind were Stormy Knight, Doppelganger and the powerhouse of them all, Lord of Death.

The arena now looked like a large organization of ants desperately finding shelter from an oncoming storm. People jostled each other, trying to get out of the arena and run home as quickly as possible. The human stampede was furious, a handful were already injured from harsh elbowing and pushing.

The knights guarding King Tristan immediately formed a barricade around him, protecting him from the unexpected human traffic. Their heavy sense of duty had them ensuring their king's safety. Albeit the distance, it was as if even the presence of the four demons would hurt the king.

The arena was empty in a matter of minutes, the king immediately leaving after all the resident made their way out. King Tristan returned to his castle and held meetings with nobles and chiefs of respective Pronteran army departments without delay, warning them of the danger and requesting for immediate assembling of troops.

Skull ran back to the Sbanhealt base, but away from the four. Summoning once again the bone spikes up the walls, he used it as hand and footholds to reach the tower top.

Their hopes of escaping this arena were dashed as they overlooked the fact that a blue gemstone was needed to operate the spell successfully. Since they did not stock up on gemstones, they now sat in despair, the rogue and alchemist cursing incessantly. Manald then whined in irritation for she was soaked for naught, sending an acid state at the hunter's way. Fearing the attack, Pay went over to Cerberus, using him as his shield.

A noise that sounded like bones splintering apart alerted the group, jerking their heads towards the source of disturbance. The group readied themselves, brandishing axes and swords, words to a spell forming, arrows notched. White hair was what they saw at first. Then a lean figure hoisted itself over the ledge, landing gracefully, and silently. The latter made the group put away their weapons, for they knew too well that was none other than Skull.

He cut short of those who started to speak, hurling a couple of blue gemstones to Manald.

"Quick, the others need to be warned."

The group gave the assassin an appreciative nod, except for the rogue who marveled at him for saving them from their predicament.

Manald clasped one of the two gemstones in her fist, then spoke her destination. A blue, magical pillar shot up before them, the shifting colors half dazzled them. One by one they stepped into the blue pillar, the portal closing up after the last person stepped through.

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The blare of a prolonged horn signified the presence of hostility within the city, spurring the Prontera army into action. The Chiefs left their barracks for the main castle, where the king resided, not before ordering their men to stop their drills and gear themselves for the battle.

The acolytes and priests in the church too made preparations, memorizing and recalling the incantations as to how the spell works, to ensure that they would not falter at the last minute. Monks were rarely recruited into the Pronteran army, since most of them were wandering around Midgard in their own quests and adventures. The few monks in the church polished their knuckle weapons, proudly slotting it over the fists, knocking both fists against each other to display a brief demonstration of the damage they were going to inflict. Many carried with them a spare fist since the knuckle weapon they were using currently usually breaks, an aftermath of the devastating extremity fist.

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Meanwhile, the arena was being destroyed as the four wrecked destruction upon it, sending base after base collapsing into a heap of stones. Tall beams lay broken by the pathways, debris showering over the square. The ground the four treaded was no longer the white marble, but layers of stones. Flags smeared with dirt fell from poles, some even torn into shreds from the sheer ferocity of the spawns.

Stormy Knight, Doppelganger, Abyss Knight and the Lord of Death marched on, their next destination the Prontera square.