16
After relaying the news, the young boy went past them, heading for the castle as quickly as possible, for time is running out. On his way into the entrance, he knocked into a small group of merchants, who began ranting at him for knocking their goods all over. He wanted to run away, but one of the merchants grabbed him by the scuffle. The boy pleaded him to let him go, for he had important message to deliver. Shoving some coins into the merchant's hands as compensation, he broke free and ran ahead.
A monk just outside Prontera watched all these while, rubbing his chins thoughtfully. The wizard's attitude towards him before he left was simply intolerable, his ire arising every time he thought of it. He was sure that wizard headed for Geffen, after that boy told him earlier on that the city was under attack by the Lord of Death and three other demon knights.
'So… those four fools went seeking for Geffen after they left,' he thought. He would not just let him off like that. No matter what, he did not want to let the wizard foil his plans. The wizard must be made use of since he suggested this, jeopardizing the world.
"Master Tien, do we get our bribes to work?" Wart asked formally.
"Do not. I'll take care of him," the monk leader replied softly. "Come, we'll go to Geffen. See what that fool of a wizard can do."
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By the time he arrived, what Sagi saw was a scene of chaos and horribly wounded wizards. About a third of the entire wizard army was annihilated, leaving the rest to work doubly hard. The four giants crushed everything in sight as they crossed into the main square of Geffen. Things were very gloomy for the former proud city of magic, now being overrun by demons.
Sagi ran down the staircase of the north entrance and joined the battle. Many wizards who were fighting cared little about the renegade wizard, for their minds were only bent on defending the city. Moreover, Sagi was on their side, at least there was an addition to the army. The hunters had already fallen, the walls felled by the mighty Lord of Death himself.
Sagi focused on the ecstacy of magic coursing through his body, the chants for the spell forming in his mind. He clasped the twin-ring necklace in his hands, which he realized that it could somehow add more force to his spells, much to his confusion. The two rings began to glow suddenly, the black ring darkening into an impenetrable blackness, and the silver one shining an unwavering gleam brighter than that of the Lord of Death.
He pointed his fingers at a group of goblins, bolts of flames disintegrating them into ashes. A small number of wizards started at Sagi, shouting that the accursed wizard had come, which they thought was a bad omen. The outcast heard them, but pretended not to hear them. Sharp bolts of ice came raining, piercing the demons body, freezing them.
The mobs of demons that had been advancing at a very fast speed fell at Sagi's magic. He gathered that these spells would not help in the long run, he had to cast something that would affect a large area, to buy themselves more time.
He pulled out a flask of potion from his robes, the potion mixed by Piffy to him. Made from blue herbs, blue potion, herbs from the rare Shining plant and Yggsdrasil fruit, he took a sip, which was already enough to boost his energy two fold. Feeling charged up, he mustered all his energies he ever could. Directing it to the approaching mobs of nightmares and zombies, he called forth the uncontrollable powers of nature. It started with a violent gale, sweeping away public properties, slowing the demons down.
The wizards shielded themselves as the gale began howling madly, evolving into a destructive storm that froze everything in its wake. The petite goblins were swept off their feet, succumbing into swirling cyclones. All the goblins were only spinning madly at first, but slowly the growing force of the storm ripped them apart. Their brown hide and bones were scattered all over the city by the gale, drawing mesmerized looks from the wizard army.
The storm froze the nightmares into case of ice, rendering them helpless. The ghostly horses neighed in agony as the storm tortured them, degenerating them into ashes. The duration of the storm was more than enough to wipe out most of the demon mobs. The remaining wizard army took over following the storm, casting spells with renewed strength. The last score of zombies cleared, the four were displeasured at the loss of their mobs in a single storm.
"That's quite impressive for our friend there, wiping out those demons single-handedly," Tien said. The Overlords stepped out of the portal, which situated them at the heart of Geffen. Before them were dozens of wizard trying to rejuvenate themselves with potions and herbs, Sagi standing tall among them. A handful of them changed their opinion towards him, acknowledging him as the hero of the battle. But the black-robed wizard reminded them that the four were still around, that they still must not let their guard down.
Tien leaped off the stairs to the base where Sagi stood clutching his chest painfully, leaning against the stair rail.
"Fantastic job, Zeus. But, this is not over. You will aid us in our plans, wizard."
Sagi took a deep breath and stood up straight, staring the monk straight in the eye.
"Banish your thoughts, monk. I've made up my mind, and you can't do a damn thing about it."
Tien's eyes glowered in rage, then slugged the wizard on the jaw. Sagi fell onto the floor, stunned by the punch in his jaw. The Raenore brothers pinned his arms down, ensuring that he could not cast any spells without waggling his fingers. Tien stepped over the wizard, planting his foot on his chest.
"I shall do it this way then."
The wizard squirmed and struggled in vain, for the knight brothers were too strong. Tien stomped him on the chest, stopping his struggles. The monk reached down and took his jaws in his hands, squeezing it tightly. He was about to say something more, but a spit cut him off. Tien punched Sagi on the bridge of the nose, the blow immediately had blood flowing out instantly.
"Tien, run! The… the," Elemire screamed.
"What?"
"Master Tien! The Lord of Death is coming for us with new mobs!" Agis shouted.
Sagi took this opportunity to strike. He yelled words of a spell in fury, an invisible force driving the two knight brothers to the ground, stunned. Opium and Tien hauled the wizard up to attack him, but the spell came faster. Two globes of electricity blasted the two backwards, flying over the staircase and onto the floor.
Seeing the sudden turn of events, Von readied a spell. Sagi felt the earth shift underneath him, then shot up. He flew a few feet into the air, pummelling hard face-first. The injured wizard did not back down. He pointed his fingers at the other wizard, encasing him in a pillar of magical flame. Von screamed as the heat seared his skin and his body, the heat augmenting. His hair was singed, producing wisps of smoke. Sagi spoke again, the pillar of flame disappeared, replaced by a case of ice that trapped Von in it.
He wanted to ignore the Overlords and return to the battle to fight off a fresh mob of demons so Agis said. His horrors were realized when the army that had been there a moment ago lay dead, a phantom swordsman wiping his bloody scimitar on a piece of cloth torn off a robe. Abyss and Storm stood near Doppelganger, looking over the area as if pleased with their work. The great silver knight, Death, diverted his attention to Sagi, the wizard responsible for wiping out the mob of demons earlier.
A fresh mob of demons had indeed been summoned again, most of them surrounding the wizard and the Overlords. The rest were sealing off the entrances, in case someone was attempting to leave. The Overlords stared uneasily at each other, clattering their teeth in fear. Sagi struggled to stand up, but he just could not do so. The spell casting and the presence of the four left him debilitated, his exhales coming out loudly.
'I ain't going to die just like that. Not by these foul demons. If I didn't suggest this, Geffen would not be in this plight,' he thought miserably.
He started to hate the Overlords. They poached him over and how gullible was he to even to trust them readily. It was because of them that his home had to be destroyed! He produced the bottle of potion, and drank the remaining. The potion started to take effect, the overdose of it energising him beyond limit. His body began glowing with magical energy, his fingertips sizzling with lightning.
His body suddenly numbed, his temples pulsing madly. Even though words to a spell did not form in any way in his mind, a pang of confidence overflowed in him. Gathering himself back to his feet, he raised his hands.
"Come forth, the might of the burning hells and rage of flaming earth!"
The ground expanded and cracked, fissures forming near the mob of demons. The world seemed to become white, a bright blinding light making them cower. From the cracks in the ground came large beams of energy, a series of explosions decimating a few scores of demons. Thick jets of fire flew up beneath the hesitating mobs haphazardly, burning them alive, the ashes from dissipated nightmares fluttering around.
The guild took cover, shielding themselves from stray debris flying in all directions. Death slammed his sword on the ground in frustration, seeing that the wizard had to spoil his plans no matter how many times he summoned. The fresh mobs were reduced tremendously, most of them killed by the catastrophic Lord of Vermillion.
Abyss looked over to Death knowingly, gesturing for him to unleash something beyond his customary zombie mob. The great silver knight held his massive sword with the blade pointing downwards, both hands clasping the hilt. Murmuring in a demonic tongue, he waved his sword across, encompassing the city.
The corpse of the previous mob of demons came to life, but it was not something the Overlords and Sagi expected. The animated demons started evolving into larger version of zombies, their skin stripes of black, muscles and veins bulged out of their foul skin. Each of them carried a club, enough to kill more than one person at once in a single swipe even though it looked like any other normal clubs.
Sagi knew he had to escape. One of these zombie masters might already pose as a serious threat, let alone mobs of them. A warp portal must be opened to ferry them out of here, before they became their dinner. He looked frantically for Tien, for he was the only person capable of doing so. However, the monk was nowhere to be found. He only saw the rest of the Overlords crouching near the stairs, they too looking for a way to flee, although it was practically impossible.
A zombie master hurled a club aimed at Sagi's head. He ducked as it went sailing over him harmlessly. The rest of the zombie masters, seeing this attack, started closing in. The Raenore brothers plucked up their courage after Elemire managed to kill two zombie masters with her Ballista. The two knights ran for the nearest one, attempting an overhead hit.
Doppelganger laughed out in amusement, for he saw the zombie master smash the club in one of the knight's abdoment, denting the lower portion of the armour. Wart's helm split apart when a zombie flung its mace at it, hitting true. His head bled, but he fought on. Elemire fired more bolts, felling a few zombie masters who tried a sneak attack behind the knight brothers.
Sagi wanted to help badly, but the Lord of Vermillion left him weak and helpless. His eyelids hung heavily, but he fought it. His first worry was the whereabouts of the monk. He had to look for Tien, before they could escape this place. The zombie masters would definitely overwhelm them if he was to delay any further.
His hopes were raised when he finally saw the monk. Tien dashed out of his hideout, kicking the closest zombie master in the stomach. His Kaiser Knuckles connected next, rendering it unconscious. Forced by such overwhelming mobs of zombie masters that could not be underestimated, it was time to unleash the potent slam of the fist-power.
Tien loud out a battle cry when his body began to turn scarlet. His skin, his face, his whole body became a bloody red, an adrenaline pulsing through him. His pupils suddenly glowed in green, zig-zags of lightning circling his frame. He waited until his fists swelled with power, then he knelt down.
Tien pounded his fists onto the ground, driving deep into the earth. Zombies after zombies fell dead instantly following the death blow from the fist. Sagi swore after watching Tien execute the indispensable art of all monks, the Asura Strike. He knew this would deplete his energy, which meant he might not be able to open a portal.
The angry zombie masters began to charge at them. Agis and Wart were unable to suppress such attack. Opium saw the danger and ran to their aid, throwing bags of zeny to the mob. Bright golden light flared, blinding the zombies momentarily. Elemire fitted four bolts at once, releasing them. She could not afford to shoot one at a time, this way it would not affect the zombie masters much.
Von's spells did not prove effective, for the zombie masters were much more resistant to magic than the smaller zombies. He shouted for the semi-conscious Tien to open a portal, but the loud gurgling of the zombie masters drowned his words. The next thing he knew, a club went down his head, smashing his skull. The wizard fell dead.
"They're taking too long to finish that bunch of them. We don't have a lot of time to spare watching a circus," Doppelganger said. The phantom swordsman went into the zombie mob at ghostly speed, cutting the zombies that blocked his way. A pathway was cleared, allowing him to reach the first few, the Raenore brothers and Opium.
The three were busy fighting off the zombies until they did not realize Doppelganger participating in the battle. Since his speed was unequalled, they knew they were doomed. The scimitar of Doppelganger worked in a flash, and the two knight brothers dropped limb, blood pouring out of a heart wound. Opium produced another bag of zeny to blind the swordsman, but still, Doppelganger beat him to it. The bag of zeny flew from his hands when the scimitar slashed his hands, then impaled the blacksmith's heart before he could even try to defend.
"No!" Tien mumbled as he watch his guild mates die one by one before his eyes. Even though he lacked the energy to walk, he was determined to prevent Elemire from suffering the same fate.
A bolt grazed Doppelganger's arm. He looked to see a huntress aiming another bolt at his heart. Sneering to himself, he ran around at shadowy speed, the huntress unable to identify his exact spot. Tien, knowing well that he had not the energy to open a portal, submitted his fate. He moved backwards, drawing away from the Doppelganger. Then, his hand brushed against something. He thought one of the four was behind him or something, but his hunch proved wrong when he found a butterfly wing in his hands.
"Elemire! Come to me!"
The huntress turned back to see Tien waving a butterfly wing in his hands. She put away her Ballista and ran to him, praying that Doppelganger would not catch up. She dove at the monk and held his arm as he activated the spell. Apparently Elemire was not the only person who saw Tien waving the butterfly wing, for Sagi was half running to the two. His escape could be made only when he contacted either one of them physically when the wing activated. Since Elemire was closer, the wizard made an effort to jump as far as he could.
His fingertips almost touched Elemire's boots, only to feel the air. He was too late, the two of them already had gone, free from the four and their minions. He expected the zombie masters to close in on him and slaughter him, which was not the case. Death waved his sword again, dismissing the mob back to where they belonged. The idea of him being spared was quickly discharged, for he knew the merciless four were not humans, they kill without emotions and remorse.
Things were not that simple. Doppelganger stopped duplicating himself by dashing about, the movement always creating shadows of him. He walked over to Sagi, standing over him with scimitars gripped in his right hand. The swordsman ran his hand through his hair, brushing away his long fringe tickling him below the brows. He made a "come on" gesture to the other three.
Death, Storm and Abyss trampled on the piles of corpse, the aftermath of the battle, as they crossed over to Doppelganger. The three stood over the wizard, the sheer size of them making Sagi shrink literally.
"What are you waiting for? We still have to prepare for the orcs!" Storm urged impatiently.
Death sheathed his sword, that adding to Storm's ire.
"There's something wrong…"
'Orcs? What orcs were they talking about?' Sagi thought.
Doppelganger frowned upon hearing Death's words.
"Are you hesitating? The Lord of Death, considering whether to kill?"
"If you want to kill me, shut your mouths and do it quick," Sagi said firmly.
"You speak too much before your death," Abyss responded.
Storm whipped out a black dagger, twirling it in his hands.
"Why should I even bother waiting? It'll be dusk by then!"
He shoved Doppelganger aside, poising the dagger above the wizard's chest. Sagi closed his eyes, anticipating for the dagger to stab deep in his heart. Before Storm's hand came down, the blue knight began sniffing furiously, and fell back.
"What the –"
Sagi waited, but the blow never came. He opened his eyes to see Stormy Knight staring at him in shock. Doppelganger shook his head in disappointment, taking over where Storm left off.
"Wait a minute. Did I smell…" the swordsman paused in his attack. "How can this be…?"
Death let out his breath as something around the wizard's neck started glowing. Abyss too noticed the bizarre object, two rings locked in each other, strung by a chain. He reached down to grab the necklace, and drew his hand back painfully. His hostile actions had his fingers burnt by weird powers, while the two rings, one black and the other silver, illuminated.
Abyss stared at Death questioningly, holding up his repelled finger.
"What do you sense, Death?"
"I've already said there was something wrong," Death croaked, looking past Abyss and at the two who tried to kill the wizard.
"What exactly is wrong!?" Doppelganger pursued in exasperation.
Death was tempted to drive his sword through the wizard's chest to test it personally, but he did not want to take any chances. Secondly, he sensed an essence of a superior within the wizard as well, which he found it rather bizarre. He dismounted Silver, then went to inspect the necklace. Sagi grew uncomfortable, for he was still uncertain if he was going to die or not. But he knew one thing though, that somehow the necklace protected him against their attack. His face widened in realization when Silver shifted uncomfortably, its neighs growing more disturbing.
"Dark Lord?"
Doppelganger leaped to his feet.
"Let's go! This place is destroyed anyway."
"The scent of Dark Lord indeed. It's impossible," Abyss observed.
Death shook his head.
"This is not the Dark Lord. What we sensed from that necklace, is just a minute amount of essence. Nevertheless, we will take precautions. We shall leave and prepare ourselves until we start our invasion."
Doppelganger and Storm was already ahead, Death and Abyss making their departure back to the mountains shortly after.