(Issue 3: WITCH chased by Frost and Phobos' men)

As Eric and Ray reach the intersection where their street is perpendicular to the street enlightened, in a glimpse, they see human women in green, turquoise and violet attires, run along the bright street. "Who was that?" Ray asks. "Were those humans or escanors?"

"Can't see them clearly," Eric replies. "But they look like…"

Then, galhots in blue uniforms and men riding on rhinos, Phobos' men, runs across the street as they chase the perceived women. "Get back here!" "Go after them!" they shout.

"The Guardians!" Eric and Ray say to each other in surprise and realization. They put on their hoods again as they peek out to the intersected street and look at troubling chase scene.

"And why are they here? Aren't they supposed to guard the veil and not enter Metaworld?" Eric asks. "What can you see from the distance?"

Ray uses his Farsight. "It seems like the chase stops. The soldiers now stand by and continue to search stagnantly." He says. "It seems like the Guardians get away."

"We must help them." Eric says. "Since we're wanted, distract them with your arrow, then we run."

"Aye aye captain" Ray goes out with Eric into the plain sight as his bow magically appears on his hand and prepares his arrow. "Farsight First Technique: Snipe Shot!" the arrow once again shoots in fast speed along the street as it hits and sticks to one of the exterior walls.

"What was that?!" The soldiers yell as they follow where the arrow comes from and points out to two hooded men in brown cloaks. "It's them! The wanted men earlier! Get them!" They yell as they dash and charge at them.

"Did we get all of their attention?" Eric asks as he moves backward to see the men run and chases towards them.

Ray uses his Farsight "Not all I'm afraid! There are some soldiers left looking for the Guardians!" He glances that some soldiers are left to hunt the Guardians. "But right now! We better run!"

Ray and Eric sprints out once more and follow the trail where the portal is. After a few twists and turns, from the narrowing shadows and less lit stairs, they finally reach the open natural ground line where Meridianites are more packed and populous.

After a few minutes to blend among the crowd, "Did we lose them?" Eric asks as he pants as they rest themselves by a less dense crowded place by the fountain in the plaza.

Suddenly a blurry and fast object comes in between them; it was an arrow as it sticks out to one of the figures of the fountain "No. But they do now have archers of their own." As they glance back and see more soldiers with bows and arrows with them.

"There they are! Shoot them!" commands on of the soldiers as they ready their arrows and shoot. The crowd panics as they begin to move away from the soon-to-be battle scene.

Eric quickly unleashes his sword from his scabbard and is able to block and defy the incoming arrows. "Aren't they concerned that there are people in here?" he says as slices the fast arrows in two or block them with the swords width. Back at the academe, he is one of the skillful students to perceive and react to fast objects.

"Do you really have to question Phobos' men's concern over these civilians?" Ray says rhetorically as he launches his arrows at them. "Arrow Grenade!" he chants as he releases the arrows. Once again, the explosion causes all of the soldiers to fall to the ground. The rest of the frightened soldiers from the back flee and retreat from the scene.

"These men never learn don't they?" Ray teases.

"But I, Zagan the Unstoppable, don't!" A large bald and muscular green-galhot, with a scary and broken face, with brown leather armor on his chest and shiny silver plate limb armor with a long cape crosses the fire, as he rides his armored rhinoceros. He halts his rhino a few meters from them and gazes them for a moment. "Aren't you just wimpy boys?"

"We may look like it but we have the experience." Ray replies as he prepares his arrow and aims directly to his shoulder. "What a glorious introduction by the way! Grenade Arrow!" He says then chants, as the arrow zings through the air. The large galhot Zagan ignores the attack and as the arrow sticks0 his armor, the blast occurs and kills him instantly. The reaction forms a large cloud with dust and dirt in the air.

"Did you just killed—" Eric says.

"Just run!" Ray says as they begin to run again. "He's got the armor anyway!"

"Not so fast!" the gruff voice commands, as Eric and Ray notice the Zagan's silhouette is seen through the dust cloud.

"This can't b-be happening!" Ray in confusion with his pupils at large and jaw slightly open sees the alive and unmoved Zagan as the dust cloud disappears to the sky. His armor and his body unharmed and unscratched. 'My fifth technique was my strongest, yet he was able to withstand it? Was it the armor? But I know I could even pierce it, at least with a scratch!' Ray deduces in his mind with puzzlement.

"You boys are one of the Earth's legions." Zagan affirms as he points suddenly to Ray's bow. "Because I recognized that bow of yours" He then takes out suddenly from his back and displays a large bow at them.

Eric, especially Ray, where in a display of shock to see the familiar bow, well-designed and larger than Ray's with two crooked knives at the ends of edge of the bow. "That c-can't be!" Ray doubts as he feels tight and uneasy.

"Familiar?" Zagan laughs "It's a prize I took, and I have used the powerful weapon myself!" He smirks with a devilish and evil look. "When I finally got rid of that Oswyn!"


'BOooomMM!'

Nigel meanwhile starts to fight off the soldiers who chased him earlier, he is now at a long and large street in some-kind of marketplace, Luckily, the dense crowd prior from battle take flight away from the scene. With the diffrent shouts saying "Not again!" "It's the rebellion!" "Long live the rebellion!"

"Ignition Second Technique: Dynamite Shooter!" the hollow hole of his staff shoots a spark on the ground and blasts the blue-uniformed soldiers off to the ground.

He runs and hides behind an alley. He heavily breathes and pants for air. "Hope I could get rid of them all! Flames! I don't know where to go!" He peeks out to see the soldiers but cannot see them due to the formation of the dust cloud after the explosion. "Might as well loose 'em-"

Suddenly a fast flying object passes directly on Nigel's face. He turns to see an arrow as it sticks out between the bricked-wall. "And they have arrows too now! This day couldn't get any worse!" Arrows then soon flies at a projectile at him over the large wall "Fourth Technique: Succession Discharge!" He points to the arrows and sparks continue to fire rapidly to the air and burns the arrows to dust.

Nigel then perceives the soldiers with clubs and sword on the streets and they are now coming towards him only a few meters between. The projectile of arrows was just a distraction. "I may be long-range fighter, but never underestimate my mano-a-mano!" Using his long crooked staff he gives it a spin around his arm and points at them. The soldiers yell and prepare their sword as they speedily approach him.

The soldier leading the charge slashes at him, but dodges. In return, Nigel thrusts his weapon to the stomach and uses the other end of his staff to push the soldier and fall unconsciously to the ground. Another one comes and Nigel easily hits him as he hits his head. Then a sword slices at Nigel and quickly dodges out of it in time, he then in return lunges forward, clenches his fist and punches his stomach. 'Third Technique: Touch Blast' energy from his entire body gather to his fist, sparks it up and blasts him off to the wall, leaving a large depression of cracks on the wall. "Well, I guess this could be interesting!"

The onslaught continues as Nigel, a master of the Bo fighting style and a skillful fighter back at the academe, goes on to the offensive as he then too charges forward and defeats the soldiers. Yet with every acrobatic move he could do, with every violent swivel and deadly swings he could spin and with every ounce of energy he could muster to form amounts of explosion, he has limitations.

After quarter of an hour of fighting, he counts to the number of soldiers he defeats. "Three hundred twenty-seven...Three hundred twenty-eight…Three hundred twenty—Urgh!" Nigel yelps in pain when he notices his swelling and tired hands are almost burnt. Because of the too much heat used up for his explosions, his body, especially his hands, is not at a dangerous level. "There's too many of them! So it was never a hundred to begin with!—Three hundred thirty-one!.." He says as he rapidly thrust the end of his staff to another soldier. "Dynamite—Urgh! Shooter!" The soldier blasts off backward and victimizes the other soldiers behind him. "Three hundred-five…I guess—Ugh!"

Suddenly, on front of him a hard punch out of nowhere finally lands on his stomach then another blow to his cheek and Nigel falls back to the ground. "Finally, you have been stopped! Continue the pursue stop him at all cost!" says the escanor who punched him.

Nigel tirelessly pants leans on his staff as he staggers to rise up to stand. He regains his conscious vision, though blurry, he notices the escanor on a familiar yellow armored chest plate with the symbol of Metaworld indicated on his plate, a dark-blue cape with large metal geared gloves; the outfit of the Imperial Legion.

Arrows then shoot to him and hits one of his leg another and another a cut to his cheek. 'Flames! Now they got me for good!' Arrows then keep on launching yet manages to get disregard the pain and spins his staff around his body to block the incoming shots. Each swing he takes is are succeeding shots of his second technique and takes a good shot on the soldier.

"Cease fire!" says the legionate, and the soldiers follow his orders. Around Nigel, are the soldiers aiming their arrows and preparing to draw their swords at him. "You are now surrounded young boy! And you are at your limit!" He says.

"And says who, Imperial traitor!?" Nigel spunks as he draws his staff, cautiously looking at the soldiers.

"You use Ignition am I right? Overheating in your small body cannot handle the stress. Surrender now and tell me where your other accomplice is." the escanor demands.

"You think I need an accomplice to help me destroy more than three hundred men!" Nigel replies and laughs. "I may be young but never underestimate me!" he yells angrily and points to him.

The escanor looks at him sternly. "It seems you aren't related to that grenade launcher archer, I see!"

'Grenade launcher archer?' Nigel asks to himself. 'You mean—"

"Kill him." The escanor orders his men to shoot their arrows as he leaves.

Nigel, in an instant with all the energy he has left, concentrates and gathers an amount of enormous energy within him. 'I've never tried this before but at least I could try before they kill me right here!'

"Fire!" Arrow shoots up encircling him.

'Fire!' At the same time a large explosion comes underneath his staff and leaves a cloud of dust and dirt.

"What's happening?!" The soldiers yell as they wave their hands to clear the smoke.

"He's there!" Another points to the sky and sees Nigel a hundred feet in the air in an instant! Nigel pasts his limit, and like a firework, he blasted off to the sky to escape.

"Flames! Now my hands are burnt up!" he says as he clenches and opens his hands to relieve the pain. "That archer may be that Ray, and I bet he and Eric are somewhere around here." Nigel says as he sees the city of Meridian above and finds them.