(During Issue 7 WITCH fights Phobos' men)
"You sure you're going to do this? How are your injuries?" Grantaire asks after the Vanguards and he discusses the plans.
"After I break my back and take on the heavy bruises earlier? What else can I take on?" Eric snickers. "Just cover my back and charge when you see the signal." Eric replies as he readies himself.
Grantaire nods and turns to the rebels. "Alright men! You heard what the captain says!" he commands as his six men ready their arrows and expose themselves. "Take aim and Fire!" he commands as the arrows zips and shoots from their fingertips.
Eric then dashes out of the cart and runs within the crossfire range. The opposing arrows earlier were of random shots as they threaten and exhaust the rebel archers' limited supply of arrows. Now, takes aim on the exposed charging legionate. "Take aim on that escanor boy!" the officer commands as he points to Eric. The soldiers' marks their target on Eric and releases their shot from their bows.
As Eric sees the fast arrows approaching him in slow motions, His fast reaction time quickly maneuvers his sword around. In his normal grip mode, his sword blocks the shots as he continues to dash toward them. 'six…seven barricades in all." He counts as he passes by a rebel barricade
The soldiers bewildered as they see their shots being blocked off. "Fire! Fire! Don't just stare at him! Fire!" he commands as the soldiers prepare their arrows at him and shoots at him, but Eric once again blocks the incoming shots.
"Oh shoot!" Eric exclaims as an arrow zings and scratches his leg.
"We got him! Fire! Fire!—Arghh!" the leader shouts as an arrow shoots to his side. Phobos' archers then hailed by good aims as the rebel arrows hits their exposed bodies. Rebel arrows finally make their mark as Eric's exposure eyes all Phobos' archers on him.
"We exposed them on sight!" Grantaire yells. "Keep shooting!" he commands as he shoots his beam at the Phobos' soldiers as the rebels from Grantaire's barricade move forward to the next improvised rebel barricade.
"Round up all archers!" the leader staggers as he bleeds. "You focus on that escanor boy!" he points to the archers on his right flank. "And you, the rebel blockade!" he points to the opposite flank.
"Yes sir!" Phobos' archers reply as they crawl and prepare their arrows as they fill themselves between the gaps of the five meter gap barricade. "Fire at will!" A number of archers fire their arrows at will as Eric thwarts off the approaching shots and continues to dash forward with only ten meters away from their positions. "Don't let him closer!"
Suddenly, an explosion blasts on the barricade as the archers by the barricade falls to the ground. Arrows from above appear as they stick to the makeshift wooden barricades. "What was that!" one of the soldiers yells as they retreat a few steps back as they look around.
"Over there!" a soldier points to a hooded figure from the top of the roof as he aims his three arrows with flames on its pointy ends and instead of the confused soldiers, shoots the barricade.
"You! Shoot him!—" The officer commands them.
"Sir! The barricade is on fire!" the soldier yells as the initial explosion and the fire arrows soon engulf the wooden barricade on fire. The soldiers amidst the chaos, tries to pour water to ease the fire out while others in panic retreat back and leave their positions behind. "Don't retreat! Stay on your—!"
Unexpectedly, the hooded figure with a skirt cape, barges through the flames of the barricade as he flips around with his sword and swiftly knocks the archers out of the way. 'Finally! Through the enemy lines!' Eric says as he was followed and accompanied by rebels from Grantaire's barricade line.
"Move back! Retreat!" the leader says as he trembles in fright when the Rebellion Army flag, red in color with dark blue and blue stripes on its edges and imprinted Imperial Legionate sigil on the middle, rises through the flames. Terrified and confused, the archers flee back. "Let the swordsmen handle their small numbers!"
"Look!" a soldier points as fizzing sparks from the top of the roofs projectiles and lands on the ground and explodes to the ground as the soldiers behind the archers destroy Phobos' ranks.
"Arrghhh!" "Urrghh!" the soldiers cry and yell as they blast and drop to the ground from behind as a series of explosions blast inside the enemy lines. It was another figure who parkours along the adjacent roofs, waves his Incinerated Staff and shoots up his sparks to them below by surprise.
The rebels fight bravely as they overtake the fighting archers who did not retreat and hold their line back. "Quick! Take their wagons!" Grantaire commands as the rest of the rebels quickly take control of the wagon to regain their used up arrow supplies.
"No! Don't let them take our—Arrghhh!" the officer stops when a sniper shot pierces his leg.
Ray, after burning the barricade with his fire arrows, then turns to his normal arrows as he snipes from his position to take down the engaging soldiers. He then remembers Eric's earlier strategy, as he draws on the ground behind the cart.
(During Issue 7 WITCH fights Phobos' men)
"Darn! It's too hard to draw on hard soil!" Eric complains as his stick breaks when the soil was too rough to draw on.
"You're not a good illustrator, Atlas." Ray replies. "Just get on with it, captain! It's hard to plan when the arrows keep coming!" he says as he bends his tall body from being too exposed.
"Nigel, Ray, you see these adjacent houses?" Eric points to the houses. "These houses stretch to a long winding ascending hill and if you could parkour on top of it, you could get close to the enemy lines." He says as he rubs his fingers across of what he has drawn.
"But we can't just 'parkour' we still might be seen." Nigel negates. "Unless you want us to crawl slowly, we might not reach the enemy lines in time."
"That's why I'll expose myself to the enemy." Eric replies. "I'll block the incoming arrows as I rush toward the crossfire area."
"I couldn't risk a young legionate who would lay his life before an older one!" Grantaire butts in. "Let me do it!"
"No, Grantaire. You don't have to worry." Eric says. "Theory. All archers are on me when I exposed myself so I want you, Grantaire, and your men discretely move forward to the next rebel barricades as you cover my back, so when I reach their barricade, you will lead the rebels we will take their line."
"But their makeshift barricade is too high for such standing at least two meters in height." Ray explains. "And still you need to break it down when you get there."
"Do you know Victor Hugo's 'Les Miserables'?" Eric asks as he smirks.
"And here we go again to your references!" Ray exclaims. "Even most of the rebels we met are named after that story's characters—Oh I get it! The barricade in the story?"
"That's right." Eric encircles his drawing on the ground. "Like a cannon that completely made way for the soldiers to get through the French rebel barricade, Nigel, as you reach the enemy barricade, I want you to blast the barricade to make way for us get through it. But your work is not done yet as I want you to exhaust most of your explosion magic as you get to the middle and rearguard of the enemy army columns. Parkour along the roofs as you blast them in succeeding explosive chains until you get to the end of the army column line. You understand?" he looks at Nigel.
"Flames! I got my hands full but I got it." Nigel replies.
"Ray, as you parkour with Nigel, I want you to stop before the barricade and set it on fire." Eric says.
"You do know I can't use my mana right?" Ray explains. "I can't even use a single grenade arrow!"
Eric then reaches out to a nearby metal bucket with some rugs in it and gives it to Ray. "Then use it manually." He smirks as Ray takes it. "When Nigel uses his explosion to the barricade, I want you to use fire arrows to burn the barricade so no archer could ever use it as the rebels and I can close in to the enemy lines. Then start sniping when we take their wagons to resupply the rebel arrows and weapons."
Ray sighs as he starts to rip off the cloth and wraps around the arrows tips and takes two rocks to create a flint. "Aye aye captain."
(During Issue 7 WITCH fights Phobos' men)
'I hope your blitzkrieg attack work like a miracle, Eric Bonaparte!' Ray compliments jokingly as he snipes away the soldiers on the front.
Meters away from the fight scene, the rebel archers use the arrows form the large cart as they also use it to shield themselves from the remaining opposing archers. Eric and Grantaire, and the other brave rebels charge forward.
Eric flips around hastily and quickly as he makes fast blows on the soldiers as he reverses his grip into an all-out offense as they take advantage on the situation. "Quickly! Damage their lines before they regroup!" Eric says.
"Erebo Second Technique: Hands of the Gloom!" Grantaire chants as his hands surrounds with a dark aura. "What do you think we're doing?" With his quick agile lizard-body, he moves around more quickly than the less experienced Atlas. He misses the soldier attacks as he flips upward and blows a heavy fist damage on the soldier.
The overwhelming force is too much for them to take as their morale has begun to fade away from them. Even rumors from the center spreads out to the front as the surprise blasts caused too much casualties of soldiers and especially officers. Rumors also spread out that their rearguard has retreated and left the army alone to fight.
Soon, another active officer receives the news and hastily calls the soldiers. "Retreat! Fall back!" he yells as the soldiers finally let go off from their position and retreats.
Forty meters away from the retreating vanguard soldiers, Nigel continues to create a chain of continuous blasts at the enemy columns as the soldiers begin to retreat on their own as they flee from their positions.
'Flames! Not now!' Nigel swears as he feels the pain in his hands. 'His mana begins to run low as the explosion magic becomes too hard to bear. Finally, he sees the end of the line as the rearguard begins to make its retreat to the right side of the intersection that leads them back to Phobos' castle.
Nigel then sees a familiar large galhot as he stands from behind the lines, who did not leave his position as he stands in the middle of the intersecting roads. 'Isn't that galhot who Ray and Eric fought before? Was it Zagan?!'
He then waves his staff in the air and points to him. 'He says his too strong and I'm out of mana too! I just have to create a distraction then I'll come back to the barricades!' he says to himself and waves his staff at him. "Second Technique Dynamite Shooter!" a much large spark comes out from Nigel's staff to Zagan.
Zagan then uses the broad side of his butcher-knife like sword as he deflects the spark and travels to another direction away from him, then the explosion occurs with no casualties.
'What he can deflect my spark? –Urrgh!' Nigel exclaims as the pain worsens as he then turns around and retreats back to the rebels, he sees Zagan as he uses Oswyn's bow and shoots a large sword at Nigel. He quickly manages to dodge in time, but the sword instead thrusts to the house like a fast missile and crumbles itself quickly within, together Nigel in it as he falls with the debris. The demolition aftermath leaves a cloud of dust and dirt in the air. 'He can even switch weapons that fast too!'
The retreating soldiers as they witness the scene rushes to the crumbled house to capture Nigel. "Get back to your lines and regroup!" Zagan commands them as he walks toward the debris. "He's mine!"
As the cloud of dust begins to fade away, he then searches for the fallen legionate among the rubble. "I know you're alive!" he shouts as he surveys the area. In a glimpse, he then sees Nigel's staff pointing at him, covered around in the debris!
"By the Gods—Arghh!" the spark shoots from the staff and the spark hits Zagan's body. The explosion occurs then Zagan falls down to the ground.
Nigel then pulls himself out of the rubble covered with small bruises and dirt. "Never knew you would come. Remember, I've blown you up two times by now." He sternly threatens the fallen Zagan and points his staff at him.
"I shouldn't have." Zagan crawls into position as he tries to stand up. "Until I hear you were here!" he quickly punches Nigel and lands to the solid wall of the rear end part of the house.
"I presume no surprises and backups?" he grunts as he gets up and lifts his sword and walks toward Nigel.
"No—ne…Just you and me." Nigel says as he breathes heavily from the pain. 'Flames! I should have seen that coming! That punch was as average as any normal fist.' He looks at his hand burnt and exhausted as his mana is running out. He then poses his fighting stance as he gets up.
Zagan then rushes to him as he swings his sword at him but Nigel bends down as he gets away from the blow and the sword crushes to the debris instead. Nigel, now under Zagan's swung arm, flips his staff around and forcefully hits the side of staff at his body, but to no significant effect. 'Flames! I have no strength in me left!'
"Only a ticklish hit?" Zagan smirks as he intimidates him. He then kicks him hardly as his body skids to the ground.
"Arrghh!" he yells heavily in pain and lies unconsciously on the rubbles as he groans in pain as blood sputters from his mouth.
Zagan daunts as he approaches the fallen boy. He grabs him by the neck with his other hand as Nigel still half-conscious, tries to resist and gasps for air. With the use of Zagan's other hand prepares to land a final kill on Nigel. "Any last words, Vanguard?"
"I-It's over right?" Nigel voice strangles as he pants and stutters. "T-The r-rebellion has agreed to make Elyon queen! Isn't what you k-king has wanted?! There is no n-need for further b-bloodshed!"
Zagan then makes a confusing face then laughs. "You and the rebellion are idiots!" he laughs hardly. "That was before, boy! But do you really think that pathetic Elyon would become queen?" he smirks with evil.
'T-That can't be!' Nigel couldn't believe what he heard. With the staff in his hand, he hits desperately and frantically as he tries to break free from the galhot's large hand wrapped around his neck. 'Is this it? Is this how I'm going to end?'
"You're weak boy!" Zagan shouts menacingly as he suffocates Nigel even more. "Even Atlas could make me bleed! He may be even better than you!"
As Nigel hears this and flashbacks his past years in training in the academe, his anger causes his adrenaline to rush around his body as he forgets every pain in his body. He drops his staff to the rubble and places his hands and grasps tightly on his arm as his body begins to get warmer.
"My hand! What's going on!?" Zagan yell as his hand and arm burns. He also sees Nigel's eyes begin to light with fiery aura.
"Don't you ever say I'm better than him!" Nigel yells as the hot pressure begins to rise around their atmosphere and with a snap, "BOOOOOOMMMM!"
His aura explodes as the ground trembles and quakes. Shockwaves sends out across the atmosphere as it cracks the surrounding structures. The witnessing and retreating soldiers are also frightened by the situation as they fall back to the ground and cover their eyes by the blinding light. The soldiers who have witnessed the scene, lost their coolness as they stampede back to Phobos' castle.
Nigel's body is then dropped to the ground as he appears lifeless with a steaming air that rises out from his body.
"Arrghhh!" As the binding light clears out, Zagan cries out in pain as he falls to his knees, his left forearm which holds out Nigel, disintegrates to ashes as he feels like amputation. "My arm! What have you done!" he yells as he tries to stand up and takes his sword to finish him off.
"Urgh!" he shouts as a dark aura beam zaps him off and is thrown out backward and skids along road.
"Someone has shot the general!" exclaims an officer. "You! Help him!" he commands as the rest of the soldiers. "And someone fond who shot the general!" he yells as the soldiers begin to follow his orders.
It was Grantaire from the roof as he blast away his ex-fellow legionate. He discretely blends himself in the shadows and reveals himself, he carries Nigel in his back and his staff.
"Over there!" the soldier points to the lizard-creature. But too late, Grantaire quickly makes his escape as he climbs up the roof, still with Nigel at his back, as he crawls along the roofs that leads them back to the flaming barricade.
