I do not own Familia Myth or any of the characters.
War
Ethan narrowed his eyes as he and Ryu stood at the head of the coalition's forces, glaring at Freya Familia. They hadn't made even a single move to play hide-and-seek. They weren't searching for the coalition's deities. They had instead backed themselves up to the far western edge of the island and then had formed themselves into a single, massive defensive formation. Instead of hide-and-seek, they had opted to turn the war game into a war. It was a strategy that the coalition couldn't use. It was something only Freya Familia could do. With the whole force in one place, Hedin could still pass orders verbally, and in order to reach Freya in the temple behind the Freya Familia, they would have to smash through the Freya Familia, including the Einherjar. The rules of the game had ended up deciding Freya Familia's strategy. In order to claim victory over a deity, an adventurer had to claim a flower each deity had placed on their chest. If the coalition couldn't get past Freya's forces, they couldn't get hers. Meanwhile, once the battle started, once the coalition's forces were thinned, or maybe crushed entirely, nothing could stop the Freya Familia from sweeping across the island and claiming the coalition's deities' flowers instead.
"We'll have to fight more than just two Einherjar after all," Ryu reasoned.
Ethan nodded, reaching back to the pair of magic swords Welf had given him. Both were short, barely longer than his xiphos, and were positioned over his left shoulder. Each could produce three blasts, one being Light magic and the other Fire magic, and each blast, according to Welf, should be about equal to his Guardian Heart-enhanced, full-chant Lightning Spree. He lowered his hand, bearing one of the blades, and drew his sword in his free hand.
As he and Ryu gazed down at the army, four sets of eyes met their gaze. Ryu raised her oculus in her left hand, her right bearing her own sword.
"Say the word, Lilly," Ryu said. "Ethan and I are in position and he's begun chanting."
At her side, Ethan reached the end of his chant and fell silent, waiting for Lilly to pass the order.
"Gather all the scattered forces. Quickly reform the squadrons. Mr. Luvis and the rest of the scouts will act as a raiding force.
"Ms. Haruhime, go inside the building here and put on a reverse veil. Do not allow the enemy or anyone in the city to notice you and hang back close behind Ms. Aisha's unit. Be prepared to cast your Level Boost whenever needed."
"Y-Yes!" Haruhime's voice responded from the oculus as Lilly addressed the entire coalition as one so that all would grasp what was about to happen.
They were going to assault Freya Familia's forces in a single, massive clash.
"Ms. Chigusa, Lilly doesn't need a guard anymore. Link up with Mr. Ouka's unit and support them."
"Lilly…yes!" Chigusa nodded.
"Ms. Aisha, Ms. Tsubaki, do we know the location of the enemy's healers?"
"…No, we can't see them from here."
"They're being kept hidden. We won't know until the fighting starts."
"Then prioritize finding them once the fighting starts. Lilly will search as best she can, too. Breaking the enemy's lifeline will be crucial…Prepare magic items for Mr. Luvis's raiders, too.
"Other than the raiders, re-form everyone into three divisions. Ms. Tsubaki will command the center, Ms. Aisha the left wing, and Ms. Daphne and Mr. Bors the right wing. Distribute the magic swords throughout all three divisions!"
Behind the building Ethan and Ryu stood atop, the coalition's forces rushed to obey her instructions. As they did, Ethan slowly raised his left arm, holding his magic sword over his head. He and Ryu alone were in range of striking with the magic sword and Ethan's spell. Lilly ordered the rest of the coalition's forces forward, trying to get them close enough to strike as well. Then, finally, Freya Familia charged. It was disorganized. It was chaotic. It was an army of individuals throwing cooperation to the wind, throwing defense to the wind. They'd been ordered to attack. Period.
"Fire!" Lilly ordered, though Ethan waited as countless other magic swords struck.
A rain of powerful magic blasts that would be useful even on the lower floors greeted the Freya Familia. And then Freya Familia continued to charge. Ignoring their wounds, ignoring loss of weapons or limbs or scorched flesh, Freya Familia continued to charge.
"Ethan, Ryu, now!" Lilly ordered at last.
"Luminous Wind!" Ryu chanted.
"Lightning Spree!" Ethan thundered, just as he swung his arm downward, scattering shards of his drained magic sword through the air.
Unlike the rest of the attacks, which had been arranged to strike at the whole of the front line of Freya Familia, Ethan and Ryu's strikes were focused. A flood of shining green spheres, a flood of bolts of ever-forking lightning, and a trio of truly enormous blasts of flame erupted into a truly enormous explosion that tore through the center of the Freya Familia's formation exclusively, blasting a massive path nearly halfway to the building where Freya waited.
Atop the building, Hedin's eyes narrowed as Ethan and Ryu exploded forward into the path they'd cleared. At the end of the path, four Pallums were just removing the weapons with which they'd defended themselves.
"Bringar, I leave them to you!" Hedin instructed. "All other forces, leave the Guardian and Gale be!"
And then, the four Pallum brothers exploded forward, leaping around and around as much as charging as they rapidly closed in on their prey. Then, as Grer and Dvalinn closed in, Grer with his sword and Dvalinn with his hammer, Ethan stopped short. A moment later, Ryu passed him, brandishing her bright yellow magic sword, also the size of a dagger, and a torrent of jets of shining, golden light erupted from the blade, shattering it as the blasts exploded into the twins, sending them both rocketing away. At the same moment, Ethan spun, deflecting Alfrigg's spear with his Knight's Bulwark as his sword stabbed into the side of Berling's axe head, deflecting it to the side and away from himself. Ryu turned, stepping around Ethan mid-turn, and slashed, both twins leaping away, only for Ethan and Ryu to press them hard. For nearly a minute, Ethan and Ryu had the pair on their back foot. But then Grer and Dvalinn were back, and the battle began to flow constantly back and forth.
Ethan deflected the sword, spun around the spear, kicked off the side of the axe, rolled under the hammer. Ryu flipped over one Gulliver, slashed at another, rolled across Ethan's back, kicked Grer's sword. Ethan slashed at one brother, stabbed at another, blasted one point-blank with Lightning Spree without the chant, stopped the hammer on a dime against his shield as it swung around at Ryu. Ryu stabbed, dodged, slashed, rolled, spun, stopped. Ethan twirled around Ryu, knocking the sword, axe, and spear away before flipping over the hammer with Ryu. Ryu kicked off of the hammer's shaft, allowing the sword to slam into it before her own blade scored the first true strike, splitting Alfrigg's chestplate. Ethan's xiphos scored the next, biting into Berling's calf. Dvalinn scored the next strike, sending Ethan bouncing away. Then Alfrigg had grazed Ryu's side. Grer grazed her back, and Ethan repayed him with a slashed bicep. Ethan kicked Dvalinn and shattered his chestplate as Ryu smashed Berling's helmet, and then Alfrigg was driving his spear into Ethan's chestplate directly. And then, Ethan's shield vanished.
"Healing Rain. Serenade of Water."
As the musical notes of Ethan's newly upgraded spell rang through the air among the chaos of the battle, it wasn't accompanied by shimmering light, this time. Instead, he'd traded the rapid, high-powered focused form of the spell for the wide-area, slower form. In this form, shimmering, glowing, light blue droplets like rain fell from the air about ten meters above him, releasing the musical notes as they impacted with anything. The rain stretched wide, five hundred meters in every direction with his and Ryu's battle as its center. As it fell on the massive war, the coalition's forces shimmered, their wounds steaming and healing slowly, taking about ten seconds. However, the Freya Familia forces that the rain fell on received no such reward.
"A wide-range healing spell?" Hedin mused. "And a selective one. Not bad. A guardian to the bitter end."
Ethan exploded forward as his shattered ribs healed, his sword knocking aside the spear. Ryu spun the axe, stabbing through the soft tissue of Berling's side, then withdrew her blade, deflecting the sword over herself. Ethan's blade tore up across Berling's chestplate, then arced back down through Grer's. Ryu spun around Ethan, carving across both, crossing Ethan's slashes and knocking Alfrigg's spear aside before Ethan jumped, pulling Ryu after himself by the arm, out of the way of Dvalinn's hammer before Ethan rolled in the air, hurling Ryu back into Dvalinn, allowing her to slam a double-footed kick into his chest, launching him backward.
"Now."
Even before Hedin's voice had finished its command, Allen's spear had plunged through Ryu's chest. Her eyes went wide with surprise before the spear had withdrawn and Berling's axe tore through her side. She crashed to the ground at Ethan's feet. And then, a golden light shone from the ground, healing all of the fallen or wounded Freya Familia adventurers. It lasted only a few seconds before it was done. Freya Familia was restored and charging again. It was the second time Freya Familia's healers had intervened. The first had allowed Freya Familia's forces to reach the coalition. Ethan's magic had spared the coalition deaths, had allowed fallen adventurers to rise again, but the battle was still one-sided. And now, with the second healing, any Freya Familia that had been defeated rose again. The main healer was Heith. Rival of Airmid. Her magic was faster than Ethan's, stronger. The coalition was crumbling.
Ethan ignored the battle, however, as all four Gullivers leapt at him and Ryu. A roar rent the air. The spear thrust as the axe swung around. A hand, its flesh as black as onyx, closed around the spear's shaft, stopping it in its tracks as a sword's blade swept up through the axe, shattering its head before slashing off the spear's head. The sword and hammer swung around from behind, aiming for Ethan's sides, but as they did, thick, black smoke began to curl off of him. His sword met Grer's, and his hand met Dvalinn's hammer, halting it. Then, both gasped and instinctively leapt away as the ground below them began to tremble. Then, all at once, it erupted.
Ethan rocketed forward, exploding into Berling, and smashed him to the ground. Dvalinn leapt at him, swinging his hammer, but Ethan grabbed Berling's leg and spun. Body connected with hammer, and both shattered. Ethan lunged, slashing and splitting Dvalinn across the chest as Grer leapt at him, slashing downward hard. Except, Ethan's crimson irises flashed and his legs pushed off the ground and he seemed to vanish, only to then explode down on Grer's back. Alfrigg grabbed for a spear on the ground, only for Ethan's blade to split him across the side of the chest, hurling him. And then, Ryu was at his side as Allen struck. Ethan's blades began to fend off the storm of blows as Ryu countered relentlessly, only for Allen to effortlessly defend and attack at the same time. And then, seeming to lose patience after barely thirty seconds, Allen lunged and vanished, only for his spear to tear both of their bodies open in several places in an instant. Both of them crashed to the ground, and Ethan's healing spell was canceled, the rain stopping at last.
"This is bad," Hestia breathed, watching through Ethan's oculus as he was taken down in an instant. "Even while he was under the effects of a complete Limit Off..."
"A single moment," Hephaistos shook her head. "Allen is a monster."
"If they had been prepared and expecting him to attack, they may have been able to handle it, but..." Hestia shook her head.
"Can we still win?" Hephaistos asked. "You know Liliruca's plan, right?"
Hestia shook her head. "For dealing with Allen and Bringar, Ethan and Ryu are absolutely required. That is what both Lilly and Braver determined. They have to keep their attention."
He'd failed. They'd all failed. He'd sworn to protect them, but there was nothing he could do. He stared down his mangled, bloodied body at the woman lying in his lap, her face contorted in pain and blood-stained, her chest stilled and silent, devoid of breaths or heart beat. He'd failed her.
"Forgive me," his hoarse, broken voice rasped.
His eyes rose slightly, staring at the corpses scattered around them. They'd been fools. Drunks who thought to be heroes. Nobodies who thought they could hold back the monsters. He was no better. He was a nobody, too. But for her, he'd wanted to show off. To impress the beautiful elf who'd worked to try and keep them alive with her healing magic while they fought. And now, she was gone. He couldn't protect her. He couldn't protect his friends. Three hundred of them, not including her, and they'd been wiped out. His eyes rose, staring at the monsters stalking toward him, and laughed humorlessly. He was a fool. They all were. Thinking they could ever have been heroes.
He reached for his sword, but as he tried to stand, the blade, cracked and chipped from the battle, broke, and he crashed to the ground, his vision swimming. The monsters let out a roar and charged. And then, they died. A wall of lightning and a blast of flames decimated the ranks of monsters, and as the resulting smoke began to thin, he stared at his savior, at the real hero. Golden boots and armored sleeves, black pants, white vest, black scarf, messy, snow-white hair, and those swords. One with a wide, golden blade with diamond-shaped holes in the middle and lightning crackling along its length. One with a long, narrow blade and a guard in the shape of draconic wings, its edges glowing with Fire magic, a red gemstone decorating its hilt in place of a pommel.
His sight began to darken as he opened his mouth, meaning to call out to the hero. Meaning to accuse him of being too late. But the words never reached his lips.
Anya dropped her hood as she opened the two elixirs and poured them onto Ethan and Ryu. Both of their bodies shone, their wounds sealing, and their eyes fluttered.
"Oh no you don't!" four identical voices shouted.
Anya tensed, waiting for the end, but it didn't come. As Bringar closed in, all but Grer wielding a borrowed weapon, Ethan and Ryu exploded off of the ground, weapons in-hand once more. This time, the exchange lasted only a moment, as Bringar was unprepared. Ethan's xiphos flashed through the air, straight as an arrow, into Grer's pelvis, leaving him shrieking in agony. Ethan's sword slashed through Berling's axe and thrust into Berling's own pelvis, then slashed down and out. Ryu's blade removed the heads from Dvalinn and Alfrigg's weapons before slicing through their backs as she spun between them, grazing their spines and bisecting nerve clusters. Heith healed the quartet of Pallums, but she couldn't allow them to overcome the pain of having nerve clusters targeted directly. Even once their wounds were healed, their bodies were left sapped of strength by the agony they'd experienced.
Allen shouted in rage, launching himself at them, only for Ethan to turn, allowing Allen's spear to pierce his torso in exchange for piercing Allen's with his remaining Magic Sword. And a moment later, the blade of the Magic Sword shattered inside of him, an enormous blast of Light magic blasting a gaping hole through Allen's torso before swallowing all of Freya Familia's healers except for Heith. Heith immediately healed them all, but this time, they did not rise again. Ethan retrieved his xiphos, as Ryu chanted her new spell, the oath of the Star Maiden of Justice. The incantation for Astraea Record. Shining light appeared for five meders around her, taking the shape of Astraea's blessing, but the true form of the light was a barrier, a sanctuary. It protected Ryu from outside assault, but allowed one person, and one person only, Ethan, to pass through it unobstructed. And then, as she finished the oath, the light flashed inward, absorbed into her body. In the next moment, she had chanted the name of the former Astraea Captain, Alise's magic, and flames burst to life around her feet, hands, and along her sword. Then, together, Ethan and Ryu turned, stalking toward Heith, both of them ignoring the fact that Heith and the other healers were stark naked, not even questioning it.
"Caelus Hildr."
"Lightning Spree."
As Ethan's spell exploded skyward in a multitude of bolts, it clashed with Hedin's own. The sky was filled with a sea of explosions, but the volley had been successfully intercepted. The resulting smoke cloud had also obscured Hedin's sight, and when Ethan restored his Serenade of Water's rain, it obscured his aim further, as well as helping the coalition regain their footing, if only for a moment. However, Just as he did, he and Ryu's next opponent arrived.
"Hogni Ragnar," Ethan greeted him. "No. You're Dainsleif right now."
"You two are dangerous," Hogni decided. "You will be dealt with now."
"No," Ethan said as his wound from Allen finished healing. "You will. Ryu, go."
Ryu nodded once and took off, her sword instantly gaining its usual glow as every step was enhanced by an explosion of flames. Hogni's eyes narrowed, but in the next instant, Ethan and Ryu struck together. Hogni flipped into the air, his blade clashing with Ethan's as Ryu's passed under him. As he flipped to the ground, Ethan's xiphos flashed out, only to spark against Hogni's blade. Hogni struck and blocked and countered over and over, his one blade clashing with Ethan's again and again as Ethan flipped, spun, ducked, stepped, and lunged, circling Hogni the entire time. And while they did, Ryu struck at Hogni as she passed over and over with ever-increasing force and speed, flashing around and around the site of their battle. And then, just as Ethan avoided Hogni's Burn Dain, he was racing around as well, his and Ryu's passes rapidly speeding up and striking at ever-changing intervals and angles. Hogni snarled angrily as he was rapidly thrust onto the defensive. And then, it was only Ethan facing him, alternating passes and strings of successive strikes, keeping Hogni from adjusting. Hogni's head whipped around in confusion and suspicion, searching for Ryu in the briefest of moments as Ethan passed him, his sword missing by a hair's breadth. Then, Hogni let out a cruel laugh.
Ryu had been intercepted by Allen Fromel and the two were racing around the battlefield together, his spear and her sword clashing in a constant shower of sparks, both flipping, dodging, lunging, and constantly sprinting. Ryu could no longer face Hogni alongside Ethan, could no longer cooperate with him, and Ethan couldn't afford to leave Hogni unattended to help her.
"What are you laughing at?" Ethan asked, pivoting not two feet after passing Hogni. Hogni spun, moving his sword to meet Ethan's right hand's strike.
Except, his blades had switched hands. The xiphos swept past the sword, out of range, and Hogni cursed as Ethan lunged, his sword flashing around at him from his undefended side. At the last second, Hogni flipped, his cloak being sliced off, and struck out at Ethan, only for his blade to glance off of Ethan's armored sleeve. Then, Ethan flipped, spinning in a blur as his entire body darkened once again, his hair lightening as his Berserk activated fully. Both of Ethan's blades clashed with Hogni's repeatedly in a shower of sparks, forcing Hogni back a step. Then, as Hogni stopped himself, Ethan landed on his feet, lunging and striking, his blades back in their usual hands, the xiphos in reverse grip now.
Ryu flipped, knocking Allen's spear's slash downward under her before contorting, slashing at him from above, only for Allen to pirouette around the strike, transitioning into a thrust in a strike that was truly flawless. However, it scored only a graze across Ryuu's back, and as a flurry of strikes from Ryu slammed into the shaft of the spear and scored a scratch on Allen's cheek, Ethan's healing spell mended the wound she'd suffered. He grit his teeth, snarling ferally as his spear clashed with her sword over and over in thrusts, slashes, and strikes with its back end. However, no matter how hard or fast he struck out, he landed no serious injuries, and the constant healing rain mended any of the minor wounds he successfully scored. Then, all at once, just as he lunged to catch up to her and stabbed outward, she'd reversed directions, her free hand outstretched.
"Luminous Wind!"
Allen swore harshly. He'd been so focused on her blade that he'd made the mistake of missing her chanting silently. And as a result, her spell's projectiles swallowed him in an instant. And then, Ryu had returned to the battle with Hogni in time to deflect Hogni's blade for Ethan while laying almost flat to the ground, allowing Ethan's sword to flash over her, grazing Hogni's chest. Hogni swore, raising his arm, only for Ethan's arm to snap up.
"Lightning Spree!"
Hogni dove to the side, but immediately realized his mistake. The spell wasn't meant for him. It flashed past him as a single, massive lightning bolt, instead striking Allen just as he burst out of the cloud of smoke left by Ryu's own spell. Then, as Allen exploded backward along the ground, shattering it with every bounce and smashing through a cluster of Freya Familia troops, Ryu rolled inches above the ground and stabbed upward at Hogni. He leaned backward, avoiding a decisive blow, only for the blade to tear up the right side of his face, missing his eye by a millimeter but splitting his face above and below it, forcing him to close his eye anyway as blood poured into it. And then, Ethan slashed. Hogni leapt backward, moving to escape his range, only for Ethan to smirk just as the rain ended abruptly.
"Blade Rain!"
A Light Blade blazed to life around his sword, doubling its length in time for it to slash through Hogni's chest, slashing through his solar plexus. Blood sprayed from Hogni's body, but as Ethan restored his healing spell, for just a moment, it included Hogni, healing his severed aorta to spare his life while the agony left him robbed of strength like the Gulliver brothers. However, no sooner had Hogni fallen did the Gullivers reach Ethan and Ryu, all finally recovered from their own wounds. Their arrival was flawless, their timing impeccable, and their angles of attack perfect. And yet, they were repulsed. Ryu had yet to stop moving, and Ethan was still in his enhanced Berserk form. As the Pallums struck, Ethan took Ryu's hand and seemed to suddenly vanish, the ground erupting once again, as it had just after Allen had first interfered. The next moment, Ryu had reappeared, slashing Alfrigg across the back just as Ethan shot past Berling, his xiphos tearing through his own back and spinning him. Ethan's feet hit the ground, shattering it, and in the next instant, he was smashing his feet and fists both down onto Dvalinn. He crouched on his hands and feet, his crimson irises seeming to flash as Grer roared in effort, slashing with his greatsword. And then, Ethan caught his airborne blades and exploded forward, his sword smashing through Grer's greatsword entirely as his xiphos severed Grer's arms at the elbows.
Ryu's eyes widened as she watched the display. For just a moment, she hadn't seen Ethan. She'd seen the Dungeon's ultimate weapon. She'd seen the Juggernaut. His speed and power, the way he'd moved around by leaping. It was all too similar. But this wasn't the Juggernaut. This was Ethan. And that distinction, even as she was being reminded of her greatest fear, filled her with a sense of security that bordered on making her feel invincible. No one could touch her. Not while he was there. And when Allen returned, Ethan proved it. Allen reached Ryu in the blink of an eye, even eclipsing her own, flame-augmented speed, only for Ethan's feet to explode into his side and sending him bouncing away, Ethan pursuing him. And so, Ryu instead turned on her next target. Heith. Defeating her was a requirement for victory, and so Ryu knew what she had to do. Heith couldn't be taken down normally right now because she was constantly regenerating. So, all Ryu had to do was wear down her Mind.
"Those two are monsters!" Ouka commented as he struggled to fend off Freya Familia's troops to defend Cassandra.
"They're not even Level-Boosted!" Cassandra said, amazed, then began to chant her healing spell again.
"They both refused the option of Level-Boosting," Aisha said. "Others will need it more."
"What if they fight Ottar?" Ouka asked.
"They won't," Aisha said. "He will focus on only Bell."
Ethan slammed his feet into the ground, stopping his forward motion and flipping himself forward just in time for Allen's spear to flash under him, Ethan's feet exploding down on Allen's back a moment later. Allen flipped, hurling Ethan off and flipped himself, driving his spear into Ethan's chestplate, launching him, only for Ethan to flip, kicking off the ground and returning to Allen instantly, his blades both slamming into Allen's spear and hurling him in return. Allen snarled. This was impossible. Gale was one thing, since she'd always been known to be among the fastest of her level at every level, but Guardian was always supposed to be one to rely on his durability and his overpowered magic almost exclusively. There was no way he should be able to keep up with Allen. He hadn't even been able to do that a few minutes ago. Something was wrong. There had to be some trick. And yet, try as he might, and no matter how fast he moved, or how hard he fought, he couldn't take Guardian down. He was still faster than Guardian, but not enough that Guardian couldn't keep up enough to fight back. And the longer they fought, the more punishment Guardian seemed to be able to take. It wasn't possible, and yet it was happening. And then, Ethan was chanting and the rain had stopped again.
Allen swore, reaching deep, dragging every ounce of power he had within him. He put on an extra burst of speed, moving faster than he ever had before. He struck over and over, scoring numerous serious wounds this time as well as striking Ethan's Durandal armor. But Ethan didn't stop chanting. Allen couldn't stop him. He opened his mouth to chant his own spell. And then, it was too late.
"And vanish with my foes!" Ethan growled, stopping on a dime and allowing Allen's spear to pass within a millimeter of his throat. "Lightning Spree!"
Lightning screamed along his blades as Ethan's legs bent. Allen lunged, stabbing, but Ethan had pushed off again and vanished before he could reach him. And then, just as Allen turned to see where he'd gone, Ethan was there, spinning in the air as his blades tore through his torso over and over. The electricity screaming along them ripped through Allen, attacking his every muscle, every nerve. And when the strike had ended, Allen was lying on his back, smoking and staring lifelessly up at the sky, breathing and healing as Ethan's own healing spell shimmered over his body, but unresponsive to the world around him.
Ethan stopped, taking several deep breaths. He was drenched in sweat and blood, and his vision was pulsating between blurry and focused. He pulled a pair of Mind Potions from his pocket and drained them, feeling strength return to him. And just as he did, Hogni rose again. Ethan narrowed his eyes, once again crouching and readying himself. Then, as one, both exploded forward. Hogni slashed, but Ethan kicked the ground and shot to the side, escaping Hogni's sight. Hogni spun, his blade deflecting Ethan's at the last second, then again, then again. He countered when he could, but Ethan had seen Hogni's sword at work. He knew its secret, and knew how to avoid it. And so, Hogni couldn't hit Ethan. Not while he was moving so fast and erratically. Ethan, on the other hand, was able to score small injuries, scratches mostly, on Hogni every few strikes. His weapons constantly traded hands, making it difficult for Hogni to predict true attacks from feints, and his idea to emulate the fighting style of the most deadly opponent he'd ever faced was serving him better than he could have ever hoped.
Ethan spun in a squat, allowing Hogni's sword to pass over him, and as Hogni's eyes met Ethan's, Ethan's sword severed his legs, then his xiphos severed Hogni's sword arm. As Hogni crashed to the ground, Ethan sheathed his xiphos and snatched the sword off of the ground, only to turn, sending it spinning across the battlefield and into the back of a Freya Familia Level Four as they leapt at Mikoto while she was busy struggling to fend off another. Then, he drew his xiphos again just as Freya Familia forces flooded inward. The coalition forces followed, but they were almost nothing compared to what they had been. A few dozen forces that could fight. All of them wounded. Ethan turned his head toward the northwest. He could still hear it. Bell was facing Ottar. Fighting him. Being beaten bloody by him. Then, Ethan turned his eyes back to the approaching Einherjar. For a moment, barely the blink of an eye, he saw a sea of monsters. Minotaurs, and Spartois, and War Shadows, and Gun Libelulas. For barely the blink of an eye, he felt the weight of a head resting in his lap and the cold of bloodloss. Then, he shook his head, his vision clearing, and exploded into motion once again. Cries and wails of agony and despair echoed from the Einherjar as Ethan tore through them. Despite many of their levels technically matching his own, he felled them with no hesitation and no resistance. As he'd already proven, he was currently well beyond them. And then, Ryu had joined him, the pair passing through the ranks of Freya Familia like a hand through mist. Ethan chanced a glance at Heith, but what he saw actually surprised him. The healers were all down, all but Heith, but not by Ryu's hand. As he looked, Hedin unleashed what had been his third volley of lightning blasts from Caelus Hildr directly upon Heith. Ethan hummed interestedly, but then turned back to the front in time to punch through the head of an axe, shattering the skull behind it before returning his blades to their work. However, barely a second later, both stopped as Hedin turned his spell on Freya Familia.
"Go and help Bell Cranel," Hedin instructed them, having leapt closer so that all of Freya Familia's forces were in range. "Against Ottar, fighting alone is impossible."
"Why are you helping?" Ethan asked.
"Everything is for the sake of Lady Freya," Hedin said. "I will sin for the sake of my devotion."
Ethan and Ryu both narrowed their eyes suspiciously, but then nodded. As they turned to the northwest, Bringar rose once more. They had been healed by Einherjar with elixirs, Grer's arms even being reattached. But before they could lead an assault on Hedin, or on Ethan and Ryu, the ground behind them exploded. The four of them spun, only to see Lunoir and Chloe had arrived, along with the rest of the Hostess of Fertility waitresses, even Ahnya having joined them.
"What are you doing here?" the four Pallums demanded.
"We've come to save Syr!" Lunoir declared.
"And no one is going to get in our way!" Chloe warned them.
"Even if Lady Freya says no, we will fight and win to stop Syr!" Ahnya said firmly.
Ethan and Ryu smiled, thanking them before turning and racing to the site of Bell and Ottar's battle.
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