3rd person POV (The beast horde)
"You've grown," A voice sounded behind the four flying over the beast horde.
Arthur's body stiffened, became visibly pale, and became light-headed. Memories of Sylvia flooded his mind instantaneously. Sylvia training and taking care of him, treating him as her own child.
However, all those memories turned dark at the memory of him. The horned monster who took her away from him. How he descended through the ceiling with a sword in hand. How he spoke in a demonic voice, a voice Arthur would never forget, a voice he just heard again.
Arthur, Sylvie, Alice, and Elion spun around toward the voice behind them. Arthur's eyes widened, his grip on despair tightened, and he visibly shook.
Elion drew his spear from his dimensional ring and took a defensive stance. Alice summoned her djinn armor, gritting her teeth. Sylvie formed two mana daggers in her hands, narrowing her eyes.
The four of them gazed upon the two adversaries levitating before them. Elion, Alice, Sylvie, and Arthur didn't know who one of the individuals was but could sense they were powerful. However, the second figure was well known to Arthur and only Arthur. It was someone he wouldn't forget until the day he died.
Arthur physically shook, gritting his teeth in fear and anger, with his eyes locked on the individual. "Cadell."
Burakku and Cadell levitated nonchalantly in front of the four. Burakku hung her arms to her sides, looking at the four in front of her curiously. Her eyes flicked to Arthur and looked him up and down before her luscious lips curved into a smirk. Cadell had his wrists clasped to the small of his back, with his eyes locked on Arthur.
Cadell smiled sinisterly at Arthur, "You remember me, boy?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes in pure hatred at Cadell, with his chest burning full of rage. "I'll never forget. You attacked Sylvia and me."
"What? He's the one?" Sylvie growled with narrowed eyes, her grip on her daggers tightening.
Cadell's eyes flicked to Sylvie, and he raised a brow, "And what's this? The high sovereign and Sylvia's daughter? It seems fate shines brightly upon me today."
Burakku looked at Cadell and curiously cocked her head to the side, "The young handsome Lance? He's the one you spoke of so long ago?"
Cadell nodded nonchalantly, "He is indeed." Cadell looked Arthur up and down, almost impressed, "He's gotten strong."
"I see," Burakku said, looking back at Arthur with a smirk. "Well. Seeing that he is with Sylvia's daughter, I take it he is the aether user Viessa spoke of." Arthur flinched at the mention of Viessa's name, with images of their battle in the dungeon surfacing in his mind. Burakku chuckled, "I'll have some fun with him when we take him and the High Sovereign's daughter back to Alacrya."
Alice narrowed her eyes on Burakku angrily and protectively, "You'll die before you touch him, you bitch."
Burakku and Cadell's eyes flicked to Alice, looking at her inquisitively. Cadell raised a brow, looking Alice up and down before a look of realization crossed his face, and he laughed menacingly.
"Hahaha! I see it! The resemblance! The boys' mother!" Cadell's lips curved into a sinister smile. "Two aether wielders. Interesting. We'll kill the mother and take the son, as well as Sylvia's daughter, to the High Sovereign." Cadell's eyes shifted to Arthur, who clenched his fists in rage at Cadell's comment. "Then, boy. You will know it was me who not only took your precious Sylvia but your whore of a mother too."
Arthur's eyes widened in rage, his body feeling hot, reaching his boiling point. He summoned his Djinn armor, Despair, and god-stepped in front of Cadell. He clad his right leg in aether and spin-kicked Cadell in the chest. A shockwave erupted from the impact, knocking the other back slightly, and Cadell tumbled through the sky toward the grow at a frightening velocity. A blast of wind burst from Arthur as he flew after Cadell as fast as possible.
"Papa!!" Sylvie yelled, dashing after him.
"Arthur, wait!" Alice yelled as she was about to fly after him.
Burakku flew, intercepting her flight path and stopping her from going after Arthur. Burakku stared at Elion and Alice as they both got into defensive stances. "You didn't forget about little ole me, did you, Alice?" Burakku chuckled. "I'll be your dance partner for this evening. And don't worry, I don't bite too hard."
"Alice, if we want to help Arthur, we have to get through her," Elion said, glaring at Burakku.
Alice gritted her teeth and nodded, "Let's make this quick."
Burakku grinned and slowly brushed her right hand down her right breast, "Oh no, I hate quickies. I never get the full satisfaction." Burakku licked her luscious lips, "Let's take this nice and slow."
Alice god-stepped in front of Burakku. She conjured an aether blade in her right hand and thrust her sword at Burakku's chest. Just as the blade was about to touch Burakku's robes, a blast of void wind erupted from Burakku like a nova. Alice grunted as the blast hit her, knocking her back. She tumbled back uncontrollably through the air until she felt someone catch her.
"Alice! Are you okay?!" Elion asked, concerned.
"I'm fine," Alice said in a strained voice.
Elion let her go, and Alice levitated beside him. Alice looked down at her armor, seeing her chest plate had melted. Aether soon began to coil around her armor, repairing it.
"Regenerative armor, interesting," Burakku said, with her eyes locked on Alice's chest. Her eyes flicked to Alice's, and smiled lewdly. "Beautiful and intriguing. I'd love to get a better look at you." Burakku cocked her head to the side, looking at Alice up and down. "Especially with the armor off you. How about we go back to my tent? We can take all the time we need to... explore each other."
Alice flinched slightly, surprised and caught off guard by Burakku's suggestion, while Burakku chuckled at Alice's reaction.
"Alice, the beast horde," Elion said in dread, gaining her attention.
Alice looked at Elion, seeing him looking elsewhere. She followed his gaze, seeing the beast horde moving closer to the wall. She gritted her teeth, knowing they couldn't take care of the horde without handling the scythes first.
"I'll handle the scythe. Take care of the horde," Alice told Elion.
Elion nodded and began to fly toward the horde. Suddenly, a crescent of void wind flew in from the side toward Elion. Elion went wide-eyed and wrapped himself in a wind barrier. The void wind cut through the barrier like butter and struck Elion on his left side. Elion grunted as he fell through the sky.
"Elion!" Alice yelled, flying after him.
Alice quickly caught up and reached out to Elion. Elion was holding his side, wincing in pain. Alice was about to grab Elion when Burakku flew in from the side. Alice looked at Burakku, just in time for Burakku to punch Alice in her face with a fist wrapped in void wind.
A shockwave erupted from the strike, and Alice was blasted out of the sky. She tumbled down and crashed into the ground with significant impact, creating a large crater. Dust flew into the sky, covering the area.
Alice lay there coughing up blood, feeling tremendous pain shooting through her body. Several of her bones were broken, and the left side of her face melted from Burakku's attack. Aether rushed into her body, healing her injuries.
The pain slowly started to fade, and Alice painfully began to sit up. All of a sudden, Burakku flew down and crashed into Alice's chest, feet first. The ground beneath Alice cracked, and Alice's armor partially shattered. Blood spewed out of Alice's mouth as she grunted from the impact.
Burakku sighed and looked at Alice, upset, "I guess you're in too much of a rush and don't want to have fun." She raised her right arm, formed a void wind sword in her hand, and glared down at Alice. "Very well then. I'll make this quick, my beautiful Alice."
Alice gritted her teeth, quickly coated aether around her, and burst it out from her like a nova. Burakku was pushed off Alice and skidded to a halt a few feet away from Alice, uninjured.
Alice stood up as fast as she could as aether coursed through her body, repairing her injuries. Alice conjured an aether blade in her right hand, taking an offensive stance.
Burakku smirked at Alice and began to walk toward her when vines shot out from the ground behind Burakku and pierced through her shoulders and torso.
"Don't forget about me, you bitch!" Elion yelled as he landed next to Alice.
Alice god-stepped in front of Burakku and thrust her sword at her chest. Void wind erupted from Burakku, pushing Alice back and destroying the vines. Alice skidded to a halt next to Elion. Elion and Alice both glared at Burakku, seeing her injuries already healing.
"Damnit," Elion said in frustration.
Alice activated her vivum rune and wrapped Elion in aether. Aether rushed around him, healing all his injuries.
"Thanks," Elion said, not taking his eyes off Burakku.
"Don't mention it. We're in this fight together," Alice said, glaring at Burakku.
Burakku chuckled with a small smile, "You'll die together too."
***
Arthur raced toward the ground, scanning the area for Cadell. Sylvie called out to him through his mental connection, but he was too consumed by rage to listen. Cadell had gotten into his head. Arthur blamed Cadell for Sylvia's death, and now he threatened to take his mother. Right now, all Arthur wanted to do was kill Cadell.
Arthur's eyes flicked to a giant dust cloud near the ground. His eyes narrowed, concluding that's where Cadell crashed. Arthur burst toward the area and flew into the cloud. He landed in a large, deep crater, looking for his target. His eyes narrowed in frustration, not seeing any signs of Cadell. Arthur waved his left hand, and the wind rushed around him, clearing away the dust.
With the dust clear, Arthur had a clear view of the crater. Arthur's eyes widened when he felt a sudden magic fluctuation behind him. Arthur spun around just in time for Cadell to wrap his right hand around Arthur's throat and squeeze.
Cadell burst forward, carrying Arthur by his throat and restricting his airway. Cadell slammed Arthur into the ground as they continued to fly forward. The ground underneath Arthur and the back of his armor ripped apart as Cadell skidded Arthur across the land.
"Is this the best you can do, boy!" Cadell mocked.
Arthur gritted his teeth and activated realmheart. Gold and amethyst runes covered his body; his hair turned white and gold at the tips. Wind and fire wrapped around Arthur and burst out like a nova. Cadell let go of Arthur and flew back as the intense heat from the flames burned his skin. Arthur levitated off the ground and slammed his feet to the ground, skidding to a halt.
Arthur grunted in pain as his back was ripped apart. Muscle and bone were visible, and his armor was in shreds. Aether immediately coiled around him, healing his wounds and repairing his armor. Arthur released a breath of relief, standing up as the pain slowly subsided. Arthur looked down, noticing he dropped Despair during Cadell's attack. However, he wasn't concerned as he knew it would return to his dimensional rune. Arthur summoned Despair from his rune and gripped it tightly.
Arthur looked up as Cadell landed before him, cracking the ground beneath him. Black flames covered Cadell's skin, where he was burned, healing his injuries.
Cadell scoffed, "I must say I'm disappointed. I expected more from Sylvia's disciple."
Arthur's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth in rage. Arthur wrapped Despair in all four elements, "Don't you dare say her name!!"
Arthur burst toward Cadell in a rage, and Cadell smirked, seeing Arthur lose his composure. A void black longsword that resembled a piece of the night sky formed in Cadell's right hand. Soul fire wrapped around Cadell's sword, and Cadell burst toward Arthur.
Arthur and Cadell swung their swords at each other. When their blades met, a shockwave burst out around them, and thunder sounded through the sky. Arthur glared at Cadell with clenched teeth as Cadell smirked confidently. They both pushed against each other in a test of strength, neither faltering.
Soul fire leaped off Cadell's blade onto Arthur's. The soul fire consumed the elements surrounding Arthur's sword and wrapped around Despair, and Arthur's jaw clenched seeing this power.
Arthur wrapped Despair in aether. The aether quickly doused the soul fire, and Cadell went wide-eyed in surprise. The aether around Despair burst out, pushing Cadell back. Cadell skidded to a halt a few feet away from Arthur. Cadell looked at Arthur surprised before he smiled sinisterly and broke into laughter.
"Hahaha! That's more like it, boy! Try to keep me entertained," Cadell said menacingly.
Arthur and Cadell looked up as they felt a mana fluctuation. A barrage of mana daggers flew down at Cadell. Cadell cursed under his breath as he quickly burst back. The mana daggers slammed into the ground, following Cadell's path in rapid succession. Soon, the barrage stopped, and Cadell skidded to a halt. Sylvie flew down and landed beside Arthur.
"Papa! Are you okay?!" Sylvie asked, concerned.
Arthur nodded, not taking his rage-filled gaze off Cadell, "I'm fine, Sylv."
Sylvie looked at Arthur angrily, "Don't be an idiot and rush off like that! Can't you see he's trying to bait you?!"
Arthur looked at her, surprised since she'd never yelled at him before. Arthur looked at her momentarily, processing her words, before he sighed, "Sorry, Sylv, he got into my head."
"Well, if you're done with this sweet reunion, shall we continue our battle," Cadell said, getting Sylvie and Arthur's attention. Cadell's eyes flicked to Sylvie before they landed back on Arthur. Cadell smiled sinisterly, "Tell me, boy. You couldn't save Sylvia, so what makes you think you can save her daughter? What do you think her last words will be when my blade runs through her heart?!"
Arthur's eyes went wide with rage, and he was about to burst forward. However, before he could move, Sylvie grabbed Arthur's arm, holding him back. Arthur looked at Sylvie, surprised.
Sylvie shook her head, "Don't fall for it, Papa. We need to do this together."
Arthur took a breath, calming himself. Looking back at Cadel, he nodded, "Alright, Slyv, together."
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3rd person POV (The wall)
The wall's defenders looked down in fear, seeing the approaching beast horde. Helen stood atop the wall, looking into the beast glades with her telescope. She could see blasts of magic in the distance. In one area, she saw Alice and Elion fighting one scythe and Arthur and Sylvie fighting a scythe in another.
Helen took the telescope away from her eye. She looked down at the beast horde with a narrowed-eyed, determined look.
Helen turned to the wall's defenders, "Listen up!" Helen yelled, gaining everyone's attention. "The generals and the captain are fighting two of Alacrya's elite soldiers in the beast glades! They were able to take out half the horde, but the rest falls to us!" Murmurs could be heard among the men as they looked at each other with fear. "Standfast men! Together, we will survive this battle and protect the wall! Ready the catapults! Load the ballistae!"
Soldiers shouted battle cries as they followed Helen's orders.
Helen looked at Ellie, who was standing beside her. Helen placed her hand on Ellie's shoulder, getting her attention.
"Stand by me the entire time," Helen ordered.
Ellie nodded determinedly, "I will."
***
The soldiers at the bottom of the wall on the Sapin side readied their weapons. Several were afraid, but they knew they had to stop the horde; the survival of Dicathen's way of life was at stake.
Reynolds fastened his gauntlets while the rest of the twin horns made sure everyone's armor was secured.
"Mind if we join your team?" Claire called out.
Reynolds and the twin horns looked toward Claire to see her, Theo, and Caera walk up to them wearing armor. The three of them had warm smiles on their faces, seeing the Twin Horns. However, there was also fear hidden behind their eyes, but they wouldn't show it.
Angela smiled, happy to see the three of them, "Of course, you can."
"The more of us there is to watch each other's backs, the less chance of death, right?" Adam joked, trying to hide his fear.
"Wow, that's nice, Adam," Caera jested, getting a few chuckles. Caera curiously looked around, and her brows raised in surprise, seeing someone was missing. "Where's Tess? I thought she'd be with you."
Reynolds looked at Caera before his gaze fell. Deciding that her being pregnant wasn't his news to tell, he looked back at Caera with a smile. "She's preoccupied. Don't worry, she is safe."
Caera cocked her head, looking at Reynolds curiously, wanting to pry. Reynolds subtly shook his head, and Caera nodded, understanding his request.
Reynolds looked at everyone, trying to display confidence, "Alright, everyone, the horde is finally here. We stick together and watch each other's back."
Everyone nodded and looked up as the trumpet sounded.
Durden looked at Reynolds, "It's time."
Reynolds nodded and looked at everyone, "Alright, everyone, let's go."