Just as Akoni had deduced, the librarian, this abyssal, was far more intelligent than its monstrous appearance would have suggested. It had recovered from the vicious assault of Mary, and began speaking in a loud baritone voice. The enormous creature, now known as Nichts, declared that battle too much trouble and gave them the opportunity to leave without further trouble. If they chose to stay, well...

Souta was the example being set there. The young man stood near Akoni, apparently barely able to think, to stand. Something was happening, and Akoni didn't like it. If Nichts could have disabled them like this the entire time, then it was truly a being of monstrous power and knowledge. Akoni anted that knowledge. He wanted to ask it why it attacked them, but left the creature possessing Sevrin alone. He wanted to ask about the third seal of Armageddon. He wanted to ask about so many things, but they would all have to wait. The elderly mage began toget an idea of what was happening to Souta, as tiny bits of information began to enter his own mind. Weather patterns, saturation percentages to cause precipitation, little scraps here and there of meteorology. 

Akoni gave thanks to his decades of practicing magic that allowed him to resist intrusions into his mind, but Souta was far too young and headstrong to have those same defenses. Akoni could assume that Silas would be resistant, like himself, but he had nothing to gauge Mary or Midori. At best they would be one man down in fighting Nichts with the remaining fighters becoming increasingly distracted. At worst, Akoni would only have one ally left, and Akoni was not nearly the fighter he once was. Infuriating as the situation had become, there was only one real choice to be made.

[color=dodgerblue]"I have many questions, oh great Nichts, which I will return for. When that happens, I hope we can discuss amongst ourselves as the scholars we are."[/color] The old mage declared his words to the abyssal loud and proud, not bothering to hide his frustration. Once he had finished, it was time to take up Nichts' offer of retreat. He started by grabbing for Souta, whom he had ensured landed nearby, then activated his Surge technique to head toward the exit. Mary and Midori were both fliers, they could transport themselves. Silas was a Lumen, and therefore knew Light Speed, so he could escape to safety on his own as well. If Akoni saw they had any difficulty he would go back for them, but for now only Souta required any assistance in their retreat.