Saikoten Region
Sanjo Beach
"Demon Lord preserves us... Does all the Shiny Warriors of the Something Something smell as horrible as you do?"
"
I do not expect a savage Dragon like you to recognize refined taste and beauty."
Nyla's slimy tendrils lashed out at Kasseros, but the Varjan Champion repelled them easily. His fiery blades spun into a blur and annihilated the Shoggoth's extensions, leaving no opportunity to even touch him. But this perfect defense left him open to another attack.
Kasseros could not evade
Gringor's mighty charge and the thrust of his axe, but he still had his swords and brought them up in an attempt to block the attack or at least mitigate the damage. The blades stood no chance against the male High Orc's powerful strike, the weapons shattering and losing their magical glows. Kasseros was thrown back, but was still on his feet.
It was then that he spotted
Tomi high up in the air, and poised to dive at him. Despite everything, Kasseros still had his speed. He moved away from the golden Dragon's meteoric landing, but could not move far enough. The landing's force blew the Varjan Champion away, and right into
Nyla's mass.
"
Argh! Bastards!" Kasseros shook his head and immediately noticed where he was. Shoggoth slime dirtied his lustrous armor but even he knew it was not the time to worry about his image. Kasseros glanced at
Nyla for a moment before trying to scramble away, wiping and pulling off any slime on him.
“I’m sorry for your fallen comrades, we couldn’t save them. But I promise we’ll get you out of here; I’m here with a few others. We can help clear a path so that we all can escape.”
The wounded samurai did not respond. He did not even flinch when
Atsuha pulled the arrows off of him, his body no longer feeling pain as it neared expiration. Fortunately, the Jurou-gomo's healing magic brought him from the brink. He began involuntary sighing in relief as his injuries started to heal.
Turning him around,
Atsuha got a good look at the samurai's features.
He was fair-skinned and had spiky brown hair that had a tail that reached his shoulders. His face was a bit dirtied and bloodied and his amber-colored, half-lidded eyes barely comprehended his savior, much less her monstrous nature.
"So... beautiful..." He uttered in his delirium, reaching out a cloth-wrapped hand to caress
Atsuha's face. The hand then fell limp as his consciousness slipped, his eyes shutting close. A worrying sign, but the spider monster would sense that the samurai was alright. His vitals were stable and would just need plenty of rest before he could do anything strenuous.
There were still Varjan boats incoming but for now, this part of the beach was empty save for
Atsuha's allies, their Varjan Champion adversary who was scrambling away from the Shoggoth... and the many, many bodies of the fallen, both Varjan and Shizuyaman.
"My name is Kannazuki Shizuka, I'm here with a small force of fighters to aid you in this battle! Please listen to me, this is but a small fraction of Varjo's forces! They have more boats coming from the harbor; we've tried to assist your fighters as best we can but this is suicide! Please, retreat with us, my team can cover you!”
The Shizuyama defenders were confused and astounded at the azure blur that cut down the advancing Varjans as it moved towards them. They readied their weapons when
Shizuka appeared before them but did not attack, knowing that he was no ally of the invaders.
After hearing his plea, the onmyoji and the shrine maidens looked at each other before one of the priestesses approached to explain. "
I do not know who you are, stranger, but we appreciate your help and your warning." She was a fair-skinned maiden, black of hair that smoothly reached her waist. A red headband was tied above her purple eyes. "
But we already knew that. However, if we cannot defeat them here then there will be no place in Shizuyama where we can." She declared. "
We have nowhere to retreat to, no way to reach the other lands without running into a Varjan blockade and the islands to the south is yokai territory. We are cornered, Kannazuki-san."
"
Sure we can hide out in the forests and mountains, strike at them before fading away." An onmyoji caster spoke up. "
But that will not save the island. There's just too few of us and too many of them. Any loss we get is a huge blow, and any loss they get is immediately replaced. We may know Shizuyama better than them, but... it's just impossible, my friend."
"
Who exactly are you, stranger? And this small force of fighters of yours?" The shrine maiden asked. "
Reinforcements? From where? Clan Amanomiya? I heard none of our shinobi returned trying to get past the blockades."
“Are the lords of this island here on the battlefield? If so, please relay my message to them, we can’t waste anymore time!”
"
They are." The shrine maiden and the other defenders' faces fell. "
They spearheaded the charge into the beach. We then saw Lord Hideo get surrounded and captured, all of his guards overwhelmed and slain."
"
As for his son... he rode alongside Lord Hideo, but we lost sight of him during the chaos." She added. "
The last we saw him, he was on his horse riding to aid his surrounded father. But a flaming boulder then exploded near him and that was that." She finished, pointing at the side of the beach where
Shizuka's allies were.
"
They're here!" Another shrine maiden yelled before an arrow hits her in the neck.
A wave of Varjans crashed into the last defender lines and the sounds of battle resumed, the short respite was over. "
You should go, Kannazuki-san. If you can make it here, then that means you can also make it out. Unlike us." The priestess said before casting an enchantment on her blade and joining the melee.
------
The man with the infant could only look away and shield away his child as the taskforce made short work of the Varjans cornering him. He yelped in surprise when
Samael grabbed hold of his pants.
"Quickly sir, come with me."
He said no words as he was pulled along by the male Demon. He was confused, who were these people? Why were they helping him? Some of them looked like yokai, were they yokai? Such questions should be asked later, safety was priority right now.
Unfortunately,
Samael and the father were spotted by a group of three Varjan riders as they fled from the besieged village and into the wilds of Shizuyama. The horses began galloping and with their spears held aloft, they intended to skewer the male Demon and his charge. They were in trouble unless
Samael thought of something or help came from his allies.
Meanwhile,
Wyndressa's rampage had attracted the attention of virtually every Varjan in the town. They all dropped what they were doing to engage the taskforce trio. One Varjan in fur armor was about to attack
Lunatea when he was suddenly picked up by another, bigger, half-naked Varjan and hurled at
Wyndressa. The move was purely for distraction, and the large Varjan followed it up by tackling the hybrid into a burning house.
Hinami and
Lunatea, being monsters and all, easily fought and defeated the small-time Varjans coming at them. But then, they would see
Samael and the civilian father they were protecting being attacked by three Varjan riders just outside of town. Splitting up was the wise decision but who would come to
Sam's aid? And could the one left behind handle the seemingly unending stream of Varjan invaders and maybe help out Wyndressa?
Speaking of her,
Wyndressa found herself tackled by a large Varjan invader into a flaming house. He wore no armor, save for a simple barbute helmet that concealed his face. All he had was a pair of black trousers and a simple battle axe. His torso was bared, showing off his muscles and fearlessness of death. With a war cry, he came at the hybrid with his axe... with surprising speed!
-
“Kneel. Beg for her forgiveness, and I will make your punishment quick.”
The Varjans on their horses stiffened. They all drew their weapons save for their leader in the iron mask. "
Beg for her forgiveness? Angelic fool, we're here because of the Order which technically means your beloved Chief God wants us here! There's nothing for you to punish!" He retorted. The Varjan lord seemed to believe his own words, caring little for whatever
Cambiel thought about his reply. "
Now put away that arrow and fly back to your clouds before you get hurt."
But before
Cambiel could make any sort of response, one of the Varjan guards that had been observing
Skarsneek the entire time suddenly exclaimed and pointed. "
Lord Na'kratz! That one! That's a Goblin! The Angel's on their side!"
The Varjan who pointed raised his javelin to hurl, but
Cambiel was quick to fire an arrow through his helmet. A moment after that,
Skarsneek kicked the small stone right into the head of Na'kratz's horse. With a pained neigh, the beast fell down and threw off the Varjan lord. The two remaining guards galloped towards the duo, their broad swords swinging in the air. They paid no attention to Na'kratz, who simply got up a bit dazed but no worse for wear.
The mounted Varjans came, one each for both
Skarsneek and
Cambiel. Meanwhile, Na'kratz simply watched as he put on his weapons, a pair of steel claw gauntlets.
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