Saarvel had been raiding kingdoms in the name of the Shadow Masters ever since his induction into the legion. Sure there were close calls, but he survived them all. Where his fellow legionnaires fell, he stood alive with the victors. It would be one thing if he was a mere plunderer, but he did not live this long without knowing how to kill a man in seconds.
But this was one fight he never prepared for. Saarvel knew no one in his legion who did. They were here to slaughter men, not monsters. Still, Saarvel thought this paltry squad would not amount to much. Because if they were, he wouldn't know what to do. So when
Stella gushed forth a wave of water that threatened to drown him and his group with water above land, Saarvel panicked but still managed to slash away the water with his bloody glaive while his Varjan Warriors scrambled to remove their helms to let out the water.
But that was not all,
Lavinia also streamed water to their feet that turned to ice, freezing them in place. Saarvel watched as his group was taken down by
Kirei and
Lavinia, leaving him to face
Nyla who had a human-sized frying pan hovering over him. Saarvel raised his spear to block the swing but it was futile. The Shadow Master was knocked down and out to the sand, ending the Varjan threat for a scant few moments.
"
Everyone! I think the battle, and the Oja Clan, are lost. Look!" Janus said, pointing to the swarm of Varjans ascending the hill and engaging the last line of Shizuyaman defenders and fortifications. "
...I wanted to find at least one survivor. A warrior who can vouch for us." The mage declared but looking at the surroundings, there didn't seem to be any living samurai left. They had all been killed as the taskforce fought in that brief moment, littering the beach with their bodies and the Varjans they took down with them.
Another line of Varjans were coming towards the taskforce, a brave group of ten barely-armored Brigands with axes and javelins. "
Let's clear these rabble out and regroup with our forces on the village--"
Just as Janus finished, something tackled
Kirei all the way towards the flowing seawater of the battle-bloody beach. It was Saarvel, who had regained consciousness and was now filled with nothing but rage. His helm dripped with blood from the heavy concussion but that did nothing to hinder him from throwing
Kirei under the water and choking the swordsman with his gauntlets.
"
I'll save you, hold on!" Janus was about to blast Saarvel away but he was interrupted by a thrown javelin that nearly hit him followed by an axe swing that he ducked under. "
Gods damn it!" The mage had to fight off his attackers before he could help
Kirei.
Before
Nyla could join the fight, if she wanted to, she spotted in the corner of one of her many eyes a person crawling amongst some rocks nearby. A fallen samurai warrior, in broken armor with about three arrows sticking out of his back. Where was he crawling to? Perhaps even he didn't know, merely following his body's last gasps of life.
His helmet was off and the Shoggoth could see his scruffy, short black hair.
Nyla would recall Lady Kyouko talking about how one of the Oja Clan members having this kind of look. Still, such a description fitted many so this poor samurai could be anyone. Then again, Janus said that they needed a local survivor.
The Varjans never expected the earth to suddenly erupt from under them, hitting them in... unfortunate parts of their bodies. They were left unconscious with only the father and his baby child, the latter crying loudly. The father recoiled when
Coco approached but when she told him to escape, he bowed his head. "
Thank you, milady." He said before leaving.
As
Coco rounded the corner in search for more people to help, she would see
Vară squaring off with a Varjan in black and dark purple armor and wearing an iron mask...
The children, intimidated of
Vară, nodded vigorously at her request. Both out of gratitude, and out of fear of her fiery wrath should they not agree. The children then looked beyond the Fire Demon and screamed, running off in a mere moment.
It was sufficient warning for Vară to roll aside to dodge the thrust of a claw weapon. The Fire Demon then beheld her attacker, a Varjan in black and dark purple armor of overlapping spiky plates.
His iron mask was simple but still expressed terror. His gauntlets each had a set of three claws jutting, completely black in color.
Vară could sense magic from the weapons.
"
You're no Shizuyaman, you're... a monster, aren't you?" The Varjan remarked, grinding his claws with each other. "
Very... unexpected."
More Varjans arrived, these ones on horseback. "
Lord Na'kratz, you need help with this girl?"
"
No, I think I can handle her." Na'kratz replied, not taking his eyes off
Vară. "
Go chase some fleeing villagers. Each of them will make a fine slave." The horsemen trotted off and followed their orders, riding to chase Shizuyaman villagers.
"
Now then, monster. Shall we?" Na'kratz awaited
Vară's move.
The pair of Varjan Warriors were too stunned in surprise to react to
Gwen's attack. They scrambled for their weapons, completely forgetting their victim.
One of them was successfully slashed by
Gwen's scythe and he was immediately on the ground, down and out. The other Varjan Warrior managed to narrowly evade his scythe swing and quickly retaliated with an axe swing of his own. His attack found its target, his axe hitting
Gwen's horns... only for it to shatter and doing no damage to the Baphomet. It did kind of sting, though.
Undeterred, the Varjan Warrior pulled out his round shield and tried pushing
Gwen into the burning house.
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