After driving through the chaotic streets of the capital city, the impromptu team of Kyros, Runa, Chayse, and Elma, arrived at the Soteria port. It, too, wasn't secure from the onslaught of the Varvara. Various monsters surrounded the barricade erected by the War Dogs and broke through without trouble. Wounded soldiers backed away from the approaching creatures while those that were able fought to the best of their abilities.
The team quickly left their vehicle and assisted the military unit. They cleared out all the monsters in a matter of minutes.
"Think that's the last of 'em for now," Chayse assumed as he retrieved some of the arrows from the fallen Varvara. "thank Goddess we showed up when we did. This place would've gotten overrun."
"What happened here?" Elma asked one of the wounded soldiers.
"The terrorists! They showed up out of nowhere!" One of them began.
"They killed our comrades! Turned them into monsters!"
"They got through us while we were busy fighting! I saw one take a boat while the others took Griffons!"
"What the hell are they planning?" Elma ran her hand through her hair. She racked her brain, trying with every brain cell of hers to figure out the convoluted plans of the Acolytes.
"It doesn't matter," Runa's harsh voice rang, "we're wasting time standing around. We gonna make a move or not?"
"Runa's right. We've got to move," Kyros agreed. He felt the most guilty about the events that took place in his city. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. Each second lost meant a life wasted. "the one that took the boat? Which way did they go?"
"She headed straight toward the foot of the mountain," A soldier answered.
"That's where we're going, Runa," Kyros commanded. He didn't even bother to wait for her response. He knew she had no problems following him to Melanie's location. They both had unfinished business with that woman.
"Guess that leaves the other two to us?" Chayse looked at Elma for confirmation. His body ached at the thought of having to fight two Acolytes at once. He and his partner barely survived fighting against one the other day. He dreaded how difficult the fight would turn out with two on their plate.
Runa stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Think you two can handle it?"
She already knew the answer, however. Elma and Chayse's physical conditions were no secret to anyone. The Huntress doubted they'd last much longer without proper backup.
"Don't worry about us. You two go on ahead," Elma commanded. She sensed a hint of pity in Runa's words. While she respected the Huntress for the previous times, she helped them; one thing she wouldn't allow was an utter pity. Despite her wounds, she'd push through and defeat the Acolytes.
"Yeah, we aren't so banged up we can't handle a few Acolytes," Chayse flexed his arms and flashed a bright smile. Behind that smile, however, was uncertainty and doubt. Would they defeat the Acolytes? That question repeated in his head over and over.
If the conditions were more in their favor, then, of course, he'd feel confident. But that was the problem. The Acolytes had a complete advantage in numbers and strength. Chayse had no doubts the Acolytes would go down. Unfortunately, he didn't know, and he and Elma would be alive to witness it.
"Stop right there!" A soldier's frightened voice rang throughout the area. The group turned their heads and watched the very soldier fly through the air and land in front of them. They looked ahead and spotted two individuals approach the barricade.
One of them was a tall, muscular man with a giant hammer carried over his shoulder. The other one was a young man with wolf ears and a tail that wagged eagerly behind him. Several soldiers surrounded the two men with their weapons trained on them.
"Would ya look at that, more people wanna die," Dire smiled with glee as he prepared to lounge at the soldiers.
"They're only pointing weapons at us because you just kicked that guy," Gigas pointed out. He knew it was pointless. His scoldings went through one ear of the Beastia and out the other. "Please, lower your weapons. We aren't here to cause any trouble."
"Those bounties on your heads say otherwise!" A soldier countered.
Chayse and Elma joined the other soldiers with their bow and arrows at the ready. Like the others, they couldn't take any chances. They recognized the two criminals almost immediately.
"What's going on? Who are those two?" Kyros asked. He couldn't explain it, but the moment his eyes laid on Dire, he felt his stomach churn. The Beastia's piercing amber eyes made his hair stand on end. Just from that one glance, he knew the young man was terrible news.
"Those two men are notorious criminals with huge bounties on their heads," answered Runa with her weapon drawn, "Dire from Albus, and Gigas Alcaeus from the Vigoare Empire in Russus."
"They've come a long way," Kyros noted, "what are they doing here?"
"That's what I want to know. It's bad enough we gotta deal with the Acolytes. But, if we add those two into the equation, then things won't turn out well for anyone." Runa stated.
She thought back to the day she first learned of the criminal duo. She heard stories about how Dire destroyed orphanages and slaughtered dozens of bounty hunters that chased after his head. Even superior groups like Menagerie were unable to capture him.
The stories that unnerved her the most were those of Gigas and his exploits. An unstoppable force that laid waste to armies singlehandedly for days without rest. Bodies of his enemies would be found strewn around the battlefield with their heads smashed beyond recognition. The blood of his enemies dyed his hammer and the soil crimson.
"Why'd you two have to stick your heads out now of all times? We can't let you go now." Chayse complained. A fight against those two was one of the last things he wanted.
"Drop your weapon, or we drop you," Elma demanded. She drew back on her bow and aimed directly at Gigas' head. If the man's hand even twitched in a way that she didn't like, she'd put one right between the man's eyes.
"We're not looking for a fight. At least, not with any of you," Gigas did as commanded and dropped his hammer. Upon contact with the ground, debris and dust flew into the air. To further show his claims of peace, the large man raised his hand into the air.
"Who're you looking to fight?" Elma asked.
"The Acolytes and the Varvara," Gigas replied, "we saved Spero Town from them a few days ago. We're looking to do the same here."
"We got reports that you also killed several military officers in this city," Chayse added.
"How do you explain that?" Elma demanded an answer.
Dire smiled and raised his hand. "That was me. Bastards got too close for comfort, so I killed 'em."
Not a shred of guilt or remorse resided in his words. Chayse and Elma fought off the urge to fire off the first shot.
"I've no excuse for our actions. But, now isn't the time to fight each other. Your country is falling right before your very eyes. Let us help you stop that from happening." Gigas suggested.
It was something no one expected to hear from someone of his reputation. A man well renowned for his cruelty and monstrosities while out on the battlefield suggested helping a country that wasn't his own. None of the people present were foolish enough to accept the proposal without thinking it through.
Admittedly, they needed all the help they could get in dealing with the Acolytes. With powerful men like Dire and Gigas on their side, they'd achieve victory, no question. However, were those men on their side?
Gigas was a mercenary. Chances were high that someone paid him to come to Soteria for reasons unknown to them. Even if that wasn't the case, it didn't help the fact that he walked beside a notorious murderer.
Kyros swallowed his doubts and stepped forward. Fearing what the military man planned to do, Runa reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Don't even think about it," She warned him. "Those two can't tag along."
"We don't have any other choice. If they're willing to help us, then we should accept their offer." Kyros said.
"You think fighting alongside criminals is a good idea? They'll try and kill us the moment we turn our backs on them." Runa assumed.
Dire's ears perked up. He heard the entire conversation between Runa and Kyros. The Beastia scowled and called out to them, "Hey! Don't think you can talk shit about us like we're not here!"
Runa clicked her tongue and moved her attention to Dire. She'd forgotten about most Beastia's acute senses like smelling and hearing.
"I understand your caution. You don't have to trust us. Let us prove ourselves through battle," Gigas reached down and picked up his hammer. Most of the soldiers backed away while Chayse and Elma stayed put. "Dire, and I will move ahead of everyone. That way, you can see everything that we do."
Elma gritted her teeth and lowered her bow. Chayse nodded his head and followed suit. They understood the situation and realized that they couldn't refuse more help, regardless of whom it came from. Besides, if Gigas and Dire kept close to them, then they'd find several opportunities to capture them.
"Fine, we'll be watching you. One wrong move, and we'll end your lives," Elma warned.
Dire slipped his hands in his pockets and scoffed. The notion of Hunters ending his life amused him to a certain extent. He understood most people were confident to the point of arrogance. However, he knew that there was a limit to a person's stupidity. He mentally noted to prove that whenever he confronted the Acolytes again.
"Do you know where the Acolytes went?" Gigas wondered.
"Two of them are headed to the castle atop of the mountain while the last one took a boat and is headed for the foot of the mountain," Chayse answered.
"We'll take care of the one headed for the foot of the mountain," Kyros said.
"Then, we'll take a Griffon and get to the top of the mountain." Elma nodded her head.
"We'll go with you two," Gigas looked at Elma and Chayse.
"Let's get a move on then," Chayse looked at Runa and winked. "Runa, when all this is over, let's grab a drink."
"Uh-huh, sure," Runa dismissed the offer and headed to the nearest Griffon with Kyros. The newest team of Elma, Chayse, Dire, and Gigas went into one of their own.
The first ones to reach their destination was the duo of Kyros and Runa. They reached the foot of the mountain and landed the Griffon in a secure location. Afterward, they left the air vehicle and trod out into the vast area before them.
Runa took immediate notice of the gravestones and laid out before her eye. The sight of so many graves unsettled her.
"What is this?" Runa asked.
"A graveyard," Kyros sternly answered as he walked ahead, paying no mind to the graves. "it's where we bury our fallen soldiers."
"Yeah, I can see that. But why would Melanie come here instead of the castle?" Runa questioned. "She wants to destroy the country, right?"
"She does. However, I believe she needs something to do that." Kyros said.
Runa kept silent and mulled over the situation. It didn't take her long to figure out the Acolyte's plan.
"Oh, Goddes! She doesn't plan to--"
Runa stopped when a hand reached out from under her and grabbed her leg. She grabbed her spear and sliced the arm off. One by one, numerous bodies rose from the graves and surrounded the duo.
"She's gone too far," Kyros scowled. His bracelets transformed into his gauntlets and enveloped his fists. "She's desecrating the bodies of the dead."
"We're gonna hafta do that now if we want to get through," Runa complained. As far as she could see, hundreds of bodies gathered around them. Fighting all of them would take hours.
"I don't suppose you have a plan to clear them out?" Kyros wondered.
"I do..." Runa reluctantly answered as she looked back towards the water. She knew it was reckless to go through with the plan. But, with the numbers not in her favor, she had no other choice.
The woman heaved a sigh and stepped forward. She took a deep breath and closed her eye, her body radiated in an amethyst glow—it was her Praus. She focused her life force into the Vitalis crystals embedded into the blade of her spear. Once her eye opened, she walked towards the incoming enemies with bright confidence.
With swift and fierce swings of her weapon, dismembered bodies of the corpses scattered across the area. Then, once she was in the clear, she twirled her spear in her hand before it was raised high above her head. Almost immediately, towering streams of water erupted from the river behind her. Afterward, the water flowed in the direction of Runa's spear, twisting and twirling around her like a silk cloth.
Once she directed her spear toward the corpses, the streams of water plowed through them all, tearing them apart and leaving them in heaps.
Kyros' jaw dropped to the ground, unable to comprehend what he'd just seen. Never in his life had he witnessed someone manipulate the Vitalis crystals to such an extraordinary extent. One had to possess precise control over their Praus.
"Amazing! You cleared them with ease!" Kyros complimented his comrade.
Runa's breathing grew ragged. She jammed her spear into the ground and used it as a means of support. That technique of hers wasn't something she used often. It took an exhausting toll on her body since she rarely used copious amounts of her Praus at once.
"I wouldn't say ease," Runa complained, "don't expect me to do that again if she gathers more corpses to use against us."
"Don't worry, we'll stop her before that happens," Kyros proclaimed, confident that he'd stop Melanie that time around. He admitted his faults in stopping her from the previous times they met. However, he swore that he'd stop her.
Meanwhile, the four-person team landed their Griffon and stepped out onto the bridge leading to the top of the mountain. Chayse and Elma grimaced at the sight of bodies presented before them.
Dire stepped forward and sniffed the area. A malicious smile spread across his face the moment he picked up a familiar scent. He'd found it. The person he'd searched for.
"He's here, Gigas. Just across that bridge," The Wolf Beastia pointed ahead.
"Let's not keep them waiting," Gigas set his hammer on his shoulder and proceeded down the bridge with the Hunters following close behind as agreed.
Halfway along their walk, a horde of Varavara greeted them. The ones that signaled for the attack were Elma and Chayse. They shot arrows which exploded on impact against the creatures, scattering them across the bridge. Dire and Gigas closed in on them immediately afterward then finished them off. The two of them worked in perfect tandem. Their separate attacks seemed well-planned out and placed.
Even when some Varvara managed to slip through the cracks in their formation, they had each other's backs. Dire's fierce kicks combined with Gigas' titanic-like strength—those two appeared to be an unstoppable force.
The Hunters conserved their strength and watched the duo take care of the horde. Neither Dire or Gigas complained or even broke a sweat. It all seemed like child's play to them.
Once the horde vanished, the group continued onward. When they reached the end of the bridge, they found themselves in front of their targets of interest. Two people in black cloaks stood together in the courtyard surrounded by military officers. The largest of the two, Taurian, raised his ax and cleaved the officers in half.
"Found ya!" Dire shouted in delight. He rushed the Bull Beastia while his back was turned. Taurian reacted just in time to use his ax to block an incoming kick.
"You again?!" Taurian angrily exclaimed.
"Can't get away from me that easily! We got a score to finish!" Dire smiled.
"Ah, so you are the one that Taurian spoke of," Maur looked at Dire. His attention quickly shifted when he caught an arrow with his hand. "You are still alive, this one sees."
"Gonna hafta kill us to make us stay dead," Chayse taunted, "doubt you can do it."
"Is that right?" Maur smirked. "You both are already on death's door. Allow this one to let you through it."
"Since you seem so confident, Maur, I'll let you take care of them." Taurian showed no hesitation in tossing his opponents onto his partner. He turned his back and ran off towards military headquarters.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Dire gave chase with Gigas soon following behind.
Maur smiled. He did not attempt to stop the duo from chasing after his comrade.
"Not gonna help your friend?" Elma questioned.
"Why would this one do that? This one bets you would try and put an arrow in this ones back if this one tried." Maur figured. "Besides, Taurian should be able to deal with them. If not, it's no big loss to our plans."
"Arrogant son of a bitch," Elma swore.
"Now, vanish!" Maur dropped to one knee and slammed his palm on the ground. A bright light emitted from his hand. Surges of purple electricity coursed through the field until it reached the Hunters. However, they weren't electrocuted. Instead, the ground beneath them suddenly vanished. And they were sent plummeting to the water down below.