"Espoir! To your left!"
"Shit! Damn bug!"
"Don't show it fear!"
"Now it's bloody hands are poisonous!"
Espoir disappeared and Rei hit their attacker.
A Yggris Spider. They'd been sent to kill 21 of these demons as they had occupied a meadow owned by a famous wine establishment. They were the poisonous type.
"Since when do Yggris Spiders come in groups? Aren't they solo hunters?" asked Espoir as he cut down another spider.
"There's nothing in the Demon Almanac that says they're solo hunters." Rei replied as he swiftly cut down two spiders.
May was full attack mode, and cut down 5 spiders in the blink of an eye.
"You don't think she's still angry about the coins right?" asked Rei as he cut down yet another spider.
"She's still angry. She's imagining they're me." Morte said, sweating nervously and he saw the raw carnage that his teammate was causing.
"At least she's leaving the venom glands intact. But something is a bit strange...why are we heading towards that direction?" he asked.
"I just realised...why are we headed there?" asked Rei.
"....This is bad. There's only one reason why we would be going somewhere and not know why..." said May, seemingly back to her senses.
"So...our first Arachne huh?" said Morte as the three stood back to back, preparing to strike down the monsters. "I knew their movements were too coordinated." he said smirking.
"Guys...how tall is an arachne?" asked Rei.
"7 feet are the smallest." said May.
"I think I found it." said Rei as a giant figure appeared in front of him.
It had two parts, the upper being a human woman wearing exoskeleton as light armor. The lower part was a spider's abdomen, with 8 giant legs.
"An Arachne has poison at every sharp tip...so don't get stratched." said May.
"Now I know why my dad always wanted one of these." said Morte, his eyes lustfully scanning the demon's torso.
"Damn pervert." May said as she looked at her teammate's undignified state.
**********************************************
"So this is the place." said Gars as he and Pierre arrived at the small town of Urako, neighbour of the once serene village Viel.
"I don't see any weapon shops...it's a bit worrying." said Pierre.
"You grew up in Asfáleia right? I'll have you know that most places aren't filled to the brim with weapon shops." Gars said, purchasing an apple from one of the stalls.
"To be honest, it's because Asfáleia is around that there aren't any weapon shops. Who's gonna want to start one when there is a city of them, selling high quality weapons at dirt prices."
"Well it won't hurt to at least see one. Otherwise these people are sorely under equipped if a demon invades." said Pierre, stopping in front of the town hall.
"So we're gonna do this?" asked Gars as he looked at Pierre waiting for an answer.
"We just gotta hold off a demon horde. And it isn't as if we're fighting them alone so...let's do it." said Pierre as he opened the doors.
Inside there were several Vanguard-in-training squads. As the two entered, they were stared at by everyone present.
"Squad 197, squad 203 and squad 199...legends are here." said Gars as he looked at squad 199 in their regular all light gear.
They were called the Nightwalkers, known for ending exterminations quickly.
Squad 197 was filled with heavys with one odd bow user in light armor. They were known as 'The Wall', as their formation once repelled an ogre's charge perfectly.
Then there was squad 203. A classic team, with a full plate armor knight from Asfáleia, a warrior from the Krieg territory, a medic from the Vivlos territory, a rouge from the Scáth's turf and an archer from the Sabre's capital.
They were all trained in top institutions and where they came from was unknown, but they were called the 'heroes, that were going to slay the 16 demons.
Until Mayln Töröl arrived and made every member of squad 209 a monster.
"You guys have guts showing your faces here." said the female archer.
"And only two of ya? Isn't that a bit cocky." said the medic, also female.
"Our other members went on an extermination. They'll be back soon." said Pierre.
"Better if they don't come. They'd only get in our way." said the warrior. "You're still stone headed Kraz, you know that." said Gars laughing.
"That's just straight up challenging me!" said the warrior.
Shorter than both Gars and Pierre, Kraz only stood out because of his obvious muscle. A head of dark red hair and brown-red eyes were prominent features on his warlike face. Wearing light armor but equipped with a one handed axe and two swords, he was a true citizen of the war hungry nation of Redfield.
"I shall oblige. Imperial swordsmanship vs War god arts, this will be a battle." said Gars as he unsheathed his black blade.
"Tod an alle, die sich meiner Klinge stellen!" shouted Kraz. "I don't speak that langu-" said Gars before he was forced to block a sword slash from Kraz.
Kraz wielded two mythril swords and a steel axe, another reason he was feared. He swung his other sword almost immediately after his first clashed with Gar's, and Gars jumped back to dodge it.
As Gars jumped back, Kraz grabbed the axe at his back and threw it. Gars blocked the weapon, only to be immediately descended upon by slashes from two separate directions.
He thrust his sword forward and it made contact with Kraz's head band at the same time that Kraz's Blades touched the sides of his head.
"Draw." said Kraz as he withdrew his swords. "You've gotten good Argent. Maybe with a mage stone you could beat me." he said smiling as he flashed his gauntlet with a mage stone installed.
"Yeah, sure." said Gars as he sheathed his weapon.
At that moment a villager stepped in. By this places standards he was exceptionally well dressed, wearing a black tuxedo with its coattails reaching the ground. A cane of mahagony and a monocle placed on his left eye showed his distinction. His dark hair was slicked back and his face brilliantly adorned with a moustache and goatee. He stood on the stage in the town hall and prepared to speak.
"I am the Mayor of Urako, Edward Jardin. I am here to address you on your task."