The sound of hundreds of monks chanting holy scriptures filled the air around the building of Clearwater Municipal Hospital. Even Division agents without any kind of supernatural gifts could feel some kind of solemn and dignified power and energy when they got close to the monks sitting on the ground, forming a giant circle surrounding the entire hospital.
There were four heavy duty helicopters in the sky, hanging in their respective places in the air, each carrying a folded up metal rod underneath. Three of the helicopters formed a triangle, and the last helicopter was in the center, all four of them in turn formed some kind of array just waiting to be deployed.
The clouds above the hospital building were particularly thick and dark today, and there were hundreds if not thousands of dark spots on the clouds. If anyone looked carefully, they would see that these dark spots were actually all human faces formed by clouds that are tainted by dark smoke. These faces were crying, screaming, agonizing or vomiting, forming a horrifying picture that could make nightmare fuel for almost anyone.
"All drops are on standby." one of the two pilots in the helicopter flying in the middle communicated with someone through the comms: "Say the word, and we will deploy the layload."
"Remain on standby. The swords are still getting ready." Pei's voice came from the comms.
Pei was not lying, when she put down the microphone, started concentrating her powers on her palms and projecting dozens of threads with different colors made of her unique energy onto the handle of a green sword with translucent blade. And on her side, Nameless was chanting Buddhist scriptures while pointing his fingers at the blade of the sword, beams of golden energy shot from the tips of his finger and merged into the blade, blessing and strengthening it.
"How you're holding up?" Pei asked Nameless.
"This Monk is doing fine. Take care, haste does not a good enchantment make." Nameless said, as he started conjuring more of his power and helping Pei enchant the green sword.
"Gosh, if it had given us just one more day..." Pei sighed: "Even if it had given us half a day - it'd been much better."
When the energy threads finally wrapped around the handle, and all of the streams of energy released by Nameless finally covered the entire edge of the green sword in a thin layer of golden coating, both of them stopped what they were doing, and stuck the sword into the ground, near a ground of three chanting monks.
"Okay. One more sword to go." Pei picked up her microphone: "Birds, report. Simmons and Robinson, how is the surrounding area?"
"All clear, no sign of civilians or unfriendlies." "All clear."
"Blue, Alexander, Vivian, what about your positions?" Pei asked.
"No indication of any unfriendly forces." the voice of an old man replied, this was Blue.
"I smelled nothing." this was a grumpy and hoarse voice from a man with an accent, this was Alexander.
"No targets." this was a sharp female voice, from Vivian.
"Okay, keep watch. If anything should happen, report first and do not be hasty to engage." Pei said: "Especially you, Vivian."
"No need to worry, Pei."
When Pei and Nameless rushed to the position of the last sword - one with a bamboo and wooden blade, no sharp edges and metal handle, a loud, cold and grudgeful cry with multiple voices inside came from the hospital building. Apparently the chantings of Buddhist scriptures caused the unclean beings in the hospital pain, and it was starting to fight back. The heads made of tainted clouds up in the sky started moving, shaking and growling. Their cries and curses even formed into visible waves of corrosive rain.
"Faster!" sweat started dripping down Pei and Nameless's forehead, as they tried their best to enchant this final sword that would complete the entire array.
"All units, put on your cloaks. The tainted clouds started raining." Agent Jill informed all Division agents present: "And all units, watch out for your team. If anyone shows any symptoms of paranormal influence or corruption, report and send them back immediately."
At this point, neither Pei nor Nameless thought it was time for them to conserve any energy, when they sped up with their final enchantment of the sword with wooden blade and metal handle.
The shadow of a humanoid monster with a spike on its head and a long and forked tail made of dark ashes and small particles peeled from the ground and the surface of the building appeared above the top of the hospital building. While everyone watched, the shadow monster raised its head and opened its mouth towards the sky.
The droplets of corrosive rain from the cloud covered with tainted cloud faces all changed their courses midway, and started falling into the mouth of the shadow monster.
Not only this, with the monster's voiceless roar, small pieces of rock, dirt and even worms and insects burrowing beneath the ground started floating up into the air and flew towards the shadow monster.
"Shit! Birds! Deploy the stakes! Deploy the stakes right now!" Pei yelled at the microphone, then she turned to Nameless: "Go and deal with that - I'll finish the enchantment!"
"This monk shall go. Take care." Nameless shot his final stream of energy at the sword, then leapt into the air at the shadow monster.
The monster only had a rough shape and barely had a body, and thus it seemed to be the case that it did not have any ability to do harm - yet.
Nameless flew into the air with his whole body shrouded by golden energy, and his metal staff floating right above him.
"Be gone." Nameless unleashed a palm strike while still still at some distance away from the shadow monster. A huge golden shadow of his palm landed on the monster's chest. The shadow monster's body instantly exploded.
But after only a short moment, the shadow reappeared at roughly the same position, this time, it turned its face at Nameless. And even though it did not have eyes, Nameless could still sense that it was looking right at him.