Twenty-six back-clad humanoid figures surged from all directions with cloaks and masks covering their faces and skin.
"Tera Class Anima Technique: Dark Cloud Wall!" Of the twenty six, half reached out with their hands as gray strings of lights spread across the old factory forming over twenty unknown patterns. as the threads intertwined, a dark gray dome which covered the whole factory was formed.
Every section of the gray barrier was as thick as a closed fist and harder than a stone wall. The flame empress threw a glance at the black clad people. She didn't have any prior knowledge of that anima technique, probably it was a precaution they took so she wouldn't be able to escape.
"I should have know it would end like this but don't think it will be easy." As soon she felt a movement through the air, the Flame Empress feet glowed in red as she dissolved into thin air and appeared a dozen meters away.
Like a beam of light, the black-clad men pierced forward like a bolt of lightning. The pressure of their anima energy was enough to fill the whole area.
"Hell Pillar."
One of them released a barrage of punches infused with a layer of energy in order to buy time time for his comrades, yet he didn't expect red dots rise from the floor before igniting into a pillar of scarlet flames.
However, those people didn't react as she expected as instead of showing any reaction to their colleague burning in the flames, another one managed close the distance. His hand which held onto a saber released a piercing ray of light aimed at her head.
'Huh?' Noticing the sneak attack while in mid air, she knew the attack would arrive earlier than she could land on the ground so she instinctively directed most of her energy to the sole of her feet.
Moments before she was hit by the saber light, a wave of fire was shot of her feet as she used it to freely maneuver in the air.
It was by little, but the saber light only left a cut on her shoulder which now drenched her arm in blood.
She didn't know who those guys are neither why they are even working with him. Her heart raced a bit, but she did not retreat. Instead, she pulled out a silver shortsword and trust it forward, clashing against a gray energy blade and deflecting at the pile of rubbles at the left.
The least she could do was resist as long she could until somebody notices the situation and contacts the Adepts.
Without an choice, she kept on clashing with these mysterious people. Ten, twenty, thirty... one hundred blows later and she still couldn't find a way to reach the thirteen people that were infusing their energies onto the gray barrier.
Wiping the blood off her lips, she took a second to ponder about what she knew.
Those guys were strange and their strength wasn't weak but she didn't believe they were stronger than her.
"I will have to do that." Having decided something, her pair scarlet eyes shone as an profound aura burst out of her. Her veins bulged, as her body received a fiendish boost of power.
Afterwards, the empress spun her body as if she was dancing, and she swung her sword while bathing in flames.
"Purifying Phoenix Dance!"
A mass of scarlet flames emerged along the path of the sword, devouring everything within inside the factory.
For the first time, the black clad figures showed an reaction and tried to escape as their bodies entered in contact with the flames. Once this ominous energy infused deep into their bones was burned to nothing, their bodies immediately fell down like lifeless puppets.
Once she landed back on the ground, the flame empress gorgeous face was as pale as paper. Her eyes swept over the factory and she felt aliviada once seeing the energy field surrounding her had finally dispersed.
"Cough, Cough." The flame empress spat a mouthful of blood, her face had lost even more of its color. After using her strongest anima technique, she barely had the strength hold onto her sword. "I guess that is too much for me."
Resting her body against a metal wall, she took a few steps forward towards the fallen men around her.
Once she got close to one of them she reached out with her hand and turned his body around. It was a fact she held back when using that skill so she expected most of them would still be breathing yet no matter how much training she had wasn't enough to prepare for what she was about to see...
'Ahh!' The flame empress yelled in shock. The mask which covered the facial features of the man in black had fallen off his face during her final move and see could see it.
A pale white face, dark lifeless bright yellow eyes and that smell of rotten meat. Before she had enough time to digest what was before her eyes...
*Clap Clap Clap* Amidst the thick smoke produced by the explosion of flames, a single person came walking out. He wore a ancient-looking golden robe, and beneath his hood, a veil of magical darkness was covering his face. The veiled person spoke.
"Indeed, the Flame Empress does lives up to her name. I knew those dear test subjects of mine wouldn't be enough. I guess being an devil like your brother does make all the difference."
The man elegantly bowed like a noble. He held onto a large pearl which looked like a cat's eye
"Who are you? I can see that you are not a pure human as well."
"Yes. Although, I am one of the older experiments." His body didn't seem to hold any energy, yet the flame empress couldn't keep her eyes away from that pearl which gave the sensation of danger.
"I'll ask again. Who are you?"
The man shook his head. "Unfortunately, I cannot answer that. Huh?I didn't realize there was a sneaking rat spying on us."
When he said that, the man eyes were directed at a certain hidden spot within the factory.