While Balthazar and the others are busy downstairs discussing about their plans on rescuing Zhia and Marjorie. Maku and Chaneri seem to be having trouble upstairs. Among the crowds of people outside, Maku spotted three familiar figures from the window. It was Nethilor's high rank soldiers, the 'Orions'.
The Orions were formed after the revolutionary army emerges. It was a special empire squad made to combat Midnight Justice and curb criminal activity within the empire of Nethilor at the behest of the king. Led by Rigel, the unit was solely made up of skilled and powerful individual pulled from various departments or divisions in the kingdom's military.
"Chaneri, go warn the others. I'll stall them for a bit." Maku said indistinctly as he jumps outside the window.
"O-Okay!" She replied.
She immediately levitated and flew directly downstairs.
"The Orions are here!" She warned the others. "Three of them!" She added.
"What? How come?" Balthazar frantically asked.
"Dave, are you being followed?" Faye asked.
"No, it couldn't be me. I am not in the wanted posters yet." He replied. "And I haven't sense anyone watching over me."
"It could be us." Balthazar said when it comes to his realization that him and Mizuki might have been followed.
"Spatial Concentration!" Dave uttered.
'Spatial Concentration' is one of Dave's ability that enables him to locate any anomalies or enemies within a specified radius.
"There!" he points at Balthazar's bag in the corner.
Balthazar quickly run off to check what's hiding inside the bag. To his surprise, an origami of butterfly, made completely of paper was found inside with a tracer mark on it.
It tried to escape by flying towards the open window but Jeruzen caught it. He throws his dagger towards it and was pinned on the wall, afterwards, an electric shock emits out of the dagger that destroys the mark and deprive the origami's life. He pulled the dagger towards him from a distance using only the magnetic energy within him and the dagger.
"Alright, let's get some butt kicking!" Jeruzen stepped forward clinching his fist.
"No, lets leave them for now. We have to prioritize on saving the girls first. Isidore, you know what to do."
"Aye sir!" Isidore responds immediately and was about to snap his finger when Chaneri interrupted him.
"Wait! Maku was still outside. He said he's going to stall them a bit." She said.
"That idiot!" Balthazar uttered.
"Well, I can get him out of there this instant." Isidore said.
"No! We cannot risk, it's daylight. They might see you, it's too risky to expose your identity in front of them. Remember you still have to save Zhia." Balthazar objected.
"You go first, I'll help him out." Jeruzen said.
"Take this teleportation crystal with you." Isidore handed him a blue-like crystal used to open teleportation gates.
Jeruzen took the crystal and immediately went out of the door.
Mizuki was left out in the corner confused of what's happening.
"Wait, what are the Orions?" he asked.
"One of Nethilor's highest ranking squad solely made up of skilled and powerful individual." Isidore explained.
"Isidore, take us away now!" Balthazar ordered him.
"Aye sir!" he snapped his fingers and runes start appearing in a circle within and around the building.
"Diversion!" He said and started uttering an incantation to complete the spell.
'Diversion' is a high level teleportation magic that allows Isidore to teleport himself or groups of people and objects within a specific location. He forms a teleportation circle around the area. It would take some time before he is able to send everything within the circle to another location depending on the sizes and quantity of objects being teleported.
Meanwhile, outside the inn, a heated battle was about to start between Maku and Jeruzen against three members of the Orions.
"Hey, you're having a party here and you're not even inviting me?" Jeruzen sarcastically said to Maku. "How rude."
"Actually, the party's just about to start." Maku replied with a smirk.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A figure from afar holding a lance and wearing a very exposing outfit stepped up in front of them.
"This may be our lucky day Bellatrix, two fishes caught in one bait." Another figure appeared before them.
"Indeed it is, Meissa." Bellatrix said with a smirk on her face.
Abruptly, a sudden attack of a shadow-like claw appeared from behind of Jeruzen which was he quickly noticed. In an instant, a spark of electricity flash over of Jeruzen's fist deflecting the attack.
"You know that won't work on me Saiph." He said as the figure partially emerge from the shadows on the ground.
It was a man wearing a ninja like outfit. His face were partially covered with a black mask and a scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Too bad, it's daytime. Your shadow's too weak for my lightning." Jeruzen said boldly.
The commotion caught the attention of the people around the area. People gathered quickly to watch them, which were mostly men.
"What's happening? Is there a fight?" A man from a distance asked the guy next to him.
"I'll bet my money on that guy." Another said pointing out to Jeruzen while the others bet on Saiph.
"Hey!" A gargantuan size man stepped out of the crowd. "What would such beautiful ladies be doing in a place like this?" He asked with lustful desire on his eyes. He licked his tongue out of his mouth upon seeing the appealing appearance of Bellatrix and Meissa.
The girls just look at him with a fierce look.
"I like that look, it's enticing me." He said dirtily.
Bellatrix chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you get to see it for the first and last time." she said.
The man was about to said something when Bellatrix snapped her fingers and the man's head exploded that shocked everyone who witnessed. The man's headless body collapsed on the ground.
"Hmm, what a waste." Meissa said as she stepped her right foot on the body lying on the ground.
"Now, where were we?" Bellatrix said diverting her attention to Maku and Jeruzen.
"You're still as feisty as you are from back then, those good old days." Jeruzen said to Bellatrix.
"Those days are over, you have chosen your path already." she replied. "Now, take this!" Rage filled her eyes.
"Explosion: Blazing Lancer!" She pointed her lance at Maku and Jeruzen which sends an explosive flame toward the said direction.
Bellatrix's power enables her to generate explosions at will. She uses it in conjunction with her lance.
"Ice Generation: Wall!" Maku places his hand on the ground that sends forth walls of ice from the ground to block the attack.
"Lightning Fork!" Jeruzen glared as he sends channels of electricity towards the three opponents.
"Origami: Protect!" Meissa summons a huge paper doll. It blocks and absorbs the energy Jeruzen throws hurled.
Meissa has the ability to generate and control paper at will. Some of her attacks are in a form of origami. She can also disintegrate herself into pieces of paper.
Bellatrix and Meissa managed to dodge the attack while Saiph withdraws himself in the shadows.
The exchange of attacks caused the crowd to disperse in panic.
Afterwards, the area were filled with smokes and dust from the collision of attacks and defenses.
Out of nowhere, Maku suddenly attacked Jeruzen. The two fought on a one on one combat.
"Hey!" Jeruzen shouted as he barely blocked Maku's kick.
It was Saiph, he caught Maku's shadow just in time before the smoke and dust was clear.
Saiph has the ability to generate shadows at will and even control his own shadow. He can create various forms and shapes using shadows. He is also capable of submerging himself in the shadows that makes him look like he can go through solid objects.
"Shadow Animate!" It enables Saiph to control opponents if he manage to get ahold of the opponent's shadow by stretching parts of his shadow to attach to the opponent's shadow, afterwards fusing himself with the opponent's shadow.
"Lets watch how these two kill each other." Meissa laughed.
"You sure do surprise everyone quietly, Saiph!" Bellatrix applauded him yet he's nowhere to be seen.
"Get ahold of yourself!" Jeruzen yelled to Maku as they continue to battle each other.
"I can't, I have no control over my movements!" Maku replied.
"Then, I guess there's no other option." He punched Maku on the face strongly that makes the guy stumble backwards.
Jeruzen also jumps backward a few distance from Maku and he draws out all five of his daggers from his pocket.
"I hope you'll forgive me on this one!" He said with a sneer.
He throws the daggers in five different directions where Maku was at the center of the daggers.
"Lightning Weaver: Pentagon Punishment!" He uttered, casting both his hands together in front of him.
It is one of Jeruzen's ability that enables him to weave lightning in a form of a web with the conjunction of his daggers placed in five different locations. The web also serves as a prison to ensnare any enemy within range.
Maku yelled in pain as the electricity crawled on his body. The electricity also crawled on the ground to ensnare the shadows, however it manage to escape and slithered behind Bellatrix and Meissa. Then, a figure emerge from the shadows, it was Saiph. After the shock, Maku's body dropped down unconscious to the ground. Jeruzen was the only one left standing to fight against the three.
"Now's our chance!" Bellatrix shouted.
"Alright!" Meissa shouted as well.
"Explosive Succession!" Bellatrix generates successions of explosion in an area.
"Paper Ball!" Meissa creates papers wrapped together to create a ball structure which is hollow inside.
"Combination Technique! Paper Bomb: Chain Reaction!" the two shouted in unison.
'Paper Bomb: Chain Reaction' is a combination technique of 'Explosive Succession' and 'Paper Ball'. Explosive energy were sealed inside of each one of the paper balls. They were scattered separately midair. If one explodes then the others explode as well in succession activating its chain reaction.
"Playtime's over." Meissa smirked.
"One wrong move and you're dead." Bellatrix threatened Jeruzen.
Jeruzen roamed his eyes around as he watch the bombs scattered midair around him and Maku. Luckily, the building behind already teleported just in time.
"Sorry, it looks like you won't be getting any fishes today." He smirked. He opened the teleportation crystal that Isidore gave awhile ago and it teleported the two of them right away.
"Arrrghhh! We almost got them!" Bellatrix yammered in anger.
Failed on their mission, the three falls back and decided to return to Nethilor.