*BOOOMMM
A chain of explosions erupted from the lights. A thick blue smoke emerged from the aftermath enveloping the room.
Luke felt his body heating up, followed by an excruciating pain. His mana flow was out of control. He heard several screams near him, seems like everybody present was affected.
'It must be some sort of mana poisoning gas'.
Mana defuser, magic, jammer, firearms. With the advancement of science, all sorts of methods were developed to allow non- mana users to fight mages and knights, even then they still held in high regard thanks to their military prowess.
The mana berserker gas was created to counter the massive outbreak of magic beasts that occurred years ago, but its use was forbidden due to affecting non mana users as well.
Wasting no time Luke started circulating his mana to regain its control, though it would take some time since the weaker someone was, the more affected they would be by the gas.
The terrorist did not stay idle and stated capturing the guest present.
Luke sensed someone approaching him, he still wasn't fully recovered so he decided to play dead.
He peeked at the individual. He was wearing a fully black tactical attire with a brown vest along with a black gas mas on his face.
'So, they came prepared'.
- Hahahahaha nice, another spoiled brat suffering!
The masked one approached Luke in a relaxed manner, although his face was covered, he was making a sadistic smile, enjoying the current situation.
He reached out to grab Luke's leg, The boy quickly reacted by delivering a roundhouse kick on his face. Using the opportunity, he took out a knife from his ankle and lunged at the stunned man, delivering a swift stab on his neck, the lifeless body fell.
At that moment he felt the temperature around him rise, followed a massive heatwave.
The blazing heat spread along the room decimating the smoke, his father had casted a spell to vaporize all the gas present.
Thanks to James the pain toned down a little, making easier to recover. Most of the guards present had already controlled their raging mana and immediately acted against the assailants.
They tried to fight back with their guns, but it was useless.
Duke Argenti casted the spell frozen spark, it freezes any gunpower reaction, making it impossible to explode.
As they were losing their advantage, another set of explosions went off, killing a few guards. From the smoke various individuals emerged. Different from the previous assailants they wall seemed to be knights and mages.
They were a dark green uniform along with a black armor with a jackal symbol engraved on its chest.
- Well, well well a party with two of the kingdom's dukes present, guess today is my lucky day!!
A bald man with a scar ruining across his left eye took the lead, as soon as he stepped into the view everyone in the room felt the imposing aura that emanated from him.
Luke felt that his strength was on par with duke Perseus, meaning that he was a king class knight.
Alexei steeped in; his aura clashed with the man's.
- What are you doing here Antolov??
Antoloy turned his attention to Alexei with a big smile.
- It's nothing personal dear friend, I'm just completing a request.
Perseus than increased his aura.
- What kind of request made you break your deal with his majesty?!!
- Why don't' you take a look outside, with your senses with sure you can grasp what's going on. Don't worry I won't attack you.
He spread out his aura, with his increased perception he analyzed beyond the palace grounds. He widened his eyes at the results.
His aura then erupted with rage.
-YOU!!
What he saw was chaos. Debris were scattered across the streets, likely a result of explosions, building were destroyed and cloaked men like those who attacked the hall rampaged throughout the city targeting manly anyone who looked like an aristocrat.
Antoloy brandished his axes in response.
- This is what happens when you don't pay attention to those patriots fanatics.
Antoloy dashed towards Alexei swinging his axe downwards. The duke reacted quicky, gathering aura in his right hand, a translucent solid green blade formed to meet the blow.
*BANGGG
A massive shockwave was generated, cracking the ground, and sending everybody near flying. Both were holding back else unwanted casualties would arise.
- Oh, to think your aura sword is this strong.
- Why did the jackal mercenaries decided to break the pact?
Antoly flashed an evil smile.
- For money of course! Sure, getting pardoned for my crimes and a stable income was nice but I've missed the felling of freedom, and the patriots were able to provide me just that, all I had to do was cause this chaos!!!
- Then I will give you the freedom of dying here.
Alexei swatted away Antoloy's axes, Pushing him back. He went on the offensive, bringing the sword from his left shoulder, he unleashed a horizontal slash. Antoly quickly reacted, parring the attack by striking upwards. He capitalized on the opening, aiming at the duke's chest with his other axe, to which the latter countered by forming a solid barrier of aura on his left arm, using the momentum he slips by the attack, landing a shoulder tackle, sending the mercenary crashing into a pillar.
Of course, it wasn't a simple tackle, the duke compressed the aura on his shoulder, releasing it during the impact, increasing the damage.
Antoly quicky recovered form the crash ,and with a big grin of his face charged again at the duke.
**
As the two battled on one side of the room, Antoly's subordinates along with the other terrorists, clashed against the against James and the royal guards while his wife handled the evacuation. While the guards still suffered from the aftereffects from the gas, they were handling their opponents with ease, thanks to various fire created soldiers assisting them.
It was one of James Argenti's original spells, hellspawn.
It creates fire soldiers that multiplies after taking a critical hit. If one is not careful, they may find themselves surrounded in minutes.
They would only stop after the caster ran out of mana or they were destroyed in one strike, which very few were capable.
But he jackal mercenaries weren't pushovers, with all of the present members at rook level, capable of using aura, and 3rd and 4th rank mages they were able to keep the fire soldiers and the guards from completing defeating them thanks to their teamwork.
Of course, the duke could kill all of them with ease but not without causing deaths from his side.
Surveying the current situation, he turned to Amanda after determining his next action.
-After you finish evacuating, take care of the rest, I am leaving the hellspawn active.
She tried to retort but decided not to.
Taking her silence as confirmation he dashed towards Alexei and Antoly's fight.
Conjuring his spell, a massive snake of flames was swallowed Antoly, crashing through one of the windows and exploding outside.
- I could have taken him myself.
Without glancing at Perseus, he responded.
- You were holding back plus we need to end this fast, since this is not the only place affected. Also, he's not dead yet.
Perseus simply nodded and both jumped outside.
Thanks to both battles taking all the attention they all failed to notice a silver haired boy pursing one of the terrorists carrying an unconscious golden hired girl.