Chapter 15 - Abduction
In order to procure Caissa smoothly, the kidnappers have separated to form a far distance from one another which will divert the Imperial Knights' attention one by one!
—RUMBLE!
The lighting rumbles with a quake as it strikes down with a blaring noise, cutting through the griffins' wings in a near fraction of a second! Not only did it numb those creatures with a stun, they had lost their momentum in the air, tumbling down as they knocked down their fellow griffins in the process.
"Somnus."
A thunderous authority resonates inside this voice, redirecting everyone's attention to this individual, whereas it alarms the kidnappers of a greater threat!
—Whoosh!
"Yes, Your Majesty." Responding within a flash, Somnus arrives at his knees in front of the Emperor.
"Pursuit them and rescue her."
"As you command."
—Swoosh!
With a daunting dash, Somnus disappeared from his position before charging at the group of intruders, completely ignoring the kidnappers he ran past, and putting his priority on the one who was carrying Caissa.
An unconscious girl is tied from head to toe to prevent her from escaping out of the intruders' clutches. It's a happenstance that a teenager shouldn't see nor be a victim of.
As such, it only made sense for a knight with a duty to protect the citizens to plunge through the walls of obstacles piling up in front of him. Somnus, with his vision obscured by the obstacles straight ahead, resorted to the sky by borrowing the remaining griffins as platforms in the air.
However, that proves to be difficult…
Daggers socked with poison, and raining arrows coated with flame, were the cause of a widespread fire on the stadium's field. Tables and chessboards were set ablaze to the point where a stack of inferno created by the kidnappers to form an array of obstacles, were towering from the ground.
"It's a nuisance." Somnus is simply unfazed by the firewall.
—FWOOOOSSSHHH!
A sight to behold it was! Somnus took his cape over to his face, covering his body before charging through the pillars of fire!
Even though it was a surprise to the intruders, they immediately bombarded Somnus with their attacks by using firewalls as cover!
Not the faintest idea of where an arrow might come from, nor a kidnapper who may appear on the other side of the flaming obstacle, the Commander merely trusts his senses and instincts!
"Do you need assistance, Somnus?"
—CLING!
As swift as the wind, Hermes came in clutch by slicing the arrow in half before it could pierce Somnus! And in response, the gentleman grabbed the lady's hand as he pulled her towards him, while his sword was clashing against a kidnapper's blade that was supposed to strike Hermes' blindspot!
"Thank you, Sir Somnus. It appears the situation is growing to be rather a hassle."
"The enemies have made their way to the gate. I assume it's not time for a conversation now, is it?"
"My apologies, I'll have to go all out now, won't I?" Once Hermes spoke those words, her hand went for an uppercut to take down an ambush!
And Somnus, who witnessed it, immediately took possession of this defeated kidnapper's dagger, dual-wielding both his dagger and sword to block a double ambush!
"Commander! We'll take care from here!"
In the blink of an eye, Somnus took off without a word to chase after Caissa, placing his trust in his knights as Hermes followed alongside him.
—-------
Beneath the soon-to-be setting sun and outside the Olympic Stadium, faint shadows were cast in the streets as though they were in a rush.
It was a strange occurrence for everyone to witness these silhouettes, and even more so when a sluggish figure didn't seem to fit in, as if this person wasn't conscious.
However, once these bystanders laid eyes on this sight, they eventually met their end with a needle closing in on their neck or daggers digging into their skins, leading to streets with corpses.
"This way." One of the shortest kidnappers directs her comrades' attention to a passageway.
"Someone is behind us." Without turning around, this sturdy woman notifies everyone before setting her sight on an incoming projectile!
It looks to be a bag of some sort…
—FWOSH!
"Smoke?!"
"Damnit! Scatter around!"
"Roger!"
—BASH!
"Urkkk!! Shit, it's on me! Go, everyone! I'll hold this one off!" Wholeheartedly accepting his role as the sacrificial lamb, this person took out his daggers to attack.
Amidst this assault, this mysterious person, who has come out of nowhere, clutched onto the intruder's hand, redirecting it to shove the weapon into the owner's chest!
To appear uninvited and manage to deal a fatal blow to the kidnapper at the same time, just who is this individual?
"Argh!!"
"To lay eyes on such a virtuous mortal in this situation is quite a.." An unfamiliar voice echoes while choking the injured person.
"Urgh!!"
"I pity this soul who has to journey along an arduous path."
In contrast to the tone that sounded holy yet devilish, the smoke gradually died down while the reveal of the person choking the kidnapper became ever so clearer by the seconds.
"You're.. Pontiff M—!"
"Shhh."
—Splat!
Sliced and diced into chunks, the wounded kidnapper's body became minced rotten meat in less than a second!
The unnamed Pontiff, who had his hand preoccupied earlier with strangling the person, was now holding onto the leftover corpse without an inkling of killing this person in the first place, judging by his expression.
"Ah, this is a mess." This man, who wears the aura of suspicion much more than those kidnappers, suddenly removes one of his gloves..
For reasons unknown, the kidnappers perceived a threat to their livelihoods when they realized what it might be!
"Stay far away from that Pontiff! He's going to use his Blessing!"
"Aha. Did you really expect me to lay a hand on you?"
Not only did this suspicious individual keep his bloody glove in his pocket after wrapping it in a plastic bag, he even chuckled at the kidnappers right in front of him, completely disregarding his well-being!
"Then why are you intruding in our business?"
The kidnappers, who were quiet, let what seemed to be their leader speak.
"Is it yours to begin with? Are you perhaps in the belief that this entire situation is in your control?"
"And what if it isn't? We were able to attain our objective from that whole shenanigans."
"The plan was flawless after all." The Pontiff sneered and shrugged his shoulders.
"Right now, you're in our way. If you kindly mind your business and move along, we'll turn a blind eye to this."
"My attire is sufficient evidence of my status as this Empire's Pontiff. I would be at 'peace' once I 'turn my back' from this."
"..."
He grins menacingly.
"You're not a Pontiff." The kidnappers pointed their weapons at the individual.
"Pfft.. Take a look behind you."
"..?"
At his unusual words, when one of them took their eyes off that person to survey their behind, everyone soon became aware of the deceptiveness behind those words!
Rather than their behinds, it was their side!
The shortest one who turned their back earlier, was brutally plunged straight through the stomach by an anomalous sword!
A hole was drilled into this person, and once the sword quickly sheathed, the corpse fell to the ground with a thud and a swash of blood came pouring down!
And shockingly of all, it wasn't the Pontiff's doing! It was the sudden appearance of another adversary emerging from amidst the alleyway's shadows!
It was.. a young girl?
A sheathed sword gripped in her hand, she took a step forward to stomp onto the corpse below her without any regard whatsoever.
Moreover, it gradually became a spine-chilling atmosphere where each of her steps overtook the kidnappers with trepidation because of her innocent-looking face!
"Don't look at me." Her voice fills with distaste.