When the world was on the brink of extinction, Seven Pillars of Light descended from the sky to fight the darkness that lurked on the earth.
The Seven Pillars of Light are a group of warriors who came from Valhalla to aid humanity in their war against The Evil King's army. However, their strength at that time was only sufficient to drive off the hostile mobs created by The Evil King's Warlords, leaving the real hard work to The Five Heroes. They focused on protecting, evacuating, and securing the land to prevent it from falling into the grasp of The Evil King's Warlords until The Five Heroes arrived.
At that time, The Seven Pillars of Light felt ashamed that they couldn't defeat The Evil King's Warlords and had to leave the task to The Five Heroes. As time passed, The Five Heroes were no more, and the world lost its greatest defenders, leaving The Seven Pillars of Light alone to defend and eradicate the darkness whenever the world needed aid the most.
One by one, the Warlords are resurrected, increasing the likelihood of the next calamity. The Seven Pillars of Light train harder and more rigorously under the commands of The King of Valhalla, driven by the pressure of time. The world must not be thrown into chaos again, and it is their duty to prevent the turmoil.
Under the dark night skies, The Seven Pillars of Light descended from the heavens into a remote city near The Kingdom of Humans, searching for The Star Tamer.
The bells of the city are ringing, and the sudden presence of The Seven Pillars of Light sends the residents fleeing in fear. Their arrival has always signaled the possibility of danger since their formation. However, in this case, their mission is to locate and secure The Star Tamer—though no one knows this.
The city chief came running to greet The Seven Pillars of Light. The arrival of an elite army from the sky in the midst of a peaceful night was entirely unexpected. He was deeply worried that something might happen to his small city.
The chief of the small city came to greet The Seven Pillars of Light captain, "C-Captain Eryndor! Welcome to our small city... What kind of bu-"
"SILENCE MORTALS!!!"
Without waiting for the chief to finish his sentence, a man from the Seven Pillars of Light draws his sword and aims at his neck. The village chief trembles in fear, as if he's about to have his head cut off. But the chief hasn't done anything wrong; he steels himself and overcomes his fear, trying not to appear pathetic in front of the member of the Seven Pillars of Light.
"What is this supposed to mean?" the chief terrified.
"Leave him be, Alastra. I've confirmed that he's not the man we're looking for." said another member of The Seven Pillars of Light.
Hearing the commotion from his soldier, the Captain of the Seven Pillars of Light, Lysander Eryndor, came in person to receive the warm welcome from the village chief. He bows as he asks for the chief's forgiveness for his subordinate's misbehavior.
"My sincerest apology, chief. But this is the protocols we develop to counter the malice we're facing right now." explain The Captain.
"Malice? My apology sir but what in the world is happening right now?" the chief even more curious.
"Malakar The Star Tamer, or we called code Malice, has been resurrected. And we have intel saying the Malice could be around this area." another explanation from The Captain.
"Y-You said... the legendary evil... Malakar has returned?" the chief hand shaking, learning the truth.
"Exactly to what I'm saying. The Malice could steal looks from locals around, so I hoped you understand why we developed such protocols."
"I understand..."
"Therefore, Chief, I hope for your cooperation in order to save this city—and the world—from the Evil King's grasp once again."
"Maybe I should..."
"That can be done later, chief. As for now, people safety is our priority."
The warning siren has been activated. The locals have gathered at the assembly point as instructed by the village chief. To ensure the safety of the people at the assembly point, four members of the Seven Pillars of Light fly and escort the evacuees. They also look for any potential Malice among the residents while escorting them.
The movement, clothing, and loads of the people don't seem suspicious to the members of the Seven Pillars of Light. They are moving towards the assembly point cautiously and with fear due to the chief's announcement. The mothers hold their children tightly, while the fathers guard their families to ensure they don't get separated.
But among the moving residents, there is one pair that looks suspicious in Alastra's eyes, one of the seven members of the Seven Pillars of Light. One individual is hiding her hair with a black cloth, while the other has pale skin and white hair. They are carrying a large amount of luggage as if they are planning to leave the village tonight, right during this event.
"YOU THERE!!!"
Alastra immediately cuts their path as they move. To her surprise, she discovers someone who might need help the most. The woman who is covering herself with black cloth is an elderly lady traveling with the man, who is likely her son and suffers from a harmful disease known as Scleroferus Syndrome. Despite this, Alastra must remain strong, as they could still be Malice in disguise.
But then, the same member who previously told him he was mistaken comes to him again and insists that he is wrong. Alastra then deeply apologises for accusing the wrong person unreasonably. As a sign of his apology, he uses some healing magic to relieve the man's pain temporarily.
"Dammit, why of all time..." grumble Alastra silently.
Alastra and his coworker return to their positions and keep an eye out for any anomalies.
Before news of Malakar's resurrection spreads, the humans are fighting an epidemic that causes people to turn pale, including their hair, and develop scale-like growths on their skin similar to those of a reptile beastman tribe. This condition, known as Scleroferus Syndrome, causes increasing suffering as the scales spread over larger areas, leading to prolonged fever until the afflicted take their last breath.
Scleroferus Syndrome is a significant threat to humanity today, as there is neither a cure nor any magic that can heal the disease. Humankind must work even harder to save more people and prevent extinction. The elven races have also offered their assistance in developing a cure, but after two years of research, no results have been produced.
The Sky Residents are also unable to provide aid, as if it were a trial from nature. They are not familiar with potions or medicines since they are immune to such illnesses, and humans are the most knowledgeable about these matters among all races. The Sky Residents can only be patient and wait for good news.
"Is it everyone, chief?" ask The Captain.
"Yes, sir, I also checked that everyone here is registered." answer the chief while reviewing his data of population.
"Then, I shall begin."
The Captain of the Seven Pillars of Light then ascends to the highest building in the village. He begins his speech and starts the ritual to unveil the Malice in disguise.
"Humans of the earth, the finest of all races, our dearest friends whom we cherish and wish to protect. I stand here in the name of the King of Valhalla, to shield you from the Malice. Darkness lurks around the city and will soon claim souls if left unchecked. I, Lysander Eryndor, Captain of the Seven Pillars of Light, shall unveil the darkness within."
The Captain of the Seven Pillars of Light then unleashes his magic, creating a great halo behind him and summoning seven spears of light. His eyes glow golden, and his hair shines as mana flows through his entire body. Words woven into the air surround the spears, enhancing the magic within. The sound of spinning cogs reverberates throughout the city as Eryndor casts his mighty spell.
Most of the magic of the Sky Residents is based on light, fire, space, and time. Light forms the very foundation of their magic, while time is used to increase the density and power of their spells. Fire and space are additional elements they use to create burning sensations when struck by magic. It is clear that Eryndor is using time to enhance his magic to its highest tier.
The density of the spears tightens immediately as he forms them from a very dense material.
"Helios, now!"
"Alright sir, I've located the target."
"Understood."
At his command, the spears fly towards the couple in the midst of the crowd. The spears bend and merge into a single light beam powerful enough to strike the couple in the middle of the mass without harming innocent people. The spearhead is surrounded by a dimensional sphere created by space magic to ensure that the spears cannot be stopped and will only damage the intended target.
However, due to the over confidence of the members of the Seven Pillars of Light, they did not double-check the target and attacked immediately without hesitation.
The targets they are attacking are merely an innocent couple who have been used as scapegoats by Anna Marigold to conceal her own whereabouts. Scared and confused, the couple accepts their fate as the spear of light flies towards them, inevitable. Once again, the pride of the Sky Residents' magic reaps the souls of the innocent, just as it did in the past.
But that stereotype will be removed from people's mind and transformed into a brilliant maneuver by the Sky Residents.
The man known as Malakar the Star Tamer immediately intervenes and deflects the spear of light with his foot. He moves with incredible speed to save a man who is a regular at their store and his girlfriend. The spear flies towards the city walls, and no one is harmed at the moment he deflects it.
All the members of the Seven Pillars of Light are shocked to see a man who can easily deflect the spear of light created by the Captain. In the past, the spear could carve holes in mountains and pierce the skin of Gargantua the Infernal Titan. Yet now, they witness the spear being kicked like a football to the other side of the city. It's clear that no one else can match the power of the Sky Residents' magical prowess.
Other than Malakar The Star Tamer himself.