Clayman's people were on edge, ready to strike at any moment. The impending Walpurgis was their cue, and they were preparing for the inevitable clash.
The Beastmen, sensing the impending rain, were frantically seeking shelter. It was a scene of desperation.
"It's time." Zanse muttered as he walked to the front of the group. He had just received a message from Clayman that Walpurgis was about to start, so he would attack with all his might.
Jules grinned upon hearing the news, rallying the troops as he leaped down to meet the cowering Beastmen, much to Zanse's annoyance. Holding a massive war hammer in his hand, Jules looked at the terrified Beastmen with a predatory smile.
"Well, well, well… Look what the cat dragged in. If it isn't a group of Beastmen. What brings all of you so far from home? You should know that the forest isn't safe." Jules taunted, his voice dripping with menace. He had been itching for a fight for days and wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.
Soon, countless other soldiers peeked out from their hiding spots around the mountain. The Beastmen were surrounded on all sides, and Clayman's army held the high ground, ensuring that the Beastmen stood no chance.
At the front, an older Beastman stepped forward, his hands trembling.
"Please… spare us… we have young ones." The old man muttered, his voice breaking with fear.
Jules was ready to swing his hammer, but Zanse raised an arm to stop him.
"Something is wrong…" Zanse muttered, his eyes narrowing as he detected a slight distortion now that he was face to face with the Beastmen.
He was cautious and didn't want to take any risks. Just as he prepared to order the archers to shoot, he had to jump back barely dodging an arrow that shot past his cheek, leaving a gash.
"Jules! Attack with… me?" Zanse shouted, turning to look at Jules. Countless flaming petals were floating around a pink-haired Kijin. Yet the part that had left Zanse in shock was the black blade that was piercing right through Jules' throat.
Mamoru had performed Sunflower Thrust directly on Jules, killing him in an instant. Without wasting another moment, he shifted his feet before continuing with his attack in one swift motion.
Leaving a trail of black fire in his wake, Mamoru's blade moved to decapitate Zanse, yet he had just enough time to react to block the spear.
The flames exploded, burning Zanse as Mamoru's Katana clashed against his Unique Grade Spear. Feeling the danger, Zanse pushed back before jumping to find an opening.
The illusion had shattered, revealing a group of Majin all ready to attack.
"Ah, I really am rusty," Mamoru muttered, looking at his blade with some regret as he saw he hadn't been able to cut through the spear.
Zanse's heart shook as he heard the words. Hearing the sudden chaos of battle erupting all around him.
"Attack!" Zanse shouted before blocking and dodging backward again as a horizontal wheel of black fire appeared in front of him. Mamoru spun his sword, burning away the arrows that had been shot behind him with his spin before focusing his eyes on Zanse's spear.
Zanse had desperately tried to attack, but Mamoru simply stepped to the side before raising his leg and slamming the spear against the ground by stepping on it with all his force.
His eyes burned with a fiery intensity as he clenched his Katana and sliced the arms holding the weapon.
"Arrgh." Zanse shouted, yet since the flames had cauterized the wound, he was left to fall down to the ground without any way to fight back.
"Move, and one of our archers will shoot you down. You are a prisoner of war now." Mamoru commanded Zanse, turning to face the battle.
His lord hadn't requested that they annihilate their enemies, only to win the battle and capture any survivors. Killing Jistav's army meant weakening Jistav itself. Rimuru would have to split his army and his forces between Jistav, Tempest, and Falmuth, so the best course of action would be to save and capture as many fighters as possible.
As Mamoru glanced at the battle behind him, he captured the fight.
The Hippogriff Riders shot to the sky, the Hippogriffs letting out war cries as they flew. The riders all held onto Magisteel bows before letting out a barrage of arrows. They had all learned wind and lighting magic during their training, so the arrows were all charged with their respective elements.
Wind arrows would spin faster and faster, piercing through armor and exploding inside the bodies of their enemies. Electric arrows would strike heavily armored enemies, releasing the shock into the metal and paralyzing the weaker enemies.
The sky darkened momentarily as the arrows rained down, each one finding its mark with deadly precision.
From the shadows, Tempest Riders shot out, holding onto spears as they pierced their enemies, with the Tempest wolves pouncing on their enemies and immobilizing them.
Some of the ambushers, weapons at the ready, attempted to jump down and engage in close combat. However, they soon realized they were descending into a deadly trap as thin steel wires, almost invisible in the dim light, sliced through their bodies. By the time they landed, they were severely injured, easy prey for Mamoru's troops. The Sticky Threads immobilized them and effectively took them out of the fight.
Gobnado, true to his name, spun his sword using Wind Breathing, creating several miniature storms that deflected the incoming arrows, rendering them harmless. The winds howled as they swirled around him, a protective barrier against the enemy's barrage.
Looking at the destruction around him, Mamoru nodded, raising his sword into the sky. The flames intensified as countless fireballs, the size of a basketball formed above him. All of them were burning hot enough to disintegrate anything in their path.
He might not be strong enough to create gigantic domes of destruction like his son, but he could focus all of his might on small yet deadly projectiles.
"Drop your weapons, and you will be spared!" His words echoed across the battlefield, powered by his Unique Skill: Chieftain
The chaotic battle began to quiet as countless members of Clayman's army began to drop their weapons without a second thought, realizing the direction the battle was headed. Even those who still felt the fire of battle inside of them couldn't help but surrender as they saw their comrades drop their weapons.
Mamoru smiled as he saw the battle finish, before turning his attention to a red-haired Harpy who quickly landed next to him.
"Sectors 1 to 12 have all been captured, should we move forward to the main army?"
— — —
Back where Clayman's main army moved, Benimaru looked at them with the eyes of a General. He was mentally adjusting the plans they had created to fit the situation, since some things were not as planned.
"It is time." Benimaru shouted, his voice echoing through the ranks. His eyes had been focused on Middray since the beginning, sensing the one time Middray had glanced right in their direction, it was only a single time but he felt the pressure Middray's gaze invoked.
"Luchia, we'll need to focus on the one over there. He's one of the strongest." Benimaru commanded. Luchia next to him nodded, spreading her wings as she prepared for the imminent battle.
Raising his sword high, Benimaru pointed it at Clayman's army before commanding.
"Attack!"
Instantly, the sky was filled with the flapping of wings as countless Hippogriff Riders, Dragonewts and Harpies took flight. From their ranks, a barrage of arrows began to rain down on Jistav's army, darkening the sky with their sheer number.
Ranga let out a deafening howl, the sound reverberating through the battlefield. The howl intensified the winds, whipping them into a frenzy and causing raindrops to begin falling, adding to the chaos.
As the Tempest forces began their assault, Benimaru's instincts screamed that something was wrong. From his vantage point, he activated his Generallisimo skill, his eyes glowing with a fierce intensity as he commanded every single person with precision.
Explosions and traps began to spring across the mountainside, but thanks to Benimaru's meticulous commands, the Tempest forces avoided any major damage. They moved like a well-oiled machine, jumping down to attack with lethal efficiency.
The countless enemies sprung into battle, they had all been prepared for it. But none of their attacks were able to pierce through the absolute defense that was the High Orcs. Each battalion had a group of High Orcs which acted as shields, so they were able to split their focus into pure offense and pure defense.
"This is it." Benimaru muttered as he looked over the battlefield, they were absolutely dominating the enemy.
Clayman's army boasted numerous commanders, each leading their troops with ruthless efficiency. However, in an instant, Souka and her Shadows emerged from the darkness, dragging the commanders into the shadows. The sudden disappearance of their leaders threw the troops into disarray.
Since the main battle was under control, Benimaru turned to look at where Middray sat, looking at him directly.
"Now it's our turn to do our part. Come on." Benimaru commanded Luchia, Suphia, and Albis.
Moving their way through the messy battlefield, they moved directly to where the head of the snake was or to be more specific, the heads Yamza and Middray.
Albis and Suphia broke off from the pair, heading directly to Yamza to deal with Jistav's commander. Luchia and Benimaru, on the other hand, went directly to the bigger threat, Middray.
"Ah, here they come… are you ready, Hermes?" Middray muttered, a wide grin appearing on his face as he saw the two of them approach. He even clenched his fists a couple of times to get ready for battle.
Yamza had finally left him alone, heading directly to the middle of the battlefield to try to save them from defeat while leaving Middray behind to protect them from any ambushes. And now that he had the chance to flex his muscles slightly he wasn't going to let that chance go.
After a few moments, Benimaru and Luchia landed in front of Middray and Hermes.
"You must be one of Lady Milim's Dragon Faithful." Benimaru spoke, placing a hand on his chest before bowing politely. "I am Lord Rimuru's commander, Benimaru. I hope we can end this with just a simple conversation. Lady Milim is a good friend of Tempest, so I would rather not face any of her citizens."
Luchia, who was next to him, gave Middray a polite bow, yet her stance showed just how ready for battle she was.
"Middray, it's been some time." Luchia spoke her eyes wary. "My mother sends her regards. She wanted to send you a message, 'Please reconsider any attack onto Tempest. Lady Milim and Lord Rimuru are good friends.' Though my mother is unsure as to why Milim has decided to assist Clayman, she is sure that Lady Milim would never hurt Lord Rimuru by killing his citizens. There must be some sort of mistake."
Middray gave a wide smile, chuckling slightly as he heard her.
"A mistake? Lady Milim doesn't make mistakes. She is too much of a genius for that to happen. I am sure everything is going as she plans right now."
Hermes gave Middray a side eye for just a moment before sighing and stepping back, already seeing where this was headed.
"Lady Milim has given us direct orders to assist Jistav. However, if you put up a good fight against me I will stop all of our support to Jistav's army." Middray answered, cracking his neck as he began to step forward.
In his mind, this was the full explanation he had been searching for. Milim had told him all about Benimaru, a capable knight who could become something fearsome with just a bit of training. Seeing him standing in front of him with such strength was enough for Middray to understand that she wanted him to help him grow.
Not only to add that the young hatchling Luchia was also here. The last time he had seen her she had been just a kid, and now she was releasing an aura comparable to Benimaru.
"I'll make sure to impart the lesson Lady Milim wanted upon you." Middray added as he finished preparing for battle.
Benimaru let out a small sigh as he pulled out his sword, the blade instantly becoming coated in Hellfire as he did. Glancing at Luchia, she nodded her head as she spread her wings.
"I see…" Benimaru muttered. "Well then, let us settle this."
In that instant, Luchia and Benimaru shot forward. Using Hazy Style, Benimaru's entire presence vanished, appearing underneath Middray as he swung his Katana upwards. However, Middray simply stepped back, dodging the attack with the smallest amount of movement possible.
His grin only became more vicious as he saw Luchia fly above him and instantly turn around to try to strike his back.
As Benimaru's sword reached its apex, he instantly stopped the momentum before swinging it down. He had used Thunder of Heaven and Earth, just like Hakuro had taught him.
At the same time as his sword began to fall to the earth, Luchia appeared behind Middray, her legs turned into sharp talons as she fell onto him, trying to stop him from retreating.
Turning to the side, Middray allowed the blade to pass right next to him, his eyes focusing on Luchia for an instant as he sent a kick directly to her stomach. Yet he had to stop his movement short as he saw Benimaru's blade instantly stop and thrust directly towards him.
Using Battlewill, Middray used Instantmove and vanished from his spot landing a few feet back with a wide grin.
"Hazy Style, it's been a long time since I have seen anyone use it with such mastery. I remember when a young man passed through our village a long time ago, his sword moved just like yours." Middray complimented Benimaru before turning to Luchia. "And you, Luchia, hatchlings sure do grow fast."
Luchia landed on the ground, her feathers becoming coated in magicules as she pulled a small Orichalcum dagger out.
"Don't let him distract you." Luchia told Benimaru with a slight frown. "Unless he gives actual advice, it's a trap."
Middray smiled as he heard Luchia, not moving a muscle as if to challenge her statement.
"Don't hold back, Benimaru. He can take it." Luchia muttered before flapping her wings and sending countless feathers flying towards Middray. The sharp feathers all began to move through the air in a practically unpredictable pattern, all of them focused on piercing through Middray.
Benimaru, listening to Luchia instantly focused his flames and created a gigantic wall of fire that encapsulated the area around Middray. Trapping him inside with the feathers, and after a moment to allow them to strike his target, he ignited the entire area in a Hell Flare.
The dome of fire instantly exploded as a figure shot out, appearing in front of Benimaru with a wide grin as he sent a series of punches directly towards Benimaru's vitals. Middray's body was coated in black draconic scales that quickly began to vanish as he sent Benimaru crashing backwards.
"Ha! Your fire burns quite hot. You actually made me use my Dragon Body!" Middray shouted with excitement. "And your control is excellent! Good, this is good. Using the magicules of the people trapped inside the fire to make the fire burn hotter. That is truly an amazing skill you have created."
Luchia didn't waste a moment as she shot in Middray's direction, moving in a strange pattern that made Middray raise an eyebrow. It was as if she was sacrificing her defenses in order to get one goot strike in.
The wind currents around her were moving in a strange way as her wings instantly became sharper.
Middray felt slightly disappointed as he saw her. Such a careless way of fighting should only be done when one was confident in their defenses. Harpies were beings of speed, not defense. Alas, he would have to teach her not to be so reckless.
Pulling his fist back, he prepared to send a punch aimed directly at her stomach, trying to take her breath away.
Luchia's wings crashed against Middray's arm, which he had raised to defend against it. And in the next moment he shot his other arm directly to her. Yet, his eyes widened as he felt the energy of his attack pass through her body and shoot out directly through her wing.
Jumping back, he looked at his arm for a few moments, where the black scales remained unharmed before turning to the fallen Luchia, who was gasping for breath as she pulled out a potion and quickly drank it.
"Energy redirection?" Middray asked, raising his arm to block the arrow of concentrated Hellfire Benimaru had shot in his direction. "This…" Middray muttered as he tried to shake the fire off, only to see it continue to try to burn him away into nothingness to no avail.
Benimaru quickly moved to Luchia's side, helping her stand up as the two of them faced Middray.
"I see…" Middray muttered before his grin grew. Taking a few steps, he focused on the fire in his arm before disturbing the magicules in it, causing the flames to stop.
"Both of you are quite amazing… however it is clear that your teamwork is not up to par. Luchia, you need to let the energy flow through you directly. Otherwise it will destroy you from the inside. Unlike your mother, you can't store the energy in your body and must instantly release it, but remember, you can use it not only to attack but to defend. I can teach you about the flow of energy once the battle is over." Middray explained, moving towards them with his hands behind his back.
"As for you, Benimaru. Truly an impressive display of flames, but I can tell your own fighting style is holding you back. Your flames are still quite indecisive. You need to focus on either one or the other, either pure destruction or concentrated and fine flames. Once you master the first, the second will come naturally. I personally would focus on control over destruction."
Then as he finished speaking he pulled one of his hands and challenged them to try to attack him again.
Taking a deep breath, Benimaru used Sun Breathing leaving a trail of fire behind him as he moved forward. Using Flame Dance, Benimaru moved in sync with Luchia, who flew low to the ground to attack with Benimaru.
Middray smiled as the scales covering his arms became darker than ever as he caught the blade, the flames exploding around him as he used his other hand to grab onto Luchia's dagger.
Luchia didn't hesitate as she jumped up, using her talons to try to grab onto Middray. Yet Middray twisted the dagger and Luchia along with it and then slammed her onto the ground.
Benimaru, whose katana was still caught in Middray's hand, used the opening to gather some Hellfire in his hand before launching it directly at Middray who was forced to let go of the sword and jump back with a wide grin.
"Good, let us continue our lesson." Middray muttered with a smile as he lowered his body before quickly vanishing.
— — —
Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: The one, the only, the amazing @Basilisk, the Aussie @LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ/WN) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)
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