Upon the arrival of the Ragtag crew the knights were eagerly awaiting them. And from the towers a storm of arrows struck the ship as everyone got off it and on to the docks of the stronghold.
Idol shifted both his hands into mechanical axes as he rushed towards the entrance while slashing through the knights.
"Crap! Yuni is going to get hit! Volh you watch over her!" Theo shouted as he threw smoke grenades to cover their position.
Everyone rushed inside except for Idol who stood outside and blocked the entrance from the knights. Jae dropped Yumi's body as Theo looked around the area.
"We have to split up." Theo muttered.
There were multiple hallways to go into, and that the stronghold had many rooms which were guarded by many knights and of course Aldir waited for them to arrive at his office.
"Alright, Jae bring Yuni with us, and Aralia you go with Theo." Volhcard walked to the left hallway while Theo walked to the right hallway.
The walls were old and covered in moss with cracks on the sides as well as signs of fights being held here before. From the darkness a figure followed Volhcard and Jae who currently held Yumi's body.
He weakly dropped Jae and Yuni on the ground as he pulled the rapier out of his back. Jae finally woke up naked as Volhcard tossed her a cloak.
"Show yourself!" Volhcard raised his staff creating a bright light revealing a cloaked figure who stood at average height with a red demon mask with tusks.
The figure took out two rapiers from their scabbards which rested on both sides of his hips. In just a second the figure was behind them and went to stab Yuni only for Jae punch the figure in the chin.
Jae placed Yuni on the ground as Volhcard creating a barrier around her before Jae transformed into a black bear that stood at 295 cm with sharp claws that could cut through steel and obsidian.
Jae clashed with the rapiers of the figure with her claws as she growled at them. The figure took a step back before spinning their rapiers to the point flames started appearing on it.
Before she could even react the figure had slashed Jae in the chest creating a x mark on it. Volhcard closed his eyes before slamming the staff down, and from it was sharp icicles which launched at the figure at blinding speeds.
Which the figure deflected only a few while the remaining created cuts on their cloak or were stabbed into their left shoulder or right leg.
"Care to say something?" Volhcard twirled his staff creating a wall of flames that blocked the figure's path.
Volhcard's hands suddenly started to tremble as the figure walked towards the wall of flames which burned their cloak. The figure stood at average height however they had a fairly muscular build, but what made Volhcard afraid and worried was the crimson jewel embedded into the figure's chest.
Volhcard didn't discern the figure as man or woman because it wasn't human because, of its dark flowy aura around its body. Finally, it clicked and now Volhcard grabbed Yuni's body.
"Jae get over here now! We can't defeat that thing!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking with fear.
Out of nowhere the figure was behind Jae and before she could react the two rapiers were plunged into her abdomen. The figure twisted the handle pushing both the rapiers deeper into her abdomen as Volhcard screamed, "No!"
He launched a barrage of fire balls at the figure and tossed a smoke grenade which Theo had given him earlier. The figure tried to grab the back of Volhcard only to grab his robe, and looking up could see the dwarf run with two humans on both his shoulders.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why is there a Phantom Reaper here?!" he cursed as he ran through the hallway trying to find a door.
Suddenly he felt the air grow cold, and when he turned his head to look back. The figure stood there staring at the terrified dwarf, and although he couldn't see the figure's eyes.
Volhcard could tell that they were looking at him with pure blankness and only coldness flowed throughout the figure's body.
It raised its left hand in which slowly a blade made of pure miasma formed on to their hand while aiming it towards Volhcard's head.
The figure leaned to his level and whispered in his right ear, "7 seconds."
The moment he heard the figure's ghostly raspy voice, Volhcard dashed away with Yumi and Jae on his shoulders. And from that moment he finally saw a door, but his time was up, and so he braced himself.
The staff that floated beside him went behind him and created a barrier just as soon as the figure arrived trying to break through it.
"Not enough! More power!" Volhcard gritted his teeth as he made the barrier more durable.
The figure kept swinging the blade at the barrier creating large cracks which would fix itself as Volhcard slowly walked to the door. He knew he couldn't let go of his focus, so he took little steps but that was also tiring as he carried two people and had to focus on his magic.
Each step he took felt like a year as he felt his body weakening to the point blood poured out from his nose and eyes. Slowly he felt hid consciousness fading, but he kept moving forward as he saw the knob just within arm's reach.
The barrier behind him bring slashed to pieces again, and again to the point he could feel the pain of the barrier.
Finally he got close to the door entering it, and as soon as he closed the door dropped Yuni and Jae to the floor.
He could feel the Phantom Reaper's presence vanishing signifying that the being fulfilled the contract.
Jae finally woke up and immediately a cloak was thrown towards her by Volhcard due to her being naked.
"Is that thing gone?" she asked through a pained cough.
"It probably finished the contract it had with Aldir." Volhcard was healing himself when he replied.
"What was it?" right after she asked they heard a knock at the door.
Volhcard weakly stood up, and grabbed his staff aiming it towards the door.
Closing his eyes he could feel someone's presence which had a horrific green aura around them.
"Jae prepare for another fight." he created a barrier around Yumi and started summoning spears made of ice.
The door opened and from the darkness was a humanoid lizard that stood at 7'2 which rushed towards Volhcard. Only to be stabbed by multiple spears made of ice as Volhcard slowly walked back.
Jae transformed her hands into ogre hands which she used to punch the lizard in the face.
"I know you! You're that fucking lizard that's on that bastard's shoulder!" screamed Jae.
The lizard grabbed her by her tail and tossed her to the wall as a ball of flames hit him in the face. He snarled at Volhcard before rushing towards him.
Volhcard dropped his staff and held the lizard's mouth as it tried biting on to him because, he was still injured he felt his strength weakening.
"Oi fucker!" a familiar voice cursed.
The lizard was thrown to a nearby table revealing it to be Yumi who finally woke up from her injuries.
"What did I miss?" she cracked her knuckled while looking at Volhcard.