The battle in the high grounds came to an abrupt halt at the sudden explosion of white light that covered the entirety of the city and more. The knights, the leaders, the enemy, all looked back in awe as Luciano got swallowed in the sphere of light. Romuald, Heinrich, Krista and Ziekiel all walked stupefied at the phenomenon. Lance however, had a different expression. He knew that type of magic--he had a little command over it as well. Divine Magic, the pinnacle of the Holy Light Arts. Just the sheer amount of it released was enough to send shivers down his spine. Was the enemy really that powerful for Gil to have to resort to the use of it? So much for blowing the top of the tower to smithereens, this was way over the top.<br/><br/>"What is that?!" Romuald asked in awe.<br/><br/>Lance caught the question and felt the urge to answer. These knights knew little about Divine Magic. The basics of those things were the only ones taught in the academy and that was it, they were more of self-learned magic rather than memorized from a scroll or tome. "Light's Wrath. That's what its called by some of the few who have command over it. Otherwise it's simply known as Divine Magic, the highest level of your Holy Light Arts. It's mostly self-taught and I never met anyone who is a master of it."<br/><br/>"Sir Lance, was that Master Guilford who just did that?" Krista followed up, still trying to let the image sink in to her.<br/><br/>"Probably. It's hard to tell from this distance. Divine Magic doesn't really hold a user's unique power signature, the feel of it is a constant. But given the magnitude of that spell, I highly doubt it was him. Gil and I never tried to go past what was beyond our control when it came to Divine Magic. He's capable of doing that but he's not foolish enough to do it without good reason. Divine Magic like that could tear the user's body apart at the slightest mishap."<br/><br/>Heinrich ran out of words to say. Their Seraph would go to such lengths to keep them safe? He didn't even know where to begin if he were to repay the debt. "I pray to the Light that Master Guilford and his squad remains safe."<br/><br/>"Heinrich. In this case, you should pray that the Light doesn't backfire on whoever cast that spell." Lance butted in and returned his gaze to the still expanding sphere of light.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>The last thing he saw was yet again another dead body of a knight after he had casted Vindicate. He was about to succumb to despair when everything got swallowed up in a bright light. The creatures Natalia was fighting were disintigrated upon being swallowed, the ruby-eyed knight blinded from where she stood. There was a warmth and certain feel of ferocity within the sphere that engulfed them. This was holy magic yet not quite, it felt like their Captain's Providence, only on a more intense and offensive tempo.<br/><br/>"Natalia!" he called out in desperation, wanting to assure himself that his partner was alright.<br/><br/>"I-I'm fine! Just that I can barely see a darn thing!" she hollered back, trying to get her bearings straight in the blinding power. Whatever happened in the battle between their Captain and the target was clearly not good.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Alfrei who had just resigned himself to doom felt a mix of emotions at the sudden outburst of magic. He was beginning to get overwhelmed but was saved in the nick of time by the furious Light. He knew what it was that washed over his field of battle, he had seen and felt a variation of it multiple times when their squad found themselves in a dire situation. Despite wanting to rush to where his Captain was, strength had already long left his legs and arms. He outdid himself and broke past his limit long before he even realized it. Alfrei can barely move, he was out of breath and power, and the will to fight. Losing his grip, Alfrei dropped both swords to the ground, his vision blurred and the last thing he saw were the bodies of all those he had slain turn to white dust. He tried to keep his eyes open until everything finally became dark.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Georg, Vlad and Joaquim staggered back into a defensive formation at the sight of the white light heading towards them. All three gritted their teeth in anticipation of a wipeout. The creatures they battled screamed in agony at the first touch of the light before burning and finally dissipating to white dust. Though they can barely see each other, the three knew something bad must have happened.<br/><br/>"Can you feel our Captain's presence?" Joaquim asked.<br/><br/>"Yeah, just barely. He's fine but he might have been wounded. His magic reserves are dangerously low and..." Vlad trailed, trying to understand the rough readings he was getting in the midst of the power.<br/><br/>"And what?!" Georg shouted in anxiety.<br/><br/>"Master Lethe's too, but her readings are erratic."<br/><br/>That can only mean one thing. Georg hoisted his sword over the back of his shoulders and began a slow walk to the magic's origin. The other two followed suit in his silhouette.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>"Master Guilford! I need you to stay still!" Valiar demanded, trying to keep his hands glowing with Healing above the Seraph's wound.<br/><br/>He heard him, yet how could he stay still? Lethe opened the sealed gate to the Divine Realm and was using her body as a passageway for the power. He knew better not to use too much of it for it was a double-edged sword yet for Lethe to unleash this much? It was suicidal! He shoved Valiar's hands away multiple times, desperately trying to crawl his way to his fellow Seraph. Damn legs! Why did they have to give out on him now of all times?! More blood spurted out of his nearly closed wound and he knew he had already lost too much. Realizing he couldn't get to her in time, Guilford looked for the closest knight to him and grabbed his foot.<br/><br/>Green eyes met purple ones that were filled with horror and desperation. Guilford could barely make out the form of Lethe's dutiful Vice Captain.<span style="color: #0080FF">"For once... I beg of you... ignore your Captain's orders!"</span>he heaved.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Stop her now if you don't want her to die!"</span><br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"Stay back! Heal Gil!"</span><br/><br/>The orders echoed inside his mind. Adair lost count of how many times he respected his Captain's wishes, yet the words from the other Seraph struck home. No! He wouldn't let his Captain die!<br/><br/>"How?" he asked with an insurmountable calm in his tone.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Knock her out...it's your best...shot!"</span>Guilford forced the words out of him, coughing up more of his life blood.<br/><br/>Hit his Captain and knock her out cold? That was his best shot? Why was it that situations that seem complicated have the most simple yet brutish resolutions? Still, it was easier said than done! Just the thought of Lethe departing this land was unacceptable. There was no reason not to believe Master Guilford's words, he probably knew more about this power their Captain was using than any of them ever did. Adair called out to Valiar who was once again in the process of healing the male Seraph. He in turn shifted his gaze over to the source of the white light. He gritted his teeth first before diving in.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>The white light faded in a mere instant. Lethe's uncoscious body plopped into the arms of her Vice Captain. The rest of the knights in town looked around, only to see the smoking structures which were forced to endure and remain standing within a fearsome display of power. Guilford's squad had arrived on scene and took over taking care of their Captain. Natalia was forcing her Healing magic unto his pale and barely conscious Captain, tears nearly forming in her eyes. Vlad and Hyuga were seeing to their unconscious Lieutenant while Georg and Joaquim surveyed the surroundings. There was a constant wailing of the townsfolk, signifying that they were in pain. Georg's curiosity prompted him to kick down a nearby houshold's door, only to find a family of six inside, two were dead and the others were either unconscious or groaning in pain. Joaquim peeked with him in the doorway only to hear his friend's thoughts.<br/><br/>"We're going to need a lot of clerics in town... we can't leave them as they are." Georg mumbled.<br/><br/>They looked in more houses only to find more of pretty much the same.<br/><br/>"Problem is, with an army between our forces and this town, how do we get them here?" Joaquim wondered.<br/><br/>Georg nodded at their problem and decided to head back to where the two squads congregated. Their leaders were in no condition to take command. Master Lethe was unconscious, and their Captain is a hair's breadth away to being delirious. When it comes to rank, there was only one next in line of command. The two sought out the blond man who held his Captain being treated by Valiar protectively in his arms.<br/><br/>"Vice Captain, we took the liberty of looking in on this constant wailing. It would appear even the townsfolk had suffered serious injuries from that attack. Some were dead and the others are in pain."<br/><br/>There was no immediate response from the man. It was understandable though. Everything is a mess right now and whether they have won, or they have lost, remains to be seen. But right now, the fight is not over. Hyuga, after making sure that their Lieutenant was stable, walked over to their fallen enemy, the blonde woman. She was lifeless and was a gruesome sight to behold. What was left of her after that last attack was a sizzling mess. Did they really win? Is it finally over? Is Palaugrim finally free? No, it was not. The price they paid was much too high for this to be called a victory. Just the thought of how many former Pristine Knights they had slayed sent chills running up and down his spine. His hands trembled, his mind in a foggy haze.<br/><br/>"How could we call this a victory?! Have any of you normals have an idea of what they just did?! Of what we were trul--"<br/><br/>He was about to let his emotions run wild but was stopped by a piercing glare from Adair and Natalia.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"...don't tell any of the others of your findings..."</span><br/><br/>Adair's orders echoed in his mind. Right, of course, there's no way he should tell the others now. Not at a time like this. His voice dropped and his body stiffened. They were trying to free Palaugrim at the cost of the blood and lives of former Pristine Knights among the enemy, their greatest strenght, the Light, turned against them. How ironic could that be?<br/><br/>"Calm down Hyu. This was more than we bargained for but with both our squad's Captains out of action, it falls to us to keep our heads leveled." Georg cut in, the former captain in him stirring to take over since nobody seemed to want to step up after what transpired. "Get your heads straight. We're not out of the fire yet. This town needs aid, but Master Guilford's orders to our forces outside was simply to defend the high grounds and the passes. They are not to come charging in town should this mission turn out a success or failure. We need to--" he stopped abruptly.<br/><br/>For a moment, he felt the ground rumble. Georg looked at the others to confirm if it was just him and his fatigue or if they felt it too. The look in their eyes told him that it was the latter. There it was again, this time evident enough to send a light feeling of nausea until it became a full on quake.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>A pillar of light shot up from the tower's peak, only to be broken apart by darkness from within. A tremendous amount of power had just been released into the skies, a telling sign of a seal that had been broken. Multiple eyes wandered over to the direction of Luciano at the sight of the dark pillar. Moments later, a consolidated presence made haste over to the city, landing itself and taking form at the top of its tower.<br/><br/>"My Queen, it has been so long. It's good to finally see you again."<br/><br/>A creature hovered in the middle of the power surging upward, glowing red eyes flicking over to the newcomer that greeted it. Metallic arms in the form of blades and sickles slowly found their way to its sides, beneath the cover of a dark and tattered cloak dancing in the wind. The creature's feet gently touched the tower floor, cracking the tiles in its weight. It looked down at the kneeling presence before it, seemingly displeased at the lack of welcome and the irksome feeling of Light in the air.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Syndra. I am displeased."</span>it said, harnessing a bit of its power to morph its hideous form into its favored<a class="postlink" href="http://i57.tinypic.com/eg9swn.jpg">visage</a>.<br/><br/>"Forgive me my Queen for the lack of preparation for your awakening. Things are... not what they used to be after your long absence."<br/><br/>Now a lady of short blonde hair strode the tile floor elegantly, making her way over to the kneeling demon before her. The look in her eyes prevented the demon from meeting her gaze, it was not a look they were too keen on receiving from her.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Is this why you would let my awakening be sullied by those Light-infested pests?"</span><br/><br/>"N-No I--"<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"You cannot even organize a proper greeting. You disgust me just as much as they do. Tell me Syndra, what has changed in my absence?"</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Nat... my sword... give it to me..."</span><br/><br/>Natalia's eyes shifted to confusion. "Why? The fight here is over Captain, you should rest!"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"No...something's coming...hurry Nat!"</span><br/><br/>She didn't feel anything at all after that light pierced the skies. Unable to comprehend her Captain's request, Natalia scuffled for the sea blue sword that lay a few feet away from them. Just as she was about to pick it up, her hand stopped at the ominous feeling the blade had.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Just...kick it over here."</span>Natalia obliged and kicked the sword towards the hand of her Captain. The man in turn gripped the hilt and used the sword to push himself back up to his feet. The others noticed his slow rise and wondered what was the reason for his fierce glare and determination.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Everyone..."</span>he staggered but succeeded in staying up.<span style="color: #0080FF">"on your feet... now."</span><br/><br/>Guilford was clearly struggling beneath his breath, it was also clear that it was taking more than what he has left just to stay standing but the stance he took told everyone the reason for his agitation, something was coming and he could sense it. The others quickly responded by forming a defensive perimeter before the two Seraphs, they have done more than enough for one night. Moments later, a heavy air of taint descended upon the group, taking its ground before the tower's entrance. The party shifted their stances at the sight of two heavily tainted individuals now standing before them.<br/><br/>Hateful eyes glared at the number of knights gathered before her. The blonde woman took two steps forward, eliciting a raise in weapons from the group before her. A scowl formed on her lips, followed by a slow rise of her hand, pointing a finger at the knights. Her eyes sharpened and she unleashed a hail of Sin bolts from her fingertips against the knights. Numerous small explosions engulfed the group but Valiar assisted by other prominent magic users formed a defensive wall before their group preventing them from taking any damage. She only stopped when a single bolt of white shot out from the smoke and grazed her raised arm. When the smoke cleared, the woman who blasted them frowned at the purple eyes of the weakling who shot her. For her to be wounded by a man close to death? A shame.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Tch!"</span>she spat, realizing her power is nowhere near the level of what it used to be.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Syndra. We're falling back. My power has yet to return. Take all the forces we have left on this island, let these maggots have this cursed land."</span><br/><br/>"But my Queen!"<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Do it! I have no desire to stay in a land crawling with these pests! It's repuslive!"</span>she hissed and turned her attention back to the knights.<span style="color: #8080FF">"All of you are on borrowed time. When I return, your lives will be mine!"</span><br/><br/>Syndra looked at the knight group one last time and spotted the little liar unconscious behind a line of her subordinates. She recalled the moment that woman snapped, it was exquisite! She began to laugh, lightly at first but soon transformed into a deranged cackle filled with a twisted sense of satisfaction. It echoed in the ears of the knights until their presences, as well as the entire Sin army behind them vanished.<br/><br/>"You've got to be kidding me! Her power has yet to return?!" Natalia slumped back to the ground completely exhausted. "Just keeping up our barrier through that barrage was a hellish ordeal!" she yelped, looking at both Hyuga, Valiar, and even the snobbish YunQiao all desperately trying to catch their breaths. They were the best there is in both squads with the exception of their Captains in terms of magic yet, they were worn out immediately just from that? The ruby-eyed knight wondered just what was in store for them in the future...<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Gless - Grand Cathedral, Courtyard (one week later)</div></span></span><br/><br/><br/>"In recognition of your service to the Light, Master Guilford, we proudly award you and your squad with the Badge of Valor!" Councilor Mihai proudly announced to the public as he pinned each of the badges to the respective reciepients. He then turned over to Lethe's squad and held out another set of badges.<br/><br/>"Vice Captain Adair, we thank your squad for their service to the Light and also proudly award you all the Badge of Valor for your efforts! In the absence of Master Lethe, please accept her badge as well." Mihai said and pinned the other set to the respective knights present in Lethe's squad. The Councilor then moved to the stand and turned his attention to the people. Next up would be a long winded speech about gallantry, bravery, and unyielding devotion to the cause.<br/><br/>Guilford and the rest of those awarded would have to remain in the presence of the people until the ceremonies are over. People thrived with these things. They all loved hearing about stories depicting great strength, heroism, bravery, camaraderie, and all that fluffy good stuff. Unknown to them was the ugly truth those involved had to see for themselves out there. But all those would be sugarcoated into a fine blend easy to swallow for the people. Such is the terrifying power of publicity. For now, the people roared, cheered, celebrated--they were heroes...for now.