<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Palaugrim - Bastille</span></span></div><br/><br/><br/>"Are they serious about the Reapers...?" one pristine knight dreaded over the fact that they were going to have to fight something they never faced before. "I mean, who came up with that name? Seriously?" His companions all shared a worried look with each other.<br/><br/>"I've never seen this type before but..." he glanced at the detailed mission files handed out earlier. "Judging from the way the Seraphs described it, it's a powerful new foe." his voice waned a little followed by a slow gulp of air.<br/><br/>"As far as I know, only the two Seraphs along with their squads have faced these things before. If they think these things are dreadful enough, why didn't they take only those who have divine magic?" another knight questioned the mission.<br/><br/>Alfrei who happened to be walking by after discussing strategies with his respective squad, overheard their conversation. He approached the group and as much as he hated barging into other people's talk, he had to. "It's your duty as a Pristine Knight, divine magic capable or not, that's why." he folded both arms before his chest and put on a stern look, one he'd repeatedly practiced (and got repeatedly laughed at by his own little sister) in front of a mirror. "If you listened to the final briefing, you don't have to worry about the Reapers. Only those with Divine Magic training are going to be fighting them head on." he assured the knights calmly. "Your job is to keep the small fry off those guys." he gave each and every single knight in the group a good look. "That means Sinners and Pure Sinners are on your plate."<br/><br/>"W-We know but... we can't help it if we're worried!" one of them commented.<br/><br/>Alfrei approached the knight and simply put a reassuring hand on top of the knight's shoulder. "Master Lethe and Master Guilford will be with us." he paused in quick thought. "Not to mention Lion Lance of The Crests too." he continued. "Let's do everything we can to ensure this mission ends in success shall we?" he smiled at the group and gave each one a pat of confidence. With one last look at the knight group, he continued on outside to where majority of their forces have already gathered.<br/><br/>"That's pretty nice of him to try and calm our nerves down." one of the knights said while watching Alfrei's back disappear behind the large doors of the entrance.<br/><br/>"Can't say it worked though..." another commented drily. "Who was that guy again?"<br/><br/>"Ugh! I can't believe you! You're lucky he didn't hear you! His name is Alfrei, Master Guilford's new Vice Captain."<br/><br/>__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><br/>Final preparations for the upcoming operation were smoothly underway. A handful of knights here and there were double-checking their gear to make sure they had everything they needed. Amidst the mass of knights gathered, squad eight had their thoughts elsewhere; their Captain has yet to join them. Alfrei paced around restlessly. Among all of these knights, very little of them knew how exhausted Guilford was. If it was up to him, he would have wanted his Captain to continue resting easy while they go and finish the mission themselves. That of course, was wishful thinking on his part. The young Vice Captain looked at the rest of their squad. Only their newest member appeared to be free from any tasks. He called for the female knight and asked her to go get their Captain.<br/><br/>The silent ambiance of his room was highlighted by the Seraph's calm and rhythmic breathing. Guilford knelt seiza-style, eyes closed and absorbed in meditation; it had been a ritual for him to do this before a mission. He had a hundred responsibilities in mind, a thousand worries in thought, and a million hopes placed upon his shoulders. He could surely use the clarity he gets from meditating, to steel his resolve, to temper his mind and body, and to stay focused; Light knows he needs to.<br/><br/>Fiona fidgeted before the door between her and her Captain. She had never been too comfortable in breaching anyone's privacy but orders were orders. With a deep breath, she balled her right hand and knocked gently on the door, yet nobody answered. She knocked again, twice this time for added effect and purpose, but still no response. With a breath of courage and a sense of urgency, Fiona twisted the knob and quietly entered the room, only to find her Captain in deep meditation. She struggled between the boundaries of privacy and duty, unsure if she should speak up or stay silent until he was done.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Do you need something, Fiona?"</span><br/><br/>The sudden question startled the female knight but she quickly composed herself, hushing a yelp that almost got away. How did he know it was her? She brushed the thought aside and took a quick breath. "We're almost ready to go Captain, your presence is being required by Vice Captain Alfrei." she spoke professionally, still flustered from getting startled despite being the one that sneaked into her Captain's temp room.<br/><br/>Purple eyes slowly opened to the sight of the moon high outside. A determined look in them reflected his steeled resolve. This mission needed to be done, and he wanted it done so with as little casualty as possible. This would be Fiona's first mission in the field with them. She was one of his worries but there was little choice in the matter. Though Fiona was skilled, she was not battle-hardened. It wouldn't come as a surprise if she commits mistakes in the field. However, he would keep an eye on her to make sure those mistakes do not happen. Fiona wouldn't die here, he would not allow it, not again. With a deep breath, Guilford slowly picked up his sword, Light's Requiem, resting quietly by his side and rose to his feet. He strapped the weapon to the side of his waist and quickly turned around heading for the door. Fiona trailed behind him quietly, trying to match his purposeful haste.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Fiona, whatever happens in Santa Olivia, I want you to stay where I can see you. Is that understood?"</span><br/><br/>The sudden request took Fiona by surprise. Why would her Captain want her to stay close? Did he not trust her to enough to fulfill her given role? Or was it because he thinks she's not ready? "B-But what if the situation would not allow it?" she asked, partly confused.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Just do as I said. That's an order."</span>his voice was stern and as cold as steel. Fiona knew that whatever else she says to him, her Captain would not change his mind. "Yes Captain..."<br/><br/>__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><div style="text-align: center;">Palaugrim - Santa Olivia (Mission Start)</div></span></span><br/><br/>"New wave incomiiiiing!" yelled a knight from Guilford's rearguard group.<br/><br/>The lot reformed their ranks, bracing themselves to face the onslaught of incoming Sinners charging straight for them. Georg stood at the very front, acting as the main force with his large sword, ready to strike as soon as the enemy gets in his range. While Sinners may be the weakest type among their foes, they are also considered to be the hardest one to fight. These creatures were once people, and they are<span style="font-style: italic">not</span>beyond salvation. As a Pristine Knight, it is their duty to save them. The hesitation that stems from striking a sinner down may cause a knight his life should he judge poorly. Georg and his men were not about to make that mistake. He'd make sure of it.<br/><br/>"Shields up! We must hold them back no matter what!" Georg barked the orders. "It takes a lot just to bring down those Reapers! The vanguard taking them on don't need the distraction!" he yelled again, reminding those with him the importance of keeping the small fry off the others fighting the big ones. "Here they come! Not a single one through!" Georg roared, bringing down the blunt side of his large sword to the head of the first Sinner that came to his range. He knocked the ghastly beast down and immediately grabbed it's head to cast Absolve on it. That's one down and a lot more to go! Soon, his knights clashed with the new wave of reinforcements in an almost frenetic battle for position.<br/><br/>Georg dodged and swayed tactically in the fray, knocking down Sinners that came too close to him. Right behind him followed two knights, casting Absolve on those he had taken down. Then there were several more who took charge of pulling the newly Absolved people to safety. The same fashion was followed by the rest of his line. Clerics on the other hand, stayed at the back, boosting their allies with magic and keeping the injuries well under control. A loud clang echoed as Georg's large sword hit another Sinner right in the head. He watched the stunned monstosity swirl into a boneless heap before throwing a punch in full force to the next one that came from his left. He disregarded the sickening crack and looked back to see how his knights were faring. "Tanks up front! Don't let up!" he yelled as he continued pushing back the wave.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">_____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>Natalia and Joaquim along with a handful of knights took to what was left of Santa Olivia's higher ground. They had been given command over knights with the highest magic affinity. Their orders were to act as a suppression force that would help in holding the defensive lines they set up to box the reapers in and keep the sinners out. It was tough enough having to fight while staying on the move, yet even tougher to have to travel back and forth to the defensive lines that needed magic bombardment while fending off stragglers that decided the broken roofs was a good route.<br/><br/>"Shoot that Sinner down!" Natalia yelled at the knight to her left.<br/><br/>One of the Sinners had just bolted off the roof past one of their defensive lines and was heading straight for the vanguard fighting the Reapers. The knight shakily aimed for the Sinner and fired off several Banish bolts, all of them missing their mark. Seeing the Sinner slowly getting away from their range, Natalia quickly grabbed her Holy Whip and snapped it on one of the large beams supporting a taller structure. With a deep breath, Natalia leaped off the roof she was previously on and swung after the Sinner. She aimed a powered Banish at the creature and fired a single bolt mid-swing into another roof. The bolt grazed the Sinner's right hind leg causing it to fall and skid on the cobble road. The moment Natalia landed on the roof of another house, she quickly gathered the power of Light into her left palm and aimed for the downed Sinner desperately trying to get back on its feet.<br/><br/>"That's as far as you go. End of the line for you."<br/><br/>By now, she had mastered her Absolve spell and even took it to another level. She now had three ways to cast it, one of them was from range. With this method of casting, Natalia could even fire it off rapidly at a limited distance. Thanks to Cora's guidance, she was able to understand how to manipulate the nature of their Absolve spell. Natalia watched the Sinner's body become engulfed in white light and seconds later, she eased into a faint smile. She had wanted to check on the man that emerged from the light but she had no time. Quickly shifting her gaze back to their defensive lines, Natalia's eyes widened at the sight of more and more Sinners taking to the roofs.<br/><br/>"Not on my watch!" She vowed and quickly leaped onto the nearby broken roof. Using her left index finger, Natalia traced several seals in the air: Infuse, Blessing, Light, Reinforce, Multiple and Guidance. She then raised her right hand to the heavens, channeling the power of Smite while keeping a keen eye on multiple targets heading her way. This was her other way of casting Absolve, infusing it with her other spells. When the rogue group of Sinners entered her range, Natalia brought her right hand down, calling forth a rain of guided, Absolve infused, Smite bolts at them with little hesitation. Moments later, only the still-glowing bodies of people remained from the rogue group that tried to break past their lines.<br/><br/>"Alright," she huffed, "that should keep the roofs off-limits for a while." she gasped for air, scanning her battlefield for any stragglers.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, Joaquim had been busy fending off a Pure Sinner that was headed straight for their northern defensive line. Seeing that the Pure Sinner almost decimated his suppression force after a single volley of dark magic, he lured the thing away from them and engaged it by himself. He laughed at his actions; it nostalgically felt familiar to him. When he first became a Pristine Knight, his first mission involved a Pure Sinner, and it wasn't just an average Pure Sinner but a smart one. It managed to catch his Captain off guard and injure the man badly. The first thing he did was to lure the Pure Sinner going for the kill away from his squad by seriously annoying it with his weak magic. How he survived that ordeal, remained a mystery to him until now. However this time, he wasn't weak anymore.<br/><br/>Dodging several dark bolts that streaked past him with ease, Joaquim judged the distance between him and his opponent; it was almost time for him to strike back. Silver had drilled into them the importance of knowing where you are on the battlefield even under extreme pressure. Right now, even though his eyes never left the Pure Sinner, Joaquim could tell that he was able to safely lure it several meters away from the northern defensive line. He could also tell that they were about to come to an open space where he could take it out. Joaquim intentionally allowed the Pure Sinner to catch up to him and as soon as they reached the open space, he stopped and mocked the Pure Sinner to strike at him. The vile creature bought his taunt and lashed out using one of its front legs with an angry roar. Ducking to avoid a quick swipe from one of the Pure Sinner's front legs, Joaquim quickly rolled forward to press into the abdomen section and unleashed a devastating sword combo ending in a long rising slash.<br/><br/>Despite being known for having quite a rigid shell for protection, Joaquim felt his sword cut cleanly. It would appear that their training with the Crests had really bore fruit in more ways than one. He watched the creature turn to dust before he took to a battered rooftop in search for more Pure Sinners.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>Hyuga had been tasked with protecting the clerics and their supplies. They were also in charge of rationing immediate needs into the field. It wasn't the most graceful of roles being on watch duty and water boy duty but he damn well knew that it was a vital one, and that he was well suited for the job. His defensive mastery of the arcane arts was without a doubt, top class; keeping these clerics and their supplies safe was child's play. He had strategically placed themselves smack in the middle of their three defensive lines to make it easier to get to them and back. All he had to do was keep the clerics alive while rotating around their lines.<br/><br/>"Knight Georg's line are getting hit pretty bad. They need support!" yelled one of the clerics rushing back to their stockpile.<br/><br/>"Alright grab some bandages, disinfectants, some water and boosters!" The head cleric roared. "I wish we could heal them completely but that would take too much time! We'll have to make due with patch ups for now."<br/><br/>Hyuga winced at the situation. Of course, with them outnumbered by Light-knows-how-many to one, it made sense to keep every able body in the fight than out of it. It can't be helped that some knights would get battered and not receive proper treatment, only to be sent back into the front. Hyuga picked up a box of boosters and looked at it with scrutiny in his eyes. The head cleric shot him a glance and went back to quickly filling his pack with supplies. "That's to help the knights sustain their energy levels for prolonged fights like these." he informed Hyuga. "Can't say it's really effective. The knights tend to spend their energy pretty quickly when the fighting goes intense."<br/><br/>Hyuga just had to ask. "What's in these things?" The head cleric looked at him one more time and hoisted his pack over his shoulders. "I'll tell you on the way, for now keep my men safe while we head over to Knight Georg's line."<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>"Urrrgghh!" Alfrei grunted. He was getting pushed back while keeping two Reaper blades at bay in a deadlock. With so few of them trained in Divine Magic, it was no question why they had to deal with multiple targets almost all the time. Firmly planting his feet on the ground, Alfrei managed to stop the skid and with a quick twisting motion from both wrists, parried the two Reaper blades to the side. Siezing the opportunity, Alfrei immediately bent his knees and jumped up diagonally, slashing the heads of the Reapers off as he passed through them. The sound of two clunks echoed behind him as he landed on solid ground.<br/><br/>"Man... I'm getting exhausted..." he huffed for breath as the light surrounding his swords began puffing in and out.<br/><br/>"Uhh.. Alfrei! A little help here!" Vlad called out to him, keeping four Reapers occupied in a tango. With a sigh of distaste, Alfrei swished his blades clean and headed directly towards Vlad. He vaulted using a pile of rubble and attacked two more Reapers from behind, clearing Vlad's right side. Vlad in turn spun around a slash and used his shield to bash a Reaper head in. With a quick motion using his swordarm, Vlad threw his judgment sword with pinpoint accuracy at the fourth and last Sinner they were facing, hitting the creature dead on the chest. Vlad then rushed forward and plunged the sword deeper into the creature's chest for a coup de grace.<br/><br/>"How are you holding up?" Alfrei asked the other. Vald simply shook his head while pulling out his sword. "Winded." he said drily, swishing his blade clean. "These things just keep coming." he said and looked forward to spot another group of Reapers headed their way. Alfrei trailed to where Vlad was looking only to grimmace at the sight. "I hate to say this but I think we're in over our heads in this mission." Vlad looked at his Vice Captain, unsure of what expression to put on. "You doubt the Captain and Master Lethe's decision to attack Santa Olivia?" he asked as he took his stance to greet the incoming Reapers. Alfrei took two steps forward and positioned himself parallel to Vlad. "No, I didn't say that." he raised both blades at the ready. "I just think we should have brought more knights with us."<br/><br/>Vlad grinned. "You don't sound like your usual self who completely trusts his Captain." he quipped. Alfrei glared at the older knight. "Shut up Vlad. I'm just being realistic! Now quit talking and more fighting! We have to meet up with the others in the center of town!"<br/><br/>With a battle cry, the two charged at the reapers coming their way. They had been fighting for some time now but somehow it felt like this mission had only just begun...<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>Guilford moved around the battlefield with deadly precision. He had set his mind on a goal, and that was to eliminate as many Reapers as he could get his hands on. The Seraph jumped off the Reaper he'd just snapped the neck of and turned his sword towards another. Drawing Light's Requiem back as he closed in, Guilford slashed down with all the power he had against the Reaper that attempted to block his attack. He slashed clean and watched the Reaper fall back until it hit the ground lifeless. Three more Reapers came at him from different sides. Guilford instinctively tightened his stance and judged their distances. The first attack would come from the front, then to the left, and lastly from behind.<br/><br/>As soon as the first Reaper closed in, Guilford pulled back his sword arm for a well-timed counter slash against it. Within the small time frame, Guilford rolled to the left, thrusting his sword through and through against the Reaper to his left, then with all his strength, the Seraph hurled the impaled Reaper by his sword against the one coming from behind. He knocked it off balance and Guilford immediately leaped to deliver the finishing blow. He plunged his sword right into the chest of the two Reapers atop each other and finished it with a powerful blast of fire magic.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Why?"</span>The Seraph asked himself in silence. Another Reaper came from above this time, aiming to chop off his head in one fell swoop. Guilford simply side-stepped to his right and countered with a spinning slash that ripped right through the reaper. By now, other Reapers watching from a distance hesitated to come at him as the Seraph continued to advance towards them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Why do I feel so much frustration?"</span>Guilford questioned himself again, trying to find the root of the uncomfortable feeling he was harboring. Wait... Was he lashing out because of something? Because these Reapers can't seem to calm his sword down at all. Guilford swiped his free hand down the entire length of his Light's Requiem, leaving fire down the length up to the tip of his sword. He swung the sword twice, letting the now fire enchanted sword idle at his right side as he continued to walk forward deeper into the battlefield.<br/><br/>The Reapers howled at his continued approach, clearly a challenge at his actions. Guilford simply scoffed.<span style="color: #0080FF">"You can howl all you want, but that won't change the outcome for all of you."</span>he threatened. Soon, white light began to flicker from the Seraph's eyes, slowly creeping to the entirety of his body. The winds began to dance around where he stood, ever so slowly becoming a violent gust. The knights watching him stood in awe, marveling at the tremendous amount of Holy Power he was putting off.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">That cheerful laughter...<br/>Those easy smiles they shared...<br/>The look he was giving her...</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Tch!"</span>His fierce eyes instantly shifted towards the nearest Reaper. Guilford attacked without warning and quickly dispatched the foe with ease. Why can't he get those thoughts out of his head?!<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>Fiona gracefully danced around the battlefield facing off against multiple Reapers. She had already activated her Divine Magic to boost her combat capabilities and had been sustaining it for quite some time now, yet the Reapers just kept coming. Her breath was gradually becoming more and more ragged, yet she knew she couldn't stop. Even though her Captain had been the one dispatching most of the Reapers that came their way, she still had her fair share of the fighting. She was charged with protecting the other knights that followed their vanguard and it was proving to be no easy task; not to mention the fact that she needed to stay close to her Captain. She didn't like the idea but again, orders were orders.<br/><br/>It was a good thing that Nirvana, the sword given to her by her Captain, was being cooperative today, allowing her to fight without it actually trying to consume her in the process. Her Captain was right about the sword, it would take her many sleepless nights just to get the sword to acknowledge her. If only her Captain could see that she too was making progress in her own way, that she could be trusted to stand on her own like how he trusted the others from their squad, yet she knew, she knew that his trust needed to be earned.<br/><br/>With a graceful three hit combo, Fiona finished off another Reaper that tried its luck at catching her off-guard. Though to others it may seem easy to take out a Reaper, these things are vicious and very agile. It takes a lot just to keep up with their movements and it was no consolation that the dark was proving to be a handicap for them. The moment she thought about the word handicap, Fiona accidentally stepped on a loose rock, toppling her balance and causing her to fall down on her butt. A Reaper saw her stumble and immediately went after her, leaving the female knight with little to no time to react. Fiona brought her sword up before her to try and defend from the attack but a bolt of fire knocked the Reaper off its course. Fiona looked to her right only to see her Captain with only a smoking palm aimed at her general direction.<br/><br/>"H-He isn't even looking this way? How in the...?" she asked in disbelief.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Surprised?"</span><br/><br/>The voice of Alfrei shook her back to the present. When did he get here? Regardless, the Vice Captain was the one who finished off the Reaper and was offering a hand to help her up which she gratefully accepted. "Don't take it the wrong way if he wants you to stay close to him. He's just looking out for you as you just saw." the man added.<br/><br/>"I... I see..."<br/><br/>"What? Did you really think he would let you off on your own given that this is your first field mission with us? He gave us specific orders to keep an eye on you too you know. We just don't want anything happening to you."<br/><br/>"I... appreciate it I guess..."<br/><br/>"On your toes Fiona, there's more inbound."<br/><br/>"Right. Thanks Alfrei."<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>"This isn't looking too good." Lance mumbled to himself after finding himself surrounded by Reapers. At this very moment, all the excitement he felt about having to fight a Reaper had long been gone. He had been forced to fight seriously (much to his surprise) and it wasn't a pretty revelation. "I'm not going to be done in by the likes of you boys, sorry." he smirked as he readied his spear. "From the heavens they roar.." he began to whirl his spear above his head. "From the ground they rumble.." he continued, keeping a close eye on the opponents that were circling him. "Let thy flash connect that which are worlds apart.." Blue aura began to form at the length of his weapon, the skies above responding in tune to his summons. As soon as one of the Reapers made a move for him, Lance brought his spear down. "Crash down and tear them asunder!"<br/><br/>Heavenly bolts of lightning rained down around him, striking down all of the Reapers that surrounded him. The aftermath of his magic left a smoking pile of ashen bodies. With a sigh of relief, Lance then fell to one knee, feeling his strength steadily getting sapped away from him as the battle dragged on. He looked around quite satisfied by his handiwork. Well, at least he bought himself some breathing room. The orange-haired man looked around the battlefield, spotting Lethe's knights and the ones they led putting up a good fight. "Oh boy... am I that out of shape?" he asked himself, reflecting on the things he did in the past. Sure, he neglected training every now and then but he never thought the gap would widen by this much.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"Knight Lance, did you lose something?"</span><br/><br/>It was a question directed at his physical condition. Lance looked up to Lethe who came to momentarily watch his back. Apparently, he had given her the impression that he was tired, (which he was but will never admit to it) that simply won't do. "I think I dropped a coin." he jested and pushed himself back up to his feet. The female Seraph gave him a look that warred between annoyance and disbelief. Just who exactly would worry about a coin in the middle of a battle? "My lucky coin. It means a lot to me." he added to ease her mood. The female Seraph sighed but nodded,<span style="color: silver">"Try to keep it safe then."</span>she added and was just about to bolt off into the fray. "Hey," Lance quickly grabbed her by the wrist to keep her still before she could glide off into battle once more. "I'll uhh... try to make my way to the center of town. You guys keep pushing at your pace."<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"What?"</span>she asked, clearly surprised.<br/><br/>"Relax," Lance scratched the back of his head with a confident smirk. "I have a plan," he continued but the worried look Lethe had stayed on. "and dying in a blaze of glory is not it." he assured the smaller knight, pinching her cheek gently. He then shot a glance at the far end of town. "I can feel Guilford's holy power from here. That could only mean he's gotten serious as well and the fighting on their side is getting worse." Lance swung his spear around, letting it rest atop his shoulders. "We're already outnumbered, more than we anticipated and the fighting will only continue to get worse from here on out. We need to put an end to this fast."<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"And how exactly do you plan to accomplish that Mr. Fitzherberg?"</span><br/><br/>It was probably because he played with her earlier that Lethe was giving him a doubtful response. Still, both of them knew how dangerous the situation really was and that a part of him was regretting having to insist on a pincer attack. With a sigh of defeat, Lance opted to share just a bit of what he had in mind. "Luminous Aria. A trick I picked up during the First War. I call it Luminaria to keep it short." he said all that he could.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"Luminaria?"</span>she parroted.<br/><br/>"You'll see. Now, we better get back to it. We don't have much time. I don't need anybody else escorting me, just have the knights keep pushing forward! It'll be faster if I go alone." he concluded their discussion and turned to face the direction of the town square. It was already dangerous enough for all of them to have to keep fighting despite being greatly outnumbered, yet even more dangerous for him to have to resort to using Luminaria in his current state. Still, he didn't want her to worry too much. It would have been nice if she was there to watch his back but that was asking far too much. Lance wanted to bet on his luck and vitality that he still had what it takes to fire off Luminous Aria.<br/><br/>Lethe watched Lance dash off to the center of town. As much as she wanted to believe in him, her gut feeling tells her that somehow, that man would need someone to watch his back. Should she go after him?<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>"Lights above!" Fiona yelped, trying to keep her blade steady. The fighting was already taking its toll on her and she could gravely feel the burn in her arms from having to repeatedly block, parry, and attack almost non-stop. "Just how many of them are there?" she began to question the mission. Alfrei knew that Fiona was the least he should worry about when it comes to complaints but for her to be saying these things? There definitely was something off. Now that he thought about it, they had cut down far more than he could remember counting yet the Reapers just kept on coming and coming.<br/><br/>"I hate to sound pessimistic here but I think they have some sort of nest in here or something." Vlad commented after slashing down another Reaper. "I don't think I can keep up my Divine Magic for too long..." he alerted the others to the condition of his magic reserves. Hearing what Vlad just said, Alfrei looked at the two swords he held. The light surrounding them had started puffing out again, only this time it was consistently doing so. It was a clear indication that he too was running low on strength and magic. He turned his gaze forward to where their Captain was. The man had been putting off his Providence now while maintaining a shroud of Divine Magic to fight the Reapers. He was still in good shape judging from the way he was moving yet, Alfrei was sure even he could feel some form of exhaustion.<br/><br/>"We can't continue letting the Captain carry our backs..." he mumbled, taking a deep breath as he finished. "Fiona, Vlad, we're switching tactics. I want you two on me. We're going to have to cover our backs as well as the others with us. The Captain said he'll continue paving our way so we could move forward. Let's leave that to him." the other two nodded in agreement. "Okay good. Now's the time to get that second wind out. Let's move!"<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>"Fall back! Get the wounded and the absolved ones over here!" George roared. He lifted an unconscious Natalia over his shoulder and continued to make his way back into where the Clerics have set up their supply camp. Many of his frontline knights were trailing behind him, lugging a fellow knight or an absolved Sinner along with them. Hyuga's eyes widened at the sight of Georg and his men running towards them. He instinctively jogged up to meet them halfway.<br/><br/>"Georg! What happened?!" he asked in apparent panic. Georg only shook his head, trying not to mind his own wounds. "We got swarmed, the northern line gave." he grimly informed the other. "What about Nat? Is she okay?!" Hyuga's concern was evident in his tone as he followed the older knight to the clerics. "She's fine Hyu! She overdid it trying to hold our line. She's just spent that's all!" A sigh of relief escaped the Dreamer's lips but was soon replaced with a new worry after getting a good look at Georg's left arm. "Flesh wound. Don't worry, I can still fight." Georg cut off any attempt by Hyuga to ask if he's okay.<br/><br/>"Not in your condition you can't." butted in the head cleric. "You'll bleed out faster than you'd think. Here, let me look at that!" he forced the older knight to sit down and stay still. "And Joaquim? Where is he?" Hyuga asked. Georg bowed his head, grimmacing as he began to feel the pain in his left arm now that his adrenaline levels are beginning to come down. "He's... urrgh... trying to slow them down..." he huffed. "The enemy will be here soon, we need to set up a perimeter."<br/><br/>Hyuga looked around only to see more knights coming their way, Joaquim among them. It would appear that the other defensive lines have begun falling apart too. Now it became clear to him why the enemy never bothered to conceal their operations here. Santa Olivia was a heavily fortified fortress. They should have gone in here with all of Bastille's forces and more if they only knew it would come to this! The Dreamer glanced around once more, seeing much of the same almost everywhere he looked, exhausted knights. He could already hear the sound of Sinners making their way to their position, the sound of impending doom. Was there anything he could do? He could still fight, but what good would he be alone? He didn't have Divine Magic, nor was he any good at physical combat.<br/><br/>"Screw it!" he cursed. Hyuga moved to the center of their position and began channeling his magic. He was planning to put up the strongest defensive barrier he had ever created to buy time. If they were going to be saved, Lights above it would be by a miracle...<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>"Yaaaarrghh!" Lance grunted while driving the tip of his spear through three Reapers in one go. He forcefully pulled the weapon out and stumbled back in exhaustion, panting heavily as his lungs burned for air. Still, there were several Reapers between him and his destination. Slowly getting back up to his feet, it was only his willpower and adrenaline keeping him going. A Reaper took his exhaustion as a chance and leaped for him, pulling back its large scythe to put an end to the Lion. Lance however, simply swayed out of harm's way, letting his instincts take over his grace in the battlefield. From an unorthodox angle, Lance struck his spear out, impaling the Reaper dead on the head. His body may be battered, but his will was not broken. Luminaria is the one shot they had at surviving this mission. He would not fail.<br/><br/>Easing into a more primal fighting stance, Lance allowed his fierceness to take control. His eyes, though exhausted, clearly refused to give in. Just four more Reapers and he was home free. "Come on!" he taunted the Reapers, beckoning them to their come to their deaths. "I'm right here! Come get me!"<br/><br/>The Reapers howled in response, attacking Lance all at the same time. The Lion smirked, an animal backed into a corner will bear its fangs at anyone, how much more would a wounded Lion do? It was over in seconds. Lance landed back on the ground, using the blunt end of his spear as a support to keep him on his feet. He looked up to see the town square, the place where he needed to be. With a deep breath, Lance summoned all the strength he had left to his legs and willed them forward. He had come this far, there's no turning back.<br/><br/>With time running out, Lance planted both feet firmly in the center of Santa Olivia. He swung his spear around and stuck the tip hard into the cobble ground. Lance closed his eyes and began tapping into the Divine Realm, channeling the amount of magic he needed to pull off Luminaria. The ground rumbled, fumes of light seeping out all around where Lance channeled the magic. Moments later, sparks of white lightning began shooting off of Lance's body, along with some red mist every now and then from the wounds he had sustained on his way here. But Lance did not falter, despite the pain, he continued channeling Luminaria until it was finally ready. Lance then opened burning white eyes and raised both hands up to the heavens. A large stream of white light forcefully shot up, lighting the whole of Santa Olivia and spreading across to cover the whole town. Moments later, beams of light rained down upon the ruined city, searing everything tainted that moved within.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>The fighting from different sectors came to an abrupt halt at the sight of that white pillar rising up to the heavens. Knights, Sinners, Pure Sinners, and even Reapers alike halted at the sight of the white pillar. When the white beams came raining down upon them, it was already too late for the tainted. Guilford dreaded what he saw. He realized immediately who was responsible for such powerful magic.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"That dumb Lion!"</span>Guilford angrily hissed. He had seen this once, and he knew exactly what Luminaria would do to Lance after he had casted the magic.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Alfrei, Fiona, Vlad! I need the three of you to secure the perimeter and help the wounded! Get some clerics and gather the rest of Squad Eight as well as any able knights! When you're done, follow me to the center of town!"</span>he hastily barked the orders, worried for the safety of his friend.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>Meanwhile, Lance had fallen to both knees and showed hardly any signs of movement. He was still breathing but there was a loud ringing in his ears. His hair that was normally pony-tailed now fell freely, covering much of his face. 'Oh man... I would never... get used to this...' he thought to himself as his mind tried to make sense of what his blurry vision was seeing. Lance squinted at the sight of something odd, a dark swirling not far from where he was. His heart immediately pounded in terror upon realizing that it was. "N-No..." he mumbled weakly.<br/><br/>"Bam! Bam! Bam!" a voice echoed lightly in the distance. "Hearts, Clouds, BUNNIES!" it echoed again. "Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!"<br/><br/>It didn't take long for Lance to realize what came out of that dark swirl. It was<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>demon, that monstrosity that terrorized Palaugrim's villages! Coughing up a spurt of his life blood, Lance reached for his spear that was still stuck on the ground. This demon was the one he was looking for, and it couldn't pick a much better time to show it's ugly face!