The Wielder of Death Magic

Chapter 554: The Battlefield

Singed in heat, scarlet-colored vapor, mushed bodies, entrails, limbs, brain matter, eyeballs, the list went on without end. Destruction, devastation, a full-bodied massacre. Aside from the giant humanoid gluttons, crawlers (beast-like figures) loomed about, hanging in the shadows to strike. Taller and larger than the average man, a single swing of its sharpened claw made mincemeat of the survivors.

Panic of unmeasured proportion traveled along the walls. Stonegrove and Ground-Zero timed their forces to enter the battlefield in hopes of helping. Instead of coming face to face with the enemy, the Sergeants called in to lead the coming forces were left distraught. How could one fight an uphill battle of undenounced proportion? Any sliver of courage trampled; the mist stopped a kilometer off the walls. Bells rang periodically. Guns, spells, throwing spears, naught but ineffective.

“We’re dead, we’re dead,” very few escaped. Anna stayed to heal; their party joined with Frost’s who aided in the evacuation. Priority was to save those directly below; thing was, the unnamed killing devils, prowled to and fro. Discontent on approaching the wall, yet, if an elevator lowered, the crawler would jump in for slaughter. Bordering the fog, stood the giants, and laying in wait, were the crawlers. A new breed of monster given the rank of Tier-5 Ruby. Not even that, the rank was subject to arguments – so far, no information about their actual combat prowess existed. Those who came face to face were either dead, traumatized, or on the verge of death. Reliving the massacre, seeing friends die in a worthless endeavor was worth the effort as some contemplated ending it all.

“Good,” panted Fletcher stood in the shadows of the lieutenant’s quarters, “-we can have a private talk. Ling, Frost, Anna, I want a report on your parties?”

“I’ll go first,” said Frost being tactful around Ling, her howling expression of grief and sorrow could have made the hardest of man – cry. “We were ambushed after a strange sparkle, the battlefield fogged up and those devils jumped at us. We lost a few men just to retreat.” The distant deathly screams paired with gunfire didn’t help either. Thunderous shocks as the next spoke.

“No casualties,” said Anna more or less relieved, “-we were lucky to make it out alive.”

“What about you?” asked he to Ling. The latter remained silent, thinking, breathing, crying, “-I asked you a question,” voiced Fletcher sternly. Between the blurred vision of welling tears, her visage lifelessly faced up, “-Anne’s dead. No idea about the rest. I managed to live thanks to Igna and lady Misna.”

.....

“Shit,” winched Fletcher, “-you’re dismissed. Go take a break, Anna, Frost, help the casualties.”

“Over here!” exclaimed an officer, “-supplies have arrived, any abled body, rush over, we need help!” And so, the three leaders diffused into the hellish scape of oppression and the ultimate display of power.

“Lady Misna!” out in the middle of the piling bodies, “-might I have a word?”

“Fletcher?” a bloodied-white cloth covered her mouth and nose, “-what are you doing here?” it lowered with a pinch.

“Out of the way,” yelled another bumping shoulder against Fletcher, who buckled slightly forward.

“Come,” said she moving to the edge, “-what’s the matter?”

“Igna, what happened to him?”

“Oh...” a moment to gather her strength, “-what if they breach the walls and make for Reforge, worst yet, make for Meke. How bad will the casualties be; these monsters are unlike anything we’ve seen. Each is a Dungeon-level boss. Imagine what more secrets and death-defying beasts live in just beyond the aurora (the name given to the border of Totrya).”

“Don’t avoid the question, I need answers.”

“Fine,” she glanced over, “-he’s most likely dead. We left him to die, the legs were crushed – it was either him... or... us.”

“I get it,” he retained the straight-face, “-no more need be said. Go on, I won’t take much of your time.” Bodies piled even after the two-hour mark; supplies didn’t suffice. Those scarred by abandoning comrades – jumped into the battle to only be slaughtered. Revenge, wanting to make a difference. The death-toll and defeat were equal, if not worse than the first-apparition of monsters; second to the Tower of Aris.

‘Damn it, my head. Why’s everything so dark and hard to see. Am I under a tree?’ Sniffles and whimpers murmured to his left. Crawling up the trunk, ‘-the growls and the murderous gaze of the monsters Vesper summoned move about, this is bad.’

A pale, expressionless girl sat beside him; her hand stretched out as if holding a barrier. “Kein?” *thud,* “-hey, are you ok?” a single tap sent her crashing down.

“Don’t move too much,” sniffled Lucia, “-s-she used up her last strength to erect a barrier.”

“Don’t talk too loud,” gritted Goldie keeping a strong persona. The trembling hands and horrific stare could have said otherwise.

‘They saved me, we’re under the same tree. It’s faint, but I sense her mana... wait, I sense her mana?’ quick to check the legs, ‘-I’m healed, fully healed. The d-death-elements awakened. Strong, I feel it, each pulse is like a hammer against my body.’

“What’s the plan now?”

“Don’t know, we wait for backup,” said Goldie.

“What happened to Anne?”

“She was the first to die,” mumbled Lucia pinching her nose and mouth.

‘There’s only one thing to do,’ using the tree as support, “-we need to escape. I sense the monsters closing in on us. Kein can be saved if we give her a potion. Her breathing is faint, she’s just unconscious.”

“We know that already,” gritted Goldie, “-sit back down, we can’t let them see us, ” a defiant glare showed mistrust. “Just for the record, we did so because Kein begged us to, what now, going to throw away the life she fought to save?”

“No,” said he softly, “-I’ll repay the favor in full.” *CRACK* the barrier broke, a murderous pair of daggers lunged for Igna’s neck. ‘-Don’t get so cocky,’ a side-step had him under the beast, ‘-Magical Bullets, good night.’ *BANG* a blinding beam of light broke the fog upwards. Those on the wall noticed and stared in terror, the light was the sign of a coming disaster, everyone thought the same.

“WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!” cried Goldie, “-now they know where we are, fucking idiot!”

“Guess what,” he smirked, “-we ought to run now.”

“URGH,” she made for Lucia as he made for Kein.

“Quite courageous, you who trembled like a leaf now running like an athlete, I’m impressed.”

“Shut your damned mouth, I’m scared shitless. My friend died by the hands of those devils; do you have any idea how badly I want to die.”

“Yes, that I do,” a compassionate response; reference to the massacre of Dorchester, the day when everyone he cared about died.

“Hey,” said she panting, “-we’re getting close, I can see the lights beyond the mist.”

“Good.”

“This is going better than I expected,” they emerged out the fog; a blink and blood splattered across his visage, “-SAVE ME,” cried Lucia. A crawler pounced and took her legs from out of nowhere. Goldie fell headfirst onto a rock in the sudden exchange.

“WAIT!” yelled he trying to reach out a hand, the crawler didn’t so much as pay attention, it violently shook its head, repetitively slamming her injured self to the ground, until tossing her towards the walls.

“ANNA, IT’S IGNA!” cried Leonard.

“OFFICER, PLEASE, LET US GO DOWN!” argued she.

“NO!” voiced Lieutenant Mello, “-I can’t afford to waste manpower. The beasts might scale the walls at any minute, the body count is high as is. Stand down, every one of you.”

“BASTARD,” screamed Ling in retaliation, “-LET ME GO.”

“Stop her,” ordered he. A Wall-Guardian flickered into the light to knock the erratic girl out.

“How cruel can you be?” cried Rena, “-this i-isn’t fair.”

“Life isn’t fair, princess,” levied a bystander, “-my friends died too, I want to go there and fight, give my life for the sake of others. Look at me now, a Tier-6 Emerald couldn’t do anything, what can you, a Tier-8, accomplish?”

“Let it go,” whispered Lampard, “-don’t be selfish.”

‘Why’s no one helping?’ *smack,* an unexpected headbutt sent him directly opposite Kein, Lucia, and the unconscious Goldie. The glutton of the fog, smaller in stature, rushed as if starved beasts. Lucia’s wailing stopped – the little ones stood atop Kein, readying their claws to sink into her flesh.

‘Why not,’ time slowed to a snail’s pace, ‘-why can’t I activate my element. What’s wrong with me. We’re so close to the end... did I do all that for nothing?’ the shoulders slumped, “-fuck no, I’m not weak!” He hit the wall with a loud explosion. The girls were about to be slaughtered. ‘Alright, Vesper, is this what you wanted?’ blood dripped down the forehead, ‘let’s go then,’ he scrambled to a stand. *Death Element: Unleash Aura,* an avalanche of pure dark mana exuded, he limped over with a hand-stretched forward, ‘-don’t kill them.’

*Heed mine call, I, Igna Haggard, call upon thy strength to stop all who dare oppose mine own will. Death Element: Magical Barrier, Pentagram Variant, Abyssal Orbs.* Ancient runes materialized in mid-air. Dark balls engulfed Lucia and her friends. Those at the top watched in awe – complete silence. The monsters reacted to him, of which, each gave a deafening growl.

“LIEUTENANT MELLO, I’LL LEAD THE MONSTERS AWAY FROM THE WALL, SAVE THE GIRLS!” the broken leg healed, no other word said, he dashed off into the fog, carrying the devils with.

“Lieutenant,” voiced an attending officer, “-what are your orders?”

“What do you think,” asked he sternly, “-Corporal Zoey?”

“I don’t think sir, only give orders and I’ll follow.”

“Can I order you to lead me into battle?”

“No sir,” she refused, “-I dare not play the war of beds with you.”

“Fine,” facing the abled fighters, “-lower the elevator. We have an opportunity to bring back a few survivors,” in stride, support from Aris arrived in form of a renowned adventurer, else known as the Climbers.

“What’s the status here?” asked she leaping onto the wall, the platinum tag shimmered, “-Mello, care to explain?”

“We were ambushed by a new breed of monsters. The casualties... well, it’s plain to see. There are a few more left below.”

“Alright,” she etched ever-so-close to the edge, “-I’ll help in the evacuation, I presume some lucky devil led the beasts away?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“Understood,” long blond-hair levitated after she dropped on the opposite side.

The unexpected arrival stole the ability to speak out of the multiple fighters. The support from Stonegrove and Ground-Zero, adventurers who didn’t do much but watch as kids were slaughtered, rose into files. A decisive aura rose the morale to undo the cowardice. And so, a search and rescue began. The orbs of protection soon vanished, leaving the girls fully healed.

Meanwhile, the farther he ran, the denser grew the mist. After a few minutes, the fog cleared; he reached the aurora. Nowhere else to run, the monsters stood menacingly in a semi-circle. ‘Damn, a newly awakened element is just a baby. However potent it is, if I can’t let it sharpen itself, I’m done for. The constant regeneration takes precedence, that much I can’t help.’ *sniff,* ‘-the smell of blood. Dead-bodies, alright.’ *Blood-Arts: Bloody Mary.*

“Time to go back to sleep,” a shiny apple hovered above the palm, ‘-if not for the bodies, I’d have to use my already drained blood. A stroke of luck,” *crunch,* wind burst out the feet, *Blood-Arts: Orenmir, Blood-Blade of the Queen,* ‘-the weapon is only a skeleton, the true strength lies when it’s materialized from the Blood.’ Readied to fight, the beast lashed for his head. Each strike broke him piece by piece, they moved fast, adapted to the fighting style, and countered.

‘Damn it,’ forced the parry, ‘-my sword style doesn’t work well for defensive battles!’ a diagonal strike threw him headfirst onto the rocky land, ‘-I’m weak...’

“Majesty,” said the signet ring, “-how was the training?”

“Vesper,” he coughed, “-why?”

“To show our power, these beasts were nothing more than the scouting party, we have scarier beasts. I shall retreat for now, may you train well, my lord.” The saddened sky crumbled into cries; rain befell the stained battlefield. ‘Look at me, broken to pieces. I’m already out of mana, out of blood, and out of strength. I couldn’t even kill one of them, what a shame,’ he snickered, ‘-I love it, I’m weak, the pleasures of getting strong, I can finally experience it for myself!’

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