"You can't run away!"
"Fuck you! Mere knights dare to obstruct us, revered Magi!"
"Team Sky Dragon, assume Formation 3!"
Amidst a storm of shouting and taunted curses, two Magi found themselves encircled by a unit of heavy, armor-clad knights.
The battlefield was a mess of churned earth and lingering magical ozone. One of the trapped Magi was bald, save for a few pitiful, wispy strands of hair clinging to the top of his skull.
The other was short and grotesquely obese, possessing the pointed, tufted ears unique to dwarves.
"It's them! Bone Whisper and Darkstar!" Mandal, the leading knight in shimmering silver armor, shouted to his men. "They're Rank 5A fugitives on the wanted list! Be extremely careful!"
"Hehe! The Rebelhearts of the Astral Requiem?" The bald Magus, Bone Whisper, who was retreating, stood up with a mocking smile and didn't seem nervous at all, even as the circle tightened.
His beady eyes calmly scanned the perimeter before he snickered, "Mere knights? I've long since wanted to taste your blood. What a pity! I don't see anyone particularly exceptional within your group."
In response to such taunts, the members of the division gave a single, silent answer.
Within the Rebelhearts, the martial arm of the Requiem was split into three, the Dragon Guards headed by Stewart Anna, the Sky Dragons led by Knight Mandal, and the Earth Dragons commanded by the snake-bloodline knight, Victor.
"Activate Sealing Formation!" Mandal commanded.
Huala!
The armor on the knights' bodies began to vibrate with a high-pitched hum. Blood-red runes seemed to come to life, peeling off the metal and shooting into the sky, forming thistle-like apparitions of light.
These innumerable apparitions merged, weaving together into a dense, glowing cage that trapped the Magi within.
"Haha… the only thing you have worth showing off is this pathetic cage…" The short Magus, Darkstar, chuckled, but the fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead betrayed his anxiety.
"Darkstar, are you done yet?" Bone Whisper silently transmitted a message through a spiritual link. "These knights might look dumb, but they aren't easily fooled. With just a slight misstep, we might actually die here. Buy me time! I'll use a spell to break this cage!"
Spurs of jagged, blood-red bone suddenly erupted from Bone Whisper's skin as he began a deep incantation.
"Alright. If not for the generous rewards the organization offered, I wouldn't have tangled with these lunatics!" Darkstar growled. He raised his hands, manifesting an ethereal, translucent hammer of massive proportions. He swung it with a roar, slamming the phantom weapon into the bars of the runic cage.
Boom!
The cage vibrated loudly, the air humming with the impact, but it did not break. Instead, the dull, runic walls began to compress, shrinking the internal area. Countless tiny sparks of electricity appeared, swarming like a cloud of angry bees toward the two dark Magi.
Bzz bzz! Tzz tzz!
The tiny, thistle-shaped bolts of electricity were like flying needles, relentlessly pricking the skin of the fugitives and drawing spots of fresh crimson blood.
Strangely, their expressions remained wooden and unchanged, as if the pain belonged to someone else entirely.
However, the knights were too fast. Bone Whisper's charred, needle-pricked body smirked as he extended his arms, finishing his spell.
He summoned a rotting, oversized skull that hung in the air, its jaw unhinging to let out a shrill, piercing scream, a sound-wave attack of immense power.
Boom!
The tremendous sound waves engulfed the area, followed by a localized explosion of thick, black smoke. In the ensuing shockwaves, everything in the immediate vicinity was reduced to dust.
"Clones and a high-energy bomb!" Mandal grunted through the smoke.
A few Bloodline Knights holding the perimeter spurted blood from their mouths, their internal organs rattled by the blast. Seeing the formation weakening, the two Magi dashed toward the gap, a red circle of light brightening beneath their feet.
The three frontline Bloodline Knights took a step back as four Saint Knights—Mandal, Fraser, Fred, and Garvin, stepped forward to assume the formation themselves. These four were the original veterans who had followed Leylin from the beginning; only recently, with the help of the Rank 2 Magus Armani, had they crossed the threshold into the Saint Knight level, forming the new Sky Dragon team.
Their jurisdiction was the eastern resources exchange, Caitlin Market, which these two Magi had recently raided.
For a Saint Knight, the only path to true power lay in the newly developed Spirit Potions to increase spiritual force, potions that could only be redeemed via contribution points earned by delivering living Magi to the Acheron Oubliette.
Mandal, leading the charge, raised his silver crossbow. Energy particles shimmered around him as a formidable physical force erupted from his body.
Mandal activated a Saint Knight secret technique. The bolt shone with blinding white light, whistling through the air to pierce Darkstar's collarbone. The force of the strike nailed the obese Magus to the ground, where the bolt sprouted ethereal chains that lashed him down firmly.
Mandal's gaze then shifted to Bone Whisper, his eyes as sharp as a predator's.
"Wait, wait… we can discuss this!" Bone Whisper yelled, his words hurried and insincere. "I know a lot of information about the Zombies (A dark magus organization)! We can work together…"
As he spoke, a layer of magic, so thin it was almost invisible, flickered under his feet.
Shua!
His body transformed into a black streak, surpassing the limits of the naked eye. In an instant, he charged out of the encirclement. His form flickered, separating into several identical shadows that dashed in various directions.
Ka ka!
In response, Fraser, Fred, and Garvin activated their own secret techniques, lunging forward with their swords. Ripples like ocean waves extended through the air, distorting the light.
Rumble!
The three knights intercepted the real Bone Whisper. Their swords slashed in a coordinated arc, forming a brilliant crescent of steel.
Ka-cha!
The transparent armor and the protective pendant on Bone Whisper's chest shattered instantly. The blades sliced ruthlessly into his chest, back, and abdomen, spilling fresh blood onto the scorched earth.
Pak! They yanked their swords back, and Bone Whisper fell heavily to the ground. Mandal approached, his heavy metal boot coming down firmly on the Magus's chest.
Ka-cha! Ka-cha!
The sickening sound of breaking ribs echoed in the clearing. Large amounts of pink foam and blood spilled from the corner of the Magus's mouth. The entire battle had taken barely ten seconds. Both fugitives were captured.
"Two Magi successfully captured," Mandal reported, his voice cool. "Their elemental conversion should be around 30-35%."
"We are still lacking compared to both the Dragon Guards and the Earth Dragons," Fraser noted, wiping his blade. "We need to complete many more missions to catch up."
"We can probably catch the Earth Dragons," Garvin said pessimistically, "but the Dragon Guards? That would be very difficult."
"Hmmm… even the Earth Dragons will be a challenge," Mandal mused. "Old Victor is going to step down soon to take a training position. I heard Knight Ivy will be joining as the new Earth Dragon commander."
"I guess we're destined to remain at third rank for a while," Fraser sighed. He glanced at the injured Bloodline Knights, who had taken the brunt of the high-energy bomb. They were already downing healing potions to regain their strength.
"Just shut up and complete more missions," Mandal snapped. "The fewer missions we do, the less contribution we earn, and the less chance we have to grow stronger. Even Magus groups have started forming teams to compete for our bounties. We were lucky to be the first batch of knights to gain the Master's favor; otherwise, we'd never have had the chance to compete against revered Magi."
"True," Fraser admitted. "Whoever joined earlier had the advantage. I heard Elder Cyril is being promoted to a Four-Wings member to head the Intelligence Department."
"It will only get tougher as more talented Magi and knights join," Garvin added. "Don't forget our students. It won't be long before they reach our strength, and likely surpass it."
"If it's them, I don't mind," Garvin said quietly. "I only hope to see a Spirit Knight before I die."
The lifespan of a Saint Knight was little better than a Grand Knight's, about a hundred years, and they would likely face a decline in strength after eighty.
"If anyone can create a future for knights, it is only the Master," Fraser said with fevered devotion, as if speaking of a god. "Master is sure to make a name that resonates around the world."
"Yes," Mandal agreed. "Team Dragon Guards have all been deployed from headquarters. I'm sure we are about to hear some explosive news in a few days. May the Requiem reign supreme."
"May the Requiem reign supreme!" the knights repeated in unison.
....
Eternal River Plains: Four Seasons Garden Headquarters
Rumble!
Chairman Reynold was reading documents in his study when a mighty energy fluctuation rolled in from the distance. The wave was so immense that the very foundation of the building shook.
"What? A sneak attack?" Reynold stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. A layer of white light, a high-level communication spell, shimmered across his body.
"What's happening?" Reynold asked, his voice cold and indifferent.
"It's the dark Magi! We've suffered a massive sneak attack!" A projection appeared, a fair-skinned, burly man in a military uniform.
"The first and second defense lines have already perished! We're currently holding at the third!"
The leader of the defense team looked wrought with fright. It was clear the pressure from the dark Magi was overwhelming.
"I will mobilize the fighting and hunting teams to your area immediately. You—" Reynold began, but his face suddenly darkened.
Through the projection, he saw a gigantic black hand descend from the sky like a falling mountain. It snatched the burly officer, mashing him between its fingers.
"Ah…!" The man cried out as he desperately manifested milky-white flames of light.
Ka-cha! Ka-cha!
Thousands of miserable, wailing faces appeared on the surface of the black hand, their mouths opening wide to swallow the white flames whole.
Ka-cha! Ka-cha!
The bone-chilling sound of gnawing followed as the spectral faces began to feast on the man's physical body.
"Jejeje…"
In mid-air, a cloud of silver spiritual force solidified into a giant human face. "Reynold, my old friend! Why aren't you coming out to greet me?"
The face sneered, and the massive black hand swept across the horizon, shattering the Garden's remaining defensive lines. Under the tyrannical power of a Rank 2 Magus, the ordinary Rank 1 Magi were as insignificant as ants.
Pak! The armrest of Reynold's chair snapped as he gripped it.
Shua!
In a green flash, Reynold rushed out of the study.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Immense undulations of magic traveled across the plains, marking the start of a collision between two Rank 2 powerhouses. As they fought, they moved further and further away, their spells carving scars into the earth as they deliberately avoided the immediate headquarters.