บท 51: Outnumbered

A/N: You guys will be getting a chapter a day for a while. ALSO WE HIT 50K view so one hurray for me.

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POV: Fillia

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A thick smoke enveloped us as Christine lowered the void shield, falling to the ground and gasping from the immense effort of protecting us from the bombardment. This was a war crime. To use military grade magic near a town when not in a state of emergency was illegal in all senses of the word. Not to mention reckless.

"Ahem, Ahem" {Christine}

I looked over at the coughing witch, as she began to chant another spell. We need to get rid of this smoke or we won't be able to fight or make our way to Astaros.

"Dryis!" {Fillia}

Understanding my intentions she nodded and her disguise charm came undone as the smog and dust began to swirl into a dome around her, a wall of wind element now shielding us.

Turning to Christine, a small portal appeared and expelled a black liquid substance as she finally stopped coughing.

"*hah* Underwater *hah* breathing *hah* spell *hah*, *hah*, *fuuuh*" {Christine}

Wait, that was actually smart, using a portal to remove the smoke and ash from her lungs. Though she probably could have avoided the issue if she just pulled up her shirt like me Dryis.

Alright so what should we do. As I considered my options only two came to mind.

We had to kill the witch that cursed Astaros or get Christine to dispel it by reaching him. If we could do either our chances of survival would shoot up, given the fact that a fully powered Astaros could fight an army alone.

"We need to find Astaros and see if he's alright." {Christine}

The young witch now began to stand however the stress from blocking the barrage of magic that decimated the clearing minutes earlier caused her to fall back to one knee as she groaned in pain.

"Christine, Astaros can hold out on his own even without mana. What we need to focus on is gathering our bearings and dealing with the witch who cursed him or dispelling it accordingly." {Fillia}

I may be worried but since he had contacted us he should be fine. I pulled out a small vial with a greyish blue liquid in it from one of the pouches on my hip and handed it to Christine.

"Drink it, it's one of the mana potions we arranged before coming here." {Fillia}

Christine took it and drank, her cheeks puffing out as she nearly spit it up but she closed her eyes and chugged it down before handing the empty vial back to me.

"Bleh! These smell and taste terrible! But they really do get the job done." {Christine}

Suddenly an idea came to me as I brought the mana potion up to my nose and smelled it, the herbal scent catching my attention.

Christine got up and began dusting herself off as I closed my eyes and inhaled a myriad of scents bombarding my nose as I searched for Astaros and the mana potion smell. Once I had a clear mental image of our surroundings I opened my eyes to the expectant expressions of Christine and Dryis.

"Alright so I think I have an idea where the witch may be. There is a cluster of holy knights and the smell of mana potions that way." {Fillia}

I turned and pointed back towards the forest from which we came.

"However Astaros is much farther that way." {Fillia}

I pointed in the direction of the middle of the clearing where the tent used to be.

Dryis squeezed her eyes shut as she contemplated the information just given, mulling it over as her expression became grimmer and grimmer. Finally she sighed as she seemed to come to the logical conclusion.

"Lets go after the witches, if they are really as dangerous as they seem then even if we reach Astaros and reinforce him, the problem compounds if that sorceress manages to curse all of us later in the battle. We need to beat her now." {Dryis}

Christine opened her mouth to object but stopped as she accepted the situation. Her eyes betrayed her worries but she steeled herself as Dryis began to blow a hole through the smog.

"Let's go and take on the witches." {Christine}

…

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POV: 3rd person

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On the edge of the clearing, just inside the forest, a group of holy knights prepared for battle.

They rushed around within the small encampment they had made, several knights doing final checks as they cleaned and made adjustments to their equipment. In the middle of the bustling camp however sat two women, unfazed by the grim atmosphere.

Both of them were staring into a small opening in space as they watched a battle between a silver giant and several gilded soldiers. Or rather a massacre.

"I feel like my talent was wasted on this monster." {???}

One of them, a woman wearing a pure white gown and a red shawl sighed as her red pointed hat fell to the side. She pushed her short brown hair out of her face as she sighed at the fruits of her labor, which rotted in the corner.

"To be honest Diana you should have expected this. In just one incident the Silver Fenrir became a contender for the strongest human in Alvaria. There are rumors that the princess and the captain of the royal guard both wish to duel him. It was a given he wouldn't be slowed down by a simple mana lock." {???}

Diana, the witch in white sighed again as she glance over at her comrade, a woman decked out in black and purple, her hair fully black besides the front which had two stripes of violet.

"I know Hyacinth, I just wish that priestess hadn't called us on such short notice. If she hadn't I would have been able to procure something far more potent." {Diana}

As she mulled over her mistakes Hyacinth perked up in confusion, concern spreading across her face as her eyes searched the dark forest for something.

"For a second I felt the void open. Yet the signature was odd, almost like…" {Hyacinth}

"LOOK OUT!!" {Holy Knight}

*ZZZAAAAAKKKK!!!*

A man with a tall tower shield leapt in front of the two as a fiery beam of violet energy came slamming into him, driving him back as he circulated earth element beneath his feet to solidify his stance.

"T-thanks" {Hyacinth}

The viewing portal closed as Diana stood up and looked for their assailants.

Suddenly from the darkness three arrows came flitting out, stabbing into the heads of some of the knights who had yet to place on their helms.

Peering deep into the shadows she caught sight of four furry orange tails slinking into the tree canopy.

"A beastman!?!" {Diana}

The knights were now on full alert and began to circle up as they prepared for an opponent from any direction.

Suddenly from the darkness a bright yellow glow attracted their attention as an armored elf strode out into the light of the campfires.

Her blade glowed ominously as she raised it to her side and assumed a solid stance.

"I am here for the witches. Stand aside and on my honor you shall be spared." {Dryis}

Diana quickly attempted to draw her wand but a flying arrow caused one of the tower shield users to knock her over as they blocked it.

Sighing Dryis leaned forward as wind element gathered under her feet.

"You were offered my mercy, now you shall have nothing but my blade." {Dryis}

*BOOOMM!!*

She blasted off from her spot as several swordsman sped forwards themselves. Yet Dryis was not to be underestimated. She was now more than a match for even these elite soldiers of the church..

*VWOOOM!!*

Her blade clashed with the first oncoming swordsman, melting through the steel longsword like butter and stabbing into his chest and boiling the golden armor that encased him.

The second swordsman who raced in with his comrade skidded to a stop behind her and swung his sword in an attempt to split the defenseless Dryis's torso from her legs.

However he never had a chance.

From up above Filla came crashing down like a blazing comet in an arctic blue flash, slamming the man to the ground as she landed on him. Her flaming blade stabbed through his wrist and he screamed in agony before it was cut off by the sickening crack of Fillia's heel meeting the man's nape.

Her tails flared out behind her as wisps of fox fire began to swirl into javelins and aimed at the clumped together holy knights.

"MOVE!!!" {Holy Knight}

The holy knights all tried to spread out while still protecting Diana and Hyacinth yet it was futile.

*ZZZAAAAAKKKKKK!!*

Another beam of purple energy came blasting through the forest, blowing up in front of Hyacinth's group as they attempted to get out of the way.

*FWWOOOOSSSHH!!!*

The fox fire javelins went flying towards their targets, setting armored knights alight while those with mages in their formations were spared.

Hyacinth scurried to her feet and ran off into the darkness, the shadow of another chasing her down.

Fillia and Dryis peered into the smoke as they searched for the second witch.

Suddenly the glint of golden armor shone through the smoke, illuminated by the blue flames of Fillia.

A man in golden armor came leaping out of the smoke his sword held high above his head as he prepared to come down on Dryis, who had come forward to meet him.

*CLANG!!*

Deflecting his blade as it came down, she flicked her blade through his neck and cut his head off cleanly, killing him instantly. Two other men appeared from behind their fallen brother and stabbed towards her as she jumped back.

*SSCHWIIINNNGG!!*

Her arm fully extended as cut open the warrior to the left from his collar to his waist, the golden armor he wore offering him no salvation from the light imbued blade of Dryis.

She raised her arm to allow her gauntlet and pauldron to take the brunt of the second blow.

However it never came.

In a flash of brown, orange and metallic shining blue Fillia's sword slashed into the mans arm and lopped it off, before she reversed her grip and stabbed it into his neck, the gurgling of an attempted scream being his last words.

A massive juggernaut of a man came lumbering towards them, a mace in hand as he swung it in an arc forcing Fillia to slide and duck under as Dryis tanked the hit and was sent flying back.

Seeing that one had passed him the juggernaut turned and swung his mace down as Fillia back stepped, dodging the blow completely. She leapt light onto the mace before jumping up and thrusting into the man's neck.

Standing on his shoulders as he keeled over backwards and hit the ground she drew her blade from the massive man's neck and swung it up to knock several flitting arrows out of the air.

As the battle infront of her raged the fallen Diana began to get up. At first she searched for her wand to no avail. Giving up she placed her hands out and began to chant, a magic circle forming to cast a curse as she chanted.

Fillia's eyes glanced over the battlefield and saw the terrifying scarlet circle forming in front of the sorceress. Blocking a thrusting spear and swiping at the assailants knee she jumped out of the fray and pulled her bow off her back and nocked an arrow

'Lady Dryis cover me' {Fillia}

Dryis, who was pressing forward, instantly fell back to cover her as Fillia took aim.

*SCHRICK!!*

An arrow tore through diana throat as she attempted to speak the final words of her spell, cutting her off and causing the witch to stagger as she clutched her bleeding throat.

"Tsk I was off center. One more time." {Fillia}

*KRAKOOOMM!!!*

Thunder echoed through the sky as pain suddenly violently wracked Fillia's body, the soul link burning in her chest as stumbles and falls back.

Dryis who had been dueling two swordsmen suddenly winced in pain and missed her slash at the one on the right, grazing him as the other stabbed into her left shoulder.

"AHHGH!!" {Dryis}

The burning pain of her split skin and cut flesh caused her to jump back instinctively, saving her from the first swordsman's retaliatory strike.

Fillia scampered to her feet as another giant man came swinging at her, smashing through the tree trunk she had fallen back against.

'We lost our momentum, fall back!' {Dryis}

'Wait we have to go after Christine!' {Fillia}

Suddenly both the gilded giant and Fillia were overshadowed as a grey flash slammed into the ground.

"I made it." {???}

The dust swirled as a tall shadow stood within the dust silhouette began to rise within it

Suddenly the head of a hammer thrust out of the obscuring dirt and dust, smashing into the chest of the giant and causing him to skid back, shards of his golden armor falling to the dirt from his chest as skidded to a stop.

He groaned in pain as he grasped his rapidly freezing chestplate.

Swinging the hammer out and splitting the dust Katia stood within the crater of her landing.

She looked over at the witch who was being carried away by some troops and looked back at Fillia who exhaled in relief.

"You missed." {Katia}

Fillia huffed and hastily stood as she drew her sword once more, a slight smile coming across her face.

"Like you could ever make a headshot." {Fillia}

The tall man stood his feet, lifting his mace and resting it on his shoulder as he charged the snow tiger beastman. Katia's azure eyes slitted as stripes appeared in her hair along with a pair of ears. A long tail flitted into existence as she met the mace head on smashing through the head of the swinging mace before lifting frostbite up and slamming it into the head of the knight with a sickening crunch, crushing it into his neck like a turtle.

"Boom, Headshot." {Katia}

Suddenly a black flash raced past them as they prepared to take on the remnants of the knights.

The hell was that? Wait, is that Kali!?" {Fillia}

Right on the tail of the black flash a black armored woman rushed past them, her black cape fluttering in the wind as they rushed towards where Astaros was.

"I'M GOING AFTER THE DEMON WITCH. YOU GUYS HANDLE EVERYTHING HERE!!!" {Kali}

Katia swung her hammer sending a wave of frost slamming into the gilded armor men as they approached while Dryis came up beside her.

"What in the hell was that?" {Fillia}