Chapter 17 Part 4 of 5 (Patreon)

Nico was jittery from the adrenaline, his eyes darting around as they moved past the boxy buildings.

“How many are left?”

“We lost eighteen,” One of his supporters, a bearded man said.

“Acceptable, our people?”

“Only three were from our clan.”

“Good, we’ll do our duty and get out of here.”

“Those aerial beasts were much faster and stronger.”

Nico saw the spells that landed around the guild, the powerful healing spells and the arrows.

Nico started to calm down, his breathing becoming even.

“Found you,” The land resounded with the two words. Nico felt his beast shaking, he nudged them to pick up speed but they hunched their shoulders, taking the spurs that dug into their flesh.

All of the tamed beasts stopped and lowered themselves to the ground.

Nico turned slowly towards the voice.

Traders were ducking their heads under the pressure.

Standing on an approaching bird was a demon with blue eyes. Nico’s blood chilled as he recognized the callous professional killer behind those eyes. Worse. He saw the anger.

“Thorn Rain Reckoning!” Nico raised his hand, thorns the size of arrows cut through the sky at the man.

Traders and travellers rushed away from the road.

“Burn.”

Flames surrounded the blue eyed demon and his mount, setting the arrows on fire as he stepped off his mount.

Nico’s attacks were devoured as he targeted the falling man. He hit the ground like a cannon ball, sending up dust, crushing the ground beneath him and leaving a crater.

Demon! He’s as strong as those old demons in the Institute! He only bent his legs slightly!

Nico and the others jumped off of their now useless mounts sending out waves of attacks at the man.

He climbed out of the crater, he seemed to disregard the attacks, his flames burnt them all apart, overpowering them. It seemed like they had taken on beast forms, tigers, lions, dragons and bears circled him, waiting for the command, defending their master.

“Who are you!” Nico yelled out in frustration, backing up.

“You come into my city and attack a guild residing there and don’t think there will be consequences. Do you think that I will forget this? Nico Tolentino!”

Nico shuddered under those cold eyes.

The man pulled out hammers from his storage rings.

“City Lord,” One of the Institute members shuddered out the two words.

“Chains of Fire! Enhanced reaction, Titan’s Roar! Poison Breath! Iron Skin!”

Chains of flames shot out of a formation on the ground.

“Earth Pillar!” A pillar of earth shot up under Nico’s feet throwing him backwards.

Those that weren’t as fast screamed as the spikes on the end of the chains stabbed into their bodies burning them.

Nico slashed out at the chains following him. He looked for the Blue Eyed Demon.

His hammer smashed into an immobile fighter’s head, denting their helmet. “Flame burst!”

He was already covered in buffing spells. Pockets of fire exploded around him, using them for movement.

Nico tracked him by the dying screams.

No this isn’t supposed to be happening! I am Nico Tolentino! Cold fear reached up his spine. He stumbled backwards, and then staggered to the side.

“Earth Speed!” He started running away, through the hundreds of carriages and carts that lay along the road to Vuzgal. Their riders had run to either side of the road, most lying down on the grass there.

I need to get out of here.

Nico made to run out from between the carts. Another fighter was running down the side. Nico wanted to slap him. He heard the sound of crossbow bolts from within the boxy buildings.

The fighter brought up a mana barrier, tens of bolts stabbed into the barrier, taking it out in a matter of seconds. His medallions lasted a bit longer before they tore through his armor and into his body.

Nico wind milled his feet and ducked back into the cover of the carts, bolts appeared where he would have exited between the carts.

Nico pedaled his feet, kicking up dirt to return to the cover of carts.

He kept running, hearing people screaming before sudden silence.

Chains appeared under his feet.

“Earth Pillar!”

Another spell formation appeared where he landed.

“Earth shield!” The Earth barrier around him, he was rocked from side to side, draining his mana as he pushed forward. The trees were still seven hundred meters away. The carts were spreading out more as people weren’t lining up to enter the city.

“That is enough.”

Uncle Sho?

A spell started to form under Nico.

I was too distracted.

A spike of ice dropped from the sky, breaking the spell formation before it started. Nico dodged around a mana barrier enveloped and protected him.

His body felt limp, watching his approaching Uncle Sho.

I’m only a quarter as strong as Uncle Sho, there’s no way even that freak can defeat him! This is the power of the Tolentino Clan!

***

Erik felt the rage bubbling under his skin.

I let this happen, not telling Blaze and the Adventurer’s Association. I can’t think about what is happening at the other guild halls.

He ground his teeth, looking for the origin of the ice spike and spell.

A man wearing a simple cloak and hood covering his face walked from the sidelines where people were shivering into the ground.

The air distorted around him with the sheer power he commanded. His mysterious appearance, the resonance with the surrounding mana with his three words.

Erik looked at the man’s hands, they were wrinkled and old, but showed signs of a callouses from a lifetime of fighting.

“Do you have him targeted?” Erik asked through his sound transmission device.

“He’s still too close to the civilians. Should have him in ten meters.” The Major in charge of local defenses repeated.

“Fire when you have a clear shot,” Erik said.

The man removed his hood, revealing a regal older man his long grey and white hair pulled back in a bun.

His robes showed hand stitched runes glowing with mana.

Five meters.

“City Lord West I presume. I am elder Sho Tolentino from the Willful Institute, this is something between the younger generations. It is not something for us older generations to interfere in. The Adventurer’s Association attacked us, we are repaying them.”

Three meters. My overall strength is still low, I can’t use half of my strength or agility. If I use chains, lock him in place. That Nico fucker is still running away.

“You think that I care about what a declining sect elder has to say? You attack my city, you attack those that have my protection, you pay the price.”

“Seems that the associations are not so confident in you. They were willing to take the price we offered.” Sho sneered as he gathered his mana.

One meter.