The crew walked through the gates of the palace. The entire place was surprisingly still, Itekan couldn't understand why they all said this part has the most demonic beasts. Since the moment Hordy had left he had spread his shadow all around the cave for surveillance.
He could pick up even the little insects that crawled nearly a mile away yet contrary to expectations he couldn't sense a single a demonic beast anywhere. Everything he has heard about this blace was against that so he could help but feel tense.
Korimer noticed this, this boy was impressive, to think he noticed the weirdness of their situation. Looking around he saw that Itoyea and Kutote had also noticed something was wrong.
"Guys stop!" Korimer told them. Everyone froze at that, Itekan realized Korimer has noticed it too.
"Come out you Wretched Spirit!" Korimer demanded. An eiry silence followed his call and then slowly a figure started to become visible in front of them.
He was a pale and wrinkly. Armed to the feets in a red and gold armor set his very presence there was enough to send shivers running through all of their spines. Even Korimer was not excempt from the suppressive aura the dead man unconsciously exuded.
"Good eyes boy! But turn around here. The dead need no Visitors."
"We're not here to visit! " Itekan said, his skin prickled at the presence of this man. This was the worst feeling he had every experienced in his life.
"I see—You're one of those who have come here for riches. In that case this shall be your resting place!" The knight said and suddenly moved at speed that old fragile bodies should never be able to move at.
Itoyea moved immediately his sword raised to party the old Knight's sword.
Clang!!!
Itoyea was sent fluing back with a force that created a mini explosion. Itekan reacted immediately his shadow was already extended out so he quickly caught Itoyea.
"Itoyea!!" Itekan cried out. With his shadow having firmly caught Itoyea he landed next to Rose and handed him to her.
"Get him away from here now!" Itekan told her, Rose nodded and immediately left there moving Itoyea with her.
Meanwhile Korimer was already engaged in a fight with the old knight. His spear, Asolith was scorched with fire and ash as everything he threw at the old knight was somehow deflected with ease.
Itekan and Avery couldn't help but wonder just how strong the old knight was to party Korimer's blows. Blows that sent mountain wyrms crashing down.
"This is incredible!!" Binturu growled in anticipation as he readied himself to attack.
Kutote however saw something else, "wait!" He shouted out but it was too late. A gust of wind sent Binturu crashing into the cave clearing walls.
"Stay away from those runes, they're sensory type!" Kutote told them.
"Can you offset them?" Avery asked as he ran to help Korimer and Itekan who were currently fending off the attacks of the old knight.
Itekan leaped back, in his hands a maximum chajama – great fire ball reared. Korimer who had just deflected the old Knight's sword slash leaped back just in time to dodge the fireball.
Itekan crashed into the knight who somehow managed to whip his sword up just in time to deflect most of the fireball's effect. However the massive fireball still scarred him.
The knight leaped back fast moving away from the epicenter of the blast.
"Are you trying to blow me up as well!!" Korimer shouted at Itekan who smiled guiltily and scratched his head.
"Sorry" he said weakly.
"I apologize. I had thought only one of you was formidable. It seemed I grossly underestimated you as well." The knight said to Itekan as his fire burns started healing back.
"He's not the only one that's formidable you old man!!" Avery roared as he landed with a fist coated with SE. The knight had to take to the skies as the damage caused by the punch threatened to cave in the ground he stood on.
"Yes. It appears so." The knight said as he dodged the follow up punch by Avery. However Avery wasn't without some tricks, as the old knight dodged his punch. Binturu appeared behind Avery with his arms prepped for a Dynamite blow.
"Dynamite Blow!!!" Binturu roared and laced the knights face with a steam of undodgable blows.
Avery took to his side, his 'Triple Damage' technique heavily laden, moved in sync with Binturu's 'Dynamite Blow'. The two moved in-between blows sending the knight from one coast to the other.
Rose who had set up a barrier using her technique: Safe Zone, just finished healing Itoyea's broken arm. Kutote who was busy studying the runes on the floor realized that there were more than just the wind explosion trap runes scattered all around. There were some defensive runes here and there he had had no idea of.
"I'll head back in!!" Itoyea said standing.
"No!" Kutote warned him. Pointing at a point not too far from them. "I need your assistance over here. Itekan, Binturu and Avery with senior Korimer should be able to handle the knight. We need to break these rune formations. I suspect they're part of the Knight's arsenal!" Kutote told Itoyea.
"Tsk!" Itoyea had a look of longing as he looked at where the four of them currently battled the old knight. "Fine where do you need me?" He said.
H
"Great! Over there, there's a circle rune formation. I don't know much about it use but I can see it's structure quite well. On my count use your strongest attack on that point—" Kutote commanded, with a nod Itoyea leaped there to do as Kutote asked.
"I'll help as well!" Rose sid and made to leave.
"No! You stay where you are. Your technique requires you to remain in one place right? You need to stay here in case one of those guys need healing."
Rose was left speechless. She wondered how he spoke of her technique as if he knew the technique as well as she did. But she couldn't seny he was right. At the moment her attack power was much lower than the rest of them even Kutote who wasn't attacking. She would only get in the way. But she was certain if came to restoration or healing abilities she was second to none perhaps only Itekan in their group could best her.
"Alright!" She agreed and decided to stay back.
Just then the knight broke away from the chokehold Avery and Binturu had imposed on him leaping even further away. Avery was about to follow when Itekan and Korimer stopped him.
"What!?!" He asked.
"That's a trap." Itekan told him. His shadow ha already detected it.
"Interesting, in my era very few could notice my traps. Truly you lot are strong. It is my custom to exchange names with an opponent whenever we face a strong one."
A shadow tentacles moving at near super sonic shot and tore off the old knight arm with incredible precision.
"Is it also a custom to talk a lot!?" Itekan fired back.
The fallen arm slowly regrew back into its spot in a few seconds all the damage caused by Itekan's shadow had been healed and he was as he earlier was.
"That was unbelievably rude. Where was I, I am the third knight of the Archem Knights of the order of king of Tempest, Sir Bellingham."
"Bellingham was it. I believe it was time the old bones took a nap!" Korimer said and suddenly the ground started to shake violently. Bellingham surprised turned to see Itoyea break one of the rune formations he had created.
"No!! You foolish lads!" Sir Bellingham roared. For the first time since they arrived, he showed anger. He rose his sword. They never saw it desend.
The next moment a the sword slash, wide and heavy. Cutting through the heavens itself. The clouds parted and the winds stilled.
Itoyea, the recipient of the sword attack dodged. But with his left leg completely cut off.
"Arghhh!!!" He cried as he fell.
"Get him away from here now! Let's get out of here!" Korimer yelled to Rose and Kutote who moved to get him.
"No. None of you are getting out of here!" Bellingham growled and swung his sword again. Itekan, Avery, Binturu and Korimer were all the recipients of an undodgable slash.
They're legs were nearly ripped right from under them. However Korimer was able to deflect it with his spear, Asolith.
"Headmaster's gonna chew off my ear if I let you kill his favorite students." Korimer said, "How about we leave the children. Let us fight." Korimer said standing in front of the three of them.
"What! No!" Itekan shouted at that, all of a sudden he felt as if he was back in Crooks lake unable to do anything as he, Itoyea and Kutote were being hunted by the enforcers from Brandish led by Reia Alexis.
"No—You fool stay back! Kutote! Watch this. I would only be able to show you once!" Korimer said. His spear glistened with an unbearable heat. Then suddenly Korimer disappeared.
Appearing behind Sir Bellingham he struck, sending him crashing into the walls. Not looking back the two started trading blows. Of a greater intensity than before. Each sword or spear slash through through the walls like paper.
Kutote had gotten what Korimer had tried to show him, he had no idea how Korimer had found out about his red spirit, but he knew what was at stake here.
"We'll be waiting for you further down!" Kutote said and repeated the technique he had seen just once and in the middle of a life threatening battle.
On his very first attempt, he teleported all six of them away from the range of the fight. Sending them further into the palace.
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Spiritual Energy (SE)
Spiritual Sea (SS)
Spiritual Signature (SST)