Expanding its chest with sadistic expression, the Grimkeeper released a terrifying roar so powerful that it created a shockwave across the vicinity and rattled the cave once more. “Julian!!” Emma was too late to warn the white-robed Maeist as the shockwave caught the members with surprise and the barrier was broken in an instant. Feeling the powerful force of the roaring shockwave as it sent the members flew backwards, Lucious screamed in pain and fear before landing on the ground with several circles. Groaned with immense pain, Lucious released his hands from his head as he sprawled on the ground. Feeling strained but able with adequate Natura, Lucious found the squad lying near the corner. It seemed like he was the only one who managed to get to his feet. The others were lying still.
Frantically, Lucious scanned across the members for casualties and found none. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lucious spotted Floki kneeling with exhaustion. Scurrying hurriedly to his instructor, Lucious found Floki grabbing his head and winced in pain. “...Floki!!” “...It’s not over yet!!” Looking across the members, Lucious turned to find the Grimkeeper laughing sadistically at the overwhelmed warriors and Maeists. “Your eight points are still loose, right?” “Yes, but I’m at my limit...” “Throw up a fully enveloped barrier...Follow my lead...” “But...” Lucious scowled slightly at the uncaring nod Floki gave to him, but the serious gaze and the situation demanded the better of him to follow the instruction. Feeling the Natura link between him and Floki, Lucious concentrated on the faint whisper of Floki’s will and Natura as the student and the teacher chanted to weave an enveloping barrier to protect the battered squad.
Snorted at the feeble effort of the Maeists, the Grimkeeper shook its head in mock sympathy as it released a powerful breathe which turned into a shockwave bolt toward the squad. Casting the barrier as it covered a wide radius over the squad, Lucious just managed to make it in time before the shockwave bolt smashed against his barrier. Lucious’s barrier managed to hold against the shockwave bolt but it would not survive another attack. Determined to hold the barrier, Lucious suppressed the foreboding sensation of doom as the chanting and the impact summoned the image of the gigantic inferno sneering at his dismissive effort to save Daelous. “The demon is in front of me...Daelous’s killer...” A flame of hatred ignited in Lucious’s will. He had never felt so determined to kill and to destroy something even after his brother’s demise. “The Grimkeeper...Tress pigs...Jasse...Einard...Geran...They all deserved to die!!” Focusing on his anger and vengeance, Lucious discarded his fear. Without his knowledge, his barrier stirred in response.
As if it absorbed some impact from the attack, Lucious’s barrier twisted violently like a ferocious wave fanned by a storm. The wave turned into an ominous splash of extremely scorching magma of destruction as the searing titian fluid gained a will of its own and crushed toward the Grimkeeper. “W...What?!” Caught with surprise by Lucious’s unexpected counterattack, the behemoth demon cried aloud in pain as the destructive magma ate through its miasma and melted several of its bones. The magma lost its heat and hardened as fast as it burned. Roared in anger, the Grimkeeper shook its giant body in painful frustration to clear the hardened magma.
Stunned by the reaction of his barrier, Lucious opened his mouth gawked and stared at the Grimkeeper blankly as his negative feelings were forgotten. To Lucious’s surprise, the melted bones did not mend and the surrounding miasma did not cover the wounded area. “...F...Floki?” Turning back to seek for his instructor’s help, Lucious was surprised to find Floki stared at him in a complicated expression. “Floki?” Asked for advice once again in a weaker tone, Lucious’s heart sank in dejection as Floki returned his gaze and shook his head helplessly. A loud terrifying laugh boomed from the centre of the clearing. Lucious found the Grimkeeper looking at him with inquisitive wariness and curiosity before bearing its jaws with a twisted smile. He did not like the reaction.
“...Amusing, boy. Truly amusing. To think an ant is able to harness the gift I casually bestowed...” Lucious’s blood ran cold as the Grimkeeper shook its giant head in sadistic joy. “You...You mean my barrier...” “There is nothing more to talk about, human boy. Open your arms and welcome my possession.” Screeching in a voice coming from the depth of darkness, the Grimkeeper extended his demonic miasma and honed it into a demonic spear before letting it flew toward Lucious. Frozen in instinctive fear as his enhanced senses screamed with the impulse to run, Lucious was pushed aside as a barrier formed in front and halted the spear. “Floki!!” “...Don’t lose your head yet...Not until your last breath. Now give me your Natura.” Lucious felt a slight relief at Floki’s demanding attitude as he passed his Natura to his instructor but the situation remained dire.
Forced into a final stand, the spear worked its way slowly but steadily toward the Maeists as Floki struggled to stop the miasmatic corruption to reach them. Even Lucious could tell they were losing this showdown of sheer power but he could not back down as he channelled his Natura consistently to Floki. “Floki...I’m sorry...” Lucious could only bite his tongue as he watched the spear piercing little by little across Floki’s barrier, but the old Maeist did not ask for Lucious’s barrier and Lucious also silently refused to do so in fear of the unknown nature of his mutated barrier. Silently, the instructor and the student mustered their last effort to stand against the Grimkeeper when an orb of light appeared out from nowhere between the Grimkeeper and the duo.
Pulled back its spear warily, the Grimkeeper gathered its miasma when two figures appeared from the light and rushed toward the demon. Brandishing a long heavy sword crafted intricately by a master smith, Merridian charged relentlessly at the Grimkeeper without any reservation as the swordswoman gathered her Breath and swung at the miasma with a rapid double slash. Following behind, Lucson chanted and surrounded Merridian with a soft yet firm light. The Grimkeeper howled in frustration and pain as the pair scattered its miasma and scurrying under his gigantic body. Roaring in pain, the Grimkeeper jumped mid-air with a powerful thrust that it shook the vicinity for a second. Balls of corrupting miasma scattered and pummeled the area. Eyeing the approaching miasma, Lucious could only concentrate on his task to keep the rest of the squad safe with Floki as he squirmed his eyes and searched for the swordswoman and the Maeist knight over the thick spreading miasma and dust.
Satisfied by its handiwork, the Grimkeeper landed with a loud crash and snorted over the field of miasma and dust. Lucious’s heart soared when a sword-brandishing figure jumped from the thick miasma toward the Grimkeeper. Protected by a soft light, Merridian charged at the demon’s head with deadly speed. Caught unprepared, the Grimkeeper tried to destroy the incoming swordswoman with its jaw but the slender yet powerful figure reached and stepped on the head before jumping across it to the neck. With a deep thrust, Merridian impaled her sword into the demon’s vertebrae and directed her remaining light to the demon with her Breath. Screamed in agony, the Grimkeeper shook its body violently several times before resorting to rolling its body across on the ground. Anticipating its move, Merridian descended from the deadlock as the miasma was cleared away by Lucson’s light.
“...Amazing...” Lucious caught his throat in amazement of Merridian’s prowess and Lucson’s seamless support. “Yes, but it’s not enough.” Returning Floki’s interjection, Lucious eyed the serious Floki with a quick nod. “...Wake them up. Jolt them with your Natura and open one of their limiting points.” With his eyes widened in surprise, Lucious looked suspiciously at the demanding old Maeist. “What? Right...Seasoned Maeists are able to draw more power by manipulating their limiting points wisely. Where do you think Lucson got all that firepower?” Looking at the Grimkeeper flinched at Lucson’s countless arrows of light, Lucious nodded in agreement. “Even knights and warriors can practice to immerse themselves with power by forcing their limiter off.” Reminiscing Merridian’s powerful onslaught, Lucious nodded in understanding.
“...But it’s a dangerous wage, far riskier than what you have done...” Looking at the swordswoman with a concerned gaze, Floki returned his eyes to the unconscious members. “Now, to work.” Lucious started with Julian. Diving deep into the inner sanctuary of the unguarded Maeist, Lucious released his Natura and directed the flow toward a large limiting pulse and pushed it until the pulse was released. A violent stirring shook Lucious’s will before the trainee withdraw quickly from Julian. Returning, Lucious found Julian probing himself up and holding his head in a mortifying groan. “Julian...are you alright?” “...Next time, knock softer. My head is ringing...” Apologized with relief over Julian’s scowling expression, Lucious continued his task with other members.
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