23 It's been a while, Commander.

"Chief!...I am sorry, I couldn't be of any help, sir." Izumi lowered her head as she saw a wounded Zeyner.

"It takes a lot of energy to forge a Soul sword and also yesterday was your last day, I am sure it was tough for you to even walk yourself home. Don't worry about it anymore." Zeyner stood up as he looked at Izumi.

"Sir, that should be all the protectors left in the city." A protector shouted as he returned with the last protector.

"Good, we have to move to the North wall at once. We are about to have company." Leonard ordered as he looked towards the North. Not knowing who Leonard was, everyone looked at Zeyner who replied with a nod.

Nariko and Hisashi supported Zeyner as they made their way to the North gate.

"That's all huh..." Zeyner looked around to make an estimation of how many were protectors were there. "They count less than 120...We sure had heavy casualties..."

"The attack was planned by a Krynch leading a demon army counting 600 to 700, Zeyner. You did what ever you could, no one could have done it better." Leonard stated as he rested his arm on Zeyner's left shoulder.

"You might be right Commander, but if you didn't come at the right time sir, none would be alive right now." Zeyner said as they neared the North gate.

"Commander...Leonard" All the protectors who were walking behind Zeyner started to whisper among themselves after realizing who the person in front of them was. They all slipped into a salutation position to show their respect and thanks to Leonard.

"At ease protectors. I don't think that's true Zeyner. There are people in the city who would have protected everyone, even if I didn't come for your rescue." Leonard smiled as he looked towards Zeyner.

"The Takahashi's, sir? They won't help us to protect the city. They are bound to act only when the officials of Shade tell them to." Zeyner whispered as he came near Leonard.

"Not the Takahashi's Zeyner, I am not talking about them." Dark clouds filled the sky as an aura of blood lust started to emit from the North of Areon, hiding the rising sun behind the darkness that spread from the north to the south of Areon.

"Sir, even if it is you that is here, you can't beat what's coming towards us as we speak." Zeyner said as he rose to stare towards the North.

The entire army of the fourth demon king ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 marched towards Areon as they were speaking. The dark aura that was being emitted by them was enough to kill all the greenery of the land surrounding them and shroud the sky with dark clouds.

"Yeah, you are right. But the thing is...I don't need to. The army is going to be here with them." Leonard stated calmly as he looked towards the South.

Zeyner looked towards Leonard in confusion. "How is the army going to be here? and who do you mean by them, sir!?"

"Oh! You will know soon Zeyner." Leonard looked up as he realized something.

"Every protector spread out, start helping the citizens and start tending to the wounded." Leonard ordered as he raised his arm.

"Hisashi wait...Where is Isao...?" Zeyner looked at Hisashi as he lifted an eye brow.

"He won't be...forcing anyone else to buy him...drinks anymore...Sir!" Hisashi looked down as his eyes filled up with water.

All the protectors who heard what Hisashi said, closed their eyes for a moment to mourn for their loss as Zeyner looked at the sky trying to hide his feelings.

"Time to help others...we will get a move on, sir. Let's go protectors." Hisashi ordered as he turned around to leave.

"Izumi, you are to wait here and inform everyone of any further orders." Zeyner ordered as he let go of Nariko and supported himself against a wall. All the protectors except Izumi scattered into different directions of the city.

Thunders began to engulf the clouds as Zeyner and the rest saw a large shadow, shaped like something they had never seen, moving in the clouds. The shadow disappeared as it neared the demon army.

"How long has it been that we last met, commander Leonard?" Ryu asked as he walked up the stairs to the North wall with a sledge hammer in his right hand and Ken following him with a surprised face as he heard Ryu say the word 'Commander'.

"I would say...around 15 years, I guess." Leonard looked at an approaching Ryu as he smiled calmly.

'DIIBBB!' It was the sound of someone landing on the ground from out of nowhere.

"The army's gonna be here soon, Leo. I will make sure no one comes closer than 500 meters to the city." The man who landed on the ground all of a sudden reported as he hit the ground with his Lance's tip.

Rain started to pour down heavily all of a sudden as Zeyner and Izumi stared at the men standing in front of the demon army. Leonard smiled as he looked at the man in front of him standing firmly facing thousands of demons alone.

"Sir, that Lance...Don't tell me he is...The Fourth Guardian, Kenji Inouye. Commander, isn't he supposed to be guarding the capital?" Zeyner looked at Leonard with broadened eyes filled with hope and astonishment.

"I am sure you have a lot of questions on your mind Zeyner. Starting from, where the king is? to, Why the 4th guardian is here, abandoning the capital? But there is another man here, who can explain things better than me as he was there to witness the balance of the world crumble before him.

"Your senses and skills have dulled! What happened to you? At times even the guardians can't sense you, but even I can sense you now...Come out of the shadows!" Leonard kept on talking as he looked towards the approaching demon army.

"Well...It's not like I need to hide anything...Leo. I am not bound anymore." A dark man with a mask appeared out of nowhere before the five as he stood on one of the spears etched upright into the wall.

The Fourth guardian started to move in Mach speed killing every demon who tried to close in towards the city.

As a thunder hit the ground, a large portal opened near the 4th guardian. A part of the protector's army sprung into action as they appeared through the portal. The portal closed as a women made her way into the battlefield slowly with a Bo Staff.

"Hmm...You called up Erina as well huh. You do understand what the end result is going to be, even if we stop this army, don't you Leo?" The masked man asked as he looked towards the battlefield.

"Erina Lancelot, The Third Guardian...!" Izumi exclaimed as she looked at the woman making her way into the middle of the battlefield.

"I didn't get my nick name just for fun. I know what is going to happen if the things stay the same." Leonard's face darkened as he exchanged words with the man.

The protector's army that appeared in the battlefield ranged from 6,000 to 7,000 in number. But it was too much of an overkill to face a demon army of 7,000 to 9,000 with Two guardians in the field. The guardians alone were capable enough to take down 4,000 to 5,000 demons.