20 20: Battle for Survival

Silence filled the room. Barely even a breathe could be heard from the hundreds of people congregated inside the Dining Hall.

"What?" came a soft whisper from among the mass of people.

As if that word was the last drop in a river held back by a crumbling damn finally breaking free, releasing a wave of panic that crashed over those in the room.

In the seconds it took the Instructors to calm down the masses, Jax'in had already brought Vearus, who had woken up within the last hour, and Vera into a group and began preparations to meet the beasts head on.

"Jax'in, you've got a plan right?" Vearus began.

"Yeah, we're going to move towards the Main Gates and hold the beasts off until everyone else is able to arm themselves and mount a proper defense." Jax'in replied

"Formation?" Vearus asked.

"We'll be putting you in the front since you will be able to take the most damage of us based on your class." Jax'in nodded towards Vearus.

"What about me?" came Vera.

"You'll be firing off your spells from behind Vearus, target any enemies that you can safely target."

The two of them nodded at the orders Jax'in gave them. Neither of them were surprised in the slightest at his decision to place them at these two spots.

"What about you?" Vearus asked.

"I will be in the front with you, While you are a powerful fighter, I have no doubts that these things are leagues above what either of us can handle alone."

At those last words the three of them started heading for the doors, only to be stopped by King Ysna's powerful voice.

"Wait, where are you going? We haven't even finished giving out battle plans."

"We're going to go hold them off for as long as we can, focus everyone with minimal combat experience here, keep casualties to a minimum, when you've decided on a battle plan send a them towards the Main Gate where they'll meet up with us." Jax'in replied as the three continued out the Dining Hall doors.

At a nod, Vearus closed the Dining Halls doors and the three rushed down the hall towards the Main Gate. Each hoping that the guards were still alive and holding the enemies back.

-The Main Gate-

"Sssso weak. Are thessse really all they can offer? Massster will be pleasssed when he isss finally free." The shadowy figure hissed, holding the limp body of a dead guard in its shadowy talons.

All that remained of the guards were mangled and bloody bodies strewn across the Main Hall. Their armor shattered, with the broken remains of their weapons littered across the floor.

"*sniff* *sniff* Ahhh.... the prey comesss to me." the shadowy figured hissed as a hideous smile could be seen on its face.

A low whistling hiss could be heard from the shadowy figure as each of the shadow beasts picked up their heads and rushed off into the hall, racing towards Jax'in and his group. Wispy howls emanating from their maws as they raced down the halls.

[Jax'ins group, somewhere in the halls]

"Did you hear that?" Vearus murmured.

"Yeah, it sounds like it's coming our way, I guess the guards couldn't hold out any longer."

"We'll have to give them a proper burial when we make it out alive."

"Agreed, take up your positions. We'll hold them off here for as long as we can."

At Jax'ins command they took up their positions in the hall, prepared for the coming onslaught. It didn't take long for the first pair of beady red eyes to appear just a few meters in front of Vearus.

"Vearus, stall its movements. When I say, move out of the way as quickly as possible."

"Right."

"Don't get forced into a deadlock, otherwise you might just die."

"Hah! Like I, The Jack Knight of Nekaria, Vearus Nekarian, would ever fall so easily." Vearus said with a excited smile on his face.

"Vera, prepare your spells, be ready to cast at a moments notice."

"Got it."

Jax'in drew the twin longswords from their sheath as he finished giving the last order to Vera. A wild light shining in his eyes as he readied himself for battle. He wasn't the only one, Vearus drew a heavy spear from his back as he rushed forwards to meet the enemy.

*CLANG*

The noise of his spear meeting the stone-like shadowy flesh of the beast resounded through the hall. Leaving Vearus with a surprised expression as he backed away from the growling shadow beast.

"Damn! These things are as tough as stone!" Vearus growled.

"Don't let up! It has to have a limit to how much it can take, keep striking!"

Jax'ins voice rang out to Vearus as he leaped forward, using Moon Cleaver on both his swords as he rushed forward, slicing deeply into the beasts flanks.

*CLANG CLING CLANG*

Blow after blow rained onto the beast as Jax'in and Vearus struck at the beast with everything they had. Not giving an inch to the beast. It would have continued on for longer had Jax'in not looked up to see three more pairs of red eyes pierce through the darkened hallway.

"Vearus! Break off now!" Jax'in hollered.

Hell Bolt!" Vera's voice radiated from behind the two.

Without breaking stride, Vearus quickly made one more forward thrust of his spear and dove to the side as a dark bolt of fire streaked by and enveloped the beast. Both Jax'in and Vearus looked at Vera with thankful expressions.

"Vearus, you don't by any chance have a shield sitting in your inventory do you?" Jax'in asked as the beast howled in pain from the Hell bolt.

"Yes, I took one from my room before rejoining everyone in the Dining Hall. I've never used a shield before though."

"Just try to block off as much of the hallway as you can, we won't be able to hold them off otherwise."

"Ok.... how do I do that, you didn't..." He stopped speaking as a notification popped up with a brief explanation on how to quick equip from the inventory.

"System, equip Silver Tower Shield!" Vearus said with a wild smile.

Vearus rushed forward as the Silver Tower Shield appeared on his arm, slamming it into the ground, effectively blocking half the hallway, his spear raised and ready to meet the oncoming beast.

"Come on you bastards, show me what you've got!" Vearus yelled as the beast, still burning from Vera's magic, crashed into the shield.

"Vera use the openings between the shield and the wall to hit them with your magic."

"Ok!"

"Vearus, hit them with your shield when they get close, but don't leave yourself open!"

"Hahaha. Like I need you to tell me that!"

Just like that, the battle continued. As the minutes slowly passed by they still had yet to defeat even one of the beasts. Even with Jax'in using his sprint and Windwalk to explosively increase his speed and using Moon Cleaver with every strike, they still weren't able to defeat even one.

"Damnit! How strong are these things?!" Vearus shouted as he bashed yet another shadow beast back.

"Just keep fighting! If even one gets through it could kill countless civilians!" Jax'in yelled as he flashed by Vearus' shield, his sabers flashing into the beast that had just been pushed back.

The number of shadow beast that were in front of them had swiftly risen from one to five, and they were only just being able to hold them back. Jax'in knew they were running out of options, but he had no idea what to do. If they didn't hold the beasts off here it could mean that tens. No hundreds of civilians might be killed by these things.

"Haaaah... Ssso you are the onesss keeping usss from advancing." came the hissing sigh from the shadowy figure.

It's massive Warhammer crashed into Vearus's shield, sending him crashing into Vera and going another few meters back. The shadow figure wasn't much further behind as it rushed Jax'in, grabbing him by the arm and throwing him at Vearus as he slowly stood up.

"You three are much better than thossse lousssy guardsss before." the shadowy figure hissed once again as the sinister grin returned to its face.

"Jax'in, what the hell is that?!" Vearus breathed in alarm.

"... I don't know." he replied as a chill settled along their spines.

"Hahaha, I am not a what you pathetic little bag of fear, I am General Galvanic, and I want to taste more of your fear!"