Within This Battle

…

Four ships have sunk into the ocean floor. Prince Dictum commands his entire forces of mages to go inland in order to find the attacker's source, unknown to him, the shining bright at the eastern coastline was nothing more than a decoy.

The flash laser swept everything in its way, penetrating the cloud and smoke columns in the sky, thus swashed them away from the laser's trajectory.

Meanwhile, in Dictum's armada...

"Dammit all, dammit ALL! Those fleas hid a secret weapon in their arsenal!" Prince Dictum kicked a bunch of wooden barrels anywhere he finds. "C-Calm down, milord, w-we still have the upper hand. We c-can still win this fight!" One of his soldiers stated.

The prince sets his wrath ablaze. He cannot accept losing four ships all at once. To make matters worse, the ships that sank were the main mortar ships he had. The raging prince issued a go-inland command to the mage forces.

Five of his ships sailed into the coastline despite having little to no wind to help them sail. Those ships moved with the help of Dictum's wind mages.

Dictum commanded his mage forces to the eastern seaboard. He tried to maintain the location of the flash source coming from there. Although little did he know that the flash actually sourced from a bigger place.

"Fergus, you go, too!" Dictum commanded his aide to go as well.

"Yes, my prince!" His aide, Fergus accepted.

"You're not going along with the mage forces, Fergus. You're going into that port," Dictum pointed out.

"As you wish, my lord," Fergus agreed and quickly jumped over the flagship's starboard railings and into the cold waters. He prefers swimming inland rather than using a big transport to get him into the island. He calls it ‘stealth’.

Dictum grunts as he breathes, his anger is immeasurable and his day is nearly ruined, "T-This is unacceptable. But in the same time, I am glad as well. Mwahahaha... I wasn't wrong about this island... this island's true nature... hahaha!" The prince madly said, he chuckles and grunts in the same time denoting his crazy nature.

"Throw me all your hidden games, pesky island... Let's see how long can you stand against my army of mages!"

Five men o’ wars have gone aground, forcing its way onto the island, albeit being recklessly sticking their ships into the island. Mages went down from those ships into Areda beachhead. Most of them were equipped with flame-infused canes. There are roughly one hundred of them.

They encountered a series of Aredanian soldiers, the soldiers threw a basic fire magic onto the mages before escaping into the west. This caused the mage forces to rise in anger. They felt they’re being insulted by the island’s defenders with their stupidly weak fire magic. The Fortis Kingdom is known as a great Fire Elementalist kingdom, they thought. So, they chanted almost altogether, making multiple chains of magic circle in front of them, aimed at the running soldiers and casted:

Fireblaze!

Series of heat wave of flames roasted the soldiers alive. The mages triumphed, but lasted for a short while. The mages got stunned as they witness the burnt soldiers’ body dissipates off into a glittering light into the sky.

It was a trap.

Knowing this, the mage lead contacted their prince right away, "Lord Dictum, sir. It seems the island inhabitants purposefully diverted us into landing here,"

"W-What?!" Dictum stuns over as he hears the mage's info through Contact spell.

"A trap...?" Dictum thought momentarily. “Why? Why would they divert us into going there?” he thought. Shortly, a flicker of realization comes into his mad mind, "Don’t say… they’re trying to divert our arses from reinforcing the port…? That must be it!” Dictum clenches his fist roughly. “They’re diverting us from going into the right course, they've outsmarted us. Curses!" shouted Dictum loudly.

"T-Then... what are your next orders, milord?" The mage leader asked in a bit of scared through the Contact spell.

Dictum stood up and walked for the flagship's railing while looking into the coastline.

"The distance to that port isn’t far from your fix. Join Sir Fergus and head onto that single port right away!"

“Yes, milord!” the mage forces accepted and began making their way into the port.

…

..

.

Seaside Port...

Marco and Scias got teleported and landed not far from the lighthouse road. Ruins may scatter around the region but the paths are still visible and passable by the shining flames. Soldiers and mercenaries combined their powers to repel the remaining invaders in the vicinity, while mages supported them from behind. It’ll take a matter of hours before sunrise emerges from the horizon. Marco and Scias must catch the time and reach the lighthouse right away.

“Let’s go!” said Marco spiritedly.

"You're t-the boss. L-Let's go!" Scias agreed.

The two managed to pass the road unnoticed. Their next move is to go into the lighthouse. Marco thought this mission will be a merry one, but he thought wrongly, as it is nearly impossible for anyone to pass through this mess without a trouble. In front of them was an edge to the sea, from there, a man climbed up the railing.

“Well, well, well… I thought I picked a right place to go ‘stealth’. Turns out there are some bollock heads lying around waiting to be slaughtered, huh?” said the man adorned with wet black suit. “I am—

*BANG *BANG

Two shots were sent. They penetrated the old man’s elbow and right thigh. He screams painfully, “You monster! Can’t you wait for me to introduce properly?! Arrrgh!” he grunted as he fell to the ground.

“I mean, seriously, now, man…” said Marco funnily as he holds his guns focused at the old man. “You’re one of those invaders, right? It won’t be a big of a deal if I shot you anyway,” he added. Scias nodded and gave him a thumb up.

“Marco, go onwards to the lighthouse, I’ll d-deal with this infidel,” said Scias surely. He picked up the pace and drew his katana readily. Marco nodded at him and holstered his guns. He then hurries into the lighthouse entrance, leaving the tall mercenary and the wounded old man.

“…so…” Scias turned at the downed man, “How long are you going to maintain that act, hm?” he asked seriously. The old man’s direness turned off all of sudden, he was faking his pain. “Heheh, a meticulous one for a sight you have. I applaud thy skills…” The man then stands up, revealing that his wounds have disappeared. “Impossible if you’d go here s-swimming without a preparation…” said Scias seriously. He realized that the man actually had a small emergency healing magic, based on what he had experienced previously when he was a knight.

“Once I’m done with you, I’ll slay that forsaken boy,” said the man aggressively. “Then I’ll j-just make sure you w-won’t live up t-to it,” Scias replied in the same demeanor.

“I am Fergus,” said the man as he draws out his cutlass. “Huh, Scias,” said Scias ended with a sudden motion of flash of him bashing the man with his sword. But Fergus managed to deflect the attack in time. “Being aggressive, are we?” he said as he holds Scias’ katana’s sharp metal edge with his sword.

“Hm!” Scias backlashes and clashed swords with the old man. Ferocious cacophony of metal collision happened within seconds, but none of the two ever got damaged. The fight is even.

“Gah… hah… you’re one tough fella,” said Fergus as he catches a breather. Scias didn’t reply and draws a concentrated breath. He suddenly disappears from mere sight. “HAH?! W-Where did he go?!”

“Sword Art – Shining Slash!” *SLAAASH* “AHACK!”

Doesn’t took more than a second, Scias used his sword art to perform a shining fast attack to the chest. Fergus cannot see the incoming slash due to him trying to catch a breath. He was knocked back with blood ravaging out from his chest veins. But he still stands firmly on his feet.

“Haah… gahah… you crazy bastard…!” said Fergus as he had his left arm pressing his torn chest. “But… this is as far as you go!” Fergus stated as if victory is within his grasp. Shortly, a group of fire mages fired at Scias. He reflectively avoided the flame in a quick session, but still receives slight burn damage on his arm. “Reckless old me…” he mumbled. He realized he was too focused at Fergus until he didn’t check his surroundings for any interlopers. Now his hands are full.

The mage forces have arrived to back up the nearly defeated prince’s aide.

“I appreciate your skills in overpowering me, young lad. But I’m afraid this is the end of the line for you and your little friend,” said Fergus slightly in pain. He and the mage leader alongside the mage forces had the lone mercenary surrounded.

Scias watched his surroundings while maintaining alertness, there’s little to no room to escape, he’s on an open ground, ready for the kill. But softly, he says:

“Heh… call an ambulance… but not for me.”