The beginning of the fall

The corrupted energy not only slowly seeped into the equipment, it also corrupted it from the outside. The metal began to blacken as the paladin leader tried his best to circulate mana through it to slow down the process.

A blade made of wood entered the slit of his helmet with a T-shaped opening and pierced his nose until the point came out of the back of his neck, killing while he was focused on his weapon. Emilia used the silent steps ability and killed him in one hit, making sure he didn't scream to alert the other paladins approaching his position.

The paladins approached their position like moths drawn to the flame and Emilia used the sword aura dance in conjunction with the silent footsteps. Emilia moved between the paladins with grace, using nimble and precise movements to cut between the gaps in the armor.