Chapter 496 - Horde Clear

Again, the hesitant nature of the lacyrie in their confrontation with the barrier lasted only moments before another tried, then another. The hungering orcs attempted to overcome the barrier with their own dark arts, but had their attempts revoked by the unseen bursts of provoked fire. 

"...Crap! They're brute forcing it now!" Felix called out. 

"I know that!" She replied, "Just stay ready!"

Though he was told that, Felix had trouble composing himself in the face of a seemingly endless number of the abundant lacyrie, constantly shifting his grip on his hammer as sweat dripped down his chin. 

With each of the underground orcs that threw themselves against the unseen barrier, being repelled into immediate immolation, the priest felt his heart thump at a greater intensity. 

The moment the barrier falls, I'll use it…I can't begin casting it while focusing on Sundance, so I'll only have a small window. Please, Felix…I need you to focus! She thought. 

More, more, and more came, almost acting like mindless drones of malice, uncaring for the consequences as their hunger blindly drove them forward.

–Until, finally, the barrier shattered into loose embers. 

At that moment, they were completely surrounded, closed in by dozens of salivating lacyrie in the deathly, abhorrent domain of their creation. 

"Hear me, great son of the king of divinity, the sapling of that who brings the roars of the heavens down upon his foes, brother of the goddess who basks in the moonlight!" 

Without wasting a moment, she began to weave great magic into play; Felix didn't have to be told what to do in this situation–he recognized her role as the lacyrie seemed to aim their attention towards the woman. 

"Not a chance–!" Felix let out, swinging his hammer around wildly. 

He wasn't aiming to kill, but only to fend off those that approached too close, buying her time to craft her great magic. 

The glance and nod they shared cemented this division of labor before she continued. 

"Most reasonable of all who inhabit the heavens, he who has gifted us our music and culture, grant me the power to strike down my enemy with your blessings–!"

With a light beginning to take form, shining with an overwhelming brightness above with the edge of great magic being reached, Felix struggled to hold the lacyrie back, receiving blunt hits as he roared out.

Bolstering himself with such a roar, the goggle-wearing priest pushed the fiendish lacyrie back, smashing those he could into unconsciousness, or death. 

I won't last any longer…! Felix thought. 

The numbers of the lacyrie became overwhelming; Felix was clawed at, punched, and kicked–only able to block against the lethal swings of weapons as he was left with a variety of cuts against his skin. 

It was difficult to maintain focus while watching the man be swarmed by the horde, but she settled her resolve; birthing the radiant light that set into motion like the dawn of a new day within the dreadful cavern. 

The great magic she birthed was superior to previous usages; she needed as much to deal with the hefty numbers occupying the cavern. 

"Graaaagh–!" Felix roared out, supplementing himself with a slam of his hammer's pommel to the ground as he threw the lacyrie off of him. 

–Showing up just in time before a shower of lacyrie blades descended on his flesh, a wave of golden flames ate through the subterranean orcs before the priest. 

As he huffed, gathering his breath, he looked to the side to find the draconic man returned, and with him, the swift, rogue woman who speedily cut through the numbers of the lacyrie. 

"Man, am I glad to see those horns right about now…!" Felix smiled wryly with a chuckle as blood trailed his cheek. 

Akanni only smiled subtly before carving his own path through the lacyrie horde, using his claws, both on his hands, and the talons that extended from his feet, in tandem with his tail in a violence swirl. 

Combining their might, the draconic man inhaled as trails of golden flames left the corners of his mouth, and with the release of his breath, Elena amplified the fires that left his mouth, "Luft: Swirl!" 

The resulting flames released into a volatile reaction, blowing back the closest lacyrie as they were flung into the air with a burning char to the skin, while a dozen others were consumed by the flames. 

"Holy…!" Felix grunted in reaction, planting his feet down and holding his arm in front of himself to guard against the released winds of the combo attack. 

At least, she finished weaving the great magic as it shined with a blinding radiance:

"Apollo: Malicious Benevolence!"

Stretching across each corner of the cavern, the light consumed all darkness within the cavern, bestowing a purifying heat to the malicious orcs, while supplying a rejuvenating warmth to her comrades. 

Witnessing the spectacle of the great magic, Felix ran the fingertips of his glove against his cheek, feeling the cuts he endured having closed in the presence of the benevolent spell. 

Akanni and Elena watched as the swarms of lacyrie fell to the melting heat, withering into charred husks within a minute. 

With the radiance finally settling, she lowered her staff, releasing a sigh before opening her eyes once more. 

"...It worked," she muttered as droplets of sweat trailed down her cheek. 

"That…was pretty awesome," Felix said as they regrouped with her. 

"As expected of the co-founder of Gladiolus," Akanni complemented, "I sense not a single lacyrie remains in this domain."

"Yeah, I'd say that was a fitting death for these creeps," Elena said, kicking one of the charred corpses. 

After regaining their lost breath, the group began to take their leave from the deathly cavern that reeked of burnt flesh, but Akanni stopped, looking back. 

"What is it, big guy?" Elena asked as the other stopped as well. 

"There were many prisoners kept in the cells," Akanni said, "I freed them from their shackles…but they remained." 

The others looked between one another for a moment before Iris stepped forward, "I'll take a look at them."

"...Thank you," Akanni gratefully nodded his head. 

Being guided through the tunnels by Akanni, the wounds she discovered that were etched into the flesh of the imprisoned, frightened villagers were enough to draw tears from her eyes. 

"It's horrible," is what she thought, over and over again as she tended to their wounds. Even with the warmth of her restoration magic guiding across their skin, there were wounds ingrained so deeply into them that she could not reach; the fear that inhabited their dilated eyes, not so much as glancing at her no matter what comforting words she gave. 

It was a process that took some time, but eventually, they were all tended to, and carried outside of the cavern by Felix and Akanni. 

It was only a single man that had latched onto his sanity that followed their instructions, and was able to escort the rest of the villagers down the horrific mountain. 

"...They'll never be the same," Felix said, clenching his fists as they watched the villagers descend the mountain trail. 

"Maybe," Elena replied, "but at least they're alive." 

"Is living something that always outweighs all other pain?" Felix asked quietly, "...If you told them "at least you're alive" would they find the strength to smile again? I don't think so. I've seen the effect these attacks have on people; most end up too weak to continue fighting on with the pain." 

Elena bounced a pebble in her hand while leaning against the rocky side of the trail, "That's their choice to make. They have that choice now."

"..." Felix remained silent, looking off into the distance. 

"We did something good today, Felix," Iris assured him, "That much is undeniable."

"Maybe…but it still feels like a half-baked victory," he replied. 

As pragmatic and set as always, Akanni turned towards the rising slope of the trail, looking up towards the high, distant castle. 

"It's not over yet," Akanni said, "we should rendezvous with the others. Right, Iris?"

"Right," she nodded.