Chapter 34: Four Guardians

West Branch Exterior, Firing Station

A large cloud of dust cleared, revealing a large female standing four meters in the air. Wearing a jean jacket, the beautiful female figure smiled at her students down below. Three lightning currents trailed down her body like coiling snakes, disappearing as she stepped forward and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You-you girls are idiots," Teacher Annibell said shaking her head. "However, glad I arrived in time."

"Teacher! Save Howard!" Monica screamed, running up to her and hugging her with all her might. "That-that little idiot! He tried to fight that monster! What is it called again?" Monica looked back at Una and furrowed her brows. "Moon Lord?"

"Night Lord, pipsqueak," Una said, shaking her head. "Anyways, teacher, how-how did you know?"

'Well, first, a million zombies running in the Dark Bloodlands is a little bit strange," Teacher Annibell cracked her knuckles and plucked out a sword she'd tucked inside her jeans. "And-and Barabin still knows how to throw really well. Catch," Annibell tossed the sword to Kellen, and yawned before turning around and facing the large cloud of swelling smoke.

"Anyways, you girls mind not getting yourselves killed. I'll like to at last watch one of you get married."

"Heh, you heard that," Una patted Reece on the back. "Sorry about that teacher. Reece here wanted to give Barabin a second. She figured he had something up his sleeves."

"He did, and he shouldn't have used it." Teacher Annibell angrily stomped the floor, crushing an imaginary Barabin into thousands of cracks. Seeing him limping towards Howard, she scoffed, feeling his pain in the hundreds of meters that kept them apart. "Anyways, like I said, don't do anything stupid. The Four Guardians are almost here."

"The four guardians?" Harley wiped the sweat from her forehead, laughing lightly as she took in another breath after what she thought would be her last. "You mean? You mean the four strongest teacher's?"

"The four guardians each guard one of the four branches. The West Branch is protected by Barabin. The Dark Bloodlands in the East is protected by me. The East Branch and the Warcreed Hills in the South… I don't care for those two very much."

"Um, that's great and all, but can all four of you together stop that thing?" Monica said, pointing at Howard laying in the distance. "Because if I don't get my date tonight, I'm going to tear that man to pieces!"

"The four of us together are sixteen times stronger than Barabin." Annibell smiled so bright she seemed to break her cheeks in half. Remembering a few of the times her and Barabin had together, she blushed and tossed her jacket onto the floor, revealing a white tank top that seemed stitched from dozens of other shirts. "Anyways, all of you stay here. This will be over in a minute."

###

Swoosh!

Necrolith landed on the surface, looking forward at Barabin and the two women that stood on his left and right side.

Seeing them, Necrolith turned around, finding a massive man standing right behind him.

"The other three idiots have arrived. I guess that means you think you won already?" Necrolith's body began to split apart, turning into three skeletons, as dozens of black scythes began to swarm around each of them. "What is your name again, Midget King?" Necrolith laughed. "Or was it Giant King?"

"Reslan," Barabin screamed, his body trembling in pain. "Annibell will forgive you if you crush that thing to pieces! Please just break him into a million pieces…"

"Of course, my pleasure," The gigantic, ten meter tall Reslan's body began to burn with a dark blue fire that spun aronund his body. The air crackled, causing his strange, powerful stare to turn blue, as his every movement seemed to stir the winds. Soon, a gigantic flame with eyes seemed to look down at the world. "However, Barabin, if you trained, this little insect would be dead."

"He refuses to drink blood," The lady standing by his side, spinning the winds around her laughed. "He's such a fool. I punched him in the face to knock sense into him. Not turn him into an idiot."

"Stella… I don't want to turn into that monster again," Barabin said, looking into her eyes as Reslan jumped into the air. "I-i did it for you. So you would take me back."

"I left you so you could get stronger, idiot!" Stells turned her hand and slapped Barabin in the face, causing his head to turn and all the scars on his body to spit out blood. "You-you married me 500 years ago! A hundred years to train isn't much to ask, right?"

"Heh, you fools!" Necrolith stared up at Relsan and crossed his arms. "Even if you beat me today, then what? Howard gets a few more days to survive? What about the Varlan? The Aresoul? You think they'll let a demon king rise from the ashes? Only to crush their hopes of ruling the Furance to pieces!"

"Reslan, please kill him," Annibell sighed, looking at him rising in the sky. "You-you're blocking the sun. It's annoying."

'Yes, dear!" Reslan suddenly shifted forward, turning into hundreds of phantoms that seemed to slash through the sky. Necrolith, holding out his hands, tried to create a wall of black miasms, however, instantly he felt a strange force traveling through his back.

Boom!

Necrolith burst into a cloud of bone dust that floated into the wind, carrying into the sky as a large updraft of black smoke caused it to vanish. Crossing his arms, Relsan walked over to Annibell, holding out his arms with a large smile on his face.

"Honey, can you forgive me?"

"Close your eyes," Annibell said, stepping off her back foot. "I just want to make sure of something."

"What?" Reslin asked, is it a kiss?"

"Nope," Annibell pushed off her back foot and sent an uppercut into Reslan's jaw, sending him floating into the clouds. "Just wanted to make sure I'm still the strongest."

"So mean," Barabin laughed, patting her against the back of her gigantic thigh. "Our little Howard here has a date tonight. Reslin might land and ruin their special moment."

"About Howard. We all need to talk," Annibell looked down at Howard's body, laying beneath their legs. "He needs to go on a journey. Soon, or we all are really dead."