Chapter 209 - Black Tide

/Breach Commander Nix: We've discovered a staging area between the Netherworld and the Izzin civilization. I'm placing 300 rangers and 200 Earth Acolytes at the fringes of the city to provide cover support. I want the 12 Pillar Alliance to break off into guilds and clear the buildings one by one.

/Inferno: Nix: Jun Li, I want you and Chael to join up with Vooni, Rhy, and Chiba to create Bravo team. Organize the rest of Inferno into five-person teams. Inferno will be in the middle, taking the brunt of the workload. We'll maintain a healer group at the rear, bring all injured and casualties to them, they won't be roaming.

/Inferno: Jun Li: Understood Nix. Join up with your teams as I coordinate them. Teams, you have the to greenlight to start immediately. I'm a.s.signing a few range fighters to protect the healers.

Alpha Team: Nix, Semmi, Fajii, Wind, Pon.

Bravo Team: Vooni, Rhy, Chiba, Chael, Jun Li.

Charlie Team: Milat, Wylie, Tyrant, Banzi, Soma

Delta Team: Shae, Mina, Zhava, Ronnie,Sharl

[Healers] Nezbit, Pinky, Tess, Gypsy, Saji. [Guards] Moki, Darsi, Dalton.

[1800 hours: Helfast]

[Dragon Eyes]

Nix's eyes turn deep orange and the heat signatures of his enemy become visible to him.

/Alpha Team: Nix: s.h.i.t... this building isn't empty.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Gideon's group just cleared it!

/Alpha Team: Nix: Under the floor.

[Tides of Flame]

Nix cast his AE on the wooden floor of the building. Immediately Wind and Semmi exited.

Fajii slammed her trident onto the burning floor, a moment later it collapsed sending all of them falling into a hidden bas.e.m.e.nt.

Nix brought his blade up to defend a strike aimed at his head, he countered by punching the spiked handguard of his sword into the demon's face.

Boli Yaga has been stunned.

A quick flash of red steel sent the head bouncing on the floor.

Boli Yaga has been slain.

/Alpha Team: Pon: Some round rocks over here boss.

Nix peeked at the stones and shook his head.

/Alpha Team: Nix: Those look like eggs, let's take them.

[Whisper: Gideon to Nix] We leave someone alive in that building?

[Whisper: Nix to Gideon] Yes, hidden sub-bas.e.m.e.nt had one person.

[Whisper: Gideon to Nix] My apologies Commander, we'll slow down and tear open the floors before exiting.

[Whisper: Nix to Gideon] No worries, your team is doing great. Keep it up.

/Inferno: Jun Li: The demons seem to be falling back from the city, towards the large crater in the back.

/Breach Commander Nix: Do not pursue, all guilds maintain a position at the edge of the city.

A holo of Breach Commander Renz popped up in front of him. "Nix, there are eight h.e.l.l Dragons heading through the breach."

Nix studied the layout of his troops. "h.e.l.l Dragons? Are those real dragons?"

"No, just Archon level demons with Nether Flame abilities. My pursuit team will aid you when they catch up."

Nix nodded. "No worries, we can hold."

/Breach Commander Nix: Ranger and Acolytes move forward and prepare for winged creatures.

[Gideon has been a.s.signed as sub-commander in charge of Salamander, Daybreakers, Hoss, Stilleto, Nighthawk.]

[Sulane has been a.s.signed as sub-commander in charge of Resolute, King's X, Guardian, Vesuvius, Taiga Su, Tsunami.]

/Breach Commander Nix: Sub-Commanders, your commands will be responsible for one h.e.l.l Dragon each. Be prepared for heavy fire-based attacks.

[Summons: Fey]

Nix stroked the silver drakon sleek head. "Could you take care of Chiba for this fight? I need her airborne, but she hasn't earned her wings yet."

Fey turned her head toward the old woman who was standing nearby. "Of course Nix, I will borrow her my wings."

Chiba's old face creased into a homely smile. "Thank you. I will definitely work hard for such a privilege."

[Whisper: Nix to Vooni] We need to get Chiba into the Academy.

[Whisper: Vooni to Nix] Chiba, Pon, Wind, and Semmi are going to be my next team after my Fire team finishes Phase III.

[Whisper: Nix to Vooni] What about Fajii?

[Whisper: Vooni to Nix] She's going to replace you on my Fire Team. Starting tomorrow she's getting a crash course at the Academy. We have two weeks to catch her up.

[Whisper: Nix to Vooni] She'll have to do the Planar Trial after this.

Nix glanced toward the Scorched Earth Mage, she must have sensed it because she immediately turned towards him and offered a smile.

/Inferno: Nix: Pick your target carefully. Vooni, Shae and I will each take one. Chiba and Rhy will take another.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: We'll take one too boss. Count on us.

Nix watched as Alpha Team took their Manta mounts out.

/Alpha Team: Nix: Okay. Take your target to the ground quickly. Manta won't stand up to an aerial battle with fire creatures.

/Alpha Team: Semmi: Understood.

Fey took to the air with Chiba mounted securely on her shoulders. Immediately she stealthed and started climbing. The old woman's creepy laugh echoed above the city when they disappeared.

/Inferno: Chiba: Nix you big cheat! An invisible dragon?

/Inferno: Nix: Fey's a drakon...

Nix moved to the air a few hundred feet above the city, very quickly he was joined by Shae and Vooni.

Shae's lovely face seemed confused. "How come your wings aren't silver like everyone elses?

Nix shrugged. "Bound to be exceptions to every rule."

Vooni shook her head. "Some times creatures that already have wings will keep their color. Did you have wings?"

"Nope." Nix stared at the crater leading to the Netherworld breach. He could feel a sudden increase in power.

/Breach Commander Nix: Incoming! Prey waits!

The emerald winged Archon banked toward the crater just the first h.e.l.l Dragon exited. The creature had rough gray scales that oozed a black liquid. He raised both hands and a dozen strands of Ice Flames shot out from them and wrapped around the wings of his target. Nix quickly dived toward Resolute's position and dragged the nether-beast with him.

/Breach Commander Nix: Brought you a present Sulane!

Nix stooped his wings and slowed his descent, dodging to one side when the h.e.l.l Dragon crashed to the ground. Immediately he released the strands and banked away, nodding in satisfaction when dozens of fighters swarmed the fallen beast.

Semmi and Wind were high above the rest of Alpha Company. Wind and Fajii targeted the nearest h.e.l.l Dragon and started attacking; when it turned toward the mages, the two Gemini Thieves closed in.

Semmi drew both daggers and dived gracefully into the air, leaving a stunned Wind watching as she managed to slice a good portion of the creature's wing off, sending it spiraling toward the ground while it shrieked in anger. Wind cursed and sent his Manta into a dive in pursuit. Semmi clung to the broken wing with one hand while stabbing with the other.

[First Strike]

Semmi has scored a critical hit on Balak the Black.

[Critical Chain]

Wind has followed up Semmi's attack with a critical hit.

[Critical Chain]

Pon has followed up Wind's attack with a critical hit.

[Critical Chain]

Semmi has followed up Pon's attack with a critical hit.

The blonde thief jumped off the diving beast just before it impacted the ground.

Balak the Black has been stunned.

Semmi has been stunned.

On the other side of the city, Shae and Vooni were each fighting one of the creatures while Nix managed to bring another one to the ground near Gideon and her command.

/Inferno: Nix: Going to grab one for you, Junie, if you have enough people.

/Inferno: Jun Li: Bring it!

Nix circled for a moment and caught sight of a large creature high above them, just as he headed in a silver drakon appeared above it sinking long talons into its wings while an old woman jumped nimbly onto the beast, her silver sword flashing.

"You two don't need help." Black flames splattered against him a moment later, when a smaller winged creature broke stealth and attacked him. Nix wrinkled his face in disgust and sent a dozen strands of ice flames around its wings. The flames were like a thick jelly that stuck to whatever it landed on. He ignored the coating while it sizzled harmlessly against him.

[Aura Ignition: Gemini Flames]

Instantly the Nether-Jelly evaporated from the heat of higher tiered flames. He dropped the package near Jun Li's group and once again headed upward.

Nix sensed a disturbance a moment before the goliath exploded upward out of the crater. It was closely followed by a white-haired Archon that swarmed attacks like a killer bee. The beast was easily triple the size of the next largest h.e.l.l Dragon and sported two heads instead of one. Nix blurred towards the large target just as one of the heads b.u.t.ted against the Archon, stunning her.

Beta has been stunned.

A moment later the creature turned agilely in mid-air, it's second mouth gulping down the Albino Archon with one chomp.

[Flashblade]

Nix sliced deep into the neck of the beast, using all of his strength to push deep while clinging to it. He was forced to dodge to one side when the second head screeched in agony, a dozen strands of Gemini flame wrapped around the second snout a moment after it snapped.

The wound he opened up seemed to grow larger for a moment, a small black dagger emerged from the wound as a pale arm covered in black blood pushed outward. Nix dropped all this strands and yanked the slime-covered Archon out and dived away.

"Thanks, Nix!" Beta pushed away from him and banked toward the beast again with both daggers drawn.

[Sever]

Beta cut completely through the damaged neck, sending one of the heads falling toward the ground.

Nix wrapped up the free head with a dozen strands of Gemini Flame, he pulled the head upward, giving Beta enough time to kill the beast with a flurry of strikes.

A quick glance at the battlefield told him that all the h.e.l.l Dragons were down. Renz and three dangerous-looking dragonsp.a.w.ns flew out of the Nether crater.

Nix shook the offered hand. "Why is Beta with you? Doesn't she work for Mtui?"

Renz nodded. "Her cla.s.s quest brought her to the Netherworld. She was nice enough to lend a hand."

Beta appeared a moment later, still covered in black demon blood. "Looks like they are all down. Impressive work by the rookie."

Nix wrinkled his nose as the smell of demon blood flooded his senses. "You trying to kill that thing from the inside?"

Beta nodded. "It's a new technique. I am still working out the kinks."

[Whisper: Renz to Nix] Permit me to set the reward for this battle. This was an incursion from the Netherworld and I want to properly show my grat.i.tude.

[Whisper: Nix to Renz] Of course.

/Breach Commander Renz: I want to thank Breach Commander Nix's battle group. Your response to this Nether incursion is worthy of reward.

[Battle of Helfast: Rewards]

All Melee fighters: Nether blades. [Choice of Dagger, Sword, Spear or Ax]

All Ranged fighters: Nether Bow or Nether Rifle.

All Tanks: Nether Shield.

All Healers: [Arms of the Black Angel: Ma.s.s Healing Spell]

All Mages: Book of Nether: [Choice of three spells]

All partic.i.p.ants: Badge of Honor.

Badge of Honor

+2000 AC

+50 to All Stats.

Description: You have fought bravely

against an Incursion of Nether Creatures.

Awarded by Breach Commander Renz.