Chapter 36 - Mountain Rush

"I'll stay behind and act as a diversion while you and Ryūsei will head east and rescue the hostages" Haru replied.

"Are you crazy, Your plan is suicidal" Shizen stated.

"Isn't there any other way??" Ryūsei concernly asked.

"You don't have to worry about me that much Shizen, I didn't get the position of Gādian if I'm weak" Haru stated.

"Besides it's best to use our enemies lack of information against them" Haru added.

"Lack of information?' Ryūsei curiously asked.

"Right now, The enemies know our location since they already surrounded us but they didn't attacked just yet, They're still cautious since they don't know our numbers" Haru stated.

"But we on the other hand know their locations and their numbers thanks to "Oceanic Mist"." Haru added.

"They're approaching, You need to get out of here now" Haru stated.

"Tchh" Shizen said in annoyance as he hesitated to leave Haru all on her own.

"Shizen, We need to go, I'm sure miss Haru can take care of them on her own, We need to trust her" Ryūsei stated.

"You better not die in a place like this" Shizen stated as he then jumps up the trees along with Ryūsei quickly passing through the enemies that surrounded them.

"Don't worry Shizen, I'm not planning on dying in a place like this" Haru happily giggled in though as she then prepares herself for battle.

"Looks like they decided to finally step out in the open" Haru muttered as she was then surrounded by Elementalist.

"So you're the little brat who's causing this annoying mist" The Elementalist with blackish gray hair pissedly stated.

"And what if I am, what're you gonna do about it?" Haru replied.

"You're getting a little bit hasty coming here all alone" The Elementalist replied as half of his face are covered with steel.

"I'm not being bold here...After all I'm planning to take you all out" Haru stated as tremendous amount of water then began to surround her.

With Haru acting as a diversion in the far west side of the mountain while Shizen and Ryūsei headed east in order to rescue the hostages.

"Haru said it should be nearby as long as we keep heading east we'll find them eventually" Shizen stated as they continued dashing up the trees.

"Are you sure it's east Shizen? They may have move there position already" Ryūsei asked as he was unsure.

"Haru's tracking ability mustn't be underestimated Ryūsei" Shizen stated.

"If she said they're located in the eastern part, then they're probably there" He added.

They then stopped dashing as they then rested on a top branch of a tree hiding in the leaves.

"Shizen why'd we stop all of sudden?" Ryūsei curiously asked.

"Keep your voice down" Shizen whispered causing Ryūsei to be a bit curious.

"Look below" Shizen added pointing his finger down.

Ryūsei then looks down and sees a Elementalist holding a huge sledge hammer.

"Seems like he must be a guard set out to patrol in this area, which means we must be close" Shizen whispered.

"Got any ideas?" Ryūsei asked.

"Nature Dragon Bark Prison" Shizen then chanted a spell and a bunch of vines then came out from the tree they're standing and binded the Elementalist below them.

The vines then pulled the Elementalist into the tree and the tree bark then completely surrounded the Elementalist trapping his body inside of a tree leaving his face open.

"What the!!! What's going on!!" The Elementalist yelled and both Shizen and Ryūsei came down from the tree.

"There's no need for you to be frightened, I've got no intention on hurting you" Shizen stated as he glares at the Elementalist.

"I just want to get some intel out of you and I'll be on my way" Shizen added.

"Who do you think you are!" The Elementalist yelled as he tries to break free from the bark prison.

"Damn it why can't I break this stupid tree" He added.

"Breaking out wouldn't be an option either, After all this spell drains your life energy from your body and releases it back into the soil" Shizen stated.

"If I were you I'd better start talking before you pass out from exhaustion" He added as he then glares at the Elementalist giving him a shivering presence.

"Okay okay I'll talk, Just don't hurt me!!" The Elementalist yelled as he was frightened of what Shizen just showed.

"This kid... What is he... from the looks of it he's no ordinary Elementalist" The Elementalist muttered in thought.

"What business do you have in these mountains?" Shizen asked.

"I don't know much to be honest... but all I know it's for some ritual" The Elementalist replied.

"A ritual?? What kind of ritual" Shizen asked.

But before the Elementalist can reply a huge fire blast headed straight for Shizen.

"Meteor Dragon Photon Fist" Ryūsei then chanted a spell gathering a tremendous amount of Meteor Dragon energy in his right hand.

"They found us!!-" Shizen muttered.

Suddenly a huge earth golem then burst it's way from a tree and tries to grab Shizen.

"Nature Dragon Floral Illusion" Shizen then chanted a spell causing his entire body to turn into flowers.

The earth golem then grabbed Shizen but it turns out it's just nothing but flowers.

The earth golem was pissed failing to capture Shizen, He then threw the flowers to a nearby causing it to be trampled.

"You know sc.u.m like you should appreciate nature more"

A mysterious voice stated as the flowers that the earth golem threw began regrouping once again forming a human body.

The spell that Shizen chanted earlier was deactivated and Shizen was now back to normal.

"Shizen are you alright??!!" Ryūsei worriedly asked.

"Don't worry Ryūsei, I'm fine-" Shizen replied.

Water then began surrounding the grass around Shizen creating a water dome around him trapping him inside.

A man wearing a blue hood then jumped down from a nearby tree and stood nearby the earth golem.

"My my, What a shame getting trapped by a few kids" The man wearing hood stated with a sarcastic but insulting voice.

"Shut up idiot" The elementalist who was trapped inside the tree angrily replied.

A gust of wind then blew destroying the tree bark that was trapping the Elementalist.

"Took you long enough" The Elementalist stated as he was finally free from Shizen's spell.

"Quit complaining it's your fault for getting yourself trapped" A man with a white hood replied.

"I'm glad he's free" The man with a red hood stated as he approaches the two Elementalist.

"What's going on... There were four of them and I didn't even notice any of them approaching" Shizen muttered in thought as he looks at the four Elementalist.

"The one with the red hood uses a fire attribute Elemental Art, the one with the blue uses water, the one with the brown uses earth, and the one with the white uses air" Ryūsei muttered in thought.

"And from the looks of it they're all prone in both combat and tracking, running away wouldn't be a good option" He added.

"The only way out of this is that..." Ryūsei muttered as he throws a photon blade into the ground.

"Meteor Dragon Photon Switch" Ryūsei then chanted a spell and both Shizen and the photon blade switched places causing Shizen to escape the water prison.

"Shizen, I'll hold them off get to the hostages as fast as you can" Ryūsei stated.

"Are you crazy?!! I can't leave you all alone especially in this situation" Shizen yelled.

"Remember what miss Haru just said, There was a hint of blood coming from the hostages, which means some of them are injured" Ryūsei stated.

"Out of the two of us, you're the only one with healing spells" He added.

"Besides your Elemental Art is a bit more of a support defensive type" Ryūsei stated.

"Mine is more offensive and works best in combat" Ryūsei added.

"Even if your Elemental Art is suited for a situation like this I can't let you-" Shizen yelled in response but was interrupted by Ryūsei.

"Have faith in someone for once!!" Ryūsei yelled.

"I didn't hesitate to offer myself as a decoy if I knew I couldn't handle something this dangerous" He added.

"Earlier while you didn't notice I threw a sword at the ground a couple of distance away from here, Whenever you like it or not I'll teleport you to the swords location" Ryūsei stated.

"Then teleport the both of us out of here!!!, You idiot" Shizen yelled.

"That won't be an option, The Elementalist in front of us right now managed to track us down even though our presence was completely hidden" Ryūsei stated.

"Whether you like it or not... I'm sorry Shizen this is the only way" Ryūsei stated with a serious look on his face.

"You... You... You better win Ryūsei..." Shizen muttered as he was disappointed with himself.

"Don't worry, I won't lose" Ryūsei happily said.

"Meteor Dragon Photon Switch" Ryūsei then chanted a spell causing both Shizen and the sword he threw a certain distance from their position to switch places.

"What the??!!! One of them escaped" The Elementalist with red stated.

As two of the Elementalist in front of Ryūsei were about to leave and chase after Shizen.

"Meteor Dragon Impact!!" Ryūsei then chanted a spell releasing a barrage of Meteor Dragon energy at the two Elementalist.

Unfortunately the barrage of light didn't hit the two Elementalist but causing them to return back to their original position.

"Meteor Dragon Sword Dance" Ryūsei then chanted a spell and blades of light then appeared from thin air floating behind him.

"Meteor Dragon Photon Blade" Ryūsei then chanted a spell and a white sword made of Meteor Dragon energy appeared in his right hand.

"If you want to chase after my brother, You have to get through me" Ryūsei stated as he glares at the Elementalist.

They then fought as Ryūsei then charges at the four Elementalist causing a tremendous amount of energy to release around the environment.

Shizen, A couple of distance away from Ryūsei and the four Elementalist continued travelling east till he heard a little scream.

He then quickly rushes over to where the little scream came from and he then sees a few Elementalist tied up with a few blood coming out from their wounds.

Shizen was hiding in one of the three branches with a visible view of the hostages.

He was about to leave his hiding position but he then heard a noice causing him to hid in the trees once again.

"What are those idiots even doing?!!" The Elementalist with a grey hood pissedly stated.

"Why are they taking so long" He added as he then approaches the hostages.

"That must be the boss" Shizen muttered.

"The sacrifices for the ritual are ready but those idiots aren't back yet" The Elementalist with the grey hood stated.

"The Sage Council will get you for this" One of the wounded hostages stated.

"The Sage Council?? They couldn't care less even if you're alive or not" The Elementalist with grey hood stated.

"Once they get tired of your incident, they'll just mark you as dead" He added.

"The Sage Council in the era we have today is corrupted with only the Gādians as an exception" The Elementalist with grey hood.

"But..." The Elementalist with the grey hood muttered.

"I am surprised they sent someone-" The Elementalist with gray hood stated.

Shizen then immediately realized what's going on and he quickly jumps of the branch where he was hiding revealing himself to both the hostages and the Elementalist with the grey hood.

It was the best decision for Shizen to immediately get out of his hiding position as the tree he was hiding from exploded.

"Nature Dragon Bark Prison" Shizen chanted a spell and wood then came out of the ground and surrounded the hostages.

"What's going on??!!" The Elementalist with grey hood.

"Nature Dragon Floral Healing" Shizen then chanted a spell releasing a heal spell inside the bark prison healing the hostages inside.

"You annoying little-" The Elementalist with the grey hood stated as he then punches Shizen directly.

"Hostages secured and safe" Shizen stated as he easily dodges the punch.

He then kicks the Elementalist causing him to withdraw back to his original position.

"Nature Dragon Bark Scale" Shizen then chanted a spell causing his entire body to be covered with wood.

An explosion then occurred in front of Shizen luckily he manages to withstand it with the spell he just chanted.

"He must've an Elemental Art that allows him to create an explosion in the surrounding area" Shizen muttered in thought as he continues to fight the Elementalist.

"Nature Dragon Floral Serpent" Shizen then chanted a spell causing his left arm to be completely surrounded by tree bark and vines.

He then extends his left arm causing it to chase after the Elementalist with the grey hood.

The moment Shizen's spell was about to hit the Elementalist an explosion occured around him destroying Shizen's spell in the process.

Shizen then quickly dashes towards the Elementalist with the grey hood.

He was the about to punch the Elementalist but he then sensed a gust of pressured wind heading towards him and he barely manages to dodge it.

The gust of pressured wind caused a little scratch on Shizen's face. The gust of pressured with then hits a tree behind Shizen causing an explosion behind him.

Shizen then quickly realized what's going on and he then punches the Elementalist in front of him in the face destroying the mask he's wearing knocking the Elementalist a certain distance.

"Tell me!!!! How!!! How!!!" Shizen angrily yelled.

"How did you get that Elemental Art!!!" He angrily yelled.

"The "Gale Dragon"... How did you get it!!!" Shizen angrily yelled.