•••
About ten minutes after he sent out the message to both Carleine and Ember, Evian sat on the ground and took deep breaths to recuperate any Eldritch energy he had already expended while also getting as much rest as he could for regaining near-perfect physical conditions.
Thanks to Astrid by his side, he had had free reign to gather Soul Points which allowed him to make the big Decadent jump that made him able to avoid injuries in subsequent fights that she did not get involved with.
The footsteps were getting closer and Evian groaned.
He was not foolish enough to think he could face the whole horde of Arkadae human/monster forces who were led by a powerful lieutenant at the Seventh Order and capable of flight.
He had to get away.
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
Astrid, maybe because she was now too preoccupied with battling Hernan Vron or because she truly wanted him dead, had not released him from the Chain spell that bound them together which meant he could not get too far away from her.
Currently, she was at least Thirty feet in the air, having an Aerial battle with Hernan Vron, and that gave Evian a small margin of maneuverability as far as the chain spell went.
"Okay... Fuck," Evian let out with a sigh.
He had his Spear laid across his lap and once the footsteps inevitably got even closer, he stood to his feet.
He might not be able to get too far away but he would be foolish to remain a sitting duck. So he went as far as his chain-linking spell with Astrid would allow him and there he took multiple deep breaths while clenching and releasing his Spear.
"Alright then, you fuckers. I'm ready," Evian said.
With his Soul Point balance having swelled even further following his recent successful kills, Evian was ready to use every bit of resource he had to his advantage but then he saw the advancing Arkadae forces begin to slow down as their previously gloating looks shifted into an intensity that made no sense if they were facing only one man.
And then Evian heard it...
Footsteps stamping over toward him from behind.
Not at all by design, the direction he had run in -the direction Astrid had been knocked towards by Hernan Vron's hammer spell attack- was toward the Verlice Kingdom's Western Fort which meant that, when the Combined forces stormed out, they had less distance to cover to provide their support.
Really, this should have been a part of Evian's plan. Meticulously prepared for his own good but it had not been and he had probably not been happier for a coincidence than he was right now. Especially with Astrid tethering him to the spot.
"ADVANCE!!!"
Multiple voices yelled that out but Evian recognized one of them above all. He recognized the voice of Zayda Vi'thar who held the seal Astrid had entrusted her with up high as she led the advance with the Lieutenants flocking by her sides all in command of their own battalions.
Evian used a command he was granted by being master of the Seals currently stamped to the chest of the two ladies and 'called' them to his side. Which meant that their locations were forcefully changed, all by his command.
One second they were running alongside their fellow Knights and the next, they were by Evian's sides facing an angry squad of Monsters and humans.
"How—?" Ember started and Evian interrupted sharply,
"No time!"
Seal Link!
Seal Link was an ability that allowed Evian to share his entire Decadence level with those who bore his Seal, raising their strengths to his level temporarily.
For this to work, they had to be within Ten feet of him, hence the forceful location change. Also, they were of much better use for him here.
"~Oh!~" Both Ember let out as their bodies shuddered. Their Spiritual energies were shut off to one side when a stronger force took residence in their bodies as their strengths and Eldritch energy quality rose to the Wraith Lord level (Equivalent of the Fifth Order/Circle).
Evian could feel the improvements they had made and he was impressed. It was unfortunately not enough for them to be of much help.
Because there was no time for discussion, he flicked his wrist and retrieved a dark red bow that he handed to Ember while passing her the necessary information by instant transference that lasted all of a second.
Evian had gotten the bow from the Goblin Representative he killed before the arrival of Hernan Vron. He also cut off and kept away the scales of the Dogon Representative but that was a matter for later.
The bow was not the only weapon the Goblin had had. He also had a dagger stowed away in case of an inevitable close-range battle. Unfortunately for the goblin, it had been so unused to that sort of fighting that it had barely drawn the weapon before Evian ended its life.
Evian gave the dagger to Carleine and although it looked crude, it was long (for a dagger) and wickedly sharp. It was undoubtedly a Six-star weapon.
The Arkadae Human/Monster squad did not just stand idle while Evian handed out presents. They attacked but thanks to the instant transfer of information and details by Evian to the ladies, they knew just what to do.
Carleine oozed Eldritch Energy which chilled her enemies.
Ember grabbed the rise of the bow with confidence. It let out thorns that stabbed into her palm and drew her blood. The pain was stinging but she endured because when she drew the string of the bow, a dark red arrow appeared;
An arrow crystallized from her blood and imbued with Sixth star power by virtue of the Bow.
Ember raised it and with a smirk, she let the string go...
*Thwack*
... And fired her first shot.