#8 - Two Souls for Many Souls

"Wait, you..."

Before I can finish my word, enemy Magisters come out from the buildings behind him, trying to shoot me while I am still parrying his attack.

"You can't run away..." He said as he grabbed my hand, making me completely can't move.

The light from their staffs and hands started to appear, and after it has been fully prepared, they release the spells together. He's still not released my hand at this moment, did he wants to sacrifice himself for this?

I have to get away from this position, but how?

"I am here!"

Another person's voice came from the east, where a red-colored hair man jumped off from a building to the frontlines. He stationed himself right in front of the Magist spells the enemies released to me. Meanwhile, the guy in front of me looked at him and smiles a bit.

"Tch, I am out!" He said as he suddenly disappeared with a dark aura left from his position before.

"Wait, where did... Oh, forgot about that..." I said to myself while I came closer to that red-colored hair man in my sight. "Hey, don't..."

"Ira!"

He raised his two spears if he was parrying something, and then a Magist shield with a blue aura builds in front of him, separating us from the threat. I recognize this kind of shield, and quickly ran to his back, and crouched.

That Magist spells landed on us with so many vibrations and shocks it carried. I see him getting overrun by that spells, but gladly he makes it to the final wave of ranged attacks.

"Huh... It counts as new records." He said as he catch his breath, then he looked back at me. "Are you okay, Young Master?"

"Don't waste your breath asking about what you've seen, Albard" I replied, "If I do not okay now, I'll be lying on the ground, won't move or even do anything, " I slightly laughed as I get up from my crouch.

"Your phrases are sometimes a little bit too dark, huh? Haha." He held out his hand to help me up.

"Brother, are you okay?" Hajjar asked as she runs closer to me. I nodded to him as a response, saying that I am unharmed.

When she came closer, her sight looked at Albard, with a slightly surprised sight.

"Umm… Hey, Youn—"

Hajjar suddenly punched Albard in the stomach. Even though he wore armor, looks like the damage still takes effect. He is now holding his stomach while groaning in pain

"Stop calling me like that! I am embarrassed." Hajjar said with an angry face. "I feel like a little elementary schooler if you call me like that."

"If I have to admit, you really look like an element—"

"Shut up!"

Before Hajjar releases her punches again, our sight turned in front of us. A dark Magist aura comes up out of nowhere, creating a small black portal, the same as we saw before in the sky. From that portal, the man who wielded two knives, that are suddenly disappeared from our fight scene, appears again.

"You again!" I exclaimed as I prepared. Hajjar and Albard that are arguing before, now started to hold their weapons cautiously.

"Hey, don't just call me 'you' like that. I have a name." He said while stepping closer. "How about you call me Llaisiane. It will be great to my ears." He asked.

"Who cares about your ears, after all?" I responded with provocative words.

He sighed after hearing that words. In a few minutes, another enemy troop approached from his back.

"Anyway, this is my duty to not let you just go away. Empress will kill me if I do so." He looked at Mount Ammar at his back. "We better finish off everything at the low ground before starts messing with high-ground people." He pointed out his knife, and then his troops followed him doing so. "If you pass, you win. That's the rules."

I think this is a little bit too dangerous for us to stay and let them stall us here, but I can't see how we can get through this without being stuck.

"What we gonna do, Young Master?" Albard asked.

I looked at Hajjar, and the back of us, where the civilians that we've been rescued hiding at. I don't mind if I have to be stuck in here, but what about them?

....

I've got an idea.

"If you pass, you win. Huh?" I said. "Okay, now here's the plan." I looked at Hajjar once again. "Hajjar, you lead our survivors to safety. I and Albard will work as bait while you search for another route to Mount Ammar. We will stall them until we've heard about your arrival at it." I explained my plan.

"But, it's too dangerous, brother." She rejected. "You'll gonna be killed."

"That's why Albard stays here." I responded. "He has been saved us multiple times when he worked as our family bodyguard. I'll be safe, I can fight too, Hajjar. I'm not a deadweight, just because I can't use Magist." I asserted, and as a response, Hajjar nodded.

"Well, well. How about we just start here, hmm?" Llaisiane raised his hand, and his troops quickly prepared to attack. Geez, this enemy commander is really is troublesome indeed.

"Hajjar, get them ready. We'll be going to charge." I said as I looked at her. She quickly knows what I meant, she go to where the survivors hiding at the back and gathered them. Good, one less step to work at.

"You ready, Albard?" I asked.

Llaisiane lowered his hand, and that's when the enemy troops start charging at us. Looking at that, Albard slightly laughed, and start to point his spears at the enemy with a courageous face.

"Just like the old days, huh, Young Master?"

I and Albard start to parry the enemies' massive attacks. With their swords, they attacked us blindly and ruthlessly. Looking at that, I suddenly remembered something and slightly laughed too at Albard's words.

"Yes, just like the old days…"