.The Shadow Knight.

-43-

The other shadows watched in awe how easily I blocked each of Sel's attacks, I still intend on also teaching her like I promised and this will help her forget what she was made to do.

I was a bit tense unlike the rest along with Owen as we both were aware of Elise watching us from inside the castle through a window in the halls to our rooms.

I flicked my wrist up, her swords bouncing off mine.

I slid my foot behind hers and yanked it out from underneath her body, casing her to stumble before throwing her body in a backwards flip with her knuckles on the ground and fall into a crouch.

"I think this is enough for now." I said.

"But why?!" Sel stood up confused.

"Look at yourself, you are barely catching your breath and trembling in fatigue, you think I don't know about you training late into the night? Exhaustion is a bigger killer then you think."

She sighed as I clearly was disappointed in my speech, sheathing her blades.

"Get some rest and we'll finish this later." I added much gentler.

"Right." She turned to walk away. "Oh euh Akito?" She asked turning back to me.

"Yes?"

"So I finished something and I wanted to give it to y--" A huge blast was heard.

I slightly bent my knees as the grounds shook.

"Owen!" I ran at him and he put out a hand, I stepped on it and he launched me up in the air and I landed on the nearest walkway on the castle walls.

I watched in mounting horror as I saw an army of giant dragon-like beast fly towards us tho they were not dragons, their front paws affixed to their wings.

I heard another explosion and watched in shock how one of these beasts and the man on its back slammed themselves into the church's clock-tower, the collision causing the explosion.

One flew over us and I just caught glance of the belts of crystal torches strapped on their bodies, they are highly explosive, I still have the burn marks from when the executioner used them against me and I am sure they are the same as the scars tingle and itch, my body feeling the same magic that caused them near.

I covered my face when these suicidal morons slammed themselves into the side of the castle and blew a chunk of rock out of it.

I saw Owen run to the guards that the debris would have crushed and punch up at it, the elemental or wild magic in his vein blasting the rock into a shower of pebbles.

I heard the alarm sounding and couldn't help a gasp of disbelief when guards pulled on several levers and the ground split open, similar reptilian flyers climbing out.

"What the hell?" I breathed out as Owen blasted himself up to my side.

"Look." He pointed towards the horizon and I did as told.

An army.

It was marching towards us and I felt like I was the reason for this sudden attack, I took Layla causing a chain reaction that lead to this.

"Shadows!!" I yelled, turning to them and holding my katana up towards where the town would be. "Two of you will go in town and evacuate!! And the other two." I pointed towards the far away army. "Will going arms with our army and march to meet them, Sel and Owen you stay and protect the castle! I will go find Elise!"

I didn't wait for an answer and hoped off the wall, running past them as I heard Owen yell at them as for why they aren't moving already before I entered the castle through the windows. I ran past I saw the empires flying reptilians take down many of the enemy as they looked better trained, this was a suicide mission so I guess the enemy doesn't need top tier flyers, but many still reached their goal and impacted.

"Dammit." I hissed at the sign of many fires and even more damage started by these fools.

I ran into the throne room where all were already there.

For once Rain wore something similar to Sel tho metallic gauntlets and a helmet were on her head with her corset covered in a metal plating too.

Kia looked more like a peasant then royalty somehow with loos pants, a shirt and dirty boots, her hair tied back, peasant but elegant, she is the shield so there doesn't need a lot of protecting since her skin is already enough.

Melore must be the huge beast in the room, it was taller then a war horse and muscles defined even under the layer of dark fur, the base body the one of a big cat she had called a tiger but three eyes on each side of the head with canine teeth so long they stuck out from her maw with raze sharp looking fangs, a bunch of sharp bony spikes around her neck and spin, probably to protect those weak spots, protruded from her skin, three tails were long and lines with similar spikes, leaving the ground scratched up even when they just grazed it, huge claws on the three pairs of limbs she had.... just what being's abilities and body did she mix here?

Elise wore what she had when I first came here, it has been a while since I've seen her in that, all that changed was her hair tied back.

"So ladies." Elise said as I joined them. "The plan?"