The Disciples: Book 1: The Birth of Valor

Chapter 16: Bounty Hunter

Amaranth felt chills go up her spine. She felt like something was wrong.
Seraph heard marching in the distance.
"Soldiers. Multiple soldiers. A small army." She said to them.
Deus stiffened, "Why now." He asked.
The soldiers came into view. At least a hundred soldiers, multiple mech-lions, and some advanced super soldiers.
One sight startled all of them.
"Oh hell," Mason said, "Where in hell did they get something like that?"
Agito gaped at the sight.
"That's a Finis mech. How did they manage to get one that still functions?" He asked.
There was a huge mechanical war machine following the army. It was as tall as a 3 story building, mostly human looking structure, except the legs were more of the appearance of that of a bird. The arms were elongated, sporting claws that looked like they could slice through small cities.
The soldiers came to a halt. One single man came walking forward.
He spoke loudly to the group.
"State your presence!"
Mason stepped forward, "We are the Disciples of Valor! We do not wish conflict!"
The commander recoiled, "The Disciples!? How dare you show your faces! You've pillaged many of my soldiers!"
Mason nodded, "If your life was threatened, wouldn't you cut down those who oppose you?"
The commander grunted and nodded slowly. "It is reasonable. You seem like a noble warrior, but we must bring your small group to an end."
Mason kept eye contact with him, "Do you really want to risk your army?"
"We outnumber you by more than tenfold your group."
Mason smiled coldly, and Amaranth leaned on her scythe. Deus propped his lance onto his shoulder. Agito drew his blade and held it in a warriors stance. Ash twirled her cards in her fingers. Seraph notched an arrow and readied the drawstring on her now.
The marksman drew his pistols and just smiled. "So be it."
The commander yelled for the troops to advance and the first rows of soldiers came storming at them.
Deus, Agito, and Amaranth wiped them out with ease from the front lines, Mason, Ash, and Seraph providing ranged support.
The lions were advancing by this point.
Ash yelled to Deus and started running toward him, cards between her fingers.
He turned and slid his lance along the ground.
She stepped onto the end of the lance, letting him launch her into the air, pushing off at the peak of the trajectory.
She spun in the air gracefully, letting playing cards fly, cutting down soldiers and lions alike.
The lancer caught the jester, pivoted still holding her and smashed his lance through a mech-lion's legs and impaled it.
Agito swept a super soldier's legs from under him and drove his blade through the man's ribcage.
Amaranth slashed through a lion with ease, moving to the next and cutting through them, one by one.
Seraph fired arrows at the soldiers, taking quick shots but hitting their skulls and hearts each shot.
Meanwhile, Mason was fighting with a super soldier. The soldier had tried to tackle him, but the marksman had dropped to his back and let him fly over him, unloading his magazines into the soldier's stomach.
Another came at him and he ducked under him and smashed the stock of his rifle into the man, making him stagger, then he took the chance and pulled the trigger, giving the man a major headache.
After the lions and other soldiers were taken care of, all that was left was the mech.
It slashed downwards at Deus, who evaded quickly, ending up beside Ash.
"Agito! Amaranth! Come here!"
They rushed to her and she took out three cards and tossed them on the ground.
"Step on them," she said, to which they looked confused, "Just do it!"
They obliged and did as she said.
The cards made their bodies become Wilde and a flash of light filled the area.
They became large warriors, gods of war, taller than average sized buildings.
Agito became an angelic knight, shining white armor with a longsword, fully armored and a shining aura around him.
Deus took the form of a man bearing light armor and a mask covering his lower face. He boasted a lance as tall as his body. He had a deadly amount of lean muscle.
Amaranth transmogrified into a literal grim reaper. She wore a hooded robe, barefoot and wielding a wickedly large scythe. Her face had markings on it, making it look like an actual skull.
Agito charged first, swinging his blade fluidly, but the mech batting it away with its claws.
Deus pivoted on the balls of his feet, swinging his lance into the mech's body, Amaranth's scythe had been deflected too.
The next hit was Deus crashing in the head of the machine, causing it to stagger to the right.
Agito took his chance and severed its arm with his blade.
Deus thruster his lance through the chest of the mech and jerked it back out, causing it to jerk and spark from circuitry damage.
Amaranth noticed the gap in its armor and decided to gamble.
She took a running start, the blade of her scythe dragging behind her. Her bare feet hit the ground fast, causing the distance to close quickly.
She planted her foot and pivoted, swinging her scythe with both hands. It slashed diagonally through the entire body of the Finis mech.
The reaper sat the end of her scythe down, and within half a second the mech exploded like a bomb, pieces of metal flying everywhere.
The 3 gods of war changed back to their human forms, walking back to the rest of their group.
Ash hugged Deus, "That was amazing!" She exclaimed.
Amaranth slid her fingers through Mason's hair, "Impressive indeed." He said smiling.
They heard a clapping and turned. The sound was coming from a man with black hair walking toward him.
"Well. I must say that I am highly impressed. I was originally sent to collect a bounty on Amaranth, but that is no longer my intention." He stated.
They watched him carefully.
"My name is Rize. The assassin," He smiled and glanced over the group, "Number seven if I count correctly. I had the dream as well, and it's a pleasure to meet the people I'll save the world with." He grinned.