[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights I: Rise of a Guardian Angel

Episode 19: Eastern Rebels

Hideo stopped and spun on his heels as he heard trees collapse. The sound had come from where they had met Eiji. He gasped as a dozen men wearing masks rained down from the sky. "Tsk."

He grabbed his chain and reverted it into a bow—wind mana gathered in his right index and middle fingers. The energy took on the shape of a glowing arrow.

"Seven Arrows! Make Justice Rain!" Hideo screamed, letting the arrow loose. As it neared the men, it multiplied into seven. The verdant weapons struck over half of the men near their hearts. Each of the seven landed on the floor, immobile. The teen had made sure that the tips didn't puncture through their hearts. It was best to keep them alive for interrogation.

"Wahhh!" Dan yelled, frightened by the sight of blood. His ruby eyes shifted to the remaining five mooks as they surrounded them. "B-brother! B-be ca-careful!"

Suddenly, a flash of lightning zipped past them and stuck down the closest guy down.

Hideo gasped. "The Lightning King?"

"Hya!" Eiji screamed, knocking another guy down. "You dare attack children? You aren't knights!"

"Nor are you! You're not worthy of bearing the title. No one from your generation is!" one of the other three yelled, rushing toward him. "Fiery Explosion! Final Flame!"

Hideo hugged Dan, covering him with his body, awaiting the deadly explosion, but it never came. He glanced over his shoulder slowly, prepared to see the user's charred remains. Instead, he saw Eiji glaring at the man.

"You idiot!" He had struck the man in the chest with his weapon, sending him flying back before his attack could be completed. "You're willing to throw away your life so easily?"

One of the other two yelled. "What's life if it means living in a nation who treats us worse than dust? You and the others of your generation destroyed us! It's for that reason that we'll never surrender!"

Eiji shook his head. "Damn it all, all these years, and yet the cycle continues!" He spun around, knocking the rebels unconscious. He raised his crook into the air and closed his eyes. "Oh, hear me out, Capitolinus! Seal the power of those who seek to forsake their lives!" 

Strings of golden light shot out of the crook and grabbed the man's necks, arms, and legs. The men shook around, but no matter how much he struggled, the trap wouldn't loosen. His power proved insufficient against the might of one of the Seven-Hill knights.

"W-what are you doing to them?" Dan asked uneasily.

Eiji lowered his weapon and turned to look at him. "I am preventing them from burning away their lives in their futile attempt to kill us."

Dan's mouth dropped wide open. "B-burning away their lives? Y-you mean that these men were going to—"

"Yes, it's that graphic scenario you're imagining. They've drifted far into despair. Luckily I control the angel tool of life. Those who dismiss life have fallen into depravity."

"Y-you hypocrite!" one of the ones whom Hideo had shot with his arrows grunted. "Y-you, you're a murderer!"

Eiji grimaced. "I won't deny it." He glanced down at his hands. "For the sake of peace, my generation was willing to drench their hands in blood. It was only when it was too late that we realized that our enemies were people too, not beasts. That is why I can't bring myself to take your lives, nor to see you sacrifice them. Yet, I can't allow innocent children to be hurt either."

The man looked at the ground and clenched his fists. "If only things had been different indeed."

Eiji turned toward Hideo. "I'll take these rebels to detainment, you two go and locate the princess. I trust you know how she looks?"