Dance with the Nightingale-Chapter 96 - 91: Developments

[Gabber’s Runesmithing Hub]

[Nadol’s POV]

’He’s relaxed. Too relaxed for someone about to face someone of same rank.’, Nadol thought as he observed his about to be opponent with his magic, [Peering Eyes]. It was a simple but useful magic that allowed him to see through non-magical things.

’Is he actually oblivious?’, he questioned himself, before disregarding the possibility. ’He is someone who bested Nefa in her turf. He shouldn’t be underestimated.’

Gripping the handle of his sword tightly, the petite man took a deep breath and remembered the demon’s words before he departed, ’Stall for time, that is your mission. Keep them out of the forest or die trying…otherwise, kekeke! Oh! How I wish for it to be otherwise…keke!’

Those words still rang fresh in his head, an ominous feeling gripping his heart like a vice as he thought of the possible consequences.

But then, why were they doing this foolishness? Attacking the leader of the enemy group directly when all they had to do was stall?

The thing was, they had no other choice.

The enemy had the same number of C-ranks as them, probably more if they got the help of government’s dogs, which was very dangerous for them.

So, they had to play dirty, like they always did.

Their plan wasn’t that complex.

Thanks to the informants they had, they knew that the investigation of the Church of Light was given to the mercenary group, Trouble-seekers, whose leader was a powerful C-rank. And along with group was Mark, another local C-rank who had joined hands with Trouble-seekers.

Honestly, the group was good at what they were doing. At this pace, a day or two would be enough for them to find out that the members and leader of Church of Light eventually leading them to the Misty Root Forest.

So, they just had to stall these two. And the fact that Mark is local made the task easier.

How you ask?

Simply put, they had hostages now.

And using the hostages, they created a situation that would be advantageous for them, but for that to work Nadol had keep this guy tied here. They had heard about his incredible mobility from the information team already, so just separating them wouldn’t work.

Nadol had to keep him busy.

So, half a beat before the door opened, Nadol was dashing through the small shop, his blade covered in a bright blue aura prepared to thrust a hole in his opponent’s body.

But the door was never opened, what came piercing through it instead, was a sword moving at insane speed.

Having no time to dodge, Nadol somehow parried the sword, flicking it into a corner of the shop.

’Chance!’, he thought, as he charged at a supposedly unarmed opponent.

But the opponent never appeared.

Beyond the broken door remained an empty corridor that led downstairs.

’Where is he? How can he be not here! I had my senses locked on him for all but one moment!’

Cancelling his charge at the last moment, Nadol looked and searched around, but his mystical senses told him the same thing – there is no enemy nearby.

’He shouldn’t be able to escape even with his incredible mobility-’

Nadol was thinking when he heard a scream from behind.

’He got past me!? How!?’, he exclaimed as he turned halfway and looked at the situation behind.

Again, he didn’t see the enemy. What he saw instead was the sword that he flicked away was floating in air as it slashed at one of his subordinates.

He didn’t know how that sword was moving, but, ’It isn’t a threat without the element of surprise-’, he was thinking of leaving it to them, when the surprise itself landed on his cheek.

-Bang…!

A heavy punch that shook his whole brain, landed perfectly on his cheek, making him dizzy for a split second.

In that little moment, he felt his aggressor grabbing his hand, before he was thrown hard outside shop.

The air was knocked out of his lungs as he crashed into the wall, making a human shaped indent on it.

But the assault wasn’t over.

Nadol could see the flash of a magic circle from within the shop, prompting him to activate his barrier artefact.

It was just a standard product so he didn’t have much hopes for it other than buying a second.

-Crack…!

-Shatter…!

As just as he expected it shattered, but not cause of a spell as he expected, but because his opponent, Ray Niger, came crashing on it with an insane speed.

But it did the job.

Giving him a second, in which he placed his sword in front of him, his arms and legs in position to brace for an impact.

-Clang…!

-Screech…!

The swords screeched, as metal clashed with metal, numbing Nadol’s hands.

But he endured.

With gritted teeth and tense muscles, he endured it. And as soon as the impact weakened, he retaliated.

Using what strength he could gather in his legs along with a spike of mana. He kicked hard with both legs.

Cracking the wall behind him even more as sent Ray flying back into the shop.

A cloud of dust rose as Ray crashed into the wall, making it hard to observe inside.

But not for Nadol, noticing that his opponent was attacking him again, he focused on his own recovery.

With a grunt, Nadol got out of the crevice, his subordinates already near him as they strengthened their already placed buffs on him.

’How can he be physically superior when I am already being buffed!?’, Nadol thought, as he channelled his mana throughout his body, making it overcome the shock of previous impacts.

The situation was making no sense to him already, when he heard his opponent speak, "You know, I thought it would be another boring fight."

Looking at the figure walking out of the shop which had dust all over the place, Nadol finally got a good look at the his opponent, Ray Niger.

"But fighting you, is fun.", Ray said.

A big smile adorning his face.

Finally, the fight had began in earnest.

***

Meanwhile, the plan to raid the base the goons of the Church of Light had gone awry.

Mark joined Cana and Syrus, no problems there. They even raided the base together, no problems there too. And yes, they found the guy, Dorn Mishel.

Then what is the problem you ask?

The state they found the guy in.

He was dead. His vitals stabbed in the same way as the soldiers in the barracks of the shopping district.

Then, when the group was trying and failing to contact Rayne, who was not answering, another bomb dropped on them.

Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.

-Beep

-Beep

Mark’s amulet beeped while the Cana was still calling Rayne. Surprised, Mark thought out loud, ’Elista? She never calls me in the middle of the day.’

"Hello? Elista, I’m kind of busy with urgent stuff now can we talk later?", Mark asked.

But the voice he heard wasn’t the voice he gradually came to like, rather he heard a low, heavy voice coming from his amulet.

-I know what you are busy with.

The voice said mockingly, and immediately Mark got an idea of what had transpired.

’She’s been kidnapped.’

Anger and rage boiled in Mark’s heart if the bulging vein on his face indicated anything, but the cold calculative personality that he cultivated for years took precedence, causing him to reply calmly, "Who are you? What do you want?"

But the guy on the line had another answer for his calm façade.

-Hello! Hello, Mark!

"Elista! Is that you? Are you alright?"

-I-I’m sorry, Mark! I am sorry…I got caught…I couldn’t do anything…

The sobbing voice of Elista flowed through the amulet, cracking Mark’s façade.

-Okay, that’s enough closure. Now listen to me boy, if you want this girl being able to speak again, then you don’t ask questions. Just do what I say.

"Okay! Okay! I’ll do whatever you want! Just don’t harm her!", Mark sounded desperate, but was he really? Cause, although his voice sounded desperate, his face was still a mask of stoic coldness.

-Good boy. Now capture those sidekicks tagging with you and bring them to abandoned church in the slums, alone of course.

-You have 30 minutes, or she is dead.

-And don’t try anything funny, I have my eyes on you.

With that the call disconnected, leaving a fair share of tension in the room.

"Are you gonna capture us?", Cana asked neutrally, breaking the silence.

To which Mark replied, "I don’t have a choice."

Of course, the private conversation they had using their mind links was a secret.

***

[The Misty Root Forest]

[Agnil’s POV]

It was a deadly fight.

The Three Kings of the Forest vs a single demon, a vessel in possession of a demon.

It was…because right now, Agnil could only see the fight in one way – an adult playing with kids.

It looked dangerous for the vessel, especially at the start of the fight where atleast the demon looked pressured.

With three mighty beasts attacking the him, it was the least he could do.

The demon was particularly careful of Death Calix, a skull head with a scythe, robe, and wispy red eyes. A rare monster who could do soul damage with its attacks.

The Manticore took care of the brawn, each of its attacks heavy and lasting while the Thunder Dragon Wolf was fast and precise attacking and disrupting the vessels movements.

With Three Kings of the Forest even co-operating unusually and the vessel’s spells somehow feeling slow or blowing up on his face, Agnil held hope.

Hope that they would win…

For the demon was barely holding on, all thanks to the millennia of experience accumulated.

…hope that quickly got crushed.

And now…it was just a matter of time.

’I…I don’t know.’, Agnil thought as he looked at the vessel crushing Death Calix’s skull.

’Will ’that’ even work?’, he doubted in hysteria.

But in the end, ’I will wait… I will wait till there is no way for him to escape’, Agnil decided solemnly, before coming out of his cover.

Two of the Three Kings of the Forest were already dead. And the last one, the Manticore, was tamed.

Just like that the last thing standing between the demon and Tree of Life was demolished.

Or was it really the last thing?