Suna moved, keeping his eyes focused on both Godknight and Assassin.

  The battle raged on, with dark tentacles seemingly multiplying and lashing around, breaking floor and magic alike. Bursts of smoke belched, and the creak of stone groaned every time one of those tentacles smashed onto the ground.

  Splays of wind magic kept being nullified, but still, the Runebearers kept firing as they had no other choice.

  Those Runebearers are not strong enough.

  They do not have the expertise of James who kept dodging between the tentacles and Godknight swings. Suna was captivated by how the Thiefmaster kicked over one tentacle and dove in, using it to bait the knight, and snuck a jab toward the Godknight’s eye slit, which was quickly deflected.

  The Godknight raised his Pyre Claymore and, in a flash of movement, cleaved through a dozen dark tentacles. James narrowly avoided the flurry of attacks, but he got no rest. Not a second passed, as new tentacles lurched forward, forcing the Godknight and Thiefmaster to dodge back, farther away from the Assassin.

  By then, Reki and Noa had arrived. Suna’s breath came out like a chilled wind as he saw both Bulwark and Orator charge in to join the mess.

  Noa bashed his shield against the Godknight’s leg, and that earned a slight buckle of knee from the Undead. Then, the Godknight proceeded to swing down on him, but a focused invisible shield blocked its wrist from going down. Seeing his chance, Noa dove forward, trying to topple the Godknight.

  The Godknight swung still, destroying Wendy’s shield like broken glass. Before it could hit Noa, however, Suna had already drawn his Shadow Arrow and released it.

  His arrow tore through the space between them and blasted straight into the Undead Godknight's head, snapping it back. The knight stumbled, and Noa screamed. In a blast of strength, Noa shoved the Undead Godknight down.

  Suna had to question his sight as he saw the Godknight collapse, sending chimes of its armor resounding through the air. There was no significant damage done to the Undead itself, yet this proved it can be taken down.

  “Go!” A voice shouted.

  It was Amidela, the Runebearer, who swung down, and a dark blade of wind flew toward the fallen Undead Godknight.

  Noa did not wait even for a second. The Bulwark rushed toward where Reki and James were, both of whom started to pry open the Assassin’s defense.

  Reki's armor shone with majestic golden light. Suna had to shield his eyes as he aimed at the fallen Undead Godknight again and released. He had moved and shot straight at the Godknight's feet.

  When his shadow arrow was about to connect, the Godknight suddenly shifted its feet and kicked away Suna’s Shadow Arrow.

  It then grabbed the claymore, and once again, bluish flame burned bright. The Undead Godknight stood and flowed into a swinging stance. Not at James, Noa, and Reki. But at Amidela.

  They exchanged magic. Amidela’s dark wind splayed toward the bursting blue flame that approached her like a wave. The Tiefling's magic stood no chance.

  As she was about to be incinerated to death, another Thiefbearer rushed in with Gale Step and pushed her out of combat, sacrificing his life for her.

  “No!” Amidela screamed as she rolled over, watching her brethren burn to death with choking cries.

  Suna had already positioned himself in another dark place and wove a Shadow Arrow; this time, he would take his time. The Shadow Arrow was weaving like an unruly ink by his fingertip. His Galebow added a wind attribute onto it, and Drowfication gave a deeper dark core through its shaft.

  Not enough.

  He needed more. Suna poured in more Mana. And thankfully, a couple of support Tieflings had managed to stay out of the fight and recognize what he tried to do. They began running toward him with more supplies of mana, so he did not have to be worried about running out. He didn't have to worry about being targeted as the Undead Godknight would focus on James, Noa, and Reki.

  Speaking of which. Reki's radiant light banished the tentacle hands that tried to approach them. It was like his light shattered the shadow very being. But one or two managed to sneak near Reki, which James took care of. But, this seemed to slow the Orator down, as he took heavy steps one after another as he got closer to the Assassin.

  Which, of course, the Godknight would not let. It brought its sword past his hip in a sizzle, banishing the darkness with the eerie blue tone of light, and was about to swing it up to send flame bursting forward. However, another focused shield from Wendy appeared, this time above the Godknight's wrist, causing its sword to stagger.

  Not only that, slices of dark wind rushed at the Godknight, which it had to scatter with his armor. Amidela’s last attack had caused a scar across the Undead Godknight’s chest plate.

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  The Runebearer sent those dark winds again, and this time the Undead Godknight completely dodged them with a sidestep.

  The Knight’s eyes locked into Suna’s, and realization entered it. In a bizarre move, the Godknight dropped its sword. Pyreflame sizzled as it died down. The Godknight then took two knives from its sheath across its back.

  What does it intend to do?

  Metallic scrape whistled then the knight, in one quick motion, threw the dagger at Suna. A whirring death tore toward him, and Suna released his shadow arrow. His arrow blasted through the dagger, and it harmlessly bounced away. But by the time his arrow reached the knight, it merely whisked away. The Knight was not done yet. It turned to Wendy and threw the second dagger at her.

  Her shield was way too late as the dagger spun at her.

  Wendy managed to make a new shield in front of her, but the dagger tore it apart. Amidela was there, with her Thief Sword, trying to parry the dagger off, but instead her hand was ripped apart, and the knife’s trajectory veered off straight to Wendy’s shoulder.

  Suna heard both of their cries as they went down. But he couldn’t let his attention off of the Godknight. It began to move at Reki, who almost made his way toward the Assassin.

  “Mana!” Suna shouted, opening his palm.

  The Tiefling beside him already had five Mana potions uncorked, and he drank them eagerly. A circular light beam formed around them; he needed to move again.

  “Go check on both of them,” Suna said to them. They gave him a nod before running toward Wendy and Amidela.

  Suna decided to move forward. He could only watch in dismay as the Godknight made it toward the group of three. Five Runebearers tried to throw themselves into its path, and they were cut apart like mere paper. One Tiefling's head was splayed open, and another got kicked so hard that it was caught by the Assassin’s tentacle hands just to be ripped apart.

  What to do? The Runebearers were not going to last long, and Reki was currently so slow…

  Should they retreat? It was not like the Godknight could pierce the Assassin’s defense… no, it probably could, but they could keep it busy. But to what end? The Assassin might eventually recover if they took too long.

  Suna needed to get closer. He needed to get into close combat if necessary. To buy Reki time and let James claim the runes.

  He bent down, picking up the Undead Godknight’s knife. Perhaps calling it a knife was not accurate; in fact, it was a dagger, decorated blue like the knight, with a scaly texture around its handle. And Suna could sense something from its steel. A part of him responded to it.

  [Pyre Bone Dagger][Mystic]—A tale of old. A knight slays a dragon, and with its body, a weapon was made that carries the dragon's power. Once, the dragon used to breathe blue flame, a Pyreflame. Now it was dead and under Necromancer control; one could only dream of such a wonder again.

  Suna burst into movement. He formed a circle of wind beneath his feet and used them to zoom forward. The Undead Godknight had crushed open a Tiefling skull, the last defense that separated it from James’s group. James and Noa, on the other hand, were trapped inside the light Reki had created. Tentacle hands surrounded them, but they were close. Not five steps away.

  The Undead Godknight, now freed of any obstacle, suddenly found another one.

  Suna skidded to a stop in front of him, with a circle of darkness behind him and the Undead Godknight… a being undoubtedly the strongest he ever encountered, along with the Necromancer.

  It did not waste any movement.

  A whirring scrape behind him was the sound of the dark tentacle trying to pierce Reki’s light, and it wanted to make sure the sound was cut off.

  The Godknight charged, claymore ready to swing.

  Suna lifted his new dagger, and Pyreflame burst in radiant shine that did not lose to Reki’s light.

  This took the Godknight by surprise; it staggered to a stop, still keeping its sword stance.

  It held silence. The blue crown-like helmet revealed two almost translucent sea-colored eyes, staring at him. Suna was willing to let it hold the silence.

  “That pendant,” the knight spoke, it spoke…

  “You can speak too?” Suna muttered. He needed to buy time, as much as possible. Still, though, he hated how his legs began to shake. He moved the dagger around with both hands. This was far too light for his liking. A weapon he was not used to.

  “Name is Landfred.” The Knight introduced itself. “Where do you get it?”

  Should he answer? Truth or lie?

  “An archer, on first depth.”

  “I see,” the knight said, pausing, as if ruminating on something. “I’m afraid I can’t let you keep that.”

  The Godknight lowered its sword and prepared to charge. Perhaps this was foolish, maybe so. But Suna had one advantage in going into close combat. And that was his incredible amount of Pyreflame he still had.

  Pyre Flame: 87856.

  The Knight, in a fraction of a second, suddenly appeared in front of him, about to rend down its claymore.

  Suna, however, still had space to swing. So he did so. Pushing more Pyreflame, causing blasting blue flame to rage across his dagger, and he met the knight’s claymore.

  Pyre Flame: 87856 → 75539

  In an instant, he was pushed down. His foot staggered, about to collapse under this incredible pressure. His mind wished for a proper sword to be in his hand instead of a dagger. But it was not the time to complain. Suna gritted his teeth and screamed out as he let more Pyreflame out. Sizzling death danced around them, and with his brim hat, Suna's eyes shone.

  The flame.

  They obey him.

  Amid their swordlock, the Pyreflame blasted forward toward the Godknight’s helmet. Seeing this, the Godknight tried to escape the swordlock, but then, out of the Pyreflame that danced among them, three Tieflings jumped at the Godknight, each locking the Godknight’s legs and one hugging its body from behind.

  Suna sent more Pyreflame forward.

  Melt!

  He commanded.

  “Enough!” The Godknight roared. With its free hand, the knight crushed the Tiefling who had been holding back its body and smashed its corpse into its brethren, sending them to roll toward Pyreflame to be burned alive. For the last one, it merely held its scruff like a child and threw it toward Suna, who was suddenly blown back in a rolling heap.

  He tried to stand immediately, but the Tiefling above him was already a tangled corpse across his body.

  The Godknight approached, and Suna shoved aside the body and stood in time. But, as if insulting him, the Godknight did not target him. It went after James' group, who finally made it into the Assassin.

  Suna chased after it, with Gale Step, trying to reach in time. He watched as James was about to pierce the Assassin’s chest. But the Thiefmaster must have noticed the Godknight's presence. The Thiefmaster turned, shouting at Noa, who had his shield up. But in one slash, the Undead Godknight tore apart Noa's shield into two and was about to execute him. That was until James was in front of him.

  The last thing he knew was that the Undead Godknight shoved its claymore deep into the Thiefmaster’s chest.