Chapter 567 Druids
Through the projection, they saw the Masked Devil Incarnate's striking figure. He was shrouded in an ominous dark cloak that billowed around him like a turbulent maelstrom.
His visage was concealed behind an intricately wrought mask, an enigmatic emblem of his mysterious persona…
What shocked Calvin the most was that even though they were only watching him through the projected images, he could almost feel the aura of unfathomable menace of this person.
Every movement seemed imbued with wraithlike grace, and his form seemed closer to that of Dark Spirits than a human.
'No wonder this man was called a Devil. The Church of the Three Paragons didn't make a mistake.' Calvin thought.
Silent and enigmatic, the Masked Devil Incarnate floated above the airship's deck.
His very presence seemed to command the attention of all who beheld him, casting a pall of uncertainty over the unfolding confrontation.
Thud…
Upon landing, he was confronted by a phalanx of arcanists standing guard on the deck.
"Masked Demon! Put down your weapon!" The valiant leader of the guards barked upon noticing the gleaming dagger in Clovis's grip.
Arrayed in the blue cloak uniform and wielding similar wands, the guards bore the distinct hallmark of Elementalists. Their formation was also arranged perfectly to overwhelm their solitary adversary.
However, despite the overwhelming pressure they're emitting, Clovis remained unperturbed, his firm gaze meeting the stern countenance of the guard leader.
"Do you think I'll follow your order?" He calmly spoke beneath his mask.
Rather than acquiescing to the demand, the Masked Devil defiantly aimed his dagger at the leader, a silent challenge that reverberated through the tense atmosphere.
"Kill him!"
Without any more hesitation, the leader gave his command, prompting an immediate unleashing of spells by the assembled Arcanists.
An onslaught of Wind Spells surged forth, directed at the masked devil. However, it could be seen that they were holding back with their Spells to avoid causing damage to the airship.
"You're making it easy for me…" The Masked Devil muttered as he noticed the flaw in their Spells.
In a stunning turn of events, the Masked Devil unleashed his Spell Dispersion, the wave of energy neutralizing the incoming spells and transforming them into arcane energy that dissipated into the air.
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
The guards were shocked as they realized that none of their spells had landed on their lone target! This was very humiliating for them.
The guard leader, on the other hand, was quick on his decision as he realized what had just happened.
"Anti-Magic! Squad 2 and 4, switch to your guns! The rest, continue with the Spells!" The guard leader swiftly adapted to the situation. His tactical judgment was on full display as he recalibrated their approach.
Nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel pressured by how powerful that Anti-Magic was.
Though he was no stranger to adversaries wielding Anti-Magic artifacts, he discerned that the Masked Devil's Anti-Magic operated on an entirely different level from what he knew.
"Runic Guns with enhanced bullets… Interesting." Clovis muttered as he started his retaliation.
He summoned a cadre of Shadow Soldiers underneath his enemies!
Their eerie forms materialized on the deck with an ominous presence.
"Ahh!"
"Get away from me!"
"These Ghosts!"
"Someone use your Holy Light!"
"Priests! Shamans! Hurry! Acckk!"
Armed with shadowy blades, the spectral soldiers launched into a relentless assault!
***
In the meantime, the Captain and the Prince had witnessed everything from the bridge.
They couldn't help but glance at the Masked Devil, who had created such chaos just a few seconds before boarding the airship!
At that moment, the realization dawned upon the guards that their adversary was not merely a practitioner of Mystic Arts, but rather a formidable Dark Magician, a revelation that sent a ripple of unease through their ranks.
"What are you guys waiting for?! Attack him while he's busy dealing with the cannon fodders!" Prince Gregory's urgent directive reverberated across the deck as he commanded the three Druids under his sway through a communication crystal, a marvel of Rune Arts craftsmanship.
Captain Calvin also wanted to scold the Druids for delaying their arrival, but he just clenched his fist and silently watched the airship's guards get killed one by one.
He had no control of this situation anymore and could only hope for the best.
Clack… Clack… Clack…
The three Druids had soon emerged from their concealed vantage points.
They were previously waiting for the opportune moment, prepared to enact their carefully laid plans. However, the communication from the Prince disrupted their plans.
"Hmph... I want him to exhaust his energy a bit more." One of the Druids with long black hair remarked, his tone steeped in calculated patience.
"Indeed... Those dark soldiers that the Masked Devil summoned must've consumed a lot of energy… We should've waited until he summoned another batch or two." One one concurred.
"Well, our employer is in a hurry, so let's make our move…" The third Druid added as he also felt that they could've waited for a few more minutes.
After all, the Arcanists who were dying were quite worthless, in his opinion.
"Even if they're fakes, the Prince must value them a lot. He should've spent quite a huge sum to hire them after all." The long-haired Druids said.
As their presence was revealed, the Masked Devil then glanced in their direction.
He saw three imposing figures draped in verdant cloaks, wielding wooden scepters, and they seemed to have materialized on the airship's deck out of nowhere.
Towering at a stature of about 7 feet and adorned with intricate dark red tattoos of an ancient lineage, the Druids exuded an aura suffused with primordial power.
'Interesting…' Clovis silently thought as he realized how these Druids had felt completely different from other Arcanists that he had seen before.
If he would make a comparison, the aura they were emitting was closer to the Moonlight Fairy than a Human Arcanist.
'Let's what they're capable of.' Clovis thought as he remained vigilant.
Seeing that the Masked Devil didn't attack them first, the Druids made their moves.
With deft taps of their scepters upon the airship's deck, a spectral symphony unfolded as twisting vines, as thick as an adult's arm, materialized in response to the Druids' invocation.
Twelve of these serpentine tendrils came to life! Three of them attacked the dark soldiers summoned by the Masked Devil, while the remaining nine surged forth with a singular purpose—to ensnare and subdue the Masked Devil!
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