Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

Chapter 102: Successful Retreat

The group maintained a tight formation as they surged through the opening Valmyr had carved into the Terracottas’ ranks.

Taking advantage of the brief disorder caused by the collapsing constructs, the eight exiles descended the broad staircase without hesitation...

Valmyr remained at the very front, his battered Shield raised high as "Absolute Guard" bathed its surface in a brilliant silver radiance. The light illuminated the fractured steps beneath his feet, making him resemble an immovable fortress charging through an endless tide...

Beside him, Veyrath clutched his massive bronze Cauldron with both hands. The enormous Soul Essence swung from side to side like a siege hammer, ready to crush aside anything that stood in their path...

Behind them, Kaeloris struggled to keep his glowing Scroll alight. His hands trembled violently as he poured the last remnants of Aether within his body into the ancient parchment.

However, the radiant Soul Essence flickered erratically making it obvious that the failed Gnost was nearing his limit...

None of them bothered looking back as their formation rushed down the staircase like the tip of a spear piercing straight through an enemy army; and the instant their boots touched the obsidian avenue leading toward the crypt’s entrance, Valmy exploded into motion...

Actually, none of them believed that escaping would be as simple as running toward the exit. The Terracottas still vastly outnumbered them, and despite the disorder within their ranks, the constructs continued advancing with relentless discipline.

But fortunately, their strategy had never relied upon brute force alone and as long as everyone fulfilled their assigned role, there was still a chance, however small, that they could make it out...

Valmyr roared, the sound echoing through the vast chamber as he lowered his shoulder and drove his Shield forward...

BOOM!

The massive shield slammed squarely into the foremost Terracotta...

The impact carried enough force to shatter the bones of an ordinary man several times over, yet the construct didn’t even budge.

This Terracotta also carried a broad tower shield of its own, therefore, the tremendous force generated by both combatants canceled each other almost perfectly, leaving neither side able to gain ground...

The Terracotta immediately shifted its weight, preparing to counterattack. However, Valmyr wasn’t fighting alone...

Veyrath charged in from the side, hoisting his Soul Essence above his head and with every ounce of strength remaining in his battered body, he brought it crashing downward...

BOOM!

The bronze Cauldron struck the Terracotta squarely across its shoulder...

Although the construct’s armor remained largely undamaged, the sheer weight behind the blow proved impossible to ignore as its feet slid backward across the obsidian floor and its carefully balanced stance collapsed...

The Terracotta stumbled several steps before crashing into the constructs advancing behind it, once again throwing their orderly formation into a momentary disarray.

But just before Veyrath could celebrate his minor success, danger arrived once again as another Terracotta emerged from the army.

This one wielded a massive iron mace and without hesitation, the construct raised the weapon high overhead before bringing it crashing down toward Veyrath’s skull...

The failed Alchemist’s face immediately drained of color as the mace descended. Thankfully, at that instance, Kaeloris made his move..

The glowing parchment hovering before him erupted with brilliant radiance and asingle word materialized across its ancient surface, SLOW.

The influence of the word fell upon the Terracotta and instantly, its movements became sluggish, as though the surrounding air had suddenly transformed into thick syrup...

Valmyr didn’t hesitate to take advantage as he exploded forward...

BOOM!!

The failed Vanguard smashed into the slowed Terracotta with an overwhelming momentum...

Unable to brace itself properly, the construct was launched completely off its feet, tumbling backward into the advancing ranks, bowling over several Terracottas before crashing heavily onto the obsidian floor.

This made the obsidian avenue to become clogged with fallen constructs...

The group immediately surged forward through that opening; but before they could get far, movement suddenly flashed from the left as a squad of spear-wielding Terracottas broke away from the main formation, attempting to flank them.

Their synchronized footsteps echoed across the avenue as they lunged toward the group’s exposed side...

Vaelorin’s red eyes narrowed and he acted instantly. He channelled Fiery Aether into his Staff before activating his Essence Rune "Eruption Pulse."

A deafening rumble shook the avenue as the ground beneath the charging Terracottas suddenly bulged upward; then...

BOOM!

Columns of molten crimson flame erupted violently from beneath the obsidian, accompanied by an explosive torrent of shattered stone and scorching heat that flooded the chamber instantly.

The flames themselves accomplished little against the heavily armored constructs but that had never been Vaelorin’s objective.

Instead, the violent eruption tore open the ground beneath their feet, carving deep, jagged pits where solid obsidian had existed only moments before...

And since he charging Terracottas couldn’t stop in time, their own momentum betrayed them as one after another, the constructs stumbled into the newly formed craters...

Some disappeared completely beneath the flames while others crashed into those falling ahead of them, creating another chain reaction that threw their disciplined formation into complete disorder...

At the rear of the formation, Regaleon and Caelestra bore the burden of keeping the pursuing Terracottas at bay.

The moment the exiles had broken free from the staircase and entered the obsidian avenue, the constructs had immediately altered their advance.

Like a tide changing direction, dozens of crimson visors turned toward the fleeing group before the Terracottas surged after them with mechanical precision...

A Terracotta wielding a longsword lunged first. Its blade carved a lethal arc through the air, aiming directly for Regaleon’s neck...

But the failed Knight reacted almost instinctively...

CLANG!

His halberd intercepted the descending sword, steel shrieking against ancient steel as sparks burst into the air.

Rather than contesting the construct’s superior strength, Regaleon twisted the shaft of his weapon, redirecting the blade harmlessly past his shoulder.

The Terracotta’s crimson visor flared. It attempted to recover immediately but it never had the chance...

Caelestra appeared beside Regaleon like a battering ram and with both hands gripping the handles of her enormous Treasure Chest, she swung the cumbersome Soul Essence with every ounce of strength left within her weary body...

BOOM!!

The reinforced corner of the chest smashed squarely into the Terracotta’s helmet...

The impact didn’t shatter the construct nor did it crack its armor. But it did something equally valuable, it stopped the Terracotta for a heartbeat and that was all Regaleon required...

His golden eyes sharpened. Then suddenly, he lunged forward, abandoning his Halberd for a split second as both armored hands wrapped around the Terracotta’s waist.

However, the construct was unimaginably heavy; it felt less like lifting a person and more like trying to uproot a boulder buried within the earth but he didn’t relent.

Every muscle in his battered body screamed in protest, veins bulged beneath his neck, his wounds reopened and blood seeped beneath his Armour...

Finally, with a roar born from sheer desperation, he heaved upward and the Terracotta actually left the ground. It was only by a fraction but that was enough.

Using the construct’s own momentum against it, Regaleon pivoted sharply before hurling the armored guardian into the charging ranks behind it...

CRASH!

The airborne Terracotta crashed into three others...

The tightly packed formation immediately buckled as constructs collided with one another, stumbling over shattered debris and broken footing as their relentless advance momentarily ground to a halt.

Unfortunately, even after all that, their respite lasted only seconds as another Terracotta stepped forward.

Unlike the previous one, this construct carried a broad shield almost as large as Valmyr’s. Without slowing, it lowered the massive barrier before charging directly toward Caelestra...

The failed Merchant instinctively mirrored its movement as rather than retreating, she swung her own Treasure Chest forward...

BOOM!!

The collision reverberated through the avenue...

The enormous Chest slammed into the Terracotta’s shield but nothing happened. Instead, tts crimson visor burned brighter and with a mechanical precision, it drove its shield forward...

The overwhelming force threatened to crush Caelestra where she stood. Her eyes widened, however, there wasn’t enough time to evade.

Fortunately, at that instance, Kaeloris’ parchment flared once more as another radiant command materialized across its surface, HALT.

Instantly, the construct froze and its shield stopped mere inches from Caelestra’s pale face.

For one surreal heartbeat... Everything stood perfectly still...

Until Caelestra instinctively stumbled backward, her heart pounding violently inside her chest.

She looked toward Kaeloris whose condition had worsened considerably. Sweat poured from his forehead in streams, his breathing had become shallow and the glowing parchment trembled uncontrollably within his grasp.

Clearly, maintaining "Law Script" had pushed him far beyond his limits. Yet he still smiled faintly at Caelestra.

She gave him a grateful nod; then gripping the her Soul Essence once more, she stepped forward before swinging it directly into the immobilized Terracotta...

BOOM!

The construct was launched backward before crashing into two others attempting to push past it...

And with that, the group immediately widened the distance between themselves and their pursuers.

At the very front, Valmyr continued carving a path through the seemingly endless tide of Terracottas.

His battered shield rose and fell relentlessly; every charge sent another construct reeling and every collision created another precious opening...

Beside him, Veyrath had completely abandoned any semblance of dignity.

The failed Alchemist swung his bronze Cauldron with wild, desperate abandon; Sometimes he shouted and other times he simply screamed. Occasionally, he even did both but surprisingly, he quickly got the hang of being a vanguard.

The enormous weight of the cauldron would repeatedly knock Terracottas off balance, creating enough disorder for Valmyr to continue advancing...

And whenever a construct managed to remain standing, Vaelorin would step in.

The failed Pyromancer’s staff erupted with crimson radiance again and again. If he wasn’t unleashing "Eruption Pulse" to fracture the ground beneath advancing enemies, then he was firing "Solar Lance" into the midst of their ranks.

His blazing attacks accomplished little damage but they didn’t need to as the explosions disrupted formations, the smoke obscured vision and the heat distorted the air...

Every Rune casted stole another precious second and those stolen seconds belonged to Aureleah...

The silver-haired assassin moved like a phantom through the chaos. She appeared wherever an opening revealed itself and disappeared before retaliation could arrive only to reappear somewhere entirely different...

Unlike the others, Aureleah wasn’t attempting to delay the Terracottas. Instead, she was actively hunting them.

During the course of their retreat, Regaleon had told them about the other weak point of their Terracottas, their visors.

So abandoning attacks against their heavily armored torsos, Aureleah instead targeted their helms with ruthless precision.

Her twin King-Tier daggers flashed like streaks of silver lightning; every successful strike slipped through the narrow slits of a visor and every successful strike extinguished another crimson glow.

Of everyone present, one could say that she had destroyed the greatest number of constructs; not only because she possessed the necessary Soul Essences but because Kaeloris’ restrictions and Vaelorin’s distractions transformed every battlefield opening into the perfect assassination opportunity...

And watching the group from the center of their formation, Sylveris could scarcely believe what she was witnessing.

Each of them had seamlessly fallen into their assigned role but only one person contributed nothing to their retreat, her.

Sylveris lowered her gaze as she ran, her grip tightening around the twin ivory fangs in her hands.

She also wanted to fight and help the group more than anything but desire alone wasn’t enough. She remained unawakened and without a Soul Essence, fighting against opponents rivaling Rank One Animas would only make her a burden.

That realization weighed heavier upon her heart than anything else, causing her to silently remain within the center of the formation watching everyone else risk their lives to protect hers...

At last, the exit came into view.

Everyone saw it almost simultaneously and hope, fragile as it was, rekindled within their exhausted hearts. Just seeing it alone was enough to energize the battered group as they surged forward.

Despite being close to salvation, the group still continued fighting, until one by one, they crossed the threshold as...

Valmyr was the first to burst from the crypt into the ancient tunnel beyond...

Veyrath followed immediately after, breathing so heavily that each gasp sounded like a man drowning...

Sylveris came next, her silver eyes still wide with lingering shock as she followed her sister out...

Vaelorin stumbled through after her, nearly collapsing as he leaned heavily upon his Staff...

Kaeloris emerged moments later, clutching his dimmed Scroll while fighting to remain conscious...

Caelestra was the last before Regaleon, dragging her massive Treasure Chest through the narrow entrance...

Only Regaleon remained inside as a Terracotta rushed him at that moment. Its sword swept toward his shoulder but the failed Knight pivoted sharply before driving his armored boot into the construct’s abdomen...

BANG!

The force pushed the Terracotta backward just enough to buy him an opening...

And without another exchange, Regaleon spun around and sprinted toward the exit.

Yet just before crossing the threshold, something compelled him to stop, only for the briefest instant.

His golden eyes drifted back across the vast crypt, settling upon the six-winged guardian. Throughout the course of their escape, the colossal knight hadn’t moved.

Its enormous Greatsword remained planted against the fractured dais while six metallic wings shimmered beneath the crimson glow that permeated the chamber...

Its crimson eyes remained fixed upon him and even across such a distance, Regaleon felt as though they were staring directly into his soul.

A strange confusion settled over him as he pondered. The guardian could have pursued them and it actually possessed the strength to overtake every one of them. Yet it hadn’t taken a single step beyond the dais.

Instead, it had merely watched. Why?

The question lingered in Regaleon’s mind but now wasn’t the time to seek answers. Finally, he tore his gaze away, then disappeared into the tunnel...