"Is it just me or are there more mara-struck creatures roaming around…?"
"What was that, Miss Sushang?"
"A-Ah, nothing Luocha! Ahaa, I was just thinking about taking a detour since there seems to be more enemies than usual on our initial route…"
"There does seem to be an influx of enemies compared to back then…"
"O-Of course!"
Clearing her throat, Sushang tried her best to bear the stares aimed at her, but she eventually faltered and turned her head down towards the scroll containing a small map.
One that showed a completely different area than the one they were currently in.
Sushang. An eager newcomer to the Cloud Knights of the Luofu after being transferred from her home the Xiaozhou Yaoqing.
Idolizing the long and historic legends stemming from the famed Cloud Knights, she strives to embrace these ideals and eventually become a legend herself, just like in the stories she had grown up with.
Guiding lost kids to find their mothers, families looking for their pets who escaped or just helping people in general was an everyday routine for her.
This can be considered even more true when the Stellaron crisis erupted. As she was one of the first people who volunteered to join the rescue mission suddenly ordered by the Cloud Knights
Keen and enthusiastic.
People describing her personality as such, the call for help in regards to escorting civilians to safety was like something akin to second nature for her.
Escorting and fighting off mara-stricken monsters didn't seem all that different than what she was already used to. So could anything throw her off at this point?
Absolutely.
"Lady Bailu, we must return you back to—-"
"NO!! I already told you I'm being chased by some randos!!"
"That is even more reason why we should return. While I may not be a part of the Alchemy Commission, your exuberant escapes have been reported quite often to the Ten Lords —-"
"I'm not listening! Lah Lah Lah."
"Lady Bailu…"
Sushang felt like crying seeing that her original rescue team and mission had suddenly turned into some meeting grounds for some of the most notable members of the Luofu.
People she didn't expect to find during her time in the outskirts of the Luofu.
One was a young girl with prominent light purple horns signifying her lineage of being a member of the Vidyadhara, a draconic long-lived species of the Luofu.
Even more so a girl who can be considered a High Elder.
And a young woman with a stiff appearance, almost robotic. But her intimidating atmosphere lived up to her title of being the Judge of the Ten-Lords Commission responsible for 'detention'.
With iron chains and a Mara-Sunder Awl in each hand she tirelessly pursued recidivists.
However, this powerful image stuck in Sushang's head was on the brink of crumbling as the famed High Elder of the Vidyadhara clan stubbornly clung to the leg of one of the individuals that she was tasked to help escort.
"Ahem… How about we calm down first and have Lady Bailu let go of Dan Heng's leg?"
Sensing the situation getting rowdier by the second, Sushang stepped in and with a gentle expression tried to pry Bailu off Dan Heng.
Xueyi noticed her attempts to pacify and her cold red eyes glanced at her for a bit which startled her but she stopped seeing how Bailu would react.
But sadly, to no avail, Bailu narrowed her eyes even more and held onto Dan Heng's leg even tighter which made him feel at a loss in what to do.
A cold and quiet atmosphere grew as Sushang tried to keep her professionalism but this wasn't something she expected to have to handle ever since leaving her station.
Heck, this single mission wasn't just unexpected but even more strange in her eyes.
First was meeting a man capable of using skills from a taboo path, next was another mysterious person capable of using Cloud Knight Spearmanship despite not being one.
The number of mara-stricken enemies they had to fight along the way being higher than normal.
And the addition of the two prominent figures joining them along the way whom they randomly encountered.
She had a nagging feeling that this may not be smooth sailing going forward.
"S-Shall we start heading back to the Alchemy Commission and reach a safe s-spot then?"
After saying this everyone stared at Sushang who felt like she should have kept her mouth shut but thankfully for her, Xueyi, Luocha and Dan Heng were in agreement.
Except for one person who was still strongly against going back. Especially back to the Alchemy Commission.
"I'm being serious this time…" Seeing everyone in agreement, Bailu at this point felt like a girl who cried wolf.
Yes, she may have lied countless times about her escapes.
Yes, she may have done this countless times to escape the watchful eyes of the Preceptors.
But! Who can blame her when she had to endure guards breathing down her neck every single moment of her day.
Bailu gripped Dan Heng's leg tighter as she thought about those times but recently it had gotten worse so she had a terrible gut feeling.
Thus, her situation right now.
'Thankfully, I managed to heal the casualties that were with me at the time but hopefully I can convince these people to bring me to the Cloud Knights instead.'
Usually, she wouldn't doubt the guards that had been with her during these times since over time she had gotten used to their strict nature.
And considering her current status within the Vidyadhara, it was understandable.
But during the last few hours, the gazes they have been sending her have been uncomfortable. Especially after learning that her usual guards have been replaced by members of the Alchemy Commission.
It made it even more suffocating that she had a feeling that if she stayed behind, something bad was going to happen to her.
"Are you okay?"
"H-Huh! Y-Yeah, of course!"
Possibly noticing the grip around his leg getting tighter as Bailu had these thoughts, Dan Heng asked her and silently stared at this little girl belonging to the Vidyadhara race.
'I never would have thought that I would meet a member of this race after a few minutes of setting foot here…'
He had complicated thoughts. Not exactly at Bailu but at the horns she bore, which reminded him of his past that he tried to move past from.
"Why don't we listen to her for now. While I may not know about her escapees, the current situation on the Luofu seems to be chaotic and individuals may have wanted to use it to their advantage." Dan Heng spoke up.
"This is the perfect opportunity for people who have bad intentions with the Luofu to act and this can be the case for Lady Bailu who is a pillar for the Vidyadhara."
"Yes! Yes! I-I'm not lying, please believe me this time. You don't need to do anything other than to bring me with you to the Cloud Knights!"
Bailu felt happy that someone had decided to take her side and pleaded to the others.
Sushang looked at the other two who were with her and decided to speak up. "I have no issues since it falls under my mission right now…."
"I am only a person getting escorted, so I have no problems." Luocha said with no hesitation.
The only person however who was originally against bringing her with them and instead back to the Alchemy commission was still silent which made Bailu nervous.
After what seemed like hours, Xueyi said her stance.
"....If what you said is true, then it may be eligible to overrule the current orders placed to bring you back whenever you escape."
"T-Then…"
"I will take what you said as evidence."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Bailu felt like bursting into tears after hearing the words she said. But she quickly closed her mouth after hearing what Xueyi said after.
"However, if by chance this has been a ruse for you to take advantage of the situation, then don't blame me for what happens next."
"You don't need to worry since I won't joke about something about this…"
She felt wronged seeing her words still being doubted but she brought it upon herself remembering what she did in the past.
Dan Heng looked at Bailu strangely as her actions reminded him slightly of a man who also often went around to 'roam' and along the way attracts trouble whenever he comes back.
"Hey, I want to ask if you have seen someone like this yet…"
Finally gathering themselves together and having one additional member joining them, Sushang's team began to navigate through the outskirts while also trying to avoid unnecessary fights with monsters along the way.
Considering the size of the team, it was a bit hard to sneak around without alerting the influx of monsters.
But the joint effort made it manageable with the balanced lineup they had and at times had the opportunity to leisurely talk which Bailu really liked.
"Ah! So you're friends with the guests the General brought with him?"
"You can say that."
"Makes sense. But you're more different compared to the rumors I've heard about them." Bailu said while standing near Dan Heng.
"I've also heard that the guests have quite the…personality."
"That's…"
Dan Heng had nothing to say as he knew exactly who his friends were.
"I'm not sure if it's true but apparently one of the Cloud Knights saw Master Diviner Fu Xuan make a face that was so cold when talking with one of the guests that he wanted to leave his post as fast as he could."
Sushang, who had finally gotten comfortable with the group pitched in a rumour she heard while on duty as Bailu mentioned something interesting.
"I'm not sure if your friend is bold or stupid but being on Master Diviner Fu Xuan's bad side is something almost no one wants to be on."
"I will keep that in mind when I meet them."
He already had a good idea on two candidates who would have caused this rumor but he began to lean toward the one who was a bit more shameless to be the culprit.
Luocha, who was on the side chuckled silently as he also remembered a person whom he met in the past who was quite sharp with his comebacks when facing a Wingweaver and wondered how he was doing.
Leaving them to talk on their own, Dan Heng silently listened and only contributed when needed.
But as they were getting closer to an area that matched that of a neighborhood, he felt a soft gust of mist getting more prominent the further they walked.
Lifting his hand to feel the air, he suddenly stopped and his senses immediately went on guard, which the others noticed.
"Did something happen?"
Bailu asked but seeing the look on Dan Heng's face, made her a bit nervous.
"Did you happen to use Cloudhymn Magic?"
"N-No… I haven't really unlocked all— I mean! I haven't mastered them yet so I don't use them unless necessary."
"Then this means…"
Dan Heng turned silent as he paid attention to his surroundings before immediately thrusting his spear to Bailu's left side.
Shocking her in the process but she noticed the sounds of a person groaning and out of thin air, a soldier wearing armour appeared before collapsing.
"A person!?"
"Not only that…." Xueyi, who was originally silent, brandished her daggers and narrowed her cold eyes. "Why is a mara-struck individual suddenly using abilities only available to the Vidyadhara?"
"I-I'm also not sure! This isn't something I've seen before…"
"But now it's certain that something shady is happening within the Vidyadhara."
Sushang had a dark expression but for now her first instinct was to raise her sword at the invisible enemy amounting to who knows.
"Lady Bailu, are you able to locate the ones hidden by the Cloudhymn Magic?"
"Sorry, it's a bit difficult for me at the moment."
Currently, Bailu felt a bit frustrated at her inability to contribute even at moments such as now. Usually this would be easy for a person who can be considered a Vidyadhara Elder.
But right now, other than her healing abilities, she can't produce any more results that should live up to that title.
"It's fine, right now it would be best that we leave where we are right now and go towards the nearest dock. I noticed a sign that may lead us so we should hurry."
Possibly in an attempt to soothe Bailu who was frustrated with herself, Dan Heng shifted the attention to the sign he saw and seeing no one disagree.
They all began to sprint down an alleyway.
"Sorry…." Bailu apologized silently but Dan Heng quickly stopped her.
"As I said, it's fine."
Blunt as he is, Dan Heng felt weird seeing a child blaming herself for her inability to help with dealing with magic stemming from her race.
There must have been some special circumstance for the reason she was unable to but he didn't want to poke that variable he had no idea about.
"You can continue to help heal us as we may get injuries along the way so we'll count on you."
"...G-Got it. Don't worry I will work extra hard to make it up!"
"I didn't mean it like that, but sure…"
Feeling better with his quick advice, the group began to run towards the dock but as they expected, more soldiers shrouded by mist to keep them hidden began to grow by the second.
First, it was bearable but after reaching a certain point, the attacks began to become more frequent and more aggressive that it felt like they were being attacked at all angles even when they were running.
"I'm beginning to feel like this is more like a hunt rather than an attack on us…"
Sushang wiped the sweat dripping down her face and winced as a wound on her arm made her unable to properly hold her sword.
Luckily, Bailu had seemed to hold onto her words earlier and after seeing the injury, a soft puddle of water flew out of her jug.
It landed lightly on the wound and after a moment of brief inchness that Sushang felt, the wound closed up.
"Lady Bailu's support really is godsent."
Trying to adjust her movements back to normal, Xueyi finished off the mara-stuck she had chained up. A cold snap echoed as they managed to hide within a building, but the faint footsteps indicated that the people chasing them were not giving up.
"I think we should split up."
"What? Why would we do that now? We're almost at the dock!"
Sushang was surprised when Xueyi suddenly suggested something which was rare but her reason for doing so made sense.
"Based on the way they attacked us, it wasn't a direct confrontation but mainly a tactic to break up our formation, and the reason for doing so was to take a hostage."
Her eyes landed on Bailu who looked out of breath before finally settling on Dan Heng who still had more than enough energy with him.
"If they simply wanted to take Lady Bailu under their protection they would have done it based on the procedure that is often used within the Sky-Faring Commission."
"But here they are attacking us with no warning…" Sushang grumbled.
Xueyi agreed. "Lady Bailu is certainly the target so I suggest that we create a distraction while we have someone bring Lady Bailu somewhere else."
She then pointed at Dan Heng who looked surprised.
"I say Dan Heng as it looks like Lady Bailu feels the most comfortable with him and seeing his skills in action, I justify that he's more than enough to help complete this."
"Wait, then what about you three? Should I just listen and leave you to deal with this planned ambush by yourselves?"
Dan Heng didn't feel too good about this idea of just abandoning them so suddenly but seeing that the others didn't mind, he held his tongue.
"Haha~! I didn't expect someone who looks so cold would worry about us."
Sushang stifled a laugh, but this just made Dan Heng frown.
Sensing that her words lacked a bit of context, Xueyi explained further which made Dan Heng slightly relax.
"My communications systems are currently damaged, but nearby there is a station I can use to send a signal back to the Ten-Lords Commission for assistance."
Thinking about her sister, Xueyi was certain that backup would come blitzing through once she received her call for help.
Taking out a talisman and handing it over to Dan Heng, Xueyi spoke in a tone that only he could hear. "Take this and head south. You'll see a cargo crate where a passage can be opened up using this."
"...I trust that you will protect Lady Bailu despite being an exile."
Leaving those words behind, Dan Heng was rooted in place not knowing how to react to her bombshell of a revelation.
With a plan now in place, the two groups finally separated, and as Dan Heng with Bailu on his back ran in an opposite direction.
They heard the loud sounds of crashing and people screaming as a confrontation grew in the area where Xueyi left.
"I'm feeling anxious… Why are they so bent on catching me?"
"Who knows, but one thing for certain is that they urgently want to capture you for whatever reason."
Dan Heng wrapped himself in a thick layer of wind and sprinted forward as he noticed the presence of two assassins catching up to him.
Glancing behind, he suddenly lowered his body and felt the presence of a blade skim past his hair and he gathered his balance.
His spear scraped the ground in an attempt to help before using the momentum to unleash a slash followed by a stab that blurred the second he pushed forward.
It went quickly. The spear tip bent before eventually meeting flesh that undid the magic that was used to conceal them.
A hooded figure gripped the weapon stuck to their shoulder and laughed.
"Who knew that the little lady would herself a bodyguard."
"Huanxi…?" Bailu managed to ask after hearing a familiar voice.
"I don't know who that is. You must be mistaken."
Not responding to Bailu's dazed words any longer, the figure threw a pair of daggers hidden beneath her sleeves and attempted to create some distance from Dan Heng's spear.
Seeing the figure act quickly and seemingly create a sense of distance between them, Dan Heng blocked the daggers and rolled to the left.
A good choice as the ground was broken apart by a second party.
"You missed."
"Don't be such a downer. I'll make sure to connect the next one since you can't even distract them to give me a chance to attack properly."
"Stop acting so sloppy. The faster we complete this the faster we can fulfill our wishes."
"Sure~ Sure~ Whatever you say."
A cryptic conversation appeared in front of him and Dan Heng gripped his spear as the wind around him changed and he prepared himself.
–KLANG!
"Oho? This kid got some reflexes."
Metal scraping each other caused faint sparks to appear but this wasn't all Dan Heng had to worry about.
As a seasoned warrior, Dan Heng is more than capable of handling himself, but Bailu on the other hand is another deal.
Fighting with her on his back brought more troubles than it already did with two concealed enemies currently with him. He could hold out for now but he was certain he would fall quickly if he didn't act quickly.
Adding more spin to his spear, Dan Heng wrapped it in a thick layer of wind before releasing a wide slash in an attempt to create distance.
Picking up the daggers that he blocked previously, he made a run for it towards the cargo crate Xueyi mentioned before.
"Oh no you don't!!" A grumpy voice quickly caught up to him.
Feeling like the figure would reach them within seconds, he used the daggers he got and threw them upwards towards a small platform. A platform that contained scraps of ingenium that were previously discarded.
As soon as the daggers touched the ingenium machines, a sudden gust of black fumes exploded, creating a thick layer of smoke that made Dan Heng and Bailu disappear.
The figure gritted their teeth and swung their weapon to break the smoke apart but after a few minutes the smoke was still present.
"Damnit… Mauve Moon is not going to like this…"
"..."
One of the concealed figures rubbed their head roughly while the other stared at the smoke silently.
–VRUUUUUUUM
"Great, now a signal towards the Ten-Lords Commission is being released. Call the others for a retreat, I don't want to deal with those pale bastards right now."
Leaving their peer behind, the hooded figure stared at the smoke settling a bit longer before they followed along.
***
"How are you feeling?"
"...Right now, I'm fine. Thank you."
Catching their breath and gathering themselves after using the passage Xueyi mentioned, Dan Heng looked around and noticed a neighborhood that was similar to the one they were previously in.
But the only difference was that there were countless tremors currently being made by something and this made the two a bit nervous.
"Is there a big fight happening right now?"
"That's a possibility so we need to be careful right now and not catch their attention if that is the case…"
Dan Heng adjusted Bailu who was on his back and quietly ran within the dark areas of the neighborhood but the tremors continued to grow by the second.
As if it was catching up to them.
"You dishonourable man!! Release the lady you have kidnapped and allow yourself to be brought under justice!"
"Iya~~ Stop it, you two. I can't have you fighting over me~!"
"Damn it! Stop making the situation worse!?"
Jumping above them was a familiar man holding what seemed to be a young woman on his shoulder, playfully holding her cheeks together.
Her feet were swinging sweetly but the man's face showed signs of veins popping as he used a pair of white wings to fly through the air.
And what followed him was a teenage boy with medium-length blonde hair wielding countless copies of swords flying right behind him.
"Yuuto…?"
"Hmm?"
Holding his sword and releasing dense strands of moonlight by the tip, Yuuto looked down after hearing someone faintly call his name out and was surprised to see Dan Heng.
"What–"
"Perfect timing! Catch this lady for me will you."
"No~~!!! Don't just toss me away after having your way with me…"
"Don't say something that people will misunderstand, please…"
Yuuto felt like grinding his teeth and quickly flicked Sparkle's forehead, which she didn't block and threw her to Dan Heng who was still trying to comprehend what was happening.
"Now for you."
Seeing the boy closing the gap rapidly, Yuuto gave a deep inhale and the moonlight wrapped around his sword began to glow brighter.
Finally reaching a point where the surrounding air began to dye itself in its colour.
"What is this…"
The boy froze as the pressure built up way too quickly and all that he could think of was how he should block this upcoming attack.
"I need to apologize to Jing Yuan later…"
Whispering to himself, Yuuto let out a big swing and a giant crescent made out of moonlight flew forward and engulfed the boy.
Pushing him back countless spaces back before landing in a secluded area by a garden.
"So pretty!!"
"That was…."
Sparkle and Bailu had two different reactions seeing the attack and seeing Yuuto come down after making his wings disappear.
Bailu didn't know that the person who brought her Huo Huo just a few hours ago would be capable of doing an attack such as the one she just saw.
"Didn't think I'd meet you so soon."
"Same here."
Dan Heng finally had a relaxed expression seeing that he had finally met one of his friends. But there was still something he wanted to know at the moment.
"So who is she?"
"Her huh…"
Yuuto looked at Sparkle who was currently tied up by the hands and noticing Dan Heng's stare she raised her palms up.
"5,000."
"5,000?"
"5,000 credits for the time you had enjoying Sparkle's cute little appearance~!"
"Hah."
Dan Heng was speechless and stared at Yuuto.
"Finally met someone as eccentric as you?"
"Don't even start. Please."
***
Sorry for going MIA for the past month. Nearing the end of my semester and program I had to focus more on school and after all the documents and assignments I had to type. I didn't feel like writing more than I had to lol.
Anyways I finally had gotten the time for a break and time to play the games I have pushed to the side.
By the way, Castorice is way too op and Cipher's design is pretty nice if you know what I mean…