"Hey, Captain? Something's wrong, the phone isn't ringing."
"Hm? Well, it is pretty old, maybe we should get a new one," Replied Rione, as he stretched his arms up with a sigh.
"No, I don't think that's it, sir. It's still working, like I can hear the hum tone when I put it up to my ear, but it isn't ringing after dialing."
"Check if the cable is firmly plugged into the socket, it's been a wobbly lately. If that isn't the problem, then maybe the phone lines are damaged," Suggested Quila as she walked over to take a look.
"Yeah, that's probably-...wait. The phone lines?" Frowned Rione, getting a slight sense of deja vu, right before loud crashes rang out from outside the building, followed by a couple of cries of pain, before the door was blown off its hinges and came flying in, crashing onto the floor and skidding forward.
"What the-...?" Began one of the other Knights, before trailing off as several Spells came shooting in through the open doorway.
Rione quickly stepped forward and fired out lightning bolts, canceling out most of the incoming attacks, before multiple ice arrows came shooting out from behind him, intercepting the remaining Spells and dissipating them.
"What's going on!?"
"The hell just happened!?"
"I think it's pretty obvious that we're under attack," Remarked Rione with a grimace, before he shot towards the entrance as he brought out his hammer from his Storage Ring, lightning crackling around it as he shot forward and leapt out the doorway, grimacing as he spotted several hooded figures scattered around the area outside the Knight outpost, launching attacks around at the civilians in the vicinity.
He then shot forward at top speed, before leaping out in front of a woman and swinging his hammer across as a water arrow came shooting towards her, a sharp sizzle ringing out as the head of his hammer slammed across the arrow, the lightning coating the hammer vaporizing the arrow.
Rione then fired out a rapid bolt of lightning at the hooded figure who'd fired the attack, who tried to scramble away but was too slow to react, an excruciating yell of pain ringing out as the lightning bolt struck the middle of the figure's neck and burst out the back of his neck.
The figure collapsed onto his knees as the scorched hole through his neck crackled sharply, wisps of smoke billowing out as he fell over and slumped against the dirt.
"Are you alright, Miss?" Inquired Rione, as he glanced back at the woman.
"Y-yes, I'm okay, thanks to you..."
"Good, I'm glad to hear it. You need to get away from this area, and quickly. Can you walk?"
"I-I can, yes," She nodded as she shakily got back onto her feet, before hurrying away.
Rione then turned his gaze forward as a spear of earth came shooting towards him, starting to raise his hammer before a rapid ice arrow zipped down from the top of the Knight outpost, hitting the middle of the earth spear and shattering it before it could reach Rione.
Arren then teleported out of the building, appearing behind one of the hooded figures, who quickly spin around and swung a sword across at Arren's head, who swiftly ducked under the slash before reaching out and grabbing the figure's arm.
He tightened his grip before teleporting several meters up into the air, letting go of the figure and giving him a swift kick onto the middle of his torso, knocking him away.
The figure let out an alarmed cry as he began to plummet, as did Arren, before quickly teleported to the top of a nearby building as several Spells came shooting up towards him, right as the figure he'd dropped hit the ground with a splat, streaks of blood spraying out and splattering across the dirt.
The remaining figures fanned out further, keeping their distance as Rione then unleashed several intense, crackling streaks of dancing lightning towards them from the head of his hammer, the lightning streaks charring jagged, burned trails across the ground as they shot towards the hooded figures rapidly.
"Hm? Strange...they were attacking quite aggressively initially, but they're being more cautious and defensive now. However, it doesn't seem like they're trying to retreat. They're focusing on blocking and evading our attacks, they're likely operating on strict instructions...yes, I'm getting the impression that they're justtrying to buy time and keep us occupied. I don't like this, whatever they're upto, it can't be good," Surmised Rione warily, as the figures narrowly evaded or blocked his lightning, while also dodging Quila's arrows and unleashing Spells around themselves to keep Arren from getting close.
"They're pretty well organized, Captain. None of them seem particularly strong, but their defense and coordination are decent," Remarked Arren, as he teleported beside Rione.
"Yes, I noticed...I think it's likely that at least a few of them are former Knights, among those who were expelled from the Order. Still, as solid as their defenses are, this won't be enough to keep us as bay for long. I'll launch a large-scale Spell and exterminate them," Rione declared, as he began charging lightning into the head of his hammer, intense sparks bursting out and crackling violently.
"Didn't the Commander say that we should try to capture some of them to interrogate?"
"Oh, er...right, yes, thank you for reminding me. Alright, then...I'll have to hold back a bit to ensure that I don't wipe out all of them in a single attack..."
Meanwhile, in Amethyst City...
"That's enough. You've spilled enough blood, leave now or suffer the consequences," Remarked Fyre, as he approached a group of about twenty hooded figures that had shown up in the city.
He had two First-Class Knights, Cleaza Opera and Kia Werfer, accompanying him, while the rest of the Knights in the city were busy evacuating the citizens.
"Th-there's so many of them...," Muttered Kia nervously.
"You say that, but as soon as you start fighting, you'll start having the time of your life and change your tune real fast," Responded Cleaza wryly.
"How disgraceful, you would really fight your fellow Nobles to protect lowly Commoners? And while fighting alongside a Commoner, no less," Scoffed one of the hooded figures, as he glanced at Kia, who shrunk back timidly.
"I see, so you won't listen to reason. Alright, then, you two...eliminate them. But keep two or three of them alive for questioning," Instructed Fyre, before whipping his spear across and firing out a rapid, slashing wave of flames towards the hooded figures.
They quickly scattered as the Spell sliced through the air towards them with immense speed, narrowly getting out of the way before one of them cried out in pain as the flaming slash struck his right arm and sliced through, scorching the stump shut at it severed his forearm, which hit the ground with a thud, wisps of smoke flowing out around the seared stump.
The figures then spread out and surrounded the trio, before unleashing a barrage of Spells in towards them in unison.
Fyre swiftly spun his spear around to block out the attacks, while Cleaza used her sword to deflect and parry the Spells. Meanwhile, Kia evaded the attacks with the help of her Detection Magic, before turned her gaze back as one of the hooded figures came charging in towards her from behind, with a spear poised to strike, wind swirling around the blade.
"Die, you wretched Commoner!" He exclaimed as he leapt forward and drove the spear towards the middle of her back.
As the blade closed in on her, his eyes widened in alarm as she swiftly turned her body across, the spear whizzing past the front of her stomach before she reached out and grabbed the handle of the spear with her left hand, a smirk spreading out across her lips as she drew out one of her twin blades with her right hand.
"You're way too slow!" She exclaimed, before letting out a laugh as she whipped the blade across and slit the man's throat before he could react, an agonized choked gasp ringing out as blood streamed out of his neck and ran down his chest.
She then got down low as another of the hooded figures shot towards her, before Cleaza fired out a piercing beam of light, hitting the middle of the figure's chest and bursting out his back before he could react.
"D-damn it, we need to kill that Commoner!"
"Let's rush her and-...!"
"No, keep your composure! Remember our orders! Keep your distance and attack from afar!" Called out one of the hooded figures.
"Hm? Orders? Strange...that makes it sound like they aren't here to kill us. Are they just a diversion, then? I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Fyre thought to himself with a wary grimace...