Jugo was staring down Stella and the others.
Al, Luche and the clerics taking the position behind Klein Stella and Yel.
Jugo's intimidation was successful as despite being largely outnumbered, his opponents were not eager to make a move anytime soon.
"(tsk...this one, I feel in him something akin to a class Black threat...)" Stella thought as she's trying to think up a way out of this.
She examined her team's situation
"(But, I can't let my analysis slip into their minds, morale is already low enough as it is, mentioning a class Grey or Black will only make things worse)"
She looks at the forest ahead of them
"(A quick change of plans is required...unprepared we may be; we will have to get past him and rush into the forest. We can easily lose him in there)"
Then she stared at Jugo, who was grinning menacingly from ear to ear as he calmly stood in front of them
"(But I have a very strong feeling he's not going to make that easy)" Stella thought
"heh!! You may not be the one I'm after, but I like your look lassie!" Jugo said.
"Makes my blood boil!! Makes me want to crush you all beneath my feet. AND SO!"
In one quick action, Jugo armed his Spiked club and jumped high and forward towards the team
"!? LOOK OUT!!" Stella shouted as the team was getting ready to evade the incoming attack
"YOU'RE SLOW!! GGRUUUAARGHH" Jugo growls as he descended with a heavy stomp attack with his weapon.
The impact covered a very wide area as the team tried to dodge the attack
Some of the clerics were not quick enough as they were crushed by the club, the team was down to one cleric
"NOOOO!" she cried out to her lost comrades
"urgh...damn it...wrong call-"
Stella had no time for regret, as Jugo dashed past her towards Luche who was still unsettled
"huh!!!" stunned by the horrifying sight that emerged in front of her she could not move
"Hah! cough it up!" Jugo said, readying his attack.
"LUCHE!!!" Yel and Klein screamed as they tried to make their way towards her
But,
WHAM! a violent stroke of Jugo's spiked weapon collided heavily on her shoulder and waist as she tried to block the attack with her bow
The bow was shattered; you could hear the sound of her bones breaking as she was sent flying and crashing on the nearby carriage
Jugo stared at the area of impact, and frowns
"tch no scripture... I guess she was not the one I'm after heh" he turned around to the team, assuming his menacing grin once more.
Meanwhile the team was paralyzed by the sight of it all.
Luche was now seen lying flat on the ground, blood staining her body and the debris of the destroyed carriage
She was not moving
"Lu...Luche" Yel uttered, stretching his arm forward in disbelief
"AAAARGGHHHH!!!" cried Klein from behind as he took up his sword and shield, running towards the brute Jugo in anger
"I'll KILL YOU!!!"
"No! stay back!" Stella called out to him but her words were did not reach
"Al, protect the knight! Cleric, check on Luche now!!" she regained a bit of her focus and issued orders immediately to attempt to salvage the situation
"Heh!"
Jugo wanted to attack but an arrow towards his eye caused him to defend with his hand, the arrow couldn't pierce his tough flesh as it bounces off.
Then Klein goes for a cross attack, he defended effortlessly with his club
"hmph! not bad"
"Grrrr"
Klein's anger was boiling over, as he was using every ounce of his strength to put Jugo down.
"YEL! Get Leon!!!" Stella ordered.
"But Klein-"
"GO, NOW!" she shouted
"tsk" Yel reluctantly picked up the pace, heading towards Merika's carriage
Jugo half stared at him fleeing the scene
"Interesting... so there is my target!"
"Grrraaagh diieee!" Klein tried to force the attack but Jugo skillfully released his club, side stepped to dodge the attack, causing Klein to lose balance
"uh!?" the look in his eyes then said he messed up
"out of my way!"
Jugo gave him a solid punch on the stomach as he coughs out blood
"urk"
Then he followed up with a solid kick, connecting on Klein's jawbone, breaking his teeth and forcing him to crash on the ground, instant knockout
"!? im...impossible...a knight in one move..." Stella was terrified
But Jugo was not stopping there, as he assume a position, ready to leap forward towards Yel
As he was about to jump, he felt a grip on his leg
"hm!?" he looked down and saw a persistent Klein, bleeding but still trying to find the strength to stop him
"Y-you...you will pa-pay...for this..." he forcefully uttered
"The weak has no right to make demands"
Jugo smashed his head in the ground with his fist.
This time he was well and truly taken out of the picture
Stella's grip on her staff went weak, as she fell to the ground on her knees dropping her staff
Jugo terrifies her, and she can't think of a plan
Al releases more shots on Jugo but he kept on swatting them aside like flies
"Stella, my arrows are not working!!" Al said as he kept at it, but Jugo ignored him and was dashing towards the carriage Yel was heading to
"I...I can't...(I can't think of anything)" Stella's mind was conflicting, as she couldn't think up a strategy that can work
"(Leon...help us) LEON!!!"
She called out loudly as Jugo dashed past Yel who couldn't react fast enough
"uh!?" Yel surprised he was caught up with so quickly but-
Jugo's target was Merika's carriage
"Come out little scripture! GRUUUAARHHH!"
Jugo unleashed a heavy leap crush attack on the carriage as the impact caused dusts and debris to cloud the area
"no...LEEEEOON!!!" Stella cried out in tears, afraid of the prospect of losing Leon
Yel was speechless, he was late, he couldn't get to them on time
"I...I..." the words were not coming out.
"tsk..." Al dashing towards the area for support.
Then stopped midway after seeing what actually happened when the dust cleared.
"I see you still quiver in fear when your plans fall apart, Stella - your one true weakness." said the reassuring and calm voice of Leon, that resonated with everyone still standing
He had defended the crush attack from Jugo with his rune sword, using his main arm, while the other held Merika close, sheltering her from harm.
He wasn't budging an inch, as the attack was completely nullified, with only the carriage suffering damages
"Hohh..." Jugo was impressed
"Le...Leon..." Merika softly muttered, a little bit concerned but not particularly afraid
"A weakness we must remedy. But for now - hrngh!"
Leon deflected off Jugo's attack, pushing him back in the process as his rune sword lit up and hummed
"(I was pushed back!?) hahaha I think I'm going to have fun with you"
Jugo surprised as he stared at Leon, a wide satisfied grin formed on his face, but he wasn't exactly Leon's main concern at the moment.
"Stand up Stella! If you are out of tactics, I'll give you a new one and I'll make it simple"
Leon stared down Jugo who was relishing the opportunity to have a go at him
"Get Merika to saint Michloe's chapel, even if it costs you your life!" Leon commanded
A command that may have sounded desperate but because of the person it came from, it raised morale tenfold instead.
Stella slowly picked up herself up, then her staff.
She was steadily recovering her composure; standing up firm
"My apologies Leon. Please allow me to atone, by ensuring your command is realized" she said, with renewed determination.
Leon nodded, then turned back to Jugo.
"Al"
"Sir!" Al responded
"Coordinate with Stella, the mission is priority but ensure the cleric's safety as she takes care of the injured"
"Got it" Al confirms the decision and runs towards the cleric that was trying her hardest to keep Luche off death's door.
"Yel!" he called out fiercely
"uh!!" Yel's attention was fully drawn by Leon's commanding voice
"Remember the plan. I'm counting on you" he said softly to Yel
Yel was surprised it came to this
"(Leon...is counting on me? I thought he just entrusted Stella with...)" Yel turned to Stella, she nodded
"(...I see, Stella is also aware...)...tsk" Yel curled his fingers into a fist out of frustration
"(I...I couldn't...I can't do anything...I let my friends get hurt...I couldn't get to Leon on time...how are they still placing their faith in me...)"
Then, as if reading Yel's mind, Leon interrupted
"You're the only one I can trust with this; don't disappoint me, Yel Arki!" he said
Yel's doubt immediately dissipated.
He understood readily the importance of this request and the meaning behind Leon's words
"...(to repay their trust in kind)...Got it, Leon" Yel responded
Then with strong belief in his actions, he activated his skill
"Scout skill - Stealth, activate!" With that, Yel's presence vanished.
"hahahaha well well? are you done strategizing?" Jugo said with a confident outlook.
"I wouldn't want to face you with your attention divided, it'll ruin the feast heh" he said, placing his giant spike club behind his neck once more, leaving his tongue out intimidatingly.
"...Merika, go to Stella" Leon said
"But..."
Before she could protest, she noticed Leon's gaze and focus was fully fixated on Jugo.
Even he understood the threat they were facing.
"... I see. Please be careful"
Merika said, as she slowly left Leon's arms and then starts making her way towards Stella, watched by Jugo
"(So that's the lass with the true scripture...my target....however)"
Jugo turned back his attention to Leon
"(This one is strong, I will have to go through him first; perhaps I can let him handle the girl while I hold this one back) heh, I suck at this strategy thing. My only reason for coming here really was to fight someone strong, and lucky you-"
Jugo points at Leon
"You've been identified as my next prey heh!" he grins and arms his club, ready to attack
Leon strengthens his grip on his rune sword and takes a 2-handed stance, ready to retaliate
A tough battle was about to unfold, between one the strongest might of the adventurers and a violent brute of the shadow walkers