Knights

"Lady Chiyo, we've reached the border of the Land of Rain! What are your orders?" a Sand shinobi asked, kneeling on one knee with his head lowered.

"Split into five squads and attack the Land of Rain from five directions!" Chiyo ordered, gazing into the distance.

"Yes!" Hundreds of Sand shinobi quickly split into five squads and advanced from different points along the border of the Land of Rain!

Hard at work in the fields, Yamada was delighted by this year's fine weather. His wife and children would surely have enough to eat! He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked up at the sky, and grinned happily!

After a brief rest, he lowered his gaze, his eyes still slightly dazzled by the sun, and prepared to get back to work. Suddenly, dark shapes flashed past nearby. He looked over carefully, on alert, and saw more than twenty figures in earth-yellow shinobi clothing rushing toward the village!

Yamada's heart lurched. He immediately dropped his hoe and ran toward the village!

"Help! Help! More shinobi are coming! Everyone, hurry back!" Hearing his shouts, the other villagers hastily dropped their tools and ran back to the village with him!

Axel and the others had been about to head out to help with the work. Seeing the villagers rushing into the village in a panic, they stopped one of them and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Axel, more shinobi are coming! They look like Sand shinobi!" Alarmed, Axel called out, "Everyone, stay calm! Don't scatter! Head for the church! There's a protective barrier there that can keep you safe! Don't worry. We Holy Light Clerics will protect you!"

The villagers, who had been running around like headless chickens, suddenly had a destination. They swarmed toward the church!

"Yui, hurry back to the church and ring the alarm! Tell the villagers to take shelter there, and notify the boss! The other Holy Light Clerics should get their weapons and prepare for battle!"

"Yes!" Everyone hurried back to the church and quickly donned their equipment!

Clang! Clang, clang! The alarm bell rang urgently, and the villagers still at home rushed to the church! After a flurry of panicked footsteps, most of the villagers stood panting, looking in confusion at those who had arrived first. As the early arrivals all talked at once to explain what had happened, fear gripped the crowd!

Fully equipped, Axel looked at the anxious villagers and said firmly, "Everyone, don't worry! I promise that not a single person here will be harmed! Yui, activate the barrier!"

As the Light Curtain rose, the uneasy villagers felt a little reassured!

The elder stepped forward. "Axel, are you going out to fight?"

Axel nodded calmly.

"Then please be careful!"

"Don't worry, Elder! We'll honor our promise!" With that, the three of them walked out through the Light Curtain!

Several newly recruited knights watched their retreating backs and couldn't help stepping forward. "Captain Axel, we'll come too!"

Axel looked at the Holy Light Clerics who had yet to reach level ten and waved them back. "No need. You've only just gained the power of holy light, and you haven't even learned any skills yet. Going out there would be suicide. Stay in the church and maintain the barrier! Watch closely and learn how Holy Light Clerics fight!"

"Bishop Ria, something's wrong!" Ria, who had been revising documents, was startled when the door suddenly burst open. "What happened?"

"A group of shinobi has arrived at Peace Village, where Captain Axel is stationed! There may be a battle!" the female priest guarding the church said loudly!

"Send word immediately! Gather all level twenty Holy Light Clerics and prepare to reinforce Peace Village!" Ria hurriedly put down her documents. "Be quick! I'll go ahead!"

"Yes!" The female priest immediately turned and went to notify the Holy Light Clerics who were training!

"Ria, what's wrong?" Meli hurried over as well!

"Meli, I'm heading to Peace Village right away. Shinobi are attacking it. I'm leaving the church's affairs to you!"

"How can I stay behind? I'm coming too! I'm a level thirty priest, after all!"

"No, Meli. A high-level Holy Light Cleric must remain at the church! If enemies approach, someone needs to be here to take charge!"

Seeing Ria's resolute expression, Meli remained anxious, but she knew Ria was right. She nodded earnestly. "All right, Ria. I'll protect our home!"

"Captain Rasa, the weather here is strange. It's still rainy not far away, but this little village is bathed in sunshine!"

"It is strange. We'll question the villagers shortly." Rasa nodded gravely. "And remember to leave no loose ends. We can't let the villagers reveal anything about us!"

"Understood, Captain!"

The group kicked open the locked doors and began searching from house to house.

"Captain, there's nobody here!"

"Keep moving forward, and stay alert. Something's strange about this village!"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Captain Rasa, look! There's a barrier up ahead!"

Hearing his subordinate's shout, Rasa immediately looked in the direction he was pointing. A Light Curtain enclosed a strange building! Outside it, three figures in sleek, fully enclosed silver-white armor guarded the entrance, carrying large shields and riding giant white wolves over two meters tall.

Rasa gently waved forward, signaling everyone to follow and prepare for battle!

Watching the shinobi draw closer, Axel frowned slightly. "Sand shinobi. Looks like we're in for a tough fight!" He looked back at Yui. "Yui, get inside the barrier. We may have to charge at full force soon, and we might not be able to look after you. You can support us with buffs from inside. Remember to hit them with an area debuff first!"

"Yes, Axel. Be careful too. If anything goes wrong, get back within my casting range right away!"

"Yes, I know!" The other two members nodded silently as well.

As the two sides drew closer, an oppressive tension spread through the air!

"Captain, they're just ordinary cavalry! Ha! I thought they were shinobi from some other nation!" a Sand shinobi sneered!

"Idiot. What nation's cavalry rides summoned beasts?" Rasa rebuked him coldly!

The laughing Sand shinobi shut his mouth, somewhat annoyed. Still, he wasn't convinced. Who knows where they caught those wild wolves!

"Who are you?" Rasa asked sternly!

"Sand shinobi, what are you doing in the Land of Rain? Are you planning to go to war with the Land of Rain?" Instead of answering Rasa's question directly, Axel demanded an explanation!

A vicious gleam flashed in Rasa's eyes. "The puny Land of Rain dares speak of war with our Great Nation of Wind? Do you think the few of you can stop us Sand shinobi from completing our mission? Ha! Ridiculous!"

As Rasa burst out laughing, the Sand shinobi behind him joined in with raucous laughter!

"Hmph! You shinobi know nothing but slaughter. How could you understand our faith in holy light? Today, you'll either get out of this village yourselves or trample over our corpses!" Axel declared firmly.

"Then die! Everyone, kunai with explosive tags! Throw!" At Rasa's command, all the Sand shinobi quickly drew kunai fitted with explosive tags and hurled a dense barrage at Axel and the others.

"Shield of Courage!" Three enormous shields, each over two meters tall, rose before Axel and his companions, blocking most of the incoming kunai!

Boom! Boom! Fiery explosions erupted around the great shields, blasting cracks across their golden surfaces!

As the shields shattered and dust filled the air, Axel and the others instantly opened a gap between them. "Yui!"

"Silent Lamb!" A ray of light shot through the dust toward Rasa. His hands rapidly formed hand seals. "Magnet Release: Gold Dust Barrier!" Just as Rasa thought he had blocked it, the ray pierced his barrier and struck him. Shocked, he tried to dodge.

Poof! A puff of white smoke rose, and a little white lamb appeared where Rasa had been standing.

"Baa... baa!"

The surrounding Sand shinobi panicked. What kind of sorcery was this?

"Mass Holy Light Immobilization Technique!" A ball of light suddenly flew from behind Axel and his companions toward the Sand shinobi!

"Scatter!"

Boom! Golden light burst amid the Sand shinobi!

The Sand shinobi were just about to leap away and break formation, but their movements slowed as though time itself had been delayed! They crouched and jumped as slowly as seventy-year-old men!

"Holy Knight Weapon Transformation! Holy Spear Mode! Charge!" Axel and his two companions formed a triangle. A spear-shaped wave of light took shape around them, and they hurtled toward the sluggish Sand shinobi!

"Aah... aah!"

Axel and his companions tore through the Sand shinobi, carving a bloody path through their ranks. Severed limbs and blood flew in every direction!

Poof!

Rasa recovered from his bewildered lamb form and looked around at the devastation among his men. In mere seconds, more than half of them had fallen!

"Damn you bastards! I'll make you pay! Everyone, prepare the Wind and Sand Technique!"

The Sand shinobi who had managed to scatter and escape quickly began forming hand seals!

Axel and his companions swiftly reined in their charging Holy Light Wolves and wheeled around. "Charge again! Don't give them a chance to form hand seals!"

"Hmph. Do you think you still have a chance?" Rasa said coolly. "Wind Release: Wind-Sand Dust!" A hurricane laden with sand and dust swept toward Axel and his companions as they charged straight ahead!

"Everyone, charge in a zigzag!"

"Axel, we can't dodge it! It's too fast!"

"Strengthen it with holy power! Force your way through!"

With nowhere to dodge, Axel and his companions expanded the cone-shaped wave of light that had tightly enclosed the three of them to twice its size, then slammed into the oncoming hurricane without hesitation!

"Axel!" Yui cried anxiously from the doorway!

As the wind and dust dispersed, Axel and his companions emerged covered in blood! The blade-like winds had carved wounds all over their bodies. At last, they slowed to a halt before the Church of the Holy Light!

"Oh, so you're just a few brats!" Rasa said in surprise. They were drenched in blood, and their once-pristine armor had been shredded by the hurricane, exposing their faces.

"Pah!" Axel spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. "Even if we're brats, don't think you'll get past us easily!"

Yui hurried out of the barrier and cast the Healing Technique, rapidly treating their injuries! She also placed a shield on each of them!

Rasa's eyes narrowed. Watching their severe wounds rapidly heal under a flash of light from the pink-haired girl, he couldn't help thinking of his mission to investigate holy water. He secretly signaled the shinobi behind him to capture the girl first!

Several Sand shinobi nodded slightly, then flickered out of sight behind Rasa!

Seeing the shinobi suddenly disappear, Axel's heart tightened. "Yui, get back inside!"

"Too late!" The Sand shinobi, who had already prepared their Wind and Sand Technique, spewed gusts of wind and sand from their mouths! Dust blanketed the entire battlefield!

Yui had been about to turn back, but the windblown sand made it impossible to open her eyes. She hurriedly tried to cast the Purification Technique with her Magic Staff to disperse the dust and clear Axel and his companions' vision!

Thud!

"Aah!" A sharp pain tore through Yui's stomach! Then a heavy blow struck her neck, and she collapsed unconscious.

"Heh heh, little girl! Stay quiet for a while!"

"Yui! Yui, what happened?" Hearing her scream, Axel shouted anxiously.

"Boy, you should worry about yourself!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Relying on his instinct for danger, Axel blocked the incoming kunai with his shield!

"Aah! Urgh!" Two muffled cries of pain rang out! Axel knew his two companions might have been injured!

"Everyone, back to back! Use War Stomp!"

"Yes, Captain Axel!" Recalling their positions, they swiftly changed formation and pulled on their reins. The giant wolves abruptly raised their forelegs, then slammed them down into the ground!

The Sand shinobi who had been about to launch close-range sneak attacks were caught off guard. It felt as though an immense weight had suddenly pressed down on them. Crack! Bones snapped out of place, and several shinobi who had come too close collapsed helplessly.

Then the earth shook violently. The shinobi casting their techniques farther away lost their balance and hastily stopped casting, retreating from the area!

As the techniques ceased, the clouds of sand and dust gradually settled.