Chapter 122: King Temple Burning
The first explosion still echoed through the city. Arthur didn’t hesitate. He immediately pointed Dusk toward the King’s Temple.
"Temple first!" he shouted.
Everyone instantly followed. The glowing streets blurred beneath their feet. Goblin citizens hurried out of the way. Children stared as Arthur’s group sprinted past.
Behind them, another explosion shook the city. Stone rained from rooftops. A pillar of flames burst above the Temple.
Eden held onto Arthur’s collar. "That’s definitely not normal," she said.
Arthur nodded. "No," he said. "Something forced them out."
As they rounded the final corner, the Temple came into view and the front entrance was gone. Half the staircase had collapsed and smoke poured from every doorway.
The pillars collapsed, the crystal windows burst apart, and flames climbed the Temple walls. Even the King’s banners caught fire.
The Temple itself seemed to be burning.
Then, roooooooar!!
One Blazefang Lion burst through.
Then another.
Then five.
Then ten.
Within seconds, thirty blazing lions poured from the Temple like a tidal wave of fire, their flaming paws cracking stone with every leap, scattering burning embers across the road.
Several smashed straight through abandoned market stalls. Others vaulted rooftops entirely. One crashed through a fountain before climbing back out, steam hissing off its fur.
Arthur immediately realized something. "They’re scattering," he said.
Mara Blazefang Lion beside them growled low in its throat. "They aren’t hunting," it said. "They’re fleeing."
Arthur watched one of the lions.
It wasn’t looking at them.
It kept glancing back toward the Temple.
Almost as though something inside terrified it more than death.
Arthur’s expression sharpened. "Something inside scared the Blazefang Lions," he said.
Even Sun stopped smiling. "I don’t like that sentence," he said.
Arthur immediately pointed. "Split them apart!"
Athena sprinted first and she planted Aegis between two stone buildings.
BOOM!
Three charging lions crashed into the shield together. The impact shook the street. Instead of breaking through, they were forced sideways, skidding into an empty road away from the nearby homes.
Sun rushed past her and Long spun in a silver blur.
The first lion lunged.
WHAM!
The staff struck its shoulder.
[Point Shockwave]
The invisible blast erupted through its body, throwing it across the street before it could reach a family trying to escape.
"Kong!"
The monkey launched from Sun’s shoulder. He landed directly on another lion’s back and with both hands, he grabbed its flaming mane.
He spun once.
Twice.
Then hurled the massive beast through an abandoned market stall and wood exploded into the air. Above them, Athy darted through the smoke and she swooped low across another lion’s face.
The furious beast chased after her without thinking.
"Now!"
Mara lowered her spear.
Her Blazefang Lion answered with a deafening roar and fire gathered inside its mouth. A blazing beam erupted across the street.
BOOOOOOM!
The beam struck the distracted lion square in the chest, sending it skidding across the road in a shower of sparks. Mara’s mount charged immediately after it and she leaned low over its back.
Her spear flashed. The point pierced through the lion’s shoulder as both beasts rushed past one another. Without slowing down, her partner spun around and released another torrent of flames, forcing two more lions away from a crowded street.
Nearby, when a lion lunged, Melo side-stepped its claws before one of her tails flashed and then another.
Slash!
Slash!
Deep crimson lines appeared across the lion’s legs before it even realized she had passed. It collapsed onto the street.
Another charged from the side.
Melo’s eyes glowed softly and the beast slowed. Its furious roar faded into a confused yawn and it stumbled forward another step...
Before collapsing into a deep sleep.
Without even looking back, Melo flicked all four tails again. The sharpened tails sliced across another lion rushing toward a group of Goblin civilians.
Golden light shimmered around her.
The streets twisted.
Five more lions suddenly saw open roads where solid buildings actually stood.
Completely fooled, they sprinted after the illusion, disappearing into empty plazas instead of crowded neighborhoods.
Arthur smiled. "Nice," he said.
Melo grinned proudly. "I know," she said.
Then, boooooooooom!!
The Temple exploded again.
Everyone looked up.
The entrance collapsed further, stone bursting outward. And the flames inside the Temple suddenly bent outward. Heavy footsteps echoed through the burning entrance.
Boom.
Another step.
Boom.
The stone floor cracked beneath its weight.
A giant silhouette slowly emerged from the smoke. Its mane flowed like molten gold and flames rolled across every muscle of its body. Each breath released waves of heat that distorted the air around it. It stepped onto the ruined staircase and the stone began to melt.
The Blazefang Lions immediately lowered themselves.
None of them dared look at it.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "...Chief."
The Blazefang Lion that was beneath Mara trembled. "... Our leader is here."
The Chief roared, and the sound alone shattered nearby windows. Then its mane erupted, a wave of fire sweeping through the street.
Market stalls ignited instantly.
Wooden balconies burst into flames.
Smoke swallowed the road, and Goblin civilians screamed as they ran for cover.
Arthur’s eyes immediately tracked every escape route. "Mithra," he said.
She was already walking forward. "I know," she said, smiling. "I’ve been waiting."
Without warning, the Chief disappeared.
A wall of fire rushed toward Arthur.
He raised Dusk.
CLANG!
Burning claws slammed into his spear and the impact forced Arthur backward. His boots carved trenches through the stone as he struggled to stop himself.
The Chief pressed forward.
Another claw.
Arthur twisted.
The strike ripped through the air inches from his face before smashing into a nearby wall. As the stone exploded, the Chief opened its jaws and descended. Arthur barely ducked beneath snapping fangs before kicking off the ground and retreating.
"...Fast."
Before the Chief could continue, gold flashed. Mithra appeared and slipped beneath another claw.
Then with half a turn, Kusa flashed and cut into the Blazefang Lion. A thin red line appeared across the Chief’s shoulder. The lion spun immediately with its claws chasing her through the street.
Left.
Right.
Down.
Every attack missed by less than an inch.
Mithra smiled the entire time. "You’re slow."
The Chief roared.
Arthur smiled. "Got you," he said.
He thrust.
[Armor Piercing].
The lion twisted, barely avoiding the spear but Arthur’s spear never stopped moving. One thrust, then another, neither one was meant to hit. The Chief dodged each attack with ease, its burning claws carving through the air toward Arthur.
To anyone watching...
Arthur looked like he was losing ground.
But Mithra’s smile only widened as she watched the tiny shift of Arthur’s right foot. A slight turn of his shoulder and the angle of Dusk. That was all she needed as she disappeared.
The Chief lunged toward Arthur.
At the exact same instant—
Gold flashed behind it before Kusa swept across its hind leg.
The massive beast stumbled.
Arthur never looked back. "I knew you’d see it."
Mithra laughed. "You make your traps way too obvious."
Arthur grinned. "Only to you."
The Chief suddenly realized it had stepped exactly where Arthur wanted. And then a golden figure of King Mu appeared with his golden spear thrusting forward, forcing the Chief to jump to the side. But that opened it up for the second massive spear that descended.
And it struck the Chief in its side, making it roar out in pain as it crashed through a building. But then a river of flames burst out from the rubble, rushing towards them.
Arthur shouted, "Mithra!"
She was already moving towards the river of fire.
Sun’s eyes widened. "She’s insane," he said.
At the very last instant, Mithra tilted her body sideways. The torrent brushed across her shoulder. A single strand of blueish-purple and pink hair burned away. Nothing else as she passed through the edge of the inferno.
Like it had never existed.
The Chief froze and its pupils shrank as it couldn’t understand what just happened.
Mithra smiled. "My turn."
She vanished in one flash. Then another, and another as Kusa danced through the air. The Chief swung wildly but every claw struck empty air, every bite caught nothing, and every counter came a second too late.
By the time Mithra stopped moving, she stood quietly behind the Chief and then she flicked Kusa once.
Only then...
Twelve crimson lines slowly opened across the Chief’s body.
Blood erupted all at once.
Sun blinked. "...That’s terrifying."
Arthur laughed. "A little. Still, show off," he said.
Mithra smirked. "You sound jealous," she said.
The Chief twisted violently as its burning tail swept across the entire street.
"Mithra!" Arthur threw himself forward. "Jump!"
She didn’t even look and trusted his voice completely. Mithra kicked off the ground while Arthur dropped beneath her.
Golden light erupted overhead.
[Guardian Shield]
The burning tail crashed into the barrier.
BOOOOOOM!
Cracks spread across the shield.
Arthur’s knees bent under the pressure. But it still held on and while still airborne, Mithra planted one foot on Arthur’s shoulder.
She launched herself even higher and the Chief never looked up. Kusa descended as she slashed out multiple strikes.
One across the mane,
A second across the shoulder.
A third straight across one eye.
The Chief staggered backward with a furious roar.
Arthur smiled. "Perfect," he said.
She landed, never even looking at Arthur. "Obviously," she said.
The Chief became furious after that. Its entire mane exploded, flames erupting everywhere. Buildings ignited. Wooden carts caught fire. Smoke swallowed entire streets.
Arthur immediately changed priorities. "Civilians first!" he shouted.
He rushed over towards the goblins across a collapsing building and then threw his spear to blast the walls that were falling apart. Then he thrust out his hand to catch the roof and Athena joined as well, and together they held the roof long enough for Goblin children to escape through the door beneath it.
One tiny Goblin stopped and looked back. "Thank you, Prophet!"
Arthur smiled. "No problem, now keep going!"
Meanwhile Mithra fought alone.
The Chief attacked, but she never blocked and simply moved through its attack.
One inch.
Half a step and a turn.
A spin.
Every claw missed.
Every bite hit empty air.
Every flame brushed her clothes but never touched skin.
Sun watched from a distance. "How is she doing that?" he said.
Arthur answered while deflecting a stray fireball. "Practice," he said.
The Chief leaped, its mouth becoming an enormous fireball, and fired downward. The entire street vanished inside flames, smoke filling everything. Nobody could see anything for a couple of seconds.
And the Chief grin, believing in its victory.
Then one silhouette walked out of the inferno and the Chief eyes widened in disbelief. It was Mithra with a faint smile, she was completely unharmed. Not even smoke clung to her clothes.
She brushed a little ash from one shoulder and smiled. "My turn," she said.
She disappeared, and the next instant Kusa flashed twelve times in rapid succession. The Chief staggered, cuts appearing across its entire body all at once. Only then did the blood finally erupt.
Arthur watched carefully. "Now," he said.
"Now."
Arthur rushed first as the Chief lowered its head and charged. Arthur thrust out his spear, deliberately wide. The Chief twisted to avoid the obvious attack, exactly as he expected.
"Now!"
A gold flash appeared behind it before Kusa plunged deep into the back of its shoulder. The lion stumbled and its balance broke. Arthur planted his foot before he thrust out his spear, piercing through its hide.
[Guardian Strike]
Then the golden figure of King Mu appeared with a spear thrusting down through the Chief other shoulder and then another massive spear pierced through its back .
Before it could recover—
Blue light flooded Dusk.
[Armor Piercing].
Mana gathered around the spear.
[Magic Burst].
And then the magic inside of the spear erupted! The Chief released a roar before it was blasted back, crashing into a building and then not moving. The flames covering the Chief slowly began to fade.
Every remaining Blazefang Lion stopped fighting instantly.
Mara Blazefang Lion slowly walked forward. "It is over," it said.
The surviving lions lowered their heads. Some quietly walked back toward the forest. Others simply lay down where they stood.
Arthur watched them. "They never wanted this," he said.
The Blazefang Lion nodded. "No," it said. "They were escaping."
"Was it the same for you?"
"...Yes."
Mara’s expression softens and she lays a kiss on the lion’s face. "Not anymore... Leo."
The Blazefang Lion blinked and then said. "Did you..."
"Yep, I’m sorry for taking so long. But I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be name after being forced... But I really don’t want to part with you. So I was hoping if it’s fine for you to stay with me... Please?"
The Blazefang Lion blinked before smiling and rubbing its head against Mara’s face. "Thank you... Partner. Leo is a fine name."
Mara beamed as she hugged Leo tightly.
Arthur smiled but then an ear-splitting sound echoed out.
Boooooooooom!!
The entire city shook, harder than before.
Dust rained from nearby buildings.
Another impact followed and then another.
Everyone instinctively looked toward the walls. The newly awakened walls trembled, and Goblin warriors shouted from above.
A goblin sprinted toward them. "The walls!" he shouted. "The Beasts have reached the walls!"
Arthur immediately looked toward the horizon. Even from here he could hear it, dozens of claws striking stones and countless roars.
The siege had begun.
Arthur spun Dusk once before resting it on his shoulder and smiled. "Looks like our real battle is finally here," he said.