Death Knight

'Nao, everyone... What are they doing here? When I said I leave the rest to you, this isn't what I meant you damn idiot! No, more importantly...' Keita's eyes shifted from the rest of the party to Morran.

"Dark moon Force!" the Elder Lich cast the spell before Keita realized. A dark energy came out of his staff, directly hitting Keita.

Keita felt like he was pushed by a wall made out of wind. He never heard of this spell before but he knew of similar ones. He flew all the way to the rest of the party, hitting the ground. The spell was just a simple push so he didn't suffer any damage expect from the fall, but through Morran's skillful targeting, he ended up falling on his broken arm.

"Urghh!" Keita let out a grunt, as he clenched his teeth as hard as he could.

"You alright?" Nao asked, as he brought himself between Keita and the Lich, protecting him with his shield.

"You damn idiot..." Keita said in a low voice, gripping his broken arm. "What are you doing here? We aren't in any shape to fight." he glanced to his comrades.

Koba had his bronze war hammer over his shoulder and was wearing a confident smile. It was a facade though. Keita could clearly see, the drops of sweat on his forehead. Lia was also visibly exhausted. She was slowly regenerating mana but she still had long ways to go before she could cast another Spell. Anne on the other hand, was even worse off. She was clinging to her sword. Even running all the way to here has taken a great toll.

When Keita's gaze shifted to Reika, she looked away. Keita couldn't read her expression but he could understand that she felt guilt. He knew what guilt looked like better than anyone after all. He saw it every time he looked at his own reflection.

Keita was smiling for some reason. He kept cursing Nao and the others for their stupidity but for some reason he couldn't help but smile.

'I am fortunate to have met you all.' the thought crossed his mind. He finally pushed himself to his feet, drew his blade and activated Haste and Shroud.

"How very disappointing." the Elder Lich remarked. "Well, I guess I'll just pick whatever is left of you. Struggle as you may, Aerch Militia. Death Knight!" Morran shouted, before entering an oval portal, made of a dark liquid like substance.

The party quickly huddled together in a formation. Keita, Anne and Nao in the front, Reika, Koba and Lia in the back. Nao was one step forward from Keita and Anne and so was Koba, from Lia and Reika, making this formation look like two arrow heads.

"Can you hear anything?" Keita asked. The one he was talking to, was obviously Reika, with the superior hearing.

"Eh!?" Reika was surprised for a moment. She didn't expect Keita to talk to her at this time - not for a long time actually. "No, nothing..." she answered.

The party well all in full alert. Before Morran retreated he obviously gave an order. Undead, only possessed fragments of souls which end up becoming a crystal which was their core. As most of them turned Undead after the proper ceremony has taken place, as to not come back as Demons, they only possessed fragments of a soul, like a container that once had liquid inside. That was also the case for Undead that were turned right after their death. Their souls were too weak and end up breaking in pieces, leaving only fragments. But when a necromancer finds a corpse which was in the process of turning into a Demon, it can turn into the highest level of Undead - other than the Elder Lich - Death Knight or Life Hunter. Those two Undead, were thought of as a calamity, their power surpassing that of a regular Demon's.

Before long, Keita and the others heard the sound of footsteps that made the earth tremble. The sky was turning grey, as the sun was about to rise, revealing it's form. A black skeleton, over three meters tall, with black shield, armor, helmet and curved sword. It's bones did not resemble a human in the slightest. Like Demons, Death Knight's had unique characteristics. This one had horns in both sides of it's head and it's teeth were sharp and long. It's whole appearance has been darkened from the black magic power of the Demons and it's body changed. It's shield and sword were even bigger than Nao. One shield bash, or one swing of the sword, would kill anyone of them instantly. That's what it felt standing in front of this freak.

"Do we run?" Koba tried to remain calm as best as he could when he asked.

"No, we are already surrounded. Our only chance is to fight. Luckily for us, the rest of the Undead, aren't going to come any closer or the Death Knight won't be able to fight to it's full potential." Keita thought, as he remembered the Dragon Welzour. It was the same at that time. Even allies kept their distance.

"You call this luck?" Anne said disdainfully.

Indeed, this couldn't be called luck.

"Lia, don't use Magic Bullet. It has no effect on this thing. Our only chance, it's to cut off it's limps and crush it to dust." Keita said. It was infuriating to him to see a Death Knight. The same way, humans hated Demons, Demons hated Death Knights and Life Hunters. They were like murdered baby Demons to them. Even after becoming human, many biases were still imprinted in Keita's heart.

The Death Knight let an otherworldly howl and charged towards them, stomping it's feet to the ground.

Nao was the first to move. Anne and Keita followed him, moving in a large arc, trying to flank it. The instance Nao entered it's range, the Death Knight swung it's sword with a speed that didn't match it's size.

"Fortress!" Nao shouted and a red magic power enveloped him.

When the Death Knight's blade met with Nao's shield, it was repelled with a loud sound, as if all the attack's force was returned to it. The Death Knight's grip didn't fail but it's hand was pushed over it's head thanks to the Skill, throwing the Death Knight out of balance. Keita's attack soon followed. The Death Knight didn't miss it though. It blocked the blow with it's giant shield but Keita's sword couldn't be stopped by something like this. Thanks to Shroud, he was able to cut through the shield, he made a whole with his thrust. Before the thrust could find a target, the Death Knight with a simple move of it's hand, threw Keita to the air.

'The real attack is only coming now!' Keita thought, as he noticed Anne behind it's leg.

With a diagonal slash, Anne's sword met with bone and... the blade stopped. She couldn't cut through.

"Anne, run for it!" Keita shouted as panic overcame him.

'How could I let Anne who is the most injured carry the most responsibility? This is bad!' he thought, as his feet landed on the ground. He wasn't going to make it.

The Death Knight swung it's sword over head towards Anne.

"Magic Barrier!" Lia just finished casting the Spell.

A magic bubble, surrounded Anne and when the humongous blade met with the bubble, it stopped. If it wasn't for Lia's keen perception and judgement, Anne would have met her end at that moment. Keita silently praised the Mage in his head.

"Koba, swap with Anne!" he shouted. No matter what Anne may say, she wasn't in any shape to fight.

Nao, seeing the Death Knight preoccupied, charge at it with his shield.

"Shield Bash!" he howled.

The Death Knight, managed once again to defend with it's shield but was pushed one step back by the Defender's Skill and raw power. That made an opening for Anne to slip and trade places with Koba.

Keita moved towards the Death Knight, sneaking a glance to the back. Lia was on her knees. That was most likely the end of her mana. Reika was trying to pull an arrow, fighting through the pain but her hands were too unsteady. At this rate, she was going to hit someone else instead of her target. Anne just made it back and she also seemed ready to collapse.

"Nao, Koba! You understand don't you?" Keita shouted.

"Hell yeah!" Nao responded spirited.

"Of course!" Koba said, pushing his glasses with his index finger.

"Alright!" Keita said, and attacked with a smile.

The women of the party were both skilled and strong. There was no question of that. But men were men. They always wanted to show off in front of women and protect them. And now was the time to do that. Koba and Nao were thinking the same thing as Keita. Now was the time to show the women they are capable of protecting them.

Koba came from the left and Keita from the right. Nao was keeping the Death Knight's attention from the front. They had the giant Undead completely surrounded. It glanced to it's left and right. It's gaze rested on Nao. It held it's swapped it's shield with it's sword, putting the shield towards Keita and held it's sword overhead, preparing to attack Nao. Nao lowered his stance, prepared to take the attack but with a quick maneuver the sword came crashing towards Koba. Koba tried defending with his bronze hammer over his head.

"Allocate Damage!" Nao shouted as the sword came crushing down.

The Hammer's handle was bend and Koba was on the ground but he looked completely fine. Instead, it was Nao who was coughing blood.

"Nao!" Koba shouted.

The Defender's legs almost crumbled but he slammed his shield to the ground to keep standing.

"This is nothing." he said, as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

Keita jumped to the air. With a swing carrying all his weight and strength, he hit the Death Knight's shield, cutting it in half.

The Undead, let a howl that pierced everyone's ears. Some of it's fingers were cut with that attack as well.

"Nao, Koba! Go recover for now. I'll keep it busy for a while." Keita said.

"I am still-" Koba complained but he was interrupted.

"I need a Defender more than a Berserker." Keita said.

Koba immediately understood. Keita's plan was to have Koba heal Nao, while he kept the Death Knight busy.