Into The Lighthouse

…

Marco managed to enter the tower unscathed. His heart pounds a lot, he's worrying his friend outside. "Scias, man… you gotta make it out, man," he said as he looked at the closed doors. Inside the lighthouse, the base floor reeks. There are debris lying on the floor but they're nothing too bothersome to be walked past.

"Geez, how long since this place is used, eh?" said Marco as he walked past the cracked debris on the floor. He's now in front of a ladder, he lets out a breath, "Bah… even the ladders are crooked."

He then climbs up the ladder onto the second floor. "Ooomph!" Marco clenches his nose out of stinky odor. The second floor's no better. The air is fouler and the room is filled with nasty rotten stuffs like moldy barrels, a bag of overripe food supplies, and more.

"This is even worse than my backyard… wait do I even have a backyard?"

The first floor and the second floor thus far don't have windows or any circulative gap on the wall, making the odor and the dirty air permanent. "Ooomph… do I bring a perfume for a chance…" Marco checks his pouch as his nose nearly gave up to the evil smell. "…gah, no luck. Guess I must hold out till I reach the top!" said Marco forcing his spirits. He then hopped over many rotten goods on the way to reach the ladder going up quickly.

"Okie-dokie, reached the ladder! Hooomp…" Marco holds himself from puking. "Ugh… this smell will kill me anytime now… probably poison might smell better than this hell hole," said Marco grumblingly as he climbed up.

The third floor is much friendlier, there are some gaps for outside air to come in and circulates the room. One smelly problem out of the way a 'fiery' problem coming right up, so thought Marco. He realized the outside air was hot as fire coming from the seaside port town was still lit ablaze and the ashes fly into the lighthouse. "Gah, at least this is better than diving in that smelly room!" said Marco.

The ladder going into the next floor is blocked by a big wooden box. Since he's not too bright into solving problem right now, he simply leans against the wall and uses his guns to shoot the box into disarray. As expected, the box was weak and breaks off easily. Marco climbed up the ladder that was made out of rope and nearly fell off due to how weak the ladder was.

When reaching the fourth floor, which is the top floor. He suddenly hears a roar of people coming from outside. Marco took a quick look outside through the windows and spotted a living battlefield nearby. "They're… mercenaries?" Marco realized that the rampaging fight below was brightly lead by a group of mercenaries massacring through the mage forces of the Fortis Kingdom.

"Hehe… Scias, man… you always had room to start a damn party, aren't ya, man?" Marco smiled fearlessly and dismisses them. He had one job to do, and that is to activate the 'thing' at the lighthouse. Sir Barts gave him a crystal like item that will be used here.

"Where….? Where-where-where, dammit!" Marco inspects and searches the top floor of the lighthouse. There doesn't seem to be a fitting place for the crystal…

A few minutes earlier…

…

"Heh… Call an ambulance… but not for me," said Scias ended with a grin. Fergus did not catch a meaning to what he meant so he commanded a full barrage at him. "FIRE AT WILL!"

Just before the fire magic launches, they're all cancelled as a surprise counterattack emerged suddenly from their behinds and killed half of the mage forces within seconds. Fergus and the mage leader were extremely surprised that their formation broke apart by a group of mercenaries.

"Since when…?" Fergus wondered.

"Take this ya retard!" a mercenary spun his staff and blew off some Fortis soldiers into the sea. In the next second, three mercenaries rampaged in and diced off many mages in their way. Fergus and the mage leader weren't able to react to the fast counterattack, they're eager to retreat now. The situation has turned sourly for the Fortis troops.

Just within seconds, their formation already broke. Shortly, Fergus receives a Contact spell from his master. "My lord,"

*Fergus, is it? What's going on out there? I saw a burst of wind blowing away our forces into disarray!*

"…" A short silence. Fergus could hardly answer his master, not because he's stunned, but it's because he's under heavy pressure from the counterattack. He swung his blade in retaliation but in result getting cut multiple times on his arm's surface until he cannot pick his sword from the ground anymore.

*FERGUS!* shouted the prince madly.

"…you were right, my lord… this island… is…"

Dictum froze as he heard Fergus' information. *Oi, Fergus! What's going on out there? Answer me!*

"My lord, my apologies for my impolite word, but I want thee to fire all of our cannons into the seaside port...!"

*...*

the prince cannot say anymore words. If Fergus had stated such word, it can only mean one thing: Their chance of winning is trembling apart. Without waiting any longer, the prince commanded his entire armada to prepare the next shot directly at the Seaside Port. The prince ended the contact, cutting communications with his aide.

"...thank you, my prince," Fergus thanked in his heart.

…

..

.

The mercenaries of Areda emerged out of nowhere thanks to Scias' hidden message. He caused his sword to glitter all this time thanks to the Shining Slash technique. The sword clash between Scias and Fergus previously made a light show denoting a morse code. The code translates to REQUEST IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE—SCIAS. Thankfully, the mercenaries realized the code and came in secret.

Fergus however, even being outnumbered by his opponents, he attempted to remain collected. He wanted to activate his mana sensors once more, but he felt it won't be helpful anymore, since mercenaries coming into the area, one by one.

"An outstanding move, I'd say… I never thought it may come to this," Fergus muttered. He then healed his arm a little so that he may pick his sword back. But the problem is that the healing magic he did was the last one, he couldn't do anymore. Without further ado, he grabbed his sword back and casted:

"Fire Arts – Phoenix Sword!"

"Geez! That old flicker had a fiery blade with 'em," said one mercenary. "You g-guys deal with the rest… I'll d-deal with this old man myself…" said Scias boldly.

"…Oh. Okay, then. Don't start whining if you lose the main party~!" said the mercenary leaving Scias. Scias then re-stance himself, in front of him stands a man that was supposed to be collapsed right now. But he forced himself into going this far.

"Using his element to fuse his sword… he's giving all he got, huh?" thought Scias to himself.

"You've forced my hand, tall guy… I am most displeased with this outcome of the fight. If not for that gun boy… I would've dominated all of you," said Fergus with anger.

"Heh, it's your fault to talk too much in the battlefield," said Scias mockingly. "Oh, I'll wipe that grin off your face…" Fergus replied roughly.

The battle starts once again, this time Fergus delivered a deadly blow with his flaming sword in hand towards Scias. He slashed multiple times in quick session but Scias meticulously avoided the incoming slash.

The last slash Fergus delivers was a miss, Scias quickly caught an opportunity and attacked back with a horizontal slash towards his face. Fergus managed to deflect it just in time as he draws out his dagger. Scias makes a fast footing and launched himself once again at the Fortis aide delivering three slashes at once. The aide narrowly deflected the sword strike but alas got knocked over by Scias suddenly kicking him in the belly hardly. Fergus was knocked quite far and hit flaming debris. His hair burns up and he begins to sound terribly hoarse.

He rose back up and delivers his final blow:

"Fire Arts – King's Flame!"

Within a blink of an eye, Fergus' dagger lit up in fire and he then launched at Scias faster than a cannonball round. He successfully tore a slash at Scias' body, he had high hopes for his fire to burn him down. "Grrgh…!"

"Got you, now burn alongside my fire!" shouted Fergus uncontrollably loud. Scias got knocked far, the fiery slash tore his lower chest, but he thought it as nothing much. He then pressed his damage which was lit up in flame forcefully, a few moments later he absorbed the fire that tries to burn him down. Fergus was captivated by this reality.

"H-HOW?!" he shouted crazily.

"Heh… think twice before trying to burn a Fire Elementalist with fire…!" Scias replied bravely.

"N-No way… I… I thought you're…!!! Grrrrgh! It doesn't matter, I'll just do it AGAIN!" Fergus ran and picked a random blade that stuck to the ground and charged at Scias. Scias prepared readily again.

"Fire Arts – King's Fla—*BANG *BANG

…Suddenly… two shots were unleashed, cracking the brightly lit morning sky which is filled with chaos. The bullets tore directly through Fergus' head. The source of shot… came from the top of the lighthouse.

Marco realized their fight and used his new Gun Skill: Focused Shot twice to accurately hit the Fortis aide.