【Story】Chapter 1: Ambush of the Demons

Ch. 1　Ambush of the Demons

Part 1

“Thwarting All Attacks”

The clashes of weapons echoed in the garden that once belonged to the machinas, but the noise didn’t last long. Flinging her arms, Ingrid threw a passed-out god soldier to the side and patted the dust off her clothes. 
Ingrid: They are god soldiers sent by Khaos again. If they have spare time to fight against us, why don’t they help combat the demons, for heaven’s sake!
Sean: Humph! They just wanted to take back the elements that flew to the underground. As for the war between humans and demons, they’d just watch with folded arms. 
Molly: The Holy Gods have always been selfish, that’s why I turned down Nathaniel’s suggestion and chose to seal the power in the tower.
Ingrid: You’re absolutely right. I’d rather depend on myself than seek help from those selfish Holy Gods. Let’s go and defeat the demons!
Enoch: Yes, we can reach the underground by going that way…
Mephibo: What’s wrong, principal? You look unwell. 
Enoch: I didn’t see Bahamut and the others on the way back. Did something bad happen to them?
Molly: Don’t worry, they’re fine, I can feel their existence. They must be protecting this land as well.
Enoch: You’re right, I should believe in them. We can’t be lagging behind. Let’s go!
Enoch waited until everyone restarted and came to the ground, but he couldn’t help crying out loud upon seeing what happened here. 
Enoch: Hong Ai! Dagda! Panther!
Ingrid: They’re so naive that they went right into the demon troops. Enoch, we have to help them!
Enoch nodded and dashed forward with his companions to save those who were besieged by a throng of demons, but he failed to see an attack coming his way—
Mephibo: Enoch! Watch out!
Enoch: Huh?
Thanks to Mephibo, Enoch pulled the brakes and thereby dodged the magic attack of ice. A male demon who was in an azure cape appeared, with magical light spots lingering around his wand— it was the remnant of the attack.
Frost Savant: You’re pretty agile to have dodged it, but you won’t be so lucky next time!
Ingrid: How arrogant you are, why don’t you worry about yourself instead! Take this!
Ingrid was already conjuring power for the counterattack while Frost Savant was talking. She compressed elements into spheres and shooted them towards Frost Savant.
Frost Savant: What a joke.
As Frost Savant turned his wand, the golden gem on the tip of the wand radiated dazzling light which swallowed the elemental bullets and cancelled them out. But this was far from the end— he waved the wand and as the golden light reshone, several elemental spheres emerged to attack Ingrid.
Ingrid: This… this is what I just used— Argh!
Enoch: Ingrid!
The spheres fell onto the ground, causing an overwhelming shockwave that sprung Ingrid into mid-air. Enoch rushed over to catch her and asked anxiously.
Enoch: Are you hurt?
Ingrid: No… no! So let go of me!
Enoch: Oh… I’m so… sorry!
Frost Savant: … Are you doing this on purpose… You know I was dumped… How dare you!
No one knew why Frost Savant was enraged all of a sudden. Fierce hostility emanated from him. Enoch immediately held up his wand and conjured the elements within him to summon the Heroic Spirits.   
Enoch: Go, defeat my enemy!
The Heroic Spirits obeyed his orders. However, before they could even touch Frost Savant, the brilliant golden light emitting from his wand shrouded them and dissolved them.
Enoch: He… He defeated the Heroic Spirits in one single strike…
Mephibo: No, he didn’t defeat them. He wiped out their existence.
Frost Savant: Cool, you can tell the underlying truth. But even if you know it, there’s no way you can solve it. Just surrender now.
Enoch: “He can dissolve all of my attacks. What… what should I do?”

Enoch: Hong Ai! Dagda! Panther!
Ingrid: They’re so naive that they went right into the demon troops. Enoch, we have to help them!

Mephibo: Enoch! Watch out!
Enoch: Huh?

Frost Savant: You’re pretty agile to have dodged it, but you won’t be so lucky next time!
Ingrid: How arrogant you are, why don’t you worry about yourself instead! Take this!

As Frost Savant turned his wand, the golden gem on the tip of the wand radiated dazzling light which swallowed the elemental bullets and cancelled them out. But this was far from the end— he waved the wand and as the golden light reshone, several elemental spheres emerged to attack Ingrid.
Ingrid: This… this is what I just used— Argh!
Enoch: Ingrid!

The spheres fell onto the ground, causing an overwhelming shockwave that sprung Ingrid into mid-air. Enoch rushed over to catch her and asked anxiously.
Enoch: Are you hurt?
Ingrid: No… no! So let go of me!
Enoch: Oh… I’m so… sorry!
Frost Savant: … Are you doing this on purpose… You know I was dumped… How dare you!

Enoch: He… He defeated the Heroic Spirits in one single strike…
Mephibo: No, he didn’t defeat them. He wiped out their existence.
Frost Savant: Cool, you can tell the underlying truth. But even if you know it, there’s no way you can solve it. Just surrender now.
Enoch: “He can dissolve all of my attacks. What… what should I do?”

Part 2

“Shattering the Golden Light”

Molly: I can feel it. The power that wiped out the Heroic Spirits comes from the wand of the demon, no… it comes from the golden gem on the top of the wand, to be exact.
Enoch: “I must have seen that thing somewhere… Could it be my previous commissions? Hmm, I don’t remember.”
Sean: Then we can simply break it!
Enoch: But how can we even approach him if our attacks are cancelled out?
Sean: Leave it to us. Molly, cover me!
Molly: Sure!
Sean and Molly both took action. With a wave, Frost Savant summoned demon soldiers to defend him, but Molly’s water magic interrupted them. As the soldiers were in chaos, Sean thrust his sword of fire and the entire troop of the enemy was beaten. Their attack and defense complemented each other impeccably. 
Frost Savant: Humph! You two are quite something. But as long as I have this, you can never attack me! 
Frost Savant waved the wand again, the gem emitted beams of golden light that resembled a beautiful curtain. It was supposed to nullify all attacks, but Molly and Sean seemed to have proved otherwise. Molly held her wand as Sean wielded his sword. The fused elements of water and fire converged into a powerful vortex that assailed Frost Savant.
The attack took Frost Savant by surprise and thrust him onto the floor. Sean rushed forward to shatter the shining golden gem with his sword.
Frost Savant: Wh…what! It’s impossible! Did the gem lose its power?
Molly: It didn’t. Our attacks were being constantly cancelled out.
Frost Savant : Then… how come you can still use elements?
Sean: Humph! You idiot. That’s because the sum of our power is larger than the amount that the gem could obliterate!
Molly: We are infused with the elements of this land, how could we be obliterated?
Frost Savant: You—you are— Argh!
Before Frost Savant could finish his sentence, a magic attack struck him and left him unconscious. The violent behavior shocked Molly and Sean.
Ingrid: Humph! He was the one who’d been cheating, and yet he blamed us! How shameless! 
Enoch: Forget about him. Let’s save Hong Ai and the others first.
Under Enoch’s command, the team joined the battle and rescued their friends. The demon army was expelled again. But when the crowd was about to return to their base, Enoch noticed something astonishing.
Enoch: Molly! Sean! Your bodies turned transparent!
Molly: Looks like the battle has consumed the power she gave us. The elements are calling us.
Enoch: No! We still need your help.
Sean: Fear not, it’s not the end. In the world of elements, we will continue guarding you, until our promise and our wish are fulfilled.
Molly: The summoner who’s been chosen by destiny, please keep going. Protect the land, put an end to the war and become the hope of humanity.
Sean and Molly looked at Enoch smilingly as their bodies burst into a shimmering dust of lights. Eventually, they formed two cards in Enoch’s palms.
At the moment he touched the cards, the memories of Sean and Molly flew into Enoch’s consciousness. Enoch could experience their battles, their emotions, and their hopes. Enoch was deeply touched by these sentiments that words couldn’t describe.
Enoch: Your sacrifice will not be forgotten… I’ll do it for peace and for our promise.