All the Dust that Falls

Chapter 336: Open Wide

Throughout this entire operation, Bee had been impressed by the speed and efficiency of the Nighty Knights. Already, they had gone above and beyond in proving that they could hold their own. But when she called them to form up, every single one, injured or not, was standing behind her in less than three seconds. The group stood before two of the most powerful and evil opponents the world had likely ever seen, demons that belonged in myths and legends. Yet they stood firm. Despite the situation, she felt a slight wetness at the corners of her eyes.

She didn't spare the time to glance at either side of her and make sure they were there. Instead, she charged forward. She was still at a higher level than her companions and thus formed the point of the spear, ready to handle the brunt of the Lieutenants' attacks. But she felt Bradley a mere half step behind her, the flames of his sword warming her side as he ran forward to support. His sister trailed just behind in his shadow while Felix ran to her left.

As soon as they started moving, the Lieutenants made their own preparations to receive their charge. They, too, formed up, the Death Knight planting its shield more firmly and blocking the path to the slightly more squishy Witch Doctor. The scrawny mage demon started to chant something in a language that she didn't recognize.

Before they even made it three steps, the chant finished, and a wave of sickly green energy burst from the Witch Doctor. It washed over the Death Knight with seemingly no effect before surging toward the charging forces. Beatrice pushed outward with all her might, her Holy Aura extending over the Nighty Knights with a golden glow. The green wave slammed into it with a heavy impact. The collision felt like a physical force, almost sending her stumbling, but she managed to keep herself upright.

It began a second chant as a slight bit of tension formed at her temples. Evidently, those extra twenty levels weren't just for show. Things were about to get much harder for everyone. But rather than focus on the problems, she simply gripped her broom handle tighter and didn't let her feet falter. It would take more than a little bit of assistance and luck to get through this. But then again, she had never been lacking on either front.

Right before their formation slammed into the towering shield of the Death Knight, Bee reached into her mouth and pulled out a glass vial. With a flick of her wrist, she flung it up and above the Death Knight.

Her target was the Witch Doctor. If she could take that one out, then it would be much easier to handle a single opponent. Plus, the mage definitely seemed squishier than the armor-clad knight. Yet as the vial arced upward, the Death Knight batted it away with one hand, shattering it. Liquid poured out, spattering across its visor with a viscous hiss.

The Lieutenant screamed, much to Bee's surprise. She hadn't expected a simple vial of holy water that Void had prepared for her to be effective on its first go. Luckily she had a lot more where that came from. The Nighty Knights wrapped their line around the Death Knight. Despite its massive shield, it still wasn't wide enough to block all of the incoming attackers at once. Much less so given their power.

Bee lashed out with her broom as the Lieutenant lifted its shield, forcing it a little bit out of position. As she did, the Nighty Knights came at the Death Knight from the side, keeping close to their neighbors and maintaining a solid defense. They used the closeness to tie down the Death Knight's offhand, and various skills flashed out from the mob: beams of various lights, sprays of liquid, ranged abilities, and a wolf tearing at its heels started to overwhelm the Death Knight.

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Bee shouted as she blasted her holy aura against the pair, sending a constant stream of smoke rising upward. Between Scan and All-Seeing Eye, it was clear that it was weakening. They were doing it. A little more time, and then she could try out Tony's idea.

The Witch Doctor's second chant finished, and a simple cone of force impacted the center of their lines. Bee was sent stumbling back, but several of the less fortified members of the attack were sent sprawling. Those who locked arms, weapons, or shields managed to keep their footing, but the assault gave the Death Knight enough time to take advantage. A wickedly spiked gauntlet appeared on the demon's free hand as it swung.

A wall of protective light appeared to Bee's side, springing up before Irene's clasped hands. The fist bounced off, echoing like a gong through the mountains around them. The sheet of light seemed to vibrate with force as Irene fell to her knees, and Bradley stepped in front of her, his blazing sword raised in a defensive posture.

Bee regained her footing and charged again, trying to take advantage of the Death Knight's temporary opening. As they clashed, she hurled another vial of holy water to put her opponent further off-balance. This time, though, the demon was ready. It raised the shield to block the water, keeping it from damaging the Lieutenants.

Without the coordinated mass of the Nighty Knights around her, she was unable to force it off balance, but that was fine. The small holes that every armor had were porous enough for the holy water from that first hit to get under the demon's armor.

It didn't make any real sound, but the way it shook its head was response enough. Bee ducked under another wild swing before lobbing two more vials of holy water. All around her, the Nighty Knights took advantage of the Death Knight's distraction to swarm around and go after the witch doctor, cutting off a third chant mid-sentence. Arcs of ice and wind slashed through the beaked mask on its face, revealing a long-tubular appendage underneath. It began to bleed as the Knights kept up their assault.

Bee didn't let herself get distracted, though. As she hurled a third vial, she watched as the Death Knight used its shield to bat away all three projectiles. The holy water splattered ineffectually across the ground, but the third vial was green, the color of sap. As it shattered on the shield, the liquid bubbled against the metal.

A grin spread across her face. Bee quickly flung several more vials at the shield, aiming for the melting patch inside of it. Her other hand attempted to stab the Death Knight with the pointy end of her broom while its defenses were otherwise occupied. The sharp tip just skittered off the breastplate, not finding any purchase, but it brought its attention back to Bee just in time for a flaming sword to chop into its shield-bearing shoulder.

This time, the armor didn't hold. As big as the level difference was, the Knights' skills were simply too strong. Especially given how much Bradley had trained. The blade bit deep into what would've been a human's deltoid. Bradley's blade failed to sever the arm completely, but the blow elicited a pained grunt and a deep scowl in his direction. He flared the flames of the sword, then carved down even further into the armor. In a moment, the cracks on the other side of the Death Knight's body started to glow red from the heat.

For a brief moment, Bradley caught Bee's eye. There was determination there, a self-assured confidence that he could really do this. Between the angry Lieutenant before her and the massive avatar of Void beginning to materialize behind, Bee was inclined to believe him. With a slight nod, she left Bradley to face the opponent. She wouldn't be able to leave him for long. But it gave her a chance.

It leaned forward on its shield, but Bee was already disengaging, taking several quick steps back. The majority of the Nighty Knights had left her to fend for herself against the Death Knight and joined in on mobbing the Witch Doctor. They had reduced it to a pile of quivering flesh that was trying to reform, though it was a battle they were on the verge of losing even with their constant attacks.

Bee steeled herself. Tony's words ran through her head. She had no desire whatsoever to try this out herself. But Void was busy, and someone had to do something about this situation. Otherwise, it was just a matter of time before they exhausted themselves.

With a final shudder, Bee breathed all her air out. Then, she leaped face-first at the pile before plugging her nose and opening wide.