Dwargon

[Apollymi]

The thoughts that Kou had of their home world, were similar to Miki's own. Whatever the case, it was obvious to her that Kou at least understood the speed advantage that their mount had. She had nothing more to say about it, but they soon moved on further. They moved on further and further until they reached the western wall. What she saw from this point was very strange the Lizardmen were coming up, and though a defense was mounted, it seemed it was only really useful on a small scale to avoid disturbing the natural order in the area. Kou's commentary about this made Miki look around him, and had to agree. "If you can make it so they can't keep themselves warm. I can probably take care of a lot of them in the confusion. Bar any special cases, it could be pretty quick..." the young woman mentioned.

[Bloodedge]

"Right then. I'm on it." With some level of a plan set, Kou took the initiative to put it in motion. He held out the magical reins attached to the Ryuuko for Miki to grab hold of, then hopped toward the mountain where the Lizardmen were making their approach. There was an array of javelins and arrows being fired toward the mountain, but Kou's movements were placed perfectly to avoid them by a hair's breadth at every interval. Numerous Lizardmen were still struck by the projectiles, even those who routed themselves toward Kou. An aura of ice encased the lad's weapon as he hopped about the mountainside tapping the ground beneath him each footfall. Every time his blade touched the mountain, his Mana spread through it to drastically lower the temperature at the target location. It didn't take very long for Kou to move around enough to send many of the weaker Lizardmen to hibernation, even death for some, while those who were more well-off were chilled to an extreme lack of high mobility.

[Apollymi]

The Lizardmen were under a volley of fire, and it would only become more dangerous as Kou lept from the mount and joined the fray. After his leaving Miki banished the mount choosing to go about her movements a different way. Instead of riding in, she pulled her hood up onto her head and began walking about the battlefield initially with her weapon in hand. She found it very easy to sneak up behind the now almost hibernating creatures and kill them directly and for the ones more lively she threw her spear towards them, only to make an acute whistling noise with her lips, something akin to a chirping bird. At this sound a Lizardman who was aiming to aid some of the others found himself turning towards the sound, only run through from behind. He fell forward, even as the spear passed clean through him. Such an action would continue happening as Miki moved across the battlefield. The decreased temperature was a bit problematic, but it made the creatures around easy pickings. They were highly susciptible to the whistle and run tactic, which left Miki's weapon zipping through countless enemies bodies killing them as they ran or were frozen in place, all while she was able to directly avoid combat. 'I waited for this... whistling death on these Lizardmen!~' the thought crossed her mind in happy amusement the way she'd generally spoken to herself while playing the game Age of Eternity.

[Bloodedge]

Kou defeated and/or maimed a great number of Lizardmen with the added cold alone, but there remained quite a few who needed to be dealt with directly. He heard Miki's whistles, but thought he didn't need to worry about keeping an eye out for her lance. His focus was on the remaining Lizardmen near him, those destined to fall to his sword if not the girl's lance. As he moved about, there were but two additional worries crossing his mind. The first of these concerns was the wound on his shoulder, which was suffering reopening due to the suddenness of Kou's additional movements. The second problem however, was much more concerning to the lad who managed to sneeze abruptly in the middle of combat, accidentally even spraying saliva into the face of a Lizardmen he then sliced from nape to chops. "Ah, s-shit! S-s-should have... stopped to buy a jacket...

[Apollymi]

"Bless you." this utterance came from Miki who appeared strangely close to Kou given she'd taken off a while after him. She too was quite cold, but not to the point of sneaking. A small whistle escaped her as she continued her work, but she was within earshot enough to hear Kou's complaints about the cold. Strangely, she agreed with them, even while continuing to slay the Lizardmen found near them. "That would have been a good idea. Completely slipped my mind too... I mean, I have a hood, but it's not thick enough... and fast moving in this skirt isn't encouraging either," she noted. At the very least, her left leg was freezing due to being exposed while her right one was at least a bit covered. Regardless they should have sprung for some more weather appropriate clothing. Unbeknownst to Miki in this moment, as she continued to kill, her use of the Mana Zone skill would have another effect. It would spread the advanced renegeration her own body possessed to Kou as well. This would speed along his healing, as she maintained close quarters with him. "The north has a really big mountain in front of it right? We definitely have to get coats before we head there... we'll freeze otherwise..." she added, thinking that if they both spoke about it now, one of them would remember later.

[Bloodedge]

"Ari... ar... achoo!" Kou sneezed again during his attempt to respond to Miki. He never quite got out his thanks, as there were a few other staggered Lizardmen to deal with nearby. As he did this, close proximity to Miki was having a strange effect on him. He could feel the girl's magical energy radiating within himself, and even had a physical sense of his wound's blood coagulating at an enhanced rate. 'The fuck?' he wondered. Moving on from this though, a certain amount of attention needed to be paid to the northern mountain. Now that he was looking toward it, Kou could see trails of smoke. This was no simple steam coming from the snow, but proper dark smoke from flames. "I don't think... that's gonna be a problem..." he said, thinking that if he could see the result of flames from where they were, the northern wall was in trouble the likes of which the others couldn't fathom. "We need to move now!"

[Apollymi]

"And again..." Miki spoke with some form of amusement in her voice. Of course, there were still a few stragglers but when looking towards the North there was an obvious urgency which would require more of their attention. There wasn't a champion here, and since all of the important and strong enemies had been defeated there was no reason to stay. This had been their easiest wave yet. But... the dark smoke rising from the North led Kou to believe they should get going. Without further question she summoned their mount beneath them, a gentle whistle brought her weapon back to her person. From this position, she took the reigns this time as they rode towards the Northern wall. Whatever was happening there was obviously the most pressing thing to deal with, and the mountain side would make for treacherous fighting. Still as the Ryuuko moved about it made its way into the shadow of a large mountain, dark plumes of smoke rose up into the sky. Moreover, there were hordes of Lizardmen all still moving about, and at least one with a staff casting spells and one large one hulking over the rest by a large margin. "That isn't good, this side has the least defense. It's just the wall and the mountain..." Miki mentioned.

[Bloodedge]

This time around, it seemed to be Miki's turn to summon the mount beneath both of them at once. She took the reins and made way for the northern wall, leaving behind the few stragglers there may or may not have been for the now ample defenses of the remaining Dwarf soldiers. They traveled by mount to the north, finding there a group of Lizardmen featuring champions of a more intimidating variety. The Mana here was thicker than it had been anywhere else, bar only the area where the Fairy Queen was found. This was likely due to the presence of a few enemies named 'Lizardman Shaman' as well as a single 'Frenzied Lizardman' boasting great size and musculature. Most importantly, the Shamans were applying fire magic to keep their comrades warm, and also to attack the wall directly. "It sucks alright. Worse yet, they've basically got mortars firing on the wall. That last area only pushed us to level 17."

[Apollymi]

Miki looked out over the battlefield taking into account the different kinds of enemy present. She gave a quick analysis in the hopes of making their next battle as easy as possible. She gave her opinion given their current level and the kind of enemy they were currently witnessing. "Well, we did only get pushed up to level 17 but... I think if we plan ahead, and take out the shamans first, then the rest of the strategy created here will crumble. And killing those, will give us enough of a boost to take the Frenzied ones. I mean at the very least if we aim to take out the Shamans first they will lose heat source and the ability to damage the wall... that will give us a bit of time to level I think..." she offered. It wasn't the most sound strategy but by her own approximation it would indeed work towards letting them finish this area while also allowing the pair of them to reach a level most appropriate to being able to take the 'frenzied' class on with more relative ease. Beyond this she was more than willing to put herself out there, in order to try and sneak up on the Shamans before they realized they were being properly attacked. This was after all, her strong suit.

[Bloodedge]

"Hmm. Yeah, that seems like a good plan. Move slow, though. If they're also typed as Mages with a Caster Class, they might be able to sense you even if you sneak up behind them. I'll lay low for this part," Kou said, glancing between the Shamans and the Frenzied. For the latter, he thought the quick and dirty method would also be a good approach. Once the Shamans were down, that one would be the only real issue remaining on this end, as the rest of this army was of the normal variety. "If you can take down the Shamans and grab the big guy's attention after, I can be ready to take him down. Just make sure you get out of the way when you pull aggro from him."

[Apollymi]

It seemed that Kou was alright with the plan Miki put forth. He added in a bit of detail, but overall, he was fine with the idea of letting her take down the Shamans and then as a unit taking down the Frenzied Lizardmen during the layover time. His idea was for her to take the Casters directly, while being mindful of the potential of them to sense her coming. She knew it was indeed possible for them to sense her, but she had a pretty standard understanding of magic in this universe and she thought she might be able to get around this. "Hai hai, I'll take care of the Shamans, and don't worry, I'll be careful," she said, and with that Miki took off.

Miki hopped from the top of the Ryuuko, and aimed to slid down the mountain and into the valley below. She found herself rather quickly upon the first of the fires, and the shaman near it. Whether it knew she was approaching or not. She rather easily found herself behind it, and ran it threw swiftly. The magic it was casting as well as the fire it had already created died along it. This would send the creatures around this fire into a frenzy. A quick whistle would send her spear flying through the area, and through a couple of the others which were around. Even so, she kept moving around the falling bodies and onto the next fire. Upon making it to the second fire she found the shaman staring at her directly. "Hello!" she mentioned cheerfully with her spear in place. Instead of trying to sneak around this one. She decided it would be best to make use of her Alpha Skill. "Rapid Tempo Assault," she said while making herself easily fall into a rhythmic stepping pattern as she pushed her spear forward several times. The shaman himself aimed to put up a barrier, but it was shattered by Miki's Lancer Ability Unstoppable Spear. Doing so in conjunction with the Rapid Tempo Assault would indeed cause this particular Shaman to be bisected as she continued to move about. Given the ease of these first two kills, Miki had her guard up, knowing that the last fire and mortor were protected by the Shaman and the remaining Frenzied Lizardman. She stepped up, a short whistle leaving her mouth as her spear flew forward. This was easily deflected by the Shaman and left to go careening off into the snow. Miki was left to try and approach the man directly only to find herself running into a further barrier while the creature laughed at her inability to make it past his barrier. By all accounts, he'd created a perfect counter to her abilities, but her spear was within his bubble. Directly behind him as he held his left hand up towards the barrier charging a large fire ball type spell he'd intended to shoot upon Miki now that he could see her rather easily. Another mortar left the war-machine beside him, but it would be the last by Miki's account. As a short but sharp chirp left between her lips, causing the the spear on the ground to change direction aiming to maim the last of the Shamans from behind, coming out parallel to his extended hand. This would leave Miki to reach out for the ring within the middle of her weapon and grab it. "Thank you!~" she mused as she pulled her weapon and the last of the creatures fell. Of course, this would leave them wanting just a tad. By her own account they were just reached level 19. But assuming their plan hadn't changed, she went looking for the last of the creatures the frenzied Lizardman. Whom she found after the fire went out. A crazed roar escaped its mouth as she approached and it rather quickly found itself turned and staring down Miki across a small clearing. It began knocking even its own men out of its way to get to the young Lancer. It'd taken her several painstaking minutes to get to this point. Even so, her work was being shown, fires going out, Lizardmen falling to cold all except for the Frenzied who was now locked on to her as she began to move away. 'All you now, Kou...' she thought, having enough faith in the lad to do something about the creature now chasing her about the battlefield.

[Bloodedge]

Once Miki hopped from the mount, Kou brought its movements to a halt. He dismounted the Ryuuko and patted its head before setting his gaze upon the Frenzied Lizardman. His focus came with the unsheathing of his sword, and the activation of his Class Skill: Consecration. Using this ability to amplify his power instead of Mana Burst allowed him a boost without flaring his magical energy to be sensed by the Shamans. He waited a few moments for Miki to begin killing the more magically-inclined Lizardmen before he began a slow incantation. "I am the Light of this world. Purity is my body, and hope is my blood. This offering I give to you is my true essence. Heavenly Prominence!" Kou managed to complete his incantation without his magical energy erupting until it was over, but when it did exude from him, it did so as a full cloak of golden light much more visible than its previous use. Kou was at a great enough distance that this light would blend in with the Dwarves' offensive measures to those who weren't already aware of his presence, but the slaying of the Shamans freed him up to add the Mana Burst Skill to his amplification.

Consecration hardened and sharpened Kou's blade, Heavenly Prominence greatly enhanced his speed, and Mana Burst put forth his energy as an even greater weapon than his blade alone. Kou needed only one thing, and it was for Miki to disengage the Frenzied Lizardman. Once he saw her moving away, he made his move. Light-speed movements carried him toward the Lizardman with his sword at the ready and Mana pouring from the blade. "Duck!" he yelled, knowing the coming strike would have a much greater effect at his current level. His intention was to only be stopped by the blade's first contact with the Lizardman. The strike was aimed horizontally at the enemy's midsection, and if it made contact and even began cutting through, Kou's use of Mana Burst would cause his magical energy to explode from the blade in an incredible arc of gold, boasting a range that would explain for itself why he'd told Miki to duck when he approached.

[Apollymi]

Having finished off the Shaman's Miki was soon given a bit of a warning. She took this warning without hesitation, and dove into a low position when she turned back, she saw an arc of golden light making contact with the Frenzied Lizardman. The Lizardman could do nothing about this, and though he did have the thought to try and block the blade, it had already began cutting him through. He was strong though with high density regeneration and as such he didn't feel the need to stop his onward press. Until of course, the extra burst of energy cut him clean through. This golden crest of energy halted everything this Lizardman had to offer, and made it fall in two pieces at the end of it, unable to heal itself anymore. "Sugoi!" she managed softly as she stood out of the way dusting herself off. Thus would end their fight in this place. Such outward radiance was much greater than the last time Kou had made use of this skill and Miki could do nothing but appreciate this moment of prowess. The rest of the Lizardmen died, at the hands of the Dwarves and those who didn't fled in the hopes of finding warmer climates with no more leaders about the battlefield. "Hm, you took that one down pretty swiftly. I don't really blame you though, it would have been a pain to fight long term..." she mentioned. "Also that skill is amazing!~" she was a tad jealous of the lad's ability to show off in these moments but knew the type of person she'd chosen to be, meant she would more likely be out of the spotlight, not that she minded such things.

[Bloodedge]

Kou's strike hit its mark, and just as he feared, this member of the Berserker Class possessed a passive healing ability. Such a thing was considered necessary for playing a Berserker in the game Age of Eternity due to how much damage one took when playing the Class, but it seemed to have also translated to this world at least in this moment. Luckily, he'd taken precautions against the might of a Berserker, and his Mana Burst combined with Consecration allowed him to slice through the Lizardman's body in spite of its healing power. When the beast fell, Kou began panting and returning to his normal state. He'd exhausted his Mana reserves over the course of this task, but now... it was over. Miki came forth with a comment about the swift slaying of the final Lizardman Champion, and seemed to agree with the execution. Alongside this came a compliment to his choice in Skill. "Thanks. I didn't wanna risk it with a Berserker; those guys are tough in PVP. Anyway..." Kou paused, taking a moment to view the Dwarves that were beginning to cheer for the Adventurers. "I guess they appreciate everything. We should go back to the king and finish off the quest."

[Apollymi]

Miki heard out why Kou had attacked that particular Lizardman the way he had, and given his idea, it made quite a bit of sense. "Hm, I hadn't gotten around to PVP. I don't really think I intended to play it. Still, I'll keep in mind Berserkers aren't to be trifled with..." she said with a curt nod. As their conversation moved on, she took note of those around them now seeming to chant in their favor. She supposed the pair of them had won them an entire war and kept their hold from being overrun, so a bit of fanfare was to be expected. Kou strangely was ready to move on from this point and it seemed he'd worn himself out a bit while facing the Berserker. "Hai hai," she said summoning the Ryuuko beneath them once more. With this she headed back towards the main entrance of the Kingdom. Strangely the Ryuuko still disappeared at a certain point, but they wouldn't be stopped by guards on their way back into the Kingdom. No they'd be free to move about all the way back to King Gowther's castle.