Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Chapter 183: The Fighters of the Arena

Anteris' voice boomed out across the docks, the Arena fighters pausing as they took in his words. They had all seen Anteris take on the Emperor, and many of them had watched as Anteris and Boson had tended to Graffius' wounds.

"I will yield!" A tall fighter, with dark skin and long braided hair, wearing a loose white robe which covered his chain mail, sheathed his sword and walked toward the Ursten forces, arms wide open, palms up. Showing clearly that he had no weapons and no spells prepared.

"I also!"

"And me!" 

Similar yells sounded out from many of the fighters, the vast majority of them clearly foreigners, more than likely enslaved as young people, the combat of the Arena all they had ever known.

In his desperation and in his pride, the Emperor had forgotten how many of those that fought in the Arena were slaves. Those who fought in the Arena by choice, they only knew the camaraderie and respect, and the thirst for glory. 

But for those who were forced into it, they recognized the ugliness of the Arena. The many slaves that were captured to feed the Empire's constant need for blood and gore.

The Arena fighters marched over, hands apart, their Imperial comrades watching in horror as many of their toughest fighters surrendered without a fight.

"For the Empire! For Honor! For Glory!" A fighter wielding twin swords yelled, attempting to rouse those who remained. 

The formations at the checkpoints at either side of the harbour had folded with the surrender of so many of the Arena fighters. 

But now the remnants joined ranks with Captain Jeremiah and the remainder of the Imperial Palace Guard who remained, their backs against the high wall of the docks, the staircases that led toward the Inner City behind them.

The remnants stared defiantly at Anteris, who stood tall, his halberd burning bright, and his eyes filled with red sparks that glowed red from within his helmet. This, along with the flaming aura that surrounded him, made Anteris look every bit a terrifying demon.

"Now!" A voice yelled out, and suddenly, from amongst the Arena fighters that remained, fighters began to attack the Imperial forces.

[This doesn't feel right Kothar. Attacking these people on their last legs, it'll destroy any hope they have remaining.] Silane protested, for Kothar was amongst the Nighthawks that had concealed themselves within the ranks of the Arena fighters.

[This is war Silane. You know that we have done far worse in the name of the Alliance, and from what I've seen, this Empire seems needlessly oppressive and cruel.] Kothar replied, slashing out in every direction, his sword alive with lightning, humming as it sliced through armour, flesh and bone like a knife through butter.

Kothar summoned a Storm Field, simultaneously casting Lightning Aura, and bolts of lightning began to fall amongst the Imperial soldiers that remained.

Silane was quiet, now only offering Kothar silent guidance in combat, by projecting trajectories and tracking the mana flow of the enemies surrounding him, predicting their spells before they themselves had even cast them.

She knew that any further disagreement would only serve to distract Kothar while he was in the midst of the enemy's ranks.

Kothar whirled through the Imperial ranks, covered in lightning, sparks flying off him, his blade stabbing out in every direction, taking out an Imperial soldier with every blow, occasionally sending bolts of lightning flying from his sword. 

Similarly, the other Nighthawks, whirled through the ranks like demons, Docara with whirlwinds spinning around his feet, slashing through the Imperials at an incredible speed.

Pony, striking out with his fists, invisible vibrations ripping through soldier after soldier, causing them to fall to the ground, coughing blood, completely unaware of what had hit them.

Boson didn't let the opportunity go, he leaped into the fray himself, his axe wildly spinning in his hands, completely decimating entire swathes of Imperial soldiers.

"Retreat! Fall back! Take off your helmets! Strike down any man you do not recognize!" Jeremiah's desperate yells sounded out, as he gathered a group of palace guards, and defended against the deadly Nighthawks all around them.

Those few that remained standing after the constant onslaught, the initial attacks, and then the sudden attack of the Nighthawks, all turned tail and ran, running up the stairs as Jeremiah and his few remaining troops held the staircase from the Ursten forces.

Anteris watched as they turned tail, his halberd burning, and he frowned, he could join the battle currently, his attacks had too wide of a range, and the remnants of the Imperial Forces were mixed together with the Ursten forces.

Up above, even the Emperor's enormous mana reserves were growing low, after taking attack after attack from Tam.

His once shining armor now looked as though it had been dragged out from some old crypt, it was so beaten and battered from Tam's constant blows.

"It looks to me like your army has turned tail and run off. Is this the true might of the Empire?" Tam hovered in the air, wings flapping, and called out to the Emperor. He knew full well that this wasn't even a fraction of their army, but if he could get under the Emperor's skin, then he would be far more likely to make mistakes.

The Emperor knew full well what was happening below, he had the same heightened senses that Tam did, and he was furious. Sure, he was furious at Tam, for orchestrating the invasion, but he was also furious at himself.

Tam had laid the groundwork, but it was he who commanded his Storm Generals to head north, and it was he who had called out to the Arena fighters, foolish enough to think that those that had been enslaved by the Empire would be motivated by honor and glory.

The Emperor, once champion of the Arena, the man who had fought hundreds of battles without even a single scar on his body, did something he had never done, had never scarcely imagined doing in his entire life.

He turned tail, and fled.

1. The spell that Kothar casts is different to the 'Aura' that those in the Advanced Realm have. Their Aura is solid, with substance, and they can shape it however they please.Kothar's Lightning Aura is simply a small field of lightning around his body that greatly boosts his speed, and his defense by a small amount.