BXBX NOVEL Chapter 103 (CIII) Rally
The night slowly passed as Jackson rushed through the streets, closing each of the portals one after another. After he closed two more gates, the reinforcements of Royal Knights from Fort Novae arrived at the main gate.
Renee and Lydia were able to replenish their exhausted troops, shuffling the fresh soldiers as the exhausted Temple and Royal Knights were able to take a moment and refresh their bodies.
Following a hasty adjustment to their lines and a lessened number of Hollows appearing, thanks to Jackson shutting down a third of the portals, the sisters were able to begin pushing back and gain more ground through the streets of Fort Vetus.
Seizing the opportunity, they took a small detachment of elite Temple and Royal Knights, leaving their men to hold their position. At the same time, they rushed in the opposite direction Jackson had gone searching for a portal to shut.
Thanks to losing a third of the opened portals, the Hollows were beginning to adapt. Due to the sheer number of defeated hollows within the fort began gathering as they mutated, growing stronger and more intelligent. Even the Hollowed Templars had started to mutate into hulking monstrosities.
Luckily, the reinforcements proved invaluable as they were able to slowly push the Hollows back while they held the line. Renee and Lydia quickly marched through the streets, leading the charge, slaying every Hollow that crossed their path.
After searching for a while, they arrived at a crack; Lydia glanced behind her, seeing her sister and her friends fight valiantly as she gritted her teeth. She felt a surge of pride as she saw Renee cut through the ranks of the Hollows, standing tall in her white and gold robes.
They rushed forward toward the horde of Hollows standing between them and the zealots. She spun her sword, deflecting a spear strike and slicing the Hollow in half as she turned, slashing another in the gut as a few others tried desperately to attack her from all sides.
She kicked away one with her foot, slicing through another's neck with her sword. Renee leaped through the air, arcing her sword as she took down three Hollows.
They quickly began gaining ground as the hollows started gathering swiftly, colliding against one another as they began to mutate into more immense hulking masses of swirling black clouds.
Their skulls became more ferocious, and large bones began forming, shooting out from the smoke as sharp claws appeared with skeletal hands and feet. Their appearance immediately changed the tide of the battle back to a stalemate.
The entire group of Hollows suddenly let out a roar as they ran toward them. Lydia and Renee both stood still, watching as the Hollows approached, their eyes glowing ominously.
"For La Decima!!!" Lydia raised her sword into the air, Renee following suit and shouting back, boosting the morale of both the Royal and Temple Knights as they raised their weapons and shouted in unison.
***
Jackson had cleared an additional two portals, making his way to the next one, having taken out more than half of them had been removed. His body ached as he moved. Khione and Umbra had reached their limits and had been returned to his body, unable to fight any longer.
Without their assistance, the appearance of the Mutated Hollows and Knights slowed him down slightly, but not enough to prevent him from clearing the locations and closing the portals.
He was now only a short distance from the next portal. He could hear it crackling loudly as a massive explosion sounded, causing him to cringe in discomfort.
Jackson twirled his blades around him before leaping into the air, landing behind a pair of the monstrous creatures. He sliced through the back of one of its legs before spinning his twin scimitars through the Hollow Templar's skull.
He rushed forward, panting heavily as he rapidly slashed his blades around him, killing dozens of Hollows as he ran toward the three zealots, kneeling and chanting as they maintained the status of the portal.
Jackson landed on top of the three figures, using his momentum to throw them off balance before stabbing his swords straight up, piercing one, immediately spinning, and throwing the second backward with a kick.
He jumped over the last one, spinning as he decapitated him and kneeling as he twisted his swords, burying both blades in the side of the downed zealot's chest as it screamed and vanished in a burst of black mist.
Jackson sighed in relief as the crackling stopped. He dropped to one knee and gasped, leaning against a nearby wall, catching his breath, "Last... One..."
He huffed as he stood, looking around his surroundings. The streets seemed deserted as he walked forward, stepping onto the cracked road, turning the corner, and approaching the final location. Now that nine out of the ten cracks had been sealed, the effects on the city were lessened.
The darkness was beginning to clear as the smoke and smog slowly dissipated. It was easy to locate the final portal; only one place in the city had a disturbing green glow. As he drew closer, the sound of clashing metal could be heard.
He quickly summoned Khione and Umbra, who quickly prepared for battle, chasing after him. He turned the corner into the square to see Renee and Lydia leading the remnants of the Temple and Royal Knights battalion as they were locked in a stalemate.
The Winged Snowdrift Panther cub quickly transformed into her War Forme as Jackson leaped onto her back, riding her into battle as he twirled his Twin Moon Scimitars, attaching them at the hilt, transforming it into its WarGlaive form.
Umbra flapped his mighty wings, flying rapidly next to Khione as they charged into the battle. The Mutated Hollows and Mutated Hollowed Templars had started to pile up, which unnerved Jackson.
Jackson urged Khione on, knowing this was just the tenth floor, he knew the Hollows could continue to combine, growing stronger and more powerful.