PART II

 

On the large white square outside the temple, the Elder still hovered. When he thought the temple had ignored him, he raised his hand to signal an attack, but suddenly a large group came running out.

Elder Henrik humbly bowed and introduced himself.

"I am Elder Henrik of the Spirit Temple in Sweden. What can I do for our esteemed guests?" He gave the Elder a friendly look.

The Elder furrowed his brows. "Skip the formalities. Where is the man who murdered my nephew and niece a short while ago?"

Elder Henrik's eyes widened, and he now looked like a question mark. "Excuse me, but we are not familiar with any murder here. We are the Spirit Temple and are dedicated to the gods. Violence is not allowed here."

He shot a sharp look at a temple guard. "What is going on here?"

The temple guard shook his head. "Elder, we are just as confused as you. No one has left the temple in three days."

Elder Henrik looked at the Elder again. "I apologize again, but we know nothing of a murder."

The Elder squinted and roared so that his voice echoed. "You have someone who has murdered my bloodline. If you don't bring him or deliver my nephew and niece unharmed within 1 minute, I will destroy you."

"What do we do?" Elder Henrik muttered nervously.

"You're an Elder, aren't you strong enough to defeat them?" a temple guard replied nervously.

"I attained this position with talent." revealed Elder Henrik.

He made a gesture, signaling them to follow him.

*Whoosh*

They lifted from the ground, their cloaks fluttering in the wind, but they did not look majestic compared to the Elder and his army on the other side.

Elder Henrik looked at the Elder and tried one last time. "We know nothing of any murder, and we do not harbor murderers. It goes against our ethics."

The Elder grunted and squinted. "Do you think I'm an idiot? No one can fool me!"

"Attack!" he shouted.

*Cling. Clang*

Weapons clashed loudly, resonating in the temple, and the island shook violently.

*Puchi*

A spear pierced into a man's throat, and blood spurted out. He screamed and swung his sword at the man who twisted his spear, boring it through his throat. Lifeless, he fell to the ground.

*Crack*

His head landed heavily on the courtyard, and blood splattered out, forming a thick pool under his head.

A black harpoon thrown into the air impaled a woman in her left chest. She held her chest, struggling to breathe. She made a quick gesture.

*Whoosh*

A large fireball appeared in front of her palm, which she placed on her chest. She tried to pull out the harpoon, but it suddenly vibrated and flew out, heading towards her again, impaling her right chest, and she screamed in pain.

"You're a fire mage or something. Let's see how talented you are," said a woman suddenly with blue skin, slowly flying towards her.

She placed her flat right hand in front of her. "Bloom."

*Whoosh*

A whitish smoke formed around the woman's body with the harpoon in it. It quickly transformed into a large white lotus, capturing the woman inside it.

*Whoosh*

The lotus began to shrink, and the woman screamed in pain. When it was the size of the woman, her skin turned white.

*Whoosh*

Her body transformed into a white ice sculpture floating in the air. The woman with blue skin clenched her fist.

*Crackle*

The ice cracked, and the woman crumbled into snowflakes carried away by the wind.

An instant later, all temple guards were eliminated, but just when the Elder thought they were done, a white-hooded cloak army rushed out from the temple, flying towards them at full speed.

"Attack."

"Protect Elder Henrik and the temple."

*Clang*

Several weapons clashed in the air, but the temple guards were defeated after a moment. The Elder was about to raise his hand to signal, but suddenly another army in hooded cloaks ran out from the temple onto the courtyard.

*Whoosh*

*Cling. Clang*

He furrowed his brows and grunted. "What in the world are they? Ants?"

He looked at a man to his right who shook his head. "I don't know how many more are coming because I can't see into the temple,"

"Their technology is actually quite good." he added and coughed lightly.

Elder Henrik now floated in the air as the sole survivor, looking down at the white courtyard now covered in the bodies of temple guards, painting the ground red.

He looked at the Elder. "I'm not an Elder for nothing."

The Elder closed his left eye. "Really? You're the type who sips tea while others toil, yet you've managed to climb up in position. Am I right?"

Elder Henrik raised his eyebrows at the accusation, coughed, and his face suddenly turned completely red, resembling a boiled lobster. He pointed at the Elder with a trembling hand.

"You. How dare you."

*Clap*

He clapped his hands, and a blue wall of water formed in front of him, separating the Elder and him.

The Elder closed his right eye at the sight. "Really?"

He facepalmed and added, "My patience has run out."

He suddenly roared loudly and placed his hands in front of him. A strong cold wave shot out from his body.

*Whoosh*

The surroundings immediately transformed into ice.

Elder Henrik lifted his eyebrows and gritted his teeth.

A colossal, long, bluish-purple serpent with a dragon's head and two forelimbs emerged in the sky. It had horns on its forehead, long golden whiskers, and its body shimmered, casting a glossy sheen under the now illuminated sky. It roared loudly, fixing its voracious eyes on Elder Henrik, who swallowed hard at the sight.

"Holy..." But before he could say more, the Elder roared with a cold voice that echoed across the entire island.

"I am Elder Krell of The Sea Kingdom, ruler of the Seven Seas. I hereby deliver judgment day unto you."

*Whoosh*

His eyes shot out bluish-white flames, and just when Elder Henrik thought he would command the dragon to attack, the dragon instead flew into Elder Krell's body.

*Clap*

Elder Krell clapped his hands loudly, and a small smoke shot out from his body, swirling violently around him.

*Boom*

A powerful heatwave surged from his body, forming distinct purple ripples in the air, causing Elder Henrik to raise his eyebrows.

"What the hell?" His heart sank.

Elder Krell clenched his fists and flew at full speed towards the water wall.

*Boom*

The impact sent a powerful wave that shook the island violently.

*Crackle*

The water wall cracked, and Elder Henrik gritted his teeth. He created another water wall, this time thicker, while holding his chest.

Elder Krell raised his brows and commented with a mocking undertone, "I now understand how you've attained your position. Your so-called Spirit Temple focuses on defense, so I assume you are the 'ultimate shield' in this temple."

He shook his head. "how ludicrous. I have wasted my skills for nothing."

He clenched both fists, and bluish-purple flames formed around his knuckles, transforming into ice with a purple glow. He struck hard against the water wall, which couldn't withstand the force.

*Crackle*

Elder Henrik screamed, gritting his teeth, and blood slowly flowed from the corner of his mouth, eventually seeping out from his ears.

Elder Krell spread his knuckles. "Belladonna Bloom."

Elder Henrik's skin suddenly turned bluish-purple, and his eyes began to melt.

*Sizzle*

His eyes quickly eroded away, leaving only a pair of black holes. His ears followed suit, and then it was the nose's turn. He screamed and writhed, holding his "eyes."

Elder Krell made a gesture.

*Crack*

Elder Henrik's neck broke loudly, and his head tilted downward.

"It's a good thing you didn't destroy his body." commented a man who flew to Elder Henrik and wrapped him in a black cloth. He gestured to the air in front of him.

*Whoosh*

A large white round portal of smoke appeared before them.

Elder Krell gave the man a sharp look. "What do you take me for? I am not heartless," followed by a chuckle, and he floated into the portal, where the rest of the army followed, and the portal closed behind them.

Only an eerie silence remained, with only the howling wind audible in the area.