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[img]https://i.imgur.com/mnxxOJe.png?1[/img]
[b]Mecca, Green Sahara[/b]
[sub][@Tenma Tendo][@Double][/sub]

[b]BGM:[/b] [i]Hellfire continues[/i]
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Before he had a chance to even speak, the freed prisoner had escaped the bondage of the spell, and stood before him, crackling darkness wicking off of his body like water off wax. In the blink of an instant, the armored man was there no more, replaced with a beasty creature, the same that had been depicted in the protective casing around him. Malachi stood in awe, looking over the beast, a smile came to his face as he looked upon it. That power, he had known that his observations were correct. But the power was that armor. Yes, experimentation be damned, he would make a fine addition to the Messiah's army. 

"Capture that creature!" Malachi barked out to the Axumite legionaries, who nodded in agreement as they began to advance towards what was once Shun. The legionaries held their swords out, as the weapons glowed with a blinding white as beams of energy fired upon the beast. Malachi's expression changed rapidly from that of gleeful awe to one of horror and fury as he saw the Lost Soul Beast go into action, cutting down the legionaries like nothing. Soldier after soldier fell to the beast as Malachi roared in anger.

"Horsemen! Surround and lasso!"

At his command, the mounted noblemen went into action, surrounding the beast with a double encirclement of horses, tossing thick electrified chains at the creature, wrapping the weapons around its limbs and neck, as the legionaries continued their assault with castings of Holy and Firaga upon the beast. But a simple torque of the beast's limbs was enough to pull the magicite enhanced soldiers from their steeds, dragging the men through the dirt, tossing them into the sky like dolls as they lost hold of the chains. Malachi cursed, screaming orders at the soldiers as they tried and failed to detain the rampaging beast. But the battle had only just begun, as the Axumite Legions found themselves facing not only the beast, but the strange, bluish creatures that crawled out of its shadow. The beasts overtook the Soldiers, as they turned to face them, only to fall victim to the still rampaging creature. The Lost Soul Beast and Unversed had totally taken hold of his attention, not noticing the two women descending from above to join the fray.

Audry could feel her feet sinking into the sand as she ran, raising her sword, now crackling and bursting with lightning that jumped off the blade, frenzy in the air as she rushed forward. She leaped, swinging the blade forward to cut down the first of the legionaries that she came upon, directing the blade to fire out a chain of lightning that jumped between the men just ahead of her. Audry seized up as she saw Shun make his final stand, looking on in pure horror as she saw him transform into the Lost Soul Beast. In the brief moment of her terror, she was pulled out by a familiar voice echoing from overhead to land at the would-be sacrifice. She got the message, though no further words were exchanged. 

Malachi's attention was pulled away from the chaos by the sound of Capella's call. His eyes narrowed upon her. 

"Rago," he uttered out, as his assistant's glowing green eyes turned to him. 

"Your time has come for vengeance. Go take care of the girl."

Rago smiled savagely. "With pleasure."

Leaping into the air, Rago landed only a short distance away from Capella. The man stood before her. No remnants of their previous encounter seemed to remain, the charred flesh she left him with before was gone, as if it had never been there to begin with. His previous orange garment was replaced with that of a light blue one to match Malachi's priestly garb. 

"Do you remember me, girl?" Rago seemed to purr out, his voice low and rumbling, with a hint of humor underneath. "Our last encounter was far from fair, but I've taken steps to make sure that we will have a more fair fight this time." As he finished speaking, Rago raised up his sword, the same twisted iron blade from before, but this time it glowed brightly with fire. But has he attempted to swing the blade down upon Capella and Ezra, a curtain of flames rose up between the woman and her attacker. Rago screeched in rage and turned his head over to the source of the barrier. Audry's hand still glowed with the flames, as she stared down the man. Rago charged at her, as the barrier around Capella fell.

Malachi grunted in annoyance, as he raised his other free hand to catch the attention of the Heartless. 

"Go forth and deal with that woman!" he yelled, pointing his finger over to Capella, as the heartless obeyed, rushing over like a swarm to the location of the Star Child and the fallen Ezra. 

Meanwhile, the people of Mecca had taken refuge behind the summoned altar. Abu Talib attempted to calm the Meccans, and direct them back into the safety of the city's walls. However, he found himself being the target of insults lobbied against him by his fellow tribal leaders. 

"Abu Talib! Will you turn our people against our benefactors! Let the men of Mecca fight alongside the Axumites!" yelled Abu Lahab, pointing his finger at the other. 

Abu Talib scoffed. "This fight is beyond the capacity of our own warriors, Abu Lahab. Would you have it that our men are killed to the last individual? The Axumites wish to defend us, then let them defend us. If they want to take our soverignty, then let them pay the price."

Abu al-Hakim entered into the conversation at the side of Abu Lahab. "You speak out of fear, Abu Talib. As their subjects we are obligated to aid them."

"Their subjects?" the other shouted, "We are not their subjects yet!"

Abu Talib's retort was met with Abu Lahab raising his hand to smack the other leader down. "Do not jeapordize the survival of this city, Abu Talib. We had predicted that you would not see reason. Did you think that these negotiations meant anything? We have already decided the fate of Mecca without you!"

As Abu Talib rose out of the sand, he sneered in rage. "You sold us out to the Axumites behind all of our backs!" he screamed, rushing to attack the other two. "You have killed us all. Abu Lahab! You have fed us all to the Flames! Amr ibn Hisham, Abu al-Hakim! You deserve no to wear that name! You are no father of wisdom, you are a fool! Anta Abu Jahl, you are the father of ignorance!"

But the two men were more than capable of overpowering the other tribal leader, beating him and tossing him into the crowd.

"If any other wishes to stand against us, know that we have the backing of the Axumites! If you stand against us, know we can destroy you with ease!"