[center]
"[color=fff79a]Lord Na'kratz! Were those monsters? How are they here?! We should pursue![/color]"

"[color=mediumpurple]No, no. Let them be. We have the town and there's no telling what they could be hiding under their sleeves. Let us deal with them another day. Or better yet, let others deal with them for us. Preferably the locals. Hehehehe...[/color]"

"[color=fff79a]...As you say, Lord Na'kratz.[/color]"
[/center]

[hr]
[hider=The Great Escape]
[center][h2]Saikoten[/h2]
[h3]Sanjo Beach[/h3][/center]

[center]~ [@Restalaan] (GRI), [@FrogRFlowR], [@Rune_Alchemist], [@AzureKnight] (ATS & SHI) ~[/center]

The group managed to exit safely under [u]Atsuha's[/u] protective barrier. Catapult shots exploded harmlessly against the shield if they didn't outright miss. The unconscious Takeshi was carried on [u]Atsuha's[/u] lower body while [u]Nyla[/u] kept the captive Kasseros on her mass, forcing her eldritch cakes down his mouth. The Varjan was also out cold so the pastries went down his throat without resistance.

[center]------[/center]
[center][h3]Sanjo Town[/h3][/center]

[center]~ [@Hammerman], [@AzureKnight] (HIN), [@Dark Cloud], [@WanderingDragon], [@Slypheed] ~[/center]

With [u]Hinami[/u] unconscious, [u]Wyndressa's[/u] group was going to have trouble making their exit while being chased by Varjans on horseback.

But then, [u]Valeriya[/u] arrived from the skies. Firing off a few lightning bolts that felled some of the Varjan cavalry, the Owl Mage erected a wide magical barrier to protect the group from Varjan javelins and throwing axes. There were horsemen who attempted to breach the shield with a mighty charge, only to find themselves and their horses violently repulsed by the barrier as if they hit a wall. The rest of the cavalry were shocked into stopping by the display.

This brief window of opportunity was exploited by [u]Wyndressa's[/u] group to make their escape from the invaded town. Strangely but fortunately, the Varjan horsemen made no attempts to pursue them.

[center]-[/center]

[center]~ [@Restalaan] (SKA), [@Noblebandit], [@Rezod92] ~[/center]

[u]Kerry's[/u] arrival and wind spell cleared the area of Varjan cavalry for the time being. The powerful gusts of winds blew away the invaders, save for Na'kratz who held firm but continued to do nothing.

The Varjan lord merely watched as the Hornet monster picked up [u]Skarsneek[/u] and flew to the sky followed by [u]Cambiel[/u] while his fellow Varjans recovered from the Hornet's wind magic. Some of the Varjans attempted to hurl projectiles at them but they were too high up in the air for any of them to come close to reaching their targets.

[quote=Kerry Maros][color=fff79a]"Go fuck yourself!"[/color][/quote]

Na'kratz's mask hid his reaction, but he most definitely heard [u]Kerry's[/u] parting words.

[/hider]
[hr]
[center][h3]Unknown Forest[/h3][/center]

[center]~ [@Hammerman], [@AzureKnight] (ATS, HIN & SHI), [@Restalaan] (SKA & GRI), [@Dark Cloud], [@WanderingDragon], [@FrogRFlowR], [@Noblebandit], [@Rune_Alchemist], [@Slypheed], [@Rezod92] ~[/center]

"Ugghhh..."

Takeshi's eyes flickered open, regaining consciousness. He jolted up and saw that he was in a crude tent, his shattered armor and sword set laid neatly beside him. He remembered being shot with arrows as he attempted to come to his father's aid and immediately felt out his back to see that the arrows were not only no longer there, but neither was the burning pain. "Someone saved me... and healed me. Magically." He muttered quietly to himself.

He wondered who saved him. Likely an onmyoji or a miko who found him in Sanjo Beach and took him somewhere safe, Takeshi thought. But how did they get past the swarm of Varjans on the beach? Someone had to have sacrificed their lives fighting off the Varjans just to get out of the beach. Takeshi sighed, he knew he was Oja but he didn't like anyone dying for him. Besides, weren't they all supposed to give everything to prevent the landings since a Varjan foothold in the island basically meant that Shizuyama was lost? Who ordered a retreat?

Takeshi sighed and grabbed his sword and left his tent to greet his rescuers and get an explanation. What he saw was something he never expected in his life.

The taskforce's retreat from Sanjo went as smoothly as it possibly could. Regrouping with one another was not exactly difficult, they were the only ones left to flee from the chaos so they easily spotted each other as they left the area and towards the dense forests way outside Sanjo Town.

A makeshift camp was set up around a bonfire upon a large clearing in the middle of the forest. That could have been unwise since Varjans might be hunting them, but the taskforce's composition would probably make any scouting party think twice about ambushing them. Right now, they were as safe as they could be at the moment. Free to catch up on the situation or simply take a breather, maybe even ask [u]Nyla[/u] to whip up something to eat for the night.

Then they all noticed their rescued survivor exit his tent.

Takeshi, wide-eyed, drew his blade. "W-What is the meaning of this?! Yokai?! Who are you?!" He panicked before realizing that he was not rescued, but captured! Fortunately not by vicious and merciless Varjan invaders, but captured nonetheless. Although, why was he not restrained then?

Takeshi knew he had to escape. Escape to where, when the island is lost? That didn't matter right now. The young Oja immediately turned to flee, only to crash into [u]Valeriya[/u] who was inspecting the local flora around the camp. They were both sent to the ground, but Takeshi grabbed his sword and quickly crawled away.

While on his back, Takeshi pointed his sword at the Owl Mage and the rest of the taskforce. "Stay back! I'm warning you!"