[center][h3]Terauchi Temple[/h3][/center]
[center][b]PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE[/b][/center]
[center]~ [@Crowvette] ~[/center]

With the summoned mist following her, [u]Io[/u] reached the part of the temple where the Varjan prisoners were kept. She was greeted by a sight she probably did not expect.

A pile of bodies on fire, the corpses burned black to be unrecognizable. Refugees slaughtered mercilessly by the Varjans... but there were no groups of hiding villagers near here. There was a small group of three Varjans watching the flames before noticing [u]Io's[/u] arrival. Two of them wore the elite armors of the Varjan Elite and armed with halberds, while the last one wore blue armor with robes over it and held a staff with a golden beetle at the top end. His [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/048/370/545/large/ruslan-korovkin-ts.jpg]fancy helmet[/url] signifying him of importance, the Varjan Warlock leading this assault.

Unlike what [u]Skarsneek[/u] said, this group of flanking Varjans didn't have the prisoners with them. Could it be... that the pile of burning bodies were the prisoners instead? "[color=00aeef]And what have we here? A lost, little Lich?[/color]" The Warlock remarked as he sized up [u]Io[/u]. "[color=00aeef]Your magics may be formidable, but you will find mine to be more so. Kill her![/color]"

The two Varjan Elites charged [u]Io[/u] with their halberds, but two kunai flew from behind the Lich and hit the Varjans and stopped them in their tracks. Takeshi Oja then ran past [u]Io[/u] to do battle with the Varjan Elites, but his appearance caught the Warlock's attention. "[color=00aeef]Takeshi Oja...? I will have his head![/color]" The Warlock then channeled magic from his staff toward his gauntlet. Intending to blast Takeshi Oja with magic while the young lord was busy with the Elites.

[center]---[/center]
[center]~ [@Restalaan] (GRI & SKA) ~[/center]

Losia's diving attack was stopped with [u]Skarsneek's[/u] club to the knee, throwing her momentum off. Then, [u]Gringor[/u] recovered quick enough to deliver a swing from his axe to the interrupted World Hound.

The axe swing sent Losia flying towards a burning pagoda, crashing through a pillar. She tried to get up, but that section of the pagoda was badly-burnt and the support beams have been weakened. Losia's crash was the last straw and that section of the building collapsed on the World Hound. The amount of debris that landed on her was enough to completely bury her. Moments passed and there was no movement from the rubble, Losia was done for.

The battle was winding down, but was still raging somewhat. [u]Skarsneek[/u] still knew that there was a Varjan detachment which [u]Io[/u] left to handle. Meanwhile, catapult fire was still coming and hitting the magic barrier despite [u]Kerry[/u] leaving to take care of it. Could something have happened to the Hornet?

[center]---[/center]
[center]~ [@The Irish Tree] (EUL) ~[/center]

Trying her best to defend and keep the dwindling warriors of Shizuyama alive, [u]Eula[/u] continued to fight nonlethally but also take blows meant for her human allies.

But one blow was a little too much for [u]Eula[/u], an upward swing from a two-handed mace sent her to the ground. The Varjan Warrior was about to swing downward, but was slashed in the back by a white-haired warrior in white and red clothes. "[color=indianred]You know, you confuse me, yokai.[/color]" Kazenosuke remarked to the Automaton on the ground. "[color=indianred]You know we hate you, yet you come here trying to keep us all alive. Is that how you won Takeshi over? I gotta say, it's pretty effective.[/color]"

"[color=indianred]Although, Takeshi's a softie so stuff like that will work on him. Not sure about the others, though.[/color]" Kazenosuke gestured to a fighting [u]Kikyo[/u], who continued to dispatch her foes with lightning-like speed. "[color=indianred]So why do you do it? You can spill to me. I won't tell anyone, I promise.[/color]"

[center]---[/center]
[center]~ [@Rezod92] ~[/center]

The Footmen were left dumbfounded when [u]Kerry[/u] engaged them by flying and using their heads to hop towards the magic-nullifying obelisk. "[color=00a651]Don't let her destroy the suppression device![/color]"

[u]Kerry[/u] reached the obelisk without trouble but when she swung Dusk at it, the obelisk's stone was chipped significantly but remained standing. It was sturdier than it looked and the Footmen arrived to drive off the Hornet. [u]Kerry[/u] will need several hits at the obelisk to break it, and the catapults continued to launch burning boulders at Terauchi Temple.

Indeed, the catapult crew used some emplaced fire pits near the artillery pieces to set their catapult ammunition on fire. So perhaps, [u]Kerry[/u] did not need her wind magic to stop the catapults. Just some clever thinking and maneuvers. Of course, it was ultimately her choice.

[center]---[/center]
[center]~ [@Hammerman], [@Nakushita] ~[/center]

[u]Lunatea[/u] managed to cut off the Varjan handler's whip, freeing [u]Yuki[/u] who managed to stay on her feet. The handler then tried to charge [u]Yuki[/u] with his knife, but a bolt of lightning from the allied spellcaster blasted him away. He then tried to get up, but his weakened state allowed the spellcaster to lift him up to the air and hurl him at the trees outside Terauchi Temple.

"[color=powderblue]Now, only the mutts remain...[/color]" The spellcaster remarked as he, [u]Yuki[/u] and [u]Lunatea[/u] faced the last of the Varjan Wardogs, whom gathered together to avenge their handler, ignoring and dropping everything else. They bared their teeth and growled, circling the trio and looking for an opening to strike.

Then they struck, several came at once. The spellcaster shot out his lightning bolts while three Wardogs attacked [u]Lunatea[/u] and another three at [u]Yuki[/u]. The hounds went for the legs, trying to immobilize the two monsters so they were more easily overwhelmed. 

But as mentioned, these were the last Wardogs. [u]Yuki[/u] and [u]Lunatea[/u] can end this fight, here and now!

[hr]
[center][h3]Varjan Ship[/h3][/center]
[center][b]LOST AT SEA[/b][/center]
[center]~ [@Enkryption], [@The Irish Tree] (LIL), [@AzureKnight] (SHI) ~[/center]

(Currently in collab)