[center][h2][color=#b3ccff]Esben Matthiassen[/color][/h2][/center]
[hr]

Resuming a purely defensive position, the militia was at least able to hold out well against the beasts while the other Kirins dealt with the Behemoth. Until, of course, the monster decided to try and rain hell down upon them. He watched the blast of æther as it arced into the sky, cursing under his breath. [color=#b3ccff]"Take cover!"[/color] he commanded the small militia, his voice carrying over the village elders who had begun to take control of their fellows as the group got more confident in their defense.

The back ranks broke first, many falling back into the city, towards where Miina and Eos were busy stabilizing Éliane. Those in the front covered their retreat from the remaining blighted wildlife that were throwing themselves against the wall of spears, only trying to separate at the last moment. Being the older members of the village, even with Rudolf's help not all of them were fast enough to escape unharmed. Thanks to their attempt to cover, some few were crushed outright as the cascade resumed its course, with multiple more being wounded and having to limp or drag their way back towards the rest, or into the emptied buildings to either side.

Esben's chocobo danced between the falling rocks, with himself low to its back as they barely avoided getting brained themselves. The bird skidded to a stop as he heard Galahad calling out, pointing at his halberd lodged in the Behemoth's hide. Calling for Ramuh's aid in the fight. With Éliane lying unconscious in the street, being tended to by Miina and Eos, while Selene had only barely kept Rudolf, Izayoi, and Galahad himself from meeting a certain death.

The fairies, or the Eidolon, he couldn't have both. Maybe Cid or Zacharias could have, but he wasn't nearly the caliber of summoner that either man was. Leaving him to choose between staying on the defensive himself, hoping that Miina's haste aongside Selene and Eos would be enough to keep the rest alive, let them regroup and lick their wounds, or bet on a massive attack hoping it would be enough to put the beast down.

It had come to them wounded. It had suffered more at their hands. But Galahad, armour bent and dented, would be struggling to move before long. He could already see Izayoi struggling, spitting blood. For all that Rudolf looked to be in one piece, after having been thrown across the field he was dripping blood as he ran—not to mention that he had no clue how well or poorly Éliane was faring. Leaving the three least suited to such a head-on fight as the only ones who'd even be capable of it before long, something Chisato was already taking to heart as she charged the beast as well.

[color=#b3ccff]"How distasteful,"[/color] he muttered to himself. For all they'd been able to do it, it had paid them back in kind, and may yet manage worse; none of the bets he had available seemed good ones to make. He spared one quick glance back at the barrier that Miina had erected over herself and Éliane, frowning as he holstered his pistol and pulled out his journal. Eos and Selene vanished in an instant as he ceased maintaining their presence, reaching out towards the Eidolon of Lightning. [color=#b3ccff][i]Ramuh! We need your aid again![/i][/color]

[i][b]So unseemly, Warrior of Light. Need we have this conversation again?[/b][/i]

[color=#b3ccff][i]We're too hurt to waste time with this—[b]strike this Behemoth down, Ramuh![/b][/i][/color]

[i][b]Ah yes, I see thee now, child. A moment...[/b][/i]

Clouds swirled above the battlefield like when the Kirins had stumbled into Ramuh's grove out in the Dranan jungle, darkening within moments to portend a dreadful storm. Wisps of æther drew in towards the epicenter, coaelscing into the form of the timeless lightning sage, a stern set to his brow as he pointed his staff at the wounded Behemoth, raising his free hand to direct the energies at his call—

[h3][i]"Corrupted monster, servant of betrayers and hinderer of Etro's champions, I pronounce thy sentence! By the radiance of eld be thee judged!"[/i][/h3]

And the air split with a window-shattering crack as he unleashed his Judgment Bolt, the stream of energy crossing the distance nigh-instantenously to pour into the Behemoth's body through the polearm jammed into its neck.