Takechi and his companions, including Jill, ran along the straight path of Storm Road, while the Knightley Queen knights also chased them from behind.
They were all in a panic, having escaped and even been spotted by the knights. All they could do was keep running and hope they could escape.
Furthermore, Takechi was also carrying Lilith on his shoulder.
At that moment, Jill asked Takechi,
"Boss, what should we do?"
"We just need to keep running, don't give up so easily! As long as we don't run into Flynn Deschain, we're safe!" he replied without hesitation.
"Yes, boss!"
Meanwhile, the Knightley Queen knights who were running also seemed to be making no progress in catching them. The Knightley Queen knights were armed and fully equipped.
"Hey, you guys, stop!"
Unfortunately, their running speed couldn't even keep up with the bandits they were supposed to capture.
"Damn, if this keeps up, they'll escape completely!" said one of the knights.
Iris was also running towards them to rescue Lilith, whom they had kidnapped.
"Stop complaining! We have to catch them immediately!" Iris said firmly, displeased with what one of the knights had just said.
Well, there were several factors at play.
Takechi and his companions ignored the knights' calls. If they stopped or even looked back to check, they might be caught due to their reduced running speed.
Therefore, running was the most appropriate and accurate choice.
However, Takechi took the time to look back to make sure the Knightley Queen knights were still pursuing. He then muttered to himself,
(Damn, if this keeps up, we'll soon be caught...! Jill and the others are starting to get tired, this could be bad!)
But in the midst of Takechi thinking of a way out, one of his companions shouted at him to look ahead. "Takechi! Look ahead!" This made Takechi snap out of his trance and he turned his head back.
"...?!"
To their surprise, they saw Flynn Deschain. The figure they were supposed to avoid had appeared on the same path, running towards them. Along with information they didn't recognize.
"You Nephilim—stop running!" Flynn shouted at them loudly. This clearly caused them to panic.
"Flynn Deschain?!"
"Tch... Why did we have to meet him!!" Then, he called to his comrades to prepare their weapons. "Everyone! Prepare your weapons!"
His comrades all obeyed their boss's orders, carrying various weapons. Swords, bows and arrows, axes, even just their bare hands.
Takechi ordered the bow bearer to shoot them. "Shoot Flynn Deschain!"
The bow bearer took his bow and one arrow. He aimed it at Flynn Deschain, even as he ran. But he still managed to aim accurately.
He then drew the bowstring, his left shoulder muscles tensing, producing a soft creak from the bow's curved wood. He released the string, and the arrow flew, leaving a trail of phits that tore through the air.
Flynn realized that if he let it go, the arrow would surely pierce his body. Therefore, he made a motion to summon his greatsword, Exceed the Storm.
However, Infori read his movements. Immediately drawing his sword from its sheath, Infori gripped it tightly and swung it, creating a wind slash at the arrow.
WOOSHHH
Causing the arrow to deviate from its intended course, it shocked Flynn, Takechi, and his teammates.
"?!"
"Infori...?" Flynn called out spontaneously, glancing at him even as he ran.
Infori only glanced at him briefly, focused on running. However, he still answered Flynn's call.
"No time to think, right?"
"Yes!"
Flynn immediately opened his hand upward and summoned his claymore sword.
"Exceed The Storm!"
A blue light with several bolts of lightning appeared, quickly forming his own sword. It was a two-handed claymore with a bold, knightly design. The blade was wide and straight, a clean silver-gray. Near the hilt of the blade was a small, gently gleaming blue gem—like the breath of a storm wind encased in steel.
Flynn then grasped the sturdy hilt, swung it down, and continued running with Infori toward the bandits.
"Come on, Infori!"
"Yes!"
"Take them both down!" shouted Takechi.
The bow-bearer drew his bowstring. He released the string, sending the arrow soaring, and then he released another arrow at the two of them. Two arrows shot out in rapid succession.
However, Infori swung his sword again, unleashing a wind slash that even knocked the two arrows out of the way.
This clearly panicked Takechi and the others again; they hadn't expected the arrows to be deflected by mere wind magic.
"..?!"
"Tch...!"
It didn't stop there. Without warning, Infori swung his sword, unleashing another wind slash at them.
The wind slash struck one of them, the bow bearer, sending him flying backward and rolling across the ground, landing in front of the knights and Iris, who then stopped. This left them slightly shocked by what they saw.
"...!"
The bow bearer was in considerable pain from being knocked and rolled across the floor. His body might have been able to withstand it, but the pain was not.
Takechi then stopped, causing his comrades to halt their advance. However, hoping that Flynn and Infori would also stop was impossible. They continued running towards them, and in the end, Takechi simply tried to defend himself.
"...!"
Flynn then launched an attack, swinging his sword, unleashing a slash of electrical energy from the blade. It aimed at Takechi and the others, but not only that—
"Infori!" Flynn exclaimed.
"Haaa!" Infori exclaimed, also launching a wind slash at Flynn's energy slash.
WOOSSHH
The wind collided with the electrical energy, creating a light explosion that only sent a strong gust of wind and a small cloud of smoke.
But it was enough to obscure their vision.
"...?!"
"What's going on...?!"
Infori then stopped running, while Flynn quickly shot towards Takechi and the others, piercing through the small clouds of smoke in the air.
Flynn immediately struck them one by one with his bare hands, causing them to fall one by one. Takechi realized something was wrong. His instincts screamed faster than his thoughts, and without hesitation he immediately looked up. Just then, a shadow fell on him.
BOOM!
An attack struck directly in front of him, triggering a loud explosion that shook the ground. Pressure winds swept in all directions, sending dust, gravel, and debris flying.
It even forced Infori and the others to cover their faces with their hands.
Takechi was thrown backward, even past Infori, who remained silent. He was shocked when Takechi's body fell to the ground and collapsed on the floor.
Takechi also dropped Lilith, whom he had been carrying, leaving the unconscious Lilith lying on the floor.
"?!"
Infori glanced back and then back to see that the smoke had slowly cleared, revealing Flynn standing. Meanwhile, Takechi's comrades lay helpless.
This demonstrated the strength of the youngest captain of the Knightley Queen, capable of taking down several men at once.
Infori swallowed hard, realizing how powerful Flynn was when he was serious, even if he wasn't.
(Flynn... If he had been serious earlier, I'm not sure anyone would have survived his attack...)