Chapter 791: Chapter 791 - Enraged
Eight third-ranked Arcanists casually strolled out of the portal, each brimming with power. Zahra’s heart filled with dread as she watched it happen helplessly. Next to her, Nasir and Zohran did the same thing.
After saving the soldiers and crashing into a nearby building, Zohran had needed no time to recover. Without paying attention to what was happening with the portal, he first roared at everyone near the city centre to leave, then leaped over to Nasir and Zahra. Now, all three of them watched a near-unstoppable force stroll into their city.
Truly, eight third-rankers was a force that, in the current state of the world, could easily topple nations on their own.
"Karim?!" Zohran suddenly exclaimed when he noticed a man standing not far from the portal, with a kind of glazy look in his eyes. "What are you still doing there?! Get out!"
"Hmmm...?" Karim murmured, and slowly turned in Zohran’s direction. Then, a smirk spread across his face. "Oh... You know this body?" he drawled, mockingly.
"Eh?" Zohran muttered sceptically, weirded out by Karim’s behaviour, but far too impatient and preoccupied to deal with it now. "What the hell are you talking about, man? Just go!"
"I don’t think that’s Karim..." Zahra suddenly said, frowning and focused. "Or if it is, then he betrayed us. I can feel the same energy from the portal coming from him."
"What?!" Zohran roared, instantly infuriated, not doubting her word for a moment. "You dare?!" he continued, pointing one of his weapons at Karim, who was an Arcanist. "We fought, bled, and ate together! We even fucked the same woman once! You think they’ll treat you any better than they will us, just because you’re human?!"
Karim blinked indifferently, then turned to the eight invaders and frowned, obviously displeased. "You certainly took your time... I’m sure you’re aware I have better things to do than twiddling my thumbs until I can open the portal on this side, and I don’t like waiting..."
Obvious fear passed over each of their faces. The trio of Maghreb quickly became confused. Karim was just a second ranker... why would these eight third rankers be intimidated?
"A— Apologies, Primarch..." one of the men gulped and muttered as he and his seven compatriots bowed their heads. "It was not our intention to make you wait... The walls were sturdier than we expected, and it took a while to create a crack in their teleportation wards..."
"Hmpf," Karim snorted, obviously not interested in their excuses. "Yet, make me wait you did. Don’t bother returning without results. Your only possible futures include control of this city, or death."
All eight flinched, but Karim already moved on by glancing indifferently at the dumbfounded trio. "Because I am benevolent... I’ll see if I can give you idiots a slight advantage..."
Dark-green magic flared in his hands. "I sure hope this flesh bag didn’t mean much to you, doggy..." he mocked, then waved his glowing hand at Zohran, before producing a dagger and plunging it into his own heart.
Karim’s eyes widened, and the glassy look retreated. Panic, confusion, and sorrow filled his gaze, yet life drained away rapidly. His hands weakly grasped the blade’s hilt, but couldn’t pull it out. His body started falling backward, and all the strength he had left concentrated on the uttering of one, whispered word: "S— Sorry..."
"Karim!" Zohran roared, panting with confused rage as he stepped closer. His two companions nearly leaped forward to stop him from doing something rash, but the werejackal already stopped himself. He could see Karim was already dead, and wasn’t stupid enough to just rush into range of all those Arcanists.
At least, so it seemed for a moment. With Karim’s sudden actions, the trio failed to notice the thin strand of dark-green aetherium that twirled its way towards the werejackal, almost invisibly... until it hit him straight in the face.
Zohran blinked, surprised. Then, reason became a thing of the past. Howling again, this time filled with fury without reason, Zohran leaped in the direction of the Arcanists, sabres raised.
"Shit! Zohran!" Nasir cried out, reaching forward, but just missing the scruff of Zohran’s neck-fur. Cursing again, he ran after him. "Come back here, you idiot! Karim was clearly not himself, and I didn’t even know you were that close! Luring you in was obviously their goal!"
Zahra, cursing as well, ran after the both of them with her slower speed. "I don’t think he’s in his right mind right now!" she yelled after Nasir. "Frickin Karim did something to him! Just be glad he’s not attacking us!"
Surprisingly, the eight attackers didn’t look happy, either. Now they had a raging, third-ranked Runebound to deal with, which they apparently weren’t immediately prepared for.
"What’d the Primarch do that for!" one of them exclaimed miserably as she prepared her spells to receive the wild shapeshifter. "These guys are annoying enough to deal with when they have a sense of self preservation!"
"Don’t question them!" another hastily whispered, his eyes flying towards the dead Karim, as if expecting him to get up again at any moment.
"Don’t be a pussy," a third grumbled sternly, his voice betraying a higher degree of experience. "The Primarch is powerful and knowledgeable, not omnipotent. I’ve seen them use this before, but it caused the target to attack her allies, as well as us. Maybe this one’s got a higher willpower."
The more experienced man raised his arms with bloody crimson magic circles on his hands. "Whatever the case, let’s deal with these pests. We don’t want to disappoint the Primarch."
Just as he said that, small drops of blood began coalescing around his hands. Then, with a small push forward, he launched them like a hail of crimson death. Around him, his seven companions launched their own attack just as Zohran came into range.
A powerful, chaotic swirl of energy surged towards the enraged werejackal... but he didn’t seem to care. With both sabres raised, he threw himself into the oncoming storm. Behind him, Nasir roared, and Zahra cursed as they ran to try and protect Zohran.
But would they be in time?