The group of players from the north moved with a coordination and speed that far surpassed the first group. Leading them was none other than Borg, the axe-wielding Warrior. The anger from their last encounter was still clearly etched on his face. Beside him was the female Mage, Rina, her eyes burning as hot as her magic, and the Rogue, Jax, looking much more focused this time.
But there was a change. With them this time was a fourth person, a Priest in a white robe, holding a silver scepter that glowed with a holy light.
"A Priest," Elara announced from above, her voice wary. "His holy magic can harm me."
Yanaki nodded. The presence of a Priest had neutralized one of her trump cards. A static defensive plan would no longer be effective.
Borg stopped at the foot of the hill, observing Yanaki's fortress. He was no longer underestimating her.
"Hmph, the little brat knows how to pick a spot," he growled. "Rina, prepare to breach the wall! Kael, use your holy magic to suppress the ghost in the bell tower! Jax, find a way around, see if there's another entrance!"
They began their attack in an organized fashion.
Borg and Jax charged up, applying direct pressure on Sylva at the bottleneck. Meanwhile, Rina began to chant a complex spell, a large fireball forming, but her target wasn't Sylva, but the stone wall beside it, intending to widen the entrance.
And as planned, the Priest Kael raised his scepter. "[Holy Light]!"
A beam of pure light shot straight towards Elara in the bell tower. Elara let out a soft cry, her form flickering slightly as the spell hit. She quickly flew down, hiding behind the ruined walls of the bell tower to evade. Her supportive singing had been disabled.
Yanaki knew that she couldn't just defend forever. "Plan B!" she commanded through the covenant. "Fall back!"
At that exact moment, Rina's fireball slammed into the stone wall, creating a massive explosion. Rubble flew everywhere, and the entrance was blown wide open.
"Charge!" Borg roared, rushing in first.
But inside, he saw no one. Yanaki, Sylva, and Elara had already retreated deeper into the church, hiding behind the rotten pews.
Just as Borg and Jax stepped inside, a green flame suddenly erupted at the entrance, blocking the path for Rina and Kael. Yanaki had thrown her torch into a puddle of Oily Moss she had prepared in advance.
Borg realized he had walked into a trap. "Damn it!"
Inside the church, the situation had changed. It was now a 3-on-2.
"Sylva, hold the big guy!" Yanaki yelled. The Guardian Treant charged out, using its shield to block Borg's attack.
Jax, the Rogue, tried to slip past to attack Yanaki. But Yanaki was no longer the weak girl who only gave commands from the back. At Level 5, her agility had improved significantly.
She drew her poison-coated dagger, and instead of retreating, she proactively engaged him. She didn't fight with strength, but used her agility to weave between the stone pillars and pews, continuously making short, quick slashes at Jax's arms and sides. The damage wasn't high, but the toxin effect began to take hold.
Elara, no longer suppressed by the Priest outside, also joined the fray. She didn't attack, but repeatedly flew through Jax. Each time, a bone-deep chill made him shudder, slowing his speed and breaking his concentration.
Borg's party's organized assault had been completely dismantled. Borg was being held by an unbreakable "wall" named Sylva. Their Mage and Priest were blocked by the wall of fire outside. And their Rogue was being "played with" by a Level 5 girl and a ghost amidst the rubble.
Borg let out a roar of pure anger and helplessness. He had planned so carefully, even bringing a direct counter to his opponent, but ended up being outmaneuvered by the tactics and intelligence of a girl he had once looked down on.
"Everyone, fall back!" Borg yelled, forced to make a humiliating decision. Continuing this fight would only lead to heavier losses.
Jax quickly broke away from Yanaki and Elara, and they did not pursue. Borg's party regrouped outside the slowly dying wall of fire.
A second time. This was the second time they had been forced to retreat from the same opponent.
Borg looked into the ruined church with hatred in his eyes. He knew now that to get the Memory Shard, he couldn't just use brute force. He needed a different plan, a plan clever enough to deal with the little fox hiding inside.
The battle subsided for now, but both sides knew this was only the beginning. The true siege had only just revealed its opening moves.