An Enchanting Evening

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 38, Post Number 949

-Just outside the gates of Silent Cemetery-

Spotting the cemetery from the sky, Leona brought her Winged Lion summon around and slowly reduced her altitude until she could scrape the ground with her feet. The Winged Lion slowly reduced his airspeed until his feet began making contact with the ground. He applied the brakes with all four feet and slowed to a stop in front of the forbidding cemetery gates, which were guarded by two men in dark hunter's clothing armed with bolt-action rifles. In a scabbard on each man's side was a shortsword of some kind.

"I do not like the look of this." The lion commented while Leona dismounted the summon and faced the men. Wearing her green-and-gold outfit with Argent Gloves, the Wizard Saint was armed with her Silver Longsword on her left hip. On her back was her backpack, which contained both supplies and the job notice from Miranda Melbont. The two men took notice of her and approached cautiously, ready to raise their weapons and fire at a moment's notice if she or her summon threatened them.

"It'll be OK." Leona assured her summon, who had taken a defensive posture and faced the hunters.

"Are you Leona Jarnefeldt, the Wizard Saint of Courage?" One of the men asked her warily. He was a dark-haired man with green eyes and scars from four diagonal claw marks across his right cheek. His partner was a dark-haired man with brown eyes and three diagonal scars extending from the bottom of his ear to his jawline on the left side of his face. Both men were concerned about the Winged Lion, who was watching their every move and was clearly ready to pounce if he suspected that they would threaten his mistress.

"Yes. Miranda Melbont of the Order of The Silver Blades called me here. She said that she was going to perform a ritual and needed me to help protect her while it was being performed." Leona answered, carefully unslinging her backpack from her back and rummaging through it to retrieve the job notice. She handed it to the dark-haired hunter standing in front of her while his partner watched the area around them for nearby threats. After a tense forty-five seconds of reading the notice, the man handed it back to her and relaxed.

"We need your help again, Leona. Thanks to you we got the codex back, so we're able to start looking for a way to fight back instead of having to hide all the time. However, our current weapons still can't hurt the new vampires." He explained the situation so far.

"That's why we're going to perform this ritual. Once it's finished we'll be able to hurt the new vampires and take back the night." The second hunter chimed in.

"But they're not gonna just sit back, sip some blood from a wine glass and let us get the new weapons ready. They're gonna do everything they can to stop us before we can complete the ritual." The first hunter added as the trio faced the cemetery gates.

"OK. I'm sure that time isn't on our side, so lead me to the ritual site when you're ready." Leona said to him before dispelling the Winged Lion. The first hunter walked in front of her and motioned for her to follow him. Leona obeyed and the second hunter followed close behind the Wizard Saint while on the lookout for threats. The first man opened the gates and Leona walked through with the second hunter, then the first man closed the gates behind them.

[Word Count: 620]
[Total Word Count: 620/3,500]

-Inside Silent Cemetery-

Escorted by the two hunters of the Order of The Silver Blade, Leona strode past rows of tombstones deeper into the cemetery. She paid no attention to the tombstones or the weak glow of lanterns that lit a few recently dug graves awaiting their occupants. The hunters seemed to be more tense about their surroundings than Leona was; Leona was more concerned about the upcoming fight and whether the Silver Longsword at her side would pack enough punch to handle whatever the vampires sent her way.

Leona could have brought Shoki to the fight because it was made with the express purpose of destroying the undead and the supernatural, but she opted not to for two reasons. First, it was a weapon that was loaned to her, not her personal property. Second, Shoki had a long and heavy blade, a trait which could prove to be a disadvantage in a situation where speed was critical. The Order was low on members and had presumably brought everyone they could spare to the cemetery, so Leona would have to be quick on her feet to compensate for the manpower shortage.

"Is this your first time here?" One of the hunters asked Leona as the trio walked down the path to a crossroads where Miranda Melbont was standing in the presence of the other two hunters. One was a burly shirtless man with dark pants and short jet-black hair armed with a gleaming silver claymore. The other hunter present wielded a silver ax and wore dark clothing with a silver-plated revolver in a holster at their side.

"No. I've been here at least five times before, if not more than five times." Leona answered calmly. She had been to Silent Cemetery so many times that she could be a tour guide if it were not for the zombies, zombie dogs, skeletal warriors, and other dangerous creatures that called the region home. Even then she could be a tour guide because she was more than strong enough to handle the threats, but the blonde did not like to stay in the Cursed Lands for a great length of time once a job that took her to the region had been completed.

"I can tell. I guess it's part of being a Wizard Saint." The hunter quipped shortly before they reached Miranda, who was standing just outside a circle made of blood of some kind. In the exact center of the circle was a pile of silver swords carefully arranged in a circle so that all of the points were aimed at one another. Ashes of something were scattered at eight equidistant points in the circle.

"Hello Leona. I see that you got my message." Miranda said to Leona as she placed her hands together in prayer.

"There's little time to talk, Leona. The enemy's on the way. I don't know how many there are or what they'll be, so get ready to fight!" Miranda advised her as the two hunters who had escorted Leona took up defensive positions just outside the circle, joining with the other two hunters who were standing behind Miranda to form a box around the square. Leona thought that Miranda could have picked a more defensible location than a crossroads, but the Wizard Saint supposed that that was the best location the vampire hunter had to choose from since cemeteries were not normally battlegrounds between good and evil. At least they could see down all four paths at once. The Wizard Saint drew her Silver Longsword and waited for the fighting to begin.

[Word Count: 604]
[Total Word Count: 1,224/3,500]

Leona Jarnefeldt rolls one Monster Die.

Taking advantage of the proverbial calm before the storm to look around, Leona turned around to see Miranda with her eyes closed and chanting in an unknown language. The ritual circle was glowing silver and the swords that were to be enchanted were surrounded by a small silver circle of their own. The ritual appeared to be going smoothly, but as the rifle-wielding hunters and Miranda had predicted, their enemies had sent minions to disrupt the ritual before it could be completed. Leona heard the howling of wolves in the distance and deduced that she would be going up against lupine threats.

"Werewolves." One of the rifle-wielding hunters said aloud, switching the box magazine in his weapon from normal rounds to specially made silver bullets. The other followed suit and the melee weapon-wielding hunters readied themselves for combat. Leona faced forward as the howling got closer and saw five shadowy forms leap over the cemetery gates and land on all fours in unison at the entrance. It was an impressive show of acrobatics, but acrobatics was not the only talent they had... the five werewolves sprinted at the hunters to try and kill their hated adversaries before the hunters could empower their weapons.

Leona formed her left hand in the shape of a gun, aimed her fingers at a lycanthrope and fired a Wind Bullet that hit it in the chest and launched it backwards. Its head hit the cemetery gate and a CRACK could be heard in the distance, but the Wizard Saint did not have time to celebrate because she still had four wolves to contend with. Leona heard the rifle-wielding hunters fire on a werewolf that had tried to flank Leona from the left while the one on her right rushed by her to focus on getting to Miranda. Another wolf joined it and the last wolf focused on attacking Leona herself.

The wolf on her left took three silver rounds to the body and collapsed, throwing a hand on Leona's left ankle and trying in vain to pull itself up for one last attack before succumbing to its wounds. Leona heard the two melee hunters engage the two wolves in combat before ducking under the claws of the last werewolf and getting kicked in the face for her trouble. The Wizard Saint did a quick roll backwards and used the momentum to pop up on her feet, using the Silver Longsword to block the right hand from clawing her face off.

Leona forced its right hand above its head with a forceful push upward and slashed it across the chest when the maneuver left her opponent open. It howled and reared back, then tried to grab Leona's shoulders to pull her in for a bite to the throat. Leona drew back her left fist and hit it with a Mach Straight to the lower jaw that hit with enough force to cause its head to snap backwards, but it soon recovered and slammed the Wizard Saint with its body, tackling her to the ground and knocking her sword out of reach.

Faced with a snarling wolf that was trying to bite her face off, the supine Leona quickly put her hands around its jaws and did her best to keep its sharp teeth from reaching her face or her throat by pushing its muzzle up. The blonde felt the beast push down with all its might to get its snapping jaws into position to sink its teeth into her. She also felt its claws tear at her skirt and midriff, but its primary focus was tearing her face off.

Ignoring the clothing damage she was taking, Leona held its head up and kept its jaws at bay until one of the riflemen rushed to her aid. He appeared on her right side and pressed the barrel of his weapon under its chin, then pulled the trigger. Blood hit Leona in the face and the beast collapsed on top of her, but the gun-wielding hunters quickly helped her out of the predicament and cleaned the blood off of her face with a special silver cloth that absorbed blood and made it disappear. She heard yelping behind her and the two melee hunters shout joyously as they triumphed over their opponents.

Leona turned to see one werewolf cut in half at the waist and the other lying on the ground with a split in its head from the ax. Miranda was unharmed and continued to chant while the hunters cleaned off their weapons and prepared for the next wave of enemies who wanted to see the Order of The Silver Blade exterminated. Leona finished wiping the blood from her face and reclaimed her sword for the fight ahead.

[Word Count: 797]
[Total Word Count: 2,021/3,500]

Leona Jarnefeldt rolls one Monster Die.

Leona thanked the hunters for their help and looked down at her outfit, stretching out the green-and-white skirt for a better view. The midriff was unharmed, but the front of the skirt had sustained minor tears where the claws had found purchase in the fabric. The Wizard Saint was more than a little unhappy at the damage to her iconic outfit, but there were more pressing matters to deal with, namely protecting Miranda and her hunters from whatever threat that their enemies sent next. That threat did not take very long to arrive and came in the form of a snake. A really big snake.

"What the hell is that?" One of the rifle-wielding hunters asked his partner and the group, pointing towards the left cemetery wall. Leona saw a snake head with mammoth tusks and black fur rear up from a coiled position and stare down at the hunters with beady yellow eyes. Her stomach turned a flip at the sight of the thirty-meter tall snake and its unusual appearance.

"Oh no..." The hunter to Leona's right groaned before backing away and aiming his weapon with shaky hands. The snake slithered over the cemetery wall without damaging it and slithered towards the trio. Leona formed her left hand into a gun and fired another Wind Bullet, but the snake saw the small silver projectile streaking towards it and dodged by pausing and moving its head to the right. It glared at her as if communicating its contempt for her, then kept moving towards the humans far below.

Leona shifted her sword to her left hand for the following attack, which was to be her Silver Tempest spell. She put the index and middle fingers of her right hand together and focused magic into them, then fired a silver horizontal tornado that rushed towards the snake's head. This attack hit and stunned the snake momentarily, giving Leona's companions enough time to switch to normal rifle rounds and open fire. She watched the orange sparks from the rifle shots as the shots bounced off while inflicting negligible damage against the gargantuan serpent.

"It's not working!" The man to her right said in a panicked voice. The snake soon recovered from its momentary dizziness and glared at the Wizard Saint before opening its mouth and spitting a glob of glowing red acid at the blonde mage. The hunters hurried out of the way and Leona raised her forearms in an X pattern in front of her.

"NO! GET OUTTA THERE!" A hunter yelled at her. Leona saw the red shield of Ruby Dome go up just as the acid reached her, but the hunters did not see it because of the red acid washing over the shield and onto the ground.

"It's too late. She's gone." The other said in sorrow. Convinced that Leona was now melted into an indescribable soup of what used to be a human, the snake turned its eyes towards the men. Its forked tongue flicked from its mouth and it lowered its head to get a better look at its frightened prey. The two melee hunters rushed forward to engage the snake with their weapons but quickly retreated along with the gun-wielding hunters when it opened its mouth to produce another gob of acid.

"The Wizard Saint's gone. What will we do?" The ax-wielding man asked his colleagues, who stood protectively in front of Miranda. The shirtless claymore-wielding hunter pointed towards the Ruby Dome and smiled.

"She is still with us." He answered laconically. Once all the acid was gone Leona dropped the shield and raised her open hand towards the snake, which turned away from the hunters to face her. She quickly fired a Gale Cannon shot before it could attack her. The basketball-sized projectile slammed into its head and sent it careening backwards into the cemetery gate, where it slammed head-first into the gate. It writhed in pain for a moment before stopping all movement.

"You made it!" A rifleman commented in relief while the two melee weapon-wielding hunters ran towards the snake to kill it in case it was not really dead. Leona stood in the acid-burned grass at her feet and watched the men hack at the downed serpent's neck until it was decapitated. The pair returned to the crossroads with bloodied weapons and smiles on their faces.

"With you at our side, we just might survive the night no matter what comes our way." The claymore wielder said to Leona in a hopeful tone.

[Word Count: 771]
[Total Word Count: 2,792/3,500]

Leona Jarnefeldt rolls one Monster Die.

Leona and the hunters had just vanquished the large snake and were taking a much-needed breather when still more enemies appeared from the shadows to do battle with the Order of The Silver Blade and the Wizard Saint of Courage. This time their opponent were ten shadowy wolves of the regular four-legged kind instead of the lycanthrope kind the humans had fought earlier. The wolves had leapt over the cemetery gates on the left and right of the hunters near the crossroad where Miranda was still performing the ritual. The shadowy wolves were in two groups of five and were eying Miranda as their target.

"Damn! They got around us!" The claymore hunter hissed. The riflemen raised their weapons and Leona raised her right hand in the shape of a gun towards the group of wolves on the left of Miranda. The Wizard Saint fired a Wind Bullet that hit the leftmost wolf of the five standing shoulder-to-shoulder and made it slam into its packmates, knocking them all over like a row of dominoes. The wolf that was hit by the Wind Bullet disappeared in a puff of dark magic and the nine remaining wolves shifted focus from Miranda to Leona.

"Get ready!" The ax-wielding hunter advised Leona and his companions just before the nine shadowy wolves charged at her. The riflemen hurriedly changed from normal rounds to silver bullets while Leona shifted her Silver Longsword back into her left hand. The claymore-wielding hunter strode forward and brought down his silver claymore in a mighty swing that split one in half while its fellows circled around the hunter on both sides.

Leona stepped between the man and a leaping wolf, stabbing the canine through the throat in mid-jump. It disappeared and Leona felt a jolt to her right arm as dark jaws clamped around her right Argent Glove. Two more wolves swarmed Leona and attempted to drag her to the ground by grabbing her left Argent Glove and going for her legs, but the Wizard Saint stood firm and stayed on her feet despite the weight. She kicked away the wolf lunging for her right knee and saw the beast holding her left Argent Glove shot away by the careful aim of the riflemen. The one holding her right Argent Glove let go and dropped to the ground just in time to be picked off with a clean shot through the head.

Leona recovered and faced the last shadow animal threatening her, which snarled and kept its distance for a moment before charging. Leona raised her right leg above her head and waited for the right moment before dropping her right heel in a Sky Hammer attack. Her right heel slammed into the back of its head and drove it into the ground, eliciting a pained yelp and reducing it to a puff of dark magic that soon faded away.

Leona and the riflemen hurried to help the melee hunters, who had taken minor wounds to the legs but had carved their opposition down to three wolves. Leona rushed in and decapitated one wolf with her Silver Longsword while it was distracted by watching the ax-wielding man's movements. The other two turned to face Leona, which was a fatal mistake. Leona ducked and the riflemen took aim before firing with silver rounds. Each shot hit them in the head and returned the magic beasts to whence they came.

The quintet looked back at Miranda, who was unharmed and still chanting. Leona took a breath and wondered when the ritual would be complete. They were holding their ground so far, but there was no predicting what would come next and how many enemies would arrive.

[Word Count: 623]
[Total Word Count: 3,415/3,500]

Leona Jarnefeldt rolls one Monster Die.

The quintet protecting Miranda had just taken a breath when they heard howling from nearby. All five of them narrowed their brows when they recognized the source of the sound and saw the bipedal wolves standing at the entrance to the cemetery after bounding over the gate. It was another pack of werewolves looking for a quick bite to eat. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder with roughly a foot of space between them.

"Not these guys again." A rifleman commented wearily before the werewolves charged at the group with claws out and fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Leona and the melee hunters strode forward to deal with the menace while the riflemen hung back to provide fire support and protect Miranda in case any lycanthropes got past the trio. The werewolves did not stop running towards them... if anything the beasts quickened their pace when they saw humans walking in their direction.

Leona raised her left hand and cast a Wind Blast that caught two of the werewolves in the middle of the formation and violently hurled them into the wall on each side of the entrance gate. The beasts were dashed against the wall and slumped down to the grass while the three who had dodged the attack charged and made contact with their intended prey.

Leona ducked under a claw swipe from her opponent and retaliated with a slash across the abdomen that elicited a yelp, then a snarl followed by a pounce attempt. Having learned from the last encounter, Leona spun around the attempt and ended up behind the werewolf before ramming her Silver Longsword through its back and driving the blade through its left pectoral muscle. It yelped and thrust its right hand behind its back in an effort to remove the sword, giving Leona just enough time to plant her right foot on its back and grasp the grip, then yank the weapon out of the enemy.

Relieved of the painful weapon lodged in its body, the enemy spun around with renewed vigor and an expression malice etched on its face. The Wizard Saint quickly thrust her silver sword into its heart and watched it fall back dramatically and land on the ground. Her victory was short-lived when she felt a jolt to her back and fell forward onto the ground with a heavy weight pinning her down. She felt ragged breathing that was more like panting on the back of her neck and knew what happened... she had been pounced on by one of the two remaining werewolves!

Leona tried to at least spin around enough to deliver an elbow to the aggressor's face, but she could do nothing but wait for the hunters to help her. Her sword was still lodged in her previous attacker, so using it was not an option to free herself. She felt its bared fangs on the back of her neck and heard it sniff at the prone Wizard Saint... it was going to go for the kill soon. The melee hunters were busy fighting off the third werewolf and were unable to help her.

The lycanthrope sniffed sharply three times, then growled and moved its head to position its jaws around her neck. Leona could do nothing but wait for the end, but thankfully the close encounter did not end how she expected it to. The sharp report of rifle fire sounded and the werewolf yelped as two silver bullets found their mark in its body. Clutching its torso with its left arm, the wounded beast climbed off of Leona and faced its tormentors, giving the Wizard Saint time to painfully roll onto her back and aim a spell at it. She chose to fire a Wind Bullet.

The silver projectile hit it in the back and sent it flying head-first into the left wall, breaking its neck on impact. Leona forced herself to her feet as the two hunters finished off their opponent by following an ax swing that removed its right arm below the elbow with a decapitating strike from the claymore. The riflemen approached while reloading their weapons with another magazine of silver bullets.

"That was close. Thanks guys." Leona thanked the riflemen while the axman and swordsman decapitated the other werewolves for safety's sake. She had gotten careless during that fight and had almost paid for the mistake with her life, but luck had not deserted her yet. Leona dusted herself off and waited for the next wave of enemies to try and breach the defensive perimeter around Miranda.

[Word Count: 760]
[Total Word Count: 4,175/3,500]

Leona Jarnefeldt rolls one Monster Die.

Leona walked over to the werewolf she had rammed her Silver Longsword into and planted a foot on its chest, then forcefully yanked the blade up and out of the beast. She had just completed this task when she heard another round of howling nearby. The Wizard Saint kept quiet and listened as the hunters sighed wearily.

"More werewolves. These guys just don't give up." The first rifleman said in a resigned tone of voice like one people used to complain about bad weather ruining a picnic.

"They'll die before they get anywhere near Miranda." The claymore-wielding hunter replied with certainty. Leona and the hunters watched the werewolves casually leap over the cemetery gates and land on all fours just like the first group had. The five werewolves stood up and bared their fangs at the hunters, then howled and charged their quarry.

Leona wordlessly strode six paces forward and raised her left hand towards the five lycanthropes. She cast a Wind Blast that knocked all five back but not down. The claws on their feet dug in and plowed the earth beneath them as they slid back and regained their footing; once they were steady on their feet they growled and focused their ire on the blonde mage barring their path to the hunters.

Leona walked towards them with silver sword in hand and met the first werewolf with a slash across the chest followed by two more that formed a crude X across its chest. It staggered back and the rest rushed the lone mage with the intent of surrounding her, but she was ready for that plan. Leona dropped to one knee and punched the ground, casting a Storm Impact spell that knocked them back just enough for her to ram her sword through the chest of the wolf she had slashed earlier, then pull the blade out and engage a second wolf.

The second attacker swiped at Leona's throat with its claws, but she sidestepped to the left and ducked under the clumsy power swing before standing up and bringing her sword down on its arm, gashing it and forcing the wounded wolf to back off as two more took its place and stood diagonally away from her. They began to harass the Wizard Saint with short, quick swipes while stepping forward. Leona began stepping back and blocking the attacks with both sword and Argent Gloves, but she was still being forced to give ground to the burly lycanthropes. They sensed this and kept pressing their advantage until Leona misjudged a block and a wolf knocked away her weapon.

The two melee hunters hurried into the fray and occupied the other two wolves as Leona was forced to engage one of the two aggressors in hand-to-hand combat. She ducked under another power swipe and stood up, then led off her counterattack with a Swift Palm to the face. While the werewolf reeled from the quick but forceful hit she followed up with a Mach Jab to the face and finished with a Mach Uppercut under its chin that knocked it a short distance into the air. It landed on its back and quickly rolled over onto its stomach, then stopped moving altogether.

Leona used her left Argent Glove to block the second wolf in mid-swing and hit back with a Mach Straight to the chest that staggered it. A third opponent broke away from the hunters and leaped over the second wolf and landed on both feet, then seized Leona's shoulders and pulled her towards it before she could react. The snarling wolf then tried to bite her face, but Leona forced her left Argent Glove between its jaws and gave it a less vital spot to bite. The wolf then began shaking its head while Leona put the index and middle fingers of her right hand together and focused magic into them.

The frustrated wolf released Leona's left arm and got ready for another attempt to bite her face off. That was when Leona used her Silver Blade spell to inflict a deep gash on its chest, leaving a brief afterimage of the blade of concentrated wind. The wolf yelped in pain and staggered back into the waiting claymore of the shirtless hunter, who cleaved through its waist with ease. After witnessing the ax man bury the head of his weapon into the skull of his lupine adversary, there was only one wolf left standing. Its head turned from hunter to hunter as the two men closed in on it.

Leona noticed that it fixed its gaze on Miranda. It must have figured that if it was going to die, it might as well take the leader of the hunters with it. It crouched on all fours, then leaped over the hunters and landed just in front of Leona with the intent to muscle her aside and run for Miranda. The blonde had to act fast.

Leona drew back her right arm, focused magic into it, and launched a Hurricane Punch that connected with the wolf's face. The subsequent eleven punches hit its face and torso; the flurry of punches disoriented the wolf and caused it to stagger backwards into a claymore driven through its back. The point protruded from its chest as it howled one last time before falling to the earth.

Now that the fight was over Leona noticed the mild pain in her left arm from where the wolf had clamped down on the Argent Glove and had shaken her arm. The glove itself was fine; it was the only reason Leona still had a left arm.

"Are you OK?" The claymore man asked while withdrawing his weapon from the fallen wolf.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Leona answered before picking up her Silver Longsword and holding it in her right hand. The Wizard Saint took a look around her. The hunters were tired but still alive and able to fight. Miranda was still chanting the words to the ritual and was unharmed. Leona turned to face the entrance and prepare for whatever else came her way.

[Word Count: 1,024]
[Total Word Count: 5,199/3,500]

Leona's left arm had just stopped hurting when she heard dull rumbling in the distance. It was slow and consistent like footsteps, but Leona was not sure if the noise was giant footsteps or just thunder. The hunters picked up on the noise and began talking among themselves.

"Is it thunder?" The axeman asked.

"No. It's too consistent to be thunder." The swordsman answered. Meanwhile the rumbling drew closer and closer with each passing second. Leona had a feeling that the fighting was not over yet... something big had to be heading their way. Did the vampires somehow recruit a giant to fight for them? Soon the mage had her answer.

A ten-meter tall humanoid shape with dark blue skin peered over the gate while using its enormous hands to grip the walls for support. It stared at them with empty, expressionless eyes before glancing at Miranda standing behind the group. Its eyes were drawn to the silver circles around the weapons and seemed to recognize what was going on. Leona drew a quick conclusion... it was attracted by the ritual as much as it was acting on orders from its masters.

All five humans took a step back at the sight and readied their weapons for the toughest fight of the night. The giant simply opened its mouth and emitted a loud screech that enveloped the five defenders, causing them to drop their weapons and fall to their knees while clutching their ears. Leona looked up long enough to see the giant step over the gate and stride towards them in an awkward stride caused by an old wound to the back of its left leg that had never quite healed. It clenched its hands into fists the size of a boulder and focused on the incapacitated hunters. Leona had to stop it before it could kill the hunters and get to the helpless Miranda.

This was the main event. It was time to use the special adrenaline boost she had been saving.

Leona triggered it and felt a surge in magic power. Fighting the pain caused by the incessant ringing in her ears, the Wizard Saint pointed two fingers of her right hand at the giant and fired a Silver Tempest spell directly at its head. The clumsy giant took the silver horizontal tornado to the face and staggered backwards, nearly falling over due to its lack of coordination. Leona saw the colossal enemy stand up and attempt to stride towards her to deliver a punch... it took three giant steps forward and punched at her.

She used a Zephyr Dash to avoid the punch by dashing between its legs and glimpsed the hunters retreating after the near-miss left a small crater where Leona had been standing. She had to end this quickly. Running behind it and throwing a Fast Ball at its back to get its attention, the baseball-sized projectile hit and caused the enemy to bellow. Leona drew the giant's attention away from the ritual and towards her, which was her intention all along.

Leona stood her ground and aimed a Wind Bullet at its forehead, then fired the silver marble-sized projectile at the target. The silver marble shot forward and hit exactly in the middle of its forehead. The giant bellowed loudly and dropped to its knees; the earth shook as it stared at Leona with the same blank expression on its face and in its eyes. Its eyes then turned to a deep brown and it looked at the Wizard Saint with a stunned expression as if it did not know what it was doing here and what had happened to it. The giant then showed a look of acceptance on its face and gave Leona something approaching a smile before it slowly slumped over and died at peace, its head landing just in front of the Wizard Saint.

Leona saw its peaceful expression and felt a twinge of guilt at having to put down the giant, which she suspected had been magically compelled to attack the hunters. It had been a real danger to the hunters, but it had also been a victim of the vampires too. They had callously sent it into action knowing that it was an expendable "asset" that would be killed by the hunters. Leona would make the vampires pay for that and their numerous other crimes against humans.

After a long night of fighting the sun peeked over the gates and light began to pierce the darkness. Leona took a deep breath and felt the adrenaline surge fade away, taking her boosted spell power with it. The long night was over and so was the ritual. An exhausted Miranda walked towards Leona with a newly empowered silver sword in hand.

"You did it, Leona. You protected us long enough for the ritual to be finished. We can't thank you enough for giving us the fighting chance we desperately needed." Miranda said to Leona before handing her the sword. The weary but joyful hunters gathered around the two blondes.

"It's yours to keep, Leona. You've more than earned it. Take it with you and use it to keep the darkness at bay." Miranda said to Leona as the latter respectfully accepted the gift with both hands. Leona felt power pulsing from the blade, power that would serve her well in both the final reckoning with the vampires and on future adventures. With that Leona's job was complete. She would return to Silver Wolf Guild Hall and wait for the next summons to do battle with the vampires and their minions.

Reclaiming her Silver Longsword and walking past the giant, the serpent, and the dead werewolves, Leona opened the cemetery gates and made for home. Leona had given the darkness a modest shove backwards and bought the Order of The Silver Blade time to get back on their feet, maybe even take the offensive. Pushing back the darkness was what Wizard Saints were meant to do and Leona had done it, but her work was far from finished.

[Word Count: 1,021]
[Total Word Count: 6,220/3,500]