Chapter 700: Five Minutes
The first person who spotted the ball of fire exploding in the sky was actually the holy knight acting as the tour guide for the Hero’s companion.
"What’s that?"
Zarfa, who immediately caught the fire as a signal from Ignis, grabbed Aina and Ian’s shoulders before whistling loudly.
As if they had been waiting--which they were--Zarfa changed places with Aina, putting the girl in the middle of the group. Ian cast a circular barrier around the group--something that he had been diligently perfecting since Valen returned to the demon world.
The whistle and the barrier alerted Fatia and Renna, who immediately raised their staff and whips. Naturally, it also alerted the holy knight who guided them and the paladins sent to catch them should the Pope give a signal.
"Hey! What are you do--"
The paladin’s words shoved back inside his mouth as a leather whip hit his face with full force. Instead of being thrown back, the paladin was swept to the side and hit the other paladins before they had any chance to react.
"Ugh! What--"
Once again, Renna fiercely brandished her whips, striking the paladins so they had to take a defensive stance. But in its full force, the whip was akin to a hammer swung by a raging blacksmith, and for people in armor, it was way more devastating than a sword strike. The blow created vibrations that assaulted their internal organs and made them lose their balance.
At the same time, Fatia conjured up a little magic bird and released it to the sky as her eyes, while Ian took out his new shield and mace as the holy knights pulled out his sword and swung it toward them.
"You here--"