Knights of the Holy Saintess

"Just now you called me an arrogant bastard, and you'll kill me for that right?" 

Counting the words on his fingers, Reiji lifts the knight in his hand, unleashing a barrage of punches into the knight's armored stomache, loud klangs ring out, as the armor begins denting bit by bit. 

Spittle and blood fly out of his busted mouth, coughing and wheezing from the pain.

"Why you-"

Klang. Klang.

Another 2 fist bury themselves into the leader's guts.

"I don't think anyone understands what you're doing Reiji." Nraltia finally speaks up after helping the merchant. "Maybe you should explain it properly."

"Ah right. Sorry about that." He swings the knight around through the air as he speaks, using overly big gestures. A devilish smile plasters over his face as he raised the now badly beaten and bruised knight in his hand. "Until you say the words, I want to hear, I'm going to beat your leader for every wrong word you say. Simple really."

"These knights might not be much, but is it wise to antagonize the Holy Saintess Order?" Elnyra's warnings echo in the back of his mind.

"Its already too late to question it. I'll cross that bridge when I get there." 

"Don't think you'll get to him before me either." Nraltia chimes in, twirling her short spear before leveling it at the three remaining knights. 

"Grrr." The knights growl angered and incensed, they had come to intimidate the others, yet were now being made into laughing stocks by two adventurers. Gritting their teeth in desperation, one of them finally answers.

"What do you want us to say?"

"Apologize for your rudeness." Tightening his grip, Reiji enforces his strength with ki, crushing the knight's ankle. He screams in pain, distorted and muffled by his lack of teeth.

"What?! Why should we apologize for upholding the tenets of our Empire? You and this scum of a merchant are heretics, and will be punished according to her will."

Enraged, they charge again two at Nraltia, one at Reiji. 

The two cross swords, using a joint attack skill, a large cross of flames lash out, reaching for Nraltia. Thrusting her spear, the tip of her mouth curves into a smile, Void Thrust, striking the center in quick succession, the flames disperse into harmless embers, before fading away. 

Slamming out her hand, a wave of frigid wind blast out, knocking the two knights prone. Pirouetting on the spot, two flashes of silver snake out, stabbing the two knights in the head, knocking them out. "Such rude people. Knighthood is wasted on you." 

Using the knight in his hand, Reiji swings him like a sack of potatos, his arm swelling with ki, the improvised weapon bashed into the other knight mid air, knocking his weapon aside, before crushing each other into the stone floor, cracking it.

The fight ended before it even began.

"That felt great." Reiji says as he stretches his body. "Too bad it ended too soon."

"You don't think much do you?" Nraltia ask, tilting her head as she looks at him.

"Yeah. I've been told."

Her ears twitch as a rumbling sound came towards them. "I think you're getting your wish, Reiji."

The crowd of onlookers disperse as they hear the marching clangs of metal on stone, lines of knights wearing colors of the holy order rushing down the street, hands gripping the hilt of weapons by their side. 

Trailing his gaze over them, he couldn't help but whistle as he counted four groups of knights charging towards them.

"These guys look more competent."

"You're a real battle junkie aren't you?"

"You got me."

"Its going to be like this everytime isn't it?

"I think so."

“You know we can’t win right?”

“We don’t need to. We just need to send a message.”

The two talk nonchalantly as they are surrounded by the 20 knights, smiling and joking amongst themselves, as if they were on a stroll through a park on a sunny afternoon. Eventually the knights lose their patience, as the leader steps up to bark at them.

"Who are you to stand in the way of the Knights of the Holy Saintess?"

"Just some passersby." Nraltia smiles, answering the question, but her eyes are cold, glaring at the knights around them. 

"You can call us the trash cleaners." Reiji finishes, cracking his neck and knuckles.

"Hmph. We won't fall for your taunts that easily. Unlike those buffoons by your feet, we are part of the elite, chosen by the Regeant of Light, and trained personally by the Saintess's Blade herself."

Drawing his sword, the leader flourished it in his hand, signaling the others to get into formation. The circle splits into two layers, knights with swords and shields in front, spears and magic users at the back.

"We will not allow anyone to tarnish the name of the Holy Saintess. As blasphemers, you will be punished."

“Heh. Let’s see if you can back up those words.” Turning to Nraltia. “Shall we make it a competition?”

“If you insist.” 

With a smile, the two figures in the middle dash forwards, heading in opposite directions, brandishing their trusty weapons, one of them fists glowing, the other with an engraved silver short spear.

Surging forward, Reiji Blitz into the air, black and white ki spiraling around him, smashing down into the cobbles, between the two lines, a shockwave rolls out, scattering the knights formation.

Flashes of silver bloom in the corner of his eyes, a flurry of Nraltia’s silver spear striking multiple knights, like a tidal wave, the silver light washes over the knight, blowing them away. 

The Leader of the knight reacts, quicker than the others, launching himself at Reiji, his sword and shield glowing white, smashing through Reiji’s guard, before barking orders at the other knights. They manage to regroup, back into a proper formation, immediately counterattacking. 

Flurries of strikes, stabs, and magic, are launched at Reiji and Nraltia, forcing the two back together. Fist and spear strikes, parrying and blocking the attacks, mitigating the damage, but their HP was still being chipped away.