Greyashe chapter 351 is entitled 'A series of unfortunate events IV.'

Previous chapter 350: 'A series of unfortunate events III'

Next chapter 352: Irrelevant Words.

Summary page

-Short summary-

The magicians onslaught continues as Butcher's recall continues to spread it's chaotic influence.

-Long summary-

Somewhere far away at a time both long and recent a boy breaths heavily as blood trickles down his cheek. He glances upward at a man who stands before him with a sinister grin and a pulse of purple energy dancing around his hand. The boy breathes heavily as he glances from side to side, the unconscious forms of men and women surrounding him and the man with the sinister grin. For a moment he forgets to even breathe, as an overwhelming wave of uncompromising emotions ranging from powerlessness to purposeful anger threaten to rip through his eyelids and force their way into bitter hateful reality. This powerlessness, this fear....he never wants to feel it again. No matter what it takes no matter what he has to do, this will be the first and last time he'll have to deal with these feelings of being the one to suffer at the hands of the strong.

Years later, he had joined the side who had grown tired of waiting for the Goddesses to save them, and taken up arms against them and the unfairness of the world they live in. Why should they allow the strange entities known as agape and magic to possess their being just to live? It's ridiculous! Perhaps he is being unbelievably naive to think this but there has to be a way to live in the world without compromising themselves to an unknown power. It's not that he forgives the magicians who did this his family no, but the more he understand about the world of magic and agape the more he's beginning to understand the true 'root' of the problem. However, not using this magic --not accepting agape seems to only make his charge that much more difficult. He had joined the 'Challengers of Eternity' as soon as he was old enough to, but it seemed that magic and it's ilk had seeped even into those who opposed it, which in turn had left their forces ransacked, empty and destroyed. Why up until the angel 'Claire' had appeared and revealed her intention to help them, the word 'submission' had been tossed around unironically.

On the subject of irony there's the fact that the angel who had come to their side to assist with their battle against magic was --well, already on their side at one point as the 'Goddess killer', who's flame was what could end the lives of even the agape laden ladies of the seasons. Perhaps being able to get from under their thumb had been a great motivator in trusting her as strange as it sounds. After all she had become something more powerful after leaving their ranks, so perhaps even they could rise up when they cast off their weakness. It is truly one of life's little eccentricities....that human beings can take adversity head on and should they come out of the struggle intact become stronger. For now the angel girl Claire had said that their place is 'here'. No one really understood what that meant really, but there was no denying that her words and presence had left them with a sense of pride and strength that had been lacking since their commanders Joel Lupine and Niels Aschner had both died. Whatever they can do 'here' they would do to the best of their ability.

Little did they know that adversity was on it's way and would come in unannounced.

The young man is on guard duty, sitting outside the dilapidated cathedral that serves as a 'place that does not acknowledge death'. He's not too sure what this all means, but it apparently holds great importance to the group and they had retained use of it even after their leaders had been killed. For now at least this is 'home'. Although he calls it 'guard duty', he knows it's much closer to sitting and watching the horizon for threats that probably won't come as he had the day before and the day before that one. It's a job that isn't necessary, but it brings him some degree of solace to do it.

He stands up and rubs his eyes at first to rid himself of slight drowsiness, and then once again out of disbelief. Coming towards him are hoards of shapes, shambling together in a scarily uniform march. As they get closer, he realizes that these shapes are people and even without abilities of his own he can tell they are magicians with nothing on their mind....worse than having ill will is a person with no intent at all. Ill will can be predicted, understood and acted against. No will at all is simply an abyss that one looks into without ever finding a concrete 'bottom'. The young man grips the sword at his side and glances back at the cathedral. For a moment he doesn't even breathe, considering his options with incredible dexterity despite being in what one would call a mental 'sitting position'. Finally he turns into the cathedral and bellows to his comrades that danger has arrived and they need to take up their arms lest they be killed!

The sentence barely complete, the first attack a ball of unknown substance lands right behind him and explodes sending the young man flying forward. The others begin to ready their weapons to fight, but a bolt of black lighting streaks into the building and dances around the ceiling in an apparently random nature.  The young man's eyes widen. He knows what this is from his readings.....Chaos magic. Perhaps the most unpredictable magic of them all.....equal parts dangerous to the user and the enemy he aims to defeat with it. The young man gets up and makes a beeline for the entrance placing all his hope on being able to destroy the source of the Chaos magic before it activates and....

His peripheral vision explodes in red causing him to stumble to the side. The most fearsome part of Chaos magic is that it can do anything to anyone at any time. It is literally a lump of elements themselves summoned using agape. Rarely does anyone use it as anything more than a last gambit, but since these magicians have no will, perhaps they have no sense of self preservation either. Soon wind magicians using their elements to augment their speed rush into the building and engage the others in battle. The speed and ferocity of the attack is so much that the young man hasn't even fallen to his knees when the attack goes from 'beginning' to 'in progress'. The nimble members of the Challengers are able to slash away at the wind magicians, but what can they do against enemies who don't care whether they live or die? They simply tap deeper into their agape and release more energy even as it begins to ransack their bodies, just so they can kill and kill....

The second wave appears and they not only use Chaos magic, they utilize Earth attacks as well. They shake the ground to keep their opponents from moving, and then allow the wind magicians to finish them off with razor wind strikes or random bolts of chaos magic that strike just as many of their allies as it does their opponents. The challengers without any magic of their own are increasingly overwhelmed, and it is readily apparent that the enemy isn't going to be pleased with killing them, no. Complete annihilation is their goal. Why else would they send so many magicians? The challengers are anything but plentiful, so even a handful of magicians would have been enough to simply kill them. Whomever is running this show is one who has no qualms of tossing away copious amounts of human life to accomplish their goal.

A Challenger slices down a magician and dodges past two more chaos magic strikes where he is able to take down another. A woman using a long range staff like weapon similar to Kani's is able to deflect some of the magic using a lacrosse swing which knocks back several magicians. A bolt of chaos magic cuts her cheek and arm, but she doesn't slow down and screams a battle cry before bringing down her staff on another magician. A both of chaos magic energy dances above her threatening to strike, but another Challenger runs forth and tanks the attack using a magic absorption device. He then charges a bolt and slams his fist into the ground which causes an Earth magician's earthquake to subside long enough for two more challengers; a male and female to stab the Earth magician in the gut with a flying strike. Two more wind magicians prepare a volley but challengers meet them half way, slicing and arm and hand off before the chaos magic can take effect.

The young man despite himself stares in awe of his partners. This is their weapon. This is their fight. It has never been about winning or losing, but about fighting. This is what Claire meant. The reason why their enemy had sent this wave of destruction to them is because he fears being destroyed by something lower than himself. The fact that he would overkill to this extent is evidence enough. Meanwhile on their side, they have ...the knowledge of death, the bravery to fight against it and the lack of fear to stop them. They can kill them, but they would not ever gain their 'fear'. As long as they keep that in their hearts then....then...

An explosion. The young man's mouth dries as he gapes in pure disbelief. A third wave clamors in and it is clear that they are completely outclassed and outnumbered. The man grits his teeth and bangs his fists on the ground. Why? Why does this have to happen again? Why must he be so powerless in the face of this magic? Is he going to lose more people he cares about due to this weakness? He doesn't fear death but this is still too cruel....

To his surprise the magicians turn their attention to the new group and their attacks soon follow. As if wonders couldn't cease, the attacks explode and shake everyone, but the new group barely flinches. It is only now that the young man realizes that this group of people is even less in number than the Challengers themselves! Not only that they have a similar white haired, pale skinned color scheme between them....

A girl steps forward and licks her fingers, finishing off a meat pie before pounding her hand in her fist and declaring that she will be their opponent. The young man realizes that he knows this woman. Isn't she the hero of the WITCHES war?

Aicha Nightshade gives him a look and a small grin. She congratulates them for the hard work and lasting so long. She and their group will be taking over from here on in so they have nothing to worry about. They're on the side of justice.

Meanwhile standing at the entrance to Aerhaart's city limits is an imposing figure with a billowing cape behind him. He strides powerfully into the city with a fearless grin and thinks to himself that his 'fight detector' always leads him to the right place. The fight may not be here, but this is where he needs to be if he wants to be lead to the action.

Guy Cowan makes his way towards the Kaiser Mage's palace in hopes of participating in a fight that has yet to come.