Cecilia was being more tactical and not trying to take on large groups of dark beasts out in the open. She aimed at the anti air guns first and foremost, the dark beasts came second. She kept a distance from the dark beasts and the anti air guns to avoid drawing too much attention to herself. She preferred to keep the higher ground if she could and avoided fighting with the dark beasts in close quarters as much as possible seeing as close combat was not her forte.
She found some shelter in the ruins of a building. She was on the second floor, near-by a window from which she could see the dark beasts and the anti air guns below her easily, yet it would take time for the dark beasts to get up to her if they did spot her. She had the upper-hand in this situation easily.
Cecilia fired off her plasma gun at the anti-air guns in her sight and then fired off a few crystalline bullets at the dark beasts around them, it would not kill them instantly but the poison would eventually defeat them.
As the anti-air guns were destroyed by her barrage of attacks and as she saw the dark beasts were beginning to suffer the effects of the poison,"I've no idea how long it would take...But I don't think they can survive it.... They're certainly not well enough to try to come after me..." Cecilia thought as she watched the dark beasts succumb to the after-effect of the crystalline bullets. She waited a bit longer just to be sure but soon enough, the dark beasts perished. Thus Cecilia had to move on. She noticed there was only one more area with anti-air guns in her immediate area.
She exited the ruins of the building and headed east, but then she heard the voices of a few dark beasts coming from around the corner and hid.
"It's clear now their goal is destroying the anti-air guns. They're planning to move an airship through here! There's no time to waste, all of you, get out of here, it's your job to inform the others of this coming attack!Otherwise these surface wretches will go forward and ambush them! I'll stay here!" A leading dark beast spoke, convinced he knew the Resistance's plan.
"There's no honor in running-" The leading dark beast interrupted the other, "There's no honor in dying here without reason! This place will fall to them soon, it's futile to continue. So go! If you make it, it will lead us to victory in the end that is the most important outcome! Now that's an order, get out of here! Take advantage of their goals, flee in the midst of the chaos and I doubt they'll pursue you. I'll stay here and kill as many of them as I can! Get your message to the other line no matter the cost! There's no other way than going all the way over there to deliver it, you must succeed!"
"Commander...We won't fail you!Don't let those surface bastards kill you!" One of the dark beasts said as he and six others departed, running quickly. Cecilia aimed at them with her plasma gun but realized quickly they were out of it's range and it wouldn't be able to kill them all in a few single hits, thus it'd be only a waste of ammo and would get her caught by a group of seven dark beasts in close quarters.
The leading dark beast began to sniff the air as he caught a familiar scent. Cecilia began to sidle about and move further away from the dark beast. The beast muttered, "A human..No, A rat ease-dropping on us? THIS WON"T DO AT ALL! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE, VERMIN!" The leading dark beast shouted as glanced around the corner and began to chase after Cecilia.
The dark beast managed to hit Cecilia's left arm with a small beam of dark energy, but it only grazed her, none the less she continued to move. Cecilia spoke into her communicator while running, "Everyone, some dark beasts have found out our plan. They're going to try to escape to the north, to make it to the other line and tell the dark beasts that we are coming. Please, someone intercept them so they don't get away. I've got to deal with this one here and the remaining anti air guns around him! I can't possibly chase them right now! It's a big group, six dark beasts trying to flee, they should be easy to find!"
Before she could reload her custom shotgun, the dark beast shot out a sphere of energy at her that hit the ground and exploded, but Cecilia dived out of the way and avoided the brunt of it. She got back up quickly and fired back, blasting the dark beast with her plasma gun and then reloaded her shotgun.
The dark beast was sturdy and not easily dispatched. He grinned at her and taunted her,"A pup? The humans are so desperate they send their YOUNG to die here on the battlefield? Or perhaps as meat-shields and diversions? That's a sign of how inferior you are! We deserve this world, not you weaklings! You'll get no pity from me, a swift death is all I can offer you! I didn't rise up in the ranks for nothing!"
Cecilia did not respond to his taunts, she knew it was nonsense and being seventeen wasn't THAT young. She merely fired her crystalline bullets off at him and remained evasive, keeping her distance. The dark beast was hit by the bullets but still continued his pursuit, despite his pain and how the two crystal bullets pierced into his back and chest.
"You surface witch!!!!Some sort..of poison..You think I'd let myself be killed by a child?? To die slowly and whimpering while a poison takes my LIFE? THINK AGAIN!!!!" He charged up a tremendous amount energy and charged at Cecilia, intending to grab a hold of her.
She avoided the dark beast just barley, getting fatigued now from the running. She realized the dark beast's desperate plan,"He knows the poison would eventually kill him..He's trying to grab me to take me down with him."She fired her plasma gun off at the dark beast and knocked him back. She then used one more crystal bullet on the beast, he now ceased moving. Cecilia quickly ran away from him as the dark beast released his energy and created a relatively large explosion of dark energy. She only escaped it with a few seconds to spare due to her predicting the dark beast's plan.
The dark beast was dead now, but from his own explosion as he used all his energy to create it. It had also taken out the anti air guns that Cecilia was going to destroy, she surveyed the area herself. She then took a breather for a few seconds as the area was now calm, even if ablaze, there was no dark beasts around to attack her now.
"That was close. War is horrible but I have to do this. I just wish it could have been done some other way.If only we could reason with the dark beasts instead of all this....But I can't give up or hesitate, my brothers and my dad are waiting to see me again when this is all over! My comrades are counting on me as well. I won't let them down, I have to give this a try just in case!"Cecilia had a burst of energy and headed off to see if she could catch up to the fleeing dark beasts, as she knew they had to be stopped or the mission would be jeopardized. She wasn't counting on reaching them but attempted to do so none the less, knowing this took priority over destroying the anti-air guns for the moment at least.
Meanwhile, further south.
Melissa heard her communicator beeping but obviously could not answer it while enraged and facing off with a dark beast. The dark beast stared back at her, rather unafraid. She continued staring and she began moving closer to the dark beast to intimidate him. Eventually the dark beast flinched and she punched the dark beast several times in the face and then she brutally beat the dark beast over the head with her staffs until he stopped moving, the powerful and constant blows to the head were too much even for the dark beast."That's why you don't EVER try to cheap shot me and think you'll live to tell!"
One of the dark beasts from earlier got up and attempted to blast Melissa with a beam of dark energy, but she tripped him with one staff and hit him in the face with the other, causing the beam to miss as the dark beast was pushed away. He then got back up. She then hit the beast with a devastating knee kick to the face.
There was one final dark beast to deal with however. First he fired a beam off that hit Melissa's shoulder and made her mad, the pain didn't seem to effect her as much though. He then charged at her and tried to bite Melissa's right arm but she quickly shoved one of her staffs into the beast's mouth and then elbowed him. She then pulled her staff back and used it to hit him in the stomach and then hit him in the face with the other, back and forth, stomach and face. Back and fourth, repeatedly until she finished him off, putting her staff back into one and punching the dark beast's jaw with immense force, producing a bone shattering sound before the dark beast collapsed.
With the area now calm or so it seemed, Melissa took the time to replay Cecilia's message. She commented aloud,"Dammit, I can't get over there in time! The others can handle it. These dark beasts wasted too much of my time!"She then dismantled all of the anti-air guns in the surrounding area before proceeding further along.
The communication device provided a good map and showed to Melissa there weren't many more anti air guns left at all, but there was one area around her that did. She departed for it.
Further North from Melissa's location....
"Well that about does it here....Guess we gotta backtrack or something...No more of those anti air guns to trash on this path.. So where to next Ramia?"Monsoon questioned.
"Monsoon! We've got a message from Cecilia..."Ramia replayed the message. "This is what we need to focus on then! Let's hurry, Monsoon!"Monsoon nodded.
Before they could progress however. Their path was obscured as a few dark beasts arrived glaring at Ramia and Monsoon menacingly. Apparently their strategy was changing now, protecting the anti air guns didn't matter as much as trying to kill the Resistance.
"Hey can't you see we're the middle of something, me and the lady beast? No manners! We'll talk to you guys later, ok? Just go play with yourselves!"The dark beast fired a blast of dark energy that Monsoon flew above to dodge.
"No, I'll play with your severed heads instead and offer them up to the Royals as tribute!! These are your last moments!" The dark beast shouted out. Ramia quickly responded by creating a superheated sphere of fire that she hurled at the dark beasts, causing a minor explosion. It didn't kill them but stunned them long enough and caused them to cease their boasting.
"No, it's like this, we'll box up your ashes and deliver them to your Royals as a reminder of the power of the surface and a sign of things to come if they don't surrender and give up on this insane war! Let's get rid of them quickly, Monsoon! There's no time to waste!"Monsoon agreed and the two began a counterattack.