Band of Five Attributes (Re-Written)

The barrier held strong as the guards kept wailing on it. The now-scarlet orb seemed to glow even brighter than the energy still surrounding the horn. If anything, the navy hues faded from it altogether at this point, leaving just the stark red. Nagare and Yuuki arched a brow at the sight, trying to figure out what the monster was trying to pull. The guards continued their onslaught, and the barrier refused to waver.

And then the guards were sent right back into the street as a wave of magic hit every one of them square in the chest, rebounding off once before smacking them into the street and weapons made useless as they plummeted to the earth below, released from pained hooves. The behemoth then turned its attention back to the duo who held back their attacks and roared, the barrier turning a stark navy alongside the orb. The barrier faded from existence, but the monster’s horn crackled with electricity.

“We’ve stalled long enough…” Nagare growled, rushing at the beast himself, sword poised like a jousting lance. The beast saw him and responded accordingly, shooting bolts of lightning at the pegasus who encroached it. He dodged quickly, wings propelling him forward. He was near the orb now, and positioned himself to stab it when the beast fired another bolt that grazed his left wing and sent small shocks of pain throughout the rest of him. He shrieked, swerving out of the way of the beast entirely, and crashed into one of the guards who had managed to get himself to stand.

Yuuki descended posthaste, and her eyes widened in horror as the sword was pried from the hooves by the beast’s magic and then plunged into one of Nagare’s wings. The stallion howled in pain, eyes scrunched shut in response. The guard the pony landed on crawled out from below and scrambled to his hooves, turning to the stallion and eyes widening a little at the sight of an impaled wing.

The guard looked at Yuuki. “That thing’s too strong. You were right about needing some unicorns.” He sighed, a frown on his face.

Nagare rose to his hooves, making sure to remove his sword from his wing. The appendage fell limp at his side, staining emerald feathers in crimson red that welled in the wound. He winced, his sword glistening in his own blood.

The guard turned to him. “Looks like you’re not flying for a while, pal.” He said, shaking his head sadly. The monster roared again, and all three turned their attention to it. The beast seemed to grin in a demented manner as it stared at the trio.

The orb became a deep violet again, and the monster was charging another attack through its horn. Just then, something whizzed towards it and hit it right on the center of the horn, rebounding off before going back from whence it came. The monster roared, throwing its head back as the barrier around the orb vanished.

A gunshot soon rang out after that, and a visible crack was now in the orb itself. The monster thrashed its head and legs wildly about as another cry escaped its throat, wings scattering feathers like no tomorrow. Yuuki glanced around quickly, only to see the guards returning with chariots that held unicorns with charing horns. Two unicorns in particular, though, brandished a cannon and a boomerang.

“Wait a minute...Rekka? Koto? How’d they hitch a ride?!” Yuuki asked right as the chariot that had said unicorns in it flew past. Her eyes were wide as the unicorns used their weapons and hit the beast on the orb again, making it roar out another pained cry.

“Just in time, too…” Nagare grunted, eyes still shut in pain. He tried folding his injured wing shut, only to wince a bit as it sent pain through his nerves. “We would’ve been screwed over otherwise…”

The beast was now flinging electric bolts and roiling flames like the end of the world was coming, its barrier cast around its frame once more and crackling with navy-colored volts. The guards and the chariots they pulled circled the beast as if they were its predators, the unicorns within waiting for their chance to strike, horns aglow but not firing off magical energies.

Likewise, Rekka and Koto waited for their chance to use their weapons. The guards pulling their carriage kept wheeling around the beast, dragging them with. The barrier didn’t waver, and neither did the flames and bolts the beast fired left and right.

“C’mon...drop the shield so I can bash that jewel…” Koto murmured, eyes narrowed as she stared at the beast. “It’d be better if you had two jewels…I want to kill something right about now.”

“Koto?” Rekka inquired, eyebrow arched as he turned to his fellow unicorn. “Are you okay? You’ve been grouchy since last night…”

The mare scowled. “No, I’m not okay.” She answered, a vein appearing on her cheek as she turned to look at him. “I want to hurt something.”

“Jeez, no need to get snappy, especially when we’re dealing with monsters like this.” Rekka sighed, glancing back at the monster. It had dropped the shield again, and he quickly fired another round from his cannon. The bullet hit the orb, and the beast was sent into another pained tantrum.

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll shove my boomerang so far up your ass it lodges sideways in your stomach! You hear me?!” Koto shrieked, her face turning bright red from her anger. Steam was also blowing out her ears.

Rekka rolled his eyes and sighed. He watched as the monster set up another barrier with the other unicorns slamming magic bolt after magic bolt into it. The beast couldn’t hold it up for much longer, and so dropped the barrier to initiate a flaming and electric full-out magical offensive of its own.

“DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO A WORD I SAID?!” Koto yelled at the top of her lungs, steam now blowing out her nostrils.

“Yes, I heard you the first time.” Rekka replied, eyes still poised on the monster as it set up another barrier. “No need to yell to the whole world.”

“Then answer next time!” Koto barked, her entire pelt crimson from raw fury that had yet to be channeled.

“Okay, just quit trying to bite my head off.” Rekka replied, sweat beginning to form on his face. The monster dropped the barrier once more, and he fired off another round that hit it in the orb. This time, the monster stopped using magic altogether, rendering it completely defenseless against the onslaught of the other unicorns. The orb shattered after a dozen hits, and the being roared one last time before winking out of existence.

Koto sat there still blowing steam out of her nostrils and ears until her pelt returned to its normal light blue shade. A vein was still on her cheek, and her eyes remained narrowed. “I’m gonna do more than bite your head off later.” She murmured.

The chariots then pulled into the street where the guards who had tried and failed to land a hit on the beast were recuperating. Rekka noticed that, amongst them, were Yuuki and Nagare, the latter receiving bandages and a washcloth. As soon as the chariot he and Koto were in had landed, the mare trotted up to them with flattened ears.

“And why are you down?” Rekka inquired, arching a brow.

“The monster cheap-shoted Nagare. He’s having his hurt wing looked at right now.” Yuuki answered with a sigh and shake of her head.

“How did he get cheap-shoted, exactly?” Koto asked, the vein on her cheek disappearing.

“Simple: monster hijacked his sword for a minute with its magic.” Yuuki answered again, sighing afterwards.

“Yikes. Will he be able to fly for a while?” Rekka asked, tilting his head a bit.

“Probably not for a good two weeks. It fell limp after he removed the sword and stood up.” Yuuki replied, sighing for the third time. It was then she noticed that Koto had narrowed eyes. “Please, tell me she didn’t…” She murmured, shaking her head and lowering it.

“You know why she’s cranky?” Rekka asked.

“Ask that again, and I will rip your horn off!” Koto barked, the vein coming back on her cheek.

“She did...we’re going to die.” Yuuki murmured, still shaking her head.