Way of the Knights

Chapter 282 - Apprehend

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Poison Laws. Another one of the rarer Laws to get enlightenment from. 

An individual who could use Poison Laws would be considered as one of the deadliest assassins to ever exist. The reason being is that, most of them don't need actual physical contact to infect someone with Poison. 

Enlightened individuals about Poison Laws could mix the poison of their own choosing to the air without someone noticing it. And since it is a law instead of a worldly material, curing it requires special requirements.

From what Raven could tell, Lucy had implanted some sort of neurotoxin inside her minions which she could activate at will, them being unconscious from it might just be a side effect. These neurotoxins might've gone as deep as touching their very consciousness, eroding it and giving it subliminal commands that Lucy could use to make them follow her will. 

Such is a power of a Poison Expert, who happens to understand Poison Laws as well. 

Raven's attack caused Paul and Lucy to fly quite far from their original location. This was the plan that Raven came up with upon realizing that Lucy could use Poison Laws. 

At first he mistook it for Blood Laws but when he saw how her minions always come back from the dead even after dismembering them in multiple pieces, he became certain about it. And frankly, he wasn't really looking forward in fighting her knowing this.

Their flight went on for a kilometer and half before Lucy managed to finally get some leverage to dislodge herself from the impact. Of course, she knew that the rest of this guy's friends were hot on their tracks and their plan was to separate her from her minions so that she couldn't use them to heal herself. She was annoyed because they succeeded.

Lucy's face was grim, she knew that they already discovered her trump card which is her Poison Laws. Though it might look like she was just standing around and doing nothing earlier, the truth is that she was releasing her special poison mix in the air were trying to corrupt these kids. Unfortunately, they weren't affected because there is a barrier protecting them from and had their own laws to protect them. 

Speaking of which, knowing that these brat could use Laws irritated her to no end as well. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that these little brats were this strong and already made contact with the profound powers of nature. How in the world is that possible? She herself trained night and day to reach Knight Stage, managing to reach at the age of 27, which is quite young in normal standards. Even gaining enlightenment with Poison Laws which boosted her status at the guild at the same age as well. 

She had always been proud of her progress yet these kids in front of her easily trumped over her pride, shattering in to pieces. How was that fair?

As soon as she regain her balance, the rest of the team caught up with the two and regrouped to face her. This time, Raven didn't want to give her anymore chances.

"Dial up the pressure guys. We are not stopping until she's down."

Raven opened up the onslaught by summoning multiple arms in the sky, sending it crashing down towards Lucy. The ground caved in, causing multiple craters to form due to the intensity of Raven's attacks. Lucy tried her best to evade but the follow up attack of the team made it difficult to do so. 

Paul was repeatedly stabbing the ground, causing Earth Spikes to appear where she's about to step, forcing her to re-adjust her footing to evade. If that's not enough, she also has to evade the searing flames heading her way, the occasion arrows and lightning strikes as well as the untraceable yellow light which harassed her to no end. 

Lucy felt miserable. She couldn't believe that a proper Golden Knight like her was being suppressed to this end by a group of brats. What's even more insulting is that, if it weren't for her finally summoning her Golden Armament to protect her body, she would've died multiple times at their onslaught. 

"Argh! You limp-dicked assholes and you bitches!!! I've had it with you!" Lucy screeched with absolute madness. "When I'm done with you! I will make sure to torture you night and day! I will have my revenge!!"

Lucy threw all caution with the wind and started releasing poison from every pore of her body. The team became apprehensive. They didn't know what kind of poison she's releasing right now and frankly, from the chilling vibes they got just by looking at it, they didn't want to know. 

"Aha-Hahahaha!" Lucy cackled madly, "Ah! This is it! Try me again you brats! See if I don't poison you to death."

Driven by madness, the murky purple poison around her body started spreading in the air. Anything it touches will immediately be infected. The grass, flowers and trees around her started withering at a pace visible to the naked eye. The poor hare that got a little too close, immediately died and its body started rotting, releasing a foul smell in the air. 

"Armaments, NOW!" Raven practically roared as he himself activated his. An armor manifested around his body, perfectly wrapping him around its metallic gleam. Raven's armor resembled an old fashioned design which appear to be made out of scales. The arrangement of the said scales were erratic, almost like it was constructed very poorly. But something about these scales appeared weird. It was almost as if they were moving with a mind of their own. 

Raven's Knightly Armament consists of a helmet, chest plate, a cross-cut shoulder guards, battle skirt where the scales are more concentrated, and thigh-high boots. As soon as this appeared, the air around Raven changed. The space around him were seeming breaking like glass, and he wasn't even doing anything. This was his Destruction Laws in effect, actively protecting him from the noxious gas that Lucy was emitting.

As the rest summoned their armor, the team's aura changed and appeared to be linked with each other. Each of them started releasing their respective Laws to resist the powerful poison in the air, effectively nullifying Lucy's desperate attack. 

"Damn it!" Lucy cursed as she forgot that these kids were actual Knights and have their own Knightly Armament. She also couldn't believe that these brats had reduced her to such a miserable state without going all out. 

Lucy hated this, she never felt this defeated and helpless against anyone aside from her own master which is Vit'hum, disguised as Alastair. Then suddenly, these brats came. She wanted nothing more than to rip them into pieces to appease her envious and hateful heart. 

Madness slowly consumed her rationality, causing her to disregard her initial instinct which screamed danger and charge towards the team. 

Her initial charge was thwarted by Paul, who used his spear like a disciplining whip to send her flying back. Without missing a beat, he held his shield using both hands and rammed the ground multiple times, causing six earth pillars to rise up from the ground, effectively restricting her movements. 

Each person on the team took a pillar to stand on. Ellen heaved a deep breath and blew fire from her mouth, spouting it directly inside the pillar prison. Her target wasn't Lucy, it was the noxious gas around her. Ellen wanted to burn the foul gas away so that it won't spread anymore.

Anne assisted her in this act, blowing wind just strong enough to fan the flames and not kill it. Luna also participated by releasing a purified light that actively fought against the foul nature of the gas. 

Lucy screeched with insanity, she wanted nothing more than to escape by now but she couldn't because Mark electrocuted her repeatedly each time she attempted to escape. And even if she could avoid it, she was effective imprisoned by them since Paul placed a barrier to prevent her from escaping. 

And if she ever manage to break the barrier, she has nowhere to go since there is a menacing pillar-sized Silver Fist, aimed at her location and would not hesitate to come crashing down should she dare to do escape. 

From the very start of this operation, the goal of the team was not to kill but to apprehend. Killing her was the last option, as much as possible they want her alive for intel since she's pretty high-up in the ranks. 

After a while of experiencing the bitter pain of suppression, Lucy finally gave in and said: "God…damn it. B-beaten by some…brats…"

She fell on the ground, totally unconscious from exhaustion. As soon as they saw her lose consciousness, Paul removed the barrier and Raven jumped down from the pillar he was standing on. 

Hands blurring from create seals after another, golden inscriptions struck her unconscious body. This will later serve as restrictions that would keep her from doing anything reckless as they squeeze out information from. 

And since she was now defeated, those who were infected by her Poison Laws were now helplessly lying on the ground with their fates resting on the hands of the Elites who followed Raven's instructions.