Limping away from the body, Thames quickly descending back down the tower and met up with Ode.
"What's going on???"
"Ren's attackin."
He responded plainly while administering first aid to Lin.
"Will she be fine?"
"Mhmm! Nothin' to worry 'bout."
Ode quickly said, his smile still plastered onto his face.
"What are we going to do?"
Thames asked, looking around the street, but not noticing anything out of the ordinary.
"There's still one field up... Keepin' me in."
Ode grunted, looking up at the sunless blue sky, then directly north.
He pointed his index finger out towards the tallest observatory in this part of the city.
"[Beautiful Star.]"
With a grin, a massive blinding projectile was shot out of his fingertip, a chaotic mess of various bright colors, and collided instantly with the observatory, erasing it completely.
"Alright! That's the field gone."
He nodded to himself as the sun reappeared above them.
"What now?"
Ode spun towards Thames upon hearing the question, then pointed just past him.
"Get Rubes to heal Lin, duh!"
"Huh??"
Step, step, step.
The air suddenly became lighter, the heaviness of the city fading as if a hundred trees were planted.
He quickly turned towards where Ode was pointing, noticing the magician walking slowly over to them, her wooden wand in hand.
Her dark brown skin shined under the sun as the black sequins on her lavender dress twinkled, her presence demanding attention as a Tower Master.
Pointing at Lin, she muttered a spell instantly.
"[Seedling.]"
Instantly, thick vines sprouted from the road and surrounded Lin, leaves stemming out at the same time.
"How long'll that take, Rubes?"
Ode asked, turning away from them.
"Not long."
"Great! Thames, come along."
"W-what?"
"Cmon Thames! Let's go catch some magicians."
Smiling, he began to walk away from Rubes and Lin, Thames quickly joining him, still holding his short sword.
"Where are we heading?"
Thames asked, beginning to run as Ode did too.
"The assembly hall! Willin' to bet most magicians stayed there and are either fightin' Ren or dead!"
A grave expression stretched over Thames' face as the various possibilities flew through his mind, but he quickly recovered himself, choosing to believe they're fighting Ren.
"How powerful is he???"
Thames shouted through the growing wind as they turned onto a large street, devoid of most life, and leading to a massive building.
It was made of marble and full of intricate details, a testament to Lino's fantastical achievements, and the assembly hall for most conferences.
Ode took his suit jacket off, throwing it to the side as an orc woman appeared, swinging at him with a great sword, but he quickly ducked under it.
The woman with bright green skin and a hulking build stood tall above Ode. She wore loose brown leather clothes, clearly dressed for a fight.
"Woah! No introductions?"
He quickly spat out while Thames moved to the side, allowing them to fight.
"[Seize!]"
The attacker quickly spoke, ethereal white chains appearing around Ode's legs as she swung down back at him.
"[Magic Shield!]"
A golden hexagonal shield appeared just between the sword and Ode's head, and he quickly punched at her stomach, speaking a spell into existence at the same time.
"[Brilliant Light!]"
As light coated his fists, the orc went flying back but quickly recovered her footing by stabbing the sword into the grown.
"[Blitz!]"
As the chains faded from around his legs, a bright light replaced them, and he closed the gap between him and the woman instantly, uppercutting her into the air.
"[VORTEX!]"
A visible vortex of wind appeared around her, spinning her as she swung her sword, attempting to land a devastating attack on Ode, but he was expecting it.
With a cocky smile, he spoke a single spell.
"[Jumpspace.]"
Disappearing in a flash of gold, he reappeared just above her, and landed a downwards kick, launching her straight into the road.
He quickly turned towards Thames and they both began to run back to the assembly hall.
Crashing through the grand doors made of marble and decorated in gold and silver, Ode quickly led Thames to the side, then bashed in a second door leading to the main hall.
"Shit!"
He yelled out in a frantic tone, one that was strange to hear from him.
He slowed down as he fully entered the room, followed by Thames as a shocked expression appeared on his face.
Inside the large circular room stood the familiar figure of Renny Syn. The stench of burning flesh suddenly filled Thames' nostrils, causing him to dry heave.
Below the finely dressed, but clearly injured, Ren was a pile of what Thames assumed to be the magicians who were prepared to attend the conference tomorrow, but they were ablaze.
Turning around, the rogue magicians noticed the two who had just entered the room, Ode stepping in front of Thames.
"Too late, too late, Ode! I've finished what I must."
A look of pity stretched across his blueish face, illuminated by the violent fire spreading in the room.
"A new era will begin... With the destruction of this faulty organization."
"[Magic Shield!]"
A shield spread out around the two as Ren stretched out his arms, muttering a spell.
"[Sacrificial Offerings. Bring forth a new era.]"
The flames rose from the bodies, circling the man's head, resembling a crown. The space around them shook as the magic shield began to crack.
"To a New Age! Ode, I trust you know what to do!"
The man grew a wicked smile as the bodies vanished, leaving him floating in the air momentarily. As the flaming crown sunk into his head, a pair of beautiful white wings made of light appeared behind his back, disconnected but also fixed to his body.
The roof above them cracked and flung outwards, letting the sunny sky shine down on all three of them.
The sky shook as the sun began to tremble, suddenly becoming covered by a dark shadow, encapsulating Lino in darkness.
"Men will become gods!"
Ren proclaimed mightily, the magic shield shattering completely as the winged man vanished from the plane completely.
The shadow covering the sun gradually faded, but the scars of the magicians dying could be felt by all magically inclined.
Thames could feel something within his heart, like a deep pit had just formed.
The two stood in the destroyed room, speechless.
Renny Syn had lit the spark of the New Era.