A few hours ago, somewhere away from Tarna, at the Basilica's army camp.
"Aren't you happy? You, one way or another, will get what you want." Trigan asked as he sat on a dry tree trunk next to a young woman.
The woman looked at the man with a heavy, angry look. "What's the use? Den isn't here."
"Your prince must be fine, Vitia. I don't think Princess Serien would do a bad thing to a child."
"The princess doesn't…" Vitia said and her eyes were on Athena's back. (I will kill you.)
***
Satur looked at the pieces of man that had fallen on Draia with a surprised and happy look.
"Haha! Now I'm the eighth force. Haha... Hehehehe..."
Draia stood up, looking at the piece of head that was left of Zaqirm and the entrails above it.
"Zaqirm?"
Draia and Zaqirm had always been together even before they came under Veta's command.
When Veta chose Draia to be the fifth force in the order, Zaqirm went out of his way to stay strong and join her.
Zaqirm protected her as he could. Even though he knew she was much stronger and more skillful than he was. It was an automatic impulse he had, he couldn't resist, he loved her and that's why he used everything to protect her, even his life.
Draia looked at what was left of Zaqirm and a strange feeling rose in her chest.
"What is this feeling?"
Draia never understood how Zaqirm felt, even after he said his feelings to her and even after she gave herself to him. She couldn't understand.
"Anger?"
But now Zaqirm was dead and she would never see him smile or sulk at her again.
"Zaqirm..."
Tears ran down Draia's beautiful face as she felt the pain of grief that until then she was unaware and heard Satur's laughter.
Repeating Zaqirm's name over and over, Draia rose with a grim look. The woman drew her sword and flew in a leap to the roof.
Satur, who was laughing and celebrating Zaqirm's death and her recent promotion, had no reaction time.
Satur's voice was beginning to enrage Draia and the fact that the woman was mocking Zaqirm made her even more angry. The moment Draia landed on the roof, Satur's head flew to the ground leaving a spasming body on the roof, squirting blood.
Athena looked at the scene as if she were mesmerized. She was about to do what Draia did, but for different reasons.
Satur was too irritating to stay alive for long, so it made Athena smile with her death.
"You…" Draia said in a voice without any feeling. "Did you kill Zaqirm?"
Athena inclined her head. "You are blind?"
Head down, her dark hair in front of her face, Draia brandished her sword without even looking at Athena.
Athena widened her eyes in surprise. The woman was so fast that Athena barely had time to react. They exchanged blows at a speed a normal person couldn't even dream of.
Athena tightened her fingers around her sword and thrust into Draia who spun her body and parried the attack connecting another attack after her defense.
"[Total Destruction]" Draia said in a monotone and full of power voice.
A surge of power quickly flooded Draia's sword, igniting it in purple flame.
Sensing the threat, Athena screamed. "{Absolute Shield}"
A gold-colored transparent force field covered Athena's body and the purple flame engulfed Athena and everything else behind the her.
The part of the city that was not affected by the Basilica's attack, trembled with the screams that erupted as the flames engulfed the city in purple hell.
"Since we're going to use large-scale skills, I won't hold back either." Athena said and Draia frowned for the first time.
Athena shifted her stance still within the purple flames and placing her sword over her head. She imbued it with fire element mana and the long sword ignited, glowing with golden flames that whipped the air violently.
"[Holy Fall]" Athena took a deep breath, feeling her mana being sucked into the sword, and screamed in a mighty voice.
If Draia's purple flames were like waves, Athena's golden flames were like tsunamis.
Draia gritted her teeth and gripped her sword tighter, injecting more mana into her skill, but her resistance didn't stop her from being engulfed by the flames, along with everything behind her.
***
In the distance, outside the city, Mifa looked at the walls anxiously as the army continued to retreat.
"Miss Mifa, let's go." Serien urged, but Mifa gave no sign of leaving that place.
Oliana had only agreed to release her when Mifa promised not to return to the town.
Hadn't even been ten minutes since the army retreated, but Mifa still felt anguished and that anguish grew even stronger when a purple light shone on the walls, followed by screams of despair and death.
The people stared at that glow with goosebumps creeping up their backs, but then a more intense golden light engulfed everything and burst through the walls, creating a new passage farther east, and the fire sliced through the earth along the way, to anywhere at the end of the plains.
Everyone there looked at that terrible scene stunned with wide eyes. They didn't know which power was that or whose, but inside they were grateful that they weren't heading in that direction.
Everyone there was relieved, except Mifa. Seeing all that, Mifa's heart shrank in fear. Mifa squeezed her fingers in her fist and before anyone could stop her, she ran with all her strength back to the town.
***
Athena lowered her sword, looking at the trail of destruction she created as she absorbed the energy of her victims with that same hateful, strange, hot feeling inside her.
"This skill..." Athena looked at her shaking hand. "I still can't use this often."
[Holy Fall] was not in the game. Athena wasn't sure what she was doing and just used it following the formula that the Akashic record provided.
Originally, Athena couldn't use it because of the lack of holy element in her, but with the holy sword, she didn't need to worry about having the element.
Athena looked at the sword in her hand. "Your name is now excalibur." Athena smiled and turned to the west, looking at the palace. "How about you stop watching me and get out of where you're hiding?"
In the shadows of battle, Vitia waited for an opportunity to exact revenge. She watched the monsters that attacked Athena and cheered for them, but Athena was a monster that devoured monsters.
Her opportunity never came and now there was another monster.
A man with almost black brown hair and fierce amber eyes, dressed in black armor with gold accents and with a wide and large greatsword on his back suddenly appeared.
"To think I've been detected…" The man gave a sheepish smile. "I don't want to fight."
"And who would you be?" Athena asked and looked at the roof beyond him, where Vitia was hiding. (Luck?)
"If I tell you, you will kill me." The man hesitantly raised his palms to Athena and then a smile spread across his face. "{Explosion...- Huh?"
"Do you really think I'm that naive?" Athena said as she swung her sword, getting rid of a crust of blood on the blade.
The man who didn't even introduce himself split in half leaving behind a trail of blood on the roof, where his body slipped to the ground.
"The Order of Knights 'Force of the Emperor' is just that?" Athena asked without waiting for an answer.
Vitia's heart was racing faster than it should and her stealth skill wavered with every beat.
(How did she manage to kill that monster with a single blow? Huh? Horx, how am I going to avenge you like this?)
Vitia's thoughts were a mess. She didn't even see when Athena moved her arm. What's more, this was right after the woman used a frightening power and implied that she was tired.
(I... I...) She wanted to cry. (Den, why did you say you were the prince? I....)
"If you're not going to attack me, get out of here." Athena said without looking at Vitia in the shadows. "The things soon will be very chaotic around here."
After killing all her enemies, was Athena showing her mercy? That was the trigger for Vitia, who threw away her sanity out of her pride and blind with hatred, she drew her daggers and advanced on Athena.
Athena looked down at the woman and waited for her to come into her reach, but then she sensed other presences.
(Someone powerful and...) Athena wanted to confirm with her eyes but the overwhelming presence that approached at an unbelievable speed was worrying. (... Mifa?)
Vitia jumped from the other roof towards Athena, but Athena prepared for another enemy without caring about the woman.
As soon as she saw the man, Athena tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword and with all her strength she swung the sword toward the man, crashing her sword against his.
At the same time this was happening, Mifa appeared in Vitia's way. The two assassins exchanged blows with their daggers in an instant and broke apart.
Athena looked to the side without taking her opponent out of sight and Mifa was between her and Vitia, who had a shallow cut on her neck.
"Didn't I tell you to go away?!" Athena shout furiously as she stared into her opponent's reddish brown eyes.
The man facing her raised an eyebrow, not understanding what Athena was talking about, but then Mifa yelled back.
"Shut up, you don't boss me around! I'm your girlfriend and not one of your soldiers!"
Hearing this, Vitia's eyes widened. That was all she wanted and it gave her a crazy smile that took over her face.
(Now I can get revenge!!!!) Vitia thought and looked at Athena. "Athenaaa!!!! Now you will experience the same pain I felt!!!!"
Athena frowned and growled. "Touch a strand of her hair and I'll make your little prince suffer the worst hell of his miserable life!"
Athena tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword that was still in contact with her opponent's sword in a contest of strength.
She wanted to get rid of the man as quickly as possible and then kill the imminent danger that Vitia was to Mifa.
"Huh? Vitia?" The man asked with an expression of discomfort.
Vitia looked at the man and her twisted face grew even more scowling than when she was wanting to kill Athena.
"VEEEETAAAA!!!!" Vitia forgot Athena and Mifa and jumped at the man who clicked his tongue for not being able to move his arms from the power struggle he was having with Athena.
Athena looked at the man's face. (So this is the Saint of War?)
Veta was a tall man, taller than Athena, with a broad body and big muscles, his low-cut hair was dark red almost black and his green eyes were calm and yet menacing.
N/A: To be honest, I don't remember if I had ever described Veta's appearance. If so, let me know that I'll look later. I'm lazy now. Let's go back to the chapter.
Athena looked at Mifa, asking her to get rid of Vitia and as if they had some kind of mental connection, Mifa moved and kicked Vitia in the stomach to the other roof.
Taking advantage of Veta's moment of distraction, Athena used [Fortification] and [Acceleration] and pushed Veta's greatsword into the air and then tried to cut his chest, but the man was faster and used the small shield of his gauntlet to protect himself.
The two took distance and faced each other. Athena and Veta had predatory looks on their faces and pointed their swords at each other.
Veta had a sour taste in his mouth. Athena had surpassed him in strength after using [Fortification], a skill that was a Warrior, a lower class than his.
"Who are you?"
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N/A: Now I am satisfied. Now I can sleep in peace. I'm glad I'm staying home today. Later I post the other chapter.. Sorry for the horrible quality chapter I posted yesterday.