Chapter 440 - End Of The Sky Citadel

As Teivel's head turned into meat paste, Tesia's eyes went wide with shock and horror, and instinctually she ran towards her brother.

She began pulling out the highest-grade mana recovery potion she had, moving completely on reflex planning to cast her tier nine healing magic spell and bring her brother back to life.

But in her frantic attempt to resurrect her brother, the figure that had killed him took advantage of her diverted focus and cracked her on the back of the head knocking her unconscious.

Normally she would have been able to block or avoid an attack like this, but the shock of seeing her brother killed had been too much, and she was not able to fully take in her surroundings.

Seeing this, Marcus thought that some unknown enemy had appeared but when he saw who it was, he was momentarily confused.

Standing their Teivel's blood and brain matter dripping on his hammer, was Argus.

"What are you doing Argus?" Marcus asked the prime target the rebels had come to rescue.

And with a very cold voice Argus said, "I was finishing off an enemy. Teivel was too dangerous to be left alive. As for Tesia I know what she was about to do, and it would be a mistake. I understand she wanted to save her brother, but this is a war and leaving someone like him alive would have made things more difficult."

Looking at Argus, Marcus felt a sort of chill about him that he had not before.

He talked as if he had been fighting in the rebellion since the beginning, when truthfully, he had not even formally joined yet.

Also, Marcus was fairly certain that he had been waiting for Teivel to be restrained so that he could deliver the finishing blow.

"Have you seen Marek; I am sure that he must have arrived by now?" Marcus asked changing the subject.

At the same time, he was looking at Teivel's now headless corpse wondering if he should try to use the talisman that Tesia had given him.

He could completely understand her feeling about wanting to save her brother, and if he acted quickly there was time before the minute was up.

However, Argus was still standing there, and Marcus felt that it was likely that he would interfere.

'Teivel was a powerful opponent and very few people other than me could stand up to him. Sorry Tesia but there is nothing I can do.'

"No, I have not seen Marek yet. I was busy destroying the mana furnaces around the prison, so I have been on my own for a while. But once I finished, I rushed over here to help against Teivel. Though now that everything is wrapped up, we should go an meet up with him." Argus said answering Marcus' question and trying to moving things along.

Nodding his head, Marcus went and picked up Tesia who was still unconscious, and then cast one last look at Teivel who had now been dead longer than a minute.

'I doubt that Tesia will ever forgive Argus for killing her brother, or me for not saving him.'

With that last thought, Marcus began following Argus who led the way back to where he had left the rest of the freed prisoners.

When they arrived, they got there just in time to watch the rebel strike force tie up the last of the living guards who had surrendered.

"Ah Jed and Argus there yo-"

Stopping mid-sentence, Marek who noticed Marcus' and Argus' arrival, saw Tesia slumped over Marcus' back.

It took him a moment to process what was going on, since Tesia was not supposed to be a part of this mission. Yet here she was unconscious.

Quickly though he realized what must have happened as he looked at Marcus, before walking over towards him and saying, "Where is Teivel?"

However, before Marcus could answer him, Argus spoke up and said, "I killed him, so he will not be a problem anymore."

"Anyway, we should not delay here. It will not be long until reinforcements arrive." Argus said trying to change the subject.

Hearing this, Marek scowled but he did not say anything against Argus, and turned back towards the rebels and freed prisoner, before saying, "It is time for us to leave. Any of you prisoner that wish to follow us may, or you are free to go it on your own. If you want to fight for a better kingdom, or maybe you even just feel resentment for being imprisoned it does not matter. There is a place for all of you in the rebel army."

After Marek gave a quick speech, he began organizing his troops to move out.

At the same time, around half of the prisoners that were still alive began fleeing.

They had no intention of joining a war and just wanted to enjoy their new freedom that they thought they would never have again.

Obviously, all of the former rebels that had been captured stayed and fell into line. Wanting nothing more than to get back to fighting for a better kingdom.

And luckily all of the great knights and elite mages stayed as well, two of them having already decided to join the rebels before their untimely detainment, and the others wanting to fight back against the kingdom they felt had betrayed them.

Unfortunately though, one of the great knights had perished during the escape, having been just on the edge of Teivel's range when he released his tier nine spell.

Soon all of the rebels and the prisoners that were going to be joining them had formed up and began exiting the Sky Citadel.

It was a bit precarious as they left the building that had collapsed in many areas. But everyone got out without issue and began hastily moving down the mountain.

Though Marcus who was still carrying Tesia, looked back at the ruined fort that used to look like an impregnable juggernaut, yet now barely stood and was smoking a ruin of its former glory.

'This is only the start. Things are going to become much worse as the war continues.' Marcus thought, really taking in what he had gotten wrapped up in.

With that last thought Marcus turned away from the Sky Citadel and picked up his pace down the mountain.

…

'Damn it all.' 

Crash!

Kicking one of the few standing walls in the Sky Citadel and knocking it down, Cibor was immensely displeased by what he had found when he arrived.

He was currently standing over Teivel's dead body and looked all around the ruins that used to be one of the most secure facilities in the kingdom.

This could be considered nothing but a definitive defeat, as not only had the kingdom lost its most powerful mage, but also the rebels had recruited the surviving prisoner into their ranks.

"Sir I have located another body of interest. Great Knight number fifteen Sir Bialas is dead." One of Cibor's men said to him.

Grinding his teeth, Cibor was conflicted to hear this, since Bialas had been a friend, but it was good that he had not joined the rebels.

"Prepare to return to the capital. We are not going to find them in this blizzard.. We need to head back and come up with a new plan."