" Amidst the chaos, an opportunity arises. A chance for the light to find a new path to overcome the darkness. For all of its shadows are spread throughout the world."
It was a cold day, mist and rain controlled the air. The clashing of swords and the screams of victims were the only sounds that drowned out the raindrops that fell on the blood-covered ground. The metallic smell of blood was already present outside the battlefield. Walking through the fog, one finds oneself in a completely different world, full of violence and agony yet without scruples or morals. Such things cannot exist in war, they are obstacles that manipulate the mind. For the first time the curtain rose, however, this was only the beginning, the prelude to a spectacle that would make the whole world tremble.
" Don't let them push you back, we can't let the enemy break through! Remember that far more than your lives are at stake today. Show no mercy, if we fail everything is lost!"
The soldiers trusted the words of their commander, he has often proven himself in battle and returned victorious. This time his troop was not made up of men who could only hold pitchforks. It was composed of trained young men, filled with dedication and motivation to defend their kingdom.
"If my words are not enough for you then look ahead. Gaze at the light that shines brightly, that never extinguishes and that will never perish!"
Indeed, what they saw with their eyes gave them further big motivation, their self-confidence boosted manifold.
In the front, a huge show was taking place. It was not an army fighting beside the humans, it was solely 4 individuals who, apart from the young king, held the greatest responsibility and importance in the kingdom. Working together as well as they ever had, it was a symphony of perfect synchronization. The light allowed them to communicate with others of their kind, a decisive advantage when it came to strategies. With little effort they killed their enemies one by one, it wasn't a slaughter, but a precise strike that made their victims drop dead instantly.
"Marah watch the left flank! They will most likely try to engage our defenses from the side. Exterminate as many as you can so that the rest of the enemies won't be a problem for the soldiers!"
"Got it, should I give the signal, I will need support!"
"Roger, I'll take the center, we absolutely cannot let them break through!"
"Are you sure you can do this?"
"Don't worry. Luke, you're my support, lay low for now. Once I give you the sign then it's your turn!"
"Okay, be careful though and don't get carried away. Remember, we're on the defensive, so let them come! If they become too many then fall back and we'll all fight together!"
"That just leaves Adrian. Can you handle the right side by yourself?"
" Dumb question, I' ll be off. Think of our mastery and don't be daunted!"
"Alright, let's start the operation. Get into position!"
Each one of them knew exactly what was at stake and how they should proceed. Once again, they all took a deep breath and waited for the battle cries ahead of them to grow louder. Marah used the fog to give herself an advantage. Her fighting style was completely different, with not a trace of her old form to be seen. Her daggers glowed white and grew larger. They formed into two swords, with which she began her blade dances. In all the centuries, there had never been a person who had mastered the two-sword style so effectively. Her movements seemed so easy, her steps were graceful and yet deadly. The woman had evolved into a true warrior of light.
On the other side, there was a non-stop hail of arrows. The projectiles never stopped, they pierced the heads of countless enemies. They could not defend themselves against Adrian until he himself was bombarded by arrows. Rather than retreat, he remained in place till he saw the enemies in front of him.
("Grant me your ever shining light upon it may cleanse the souls of my enemies.")
His longbow formed into a battle spear with sharp points on both sides. Taking a stance, he did not move a bit. With a deadly stare, he countered his enemies thus awaiting the first sword stroke. His fighting style was flawless as well, even though they stood in front of him none of the enemies were able to hit him. His speed was unbelievable, his precision could not be better. Fully focused, he destroyed one after the other, though he was only a single warrior. He was aware, as were his friends, that he would not be able to stop all of them. Thus, he did not pursue the enemies who escaped his spear, but left them to Grae and Soran's army behind him. His eyes were directed solely forward, in the manner of a true warrior of the light.
In the meantime, Blade and Luke were already in the midst of battle. Blade killed as many as possible leaving Luke with less work to do. He who had spent a short time in the realm of the dead was now the leader of their light brigade. No longer carrying a large broadsword, his style had changed the most.
He now carried two gauntlets, made of the strongest and most powerful material in this world, merged with one of the strongest magics in this world and perfected by two magic modules. This was the strongest but also the most dangerous of all their weapon. Blade impressively demonstrated the way he had changed. In complete consciousness of his emotions and concentration, he thought one step ahead to surprise his enemies with his attacks. In addition, his strength and build allowed him to act even more freely. Due to the high risk, he didn't get away unscathed and got a cut on his right shoulder. Even before he could take care of it, a beam of light shot behind him right at the wound. After a couple of seconds there was nothing left of the injury, no blood and no scar.
"That wasn't the signal but well done."
"Your timing is still not perfect that's why I'm watching ahead. It's best you retreat a bit, a lot of them got past through here!"
" That's a bit tricky right now, sorry, I'm surrounded."
"Hey, you guys forgot about us! Blade form a shield around you, it's getting a little rough now. Luke fall back, we'll support you."
"All right, but hurry up. It's starting to get a little crowded up front here!"
After Blade fended off the attacks, he drew a circle in front of him.
("Grant me your light upon that mine may not be extinguished.")
A barrier of light formed above him through which nothing could penetrate. The sword blows ricocheted off and even arrows were unable to harm the shield. This was the decisive advantage for Grae's strategy. Blade watched as a huge hail of arrows rained down on the opponents in front of him. Overhead, he felt the projectiles deflecting off the shield. As the arrows ended, the barrier dissolved and Blade prepared for the next wave. However, no voices could be heard, no more battle cries, and no more clanking of weapons: It was over. They all took a deep breath and met in a group.
"That was quite a first battle. Our teamwork was good just as she wanted it, don't you think?"
"It was fine, but there are ways we can improve. It's only been 3 months since we got these greater powers. There's still a lot of improvement to be done."
" Nevertheless, we fought against a complete army. No one died on our side and we were not seriously wounded. A good start if you ask me."
Just as Blade was about to point something out to Marah, Grae interrupted. They both had a strange feeling.
"They fought totally different than I expected. It had no real pattern and never changed its tactics. Even as their front lines were being easily killed, they continued on the same course."
"Moreover, they never changed their fighting style. It was the same with you guys, wasn't it?"
Aiden and Marah recalled their opponents. Blade was right, the only problem for them was their numbers. Otherwise, they were opponents like in a easy video game, always with the same basic fighting pattern."
"Are you saying it was made easy for us?"
Grae certainly wasn't sure of his words. However, if his assumption was correct then this wasn't even a real fight.
"Possibly. The more you think about it the more apparent it becomes. It' s likely that our enemy w-"
"controlled by someone. Grae might be right, every single one of them was of a similar size and body type. Except for their battle cries, not a single one of them uttered a word. Still, what's the use of that?"
Just before they could even burst into confusion, a quick sound rang out. Immediately, Marah ran in front of Blade, deflecting a large arrow with her swords. That projectile could only have come from the mist and was aimed at Blade's head.
"Splendid, you masterminds have figured it out. This completes the first level, now all that's missing is the final boss!"
All of a sudden the fog disappeared and out stepped their strongest enemy. His hair was brown and his pupils were fiery red. With his right hand he held a long thin sword and with his left hand he wore a black glove.
At once, everyone got into a fighting position and waited for his attack. The closer he came, the more they recognized him. None of the four could ever forget who killed their leader once before.
"So you've grown to hold back, Blade. It's a shame you didn't just embrace death. And now you're going to have to watch it all unfold."
"I'm afraid you're about to receive this embrace. You guys know what to do! We've prepared for this so do what we've learned. Grae, fall back with the soldiers, we'll handle this! This is solely our fight!"
The commander heeded his words and took the soldiers to safety. Their lives were to be protected.
"Wise decision and yet in vain. Soon their lives will come to an end anyway, it' just being delayed."
Before Leo could speak further he was attacked by Marah. He barely managed to block her swords. Her abilities included that she was able to hide her presence for a brief moment.
" Very good, she has shown you a lot..."
Even before he could finish his sentence, an arrow raced straight at his head. He dodged to the left at the last moment. The arrow grazed his cheek, causing it to begin bleeding. As Leo looked forward again, he saw that Blade was racing in front of him at lightning speed and was about to attack him with a large sword. Next to him was Adrian who was about to thrust from the side with a spear. Marah was also attacking from her side.
Just a few millimeters before the impact, a black barrier formed in front of Leo, throwing his enemies backwards with a shock wave.
"So you guys are serious. Then it' s my turn now. As soon as Leo took the first step forward, his body vanished and emerged directly in front of Blade, who fell backwards as a result of his block. Leo was not hiding his presence like Marah but was moving at an impossible speed. Thus, they could only wait and try to counter his attacks. Everyone was preparing for his next move. However, this time he did not stand in front of them instead he kept a great distance from them. Within the next moment Adrian had an arrow stuck in his shoulder.
"Argh, what the hell?!"
He went down on his knees, and could hardly move. The arrow had a paralyzing effect.
"Fuck, we can't give him any space. Use the wind to guide you and try to engage him. He can't stop everyone at once. As soon as we got him in check go to Adrian and heal him Luke! Pull a wall immediately and wait for the signal!"
Without a word, he obeyed his command and created a barrier. An arrow raced towards the barrier and bounced off it. Yet the barrier was already taking large cracks from that one projectile. Marah and Blade were actually able to follow the wind patterns and were standing in front of their former comrade after a couple of seconds. First Marah attacked him with her two swords however Leo anticipated her blow and smashed with all his strength on the swords. As a result, Marah lost her guard and could not attack for a moment. Ahead of her, she saw Leo's arm on which the black glove began to shine. Using a shockwave, he knocked Marah backwards. The loud bang irritated Blade and he missed his strike. Instead of inflicting a wound on Blade, Leo just smiled at him and didn't take the opportunity to take out his opponent. This provoked Blade, but he kept his temper and gave the signal to Luke. Luke pulled the arrow out of Adrian's shoulder and freed him from his paralysis. Then Marah and Blade tried to retreat for the time being. Anticipating an attack, they kept watching their backs while Leo just stopped and stared in their direction. After gathering themselves, they readied themselves for his attack.
"What is your goal Leo? To annihilate all of us?"
"That would be intriguing but no. I am only here to test your abilities. Your goddess has been teaching you well, behold the progress you have made. However, it is still not enough, you still need more time to truly have a chance to join the war. Marah's element of surprise is too predictable, Blade's cover is not good enough, Adrian's arrows always target the same spot. As for Luke...he alone could never last...he's too reliant on you. Plus, you can never fight at your full strength, you don't want to walk over dead bodies. Other lives are constantly at the center of your attention, just obstacles that aren't aware of their lack of strength yet."
"What do you know?! You only use others, only care about yourself and fight for yourself. Pretty soon you'll realize that loners won't stand a chance. Evil will never win."
Leo burst out laughing. In the next moment his eyes became dead serious and his gaze lethal.
"I wonder what criteria you use to distinguish good from evil. Is evil forcing others to give up their previous existence and start a new life according to their rules? Monsters create monsters and it never ends."
"You are insane. If we hadn't tried this method, you would have ended up the same way sooner or later."
"And you guys decided that?! You never had the right to judge me. Not until you have experienced my pain and agony in my life...you will never understand. So let's stop this senseless chatter, it's best you keep training a while longer. Next time we meet, I hope to see more devotion."
Leo turned around and left the battlefield. Suddenly he felt a great energy approaching behind him, a giant beam of light shot in his direction. His eyes snapped open and he was barely able to move. Their light combined was far more powerful than he would have ever imagined. Without being able to react he saw the Chosen come out of the beam of light and all attack him head on. He drew his black shield to protect himself. Leo was able to fend off Marah, Adrian and Luke, but Blade managed to break through and strike Leo directly. His sword pierced Leo's coat and went straight through his heart. Leo remained motionless, not moving any part of his body nor his eyes. A moment later, he fell backwards and hit the ground. Within a few seconds, a pool of blood formed next to his body. With their power they had just finished off their greatest opponent, eliminating his power was essential for their mission to protect the humans. Again they watched his body to make sure he was really dead. All came to the same conclusion except for Luke, who couldn't see his heart or its remains in the wound, even though Blade hit it dead center. Using his water magic, he tried to analyze whether it was in another part of his body, but there was none.
"Fits him, no heart in life and no heart in death. Come on Luke let's go and inform Grae. We'll retrieve his corpse later."
They were already worrying about how to proceed as a voice sounded a few feet away.
" Do you guys really think something like that hurts after all I've been through?"
Blade immediately turned around and saw a scythe swinging towards him. With no chance to dodge, the blade directly hit his chest and gave him a laceration. The Chosen were shocked. The man who a moment ago had a hole in his chest was standing in front of them again. The weapon was incredible, it could take several different forms in their fight. Ranging from a bow, a sword to a scythe and more. They backed away waiting for Leo's reaction. However, suddenly the scythe disappeared and the entire shadow dissolved. By Leo's reaction, they could tell that he had taken a lot of damage after all.
"So that's the limit huh? It's still far from enough. Now I'm in for more work."
"T-this is our chance, his powers are as good as empty."
"But Blade, what if he still has tricks up his sleeve? You're seriously injured, let's try to retreat for now."
"Take a good look at him Luke, his wound is starting to bleed again. He can't have much strength left, we can finish it now. Think about the future, his death will give us more assurance. So, summon your final light to attack. We are a team and he is only one opponent so it's now or never!
They all cast the spell for their summoning and became enveloped in a bright veil. Their weapons lit up. After that they went into attack.
"I have to disappoint you, but I am not alone."
Suddenly a shadow escaped Leo's body making him weaker. It grew larger and larger until it took on a straight form. The chosen ones listened to a loud hissing sound and saw a monstrous giant snake suddenly appear in front of them. With purple eyes, the monster stared directly into Blade's eyes. His soul was at the mercy of the beast as he froze up.
"What...did...you...do...to...me?"
"I didn't do anything, Gallian over here is in control of your fate. Just as you protect each other, I too have a guard in my time of need."
Leo knew that his powers were much weaker than he expected. The last thing he wanted to do was take a risk now.
"Do you understand? Humans still lack the powers to defeat their monsters. What irony unfolds here. It's time for our farewell, it has been most interesting to watch you.
("Gallian, we're leaving, I took more damage than I expected.")
The snake withdrew its gaze and bowed to its master. Leo mounted up and gave the order.
"What about Zaphiel, where is he?"
" Right now, probably at the same place as your goddess. Do not worry, she will soon have no choice but to devote herself to you. Goodbye then, oh heroes of the humans."
"Fuck off!"
As he turned around, a glowing dagger suddenly flew at Leo. He caught it without problems. In the next moment, however, the weapon detonated with a big explosion. When the smoke disappeared they saw that Leo suddenly had white hair and his eyes turned blue. Unscathed, he still held the dagger and made it glow brightly again. Without speaking, he fired the weapon in the direction of the Chosen Ones. Instead of an explosion, it created a massive blast wave that shot them backwards as if a hand grenade went off in front of their feet. Their armor and weapons were completely destroyed. Marah, who had thrown the dagger as well as Adrian had severe injuries on their bodies. Their assailant silently left the battlefield."
"H-how is that possible? Why is he able to use this power? Urgh."
"IT DOESN'T MATTER AT ALL NOW BLADE. YOU BETTER HELP ME CARRY THEM BOTH OUT OF HERE!"
Their leader had forgotten his priorities for a moment. Looking closer, he saw the extent of this explosion. Marah had a severe head wound and Adrian's leg was barely recognizable. They both felt a great deal of pain and were writhing on the ground.
("Come on, come on, come on! You can do it Luke, have faith in yourself!")
His powers were enough to stop the bleeding for now and halt the pain. Luke was completely exhausted and couldn't think of anything else to do for the time being.
"What's going on here, what happened to you guys?!"
Grae rode a horse to the front and viewed the result of the battle.
"Can't you see for yourself?! We lost and went down without a chance. Fucking hell, why isn't it enough!!!"
"...It's no use staying here...we have to get these two to safety!"
Inside Blade was bewildered, they were still far inferior to Leo. His training was not bearing the results he needed. Without another word, he assisted in getting Marah and Adrian to a field clinic as quickly as possible. In the meantime, Leo was on his way back to the home he had made for himself. He became dizzy and could hardly keep his eyes open. All of a sudden, he fell off Gallian's body and landed on the hard ground. The serpent immediately turned around and checked on its master. Leo was lying on the ground, totally exhausted and spitting up blood. His hair was dying back and his shadow powers were gradually leaving him. Gallian nudged his body and hissed in his face.
("Don't worry Gallian, death will have to wait for me. I completely misjudged myself, my body can't handle the extent of the power yet. I...just...need... some rest...")
Gallian heard his words so he carried him to a hidden part of the forest. Leo's fatigue was much higher than usual. He looked almost half dead yet he had a guardian. Gallian formed a circle with his body and wrapped Leo in his warmth. He rested with his master for however long he would need to recover even if it meant to vanish.
Leo was no longer his old self, even though he had lost one burden, a new one had been placed upon him for now. In the last three months he made far more progress than he would've ever thought, than even Zaphiel would've ever expected. He showed him the meaning of this world, nevertheless, Leo was still searching for his own purpose in it. You can only get so far on your own.