The hot rays of the sun, basking the beings that its light reaches with its warm embrace which was seemingly impossible to hide on, gazed down upon the soldiers of the Sanctuary while they train their bodies on the height of the day.
These is their daily lives now as they all became demons a few months ago. Some of them had scales on their arms and legs, some were furry and growing their hair longer than a bear, some had fangs that popped out of their gums. Strict is the perfect word to describe the training and trials of the new pledged soldiers joining the ranks of the Sanctuary.
Together with them, the Mercenary King, Gilbert, shouted orders upon orders to rigorously discipline his men that will be under his wings from now on. "Push on! Push on! Don't rest for even a bit, you sack of bones! I'll make it swell far more bigger than that in a few months, I'll tell you! Oi! You there! I saw bringing down your head, don't deny it!"
He watched them drag a large boulder on their backs, each one had their own sizes that depends on their initial body strength. Gilbert never gave them time to lower their heads and catch their breaths and kept on smacking the stomach of those he saw resting.
"This has been going on for four months now and I can see their bodies being toned to their utmost limit. A simple bath full of ice blocks will help them rejuvenate their muscles after this." He nodded with a satisfied smile on his face. Them getting stronger will be a huge help for the Sanctuary's overall strength.
These soldiers were all his men and his lords knights that came with them towards the inner ring to get away from the Emperor's wrath. They were all in [Hero Rank] and above and could fight star beasts on their own, but fighting the empire's hundred-thousand-army was definitely a death wish even for their lords.
Gilbert and the Merchant King, or so he says, will be joining hands on leading this battalion that they were currently training and will be used as in reconnaissance and scouting missions tackling the Regulus Empire's affairs and current situation. Their intelligence will be a big factor whenever the enemy will show hostile movements against them and give a hand on gaining information on the other kingdoms that were allied with them.
But Gilbert recently passed a report to the Sanctuary that says Regulus had begun conquering the neighboring kingdoms and was successful in their venture to finally put their iron hands down on the whole Renald Continent. At the time he passed the report, he thought that it was finally time to strike back, but he was left in awe when the Grand Duke Leviathan said that it was what he had expected for them to do.
For now, gathering strength is the best way to do. Defending the Sanctuary from external threats was left to him to do by the king and Gilbert swear to give all his best in the order that was given to him.
"General, there's seems to be something going on outside the Sanctuary. The scouts have sensed tremors and powerful releases of gracia from the west sector of the barrier." Gilbert's squire who was wearing white bandana and cream colored clothing reported in a whisper.
"What in the bloody hell is going on down there?!", Gilbert said out loud. Then he grabbed the soldier's arm to drag him with him. "Come with me!" His squire just helplessly held on his General's strong arm.
After walking a few yards towards the army camps, he barged in the biggest tent offered to the officers of his battalion.
"We greet the General!" All the officers doing their paper works on their intelligence gathering all saluted to Gilbert as soon as they saw him.
"Come with me, all of you! Take three platoons and one squad! We will be going to the west sector of the barrier to check what's causing those tremors and who was fighting in my field of operations!" Gilbert shouted an order and quickly turned to go to his personal tent.
"Yes, General!" The officers all said, while Gilbert headed straight to his tent, still dragging his squire.
"... S-sir, what about the new soldiers?" Gilbert's squire asked when he was dropped on the entrance of the General's tent.
"Let them train first. They can rest after a few hours more. Tell my second in-command that I'll be leaving the camp to him." Gilbert said, putting his boiled leather armor that he took from the armor stand and quickly grabbed his greatsword that was leaning on the pillar of the tent.
"I'll do as you said, General!" His squire hurriedly left running and turned towards the tent of Rickus, the battalion's second in-command and Gilbert's younger brother.
After five minutes, Gilbert waited for his soldiers to be assembled while mounted on his companion, Rengar. A [Blue Rank] star beast called [Savage Wolf] that was two meters long and one and a-half meters tall. Rengar has a scar on the left side of his face just like Gilbert, with a claw mark for the latter.
"Your soldiers are here, General!" Mounted on their own companions and horses, the soldiers followed behind Gilbert being led by a corps commander beside him.
"Heh! Then let's ride!" With his greatsword on his back, Gilbert smiled in excitement and lightly tapped Rengar's back and they all started to ride towards the west sector of the barrier.
Meanwhile, on the west sector of the barrier, Luke watched Minerva heal Gargamel with his observing eyes. "That ability to heal was convenient. I wonder if I would've survived longer on my last life if I had that ability." He thought, putting his chin above his knees while he watched the healing process unfold while sitting on the sand.
He closed his eyes to remember his last moments on his old world, and concentrated to reminisce the most spectacular view that he saw that beautiful night. Just the thought of it made him excited and, at the same time sad.
Luke could still feel the warmth of the most biggest fire he had made that night. The light of the moon and the fire's brilliance reflected on his black eyes. With the sight of the shore down below the cliff he was watching the scenery unfold made it more beautiful.
He stayed there, hearing the cries of the people that was living in the city that he burned. The place with the biggest fire burning was the cathedral, the sacred place of the people that he most hated since he was a child. All the ecstasy running from his veins made him laugh as he watched that accursed place where he and his other brothers and sisters were raised and tortured everyday. Who would believe that the same church that was supposed to be helping the weak and suppressing the strong trained orphan children to be assassins to prosecute their enemies.
This system almost made his old self mad after knowing the whole truth that he was not an orphan all along, but a child of a fallen aristocratic family that was assassinated overnight by the church. He traced back all the confessions of his targets before he killed them to the church that he was most grateful with.
"Hypocrites..." He muttered, his hair swaying due to the wind that came from the sea, effect of the smoke of the burning city. Soon after, the rained poured down on his expressionless face as he looked up to see the raindrops touch his bloody face.
As he looked down, blood and water dripped on his chin, trickling one by one, blood and water mixed as they dropped to the cold stone that he was standing. Then, he looked up, "So, you've come for me now..."
There was no light on the cliff, only the fire slowly being distinguished can give a little on that narrow and pointed cliff. Thunder came, roaring like lions from the horizons, echoing from everywhere it can reach.
The flashes of lightning hit the rocks below the shore, lighting up the face of the man behind Luke. "Mordred..." He started, with a long face.
"Don't give those lectures of yours, Aguilar. I'm old enough to finally do what I want." Mordred spouted. His back was facing Aguilar. Emotions with different filled him at that time; rage, sorrow, fear. But he didn't regret what he did, not even once.
Aguilar sighed hopelessly, his breath visible because of the cold air and rain. He tried to calm himself up, seeing the child that he cherished the most and personally has now done something that he couldn't take back anymore.
"I'm not going to right the wrong that you did. It's now all yours to keep, and seeing you doing well on your own, as the one who trained you, I'm proud." Aguilar said to Mordred, looking at him intensely. He was now on top of the Order, the organization of assassins that the church established in the dark.
Mordred finally took a glance at his mentor and previous father figure with a solemn look, he turned his head a little to see his face and moved it back to look at the burning city below, "Why is it you? Out of all the brothers... you're the one that had to do it."
"I... I just needed to see you one last time. You've done a splendid job, Mordred."
"Don't do that... do make me regret it."
Mordred almost felt like he was about to cry, thinking about the most devastating thing he had learned before he committed doing all the killings; that Aguilar, his mentor and a father to him was actually the one who killed his original family.
"Oh, you're about to regret it." A raspy voice sounded from the darkness of the cliff, behind Aguilar.
Suddenly, four shadows appeared behind Aguilar, looking like he cloned himself. One shadow stepped out in the light and revealed himself, wearing a black clothes with a hood, brandishing a throwing axe on both of his hands. He looked like a savage man, fiery auburn hair pairing with earrings on the ears, and sharp looking stare on his grey eyes.
"How dare you disobey the Order, bastard son of a bitch!" The savage man said, snapping his head as he talked and spat on Mordred's cloak.
"Connor, that's enough. He will not be easily taunted like that. The kid even killed all the soldiers on the city without someone noticing." Said the other shadow showing his face towards the light. His face had a slave mark carved on his black ebony skin.
Connor clicked his tongue and hide again back in the shadows muttering curses on the man that stopped him. He backed down to show him some face, not because he was of the black guy a foot taller than him.
Mordred knew the black man that made Connor back down. He was Delhi, Aguilar's right hand and the one who taught Mordred to fight anyone and everyone. He was battered everyday because of Delhi and Mordred couldn't wait to slit his throat anymore, but he was still grateful to him.
"The Order put the red notice on your name, kid. You know what was that, right? It means everyone will come looking for you and chop your head off even if it's at the end of the world." The shadow on Aguilar's left side spoke. It was a woman's voice, captivating, but still poisonous if you got addicted to it.
"... And that's why of all you came here, huh. To kill me yourself and redeem the honor that you lost because you all took me in." Clenching his fists, Mordred let his voice out, looking at the starless dark sky. Rain hit his face, dripping the same time with a single drop of tear he let out in his eyes.
Connor laughed on the back, stating that what Mordred said was true. "You're a bright kid, you fucker! Now let's get the party started!" With great fervor, Connor dashed towards Mordred to put an end to all the bad things he suffered because of the kid in front of him.
"Wait..!" Delhi shouted.
But it was too late as Connor let out a loud war cry and jumped while holding his throwing axes to make his blow more powerful. His braided red beard shined like hot copper with the light of the fire as he flew while smiling.
Mordred met his blow with a flowless block using a shortsword. Their weapons locked as Connor on the ground, "This bastard became stronger again." Connor thought while attempting to kick Mordred on the stomach and throw him off balance to gain advantage.
However, Mordred was faster and kicked him off first to send him backwards. Connor grunted, and went to attack him again, but Delhi passed by him, also wielding a shortsword on his hand. Mordred and Delhi's weapons clashed with a crisp clang, the force of their swings never outmatching the other.
They continued to clash swings for a few seconds, dodging and feinting in a blink of an eye, the battle was tie at this point. "Dodge, Delhi!" Mordred heard another familiar voice from behind and he instinctively lowered his head to evade the attack that was coming to him, whatever it was.
Delhi flawlessly rolled back, keeping his shortsword on his nape to block Mordred's attack, just to be sure. "Tch... This damn Holsen never changed. Suddenly throwing his poisoned barbs." Delhi clicked his tongue.
As if the time became slower, Mordred leaned back to dodge the copper ball coming directly towards him, but saw a hidden wire behind the ball. He instantly became shocked, "Holsen's poisoned barbs!" He thought in an instant.
Dodging it, however, was futile as Holsen who threw his copper ball pulled his weapon back using a very thin wire tied on his middle finger, "Take that!"
The copper ball, like there were some mechanism inside it, sprung out small pieces of rust colored pointed things; arrow tips, chipped sword fragments, and many more, and pierced Mordred's cloak and clothes.
Aguilar and the other also used their cloaks to prevent the barbs hitting them. It was a powerful weapon, but the efficiency to use was not that great. Using the copper ball also endangered it's users.
Mordred used his cloak too, but some needles still managed to pierce his clothes and penetrate his skin. Soon after that, the poison in the needle acted and made a burning sensation that seemed to be not getting away for a long time. He curled in pain, scratching the part that the poisoned needle hit him, and Mordred resisted the urge to cry in pain and unbearable surge of itchiness.
"Then antidote... I have to take it!" Mordred thought as he looked up towards the five people slowly approaching him.
"It's useless, Mordred. You can't cure my fast-acting poison that easily with just your inferior remedies." Holsen proudly said, hiding his smile behind his hood.
Although they knew that the kid in front of them was good as dead, they still gave him a chance to heal himself and let him glug a bottle full of antidote for poisons that he made. Holsen and Connor crouched down to look at Mordred's helpless face, ignoring Mordred's hidden right searching for something located in his bag.
Connor was happy to see the abomination that the Order made, the strongest assassin to be, and the one that ended their enslavement to the church writhed in pain. But he was not satisfied at all. "There's no way..", he thought in his mind.
And out of pure anger, Connor, using his axe, he buried his axe on Mordred's thigh! Mordred screamed cried in pain and tried to kick Connor away from him. The savage man grinned in satisfaction and wiped off Mordred's blood on his face. The blood stains on his black clothes shined like ember fire as it reflected the light of the city below cliff, turning slowly to ashes.
"You must've been happy, huh? Taking revenge for your family, biting the hands of those who fed you and trained you to be what you are now!" Connor nagged, like an older brother he had never been. All he did was beat Mordred up, trained him until he was bloodied and left him at door's death every time he had a chance.
"Enough!" Holsen pushed Connor away from Mordred even more, his feet a few meters before falling off the cliff. "You think you're the only one who's angry?! Huh?" He angrily asked Connor that snorted the question off.
The cold hands of Holsen, battered by different chemicals and poisons that he handled everyday for the sake of living, gently touched Mordred's thigh that was bleeding due to Connor's carelessness. He then slowly put his hand on the wound and claw out the red flesh that was dangling out of it.
This time, Mordred did not cry. Rather, his eyes were now full of killing intent that stared in Holsen and Connor. "You all thought me different things, and I am thankful for that. Now I'll use it all to end you." he said, his face grim and emotionless.
Holsen chuckled, "And how are you...!"
Before he finished his sentence, the cliff sudden filled up with smoke, twenty meters in all direction, obscuring all their vision.
"I'll end you all with this..."
Luke stopped reminiscing his past when a powerful force made him and his father, together with Nora sprung away from where Minerva was healing the also unconscious Gargamel.
"Kekeke... This body is not my type but... this will do for now." Looking up, Luke heard Gargamel's voice and saw him standing up while strangling Minerva's neck using his hand.
"Is he being possessed?!" Luke thought, recalling the shadow that came out from his father's ring.