"Captain, the flanks of the tide started to charge inward; I think they are all rallying to the call of the Savage Rhino."
As he heard this, Cain immediately responded.
"Perfect! El, Jin, we need to hurry; Abel cannot last forever; drive everything in until the size is around 500 square kilometers. Aimzay, tell us immediately when the space occupied by the entire horde reaches the target. MOVE NOW!"
"ROGER!"
As all the monsters started crashing into each other, Abel rushed further inward. He kept dodging the attacking beasts and slammed his arms on the beasts that attempted to pin him down. The shielder used both his arms, his horn, and even his feet. As he fought the unending tide of demonic teeth and fangs as they clawed, scratched, and smashed onto his armor. He inwardly thought
'This is bullshit! Why do I have to endure an entire tide alone? At least let me hit them back. I'm going to die at this rate. Is this what you want to do, Arthur? Are you angry at me because of what I said to your psychotic murderer of a wife?'
Numerous alarms were calling his attention as the blows slowly overwhelmed various parts of his armor. The support systems that allowed him to shrug off the blows started failing one after another. Finally, he began to feel the impacts and started getting bruised at an alarming rate.
'F*cking hell, is this where I die? Why the hell do I even have to do this? I met them for two months. Why am I so attached to this group? Why do I need to die for these F*ckers? They don't even consider me one of their own. Why am I trying so hard?'
Halfway through the horde, a giant elephant-like creature hit part of Abel's shoulder, toppling his suit with the might in its strike; its overpowering impact was able to push the Shielder's body despite his suit's additional mass.
Abel was sent crashing to the ground in the middle of the horde. As he had his face to the ground and his body was getting assaulted by the beasts. The shielder proceeded to hear a voice.
- Is this where you fall, my dear paladin? Will you no longer carry the burden you sought from me from the beginning?
You are the one who carries both my wish and my desire. But is this all you are capable of?
Where was the boy who said he would fight fate and time, even the entire universe?
It is indeed pitiful to think this is where your journey ends -
As he heard those words, Abel remembered a memory from long ago, although he did not know if it truly happened as the memory was not his. A little 12-year-old boy was crying in anger and sorrow as he cradled a small body to his chest, her long white hair flowing in the wind. The young corpse was no longer breathing. The black-haired boy then proceeded to shout to the skies.
"SAVE HER! ANYONE! I WILL DO ANYTHING! SAVE HER! HELP ME! ANYONE!"
He then heard a beautiful angelic voice; it spoke solemnly as a voice answered his call.
-I Indeed can save her, my child. However, she is already dead. While I can revive your precious friend, why should I?-
"Who? It doesn't matter; I'll do anything! save Xin!"
-I have no need for empty promises; you are but a small child. What can you hope to accomplish? -
"I'll do anything; I will do anything you want, I'll cook, clean, work, fight, I'll do anything. If I don't know how I'll learn and do it all. Please save Xin! Please save her!"
-You'll fight for me? My enemies have unfathomable strength, you know? They are numberless and are stronger than even gods. They control fate, time, and even the universe.
How will you hope to win against them?-
Suppressed by what he learned, the boy turned silent. He then hugged the young girl in his arms as he responded.
"I DON'T CARE! I WILL FIGHT ANYTHING YOU NEED ME TO! FATE! TIME! THE UNIVERSE! NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, SAVE XIN! I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU UNTIL I DIE, THEN I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNTIL WE WIN!"
-Fufu, I don't think you understand what fighting until you die means; people die when they are killed, boy!
However, I am intrigued by you; your desire to save this young girl is so overwhelming that it eclipses the sun.
Unfortunately, I do not work for free; in exchange for granting your desire without an offering, I will take what you most cherish as well-
"What I cherish the most? What is that? I am an orphan. I have no family; Xin is my best friend, and she is gone."
-I can see that what you most cherish is your time with her. So I will revive her, but you will become my chess piece and my mightiest warrior as payment.
You will no longer remember who she is nor why you became my slave. She can remember, though, there is no guarantee the two of you will ever meet again. With such conditions to your request, would you still agree? -
Looking at the face of his closest friend, the young boy laid her on the ground gently as he stood looking towards the sky.
"I do, If Xin survives, that's all that matters, but you must promise she will not come to harm. Nor that she will be made to suffer. I will take everything bad with me and me alone. She has to be happy!"
-Admirable! My child, the love and loyalty you give this girl is incredible!
I give you my word to fulfill your desires to the letter. But I will show you what you must fight against in exchange for her revival. If you can still stand it even after watching such a fate. The terms of our covenant have been defined. -
The voice promptly showed the young boy visions of the horrors he would face in the future. The suffering and pain he would have to go through. The memories included the people he would meet and friends he would lose, the battles he would fight, the victories he would achieve, and the deaths he would encounter. The visions were so overwhelming that most men would die from experience.
But, the boy gripped his fists, curled his toes, and clenched his teeth. Then, as tears fell from his eyes, snot from his nose, and saliva dripped from his mouth, he stood. The young boy sobbed as he felt his heart pierced with millennia of memories. Shattering his will as he fell to the ground, numb from the torrent of suffering he was to endure.
The sultry voice remained silent as she saw the boy fall. She then asked in a quiet voice.
-Skilros Dun Paladin, in exchange for reviving your friend, you will have the most horrible life as the bulwark that will stop the apocalypse. People may say this exchange is unfair, but life and fate were never fair, nor are they kind.
If you are frightened, then we can forget about it. You will meet other friends…-
Cutting the voice off. The young boy proceeded to stand, sobbing and trembling from terror. His emotions overwhelmed his reason; he could no longer think straight. All he held on to was the feelings he gained from two visions he saw.
In one, he saw a grown-up Xin as dazzling as the sun. She was in a garden playing with three small boys with black, white, and grey hair; the happiness she felt carried over to him; all she felt was bliss and love.
In the other vision, The boy saw the largest army he had ever seen, dressed in silver and black, fighting against an unending army of monsters that came from all directions. The pride of these warriors made his blood boil; they had neither grief nor despair.
They were a menagerie of warriors that seemed to follow no reason nor rhyme.
Legions of giant machines in formations rained fire or charged into the deepest parts of the demonic tide. Their blades split the monsters apart in a storm of metal and blood. They took on the largest of the monsters and fought them despite being overwhelmed by the enemy's numbers.
An army of majestic beasts of all kinds was also present. They possessed warriors who valiantly danced with the army of darkness. Their efforts elucidated the entire battlefield like stars in the sky as they decimated whole portions of the battlefield.
Finally, an unending tide of dark shadows fought in the fiercest parts of the battlefield. The warriors of the night bled but never died. Even when torn apart, they stood back up and continued fighting.
At the center of all three armies were three men with heads of White, Black, and Grey. All three shouted in a chorus of rage and adrenaline at the top of their voices.
"PALADINS NEVER FALL!
PALADINS NEVER DIE!
PALADINS WILL FOREVER RISE AGAIN!
WE SHALL SEE THE LIGHT OF VICTORY!"
Even when outnumbered and outmatched, the boy watched the warriors of various races fight. All they felt was hope in victory and faith in each other.
These two visions were the only things he could remember. But he felt that the overwhelming torrent of emotions and desires from them was enough to convince him that whatever he was to endure would not be in vain. Thus, the boy finally answered.
"I accept."
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Proofread By: Pearl_Wang
Edited By: WorthyAdversary