"Who dares kill my Attendants!? If you want to live-...YOU!?" Novak's eyes went wide as he spoke.
I switched my pistols into bladed shotguns and activated lethal strikes.
I lunged at Novak and shot him in the head at point blank. His head exploded and he fell to the ground.
After he fell, I pointed both weapons down at his body as it began to regenerate.
"VENGEANCE DEATH CURSE! WRATH! FLAMES OF RAGE! SNIPER BURST!! FUSILLADE!!! BLAST BARRAGE!!! EXTERMINATUS!!!!" I yelled my skills with extreme aggression as I fired and slashed at his body.
Once I was finished, a small orb of light calmly floated in front of me.
"Do you usually shoot first and then ask questions later? Or are you just extremely violent, Warmage?" The orb said.
Yeah, he's a god. I didn't think that would actually kill him... But hey, at least Vengeance seems to do damage...damn it all!
"LEAVE THIS WORLD AT ONCE, NOVAK!!!" I yelled.
Cassandra stepped forward with her dagger at the ready.
I could see many floating magic daggers behind her.
"Mizik wants you to die. So please do me a favor and die," she said coldly.
"Ah, yes...The Divine Cru-...wait...you're not the Crusader! Actually... No, she's definitely in there. Who the hell are you!?" Novak said.
"Her sister," Cassandra said with a cold glare.
"Alright. I'm confused now. And I'm not even going to ask. Just die for me, okay?" He said.
His body rapidly regenerated and he stood while holding a flaming whip.
"Warmage, do me the honor of at least telling me your name. Same with the Crusader. I want to know before I end your lives. That pitiful Iris won't be able to save you this time," Novak said.
"My name is Mizik. And the Divine Crusader is Isabella."
"Ah...Mizik. Such a stupid name..."
I didn't say anything. I just shot him in the head.
He reeled back and clutched his forehead while glaring at me.
"YOU CANNOT KILL ME WITH THAT PATHETIC POWER OF YOURS! YOU ASSHOLE!" Novak yelled.
"Don't insult my name," I said
Cassandra looked at me worriedly.
"What Is it?" I asked her.
"I don't know if we can really win this one... He's a god, right? Didn't you just throw everything you had at him?" Cassandra asked.
She has a point. No matter how strong we are, Novak shouldn't be underestimated. Regardless, we have to do something!
I readied myself further as Novak laughed.
"Its funny, you know? The Creator let me off with a warning and told me not to return to Ignitus. But from what I was told, Ignitus was recently destroyed. I wonder how much Iris cried when her people were slaughtered! I hope she regrets sending me away! I could have helped protect that world, you know?"
"You're an idiot if you think your presence would have helped. What we fought wasn't anything less than a god-slaying monster," I said angrily.
"A god-slaying monster? Right...as if such a thing could exist. Do you know how difficult it actually is to kill one of us?" Novak said mockingly.
"No. And I don't care. Do you think if I shoot you enough times you'll just lay down and die?" I asked as I changed Vengeance into a pair of plasma blasters.
"You fool...you can't seriously think-"
I got tired of hearing him talk and just started shooting.
I hit Novak several times and jumped back to get some distance between us.
"FINE! INTERRUPT ME AND SHORTEN YOUR PATHETIC LIVES!!!" Novak yelled as he cracked his whip.
He was shrouded in blue flames and I began to feel an oppressive force emanating from him..
Like I was being forced to kneel.
Since I didn't feel such a thing the first time around, I assumed that he wasn't fighting seriously. But now, my life might have very well be in danger.
Before Cassandra could attack, she was hit by the flaming blue whip and sent flying back into a tree. She fell to the ground and got to her knees.
"M-mizik!!! I can't...move!!! Please help me!!!" She said as she bowed her head in Novak's direction.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!! NOW GET UP AND ATTACK HIM!" Novak yelled.
"NOOOO!!! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME!!!" Cassandra screamed.
She stood up and started walking towards me with her dagger out.
"You have got to be kidding me..." I said angrily.
"I'M NOT DOING IT ON PURPOSE!!! I SWEAR!!!" Cassandra said as tears streamed down her face.
She rushed towards me and I dodged a rapid hail of magic daggers.
She slashed her dagger at the air, then several streams of dark purple energy manifested and fired at me.
I barely dodged as she multiplied.
"YES!!! BE KILLED BY THE ONE YOU LOVE MOST!!! DIE, WARMAGE!!!" Novak screamed.
Cassandra isn't the one I love most! But damn it all!!!
I kept dodging the rapid flurry of Cassandra's attacks when I was also hit by his whip.
I was thrown to the ground and found myself unable to move.
I felt Novak's power looming over me like a towering behemoth...
My body stopped moving and I could no longer get it to obey.
By Iris...THIS IS SUCH A SHITTY WAY TO DIE!!! DAMN IT ALL!!!
Then Cassandra slowly walked towards me.
"Please no...I beg of you... Don't make me kill my darling... PLEASE NOO!!! I WAS FORGIVEN!!! DON'T TAKE THIS FROM ME!!!" Cassandra screamed as tears continued to roll down her face.
"Goodbye, Warmage. I'll see you in hell!" Novak said.
Just then there was an explosion near Novak.
Something hit him hard and his whip was thrown from his hand.
I saw a spark of red energy as it was destroyed in mid air.
Suddenly, my body felt fine. I sat up and Cassandra hugged me while crying and whimpering into my chest.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! It wasn't me! Please forgive me!!! I love you, Mizik! I would never hurt you! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! UWAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
"Alright! I know it wasn't you! You can stop crying!!!" I said as I looked on at the lone figure standing in between us and Novak.
He was a tall man with black hair in a ponytail. He wore a suit of gray armor with red designs on it. His eyes were blood-red and he held a claymore over his shoulder.
He looked bored.
"Hey. You should really back off, man. This guy isn't someone you can just kill without any consequences. Do that, and I won't have to end you. Sound good?" He said.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!? WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOUR CRAZY DEMANDS!?" Novak yelled.
"Just a guy following orders. Name's Kronos. You?"
"Novak, god of domina-"
"Yeah, nevermind. I don't really care," Kronos said as he readied himself to attack.
"You...INSOLENT WHELP!!! HOW DARE-"
Kronos shot forward and slashed Novak across his chest.
Novak was sent back and I saw Kronos' sword flash with red energy.
Novak materialized another whip, but Kronos dodged easily when he attacked and slashed him several times.
With each impact, I could see Novak's wounds worsening.
He wasn't regenerating, either.
I am so SICK AND TIRED OF LOSING!!!
Novak tried to go into his divine form, but...
It didn't seem to be working. Evidently, the Creator might have sealed it. And Kronos continued his assault.
As the fight continued, it became increasingly obvious that Novak was in a weakened state.
Perhaps that was why I was able to damage him so much. Regardless, my attacks still lacked enough killing power to slay a god.
Who was this guy?
Novak started trying to defend against the attacks rather than fight back as Kronos unleashed a rapid barrage of blows from his claymore
"Wait! Wh-what are you!? Why am I not regenerating!!! I can't die!!! I'm the god of domination!!!" Novak said desperately.
"Don't care," Kronos said as he charged up an attack and stabbed Novak straight through the heart.
There was a loud impact and that strange red energy exploded from Novak's body.
He froze in place...unable to speak.
Then, slowly, he began to turn into a statue.
Moments later, a pillar of light rose from Novak's body and he crumbled to dust.
"Is he...really dead?" I asked.
"Yeah. Probably," Kronos said.
This guy just casually slew a god right in front of me. Okay. That's fine. Maybe we can be friends...
"Who are you? How is it that you're able to kill a god?" I asked as Isabella switched over and continued hugging me.
"Like I said, I'm just following orders. The name's Kronos. And that's not important," Kronos said.
Umm...having the ability to slay evil gods is actually PRETTY DAMN IMPORTANT!
"Who's orders!?" I asked.
"Not important. Point is, it looks like you owe me one," Kronos said as he approached us.
Isabella stood up and bowed her head.
"Thank you so much for saving us. Please tell us how we can repay you," Isabella said politely.
From reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver medal with a red tassel hanging from it. The medal had a design of a claymore on it.
He tossed it to me and I caught it.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Something important. Just keep it on you and don't lose it. I'll call in that favor when I need it," he said casually.
"That doesn't really answer my-"
"Well, it was nice meetin' ya. Later!" Kronos said.
He turned and started casually walking away.
What!? Who is this weirdo!?
We simply stood by and watched as he just kept walking.
Honestly...I really didn't care to ask. If he said I owed him a favor, then I would comply.
He did save my life, after all.
Well, I guess I'll see you when you come to collect...freak...
"Mizik, are you okay?" Isabella asked me worriedly.
"I'm fine. Just more annoyed than hurt," I said as I finally got to my feet.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't much help... After he hit Cassandra, her soul was locked in place. I couldn't switch over," Isabella said.
"It's okay. I don't blame you for anything. Besides, you're always helpful enough, anyway," I said.
"I know you're trying to be kind and I appreciate it. I can't imagine how hard it is to deal with that curse," Isabella said.
"You have no idea. I can't tell my wife that I love her without any pain. I can't smile, I can't laugh...it's torture..." I said sadly.
"You don't have to say it. I know you still love me, Mizik. That much is clear by your actions."
"I still want to say it, though. I don't want to give the impression that I feel any different."
She hugged my arm and smiled.
"It's alright. I'll stick by you no matter what," Isabella said.
Then her eyes changed.
"I'll be here for you too, Mizik. You can trust me!" Cassandra said.
"Thanks. Well, we should get going. We have a request to turn in," I said.
She nodded and we started walking away.
As we walked, we noticed that the Attendants were panicking.
"Hmm...Cassandra, can you tell which of these people are Attendants?" I asked.
"You mean the people with residual divine power in them? I can tell, but it is beginning to fade. Want me to kill them?" She asked.
"Do it. Kill them all and release the people of this village. Do that and...I'll give you a hug...I guess..."
Cassandra's eyes went wide and she immediately disappeared.
Seconds later, the men and women who had posed as Attendants began dropping all over the place. Workers and slaves were released as well.
The people started cheering and within minutes, the village had been set free.
"She works fast when given an incentive..." I muttered.
That could be useful...
Soon after I spoke, Cassandra reappeared with an excited look on her face. She was shaking with anticipation.
She looked at me expectantly.
You reap what you sow, I guess...
I...somewhat hesitantly wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.
"Heeee...so warm! I love this! It's so much better when it's given on purpose!" She said as she hugged me back.
She pushed herself against me as well, but I ignored it.
When I let go, she looked sad.
"Ah...I want to do it longer..." She said.
"Keep up the good work and we'll see."
"Yes! I'll work hard!" Cassandra said happily.
Then her eyes switched.
"Can you please stop fantasizing about my husband!? All he did was hug you and you got way too aroused from it!"
"I can't help it! He's just so...kyaaaaa!!!" Cassandra squealed.
The two of them began arguing back and forth again.
Pervert. Regardless, it's still a good incentive...
"Stop fighting...or at least just do it in your head. Heads... Whatever..." I said.
At that point, Isabella switched in and stood silently with a frustrated look on her face.
Then we began the long walk back to the guild...