Joining team Hurricane felt like the best decision in her life, and a small part of her wanted to leave the old life altogether with them. Neia was lying on the mat, half asleep in the cart beside Kira as Lia played a soft tune on her lute and hummed along. They were the only three passengers inside the closed-off wagon with Agasha and Iona sitting in the driver's seat, guiding the horses and surveying the land.
After the first few days, it became clear she fit in with the team like a glove, and after a few jobs with the group, she had received the gold plate to become a full member. Neia hadn't promised to stay with them permanently, but the team already acted like they were inseparable.
For the first time in her life, she belonged somewhere, properly. Neia shifted around on the mat, unable to fall asleep as she often did while Kira slept like a log. Agasha often joked that the rogue could get kidnapped and sleep through the whole ordeal, only waking up when her team showed up with food.
For a while, she just lay there, listening to Lia playing the music. Lia was the most mysterious member of the group, and she had only revealed that she had to flee her homeland after discovering her gift. Her bard abilities came in the form of spirits that could be summoned through music, buffing friends while debuffing enemies. She was arguably the most powerful member of the group, any military would conscript her in a heartbeat if it came to war, but she preferred to keep a low profile, letting the others take the spotlight. Her main eccentricity was that she never took off her hat, not even when no one but their group was around, making excuses that she had a deformity on her head that she didn't want anyone to see, despite Iona offering to heal it numerous times.
As she tossed and turned in her blanket, envying her sleeping peer, the wagon suddenly stopped. Iona pushed open the small door that served as a window to the driver's seat, shouting, "People are leaving the capital in droves! There's a demon invasion happening in the capital!"
"Huh!?" Neia jerked to her feet and shook Kira. "Wake up!"
"Mmm…is it my turn already?" She mumbled sleepily.
"The capital is under attack by demons!" Neia shook her again.
Kira opened her eyes instantly and scrambled to her feet, reaching for her equipment. Both girls pushed their heads through the small window, ignoring the fact that there were other openings in the wagon. A line of people were leaving the capital, pushing and shoving. Some were in carts, some on horseback, others on foot, clutching any of their meager possessions they could easily carry.
"Hey boss, should we even proceed?" Kira asked Iona.
"Of course we do! If nothing else, we can help others to evacuate," Iona responded angrily at her teammate's cowardice.
"Noted," Kira grumbled back.
As they moved forward, they found the city gate open and a lone guard trying to keep the order as more and more tried to get out but very few, mostly soldiers and adventurers, went in.
Once they reached the guard they got the first concrete answer.
"Adventurers? Good. Head to the guild and receive your orders. By decree of His Majesty, all adventurers are conscripted to contain the spread of the demons, regardless of rank. The attack started three hours ago and multiple city districts are already lost. Hurry!" The man waved at them to pass the moment he saw their gold identification plates.
"What the hell is going on with this country? First undead in E-Rantel now demons in the capital! Seriously, someone had to have put a curse on this place," Kira ranted.
"I wouldn't be surprised. With how much misery there is, the people of this land might have cursed its rulers one too many times," Iona mused aloud.
Neia refrained from commenting on her thoughts lingering in her home. For all the hardships she had suffered, she had to admit that the leaders of Roble cared about their people. Even Remedios, for all her faults, was driven by the desire to keep the populace safe from the numerous threats the Holy Nation faced, yet this kingdom's leadership did not.
It did seem that the world was in turmoil and the unease was only growing by the day. Was it because the new God or Gods were present, she couldn't tell? Perhaps it was the other way around and the Gods were present because the world was in turmoil, she didn't know. Her heart yearned for guidance, yet Neia didn't know where to turn for said guidance.
'Believe. You know of him already.' An answer came from the angel she recognized as one who had guided her before, its familiar presence filling her mind.
'But-'
'Do not let the opinions of others cloud your heart. If you let them, they will only drag you into the pit of delusions. You witnessed God, yet listen to those who have yet to witness theirs. They are blind and deaf, they fear what you can see. Only you truly know what you could and should do,' The angel continued.
There was an undeniable truth in those words. She had seen a God and she had witnessed his power and kindness, and it was the angel who served said God that looked over her shoulder and protected her, offering solace to her wandering mind.
Soon she would fight demons for the nation she was no part of because as an aspiring paladin, she should. The fear gripped her heart with an iron resolve, each heartbeat resounding in her ears. Yet the real reason she found the resolve was that her new friends would stand with her, beside her, on the battlefield. In their short time together, they had accepted her as their own while the other squires had not. Even her mother saw tradition as more important than her and had cast her aside for a suicidal task in the name of maintaining her own glory.
'I want to believe. No, I do believe it but…'
'By giving into fear, you will only lose what you cling to. Will your Mother's approval matter if you never find happiness? Does your happiness matter to her or your father?' The angel questioned.
'Dad was always proud of me. He taught me how to use a bow. He was happy when I was accepted into the academy. Mother…'
'Were you ever good enough?'
'No… but she… I don't want to disappoint… I…'
'It is your life, not hers. You can turn away from the light of God, but if you do, I will not be able to guide you. In such a case, I hope the path you choose will bring you guidance.'
'Won't he be mad if I didn't believe?'
'Others would take your place in time. Only if you deliver yourself into his hands are you his responsibility, will he protect you as his own. Make your choice and walk your path. The longer you wait, the more you torment yourself,' The angel urged her.
Instinctively she knew what she had to do, but the cost of this choice weighed her down. Her life would never be the same. Ultimately, denying the truth now that she was about to step in the maw of the beast and join the men and women fighting the losing battle against the demons was foolish, her logical mind shrieked. Perhaps it was hers and the reluctance of others to why the God of Life and Death hadn't stepped in to vanquish the demons. Maybe it was a combination of the two. But she could afford to stall no longer.
'Dad, I hope you can forgive me. I can't deny it any longer. Please help me find him.'
'You don't need to find him. Ainz Ooal Gown is already watching over you, you just needed to realize it. Be courageous, Neia, and he will protect you.' The clear sense of satisfaction came from this being of light that had watched over her with more attention than her mother had ever done.
While she was having her inner turmoil they had reached the guild and before she knew it they were approaching the frontlines; the sight wasn't pretty.
Demons of all shapes and forms clashed against the city guard in the narrow streets, as numerous as grass in a field. Some of them were animal-like, some typical winged beasts, others so grotesque words weren't enough to describe them.
The clashing of weapons, the screams and roars, the air was filled with a cacophony of noises followed by the sickening stench of blood and gore with that unmistakable stench of brimstone on top of it. The battle was raging, and it wasn't faring well.
The point they were sent to was in particularly poor shape as the few guards remaining in the area were getting cut down left and right by the minute, the demons smashing brick and crumpling steel with ease.
Agasha was first to jump into action as she charged at a massive demon, intercepting a strike meant for a wounded guard as she took it down. Kira followed her, guarding the taller woman's back while slashing at the slim humanoid demons with scaly gray skin that charged between lines, attempting to cripple and maim anyone unlucky enough to encounter them with their long claws.
Iona started to hurriedly heal the desperate wounded that had been dragged off just beyond the battle by a single medic and a volunteer citizen, lying in the dirty streets while Lia loudly played the lute, periodically unleashing a horde of small glowing balls that clashed in both friend and foe.
Neia felt the tiny spirit boosting her power as she downed the first flying demon with a precise shot, but it was but a drop of water in the sea. Her aim was near perfect, her bow constantly singing, but no matter how many she killed, only more came, replacing the one that fell with two more.
The first signs of tiredness slowly came in as she ran out of arrows. Her muscles were trained to fight for hours but not forever. Soon or later they would have to fend off the endless tide of the enemy in the faint light of lanterns and torches, while their enemies weren't impeded by such a handicap.
To her relief, a boy no older than twelve ran up to her with a full quiver of standardized arrows. Those too young to fight but had still chosen to stay behind for one reason or another assisted in other ways by helping to move the supplies, tending to the wounded as healers were few and far between, and gathering the dropped weapons and arrows to distribute them to desperate combatants who needed them.
The battle seemed hopeless and yet she felt at peace. As long as she believed, she would be fine.
The quiver emptied fast once more, her team was becoming exhausted. She could see that Agasha was barely standing on her feet as she faced the brunt of the attacks. They had to retreat, losing another street to the monsters as they left behind the bodies of the dead. New combatants arrived from the distance, clearly signaling she would have to fight till the last drop of energy she had and then some just to keep the barely-held stalemate for who knew how long.
And as if things could not get any worse, a massive winged demon with a sword longer than her gradually made its way towards the front. Neia shot at the demon arrow after arrow, Lia launching a stream of magic balls from behind her, but the beast brushed them off like annoying insects, not even slowing down.
She watched in horror as Agasha bravely stood her ground and attempted to slow down the massive creature. But all it took was one blow and her lifeless body collided with the wall, slumping to the ground. Kira tried to retreat but she too was struck down by the gargantuan monster.
"Neia, fall back!" Iona shouted from behind, her voice choking.
As if an ill omen upon the defenders, Lia's music changed from upbeat to somber. They had just lost two of their friends and they would soon follow if nothing stopped this beast.
'God. Lord Ainz Ooal Gown. Help me. Give me strength to stop this monster!' She pleaded desperately.
'Do you believe yourself strong enough to channel my power?' A new voice invaded her mind, penetrating her entire consciousness except the barebones required to keep on fighting. Her God spoke to her directly. Her belief was rewarded. Despite the grim situation, her heart skipped a beat in the excitement.
'I have to. More people will die. Please help. We need you!' She pleaded. No matter how hard or painful it would be, she would bear it in hopes of stopping the beast before it killed even more of her team again.
'Very well. Steel yourself.' Came a reply, and with it a rush of unfathomable power. Her arm rose on her own as lightning resembling a dancing dragon shot out of her palm and reached the incoming demon within a heartbeat, followed by a jolt of intense pain as her fingers charred from the overexposure to magical energies, burning the bleeding wounds over.
Neia ignored the pain, all that mattered was if she would be strong enough to channel energies that could kill the demon, and to her relief, it was. The massive beast let out a roar of pain and collapsed, shaking the ground. But that wasn't all, the lighting dragon moved onto the next target and then onto the next, killing ten demons in the blink of an eye before dissipating.
Just as the first one ended, the next spell escaped her palm as her bow fell to the ground, causing even more pain and burning her further. Neia grunted in pain, her legs wobbling and tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and yet she endured.
Another dancing dragon killed an incoming group of demons, clearing the street and giving her the chance to retrieve the remains of her friends.
"Neia!" Iona shouted from behind. "What was that!?"
"No time. Help me get them!" Neia shouted back, God's presence still in the back of her mind.
'If only I had asked for help earlier.' Neia couldn't help but regret her hesitation in calling for Lord Ainz Ooal Gown to help her. If only she had been more resolute, her friends would have lived.
'Only in hindsight do mortals know the correctness of their choices. Tell me Neia, how much do you desire their return to the world of the living?' Her God asked her, a hint of curiosity behind his majestic voice.
Neia hesitated. What price was she willing to pay? It was her hesitation that had led to the deaths of her friends. Was her life worth more than theirs? Ultimately, she knew that both her mother and father would lay down their lives for their duty, and so would every paladin, which she still strived to emulate. 'I would give everything to give them another chance.'
'We will see if those are not just empty words. Prepare, Neia Baraja.' Her God answered as untold amounts of magical energies began to pour into her mortal body, frying her nerves. A wave of agonizing pain hit her like a sledgehammer as her vision blurred and blood gushed out of her nose.
Neia gritted her teeth, determined to withstand God's immense power long enough for her friends to be returned to life. Her legs wobbled as her arm rose and glowing circles appeared around her, not that she could tell from the pain.
Her breaths grew short, and the sensation of drowning became more and more prevalent as she tasted blood in her mouth, seeping through her gritted teeth. Her body was being torn apart from within.
'You are not strong enough,' God judged her harshly.
'I can… I can… please.' Her thoughts scrambled and her mind clouded once more.
She dropped to one knee, her arm still stretched out, magics tearing every fabric of her body apart. A gurgled scream escaped her lips, and the world went dark.
A sensation of pleasant warmth. Neia coughed violently as she felt her hand wipe the blood away from her face.
"Relax. Master is pleased with your determination, even if you were too weak to withstand the mass resurrection spell channeled through you," A soft, familiar voice spoke.
"I was too weak?" Neia asked the angel as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around groggily, coughing up blood.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Kira and Agasha sit on the muddy ground nearby, keeping each other upright. 'They're alive!'
"You are but a mortal girl. The power of a God is not meant to be channeled through such a weak vessel. But know this Neia, Lord Ainz is looking after you. Believe with all your heart." The angel gently touched her cheek with a plate-clad hand and disappeared in a flash of light, its presence fading from her mind.
Neia slowly stood up with a stagger, only to fall black to her knees. 'I am too weak. Is that my greatest sin? Is weakness itself a sin?' She asked herself. God was willing to lend her his limitless power, but she was too weak to properly accept the gift, akin to a baby struggling to hold its first toy. 'Weakness is sin. I need to get stronger, I need to be ready.'
"Neia!" Iona charged toward her, tears staining her face as she seized her in a tight hug. "You did it! You performed a miracle!"
"Oi boss, don't strangle our savior!" Agasha shouted after the priest with a laugh.
"Sorry Neia, my legs don't work yet so I can't help you get her off you," Kira joined in.
"I…I was too weak," Neia mumbled out loud.
"Weak! Do you even realize what you have done? Dozens of people got a second chance because of you. You are a saint!" Iona shouted in her ear.
"But I didn't… wasn't it the angel who resurrected them?" Neia asked groggily, still coming back to her senses.
"What angel? You resurrected them, and then collapsed glowing like a sun for a good minute," Iona explained, seemingly confused.
Neia took a long breath and gently pushed her friend off of her. She looked around, meeting the gazes of soldiers who had been resurrected by her God and by her will. The spell had worked and had not only brought back her friends but also all the soldiers and adventurers killed before defending this part of the city.
They needed to know. Pushing herself to new limits, she rose to her feet, legs wobbling, and spoke with a passion fueled by her belief and gratitude, "Praise Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, the God of Life and Death! He has given you a blessing! Use this opportunity and grow in strength! For weakness is sin! We will save ourselves in his name!" She spoke with passion.
She would not indulge in this sin. No matter what it would take, she would grow in power so she could serve her God properly.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, Stac, mfkz_rocker, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO fvvck, fvvck, Sluethen, x4x, and clagan.
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