The late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the landscape as we made our way back to the kingdom. Keinan, Deborah, and I, along with our new recruits of rookies in training, we were clearing out the last of the zombie stragglers that stood in our path. Along with Sarah and her group of people joining our group on our way to our kingdom.
"Stay sharp, everyone," Deborah barked out command, her voice cutting through the air like a sharp knife. She wielded her duel katana with deadly precision, slicing through a pair of zombies that stumbled too close. The rookies watched her in awe, their eyes widen with admiration for her swords skills.
Keinan was a one-man fortress at the front line. His shotgun roared with each pull of the trigger, tearing through the undead with brutal efficiency. His riot shield was a bulwark, deflecting any attacks that came in his way. "Keep up the pace everyone!" he shouted, his voice booming over the gunfire. "We've got more incoming from the west!"
Deborah moved like a whirlwind beside him on the frontline, her katana made whistling sound as she cut five zombie headless in a clean cut. "Rookies, fall into formation! Cover each other's backs and don't let them flank you!" Her orders were sharp and precise, and the soldiers scrambled to follow their lead, as the battle unfolded the new recruit started to move like a team becoming more coordinated.
I stood by like usual behind the team, leaning against a tree with my arms crossed, my eyes half-closed. The truth was, I was bored. This level of threat wasn't enough to get my adrenaline pumping. I yawned, watching the others with a disinterested gaze.
Sarah and her people glanced at me, their expressions a mix of confusion and disdain. One of them, a young man with a wary look, whispered to Sarah, "Why's he just standing there? Does he even know how to fight?"
Sarah frowned, her eyes flicking to me briefly. Before she could respond, a rookie soldier with a smirk on his face turned to them. "Just wait," he said confidently. "You'll see."
Keinan's shotgun thundered again, blasting apart a zombie head that had been trying to crawl over his shield. He turned to the rookies, his eyes fierce. "Don't let up! We've got this!"
The soldiers, inspired by Keinan and Deborah's battle prowess, fought with renewed vigor. The air was filled with the sounds of battle—the crack of gunfire, the clash of steel, the guttural moans of the undead that kept on coming.
Deborah spun, her katana slicing clean through a zombie's neck. She kicked its body aside and called out, "Sarah, tell your people to stick close. We're almost through this."
Sarah nodded, her eyes widen in amazement as she watched Deborah dispatch another zombie with terrifying efficiency. "You guys are incredible," she said, awe evident in her voice.
Keinan grinned while reloading his shotgun with practiced ease. "Nah, this is just another day on the job for us."
As the last of the zombies fell, the rookies began to relax, their breathing heavy but their training has finally ended in triumphant. One of them, a young woman with a determined look, approached Deborah. "Commander, that was amazing. How do you move so fast?"
Deborah wiped her katana clean and sheathed it. "Years of practice and a lot of training. Stick with it everyday, and you'll get there too one day."
Keinan walk over and clapped a rookie on the shoulder. "Not bad for your first real fight youngin. Keep that up, and you'll do just fine."
I stretched out, pushing off the tree and walking over to them. "Is it over already?" I asked, feigning a yawn in a bored manner.
The young man who had questioned my abilities earlier scowled. "While you were napping old man, they were fighting for our lives."
I grinned and ignored him, staying focused on the task ahead despite his dirty look and frustration.
The rookie who had defended me earlier spoke in with a quick warning tone. "Hey kiddo! Trust me, if Ace had to step in, you would've seen something else entirely."
The young man looked skeptical, but before he could say anything, Deborah spoke up. "Alright, everyone. Form up. We're going to be heading back to our home, do not let your guard down by any means."
***
As we resumed our journey, Sarah fell into step beside me. "Thanks for bringing us along," she said quietly.
I shrugged. "No problem. You guys were trying to find our kingdom right? Might as well escort you to it ."
She smiled. " That is so kind of you ace, your friends are really impressive. And I have a feeling there's a lot more to you than meets the eye."
I gave her a lazy nonchalant grin. "You might be right about that."
We continued on marching through the deadlands, as not before long the kingdom's walls finally came into our view over the horizon. The rookies, still buzzing from their first real taste of battle begun to chatter excitedly among themselves. Sarah and her people walk along with faces full of relief and renewed joyful expressions as we finally reached our destination.
They stared in shock as we approached the massive obsidian gates of the kingdom for the first time. Guarding the gate entrance like usual stood Ibliss and Chronus, their demonic forms towering menacingly by the gate as they kneeled before me. Their presence alone was enough to make anyone's blood run cold. Behind them, the imposing walls stretched high into the sky, the air carried a cacophony of voices, as behind the wall hid a bustling sound of countless of survivors echoing through the atmosphere.
Sarah's eyes widened, and she turned to our group, her voice tinged with fear. "Who... what are they?" she asked, pointing at the demons.
The same rookie soldier, the one who had defended my seemingly passive stance earlier, steps forward with a proud grin. "Those are Ibliss and Chronus, our top-tier guardians. They were summoned by our leader, Ace. Without him, none of this would be possible. You hear that brat."
One of Sarah's companions, trembling slightly, asked, "And those walls... all those people...?"
"It's all thanks to Ace too," the rookie continued, his voice filled with respect. "He built this place from the ground up, made it a safe haven for everyone. Without him, we'd all be out there, fighting for scraps and god know what."
Sarah and her group looked at me with newfound respect and a hint of admiration, their initial doubts about my abilities was now gone entirely and replaced with a recognition of my true strength and leadership.
As we walked through the gates, the atmosphere shifted by a warmth welcome. As Hiro and Emi were the first to greet us, their small faces lighting up with excitement as the gate opened. They waved energetically, their innocent smiles brimming with joy when we meet up with them.
Behind them stood Pam, holding her newborn baby boy with blond hair, and beside her stood Mary. She beamed at us, her eyes sparkling with joy as well. Mary was always the nurturing one, she had her arms around my twins as I rushed to meet them.
"Welcome back big brother!" Hiro and Emi shouted in unison, running up to hug me. Their laughter was infectious, bringing a smile even to Sarah's wary face.
Pam stepped forward, her baby cooing softly in her arms. "It's good to see you all safe," she said, her voice filled with relief.
Deborah walked over to Mary, her eyes softening as she looked at our newborn twins, a boy and a girl, nestled safely under Mary's care. "Thank you, Mary," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "for looking after them "
Mary smiled, gently patting the twins' heads. "They're a joy to look after, Deborah. You know I don't mind it at all and these little ones is a joy to look after."
Sarah and her people watched this tender reunion with smiles, their initial fear and shock now gradually began melting away. The sight of such strong bonds and the evident care within our group gave them hope to one day be apart of it and a sense of trust began to show written all over their faces.
As we moved further into the kingdom, the once-distant look in their eyes was replaced with growing belief that maybe, just maybe, this place could become their home too.
Balance Update:
Good Karma Points:= 25B
Bad Karma Points:=1B
Ace Lackey's:
Ibliss: Guarding Kingdom gate, cant be summoned.
Cronus: Guarding Kingdom gate, cant be summoned.
Reaper: Can be summoned.
Demoniac: Can be summoned.
Dawn Jester: Can be summoned.
Undead Soldier: Can be summoned, 2000 units.
Samael: Can be summoned.