Gareth's horse galloped at full speed toward the enemy sorcerers. Despite being a trained warhorse, he could sense her fear. It was the same emotion he felt, and for the exact same reason: they were both galloping toward certain death.

  With the limited resources at his disposal, he didn't have many options. The frontal attack he was carrying out was a suicidal move, but a defensive battle would have been even more foolish. Had he fled, or hidden in the village, he would only have condemned everyone to certain death. Gareth had done everything he could to choose the option that would result in the fewest deaths possible. It was his duty as an Imperial Captain, as a soldier and as a close friend of the Emperor to protect the weak.

  -He had no chance of winning in a long-range battle.

  The imperial Captain had initially considered bringing the fight to the village, to force Almodeus to join the fight. However, doing so would have impugned the honor of that good man who had worked hard to save the villagers. Not to mention that many citizens could have died during the skirmish.

  He couldn't allow it. Technically, comparing the loss of a soldier to a peasants; the latter would have caused less damage to the state. However, the soldiers had chosen to fight while the peasants hadn't; they were there through no fault of their own, so if they had died in battle, it would have been a grave insult to their lives. Not to mention that it would have been Gareth's own fault, since he was the target of the attackers. Too many subjects of His Majesty had already died for him.

  Now he could repay those who had been indirectly killed. Gareth wouldn't go straight to the slaughter, though. He would die doing his duty: defending the Empire!

  I'm now only a few dozen meters away! Meanwhile, it's already dark. They probably waited until nightfall because they hoped to catch me by surprise. They were deluded! I already knew I was going to meet my end, but I won't let you take my soldiers to the grave with me!

  He called the strength of his spirit into his lungs.

  "Men! We must act as bait, but that doesn't mean we're forbidden from thinning their lines! Archers! Shoot!"

  A dozen soldiers took up their bows and fired as they galloped. Some arrows missed their target entirely, while others would have hit it, had a strange blue barrier not stopped them.

  Gareth's eyes widened. Some magic was protecting the sorcerers. Without enchanted arrows, they would not have been able to break through those magical defenses.

  We're almost there! Crossing the lines, maybe we can do it!

  "Fireball!"

  His eyes narrowed when he heard those words. One of the sorcerers had summoned a fireball that struck the ground in front of him. His frightened steed threw him off, knocking him to the ground along with his great sword. Gareth immediately got up and smiled.

  Those fools have taken the bait! They'll focus on me and let the others go, buying Lord Almodeus time to save the villagers.

  "Captain! Give me your hand!"

  One of the soldiers at the rear of the charge tried to help the Captain, to get him onto his horse. Unfortunately, Gareth didn't even have time to turn around when one of the Exorcists summoned by the spellcasters lunged at him, brandishing his halberd. He managed, by sheer luck, to parry the blow with his own sword. His was no ordinary melee weapon; it was made of a very durable metal and it was over five feet long. It looked more like a mace than a true sword, to be honest.

  No one in their right mind would use a blade like this, but it's perfect for my fighting style! It is second only to my favorite weapon, which the nobles have prevented me from bringing on this mission, putting pressure on the Emperor.

  As an Imperial Captain, and bodyguard to His Majesty, Gareth had been granted the five treasures of the Empire, passed down from generations.

  In addition to his favored sword, he would have his own armor, called the Guardian's Spirit which granted him high resistance to magic. The Gauntlet of Strength, which allowed him to increase his strength the longer he fought. The Helmet of Courage, which enhanced all Battle Arts casted by a warrior, reducing the fatigue they produced -- reducing any fear effects in the meantime. The Celestial Runner's Legguards were the last of the Empire's five treasures, and granted increased speed as well as complete immunity to the fatigue produced by running.

  Despite being forbidden to wear them on this mission due to the corrupt nobles, Gareth had brought one of his own. It was a shield-shaped talisman hidden in an inside pocket of his armor. It had been given to him by his fencing master, an adventurer who had retreated to his dojo with other students. No one knew of this amulet, except the Emperor. The amulet guaranteed one to surpass human limits, even granting the ability to resist a killing blow once a day.

  "Captain! Attention!"

  A soldier shouted at him in the distance. An Exorcist was about to strike Gareth from behind. With quick footwork, he managed to put distance between himself and the summon before counterattacking. After parrying the enemy's blow, Gareth struck him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. But the angel was hard to die, in fact, he got up and threw himself directly at him.

  I think it's time to use one of my techniques!

  Gareth said to himself, before raising his sword.

  "Battle Art: Judgment! "

  Battle Arts were special abilities that only warriors could use and learn. These used a person's physical energy as an activation cost, unlike standard abilities and spells that required spiritual energy or mana.

  Judgment was a powerful but complex Art: it consisted of a holy attack, so against angelic monsters, such as Exorcists, it shouldn't have inflicted much damage. However, Judgment was the exception to the rule; the more determination one had when using it, the more damage the ability inflicted. It didn't ignore immunities or protections granted by spells, but it bypassed natural defenses, such as those of angels against holy attacks.

  "Die, two-winged monster!"

  He screamed, leaping into the air and striking the angel, cutting it in half. Like any being summoned by magic, the Exorcist vanished once it died, leaving no corpse.

  "One is gone..."

  Gareth frowned at the sight of the enemy enchanters, who were approaching him, escorted by their angels. Despite the critical situation, the Imperial Captain was wearing a smile on his face.

  They fell for it! All my soldiers managed to get through the enemy lines! I may not survive, but at least I'll be the last victim of this wicked massacre!

  "Nice to meet you, Captain Gareth Stronghold!"

  He looked up to the sky and saw an angel descending. It was very different from the Exorcists: this one was twice as tall, with four pairs of wings, heavy blue armor and no helmet. The angel's face was a huge prism with a circular eye in the center of its head, similar to a giant magnifying glass. Clinging to the summon right leg was a man with blond hair and golden eyes. He was probably the summoner. The mysterious individual got down to the ground and stood behind the team of enchanters.

  "From the way their lineup is set up, it looks like he's the boss."

  Gareth muttered under his breath as he watched the newcomer. For some reason, he had a terrible feeling. Those golden eyes were not natural; the enemy Captain seemed under the influence of some sort of drugs.

  "Let me introduce myself! My name is Usein Neir Bork! I am the Captain of the Legion serving one of the Twelve Cardinals of the Theocracy of Reia!"

  The man introduced himself, his tone solemn, smiling at Gareth and barely holding back laughter.

  Good! Talk all you want, Bork! My men will be far away by now!

  Almost as if he could read his mind, Bork continued his rant without a care in the world.

  "You were a tough mouse to lure into a trap, you know? Luckily it all ends now with your de…What?!"

  For some reason, the enemy commander turned his back on Gareth. The Imperial Captain raised his sword to take advantage of his distraction. Normally, he wouldn't resort to a rear attack, but in war all was fair. He'd lost far too many men before learning that hard lesson...

  However, as determined as he was, Gareth stopped when he noticed a cloud of dust approaching in the distance. The Captain opened his eyes in shock when he realized what was happening.

  Wait...No…It can’t be!

  "WITH THE CAPTAIN! NOW AND FOREVER!"

  Gareth's men, who had all managed to get through the enemy formation, were now turning back, determined to overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers.

  "What are you doing?! You had to get to safety! You are all fools..."

  Gareth commented in a harsh tone. However, the smile he immediately flashed betrayed his true feelings.

  As Captain, I should be furious with them, but my heart is instead filled with admiration and happiness for the respect they showed.

  "You are fools, but you couldn't have made me prouder!"

  Unfortunately, the Captain's happiness was quickly shattered by the harsh reality: the Imperial army was no match for the Theocracy one. They had the numerical advantage, but the Exorcists remained stronger and faster than the regular soldiers, who, unlike the angels, lacked the support of spellcasters.

  It's a losing battle from the start, though...

  Gareth shifted his gaze to Bork, who meanwhile was commanding the enchanters from the rear, sheltered and protected by the angels.

  Maybe I can shut down the operations by eliminating the boss!

  After deciding what to do, he raised his sword and lunged at the enemy Captain, but was immediately blocked by a pair of Exorcists.

  If Bork is under the illusion that two low-level angels will be enough to stop me, he is very much mistaken!

  He decided to resort to more of his techniques, hoping to catch his opponent by surprise.

  "Battle Art: Physical Enhancement! Acceleration! Clear Mind!"

  After all those Arts, Gareth had enhanced his mind, his body and even his reflexes.

  It's time to slaughter them like pigs!

  "Judgment!"

  He leaped at another angel and struck it as he had the previous one, but this time the monster survived. Gareth shifted his gaze to the angel to Bork's right. The imperial Captain studied it carefully with a lively gaze; something didn't seem right.

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  I don't know why, but ever since that walking magnifying glass arrived, all the other angels seem to have gotten stronger! I have to eliminate him at all costs!

  He charged again, aware of the enemy's new strength.

  "Advanced Combat Aura!"

  The Captain's sword was enhanced by the Advanced Art, which had infused Gareth's will into his weapon, making it equal to an enchanted sword.

  "Attack with the angels!"

  Bork ordered, pointing to Stronghold. The Exorcists obeyed and surrounded their opponent, who remained unperturbed and smiled.

  "You played my game! Decisive Strike!"

  The Imperial Captain began spinning at an inhuman speed. Thanks to the Battle Art Decisive Strike, he was able to damage a large number of nearby enemies. Normally, this would have been ineffective against the angels, but thanks to his previous enhancements, he was able to not only damage them, but actually destroy them all in a single instant.

  "You will die! From first to last!"

  His scream followed the death of a dozen Exorcists. Only Bork's angel remained before him, a few meters away. Gareth paused to catch his breath, the extensive use of the Battle Arts had placed a heavy burden on his powerful, yet still human, physique. The soldier took the opportunity to turn to his men: most were still standing and fighting, but many had already fallen, and others would follow their fate.

  Should I hurry up and eliminate Bork's angel, or... Hmm? What the…?

  His attention fell on a red-feathered crow that had landed on one of the fallen men. Gareth opened his eyes in surprise when he realized that each fallen man had one of those strange birds perched on top of him.

  It shouldn't surprise me; after all, crows are birds of prey, like vultures. They follow soldiers to eat the bodies of the dead. However... These are different from ordinary crows; they seem corrupted, but from what?

  "What's up, Stronghold? Are you out of energy? I hope not, I have a little surprise in store for you!"

  Gareth turned to Bork, as he decided what to do.

  Shit! I have to stay focused! This isn't the time to question Mother Nature!

  The man scolded himself, then raised his sword at his opponent.

  "Come on! All that's missing is your big puppet!"

  The Imperial Captain pointed to the angel to Bork's right. It looked very strong, but Gareth was confident he could take him out with the right technique.

  "Really? Tell me, Stronghold...you barely managed to defeat ten angels, how do you expect to stop fifty?"

  At those words, the spellcasters raised their hands to the sky, generating dozens and dozens of magic circles, thus summoning more Exorcists en masse. Gareth gritted his teeth at the sight of the new wave of opponents.

  I didn't think they still had the energy to do that! Shit! We didn't need this...

  Now, further outmatched than ever, the Captain resumed his battle stance. But something was different from before; the man had lost hope of victory. Now, he only wanted to buy as much time as possible for the village enchanter.

  Lord Almodeus...I believe in you!

  Gareth raised his greatsword and began screaming at the top of his lungs, lunging towards the Exorcists in a last desperate rush.

  I don't care if I die! I made a promise and I intend to keep it!

  He swung his sword at one of the angels. Soon after, Gareth's amulet death protection effect activated, for the one and only time in that battle.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Almodea was sitting near the stable entrance, with Loyd asleep on top of her laps.

  He's so cute! I love human puppies...

  She smiled, then took the child and handed him to her sister.

  "You're lucky to have such a cute little brother, Amy!"

  "I'm glad it didn't bother you, Venerable Almodea."

  Why can't they just call me Almodea? What's this about the Venerable One? I mean...I know I'm taller and stronger than all of them, but to worship me as a Goddess seems like too much! Nikusa would be right here; she loves being worshipped.

  Almodea's mind flashed back to her aunt, who was that only in name, not in blood. Nikusa, the Queen of Chaos, adored being worshiped as a Goddess. This was a stark contrast to her daughter, Hirashi, who remained stoic and indifferent, preferring to remain in the background.

  "Look, the Venerable thing is bothering me. Please, take it down. We're friends!"

  "Excuse me, ma'am! What should I call you, then? Do you have any preferences?"

  The demoness sighed deeply.

  What's wrong with these people? Well, let's see... How could I call myself then? Lady Almodea will do! I don't want to think about it too much.

  She nodded at her own choice.

  "Lady Almodea or just Almodea."

  Amy lowered her head and smiled as she cradled Loyd in her arms.

  "I'm happy to call you by a name you appreciate, Lady Almodea."

  The demoness shrugged. Titles and honorifics didn't matter much to her.

  "Okay...Listen, Amy, do you happen to know where the Venerable Almodeus went?"

  "Yes! It's in the back! I saw him coming out a little while ago..."

  Almodea smiled and thanked the youn girl, then started to head towards the back of the stable, when Amy stopped her, grabbing her by the sleeve of her jacket.

  "Excuse me…But may I ask you a question, Lady Almodea?"

  She turned to Amy, and nodded curiously.

  "So... Are you and the Venerable One related? You've called him Dad several times. Don't you want it to get out? I can keep it a secret!"

  Almodea remained smiling on her face, but in her mind she was having an expression like Munch's scream.

  Fuuuuuuuuuck! We didn't remember she knew we were related! What an amateur mistake! Now what do I do? Dad might be mad if I leave her alive, but I like her. I can't kill her! Better to ask him directly.

  She took a deep breath and composed herself, then smiled at Amy in a friendly manner.

  "Sure! That would be better, Amy. Thanks for everything!"

  After answering the question, Almodea said goodbye to the girl again and left the stable. Once outside, she turned the corner to the right and saw her father staring into space.

  He's probably using his spy crows.

  She thought, before walking up and talking to him.

  "Hey, Dad! Am I disturbing you?"

  "You never bother me, little spot. Do you need anything?"

  The demoness approached her father until she was just a few inches away. She noticed that he was still in the form he had assumed to avoid frightening the villagers.

  Now that I think about it, I can change my shape too, same thing Hirashi, not that she's a servant though. Damn, I'm so jealous of those abs...

  Almodea shook her head to bring her mind back to the question she wanted to ask.

  "Amy knows we're related, what do we do?"

  "I already knew that. It's not a problem. Amy owes her family's safety to us, after all."

  "What if she were to...let it out?"

  At her question, Almodeus turned to her and stared at her with a mocking smile, letting the young woman know that one of his arguments was about to come.

  "Amy's seen my containment form and knows what I'm capable of. She'd be crazy to even think about betraying me, wouldn't she?"

  I agree with him on this. After all, my father is invincible! He has never been defeated and never will be. How can you defeat a concept? Especially if that concept applies to everyone, like fear.

  She nodded at her own reasoning, shifting her gaze to Almodeus.

  "What are you doing now?"

  "I'm watching the Captain's battle...It's not going well for him."

  The other answered her.

  I was right! 10 points for me! Seriously, I don't understand why Dad is so interested in that human...

  "Dad…Why do you care about that man?"

  Hearing the question, Almodeus turned slightly towards his daughter, as if to make sure she was about to hear his answer.

  "Care isn't the right word. Let's just say I respect him. In some ways, he reminds me of Abadon, which gives me an inane sense of respect for him. Furthermore, his approach to life, and therefore to fear, is different from that of many humans. This makes him an extremely interesting, as well as rare, specimen. My nature as a collector compels me to preserve him."

  The young demoness laughed at her father's words. She had inherited his passion for collecting rare things.

  I don't fully understand Dad's motives. He's a little complicated sometimes, but I trust him implicitly!

  After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Almodea turned back to Almodeus, still intent on staring into space.

  "You said he's doing badly. Do you think he can still win?"

  The demon shook his head firmly. He wasn't one to give false hope. He was more for a cold, realistic type of answer.

  "No, he alone has no chance..."

  Almodea raised a doubtful eyebrow. Something struck her as odd in her father's tone. She began to suspect her old man was up to some trick.

  "So how will you preserve this rare human?"

  "Gareth can't win alone, but who says he has to be the one to eliminate the enemies? I made a promise, remember? I think it's time to act on it."

  Almodea didn't seem to fully understand what her father meant, but she smiled and trusted him, knowing that Almodeus was acting only for her own good. She also turned her head toward the void; the demoness didn't often use spy crows, but she couldn't resist her curiosity. She, too, wanted to see the fight. Within seconds, she began to visualize what her father was seeing.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Shit! I'm Surrounded!

  The Captain attempted to strike one of the angels, but another Exorcist attacked from the right, forcing him to parry and pause his attack. However, this came at the expense of the defense on the opposite side. Indeed, shortly afterward, Gareth felt a sharp pain in his back. He lowered his head and saw one of the Exorcists' blades pierce his chest.

  He fell to the ground, exhausted. His armor was severely damaged, his own blood clouded his vision, and he couldn't even lift his sword. The Battle Arts had drained him of all energy.

  "I finally won the clash of Captains, dear Stronghold!"

  Bork! What a pig you are! You're mocking me when you haven't even lifted a finger! What do you care about honor? After all, you only want to serve your Gods! Ironic...You pray to a God, but you have no problem letting innocent people die in petty massacres! You're just a hypocrite!

  Gareth railed in his head, too tired to utter a word.

  "Very well, have the Exorcists attack again! But not one at a time, all at once! Let's give him a quick death!"

  I never thought I'd die like this. I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest!

  Gareth managed to plant his sword in the ground and use it as a prop to get up. He was exhausted by now, and the only thing keeping him upright was his love for his homeland. That homeland that had spat in his face and pushed him to the ground since he was born, but which he loved more than anything. The angels stopped their attack, like they were waiting for an opening.

  "No...."

  Gareth mumbled with the last of his strength, earning a confused look from Bork.

  "No, what? Are you afraid of death? It's natural! You're just another sinner, after all..."

  The Captain's anger gave him enough energy to stand up and face his enemy head on, at least verbally.

  "No! I will never surrender! I love this Empire and I will do anything to defend it! I refuse to die at the hands of those who only want to watch the whole world burn!"

  Bork laughed at those heroic words. If he hadn't had to maintain what little decency he had left in front of his troops, he probably would have burst into laughter like a drunk in a tavern.

  "I think you misunderstand us! We of the Theocracy do not wish to see the world burn in its entirety, but only a part of it, the corrupt and crude one! The one that, through the sacred flames, will be purified!"

  "You're crazy! Millions of innocent will die!"

  Bork shrugged at that truth, then fixed Gareth with his golden eyes. It was an inhuman glare; his eyes were corrupted by some sort of magic.

  "And what does it matter? Those you call innocent are just scum to us, like stray dogs! Dogs who should stop barking and lower their heads, silently awaiting their inevitable fate: death!"

  He's completely gone!

  "You're just a madman! You destroyed villages and killed defenseless civilians just to follow a distorted view of the world!"

  Bork's expression didn't change; Gareth's words didn't affect him in the slightest. To someone like him, everyone else was like mere ants.

  "Yes, I've had people killed who didn't even know why they were being executed in the first place, but it doesn't matter, and do you know why? Because it all ends now! First I'll kill you, then I'll raze the village to the ground and make sure the villagers meet the exact same fate as you! Devoured by crows and vultures!"

  Bork waved his hand skyward, commanding the spellcasters to make the angels attack. Gareth knew it was only a matter of seconds before all fifty Exorcists would be upon him. He wanted to think of a counterattack, but his mind was elsewhere.

  I hope Lord Almodeus had enough time to evacuate the village...

  The Imperial Captain smiled, then fixed the opposing Commander with a look full of confidence.

  "No matter what happens to me, that village is safe! It's defended by a man far more powerful than I am!"

  At those words, Bork hesitated. It was the first time he had shown uncertainty since he had entered the battlefield.

  "May know what you're implying?!"

  Gareth burst into a hearty laugh at the sight of his enemy's lack of composure. He didn't answer; it would be pointless to waste his breath on someone like Bork. He closed his eyes, waiting for the end, without giving him the satisfaction of a response.

  -I think that's enough, Captain Gareth. I'll take care of it from now on. You did well...

  Hearing that voice, more like a whisper, the soldier opened his eyes suddenly, but saw nothing.

  What? Almodeus's voice? Is he here? Is he behind me?

  "What? You..."

  Gareth whirled around, but for some reason saw only a giant black shadow engulfing him.

  -Then…Darkness, only black pitch darkness.

  As the darkness cleared, the man found himself in the village stable, with his men lying on the ground beside him. They were all seriously injured, but at least they were still breathing. It seemed they were being regenerated by some strange magic unknown to him.

  "Captain Gareth?"

  The village chief asked, as surprised as it was the Imperial Captain.

  "What…What happened?"

  He asked, attempting to take a step toward the old man, but his legs protested the effort, so he decided to stay sstill.Gareth felt his energy recovering, but the fatigue wasn't replenishing very fast.

  "The Venerable Almodeus left a little while ago. Then everything went dark, and you and your men appeared. I went to warn the Venerable, but he disappeared in a black shadow! As if he had taken your place!"

  Gareth started to ask a question, but the old man beat him to it, as if he had remembered something at the last second.

  "Ah, yes! Before leaving to get out, the Venerable Almodeus asked me to wish you good luck."

  "Good luck? Why? Wait a minute..."

  Gareth looked down at his right hand. The A carved into his palm was slowly fading away, as if it had served its purpose.

  "Of course..."

  The Imperial Captain smiled, then dropped his sword and fell to the ground.

  My eyelids are heavy, my eyes can't stay open. I apologize if I haven't been of any help. I leave everything in your hands, Lord Almodeus...

  With that, Captain Gareth Stronghold passed out. He was defeated, but still standing and smiling. He had gaces one of the Twelve Scriptures. An enemy so powerful that even he, the Empire's strongest soldier, could not defeat.

  -Yet, Gareth couldn't imagine that Almodeus could lose.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "And who are you?!"

  Bork asked, his tone mixed with boredom and anger, eyeing the two new figures who had replaced his target. The larger one opened his arms and began speaking in a calm, authoritative tone.

  "It is a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen of the Reia Theocracy. My name is Almodeus! But you may call me the Absolute Lord!"