The Forsaken Hero

Following my strange encounter with the Apostle of the Descent, I hurried onward to the kitchens. After receiving my allotted portion, I retreated to the solitude of Soltair’s room and studied while I ate. Now more than I ever, I realized Enusia’s grasp of magic was lacking. A mere seventh-soul demonkin, albeit an apostle, could teleport whimsically. Although the spell seemed to carry far more limitations than what the church could manage, such power was almost unbelievable, redefining my understanding of magic. What else was possible?

As I dove into the spellbooks I’d plundered from Western University, the sun continued to climb in the sky. Before I knew it, Soltair and Trithe had returned, talking and laughing with Alex, the Fire Hero.

”Ah, so this is where you’ve been,” Alex said, walking over to me. ”What are you reading?”

Inwardly groaning, I closed the book, stowing it away before he could see the library’s crest on the cover. ”Nothing much,” I mumbled. Looking to change the subject, I asked, ”Marge isn’t with you?”

”Nah, she wanted to go out and see the city. It’s been a while since we’ve come to the capital, so I gave her and Jill some money to buy some new clothes. They’ve been complaining for a while about it now.”

”Jill?” Sotlair asked.

Alex nodded, sliding into a seat next to me. ”Yeah, she’s my other party member, the princess of the Flame Kingdom.”

”Figures,” Soltair said, nodding. ”And you two...?”

Alex sighed, relaxing back, a dreamy look on his face. ”Of course! How could travel with such a beauty and not? Her thighs are just-”

”That’s enough out of you, idiot,” Trithe said sharply. ”No one cares about how many girls you sleep with.”

”I do,” Alex muttered sullenly. After a second, his expression brightened, and he shifted in his chair, drawing closer to me. ”Enough about me, you’ve been holed up in here the entire time, right? Want to go hit some high-class places or something together? I heard there’s this shop that sells clothes so sheer you can practically see through them! I bet you’d look great in something like that.”

I met Alex’s eager gaze calmly, maintaining a neutral expression. ”No thank you.”

”Aww, no hesitation? Give a guy like me a chance!” he cried dramatically. I flinched as he winked and leaned forward. ”Come on, it’ll be fun. We could get some food, buy some nice clothes, and maybe even spend the night on the town.”

Trithe groaned, shooting him a scathing look. ”You know we’re leaving in a few hours, right?”

He flinched, but his smile, which felt plastered on his face, never wavered. ”Then we’ll make it a speed date. Even if it’s quick, I promise to be gentle.”

Soltair busted out laughing, almost doubling over in his seat. ”Alex! You can’t just ask a girl for her first time like that!”

”First time...? Wait, are you serious?” Alex jumped up from his chair, pointing an accusing finger at the Sun Hero. ”Can’t you even pick the lowest-hanging fruit? How can you call yourself a man?”

”There’s nothing noble about forcing yourself on a slave,” Soltair sniffed.

”That’s the point!” Alex threw up his hands in exasperation. ”That’s why they’re slaves. You can just command them. So what if they cry a bit at the beginning? Pretty soon, they’ll be beginning you for it.”

His words carried an undeniable certainty that only came from experience. A shudder crawled down my tail as I thought of Marge, the Fire Hero’s Rabbitkin slave. Alex and Soltair continued to argue, but there was no real tension between them. Even Trithe only rolled her eyes, leaving the conversation to sharpen her swords.

As the two bickered, I raised a hand, running it along my cheek. My skin was soft and cool, with only a faint hint of warmth. My heart beat slowly, my tail still, resting motionless on the ground. I shook my head, baffled. How could I react so calmly to someone directly trying to sleep with me when I’d gotten so flustered over a simple misunderstanding? Of course, Luke was earnest and gentle. He’d noticed the lingering effects of my suffering and sincerely tried to help. He was good-looking, as well, even compared to the heroes, who were all unanimously blessed with natural charm and....

I cringed, burying my face in my hand. The soft thump of my tail reached my ears, which burned with embarrassment. What was I even thinking? It was just a misunderstanding, and we were enemies, besides!

After a few minutes, I reluctantly put away the book again. My thoughts were far too scattered for me to gain anything meaningful, randomly flitting to the gentle curve of Luke’s horns, or the dark, gentle look in his eyes. I also spent a lot of time pondering his mysterious praise. What could I have accidentally done that the entirety of the demon’s forces couldn’t accomplish intentionally?

At long last, the time came for our departure. We met with Connor, the Undead Hero. His eyes were dull and uninterested, showing no sign of our interaction the night before. He seemed engrossed in his carved bone staff, running his fingers along the runes and continually muttering to himself.

Two armies had gathered outside the castle, fully arraigned in their ranks and numbering in the thousands. Their flags and pennants snapped in the brisk autumn breeze, bristling nobly over the forests of raised spears. The armor of the mounted knights gleamed in the noonday sun, casting a blinding glow across the fields.

But most brilliant of all was High Arbiter Elek, who hovered before the assembled hosts. His wings fluttered softly, keeping him a dozen feet above the ground, allowing him to project his majestic aura to all the watching soldiers. Through the Eyes of Fate, I identified several ninth-circle effects emanating from his soul, bathing the armies in a myriad of blessings and spells. Every aspect of his powerful figure was commanding, giving no doubt as to who the leader of this expedition was.

He drifted further up as a soldier brought us below him, spreading his arms wide. His magically amplified voice boomed across the open fields, drawing the attention of every knight, soldier, and mage.

”Some time ago, two Demon Gates appeared within hours of each other, threatening the lives and safety of everyone on this continent. The powers of the demons are great, but the gods have heard your prayers and sent their salvation. Four Heroes have assembled, and I myself shall take to the field. Armed with your support and courage, we vow to protect your world with our blood, and carry this nation to victory!”

Scattered cheers swelled with the roar of ten thousand voices. Following the arbiter’s words, the individual army commanders began relaying orders through the ranks, dispatching their forces towards the gates. Elek descended amid the cheers, landing beside Soltair and folding his wings in. He shot me a single glance and nodded encouragingly, before addressing our group.

”I have evaluated your abilities and decided on our raiding parties. These gates are led by sixth-level commanders, holding ice and mind attributes, respectively. The Fire and Undead heroes, as well as Xiviyah, will attack the Ice Gate, while I and the Sun hero shall clear the Mind. All but a thousand soldiers shall be assigned to the Ice Gate.”

”Mind?” Soltair asked, ”What kind of attribute is that?”

”A very dangerous magic focused on dominating and controlling weak-willed creatures. The challenges within shall focus more on individual strength than battle prowess, making the majority of our forces useless.”

”And why me?” Soltair asked, raising his eyebrows.

”Simple,” Elek snorted. ”You’re the only one with the natural resistance to mind control. If it were a month ago, I’d take Xiviyah and half the army, but considering how things have progressed, this will be far safer. My abilities can shield but a thousand from the demons’ corruption, so I will be relying on you to handle most of the underlings.”

”I have another question,” Connor said, pursing his lips thoughtfully. ”How can you even use the Gates? I thought only mortals native to Enusia could freely come and go before it breaks.”

Elek smiled faintly, reaching into his armor and withdrawing the angel amulet. Soltair and Trithe’s eyes widened as they recognized the familiar pendant, both subtly watching my reaction. I’d seen it before, but it sent a pang of sorrow through my heart. Why had he left me?

”This amulet is a token of the Arbiters. It is an unconditional sign of authority and trust, and you are bound to obey those who carry it. In addition to being a token of my divinity, it allows to me to enter and leave gates as though I were native.”

”Leave gates?” I asked, raising my head to meet the angel’s bright eyes.

”Of course,” he nodded. ”It wouldn’t do to clear a gate and then be trapped within while it collapses. Not even an arbiter can survive something like that. It also has several other effects that allow me to live on this world, as the world barrier naturally rejects beings of my power.”

”What if someone steals it?” Connor asked.

”Impossible. Only by slaying an arbiter can this amulet be taken. Should that occur, more will be sent to retrieve it. It is far too great a power to allow anyone other than those appointed to hold. In the hundred thousand years I have served as an arbiter, only two were ever lost, and only one remains unaccounted for. But putting that aside, let us get moving. Time grows shorter by the hour, and the gates are mere days from breaking.”

Elek raised his hand, and a massive, ninth-circle spell materialized overhead, swelling out to cover the entire assembly. The sheer pressure exerted by the enormous quantity of mana carried the weight of an ocean, and many of the soldiers struggled to remain standing. As the spell completed, a shower of golden rain descended from the sky, coating every soul beneath the circle. As the magic slid around me, my exhaustion drained away and a newfound sense of clarity filled my mind. My soul hummed with mana, straining against the bonds of the Amulet.

Was this power of a ninth-circle spell? Compared to Mana Storm, or Solar Flare, it was rather underwhelming, but I didn’t underestimate the aura for a moment. Although I was but one of ten thousand receiving the spell, it contained protective and support effects equal to any sixth-circle spell I’d witnessed.

Thus, reinforced by the godly magic, the armies prepared to march.