(Quick question: Should I start a discord channel for this?)(Wait is that... I"m in the top 500. I am speechless. Well actually I"m not but, you probably guessed that. Joking aside I"m really grateful you guys(and gals because I"m only 98% s.e.xist) like my novel.)
-----Gazef"s POV-----
After travelling for so long, coming across multiple villages only after they have been destroyed, I decided that some of us should go ahead of the rest. If lives can be saved, then no matter what happens, they come first.
As my cohorts and I ride over the last hill before the next village, very few of them hold their breath. I do on the other hand. Some may think there"s no point because we"ve had too many failures already but--- It looks like hope pulls through eventually. A village that hasn"t been burnt to rubble or smashed to pieces! But wait. Walking out is a tall gentleman with short black hair and a cross shaped scar through his forehead and one eye. If that is the village chief I can see why people might have a hard time taking the village. He radiates a certain aura. There"s no doubt this man is a warrior.
Gazef: I am the Warrior-Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff. By order of the King, I have been visiting each of the frontier villages to exterminate knights from enemy countries who have been making trouble here. Are you the chief of this village?
Xygat: No.
No? Well if he isn"t of this village, he must be with the invaders! But I mustn"t rush to conclusions, he will speak for himself.
Gazef: Who are you then?
Xygat: Ryker Edwards.
Gazef: What do you want?
Xygat: You all to follow me. Please.
Gazef: Why should we do that?
Xygat: I asked nicely.
Gazef: And if I refuse?
Xygat: ...
...
.....
....
...Uh... What? He isn"t releasing killing intent, so this isn"t a threat. I"ll just go. This is awkward.
Gazef: Very well, lead the way.
Xygat: Good.
He is easily the least talkative person I have ever met. But his heart seems to be in the right place. At least, I think it does.
-----Dabilosi POV-----
Thinking on it, sending Xygat may not have been the best idea, but calming down the villagers, especially HIZOL... It takes a while, and if I leave them to go do something else they"ll panic because I haven"t explained it or I"m "leaving them to their fate". Possibly an exaggeration but I don"t like the idea of working more than necessary.
Oh dear. The people following Gazef look confused and worried. Something happened. I don"t know what, but they look ready for an ambush, and when you wanted to give someone a friendly invitation that is not a particularly good sign.
Xygat: Him.
Gazef: I am Gazef Stronoff, Warrior-Captain of the Re-Estize Empire. I take it you are the village chief?
Dabilosi: Uh... No. That"s this guy. I"m just Xygat"s partner. I asked him to bring you over here because these people kept overreacting to the possibility of death that was present mere moments ago and I wanted to sort that out before having a meet-and-greet.
Chief: He saved us from the invaders.
Dabilosi: I keep telling you, they just couldn"t stand the pressure.
Chief: Yes, the pressure of your mere presence pushed them all to their knees.
Dabilosi: Take a hint next time. I didn"t want you to tell him.
Gazef: Is this true?
Dabilosi: Well, yes. I let them go though, on the proviso that they don"t attack this village or any more people I"m interested in. Pretty sure they were just following orders, but the rest of their group is surrounding the village as we speak so... I guess they didn"t take my advice. Either that or their here for you Gazef. Why are you here in the first place?
Gazef: By order of the king, I am to exterminate enemy knights making trouble in our lands.
Dabilosi: And you"ve been baited here by a series of other destroyed villages right?
Gazef: That is correct, how did you?
Dabilosi: It was obvious. Seriously, use your brain man. They probably did it just faster than you could move to create just this situation... Oh... That"s interesting I guess.
Gazef: Did you think of a reason for why this could have happened?
Dabilosi: No, the people outside summoned some quite powerful angels. If I remember correctly the only ones who can do that in large numbers are the Slane Theocracy right?
Strong my a**. But I have to keep up a façade because if this guy is the strongest in the kingdom and I can make ties with him... That"s great.
Gazef: That is correct. Would you do me the honor of fighting beside me?
Dabilosi: Just try to keep up old geezer, let me show you the power of a blade mage.
Gazef: May I ask what a Blade Mage is?
Dabilosi: Yeh, channeling magic through the sword to cast them, it"s actually way easier than regular magic if you have enough experience with a sword. Anyway, is there any magic you set up before going into battle?
Gazef: No, but I do use [Martial Art: Greater Endurance]. Do you or your friend need a horse?
Martial Art, huh?
Dabilosi: A horse? My friend may need one, but it would just slow me down. Martial Art: Fleet Foot "[Silent Cast - Movement Acceleration]".
Xygat: No. [Lesser swiftness]
Gazef: ah. Very well. We should leave immediately, as wasting any more time makes them more likely to attack the village to get me.
Like that they all just charge to meet the enemy. Seriously, there wasn"t a second of planning involved other than "make sure the village isn"t attacked". I don"t think that"s much of a strategy.
Dabilosi: [Message - Xygat] Don"t kill any more angels than Gazef.
Xygat: [Message - Dabilosi] Ok.
Oh great, looks like we"re going to be met halfway by the squad I scared off. I wonder how many threats it took. Ah well, their funeral. Oh great, and as for the main group, the leader looks like he"s going to burst into a villainous monologue. Gazef shot a really good arrow at him aand it bounced off. Thanks for trying to stop the upcoming monologue though. Magic spells and other knights arriving at our destination in 3... 2... 1... Gazef instantly had to ditch his horse due to mind-controlling magic. Great.
At the front, Gazef"s troops still on horseback engage with the enemy, and it would be a one-sided ma.s.sacre if not for the angels swooping in from above. It"s rather amusing watching foot soldiers and horseback riders trade lives one-for-one. I"m not being idle through this, killing a few angels and foes with Xygat, but it"s not really a challenge so I"m still watching the futile struggles of Gazef"s troops. They"re all going to die. It"s fun to watch their last ditch attempts to survive and their expressions during death though. I would originally have found this disturbing, but humanity is below me anyway so... Wait. I"m a human. This isn"t right. I shouldn"t just be letting people die for my own amus.e.m.e.nt. My people anyway.
[Frozen Wave]!
A wave of cold energy rips apart the angels in it"s path, and a man runs behind it slaughtering the rest of the soldiers. Well, [Paralysis][Greater Regeneration] most of them anyway.
Unfurling pure white wings, startled cries are heard from both sides of the battlefield, but much louder by the Slane Theocracy.
???: W-Wh-What are you?! I am Nigun Grid Luin of the Sunlight Scripture, and I demand you answer me!
Dabilosi: My name is Darnell, and what I am does not matter. This form is very strenuous to maintain, so this will be over quickly. [Widen Magic: Astral Smite]
With that, all but Nigun vanished, his angel taking the blow for him.
Nigun: M-Monster!
Dabilosi: No, Nigun, can you not see I am an angel? There is a very big difference.
Nigun: You aren"t an Angel, let me show you a real angel, the strongest of angels!
Oh? That"s a decent quality crystal. Too bad, by the s.h.i.+ne of it the most it contains is a tier 8 summon spell. Some stuff a crystal like that summons could actually hurt me.
Dabilosi: [Message - Xygat] I can see you inching forwards, it isn"t dangerous, so stop.
Dabilosi: Go on then.
Nigun: Behold! The glorious visage of the highest angel! Dominion Authority!
Dabilosi: I can"t say I"m impressed, you didn"t even summon cherubim or seraphim.
Nigun: Eh? T-that can"t be! You"re bluffing! Dominion authority, [Holy Smite]!
Dabilosi: Sorry, no. [Control Freak: Billion Wounds]
With that, the "highest angel" immediately fell.
Nigun: No... That"s impossible! The angel that defeated even evil G.o.ds, crushed with one attack...
Dabilosi: That, my friend, is because good can only be overcome with a greater good. [Icicle spear]
For good measure, after using that attack I change my appearance back to no wings, one of the benefits of being the sin of l.u.s.t I only now see as useful, I collapse on the floor using [Greater Healing]. I have to at least have some damage on myself to show for that strength. It hurt way more than I antic.i.p.ated though and I"m bleeding out of all seven orifices(1).
Dabilosi: [Message - Momonga] Take the bodies to neuronist would you? I could see you the whole time. Dumb skele.
Momonga: *Coughs* Uhm, yes. I, uh. I"ll do that.
Gazef: Darnell!
Dabilosi: Just- *coughs blood* let me rest a week would you? *coughs blood*
Gazef: Hang on, I"ll get you back inside.
-----5 days later-----
I refuse to stay in that itchy scratchy bed any longer! 5 days is definitely bad enough. I"m still putting on a bit of an act, but real macho men don"t wait until they"re fully healed anyway. My explanation for why I didn"t do it sooner was that it takes a while to take effect. Gazef has hung around, which I"m grateful for. His men have head back to report, but he waited for me after Xgat, uh... the chief expressed my wish to go to the capital.
Gazef: So, are you ready to go?
Dabilosi: I was born ready. Martial Art: Fleet Foot! "[Silent Cast: Movement Acceleration]"
-----Somewhere in the Slane Theocracy (Very helpful I know)-----
Raymond: Yvon, this man, what are your thoughts?
Yvon: This man could be a valuable a.s.set if we can convince him to join us. He would also boost the citizens confidence in us as a living angel. On the other hand, if he is to side with the kingdom, we must eliminate him, as it would be a ma.s.sive issue if an angel is seen siding with anyone other than us.
Raymond: That is good, Berenice?
Berenice: He is very strong, only the captain and second seat of the black scripture could possibly stand a chance against him. We need to eliminate him before he joins a major power and becomes a threat.
Raymond: This is still not what I"m looking for. Maximillion?
Max: He is very clever. I don"t believe that form puts as much strain on him as is suggested. If it did, wouldn"t he begin to bleed the moment he lost his wings? Yet there was a brief intermission. It was almost as if-
Yvon: He was trying to hide as much strength as possible! But wouldn"t that mean he is likely even stronger than we he showed?! How are we supposed to deal with a monster like that?
Raymond: It"s deceptively simple. Maintain friendly relations. Made much more difficult now by the fact that the sunlight scripture tried to attack him.
Ginedine: I will attempt to bring him to the Slane Theocracy.
Dominic: I will work out where he came from.
Raymond: Very well. As the six cardinals, none of us have the luxury of being able to slack. Captain of the black scripture, ah, would you please inform Zess.h.i.+?
Captain: Fine. I"ll try to stop her running off.